The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill

Who would have ever thought I would be a fan of Traditional Regencies? But after watching Downton Abbey I was addicted! Both in the lives of the wealthy and also those of the common folks as well. Something I think I would fall into if I had been born a long time ago. One thing is certain, the rights of women have definitely come a long way. In those days if a woman was married but her husband died, all of her property, wealth and assets went to the next male in the family. Either a brother, cousin, son or even second or third cousins that may have no knowledge of that family whatsoever.

Best-selling author Julie Klassen takes readers into a new series, the Tales of Ivy Hill in her first novel, The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill. It is here that we meet Jane Bell who is still mourning the unexpected death of her husband John and has been left to care for a dilapidated coaching inn, known as the Bell. She has no means to bring it back to its former glory and somehow she finds it odd that her husband would have left the Inn to her over his brother Patrick. When the bank informs Jane that her husband took out a loan of 15,000 pounds and hasn't paid a penny of it back, they give her 90 days to find a way to begin making the necessary repairs to the Inn, come up with a business proposal to show how she might turn a profit in the coming year, or pay off the loan.

Jane's mother-in-law, Thora returns to the Inn without realizing the trouble Jane is now facing. She has no way of being able to help Jane and her reputation within the town is less than stellar knowing how difficult and stern she can be. John's brother, Patrick has offered to take over the Inn for Jane so she doesn't have to deal with trying to figure out the logistics of what she will face, but is encouraged by the staff of the Inn and those who work with them, to figure out a way to keep it going. It means the livelihood of town's residents by keeping the Inn operating and to sell it would mean that they would all lose their sources of income as well. All the businesses in town are interconnected in one way helping one another out. When an unexpected guest arrives at the Inn, Jane believes her future might just change, she just isn't sure if it's for the best or worse.

I received The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen compliments of Bethany House Publishers and Net Galley. The one thing I enjoyed the most about this novel is that Julie Klassen wasn't in a rush to finish the first novel and took her time exploring the complex relationships that Jane and Thora have. From the common people Jane's Inn employs from the coachmen to the maids, and even those she does business with like the butcher and laundress. In a time when it wasn't easy for a woman to make it, I love how well both Thora and Jane dig in to find resources they can utilize when they lack the experience to pull off this endeavor. While I was hoping for more romance between Jane and Gabriel, I am optimistic it may happen in a future novel in this charming and heartwarming series set in England. I definitely learned quite a bit about the coaching inns and how they contributed to the financial well being of the town. I would rate this novel a 5 out of 5 stars and anxiously await the next one!

For more information about The Innkeeper of Ivy Hills, Julie Klassen, or where to preorder a copy of this novel due out in early December of 2016, please click on the links below:

The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen

You can find Julie Klassen on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill, please visit Bethany House Publishers.

The Dancing Master

For me, the ear marks of a great novel is when the author truly takes the time to create a story and characters you can relate to and care about. One that doesn't worry about how many pages are in the novel as long as the storyline they thought through is conveyed in the manner they hoped. One that doesn't spend a lot of time in the build up of the novel only to rush through it quickly in a hurried breath at the end. Julie Klassen is that author.

Being a huge fan of traditional regency novels and television series like Downton Abbey, I love the look back in time when men were truly gallant and women were cherished and treated like ladies. If they were interested in one another, a chaperone was sent along as they spent time getting to know one another through walks in the garden or in carriage rides. This is one of those very heartwarming and hold your breath novels. One you will know from the very beginning you've reached something you won't want to rush through because when it does end, you'll be sad. Sad that it's over and you'll have to wait for more to come in the near future. I've been fortunate to read all of Julie Klassen's novels and this one is a masterpiece.

Julia Midwinter is the only daughter of Amelia Midwinter, one of the richest women in the town of Beaworthy. She is not at a loss of handsome suitors although none of them have caught her eye in the way of falling in love like she dreamed. She has fun practicing the art of flirting whenever the opportunity presents itself but finds life rather boring without balls or social outings one would find in London. Since her mother presides over the town and it's parish, dancing and balls have been banned. There is no law on the books but since the death of her Uncle, the entire town has gone along with request. If only Julia could get her to explain the reasons why, but her mother remains tight lipped about why.

However when a stranger moves to town along with his mother and sister, Julia's interest is more than sparked. She finds a man that will challenge even her boldest moves. He refuses to treat her with anything less than the respect a lady deserves even if it means he has to walk away most times. Alec Valcourt has moved in with his uncle along with his mother and sister to find a way to support themselves now that their father has left them. Alec only hopes that as a Dancing and Fencing Master, he might provide the finances that would allow them to find a  home of their own. But when Alec learns that dancing is banned in the town of Beaworthy, he finds his dreams are as lost as his family. How will he be able to provide for his family if he has no skills to do so? How will he be able to provide for any women he falls in love with if he has no hope for a future at anything? Will there be a time to restore dancing in the town of Beaworthy again?

I received The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen compliments of Bethany House Publishers and Litfuse Book Tours for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. I tried delaying the end of this novel as long as I could but somehow like all great things it has to come to an end. My only hope is that Julie Klassen has something else brewing very soon in the future. There simply hasn't been a book of hers I haven't fallen head over heels in love with. Fans of Jane Austen, Downton Abbey or traditional regency fans will LOVE this novel and is why I can easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. There is even a discussion guide at the end that is excellent for book groups to utilize.

For more information about The Dancing Master, Julie Klassen or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen 

You can find Julie Klassen on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

 To read more reviews on The Dancing Master from the TLC Book Tour, please click here. 


Best-selling author Julie Klassen will be hosting a Kindle Fire HDX giveaway and a live webcast event (1/23) to celebrate the release of her latest novel, The Dancing Master. Enter and RSVP today!

 
  One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on January 23rd. Winner will be announced at the "All Things Jane (from Austen to Eyre)" Live Webcast Event on January 23rd. Connect with Julie for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Julie will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books, Jane Austen DVDs, fun "Jane" merchandise, and gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of The Dancing Master and join Julie and friends on the evening of January 23rd for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by signing up for a reminder. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 23rd!

The Dancing Master

For me, the ear marks of a great novel is when the author truly takes the time to create a story and characters you can relate to and care about. One that doesn't worry about how many pages are in the novel as long as the storyline they thought through is conveyed in the manner they hoped. One that doesn't spend a lot of time in the build up of the novel only to rush through it quickly in a hurried breath at the end. Julie Klassen is that author.

Being a huge fan of traditional regency novels and television series like Downton Abbey, I love the look back in time when men were truly gallant and women were cherished and treated like ladies. If they were interested in one another, a chaperone was sent along as they spent time getting to know one another through walks in the garden or in carriage rides. This is one of those very heartwarming and hold your breath novels. One you will know from the very beginning you've reached something you won't want to rush through because when it does end, you'll be sad. Sad that it's over and you'll have to wait for more to come in the near future. I've been fortunate to read all of Julie Klassen's novels and this one is a masterpiece.

Julia Midwinter is the only daughter of Amelia Midwinter, one of the richest women in the town of Beaworthy. She is not at a loss of handsome suitors although none of them have caught her eye in the way of falling in love like she dreamed. She has fun practicing the art of flirting whenever the opportunity presents itself but finds life rather boring without balls or social outings one would find in London. Since her mother presides over the town and it's parish, dancing and balls have been banned. There is no law on the books but since the death of her Uncle, the entire town has gone along with request. If only Julia could get her to explain the reasons why, but her mother remains tight lipped about why.

However when a stranger moves to town along with his mother and sister, Julia's interest is more than sparked. She finds a man that will challenge even her boldest moves. He refuses to treat her with anything less than the respect a lady deserves even if it means he has to walk away most times. Alec Valcourt has moved in with his uncle along with his mother and sister to find a way to support themselves now that their father has left them. Alec only hopes that as a Dancing and Fencing Master, he might provide the finances that would allow them to find a  home of their own. But when Alec learns that dancing is banned in the town of Beaworthy, he finds his dreams are as lost as his family. How will he be able to provide for his family if he has no skills to do so? How will he be able to provide for any women he falls in love with if he has no hope for a future at anything? Will there be a time to restore dancing in the town of Beaworthy again?

I received The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen compliments of Bethany House Publishers and TLC Book Tours for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. I tried delaying the end of this novel as long as I could but somehow like all great things it has to come to an end. My only hope is that Julie Klassen has something else brewing very soon in the future. There simply hasn't been a book of hers I haven't fallen head over heels in love with. Fans of Jane Austen, Downton Abbey or traditional regency fans will LOVE this novel and is why I can easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. There is even a discussion guide at the end that is excellent for book groups to utilize.

For more information about The Dancing Master, Julie Klassen or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen 

You can find Julie Klassen on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

 To read more reviews on The Dancing Master from the TLC Book Tour, please click here. 

The Tutor's Daughter

Who would have ever guessed that some of the best books out on the shelves today are the ones that blend the best of two or more genre's together to create a recipe for something that is guaranteed to grab you and never let go? Well that's just what you'll find when you pick up a copy of Julie Klassen's latest novel, The Tutor's Daughter. It's a perfect blend of mystery, suspense, romance and historical fiction set in Cornwall in the early 1800's. If you love any of those types of genre's, you'll want to pick up this novel as soon as you can. But be forewarned, you won't be able to put this one down and you'll be sad when it ends. Not because of a tearful ending, but because it's so good, it's over too soon.

The story begins at the Smallwood Academy, a boarding school for boys and gives us a brief history into the lives of Emma Smallwood and her father, John. As a young girl she was often the victim of the childish pranks of Henry Weston, and spent a great deal of time trying to avoid him whenever possible. It was his younger brother, Phillip that captured Emma's heart. She envisioned what a romance with him might be like, even though the possibility of that ever happening was probable. The Weston's came from a well-to-do family in Cornwall, and her family was just barely making ends meet running the Academy.

Five years later, the academy is falling on hard times and it seems that few families are sending their boys to schools such as the Smallwood Academy opting for more renown ones like Eton. As hard as Emma tried to find ways to bring more students into the academy it seemed like her father had truly given up. Acting in her father's behalf, she sent a letter to the Weston family to inquire to the possibility of the younger brothers Julian and Rowan to see if they might be interested in coming to the boarding school. Yet when a reply returned from Sir Giles Weston asking if her father would be interested in private tutoring in their family home for a year along with Emma for support, her taste for adventure was about to get interesting.

Wondering just what Phillip was like after all these years apart kept Emma's anxious to see just what the future would be like and living at the Weston estate was like a dream come true. However when Emma and her father arrive, they are more than surprise at their welcome reception and soon are made to feel just like the hired help in the Weston home. What's even more surprising is that Phillip is away at Oxford and only Henry is still living at the family home. Things are about to get interesting at the Weston estate when someone or something starts coming into Emma's room and soon she fears her life is at stake. Has Henry's childhood pranks taken on a darker side?

I received The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen compliments of Bethany House and Litfuse for my honest review and have to say that a seaside Estate in Cornwall, romantic tension and an apparent ghost are just the perfect elements in this exciting novel. The signs of a great book are when it feels so real when you are reading it, you can picture the house, the stormy seas below the estate, even the school room where John and Emma teach the boys. There are such rich and vivid details to keep the reader engaged and even the tension that happened late at night is enough to keep you turning pages while attempting to figure out just what is really going on! Truly a winner in my opinion and worth every single one of the 5 out of 5 stars! For reading groups, there are some amazing questions at the conclusion of this novel!

For more information about The Tutor's Daughter, Julie Klassen, or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen

You can also find Julie Klassen on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To read more reviews on The Tutor's Daughter from the Litfuse Publicity Book Tour, please click here. 

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall

Being a young woman in the early 1800's left very little in the way of choice for love and marriage. Most of the time, you were expected to find not only an eligible man but one of some means to provide for you and the family you were expected to bring into the world. However when Margaret Macy learns of her stepfather, Sterling's plans to marry her off to his nephew when he learns that when she turns 25, she will inherit a vast fortune of her own. When Margaret politely tells Marcus she isn't interested in him, Sterling reminds him to do whatever it takes to make the marriage happen, even if it means soiling her reputation.

Nathaniel Upchurch has returned from helping his father with their sugar plantation in Barbados and also from leaving London when Margaret Macy rejects his marriage proposal while her heart beats for his brother Lewis, a lifelong flirt who has no hopes of marrying anyone. Has the time being gone for these few years helped heal the wound in his heart or will he find a new way to win Margaret's heart once more?

In the latest novel by Julie Klassen, The Maid at Fairbourne Hall is a reverse Cinderella story at heart. Margaret Macy leaves her home and turns to the life of a maid hoping to hide from Sterling and Marcus who are searching all over London for her. While earning her keep at Fairbourne Hall, she learns that she has been hired to work for the Upchurch family. Will she be able to keep her disguise or will she try and convince Lewis and Nathaniel of her stepfather's plot to marry her for her money?

I received this novel compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and loved it. Taking me to the early 18oo's in London, the reader gets an insiders look at what the life of hired help was like working for rich families and how they find the delight in the simplest of pleasures, that the rich take advantage of. This is a must read for fans of Jane Austen and who love the romance that comes from the time period. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait to read more novels by Julie Klassen!

For more information about this book, the author or where you can purchase a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

The Maid at Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen

The Girl In The Gatehouse

Mariah Aubrey has come back to her distant relatives home after her father has sent her away. Her Aunt Francesca Prin-Hallsey has allowed her to stay in the estates gatehouse that is no longer in use along with her companion Miss Dixon.

Feeling a bit like an outcast at the start when her carriages arrives, her aunt refuses to greet her arrival. Forced to pay for the repairs for broken and missing windows, and the general upkeep of getting the gatehouse in living order, Mariah and Dixon begin work immediately.

When her aunt calls for her one day, she learns that she is in failing health, but wants to make sure that the chest her Aunt has her keep remains locked and removed from the estate until after her death. Seems her step son, Hugh Prin-Hallsey believes Francesca is selling off his mothers personal effects without his consent or knowledge.

This comes at a time when women were expected to be well bred and well mannered in all affairs, and when Mariah agrees to keep the chest locked away in the attic of the gatehouse, the mystery of it's contents begins.

Mariah herself has quite a few mysteries of her own, and it's not until the estate is leased out to a former Sea Captain that things begin to take an unexpected twist.

In the novel, The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen, we are taken back to the days of long forgotten romance and to the era of such great novels like Jane Austin. Where women are beautiful and captivating and men once more become the heroes of their dreams. Set in September in 1813, we are held captive by the words that Julie Klassen uses to tell the story of Mariah Aubrey, an unpublished author of romance novels who herself carries a dark past. The best part of this novel, is how she doesn't unravel the pieces of the mystery until almost the conclusion of the book itself, keeping the reader on the each of her seat and rooting for Mariah's true love and happiness no matter what the cost.

I received this lovely novel compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and anyone who is a fan of Jane Austin or any books from the Regency period, this one will steal your heart with a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information on the author, the book and even a first chapter glimpse, then click on the links below:

The Girl In The Gatehouse by Julie Klassen

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Girl in the Gatehouse Bethany House (January 1, 2011) by Julie Klassen
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Julie says: My background is in advertising and marketing, but I am blessed with a dream job—working as an editor of Christian fiction. I have been writing since childhood, but Lady of Milkweed Manor was my first novel. It was a finalist for a Christy Award and won second place in the Inspirational Reader's Choice Awards. My second novel, The Apothecary's Daughter, was a finalist in the ACFW Book of the Year awards. I am currently writing one novel a year.

I graduated from the University of Illinois and enjoy travel, research, BBC period dramas, long hikes, short naps, and coffee with friends.

My husband and I have two sons and live near St. Paul, Minnesota.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Miss Mariah Aubrey, banished after a scandal, hides herself away in a long-abandoned gatehouse on the far edge of a distant relative's estate. There, she supports herself and her loyal servant the only way she knows how--by writing novels in secret.

Captain Matthew Bryant, returning to England successful and wealthy after the Napoleonic wars, leases an impressive estate from a cash-poor nobleman, determined to show the society beauty who once rejected him what a colossal mistake she made.

When he discovers an old gatehouse on the property, he is immediately intrigued by its striking young inhabitant and sets out to uncover her identity, and her past. But the more he learns about her, the more he realizes he must distance himself. Falling in love with an outcast would ruin his well-laid plans. The old gatehouse holds secrets of its own. Can Mariah and Captain Bryant uncover them before the cunning heir to the estate buries them forever?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Girl in the Gatehouse, go HERE