The Ladies of Ivy Cottage (Tales from Ivy Hill #2)
by
Julie Klassen (Goodreads Author)
Living with the two Miss Groves in Ivy Cottage, impoverished gentlewoman Rachel Ashford is determined to earn her own livelihood . . . somehow. When the village women encourage her to open a subscription library with the many books she has inherited or acquired through donations, Rachel discovers two mysteries hidden among them. A man who once broke her heart helps her search for clues, but will both find more than they bargained for?
Rachel's friend and hostess, Mercy Grove, has given up thoughts of suitors and fills her days managing her girls' school. So when several men take an interest in Ivy Cottage, she assumes pretty Miss Ashford is the cause. Exactly what--or who--has captured each man's attention? The truth may surprise them all.
Meanwhile, life has improved at the coaching inn and Jane Bell is ready to put grief behind her. Now if only the man she misses would return--but where is he?
As the women of Ivy Hill search for answers about the past and hope for the future, might they find love along the way?
My Review: 6.5/10
I didn't think this book was as strong as the previous one. Right off the bat, several love interests are struck out, which I had thought was a strong point of the first book- that no characters were obvious choices- life doesn't usually work that way; while hindsight may make things seem obvious, in the moment... not so much. Some of the "twists" were not surprising, but rather the character seemed to be blind and/or exceptionally unobservant.
Rachel's tale was the focus and I did like her story in general. The focus on friendship is still there and I liked the way that the women support each other. I thought her struggle with accepting help was well done.
The biggest issue for me was all of the references to Jane Austen. I'm a huge fan as well but it was just too much. There were many lines taken directly out of her novels. Several scenes bore a very strong resemblance to those in her works and some of the characters (Lady Catherine, Mr. Collins, Elizabeth, and Mr. Darcy etc) seem to make an appearance via some established characters. It was jarring and took me out of the flow of the story every. single. time. And it wasn't necessary. The best parts of the story were those that felt 100% original (read: not influenced or inspired by Jane Austen's work) and I think the novel would have been a lot stronger on its own.
The storyline that I found most intriguing was Mercy's and that one was not resolved, so I will have to read the last installment and hope that this book was touched by middle book syndrome.
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