Category: Romance Fiction

Stories in the Spotlight | [the stories on Jorie’s readerly radar] feat. notes and an extract of “Simply You” by Maggie Wild

Posted Saturday, 16 January, 2021 by jorielov Hope Valley Romances, Maggie Wild, Simpy You, Steel Rose Press 0 Comments

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

Welcome to a New Year of discovering stories with me on Jorie Loves A Story! The past few weeks, I admit, I’ve been struggling to get back into the rhythm of reading. After a hard-won Christmas and New Year’s this year as Mum worked over 130+ hours within a fortnight which re-arranged our holidays quite a heap and after a turbulent beginning to our New Year 2021 (ie. collectively, per current events) – I’ve been tucked offline, focusing on my health & wellness this January rather than soaking inside books which is how I thought I’d spend the first weeks of the New Year.

Happily I’m seeing improvement with my health (ie. #migrainefree), increased stamina through actively pursuing hiking in nature and redirecting myself to eat less but eat more purposefully by augmenting healthy protein shakes and a heap of greens into my regular diet. I’ve missed focusing on my health with a dedicated passion which is why Mum and I decided if we could make one change this New Year, it was going to be a decided co-effort to get back to basics and see true change in how we approached the year on a personal level.

Thus, whilst I work on getting my health squared away, I am also in the process of sorting out my shelves – wherein I’m getting some organisational totes to decrease what is visible on my shelves in order to read better this New Year, 2021 as well. The books left on the shelf will reflect my current reads and once those are consumed, the ones in the totes will be up on the shelf until I reach my goals of erasing my backlogue! This is in conjunction with developing a TBR dice game I’ll be revealling at the end of January – stay tuned for those details, especially if you find reading stories off your TBR is always a wrenching hard choice and you’d like to spice things up by removing making the ‘choices’ of what to read from your TBR List.

All the while, I have a keen eye on the horizon for new stories and authors who are itching a thirst of interest to be read. This particular Contemporary Romantic Comedy stood out to me and as lovely as it sounds, I have to await a format I can enjoy reading – as this is strictly a Digital First release at this junction of time. If it goes to print or audio, I hope to update you in future when I’ve had a chance to get a copy to read.

I am reading more Contemporary Romances but I am still a bit under-read in RomComs as they have the tendency of being a harder sell for me as a reader. The reason why this is one might suit me is the premise of it – especially for the series as a whole – the setting, the community concept and the promise of hope in finding relationships which are strongly built between the characters. Plus, who doesn’t like a romance spilt between city and country life? Wherein you have to truly choose the kind of life your heart beckons to be lived vs the life you expected to have? I love those kinds of romantic dramas and the fact this is spun with a comedic touch I felt sounded like a wicked brilliant read!

Be sure to read the extract and my thoughts about the story to see if this perhaps might wink an interest into your own readerly wanderings this year! Especially if you’re able to read ebooks – you won’t have to wait for future formats and can dive straight into it! Remember – brew your favourite cuppa and enjoy your stay!

Simpy You
Subtitle: A Heart Valley Romance | All you need is love... and a bit of luck
by Maggie Wild
Source: Chapter Sampler

She needs someone she can count on.
He’s gun-shy after being hurt.
Can a brush with fate in a rained-out English village turn into enduring love?

Sarah Tildon thinks she’s found the perfect man. But after her overbearing future mother-in-law insists her quiet country wedding become a high-society shindig, she sets out on a two-week ride to rethink her plans. Stranded when her bicycle is stolen in a picturesque hamlet, she’s touched by the kindness of a handsome young farmer who comes to her rescue.

The big city failed Michael Marsden’s ample ambitions. After his fiancée cheats on him, he turns his back on the hustle and bustle and takes on a farm to prove he can lead a self-sufficient life. And taken by surprise when a charming outsider helps sing his hens into laying, he realizes his newfound Eden is missing its Eve.

Unexpectedly falling for the sweet homesteader, Sarah is torn between the security of a gilded cage and the precarious freedom of raising chickens. And when her fiancé arrives to bring her back to London, Michael fears she’ll leave him with yet another shattered heart.

Will this unlikely couple throw caution to the wind and embrace a destined second chance?

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance Fiction, Romantic Comedy (Rom Com)

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ASIN: B08NY3421P

Published by Steel Rose Press

on 12th January, 2021

Format: Chapter Sampler | Online

About the Hope Valley Romance series:

Simply You is the first book in the heartwarming Hope Valley Romance series. If you like fun heroines, pastoral backdrops, and endearing courtships, then you’ll adore Maggie Wild’s sweet tale.

Read Simply You to start fresh today!

The second novel is Back Home to You ← forthcoming 31 May, 2021!

Converse on Twitter via: #SimplyYou and/or #MaggieWild
as well as #HopeVallyRomance and #ContemporaryRomance

About Maggie Wild

Simply You novel promo badge for Maggie Wild's Hope Valley Romance series provided by Xpresso Book Tours and is used with permission.

Maggie Wild lives in California Wine Country with her own Mr. Right and a small collection of furry friends. A native of Yorkshire, England, she returns “home” every day through her fictional worlds. When not writing her fun, contemporary romance stories, she loves to watch the birds in her garden and hike through the local redwoods.

Posted Saturday, 16 January, 2021 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Blitz, Book Spotlight, Contemporary Romance, Indie Author, Romance Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Xpresso Book Tours

#Blogmas | feat. #HarlequinHeartwarming | “Christmas on the Ranch” (Hearts of Big Sky, Book Two) by Julianna Morris

Posted Wednesday, 23 December, 2020 by jorielov Christmas on the Ranch, Harlequin Books, Harlequin Heartwarming, Hearts of Big Sky series, Julianna Morris, Twins for the Rodeo Star 0 Comments

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

As you know, I love a wicked good Harlequin Heartwarming novel – as this has seriously become one of my top favourite imprints by a publisher and the second one I love from Harlequin – Love Inspired Suspense being the second one! When it comes to Harlequin Heartwarming, I have to credit Tressa who runs Prism Book Tours who inspired me to ‘take a chance’ on Heartwarming and it became a wicked sweet match for me as a reader! Most of the Heartwarming authors I am discovering come from hosting blog tours and/or review tours with Prism during the course of the year and it has been this way since 2017. Though uniquely I had forgotten I read and reviewed my first Heartwarming novel in 2014 – which was within the first year of being a book blogger! I’ve always felt it was Tressa who nudged me into reading Heartwarming – and in many regards, that’s still true – because with her nudge to read more Heartwarming, I am unsure if I would have remembered the imprint!

I clearly have a longer history with Heartwarming than I tend to realise – more uniquely, the first novel I read was by Karen Rock – of whom has written my one of my favourite Western Cowboy Romance series (the Rocky Mountain Cowboys) and yet, my first experience with Heartwarming was with a different novel altogether as there were no cowboys in sight!

The main reason I think I overlook the first Heartwarming novel I read is because at the time I read it, I was still quite new to understanding the imprints at Harlequin and still sorting out which of Harlequin’s novels might interest me to start reading. I know Love Inspired was in my life prior to Heartwarming and that might be another reason I overlooked the imprint as well – thereby, I still stand by my previous declarations that without Tressa I might have missed out on reading all these dearly lovely stories and series! Plus, I would have missed hosting the #BlackwellSisters focused chat with all 5x of the lovely authors in November, 2020 as well!

I am truly thankful I crossed paths with Ms Morris on Twitter during one of the #SweetChristmasChat’s hosted by Vivian Conroy – as Ms Conroy was putting authors & readers together to chat Christmas and to help celebrate the season together this year. I missed a few of the chats, and even came a bit late to one of the ones I enjoyed the most. However, Ms Conroy loves hosting chats as much as I do – she has a unique way of using themes for her chats whereas I strictly host @SatBookChat quite consistently. The main chat she hosts during the year is #HistFicChat which unites the Historical Fiction world of authors & stories with those of us who love devouring the genre!

When it comes to Christmas Romances and serial fiction – I am an avid reader of both – as I like series which have a Christmas story within their sequencing of stories as much as I love reading Christmas stories in general. Knowing how much my heart swoons in glee whenever I find a Western Rom or a Cowboy centred story – this latest release by Morris held my eye at “Hallo!”

Especially perhaps even moreso because the lead character wants to be a wildlife photographer – which is something I can personally relate to as I’m a self-taught nature and wildlife photographer IRL – being out in natural habitats and finding a way to capture what I am finding is truly a gift of joy. Being so close to the natural world and respecting their habitats and their right of way to live and be free is also a blessing because I never want to intrude on their lives but rather capture a moment of their life from a reasonable distance wherein we’re both respectfully safe from each other. There is a stillness within you as a photographer as you go to take a photo of a wild animal – you almost get caught inside the moment of living that connection to the animal before you realise you need to focus on the shot at hand. I love it personally – the creativeness of it and of the direct connections you feel within the natural world itself as you photograph what you observe.

I must admit, the fact this is a second chance romance sealed the fate I need to seek out these stories in the New Year because more than other types of Romances, I have a personal penchant for ‘second chances, new beginnings and the start of something new’ kind of stories!! I believe its because of all the hope which lives in the pages of the budding new romance and the joy in knowing people have found the ones they’re meant to be with after a long journey towards finding them whilst caught up in the art of living their lives.

I wanted to offer to showcase this series during my #blogmas showcases this year as I had such a wicked fun time during the chat when I had the chance to interact with Ms Morris. I wanted her series to receive a bit of a boost of blogger love this Christmas as much as celebrating the fact I found a new voice within Heartwarming to read in the New Year. I hope you’ve been enjoying my focused features this #blogmas – for both Romances and Fantasy – as it truly has been a lot of fun assembling the posts and trying to insert a bit of IRL Christmassy tidbits to go along with them!

Curiously – If you’re a reader of Harlequin Heartwarming OR any of the lovely imprints from Harlequin Books – what do you love most about the stories of Romance Harlequin is publishing? What drew you into one of their imprints and what has kept you hooked into reading more!?

Can the warmth of Christmas melt his frozen heart?

Alaina Wright is finally following her dream of becoming a wildlife photographer. And Gideon Carmichael’s Montana ranch on the edge of Yellowstone is the perfect home base. After losing the love of her life two years earlier, Alaina isn’t looking for romance. But there’s something about the gruff, wounded rancher that makes her wonder…could they both get a second chance at happily-ever-after this Christmas?

Add to LibraryThing | ISBN: 978-1-335-89000-9

Hearts of Big Sky series:

Twins for the Rodeo Star (book one)

From rodeo star to daddy…twice over!

Every cowboy makes mistakes, and champion bull rider Josh McKeon is no exception. But gorgeous Montana rancher Kelly Beaumont isn’t quite ready to forgive Josh for breaking her heart. Especially when she’s been hiding a secret—he’s the father of her twin boys! Now this rodeo star has one last chance to convince Kelly that they belong together…as a family. Only this time, he’s not letting go…

Christmas on the Ranch (book two)

The Man from Montana(book three)
← forthcoming release, JUNE 2021!

Converse via: #HarlequinHeartwarming + #ContemporaryRomance
as well #WesternRomance and/or #CowboyRomance

Posted Wednesday, 23 December, 2020 by jorielov in #blogmas, Book Spotlight, Romance Fiction

#Blogmas | feat. #CleanRomanceForChristmas showcases | “Sweet Yuletide” (Indigo Bay Christmas Romances, Book Four) by Melissa McClone

Posted Monday, 21 December, 2020 by jorielov Cardinal Press, Indigo Bay Christmas Romances, Melissa McClone, Sweet Yuletide 0 Comments

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

As soon as I started reading “Cupcakes and Crumbs” – I knew I had found a new author I was going to seriously enjoy getting to know further! At the time I received it for review on the blog tour this year, I simply ran out of the hours I needed to properly finish reading the story – however, I gave a bit of a preview of my (still) forthcoming fuller review wherein you can see what it is about Ms McClone’s writing style which appeals to me as much as it does as you read my notes on about the bits I had read!

I love when writers can give me an emotionally convicting read – the more you can feel the character’s emotions, the more centred I feel as a reader. There is something to be said for writers like McClone who understand this connection readers feel for characters and of how they organically write their stories to allow us to intuit more out of the story they’ve written simply by how they’ve approached anchouring us into the storyline. Which is why when I saw she was listed on the Clean Romances for Christmas blog tour – I knew I wanted to learn more about this Christmas Romance series she’s writing!

I have it in mind to finish “Cupcakes and Crumbs” before the ball drops in Times Square – as it is one of those stories I’ve pulled to attempt to finish before the closing of the year. I had hoped to have finished it closer to when I had first begun to read it – however, I wasn’t able to re-attach into it until now and I’ve decided to have it as one of my final reads for 2020. I felt truly moved by how she was writing the story and I’d like to finish the story before too much time slips past me further as I don’t want to lose the connection I had started to establish – both in the context of the character’s life and journey and in regards to McClone’s own voice for the craft.

Thereby it was rewarding to realise I have such a larger series awaiting me to read – with the Indigo Bay Christmas Romances! How delightful, indeed! Plus, just knowing there is a series set round Christmas and the romantic ways in which people find the persons they’ve meant to find is a refreshing switch as I love watching Christmas romances on tv – as previously disclosed this #blogmas and it would be keenly lovely to start reading a series set round the same premise!

This also marks my final showcase for the Clean Romances for Christmas extension of my #blogmas posts this year. I will be curating a finale post which I will be sharing on the 23rd as the finale part of the blog tour starts to get underway – however, I am so thankful I could close out my selections of #blogmas joy with Ms McClone!

Curiously – what kind of Christmas Romances are you attracted too? Do you prefer series or one-offs? Contemporaries or Historicals? Do you read the same author every year or do you try to switch it up and find new authors to read and add-in to your traditions of reading Christmas Romances every holiday season?

One beach cottage, two strangers, and a secret that could ruin everything…

Sheridan DeMarco would rather be anywhere than home for the holidays. Housesitting in South Carolina, far away from her new and chaotic blended family, sounds like the perfect way to spend Christmas. Until she arrives and realizes she isn’t as blissfully alone as she thought she would be…

Michael “Mikey” Patterson has a secret, one that requires him to stay out of sight until his attorney gives him the all clear. He finds the anonymity he needs in a small coastal town, but there’s a problem. Mikey isn’t the only one at the charming beach cottage, and the last thing he needs is a beautiful roommate named Sheridan who pushes all of his buttons.

All it takes is a sprig of mistletoe and one memorable kiss to make Sheridan and Mikey forget their plans to stay away from each other. But when his secret is revealed, can their newfound bond outlive the holiday season? Or will their happily ever after get tossed out with the discarded wrapping paper, ribbons, and tinsel?

Sweet Yuletide is the fourth book in the Indigo Bay Christmas Romance Series, but it and the other stories are standalone and can be read in any order.

Add to LibraryThing | ISBN: 978-1944777500

Indigo Bay Christmas Romances:

Sweet Tidings (book one)

Sweet Noel (book two)

Sweet Joymaker (book three)

Sweet Yuletide (book four)

Sweet Mistletoe (book five)

Sweet Carol (book six)

Converse via: #CleanRomanceForChristmas and/or #ContemporaryRomance
as well #SweetRomance and/or #CleanRomance or #CleanReads

Posted Monday, 21 December, 2020 by jorielov in #blogmas, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Indie Author, Prism Book Tours, Romance Fiction

#Blogmas | feat. #CleanRomanceForChristmas showcases | “Suits and Spark Plugs” by Aspen Hadley

Posted Sunday, 20 December, 2020 by jorielov Cedar Fort Inc, Kate O'Keeffe, Suits and Spark Plugs, Sweetwater Books 0 Comments

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I’ve been seeing Ms Hadley’s novels popping up through the Christian Fiction Reading Safari for the past few years – I’ve even tried to win one of her novels – in particular, “Simply Starstruck”, as I used to read and review for Cedar Fort Publishing & Media – her publisher. Sadly, I never had the chance to host her for one of their blog tours or one of the ones hosted by either Prism Book Tours or with Singing Librarian Books who hosted a lot of the authors through Cedar Fort before it was closed down this Summer, 2020. I loved reading the authors I found through Cedar Fort – especially for Contemporary Romances and/or Historical Romance – as much as the other genres I was interested in as a reader. I have a lot of good memories – of the authors I’ve discovered (and hope to continue reading one day – either directly through purchasing their books or reading them through my local library or by way of inter-library loans), the stories I’ve read and of the memories of the stories themselves.

I do not read enough RomCom – something I’ve tried to ‘fix’ over the years when I am not being smitten by more dramatic tales of realistic Contemporaries or convicting Historicals – in essence, seeking out the lighter side of Rom would be wickedly beneficial and it is something I always try to do each year and somehow fail a bit in my efforts!? It is hard to know why exactly but I guess I like drama a bit more than comedy as that is reflected through what I am gravitating towards on a regular basis if you take a gander at my readerly life!

And yet, I do like Romantic Comedies when it comes to tv movies and motion pictures – I have a discerning taste for them as I don’t like the ones with rude humour or off-colour narratives but I do appreciate a wicked good sophisticated RomCom such as “You’ve Got Mail”, “While You Were Sleeping” or even “Serendipity” or “One Fine Day”. It would stand to reason I’d enjoy reading them wouldn’t it? And, that is why I was thankful Ms Hadley was included in the Clean Romances for Christmas selections this year – as I’ve found so many lovely authors in the 2020 line-up I know I will have loads of fun throughout 2021 seeking them out to read!!

I have a penchant for holiday films as well – which is why the title “Suits and Spark Plugs” made me giggle into proper laughter even before I read the plot – as who out there wasn’t thinking this could be featured on Lifetime or Hallmark Channel during their holiday roundup of films? Speaking of Lifetime – a bit of FYI: for those library patrons who have access to Hoopla – you might want to dive into their app via Roku and find the 2020 Lifetime Holiday films!! I’ve seen at least 2x now and trying to watch a few more before Christmas weekend!! I was wickedly surprised they were included but I suppose its an off year all round – so even first-running holiday films are finding their way into our televisions a bit differently than in years’ past!!

Curiously – what gives your heart the most joy about Christmas Comedies & Romances? Do you regularly watch them on Lifetime or Hallmark or now, Hoopla? Or do you prefer reading them instead of watching them? I’d be keen to know which format you enjoy unless your like me and prefer them both! Whichever way you find yourself tucked into holiday RomComs – let me know the titles and if their stories, which authors do you enjoy most of all?

Liv Phelps is a woman on a mission: Get a degree, stay independent, and start a new life away from her small hometown. Love is nowhere on that list.

However, when dashing Blaine Harris enters the diner where Liv works, she’s flattered enough to give him a chance. Different from anyone she’s ever known, he introduces her the world she’s long dreamed about. Things are going surprisingly well, until he pushes her to get her beat-down car seen by the local mechanic.

Connor Hunt has been at the very top of Liv’s ‘do not disturb’ list ever since she had a front row seat to watching him create his terrible reputation. A magician with cars, he can’t stand to see a machine suffer. So, he comes up with a plan to fix Liv’s in spite of her inability to pay.

But will his solution cost more than she’s prepared to give?

Add to LibraryThing | ISBN: 978-1462138180

Converse via: #CleanRomanceForChristmas and/or #ContemporaryRomance
as well #SweetRomance and/or #CleanRomance or #CleanReads

Posted Sunday, 20 December, 2020 by jorielov in #blogmas, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Indie Author, Prism Book Tours, Romance Fiction

An #INSPY Christmas Novella Spotlight with Notes | featuring “An Ivy Hill Christmas” (Tales from Ivy Hill series, Book 3.5) by Julie Klassen

Posted Friday, 18 December, 2020 by jorielov An Ivy Hill Christmas, Baker Publishing Group, Bethany House Publishers, Julie Klassen, Tales from Ivy Hill, The Bride of Ivy Green, The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill, The Ladies of Ivy Cottage 0 Comments

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I am unsure if I’ve blogged about my curiosity over Julie Klassen’s novels – I know I might have winked a bit about them during this year’s Christian Fiction Reading Safari in August – as I was seriously attempting to read my first Klassen novel *then!* – however, something has always distracted me and/or left me questioning which of her novels I need to be reading ‘first’ to where I have not made any progress at all in reading her collective works!! I wanted to change this sad fate of mine as she’s an author I’ve been following in the book blogosphere since a year before I became a book blogger (ie. 2012) as much as I have appreciated her guest posts, interviews and other interactions she gives to her readers whilst being a follower of hers on Twitter, too!

When I first learnt about “An Ivy Hill Christmas” – it was when this particular blog tour had been originally announced. I thought, hmm. This might be a good time to dive back into a Klassen novel and/or series – I especially love *Christmas stories* and at the time, I couldn’t discern if this was a novella which ‘fit into the series’ already established in the trilogy of stories released and/or if it was an extension of the series itself wherein new/old characters would be populating the storyline. It took some digging – both on Ms Klassen’s website, her group author’s blog (?) and a random search which led me onto a short Q&A (courtesy of Family Fiction) which revealled the truth! This is a novella within the series and it recaptures the series as it has already become established and thus, moves it forward – thereby, I anchoured this as Book 3.5 as it is a continuation of what was already established and follows suit after the third novel.

I originally borrowed a print copy of The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill thinking it would be an easier way for me to read the story – best laid plans, eh? – however, I quickly amended those plans and borrowed it via audiobook digitally via my local library’s CloudLibrary instead! Whilst I also borrowed An Ivy Hill Christmas – I wasn’t in enough time to provide a proper review today, though if you’re familiar with my #25PagePreview posts time after time on Jorie Loves A Story, I think you might get a hoot of a kick out of how I’ve assembled this spotlighted feature for the blog tour with Love Books Tours!

I must confess, this spotlight is arriving late in the night on my day of the blog tour because I misplaced the tour materials and the ‘date’ my spotlight was meant to run! After a seriously long week, I settled into sorting out my blog with some Christmas Coffeehouse songs via #Spotify and tucked into how I could ring out a post about Ivy Hill even if I had to forego the schedule for the tour as I honestly couldn’t sort out where my materials had gone off too! Then, right at the point I thought all was lost – I found everything I needed in two key places – Baker Publishing and a short scribbled note which revealled the 18th was my day! *whew!*

An Ivy Hill Christmas
Subtitle: A Tales from Ivy Hill Novella
by Julie Klassen
Source: Borrowed from local library's CloudLibrary

Spend a festive Christmas in the English village of Ivy Hill, as divine hope, friendship, and unexpected romance work their magic. . . .

Richard Brockwell, the younger son of Ivy Hill's most prominent family, hasn't been home for Christmas in years. He prefers to live in the London townhouse, far away from Brockwell Court, the old family secret that haunts him, and the shadows of his past mistakes. But then his mother threatens to stop funding his carefree life--unless he comes home for Christmas. Out of options, he sets out for Ivy Hill, planning to be back on a coach bound for London and his unencumbered bachelor life as soon as the festivities are over.

But Christmas in the country presents many surprises, including encounters with an orphaned apprentice, the first love he disappointed years ago, and Arabella Awdry, a young lady who is far more appealing than he recalled--and determined to have nothing to do with him.

Will Christmastime in Ivy Hill, with its village charm, kissing boughs, and joyous songs, change his heart . . . and hers as well?

Genres: Christmas Story &/or Christmas Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9780764233807

Published by Bethany House Publishers

on 1st September, 2020

Format: Audiobook | Digital

Length: 7 hours and 35 minutes (unabridged)

Tales of Ivy Hill series:

The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill (book one)

Welcome to the English village of Ivy Hill,
where friendships thrive, romance blossoms, and mysteries await. . . .

The lifeblood of the village of Ivy Hill is its coaching inn, The Bell. When the innkeeper dies suddenly, his genteel wife, Jane Bell, becomes the reluctant landlady. Jane has no idea how to manage a business, but with the town’s livelihood at stake and a large loan due, she must quickly find a way to save the inn.

Despite their strained relationship, Jane turns to her resentful mother-in-law, Thora, for help. Formerly mistress of The Bell, Thora is struggling to overcome her losses and find purpose for the future. As she works with Jane, two men from her past vie for her attention, but Thora has promised herself never to marry again. Will one of them convince her to embrace a second chance at love?

As pressure mounts from the bank, Jane employs new methods, and puzzles over the intentions of several men who seem to have a vested interest in the place, including a mysterious newcomer with secret plans of his own. With the help of friends old and new, can Jane restore life to the inn, and to her empty heart as well?

The Ladies of Ivy Hill (book two)

Return to Ivy Hill as friendships deepen, romances blossom, and mysteries unfold . . .

A gentlewoman in reduced circumstances, Miss Rachel Ashford lives as a guest in Ivy Cottage. With her meager funds rapidly depleting, she is determined to earn her own livelihood . . . somehow. Her friend Jane Bell and the other village women encourage her to open a circulating library with the many books she’s inherited from her father. As villagers donate additional books and Rachel begins sorting through the volumes, she discovers mysteries hidden among them. A man who once broke her heart helps her search for clues, but both find more than they bargained for.

Rachel’s hostess, Mercy Grove, has given up thoughts of suitors and finds fulfillment in 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 whom–has captured each man’s attention? The truth may surprise them all.

The Bride of Ivy Green (book three)

Come home to Ivy Hill, where friendship endures, romance triumphs,
and mysteries are revealed in this eagerly anticipated conclusion. . . .

Spring is in the air . . . and change is too. Mercy Grove has lost her girls’ school and is resigned to life as a spinster, especially as the man she admires is out of reach. She contemplates leaving Ivy Cottage to become a governess–a decision with consequences she never imagined.

Meanwhile, her friend Jane Bell is facing a difficult decision of her own. Should she accept Gabriel Locke even if it means giving up her inn and destining another man to a childless marriage?

When a secretive new dressmaker arrives in the village, Mercy, Jane, and the other ladies of Ivy Hill attempt to befriend her, but they soon suspect she isn’t who she claims to be.

Together, the women of Ivy Hill look forward to one wedding, but surprises lie in store and dearly held dreams may yet come true.

An Ivy Hill Christmas (book 3.5)

Published by: Bethany House Publishers (@bethany_house)
an imprint of Baker Publishing Group

Available Formats: Hardcover, Trade Paperback, Audiobook and Ebook

Converse via: #INSPY #HistoricalFiction or #HistFic as well as #ChristmasRomance
as well as #JulieKlassen, #HolidayReads or #ChristmasReads and #INSPYRomance

About Julie Klassen

Julie Klassen Photo Credit: © Farrow Media

Julie Klassen (www.julieklassen.com) loves all things Jane--Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. Her books have sold over a million copies, and she is a three-time recipient of the Christy Award for Historical Romance. The Secret of Pembrooke Park was honored with the Minnesota Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie has also won the Midwest Book Award and Christian Retailing's BEST Award and has been a finalist in the RITA and Carol Awards. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. She and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

Posted Friday, 18 December, 2020 by jorielov in 19th Century, Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Christmas Romance &/or Holiday Story, Historical Romance, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Love Books Tours, Sampler Chapters &/or Excerpt of Novel, the Regency era