The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen

Hello, everybody, and welcome to today's post. I just finished Julie Klassen's novel The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill and I must say it was one of the most entertaining books I've read so far this year. Julie Klassen is one my favorite authors and with her new book series she's outdone herself. If you're a Downton Abbey or Jane Austen fan definitely check out her books. She has an undeniable way of transporting you back in time and making you feel like you're right there with the characters. And this book wasn't any different. 

The story begins with Jane Bell grieving the loss of her husband, John, who was killed in a carriage accident. In his will, John leaves his family's inn to Jane and she feels completely incapable of taking on the responsibility of running it. Luckily, her mother-in-law, Thora, moves back home and tries to help Jane learn the ropes of innkeeping.
But for now let's jump into the review >>>>>

The Characters

This book was full of interesting characters but the main ones were Jane and her mother-in-law, Thora. These ladies definitely had their differences but they came together to save their family's inn. Before marrying John, Jane was a gentlewomen from a wealthy family but over the course of the book she has to learn how to be a business woman. As for Thora, she's irony, straight-forward, and very blunt. Sometimes too blunt for her own good. But in the end both ladies learn to respect each other and they find out that working together is way more beneficial than working against each other. 

While there were times I didn't really like Jane in the beginning of the story I did enjoy seeing her grow as the plot developed. I also loved watching Thora soften a little. She came across really stoic and tough at first but over time I understood why she was so tough and came to respect her for it. 


The Conflict

Jane learns pretty quickly that there's more to running an inn than she ever dreamed but to make matters worse she and Thora find out that the inn owns a very large loan to the bank that's due soon - that was taken out by her husband without her knowing. The bank declares that unless Jane comes up with a way to prove that the inn is a worthy investment she will lose everything her husband's family has worked their lives for. Can Jane and Thora save the inn? Was John's carriage accident really an accident? You'll have to read the book to find out.

All in all, this book is perfect for you if you like clean period novels with a really good story line, strong and relatable characters, and well-described settings. Julie Klassen's writing style will hook you from the start and take you on a journey you won't soon forget. I give it 4.5 stars out of 5. This is definitely worth adding to your book collection.