I know when I open one of Ms. Klassen's books I can be sure I am in for a good read! This novel is proof again! The setting is Wiltshire, England, 1820. Jane was suddenly widowed a year ago when her husband was in an accident. He ran a family inn named, the Bell. She had no part in the business but thanks to the laws, suddenly finds herself proprietor and owner. She knows nothing about running such an establishment and has no desire to. The Inn means everything to her mother-in-law, Thora Bell, as it belonged to her parents. Thora moves back to the Bell in hopes of helping out. To make a sticky situation even worse, Thora has never really liked her daughter-in-law. Her brother-in-law, Patrick, also resides there and has his own agenda for the Bell. The inn is in great need of repairs and deep in debt. At first she feels she has no choice but to manage the inn has she has no other means of income. Later she realizes that is about more than just her, and the success of it affects many lives. I overwhelmed for Jane in all she had to learn and do. I found it very interesting the workings and running such a business in that era, it was hard! Definitely not like our Holiday Inns now!
She sets goals to bring new life to the business but not without opposition from some. Without finances this certainly seems impossible. I admired Jane's perseverance even in the face of resistance and insurmountable odds. There are mysteries concerning her husband's death she wants to solve in addition to her mounting responsibilities.
The book has a wonderful cast of complex characters that the author brings to life in detail and personality. This makes it a very in-depth story. There are many surprises, twists and turns on different levels and within each characters life. I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next sequel.
I was provided a review copy of this book by Bethany House Publishers, with no expectation of a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Julie Klassen has written another wonderful book! I enjoyed the many interesting characters and the small village the story is set in. Highly recommended and looking forward to reading other two books in the series.

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The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen is the first book in Tales from Ivy Hill. Jane Bell has been widowed for one year. She has been in a type of slumber (or stupor) and has not done anything about the coaching inn, The Bell, she inherited from her husband (much to her mother-in-law's dismay). Thora Bell, Jane's mother-in-law, went to live with her sister, Diana after her son passed away. But the life of leisure is not suited to her. Thora misses running the inn and when she receives a letter from the housekeeper about the sad state of the place, she returns to Ivy Hill (Wiltshire, England) for a "visit". Walter Talbot, who ran the inn during Thora's reign, left when his brother passed away and he inherited the family farm. Patrick, Thora's younger son, returned to the inn a month and a half prior after hearing about his brother's death (he seems dubious). Mr. Bloomfield, the local banker, visits stating that John Bell took out a loan of 15,000 pounds and it is now due (he has waited a year to tell Jane about this loan). Jane was unaware of the debt and has no way to repay it. Business at The Bell has tapered off since John's death (along with Talbot and Thora's leaving) and the installation of the new turnpike. Jane only has three months to prove that she can make The Bell profitable, or the bank will sell it. Jane cannot let the inn be sold. It will mean a loss of income for so many people in their village. Jane sets out to turn The Bell around and prove that she has what it takes to run it.

The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill is a good story, but it is a little slow in places. It is set in 1820 in a small village in England. I liked the characters and the lovely setting. I enjoyed watching Jane change (develop) as the novel progressed. We also get to see adjustments in Thora and her beliefs about marriage. Thora and her two suitors are prominent in The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill (I could not fit everything into the summary). I give The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill 4 out of 5 stars. The book is well-written and Ms. Klassen does a great job at capturing the time period. The novel has romance (of course) and a mystery. It was interesting to read about a coaching inn and the part they played in a village and with travelers. We are left with Jane's story unfinished, and readers will have to wait for the next installment of Tales from Ivy Hill. If you enjoy historical romance novels, I recommend The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill. I will be reading the next book in Tales from Ivy Hill.

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** spoiler alert ** Not sure if I just started with too high of expectations but I was excited for this one and it fell short. It didn't hold my interest from the beginning but I kept thinking it would get better. I never fell in love with the characters and the story line is more full of sadness, loss, struggle than happiness or triumph. Seemed a lot of people who married the wrong person or made choices they later regretted. By the end Jane seems to finally start to accept this is her new reality as a working women instead of one born to have servants serving her. A lot left to resolve as to be expected given it is a series but I'm not even excited about returning to the setting so it doesn't seem I'll keep reading to find out what happens with people.

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