Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Ladies of Ivy Cottage
    The Ladies of Ivy Cottage
    The Ladies of Ivy Cottage
    Audiobook16 hours

    The Ladies of Ivy Cottage

    Written by Julie Klassen

    Narrated by Elizabeth Jasicki

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    In the confines of Ivy Cottage, friendships thrive, romances blossom, and mysteries await! Gentlewoman Rachel Ashford has moved into Ivy Cottage with the two Miss Groves, where she discovers mysteries hidden among her books. Together with her one-time love Sir Timothy, she searches for answers--and is forced to face her true feelings. Return to Ivy Hill in The Ladies of Ivy Cottage as friendships deepen, romances blossom, and mysteries unfold. 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?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateDec 5, 2017
    ISBN9781501966514
    The Ladies of Ivy Cottage
    Author

    Julie Klassen

    Julie Klassen (www.julieklassen.com) loves all things Jane--Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. Her books have sold more than 1.5 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 St. Paul, Minnesota. For more information, visit julieklassen.com.

    More audiobooks from Julie Klassen

    Related to The Ladies of Ivy Cottage

    Titles in the series (4)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    Christian Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      O Fortuna, Velut Luna

      Sep 15, 2018

      What is Miss Treece’s trouble, according to a popular notion? The man A has failed to show up. Arousing herself at the restaurant, she fixes her lipstick when her solo supper concludes and takes herself down the stairs situated behind the bar. There,

      3 min read

    • Article

      Dolly’s Star Turn

      Jul 12, 2023

      Dolly’s Star Turn
      7 min read

    • Article

      Five Poems

      Jul 1, 2019

      You agreed to meet him in one of those cafés you imagined yourself writing in if you could afford to live in that city. He was also a writer, but older, and you wanted to know how to get published. Slip a picture of yourself in with your poems, he ad

      6 min read

    • Article

      All My Tomorrows

      May 10, 2022

      It was Misha’s first day minding the shop, and already she’d broken the fifth rule. Always lock the door immediately. When you had the most valuable merchandise in the universe, you had to take the utmost precautions. She hadn’t meant to disobey. It

      13 min read

    • Article

      Dolly’s Star Turn

      Jul 12, 2023

      Dolly’s Star Turn
      7 min read

    • Article

      Dolly’s Star Turn

      Aug 9, 2023

      Dolly’s Star Turn
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Bridle

      Oct 10, 2021

      Saliva pooled on her tongue beneath the rusty depressor. She endured a constant urge to swallow, afraid of choking on her own fluids. The taste of metal and blood are so akin, it is easy to mistake one for the other. This early in the day, blood was

      11 min read

    • Article

      Sifting

      Mar 4, 2024

      CASSANDRA GARBUS is the author of the novel Solo Variations. Her fiction has appeared in Kenyon Review Online, American Short Fiction, Texas Review, Meridian, Louisiana Literature, and The Cortland Review. Lily slumps on the living room couch, absorb

      22 min read

    • Article

      When the HEART MELTS

      Feb 23, 2022

      When the HEART MELTS
      8 min read

    • Article

      The Wisdom of Women Shines in Najla Jraissaty Khoury’s ‘Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales’

      Oct 22, 2018

      Long, long ago These things happened or maybe no. Let’s start with the image on the cover. Three women sit in a courtyard. One holds a long-handled pan over a coal brazier; the other two, one of whom has her back to us, hold small cups. They wear ide

      7 min read

    • Article

      Helen

      Jun 5, 2023

      She was a friend of my family—the Carlins, as I have chosen to call them. She and my father met in the fifties through the editor of the architecture magazine where she began her career. My father had taken her out a few times. They were never lovers

      30 min read

    • Article

      Now Is the Time

      Nov 24, 2020

      Now Is the Time
      5 min read

    • Article

      Clean SWEEP

      Aug 31, 2022

      Clean SWEEP
      9 min read

    • Article

      The Art of Fiction No. 251

      Mar 15, 2022

      The Art of Fiction No. 251
      20 min read

    • Article

      'The Hazel Wood' Has Few Uses For Enchantment

      Jan 30, 2018

      In Melissa Albert's dark take on fairy tales, 17-year-old Alice has spent her entire life on the run from her family legacy: a terrifying mythical world created by her grandmother, a famous author.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary

      Jun 17, 2020

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary
      7 min read

    • Article

      Cul-de-Sac

      Dec 1, 2021

      That old rage for order: how my father drove a square mouthed mower over-and-back, over-and-back, each row of neatly trimmed grass cut just like he told his barber: boy’s short, regular. O pioneer, taming this joke bit of prairie, no bindweed or dog

      5 min read

    • Article

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary

      Jun 17, 2020

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary
      7 min read

    • Article

      A DOSE Of Escapism

      Feb 16, 2020

      There is a trend at the moment for novels about loneliness; it’s definitely a thing. While I felt like this one was plucking a little too strenuously on my heartstrings, it is a very sweet read. Missy Carmichael is the lonely person at the heart of t

      1 min read

    • Article

      An Elephant NEVER FORGETS

      May 17, 2023

      An Elephant NEVER FORGETS
      6 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Ladies of Ivy Cottage

    4.5/5

    81 ratings12 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      The narrator was beyond excellent and the character development is so well done I feel like I am living in their community.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I loved this book I think you get 5 books in one.... thank you
    • 4/5
      Oh how my heart aches for the Regency Era women of Ivy Hill. Regardless of how hard they work or try to make their way in the world, they are still subject to the whims of men and societal standards of 1820s Wiltshire, England. A woman's life was precarious outside the protection of a father or husband. For those women who strove to stand on their own through means available to them, I am ever their cheering fan. This delightful story, (the second installment in the Tales from Ivy Hill series) is rich with stories of such women. There is impoverished gentlewoman Rachel, whose childhood home passes to a distant cousin upon her father's death. Her married sister received all of their mother's jewels and Rachel was bequeathed her father's library of books through his will which stipulated that none of the books could be sold. How does one shelter or feed themselves with only books?! The solution is a clever one and temporarily provides for Rachel's needs.Mercy Groves and her spinster Aunt Matilda run a school for girls in Mercy's childhood home as her parents have hied off to their London home. All is well until Mercy's parents insist upon arranging a marriage for Mercy in order for her to keep the home. Otherwise, it will be given away to another sibling. Should she marry for convenience or save her heart for one truly deserving and thus lose the school and her dash her dreams.Then there's gentlewoman, Jane who, for love, married an innkeeper. Now a widow and no longer a member of the "in crowd", she receives no invitations to societal gatherings. She has carried on well her husband's business and is now in a position to make marked improvements to the property.Most of the women in this story are part of a tremendous support network without which many would have fallen into ill health or compromising situations. They're strong, bright and compassionate. There are also those few women of means who are comfortably provided for by their husbands or husbands wealth and who need not rely on that support network, at least for the moment. They appear smug and judgmental.This book is considered "Christian fiction" yet the scriptural references are occasional and fitting. The romantic elements as described are chaste and tasteful. The writing style is highly descriptive and sets the scenes well; the characters are well developed and the period research is solid. For the most part, the women's stories wandered about in a gentle cadence until nearly the end of the book. At that point, I felt a rushing by the author to quickly tie up loose ends where possible and leave at least one unfinished story to be picked up in the next installment. There were few surprises but the book still satisfied and provided a diversion from contemporary life. I am grateful to author Julie Klaasen, Baker Publishing and Goodreads First Reads for having provided a free copy of this book. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.Synopsis (from publsiher's website):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.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      The Ladies of Ivy Cottage by Julie Klassen is the second book in the Tales from Ivy Hill series. The women of the village are encouraging Miss Rachel Ashford to set up a circulating library with the many books that were left to her by her late father. As she begins to sort through the different books that the villagers also donate she stumbles upon a mystery. With the help of an ex-suitor Rachel searches for clues. Mercy Grove, Rachel’s hostess, is resigned to being a spinster and running her girls’ school. So, when several men begin to stop by Ivy Cottage she assumes they are interested in Rachel. The truth may come as a shock to everyone. I admit the story started out a little slow. It seemed to be just the everyday lives of an English village. But, once you immersed yourself in that daily living you began to be a part of it. I couldn’t put the book down. I enjoyed getting to know the ladies living in Ivy Hill. Their struggles and triumphs were an inspiration. I can’t wait for the next book.I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
    • 4/5
      It has been too long since I read The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill . I had forgotten several key points of the book. It took me a little while to get up to speed and continue on with the story. I highly recommend reading the first book before this one, or read them one right after the other.This book is not fast paced, just like the first. Julie Klassen is building the story, piece by piece. It moves just like life would. I like that the book is not a race, but a story that is told in detail and interesting for the reader.The books center around a group of friends who had grown apart, but have reconciled and found enjoyment in each others company. The friends are at different places in their lives. It is very interesting to see how they handle situations, disappointment, and heartbreak.This book is a slow romance. Not all of the women find happiness at once. The book splits it's time between the characters and describes what is happening with their prospects. I love looking back at past time periods to see how much different we are today, but at our cores we are the same.I liked this book better than the first, but I really think that I need to go back and re-read it. I want to see what I missed and be reminded of events. Jane's relationships are of particular interest to me.This is a clean book. It does contain mention of infidelity and premarital relations.Source: I requested a copy from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
    • 5/5
      I was well into this book before I realized it was a continuation of the previous one, The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill. To me this shows it can absolutely be read as a standalone! I had trouble getting into the story, it was a slow start, but I am so glad I continued! It was a rewarding read! There are a lot of characters but Ms. Klassen did a stellar job of making it easy to keep them straight by her detailed personalization of their individual emotions, thoughts, and characteristics. She flawlessly wove in and out of each one’s experiences giving the story depth. The 1800’s was not an easy time for a single woman, especially in providing for themselves. The book shares the lives of three such women. Jane is a widow who has the blessing of being proprietor deceased husband’s family. Rachel is alone due to the death of her father, but lost her inheritance and her only source of income. Mercy has given up finding love and resigned herself to spinsterhood. While each lady faces difficult challenges they have the strong support of one another. Romance blooms for each, but not without difficulty and heartache.Even though Jane had a source of income, handling the stress and responsibility alone was challenging to say the least. It was no walk in the park! Though she was cheerful and caring, she carried a heavy load of grief in the loss of many children by miscarriage. Of the three, Rachel had the least and solely relied on the kindness of her friends. Her story saddened me. She had lived in wealth and comfort before she lost her father. I feel her situation was the hardest to go from having everything to being homeless and penniless. I admired her spunk and determination to provide for herself and earn a living with what meager means there were. Mercy, poor homely Mercy. She had such a sweet and loving spirit. Though her outside was plain her inside was beautiful. She ran a girl’s school and lived with her Aunt Matilda. I loved Aunt Matilda, she was such a hoot. Not only did she make me laugh but I enjoyed the spirit in which she shared her wisdom with the girls. Mercy was so dedicated to her students. Her home actually belonged to her brother who was living overseas. After he marries her meddling (and irritating) parents give her an ultimatum to marry a suitor they have introduced her to or lose everything. Her situation reminded me of how few choices women, especially from wealthy families, had during this time. Mercy wants to marry for love. But with her looks her parents feel she will be lucky if ANYONE will have her. Each of the characters were inspiring in their faith, growth, and in spiritual lessons Their lives taught. A wonderful read!I received this book from Bethany House Publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have stated are my own.
    • 5/5
      The Ladies of Ivy Cottage is Book 2 in the Tales from Ivy Hill series. I was thrilled to be reconnecting with these courageous, strong and determined women. Rachel Ashford takes center stage in this book. She is a gentlewoman of meager means since her deceased father’s estate is now home to his distant cousin, Nicholas Ashford, where he and his mother reside (entail laws and all that). Fortunately, Rachel has been invited to live with her friend, Mercy Grove, and her aunt Matilda at Ivy Cottage. With few other options available to her, Rachel accepts the generous offer and tries her hand at teaching the pupils at Mercy’s girls school on the premises, since she needs an occupation. That venture proves unsuccessful as she is not particularly skilled at the art of instruction. Meanwhile, Nicholas Ashford desires Rachel’s hand in marriage. Although accepting him would secure her future and place her back in the beloved Thornvale where she grew up, she continues to put him off. Meanwhile, there might be hope in the way of a proposal from Sir. Timothy Brockwell. Brockwell’s interest in Rachel is not new, and the circumstances surrounding the possible suitor seem more favorable now since they don’t involve her friend Jane Bell, the woman presumed to marry Sir Timothy. Their recently reconciled friendship is highly valued by both women. Still, Lady Brockwell has higher aspirations for her son in the way of a marriage partner. Rachel is fiery and feisty, dodging Lady Brockwell’s subtle assaults at her. But even if Sir Timothy defies his mother and asks for Rachel’s hand, how might it affect her friendship with Jane?During her first meeting of the Ladies Tea and Knitting Society, Rachel’s impoverished predicament is shared with the attendees by Mercy Grove. These progressive women suggest that Rachel earn her livelihood by starting a much-needed circulating library in Ivy Hill with her father’s extensive library, which Rachel inherited but is forbidden to sell off. This endeavour proves promising and Rachel is on her way to sustaining herself in the meantime while living at Ivy Cottage. Meanwhile, Mercy Grove has more or less resigned herself to spinster status. She doesn’t think herself attractive and doubts that any man will find her so. Solace comes in the form of her recently attained ward, Alice, one of the little orphaned girls that attends her school. The two are attached to each other. So what will Mercy do when a person from Alice’s mother’s past threatens to sever their relationship?————————I love the propriety, etiquette and decorum of the Regency period. The slow pace of life is a welcome diversion from today’s fast world. Despite the improprieties of the upper crust—their infidelities, indiscretions and scandals, Julie Klassen does not reveal them to us in the same way we’d receive them from a dime novel. In contrast, her prose is all manners and grace, indicative of the time period. The visual impact of her stories is what keeps me coming back to her books. If you love historical fiction involving revitalized friendships, swoon-worthy romantic moments, an atmospheric setting with fully developed characters, this book is for you. But do yourself a favor and begin with the first book of the series, The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill. A highly recommended series.Thank you Bethany House publishers for a complimentary copy of this book. In exchange I have provided an honest review.
    • 5/5
      I can’t wait to have more books in this series. I love all the characters. I loved learning about how subscription libraries worked. I love all the recurring characters and how we learn more about each one. I laughed and cried during this book. I received a copy of this book from Bethany House for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
    • 4/5
      This series continues to meander pleasantly along, and fans of inspirational historical romance would do well to pick it up.
    • 3/5
      The Ladies of Ivy Cottage, by Julie Klassen, is the second book in the Tales From Ivy Hill series, and takes place during the Regency era of the early 1800s. It contains some of the same villagers as book one, and shares similar themes.Just as in the first book of the series (The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill) there is a neighborhood map in the front of the book that enables the reader to visualize the region. I wish there was a list of characters as well, because there are many. I had a difficult time of keeping them straight. I think it helps to have read the first book in the series to become more familiar with who’s who.For me, although the story evoked laugh out loud moments, and heart touching emotions, the beginning was a bit slow. The pace picked up in the middle, but there was so much going on that I felt a little lost. I enjoyed the mystery and romance aspects, and the Ivy Hill community is well thought out and crafted, but I can’t say I became fully immersed in the story or characters. Perhaps if there was fewer storylines, and more focus on a particular character, I would have been more satisfied.I received a complimentary copy from the publisher.
    • 5/5
      Sunday, December 31, 2017The Ladies of Ivy Cottage by Julie Klassen, © 2017Tales From Ivy Hill, Book TwoMy Review:I eagerly await Julie Klassen's novels as a Christmas present to myself! This story continues from Book One, The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill, which you will enjoy too. This second book may be read as a stand-alone as the days continue at the village.Miss Rachel Ashford ~ "I'm afraid I don't care much for books."--The Ladies of Ivy Cottage, 11.Oh, how will this progress? How can one hope to gain access to education for a young lady to be accepted into the privileged few of close friendships, a kindred spirit to shelter from being amiss in formalities? To gain reading as the dearest of friends.Sometimes the very things we say we do not like become an open door for us. For Miss Ashford, this may be forthcoming... Her father's will states that his gifting to her of his collection of books may not be sold. Library. Library! With her non-interest, others will benefit. Other women mention they have access to interest books and novels to donate, and excitement is in the air! Think of the variety they will have. I am hoping they have historicals :), my favorites.It is settled. Books will be moved from the library at Rachel's former home, Thornvale, to the library and the adjoining infrequently used formal drawing room within Ivy Cottage, to form a circulating library for the village of Ivy Hill. No longer will it be necessary to travel the distance to the Salisbury library. A splendid plan, indeed!~*~I love reading Julie Klassen's novels. She is so descriptive, you are right there walking down the lane with them. Nodding at the next storekeeper you meet, or touching the fabric you may never be able to buy ~ letting the hem and placing trim to cover the fold crease, laying your one pair of gloves to whiten in the sun... The characters are so real, you somehow expect them to turn and speak to you too. Tender, humble friends you are able to trust your truest thought. I like their gentility and modesty, a sweet unassuming spirit. Easy to be around, known for who they are.Subsequently, those left behind must decide they truly missed releasing a truer friend. As I am reading, I wonder if a certain gentleman will get back into the good graces of Rachel, or just retain a memory of her kindness and goodness? Or, has Rachel been the one left, remaining only a friend to smile at without, and mementos becoming all she has? Does it become a guessing game of who will release their true thoughts to become inspected beneath a heart daring to be exposed? A look, a touch, to be uncertain of its meaning; a loss that could have been joined to happiness and joy interwoven. Will they both be left hidden in loneliness longing to be discovered as a true friend everlasting?I like several of the secondary characters. Especially, the elderly sexton in charge of digging the graves and maintaining the grounds of the churchyard. But there is more he maintains. Dignity for others with his wise observation that what a person thought, was true to them. What compassion overlooked by many.As each day turns into the next, Rachel discovering the interchange she receives along with the circulating library becoming an offering to others, her days become full. The gathering of supplies by the workmen building the shelving brings new acquaintances to Ivy Cottage. One is an introduction of a relative of a student at the girls school on the premises that might not have been accomplished in any other way. So interesting how our ordinary days become exactly what the Lord has in mind for us to discover.I like the confidences shared between Jane Bell and Mercy Grove; a trustworthy reminder to keep our heart active with a dear friend knowing it will be kept close and undisturbed. Mercy has others coming to confide in her. I like how she is approachable and cares about others with wisdom.As you meet the people of Ivy Hill, I am sure you will become as fond of them as I am. I like how new people are added to the story, so casually, yet necessary to the other characters and the value to themselves.Thank you, Julie Klassen, for this wonderful village and its occupants ~ visiting and choosing to become more than passersby.***Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for sending this copy of Book Two in this series. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
    • 4/5
      The Ladies of Ivy Cottage by Julie Klassen is the second edition in Tales from Ivy Hill. It is September in 1820 in Ivy Hill, Wiltshire, England. Rachel Ashford wants to discover a way for her to earn money to support herself. She appreciates Mercy allowing her to life at Ivy Cottage, but she wants to pay her own way. The women of the Ladies Tea and Knitting Society suggest that Rachel use what her father left her in his will—his library. Rachel can open a subscription library at Ivy Cottage. The townspeople rally behind Rachel and donate books to the library. Thanks to those donated books, Rachel has two mysteries to ponder. She must also make a decision regarding Nicholas Ashford’s proposal. Jane Bell is busy running The Bell, but she misses Gabriel Locke. Is Jane ready to move on with her life? If so, is there a chance of Gabriel returning? Mercy Groves has long given up hope of getting married. She is busy running the school and is hoping to expand it. Mr. Thomas asks Mercy to become young Alice’s guardian. Mercy is happy to take on the role, but then suitor starts paying attention to her. Ivy Cottage, though, may be lost to all its current inhabitants if Mercy’s mother has her way. To see what happens to the women, join them on their journey in The Ladies of Ivy Cottage.The Ladies of Ivy Cottage is well-written with lovely characters. I do recommend reading The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill before embarking on The Ladies of Ivy Cottage. The first book introduces you to the characters, the village of Ivy Hill and their lives (it sets the stage for The Ladies of Ivy Cottage). The Ladies of Ivy Cottage picks up where the first book ended. The characters are well developed, and they continue to evolve. The pace of the story is gentle which suits the story (it is slower than The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill). I do feel, though, that the book is a little long (440 pages). Julie Klassen accurately portrayed the time-period with the clothing, the way people spoke (it was more formal), mannerisms, the shops, roles of men and women, locale, and customs. You can tell that the author did her research for the series. Through Ms. Klassen’s words you can imagine the village and its citizens. The Christian element is light and adds just the right touch. In addition to the main three ladies there are secondary characters that add drama and romance to the story. James Drake is working on his hotel, Sir Timothy Brockwell is interested in one of the ladies, Thora returns, Joseph Kingsley (the local carpenter) shows an interest in getting to know one of the women, and Mr. Carville is up to something. The Ladies of Ivy Cottage is a rich, historical novel and I am eager for the next installment in the Tales from Ivy Hill.