An Ivy Hill Christmas (Tales from Ivy Hill) by Julie Klassen

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance
Content: Clean

 

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 unforeseen 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, joyous songs, and divine hope, work its magic in his heart . . . and hers as well?

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the Tales from Ivy Hill books when I read them, so this unexpected addition to the series was a nice treat. It's a shorter story compared to the others and I think that made for a little less development, but it was still fun to be back in Ivy Hill with these characters. I liked the way Richard's story unfolded and the change of heart that he and Arabella had toward each other made for a sweet romance. If you've read the other books in the series, then I would definitely recommend reading this one as well.