The Bride of Ivy Green: Tales from Ivy Hill Book 3 by Julie Klassen

    The tales about the ladies from Ivy Hill are wrapping up.  They are each finding their own paths and happiness.  For some it has taken longer than others, but they are all getting there.

Class Time/Artwork by Kate Dorsey

    Life for Mercy Grove is not going well.  She had to give up the girls’ school she ran because her brother and new sister-in-law moved into the house she was using.  Still living in the house herself, residing with her relatives is an uncomfortable situation.  One that becomes more uncomfortable when she is forced to move into the attic. 

    It is this move that makes Mercy decide it is time to go.  She accepts the position as governess for one of her former pupils.  It is not the ideal profession for someone in the level of society the Grove family is in, but it works for Mercy.  She will be teaching a child she loves, and be out from under her sister-in-law’s thumb.

    Mercy will also be in direct contact with the man she has a great interest in, Joseph Kingsley.  Unfortunately, Joseph appears to be involved with another woman.  Mercy has seen them together.  Which is why she finds it odd Joseph keeps doing little things for her.  If Joseph has intentions for someone else, why does he keep showing Mercy so much attention?

    Mercy’s friend Jane Bell is struggling with a relationship of her own.  She knows Gabriel Locke loves her and wants to get married.  Jane’s concern is her inability to have children.  She doesn’t want to disappoint Gabriel with miscarriages or being unable to get pregnant at all.  Gabriel tries to reassure Jane that no matter what happens, everything will be okay.  Jane, however, remains unconvinced marrying Gabriel is a good idea.

    Jane must also deal with her father being in town.  While Jane has always known he was alive, everyone else thought he was dead.  Largely because of the way Jane has spoken about him. 

    After his wife died, Jane’s father went to India to marry a woman who has been on his mind for years.  This act, so soon after her mother’s death, is what has created the distance between Jane and her father.  Now he is back, and Jane must figure out how to handle their relationship, along with the fact her father has a young son.

    Another friend of Mercy and Jane, Rachel Brockwell, is happily married to Sir Timothy.  Having herself married for love, Rachel wants her sister-in-law, Justina, to be able to do the same.  Her mother-in-law has other ideas.

    Lady Brockwell has already decided who Justina should marry, and will not hear anything different.  It’s not that Justina dislikes Sir Cyril.  She just doesn’t love him.  Caught between wanting to please her mother and her own happiness, Justina isn’t sure what to do.

    The Bride of Ivy Green appears to be the last book of the Tales from Ivy Hill series.  For the most part, everything gets resolved and ends happily.  Even Mercy’s Aunt Mattie seems to be going in the direction of finding love.  This was really nice to see, since she was declared a spinster long ago.

    Still, not everything is resolved by the end.  There are definitely storylines that could have more to tell.  Maybe short stories or novellas will be written completing these storylines.  It would be nice to see how everything ends for everyone.