The Bride of Ivy Green

By: Julie Klassen / Narrated By: Elizabeth Jasicki

Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins

Wonderful end to a wonderful series. The women of Ivy Hill rock!

Well, here we come to the end of the Tales from Ivy Hill Series, and fortunately, The Bride of Ivy Green does not disappoint. Not only does it wrap up loose threads, finish plot lines, but it also introduces new questions and a new character, Victorine, who has secrets of her own which could get her chucked out of Ivy Hill’s society of women.

I dearly loved this series because it has such strong women characters and such strong women relationships. This final installment once again shows this to be true. Even as romantic stories are finished, the women come together to help their own, and I did so like that.

While all of the main characters’ story lines are finished, The Bride of Ivy Green is really Mercy’s book. She’s lost her school, lost little Alice, is destined to living life as a spinster in the home of her brother and his new and shrewish wife. We see Mercy blossom as she strives to take control of her destiny, choosing to leave the family home to sink to the depths as a governess, with its drop in her status. But through her life as a governess, her quiet strength comes to the aid of James, JD, and her quiet serenity comes more fully to the notice of Mr. Kingsley. This audiobook has more of the series’ Christian leanings, as Mercy is a devout woman, fearless about speaking her mind and sharing her faith. And she grows as a person each time her words back up her many actions.

Jane Bell’s story is continued also, even as her father comes back into her life, bearing surprises of his own. They’re wonderful, and sad, and they challenge the status quo. Plus, Jane discovers just how deep her feelings for Gabriel are.

Elizabeth Jasicki’s narration is top notch as always but, as always, I, a x1.25 listener, had to speed it up to x1.5 to get the flow going most smoothly. I can’t imagine it at x1 speed—how slooooow it must seem. But please speed the narration up to suit yourself, and don’t deny yourself the listening pleasure that is this audiobook.

Women helping women is always appealing to me, and the good amount of romance thrown in suited my fancy just fine. Even Victorine finds happiness, so the Happily Ever Afters just kept on coming as the stories progressed.

But now what’ll I do with no more books in the series?!?

Ahhh well, I guess I’ll just have to go back to the first two in the series and listen all over again!