The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen REVIEW

Summary:

The lifeblood of the village of Ivy Hill is its coaching inn, The Bell. When the innkeeper dies suddenly, his genteel wife, Jane Bell, becomes the reluctant land-lady. Jane has no idea how to manage a business, but with the town's livelihood at stake and a large loan due, she must quickly find a way to save the inn.

Despite their strained relationship, Jane turns to her resentful mother-in-law, Thora, for help. Formerly mistress of The Bell, Thora is struggling to overcome her losses and find purpose for the future. As she works with Jane, two men from her past vie for her attention, but Thora has promised herself never to marry again. Will one of them convince her to embrace a second chance at love?

As pressure mounts from the bank, Jane employs new methods, and puzzles over the intentions of several men who seem to have a vested interest in the place, including a mysterious newcomer with secret plans of his own. With the help of friends old and new, can Jane restore life to the inn, and to her empty heart as well?

My Thoughts:

This book was actually a lot more interesting than I thought it would be, as many of the woman in it are very strong and able to do things without being married. However, I find that any of the romance in this book is greatly unnecessary, as the overall plot has no need. I would have enjoyed the "romance" parts, but they weren't very greatly developed and seemed a bit forced into the story.

But even with those things, I still enjoyed the story a lot, Jane and Thora are very strongly developed characters, which is most of the reason why I finished this book.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

**I received this book from Bethany House Publishers for my honest review. Thank you!**

Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch REVIEW

**Sequel to Snow Like Ashes and Ice Like Fire**

Summary:

Meira will do anything to save her world.With Angra trying to break through her mental defenses, she desperately needs to learn to control her magic--so when the leader of a mysterious order from Paisly offers to teach her, Meira jumps at the chance. But the true solution to stopping the Decay lies in a labyrinth deep beneath the Season Kingdoms. To defeat Angra, Meira will have to enter the labyrinth, destroy the very magic she's learning to control--and make the biggest sacrifice of all.

Mather will do anything to save his queen. He needs to rally the Children of the Thaw, find Meira--and finally tell her how he really feels. But with a plan of attack that leaves no kingdom unscathed and a major betrayal within their ranks, winning the war--and protecting Meira--slips further and further out of reach.

Ceridwen will do anything to save her people. Angra had her brother killed, stole her kingdom, and made her a prisoner. But when she's freed by an unexpected ally who reveals a shocking truth behind Summer's slave trade, Ceridwen must take action to save her true love and her kingdom, even if it costs her what little she has left.

As Angra unleashes the Decay on the world, Meira, Mather, and Ceridwen must bring the kingdoms of Primoria together...or lose everything.

My Thoughts:

It's been a while since I've read the previous books, but many of the things I'd forgotten came back to me at some point or another during this one.

I really enjoyed this book, it's probably one of my favorite 2016 releases. It was very well written and picked up where Ice Like Fire left off.

My only complaint about it is that the battle scene near the end didn't seem to be long enough, it seemed rushed. 

However, the rest of the book and the ending really made up for that.

My Rating: 3.5 stars