Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham

Beyond Ivy Walls
by Rachel Fordham

ISBN-13: 9780840718808
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Released: August 13, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Early 1900s. When an accident leaves Sadie West's family in dire financial need, she nervously leaves the land she loves to work in the Hoag duster factory. But sending all her money home means that she has nowhere to board, and she's forced to take up residence in an abandoned building--a choice that throws her in the path of the town's mysterious bachelor.

Recently returned from exile, and determined to keep his arrival a secret, Otis Taylor makes the impulsive decision to hire the woman he finds hiding on his family's property with the strict instructions she tell no one he has returned. The dark halls of his boyhood flood him with memories he's long tried to forget. The only bright light is the woman he has hired. Can the optimistic Sadie teach the wounded Otis to trust again? To love? Can the pair unravel the family secrets that have long cast a shadow over the mansion and those who reside within?


My Review:
Beyond Ivy Walls is a sweet romance set in 1903 in Monticello, Iowa. Otis has no hair and has scars on his scalp from his father's attempts to make his hair regrow. Sent away from his family to live in an isolated cottage, he feels deeply rejected by his family. He's convinced his former friends will view him as a beast, a monster to be rejected. He returns after his father and brother died and discovers that his brother had a child out of wedlock. He's determine to find her and give her all of the love and acceptance he lacked. Sadie sees his scars and doesn't reject him. She's hired to help clean up the house and teach him social skills. She helps him find the courage to face the community.

Sadie and Otis became friends as they spent time together. They learned to work through misunderstanding and conflict. The historical details were woven into the story and didn't slow the pacing. Sadie prays for her father's healing and trusts that God will see her family through this hard time. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable romance.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.