I really enjoyed this novel. Sadie and Otis are great characters. Otis was banished to live with someone else due to a physical ailment that his father tried to “cure” because he was embarrassed by his outward appearance. Otis feels this abandonment sharply as he was raised very much alone. He meets Sadie on his return to Monticello when he goes looking for his dog in his abandoned factory.

The two side characters, Otis’s housekeepers, are wonderful as well. This just had a good storyline that was very wholesome. Great book.

It's a surprisingly clever and super sweet Beauty and the Beast retelling. I'll admit I was hesitant to read it when I noticed the Christian category—I'm just not familiar with what to expect—but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt all of the feelings and couldn't put it down.

This book gave me serious Beauty and the Beast vibes! Maybe that's why I loved it so much, given it reminded me of my favorite Disney movie.

Apart from that, the story was so beautifully written, the character development was well done, and the plot was compelling. Also, the predominant theme and message of really thinking through how we treat people who look different than us is so very important. The author handled this so well! The main female character, Sadie, was someone I could see myself being friends with because of her kindness and compassion in how she treated Otis and others.

My only complaint about the book is that I did not want it to end! This was my first Rachel Fordham novel and it will not be my last!

Thank you to @netgalley and @ThomasNelsonFiction for this ARC. Sadie is living in an abandoned warehouse while she works at the feather duster factory to support her family after her dad is injured. When the owner of the warehouse shows up and can only take compassion on her situation, this story begins. Sweet, sweet story. If you haven't read Rachel Fordham, you should start! #BeyondIvyWalls #RachelFordham #ThomasNelsonFiction #Aug2024

It's a tale as old as time. With glimmers back to the classic Beauty and the Beast tale, strangers become friends and then something more.

It's a moving story. Sadie's family shares a deep bond and she would do anything to help them, even more to the city and face unending hardships to send money home. Otis' family was ripped apart by pride and shame and aside from the faithful family servants he has no idea how to maintain a relationship of any significance with anyone.

Tossed together, Sadie and Otis begin to discover more than either could have ever imagined.

I found Beyond Ivy Walls to be an enjoyable book. The historical setting was interesting and the character growth was believable.

I received a free digital copy from the publisher. This is my honest opinion.

I’ve read and loved all of Rachel Fordham’s books. Just like the rest of her books, this one is something special. I loved every minute spent reading this beautiful story. I couldn’t put it down and I felt all of the emotions while reading it.❤️

I absolutely loved the main characters! Sadie and Otis were both such lovable, beautiful characters. Sadie was the sunshine to Otis’s grump and I loved their sweet romance so much. Their banter made me laugh and their love for one another made me tear up. I loved watching their friendship develop into something more and I love that their romance is based on more than mere physical attraction. Oh, and I adored the letters they wrote to each other. It was one of the sweetest romances I’ve ever read. ❤️

This book touched my heart in so many ways and made me feel all the feels. There were lighthearted moments but there were a lot of deep, emotional moments too. I teared up more than once. Otis’s story was an emotional and heartbreaking one but beautiful too. Seeing his character growth throughout the book was beautiful to read. Seeing Sadie see him for more than his scars was also so beautiful.
And the epilogue was perfect.❤️

In conclusion, this book was absolutely beautiful! It’s now one of my favorite books by Rachel (and that’s saying a lot because it’s so hard for me to pick favorites since they’re all so good!)
If you’re looking for a book that’ll touch your heart, make you cry, and then put a smile on your face, I highly recommend you read Beyond Ivy Walls.❤️

*Thank you to the publisher for sending me a complimentary copy! All opinions are my own.

I'm reading a very good book, Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham. This is a retelling of a Beauty and the Beast. A young pianist has been turned away by his father because he suffered from a rare condition of alopecia. At the time (1903) there was really nothing known of the condition. Otis employees a young woman who sees Otis for the gentle spirit that he has and with each chapter -- it gets better and better. There is also a mystery. It seems that his dead brother left behind a child. Since Otis was sent away, he is determined to find and raise his niece. Will he find love and the family he so desperately seeks? Read this book to find out.

What a book! Beauty and the Beast meets Cinderella with the flavor of a Jane Austen tale and a subtle nod to Jane Eyre. I loved this book so much and it's my favorite of Rachel Fordham's books.

This is a story of emotional healing, courage and sacrificial love. It's a sweet love story with well-developed characters, and every time I had to put the book down, I couldn't wait to get back to it!

Light on faith elements, but clean and wholesome, this story teaches important lessons about acceptance of " . . . a different kind of normal" person.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from Net Galley. A positive review was not required and the opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I highly recommend it.

Rachel fordham Fordham has penned a sweet and precious retelling of Beauty and the Beast. (My favorite trope, btw.) I love a wounded man who finds himself being pulled away from his scars and his anguish to believe in hope and love again. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the historical content throughout the book. If you love an amazing epilogue that is a happily ever after, then you will love this sweet historical romance. You can pre order now at any retail site.
I appreciate the advance reader copy and all opinions are my own. achel Fordham has penned a sweet and precious retelling of Beauty and the Beast. (My favorite trope, btw.) I love a wounded man who finds himself being pulled away from his scars and his anguish to believe in hope and love again. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the historical content throughout the book. If you love an amazing epilogue that is a happily ever after, then you will love this sweet historical romance. You can pre order now at any retail site.
I waa given a copy of this book by the publisher, and this is my honest opinion.
4.5 stars

This heart-tugging, emotional story, set in Monticello, Iowa, in the early 1900s, captured me with the first line and held me fast to the delightfully satisfying ending. The intriguing plot flows at a steady pace with wonderfully crafted characters facing real-life struggles driving it forward. I love Sadie and Otis and have added them to my list of Favorite Fictional Characters. The epistolary element of the story is cleverly written and humorous. I love the Jane Eyre references! This is the kind of book that leaves you with a smile, and I highly recommend it.
I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher via NetGalley with no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Beyond Ivy Walls was a wonderful book. Sadie has left her family and home to find work. Her father is very sick and she needs to find a way to help. She finds a job at a factory. She has also found a old building where she can live. One morning she comes across a dog. Little does she know how this dog will change her life. Otis has come back with his dog to his family home to make preparations to sell his home and settle things. Everyone is waiting for him to come back. Otis and Sadie meet and he offers her a job. There is a lot that goes on In this book. I really enjoyed watching the charters get to know each other and help each other. This book was given to me by the publisher. All thoughts are my own.

This book.

THIS
BOOK

Oh. My. Heart. I couldn’t count the number of times that tears pricked my eyes as I read. Tears of happiness. Because Sadie and Otis’s story is just amazing. Or should I say Jane Squatter and Mr. Rochester 🤭

It was almost like a fairy tale. A little bit of Beauty and the Beast, but also some Cinderella (blue dress!). And then it also fit so well with the movie Rigoletto.

Falling in love with Sadie was easy. But falling in love with Otis took a little more time. Both had pure, beautiful hearts, though one bore some scars. Sadie was the key to help Otis’s heart feel again.

Because of his past Otis didn’t want his niece to feel the same pain that he experienced, which caused him to have to make a choice that was tough, but was the right choice. And in the end he was rewarded for making the right choice. And when he made that choice it was just 🫠🫠

Beyond Ivy Walls is a beautiful story of true selfless love. One that is a must-read!

And the epilogue. One of my favorites.

Thank you Net Galley and Thomas Nelson for the early copy, I cannot wait to put a physical copy in my shelf!

Beauty and the Beast set in horse-and-carriage period Iowa
Sadie West has left her close-knit family behind to work at a feather duster factory in order to bring in money while her father is sidelined by injury. Otis Taylor is the absent heir apparent of the leading family in Monticello, Iowa. But all is not as it seems. Otis' father left him with debilitating physical and emotional scars. As you would guess, these two run across each other and the story develops from there.

Fordham weaves in interesting elements of the time and presents some real struggles for both characters. She adds more elements than the children's story of Beauty and the Beast. I appreciate the setting because it allows for a G -rated book that still shows character struggles and growth. I gave it five stars because I was eager to return to the book and find out the end of the story. Thanks to the publishers for my advance reading copy. My own opinions are expressed here.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, this book was a beautiful, engaging, thought provoking read. I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in the early 1900’s. I enjoyed the author’s writing style, I enjoyed all the characters, especially Otis and Sadie and how their friendship blossomed into love. I highly recommend this beautiful romance that also touches on the goodness of people and their willingness to overlook physical differences and see a person’s strengths and good qualities.

Beyond Ivy Walls is a clean sweet romance that is set in the early 1900’s in Iowa. Otis suffers from alopecia and was sent away as a child but when his dad and father pass away, he must come back to settle affairs for the family. He finds Sadie sleeping in his old abandoned warehouse after she lost she space at a boarding house. She was working to save money for her family after her father hurt himself on the farm. This story has a Beauty and the Beast vibe but is different in several ways. I enjoyed reading this story!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book for my honest opinion.

Sadie and Otis's story is a Beauty and the Beast retelling set in a small town in the industrial revolution era. Sadie headed to the big city to find work in order to save her family, as her father is very ill. The story is sweet and clean and features a MMC with a health condition that causes him to loose every bit of his hair. He suffers all sorts of unsuccessful treatments that leave him scarred, and causing him to feel alone and outcast.

The fun part of this book: there is even a Mrs. Potts in this story, the kindhearted housekeeper who tries to push Sadie and Otis together!

The drawbacks: I found the dialogue to feel very awkward. The characters spoke as one would write, not as one would speak.

I think that anyone who loves fairytale retellings would just love this book! It is a clever tale on an old classic!

I received an advanced copy for review purposes; all opinions are honest and mine alone.


BEYOND IVY WALLS is a very light read. It’s light in both the romance and religious aspects leaving early 20th century history in Iowa as a foundation. Unfortunately, this area is also light; on details and accuracy.

Author, Rachel Fordham, has written a pleasant book. You won’t find anything offensive on these pages other than botched grammar. She did provide some history about feather dusters and a real factory in Monticello, Iowa. That was 15-20 minutes of a 6 hour read. I was wanting descriptions of the mansion, details of the furniture and stuff in the house; such a missed opportunity.

The Beauty & Beast trope is obvious but not obnoxious. Fordham’s characters interact well but their dialogue is not indicative of the time period. Most of the story is about her helping him to overcome his traumatic childhood. The secondary arcs about Sadie’s family issues and Otis’s lost nice could have been better developed, IMO. The biggest missed opportunity was for Sadie’s sisters to have more scenes; snippets of letters were not enough.

Safely read by your 12 year olds, BEYOND IVY WALLS is a fast moving, happily ever after story📚

Oh my Rachel you have done it again. You compared this novel to a mixture of beauty and the beast and light between the oceans. You were spot on. I fell in love with Otis and Sadie right away. The last few chapters of this book left me sobbing. So many sweet gestures of grace and love.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

An emotional adventure. Sadie and Otis are like the center of a wheel and the spokes (other characters) with them move this story along. It's like a nice carriage ride in the afternoon.
The core relationships are loving friendships. What occurs is a testimony to how kindness can draw a person out, to express their true thoughts and feelings. Scars of many kinds can make you seem content with a half-life, but when you have people who care, your life begins to continuously blossom. These are my thoughts on the story. While this is a romance, there is modesty and restraint from the characters and the writer. You may also find practical talking points about surviving trauma (PTSD), facing fears, and acceptance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Otis grew up feeling like he wasn't enough, that his scars and medical condition were something he had to hide and it left him grumpy and broken. He returns to his family estate after being sent away as a child and is only at the estate to sell it. But he runs into Sadie in one of his abandoned warehouses. Sadie is homeless and working away from her family to help provide after her father has an accident and can not work. Otis takes note of Sadies situation and offers her a job and a place to stay in his mansion. At first, they are at odds with each other, they are opposites... she's hiding her concerns, hes hiding his past. But with time the walls come down. But...Sadie has promised her heart to another before she ever met Otis, what happens when the first man in her life reappears? And Otis has no intention of sticking around, once the property sells, he's leaving!

This story is just so honest and so raw when it comes to the struggles of both characters. They both have what the other doesn't. He has wealth, status, and people throwing themselves at his feet unknowingly but no one will accept him as he is, and his own family sent him away as a child. She has a loving family, is a hard worker, and doesn't complain... but her days are filled in turkey filth, she has no money, no home, and the man she loved hasn't been returning her advances. They BOTH breathe life into each other. He steps up for her, and her for him and this story just shows how two people from two different lives somehow become interwoven with each other.

This story is not just romantic, its also hilarious at times as they pick on each other and make jokes at each others expense.


If you like tropes such as...
Forced proximity
Grumpy/Sunshine
Pen pals
Friends to more... THIS is your story!
Loved it!!! I need a physical copy of the book!

***Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy. The review is all my own opinion.