A love story that reminds the reader of Beauty and the Beast. A young woman(Sadie) leaves her home to work in a duster factory to help out her financially strapped family. A young muscial recluse (Otis)returns to his family home after years of being sent away by his mean spirited father. From entirely different back grounds, the two meet by accident and each form a relationship that sets the tone for the novel. I thought that the book moved slowly in places, I found myself reading it quickly to get to the end.

This was my favorite book by this author!! The story drew me in from the beginning and I could barely do anything else but read this book! Otis and Sadie were such great characters and were so unique in their own ways. I loved how Leon and Mildred were like grandparents to Otis and Sadie as they go throughout the story. This may be one I reread because I loved it so much!!

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

I’m a huge fan of Rachel Fordham! The way she carefully brings history to life at such a gentle cadence is beautiful, and always reminds me of reading Janette Oke books as a teen. The heartwarming simplicity of the story is as charming as it is nostalgic.

This loose retelling of Beauty and Beast is set in the early 1900s Midwest. Due to the pacing, it did take me until the 30% to feel fully invested in Sadie & Otis, but once I got there, I was all in. And the supporting cast shone so brilliantly! Leon & Mildred were the precious older couple, encouraging & cheering Otis and Sadie. As for Sadie’s family, I love a strong sister dynamic that reminds me of Little Women and Pride & Prejudice.

From the gorgeous cover to the stirring story within the pages, Fordham penned a poignant tribute to seeing beyond the scars to the heart that beats beneath them.


*Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read it.

This is the first time trying this author. I don't think she is quite what I am looking for. She has interesting stories but they were very, very basic and tame. I know this is a clean book - I went in knowing that. But, there was hardly a kiss, and the romantic moments were too juvenile. These are people who are supposed to be 20's, but they acted as if they were teens.

The guy she had feelings for that the author was hyping up like crazy never, ever showed up in the book later on. I expected him to have a more prominent part, but it was just the female character thinking that.

It was an interesting story, but the overall thing just didn't hit any real enjoyment for me and seamed to be too basic.

As someone who has been incredibly frustrated by mainstream romance publishing's obession with Regency Romance, I want to give special thanks to Thomas Nelson for embracing other time periods! Beyond Ivy Walls is set just after the turn of the century, and its Beauty and the Beast air had me turning pages all day! I loved it, and would definitely read more by this author!

BEYOND IVY WALLS by RACHEL FORDHAM is a most enjoyable and thought provoking novel. Set in Monticello, Iowa in 1903, the author tells the story of the mysterious Otis Tayler and his return to the family mansion in Monticello,mand Sadie West , who works at the Hoag feather duster factory and is living in squalor in the Taylor’s abandoned factory in order to save her family’s farm and care for her ailing father, brought together by a dog called Blue-Wolf. I like to see their growing friendship and the way they call each other Edward Rochester and Jane. Other interesting characters are Mildred and Leon, the caretakers of the Taylor property and Otis’ loyal friends.
Otis was thrown out as a child by his father because of a physical defect, and we see the results of his family’s abandonment in this scarred, angry, reclusive man, who does not know how to handle himself around people. He is particularly angry about his brother’s child Elizabeth, who was born out of wedlock and is determined to find her and bring her up as his own. He is sensitive of his hideous scars and is surprised at Sadie who, after her first gasp of shock, accepts him as he is.
Sadie is lonely and smells bad due to her job with stinking turkey feathers and lack of washing facilities but puts up with her fellow workers’ taunts in order to help her family.
When Sadie promises to help Otis find his niece their relationship becomes strained…….
I cannot recommend this beautifuly written book highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Thomas Nelson. The opinions in this review are completely my own.