I loved this story so much! It was such a beautiful and charming story, and an absolute pleasure to read.

I loved the themes of healing, sacrificial love, and finding home. I really enjoyed the letter writing, the fabulous banter, the romance, the wonderful heroine, and the wounded but lovable hero.

It was a lovely and captivating nod to Beauty and the Beast, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a review copy. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

OVERALL STAR RATING: 6/5
CLEAN RATING: 5/5

I adored this book…absolutely adored it! I’ve had my eye on this author for a while and I’m so glad I picked this one up. The story grips you right from the start. I don’t know why, but I expected this to be a slower paced read. I was wrong. You wind up with so many questions that you want answered. I wound up flying through it. It’s one of those books where you must force yourself to stop for dinner and can’t stop thinking about diving right back in. And how gorgeous is this cover!?

The year is 1903 in Monticello, Iowa and Sadie West’s father has had a terrible accident which leaves her and her sisters to hold down the fort. Sadie finds work at a feather duster production company and winds up living and sleeping in an old and dirty abandoned part of the building. While Sadie oversees earning an income for her family, her sisters are off working the land on the family farm. Not too far off in the distance from the old factory is a gorgeous mansion…walls covered in ivy. The estate was once owned by the infamous Taylor family. Only now, the Taylors have passed away and Otis Taylor, the outcast son, must return to take care of selling the estate. Otis was so outcast by his own family that he lived his life as a complete recluse. He tries to keep his return to Monticello a secret. He doesn’t want prying eyes on him because to be honest, he’s probably not at all what others might expect having descended from the acclaimed Taylors. An unexpected run in with Sadie West gives way to his secrets. Sadie learns of Otis’ deep rooted challenges and he learns of hers.

There’s a lot to unpack in this story. It’s so beautifully written and such an inspiring reminder that true beauty doesn’t lie solely in one’s outward appearance. It’s what’s within our hearts that really matters. This book gives hope to those who may feel alone and different in the world. Your happily ever after may just come when you least expect it in a way you could have never anticipated it would.

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

This book is what Rachel Fordham does best. Heartwarming without being cheesy. Romance that ignites but never burns. Historical immersion that doesn't bog you down. No insta love. Friendship to more. In This beauty and the beast esce story Otis has scars he's trying to hide and Sadie is trying to take care of her family. Thier journey together is so sweet. Otis learns to trust in love and Sadie finds where her true home is.
Oh, and there are roller skates and turkey feathers. You'll have to read it to know more.
4.5 star
Highly recommend!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

To me, this was all so comformingly uninventive and bland, and not very believable. It almost read like the characters were following a set pattern from a story that is not theirs until they get an unearned happy ending, with a sentimental epilogue to present the characters’ children. So much promise, yet so much hollowness in the delivery.

Absolutely loved it! Beyond Ivy Walls is the kind of book that is truly a pleasure to sit down and read, a charming story that reels the reader in and lets them get lost in. A beautiful story of healing, sacrificial love, and finding home. I so enjoyed the letter writing, the banter, the friendship, the romance, the spunky, hard-working, and caring heroine, and the wounded but lovable, letter writing, musical, hero. A captivating nod to Beauty and the Beast. I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters, Sadie and Otis, Mildred, Leon, Sadie's family, Peter and Bessy, and completely enjoyed their journey. I simply couldn't put it down!

"Whatever caused such scars must have hurt not only his scalp but also his soul."
"You, poor dear, should have been wrapped in loving arms, not sent away."
"You must think me a weak man." "No. You are at the edge of your fear. That makes you strong, not weak."

I HIGHLY recommend Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham. You're in for a treat!

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read an early digital copy. All opinions are my own.

Historical fiction readers will enjoy this story set in turn of the century Iowa. The story will remind many of the Beauty and the Beast. Sadie is an admirable character, working hard to help her family while Otis, having felt rejection of his family hides away from all. It’s enjoyable learning about the feather duster industry during this time period. Readers can probably guess correctly about Otis’ mysterious appearance. Overall this was a sweet story.

I’m so in love with the characters in this book! Not only great characters, but a plot that invokes emotions pulling you completely into the story. With each page the world around me disappeared and I found my self slipping into a fictional world that I didn’t want to leave. Although the characters witness sorrow and hardship there is a whimsical side to the story that keeps the reader smiling and rooting for a romance to erupt between Otis and Sadie. A most beautiful colliding of two worlds. Both need healing in different ways and only stepping out in faith and facing fears can mend what is broken. As the story unfolds things of the heart among family and friends bring a twist adding another riveting portion to the book. My heart swelled with each dream that was sacrificed for the love of another wrapping this story up in a most breath taking way.
Was given a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Wow! I loved the characters in this book. I love Sadie and her positive nature and loving kindness. She is brave, sassy and strong. I love Otis for his courage, his willingness to forgive and unfailing love. I love the growth that takes place in each of them throughout the book. I love that this book addresses different kinds of beautiful. Ultimately what is inside is what really counts and makes people beautiful. Outside beauty is in the eye of the beholder and when you love someone and see their kindness and love reflected back at you, they are beautiful. This book is joy, love, forgiveness, hope and beautiful. I can't recommend reading it enough.

Beyond Ivy Walls is the first book I’ve read from Rachel Fordham, though I’ve seen her name before. I’ve not been the biggest historical romance reader in the past, but it’s a genre that is growing on me, especially when they're coming from a Christian worldview. This book is a historical fiction reimagining of Beauty and the Beast. And a very sweet take on it, at that. The inspiration rang through the story loud and clear. The story got off to a bit of a slow start, but it grew on me. And the last quarter of the book was fantastic, with big emotions and some wonderful resolutions.

Sadie West has left the farm and moved to the city for a distinct purpose. Her father was severely injured in a farming accident, and Sadie, as the oldest of four sisters, has taken it upon herself to earn money to put the mortgage and doctor’s bills while her sisters do their best to run the farm until their dad can get back on his feet. She takes a job at a factory making feather dusters. Sadie’s family has no idea that she has been turned out of her boarding house and is living in another factory—this one abandoned—when our story begins. From here she meets Otis Taylor, a mysterious and famous pianist who hales from the town but has been gone for many years. He has only returned to clear up his recently deceased brother’s debts and sell the family mansion before disappearing back into his hermitage. But when he meets Sadie, he finds that there might be a reason to stay, after all.

I found this to be pretty well-written. The dialogue flowed fairly easily, though it wasn’t always believable. For instance, I found Sadie’s interactions with other girls at the duster factory bordering on absurd in places. Why she would care about them at all when she had so much on her plate outside of the factory is a mystery. The inner thought lives of the perspective characters were a bit more believable, if overly melodramatic in places. While Otis might have led a difficult life in some senses, his reactions to those hardships didn’t always ring true to me. They felt over the top. While some of these overreactions irked me, I was very impressed by how the author handled the big, important moments. Joy and sorrow and sacrifice were all beautifully rendered. There was one scene in particular, near the end of the book, that moved me almost to tears. And then there’s the way Fordham portrayed music. Music is the language of the heart, and she displayed it as such. Here, music is both a way to purge pain and a balm for the soul afterward, a powerful way to express joy and grief.

Onto the characters. One of the factory girls, Alta, was particularly awful. I couldn’t stand her. But I fell in love with the elderly housekeeper and groundskeeper of the hall—Midred and Leon—immediately. They were charming, and I could see why Otis adored them, and why Sadie took to them so quickly. I also loved Sadie’s family, her mother and father and all three of her sisters. There were other side characters, as well, but the most important is Wolf, Otis’s dog. He was fantastic. But Sadie and Otis were definitely the stars of the show. Both developed a lot as people over the course of the novel. Otis especially showed tremendous growth. I loved the two of them together. Their relationship was sweet, and I really enjoyed watching it blossom.

Beyond Ivy Walls wasn’t a perfect book, but it’s one that I enjoyed my time with. I especially enjoyed the importance of music, and the presentation of the “Beauty and the Beast” fairytale in such a realistic, concrete setting. I know a lot of people who are going to absolutely adore everything about it. I’ll definitely be recommending this to my Memaw, and to ladies in my church, as soon as it is published.

Side note about the digital ARC I received via NetGalley: This was a PDF file instead of an epub, and I felt that frequently. The formatting was pretty awful in some places.

Second side note: Isn’t the cover beautiful?

This is my fourth read by Rachel Fordham, and I'm now perfectly evenly split, heh! Two I really enjoyed; two, not so much. This belongs to the latter camp, along with Where the Road Bends.

I adore Beauty and the Beast (and Jane Eyre, frankly), and was very excited about the parallels between those and this read. They didn't really play out for me satisfactorily, and I quickly lost interest/became bored. It might have just been a timing thing, as I'm reading a lot of books I'm really into and excited about--perhaps I'll try again later--but for now, not really my jam.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham is a heart wrenching, beautifully written rendition of Jane Eyre and Beauty and the Beast. Fordham, with her easy to read picturesque writing style, immediately drew me into this charming, tender, historical Christian fiction story set in early 1900s Monticello, Iowa.

This delightful story has characters who will tug at your heart strings and bring hope to all that no one is forever a lost cause. Sadie West , beautiful both inside and out, always looks for the bright side in every situation. Otis Taylor, damaged both physically and emotionally, is a gifted pianist and composer. Mildred and Leon, acting grandparents of Otis, are the caretakers of the Taylor residence. Together, they help to guide both Otis and Sadie in the trials and tribulations of their respective lives and their growing attachment to each other.

Even though this story did not have any true Christian themes, it was a heartwarming, sweet, humerus, and clean historical read. I could not put this book down, as Fordham drew me into this enchanting story from beginning to end, thus I highly recommend!

Received a complimentary copy from Thomas Nelson Publishers via NetGalley. I was not obligated to write a favorable review, and all opinions are my own.

I love Rachel Fordham's book and this one was another great book by her!
This book is set in Monticello, Iowa in 1903. When Sadie West's father has a terrible accident and has to recover, Sadie and her sisters pull together to help run the farm and pay the bills. Sadie moves to Monticello to work at a factory so she can send home money to help her struggling family. She is evicted from her residence there and ends up staying in an old abandoned factory.

Otis Taylor is returning to Monticello after being sent away many years ago by his father. Now that both is father and brother have died, he left to settle the family affairs. When he finds a girl staying in the factory his family owns, he wants her to leave. But then he decides to show grace and invites her to work for him to get his family home ready to sell.

Will Sadie be able to see past Otis' grumpy demeanor and shy ways to who he really is? I really loved this story line. Such a cute historical romance. Definitely give this book a read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC.

Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham is a sweet, tender love story between a reclusive, wealthy bachelor and a spirited but poor girl.

There is also a good doggo! Now, go read the story.

Otis Taylor, the youngest son of the Taylor family, returns home after many years. All his family members have died, and he has come back to sell the family mansion.All these years, he has never been called home. Disclosing the reason will be a spoiler.

Devoid of care and comfort of familial relationships, Otis has become a recluse and a bitter man, unable to even harboring the hope that he is worth loving.

Enter Sadie West, a woman who comes to the Hoag duster factory (owned by the Taylors) to make ends meet for her family, impoverished due to a recent accident. After sending all her earnings home, she hasn’t left anything to pay for boarding and ends up residing in an abandoned building where she meets our good doggo, Wolf, and eventually Wolf’s master, Otis.

Otis and Sadie strike a friendship, which gradually evolves into love. Sadie breaks down the walls that Otis had put up around him due to years of isolation. Consequently, Otis learns to trust people and becomes hopeful of having his own family.

However, Sadie is not alone in mending Otis’s heart. She has plenty of help from the kind-hearted caretakers of the Taylor mansion, Leon and Mildred, as well as from Sadie’s gang of sisters and, of course, from our good doggo.

Further, Fordham’s rich and lucid prose as well as consistent pace throughout make it a breeze to read this book.

It is a clean, historical romance set in 1900s Iowa that will uplift your spirits through its beautiful romance as well as the meaningful life lessons smattered across the story.

3.5/5 stars, rounded up

“Why can’t it be normal to be varied and different?”

This was really sweet.

This is essentially a 1900s Iowan take on Beauty and the Beast, and it’s an enjoyable read you can (and will want to) finish in a few sittings.

BEYOND IVY WALLS is the story of a rich, lonely recluse named Otis, who with physical and emotional scars but lots of musical talent meets down-on-her-luck Sadie, the plucky yet seemingly simpleton woman who is squatting on his property and trying to bringing her family out of dire financial straits.

This was my first Rachel Fordham, and while I wasn’t *overly* impressed with the writing itself, I did enjoy the read overall. It was sweet and touching and I really liked experiencing Otis and Sadie’s journey of acceptance, growth, vulnerability, and love.

Also, I love a growling, tortured recluse, and especially one that reads Jane Eyre! I appreciate that we get an atypical MMC who has enormous amounts of heart and tenderness. Lots of gentle pining, sweet banter, and a loyal dog companion!

A very sweet, readable story.

*Note: I do not think we needed the epilogue, imo. Or maybe I just wanted an entirely different one? Ha. When I read THIRD IN SIX, I yelped. Also, the skating and “rules” were sometimes too much, too cheesy.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson And Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. BEYOND IVY WALLS is out 8/13/24!

The base story is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but from a Christian perspective. In this story, Otis (the Beast) suffers from alopecia and takes all sorts of 'medical' tonics that are supposed to cure him but just leave him more scarred, physically & mentally. Sadie is working to help support her family & ends up working for Otis as well as her regular job. It's a story about not only love but forgiveness, acceptance of one's self, and doing what's right despite what one wants. Enjoyable read.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Beyond Ivy Walls
A Novel
by Rachel Fordham
Pub Date Aug 13 2024
Thomas Nelson Fiction
Christian| General Fiction \(Adult\)| Romance


Netgalley and Thomas Nelson fiction provided me with a copy of Beyond Ivy Walls for review:



All of Monticello believes Otis Taylor has been away nurturing his musical genius. But his father exiled him long ago, rejecting Otis' appearance and the scars that came with it. In order to settle his family's affairs and eliminate his past forever, Otis has covertly returned. After discovering that he may not be the only abandoned Taylor, he begins a relentless search for his missing niece.



Sadie West was twenty-three years old when she began working at the Hoag feather duster factory. The job isn't romantic, but she's had little romance since her boyfriend left for college, leaving her with no future with him. Her desperate attempt to save money and help her family makes ends meet leads her to trespass and shelter in an abandoned building and into the path of the town's mysterious bachelor.



Otis' wounds are deep, but Sadie falls in love with the man behind the mask as their friendship grows. Otis Taylor's search for his long-lost niece, however, has proven more challenging than either could have imagined, and Sadie West may be the key to finding him.


I give Beyond Ivy Walls five out Of five stars!

A charming story with a nod to Jane Eyre and Beauty and the Beast that challenges us to look beyond the outward appearance into the heart on the inside.
Otis Taylor comes to Monticello, Iowa in 1903 in order to settle his brother’s estate and sell off his inherited properties with the objective of leaving his past behind. Sadie Westlake has taken a job in a feather duster factory and sends home money since her father is laid up by an accident. After losing her lodging, she squats in an abandoned factory owned by Otis.
The letter writing between them as Jane Squatter and Mr. Rochester was the start of a great relationship. I liked the way Otis and Sadie finally accepted one another and tried to bring out the best in each other.
Moral of the story: Do not hide behind Ivy Walls but venture out and serve others. Do not impose your right on someone if that is not the best option. Find your true worth.
There was a faint but solid faith element underlying this brilliantly told story.
Recommended for fans of historical fiction with good life lessons.
* I received a complimentary copy of thes book from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone.*

Lesson learned (again!!) Never, never judge a book by its cover or title.
I wouldn't have guessed I would find this to be quite as enchanting of a tale as I actually found it to be. Why am I saying this?! Because I've just wasted (in a manner of speaking, but no, not really!!) a few hours this morning finishing this beautiful story!
I loved these characters! This was a rather easy read, but it was perfect for today, and I highly recommend it to anyone that loves a sweet, historical romance.
Beauty and the beast?! Kinda, sorta.... but oh so beautifully written!

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

A man scarred physically and emotionally returns to his childhood home to sell, and encounters a young women staying on his property while working in a local factory to send money home to her parents and sisters to help save their family farm. This take on "Beauty and the Beast" offers a sweet story of the search for love and acceptance.

‘...People are much like plants. There is so much more to them that cannot be seen. Ambitions and dreams. Fears and hopes. Buried beneath the soil, overlooked, but vital...'

Sadie West grew up in a loving, hard-working, and supportive family. I know not all families are this way, but authors will more often write about completely dysfunctional families. Not every family is perfect - including Sadie’s - but it was refreshing to see our main female character have the support and loyalty of her family to the degree that she did. This, of course, contrasts directly with our main male character and his experience and upbringing. Otis Taylor returns to his home, battling memories best left in the past. He struggles to cope with and work through not only the mounds of papers and stacks of ledgers but also the whispers of memories too painful to relive. Sadie’s role in his life was beautiful to watch. While many would say that she saves him I would also argue that he saves her as well.

The themes of love and loss, self-sacrifice, inner turmoil and pain, working through and toward forgiveness, and opening up to trust after hurt were all beautiful to watch unfold. This was a wonderful story and I would recommend it to anyone. It was a fast read! This was my first by Rachel Fordham but it will not be my last!

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