Review: The Wedding Dress
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One dress. Four women. An amazing destiny.
That’s the premise behind Rachel Hauck’s new novel, The Wedding Dress. It’s got a little mystery, a little romance, a little history all rolled into one story of love and redemption.
From the back cover:
“Charlotte owns a chic Birmingham bridal boutique. Dressing brides for their big day is her fit – and her passion. But with her own wedding day approaching, why can’t she find the perfect dress – or feel certain she should marry Tim?
Then Charlotte purchases a vintage dress in a battered trunk at an estate sale. It looks brand-new, shimmering with pearls and satin, hands-stitched and timeless in its design. But where did it come from? Who wore it? Whole welded the lock shut and tucked the dog tags in that little sachet? Who left it in the basement for a ten-year-old girl? And what about the mysterious man in the purple vest who insists the dress had been “redeemed”?
Charlotte’s search for the gown’s history – and its new bride – begins as a distraction from her sputtering love life. But it takes on a life of its own as she comes to know the women who have worn the dress. Emily from the 1912. Mary Grace from 1939. Hillary from 1968. Each with her own story of promise, pain, and destiny. And each with something unique to share. For woven within the threads of the beautiful hundred-year-old gown is the truth about Charlotte’s heritage, the power of courage and faith, and the beauty of finding true love.”
Overall, I found The Wedding Dress to be a very enjoyable book, especially the way the four storylines were woven together. While I liked the book, as a whole, I found Emily’s storyline – a major role in the story – rather maddening. For a basically strong, courageous character, she was frustratingly dense about her fiancé’s behavior. Then, some of her father’s actions didn’t seem consistent with the way his character was developed.
I wasn’t sure about Charlotte and Tim at first. Was I suppose to want them to be together? Was I supposed to be hoping she found someone else? In the end, though, I enjoyed the way their storyline played out.
Although some were not as prominent, each of the well-developed backstories left the reader feeling a kinship to the women who had been touched by the dress. I found The Wedding Dress to be interesting enough to keep me turning pages and, after taking a while to get into the story, I finished it in just a couple of days.
I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing it. This post also contains affiliate links. The thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Your experience may vary. Please read my full disclosure policy for more details.
Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.
It sounds like a great book. I will add it to my summer reading list.
Blessings,
Dawn
Thanks for the tip for this giveaway! Blessings Lisa Marie
Sounds like an interesting book! I'll add it to my every-growing list of things I want to read when I have time 🙂
I've heard this book is great. I'm gonna have to add it my my TBR list. Um? $200 GC? Yes, please!!
I'm going to have to add this book to TBR list! 🙂
Haha… I was searching your site for science curriculum reviews and came across this review. Rachel is my SIL and I was glad to see your post! I'll be at the party tomorrow night! 🙂