The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan

☆☆☆☆
.ePUB, 376 pages
Expected Publication: 31 May 2022
By: Random House Publishing Group

About The Book:
After renowned fashion designer Cressida Westcott loses both her home and her design house in the London Blitz, she has nowhere to go but the family manor house she fled decades ago. Praying that her niece and nephew will be more hospitable than her brother had been, she arrives with nothing but the clothes she stands in, at a loss as to how to rebuild her business while staying in a quaint country village. Her niece, Violet Westcott, is thrilled that her famous aunt is coming to stay--the village has been interminably dull with all the men off fighting. But just as Cressida arrives, so does Violet's conscription letter. It couldn't have come at a worse time; how will she ever find a suitably aristocratic husband if she has to spend her days wearing a frumpy uniform and doing war work? Meanwhile, the local vicar's daughter, Grace Carlisle, is trying in vain to repair her mother's gown, her only chance of a white wedding. When Cressida Westcott appears at the local Sewing Circle meeting, Grace asks for her help--but Cressida has much more to teach the ladies than just simple sewing skills. Before long, Cressida's spirit and ambition galvanizes the village group into action, and they find themselves mending wedding dresses not only for local brides, but for brides across the country. And as the women dedicate themselves to helping others celebrate love, they might even manage to find it for themselves.

My Review:

This is my first read by Jennifer Ryan and I really enjoyed it, fully. This is the story of three women, it takes place in a small village in England in the year 1942. We have Grace the vicars daughter, Cressida who left London after her house and company is bombed in the blitz and we also have the hoity toity Violet, Cressida's niece. This story is told from the point of view of all three women. The writing was so lovely, using such words as ebullient, buoyant and congenial. Such beautiful language that really spoke of England in the forties. I really loved the author's use of words. I was pleasantly surprised how this book conveys the way women can teach each other how to be strong and independent, not just someone's arm candy but truly their own person, in her own right. The sense of time and place was clear and I loved how patriotic the village was, true to their country and the village itself. The romance side of the story wasn't easy wishy-washy and was like real life. The war itself wasn't front and center, it was the village and its population that had the story to tell. Such an uplifting read that takes place during a time that wasn't.

Disclosure:
With many thanks to NetGalley, Jennifer Ryan and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for the giving of the ARC. 

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