by Brenda Janowitz
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Publication Date: March 3rd 2020
Publisher: Graydon House Books
Pages: 336
ISBN: 9781525804595)
Genre: Adult Fiction | Contemporary | Historical
Source: Netgalley Review Copy
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Two years after Grace Kelly’s royal wedding, her iconic dress is still all the rage in Paris—and one replica, and the secrets it carries, will inspire three generations of women to forge their own paths in life and in love in this beguiling new novel from Brenda Janowitz.
“Exactly the type of book I love: charming, smart, and brimming with heart.”—EMILY GIFFIN, #1 New York Times bestselling author of All We Ever Wanted
Paris, 1958: Rose, a seamstress at a fashionable atelier, has been entrusted with sewing a Grace Kelly-lookalike gown for a wealthy bride-to-be. But when, against better judgment, she finds herself falling in love with the bride's handsome brother, Rose must make an impossible choice—one that could put all she's worked for at risk: love, security, and of course, the dress.
Sixty years later, tech CEO Rachel, who goes by the childhood nickname "Rocky," has inherited the dress for her upcoming wedding in New York City. But there's just one problem: Rocky doesn't want to wear it. A family heirloom dating back to the 1950s, the dress just isn't her. Rocky knows this admission will break her mother Joan's heart. But what she doesn't know is why Joan insists on the dress—or the heartbreaking secret that changed her mother's life decades before, as she herself prepared to wear it.
As the lives of these three women come together in surprising ways, the revelation of the dress's history collides with long-buried family heartaches. And in the lead-up to Rocky's wedding, they'll have to confront the past before they can embrace the beautiful possibilities of the future.
“Not everything is right the first time,” her mother said carefully. “Take Grace Kelly’s wedding dress. Do you think that was the first design Helen Rose came up with?” -THE GRACE KELLY DRESS
"A charming, heartfelt novel about three generations of women who are connected by the gorgeous gown that each wears on her wedding day. Fast paced and entertaining from beginning to end." -Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone
"Brenda Janowitz's gift is understanding and revealing the nuances of complicated families, of love embraced, love lost and love reclaimed. With The Grace Kelly Dress she has stitched together a seamless intergenerational modern-day fairy tale, with a very contemporary twist." -Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The High Tide Club
"Brenda Janowitz writes with extraordinary humor and heart, her writing growing in beauty and maturity with every book. This is a book that has to be added to your nightstand immediately." -Jane Green, bestselling author of The Friends We Keep (Goodreads)
The Grace Kelly Dress by Brenda Janowitz is only the second book that I have read so far about Grace Kelly, and I am HOOKED! I am so happy to see these books coming out that have Grace in the story, as I find myself want to read more and more. (And soon I plan to watch all of her movies as well!)
But enough about Grace, let’s talk about The Grace Kelly Dress, the book!
The Grace Kelly Dress is the story about a wedding dress, a replica of the one worn by Grace Kelly herself, and the three generations of women that it inspires. First, I have to say that the characters in the book were great. Though they are years apart from each other in age, I managed to relate to them all in some form or another, which was awesome. I very much enjoyed reading each of their stories, and I also enjoyed that each of the chapters were alternately told through each of these ladies.
Second, I absolutely loved the settings for the book as well. While the story doesn’t go too in depth on the settings, I still managed to feel like I was both in Paris and New York with these women. (One day I will actually visit these places, but until then, I am more than happy to visit via the written word.) I also really enjoyed the storyline for this book as well. It was fascinating and engaging, and kept me hooked right up until the end.
I also want to add that while I had a print version on the book, I opted to listen to the audiobook instead, and I’m really glad that I did. Cassandra Campbell did an excellent job of narrating the story, and I enjoyed all of her different voices as well. I definitely plan to listen to more audiobooks that are narrated by her soon!
Overall; In case you can't tell by this quick review, I very much enjoyed The Grace Kelly Dress! The story was absolutely fascinating, and I loved the characters as well. The story definitely made me want to find all the movies that Grace Kelly was in, and I am hoping to watch them as soon as possible. And I will DEFINITELY be checking out more books by Brenda Janowitz soon as well!
