Louisa LeamanCritiques

good - Katrina

This is a lovely little look into the idea of a wedding dress "whisperer" - who is Francesca.

I'm not that interested in wedding dresses or weddings, but one does learn something from this, and comes around a little, just as the hero, Raphael, did.

Unfortunately, there's way too much dilly dallying trying to justify Francesca's values - her love of the atmospherics around her vintage wedding dresses ... and all things old world. And not enough focus on getting on with the story.

Nevertheless, this novel has its charms.½

Very good reading. Learning the family history and the importance of a certain piece of jewelry made for a very good book to read.

Jess is determined to get back a family heirloom necklace for her grandmother. Her grandmother has been pining for this beautiful butterfly necklace since it disappeared. Jess has discovered it up for auction. Being outbid does not stop Jess! She hounds the owner, Guy, until there are fireworks!

The only issue I had with this book is Jess. Jess really never yearned to be adventurous after her accident. To me, you don’t change that part of you. I just felt like she didn’t fit the mold the author put her in. But that did not really affect my outlook on this tale. I adored the history and the mystery surrounding the necklace.

Then there is Guy! Oh boy Guy! He is magnetic from the get go! Basically because of his interactions with Jess. Their connection is irresistible!

Need a cute, romance with a side of old Hollywood…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

The Whispering Dress Boutique by Louisa Leaman
AKA The Second Chance Boutique
Source: NetGalley and Sourcebook Landmark
Rating: 2½/5 stars

**MINI-REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: I’m absolutely on the fence with this book and there is nothing that is going to tip me over to one side or the other. Here’s the split for me: I really enjoyed the bits and pieces about the dress shop and the history of each of the dresses, but I had real issues with both Francesca and Rafael. While I generally enjoy a two broken souls come together story, I simply couldn’t get past both Francesca and Rafael’s generally bad attitudes. Neither were able – in a reasonable amount of time - to move beyond their respective pasts to see what was right in front of them, the possibility of a happy and fulfilling future. Outside of the terribly interesting dress information, I simply found the characters too angsty to be likeable. At the end of the day, loved the dress information, really disliked the characters which leaves me in the middle and on the fence!½