It’s Friday once again and that means it’s time for Connect Five Friday, hosted at Book Date by Kathryn – the meme where we share five book/reading things that connect in some way.
This month, I have had several nudges that got me thinking about wedding dresses: bankruptcy of a special wedding venue, wedding anniversaries of my brother and sister-in-law as well as a friend, and a free ebook for a wedding dress novella. It is actually a perfect month for a wedding, especially here in Ontario – colourful leaves, fairly nice weather.
So… here are 5 books about wedding dresses (with summaries from Goodreads):
The Gown by Jennifer Robson. This is probably the most recognized of the 5 – a fictionalized account of Queen Elizabeth’s wedding dress.
“With The Gown, Jennifer Robson takes us inside the workrooms where one of the most famous wedding gowns in history was created. Balancing behind-the-scenes details with a sweeping portrait of a society left reeling by the calamitous costs of victory, she introduces readers to three unforgettable heroines, their points of view alternating and intersecting throughout its pages, whose lives are woven together by the pain of survival, the bonds of friendship, and the redemptive power of love.”
The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck
“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 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 timeless beauty of finding true love.”
The Wedding Dress Christmas by Rachel Hauck – a novella.
“Working with her cousin Haley in The Wedding Shop, JoJo has no aspirations of love. But when her high school crush returns to town, her buried feelings surface.
But JoJo and Buck have opposing life goals, and there’s no middle ground. Can love, especially the kind that touches hearts at Christmas, overcome her fears and his quest for greatness?
With the help of a very special wedding dress, there just might a Christmas miracle. “
The Wedding Dress by Danielle Steel
“In Danielle Steel’s epic novel, the lives of four generations of women in one family span fortune and loss, motherhood, tragedy and victories.
From inherited fortunes at the outset to self-made men and women, the wedding dress remains a cherished constant for the women who wear it in each generation and forge a destiny of their own. It is a symbol of their remaining traditions and the bond of family they share in an ever-changing world.”
The Whispering Dress Boutique by Louisa Leaman (Also goes by The Second Chance Boutique or The Perfect Dress)
“Francesca Delaney’s wedding gown shop has two necessary rules to guarantee success:
1. Never covet a dress
2. Never sell a dress that led to a doomed marriage
These two rules have helped Francesca build her reputation as a woman with a knack for matching a bride-to-be with the perfect gown.
At Fran’s shop every gown has its history, and the dresses seem to whisper their secrets to Fran, telling her the perfect match.
But Francesca breaks both these rules the day she finds a beautiful 1950s couture floor-length gown. In her desperation to know the dress’s background, she inadvertently becomes entangled with the original owner’s son who would like the dark history of the dress to remain hidden forever.“
Beverley A Baird 
Great connection. I have only read The Gown and liked that –
Thanks Kathryn. Haven’t read any but I’ve two of them and hope to read them next month.