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Thursday, September 11, 2014

The Dress Shop of Dreams by Menna Van Praag

The Dress Shop of Dreams: A Novel

An element of magic and fantasy in this one. Normally not my genre at all but for fans of Sarah Addison Allen this would be great.

Cora is a scientist, her parents have been scientists who were tragically killed in a fire over twenty years ago. Her only relative is her grandmother the owner of the dress shop. Etta is no ordinary dress shop owner. She imbues a certain amount of magic into her creations and she will gently direct customers to dresses that will bring them happiness and joy. 

Etta's one wish is that Cora would be happy, that she would find a partner who would love her and for Cora to take her head out of her science lab and realize that there is a world around her. Etta feels that her magic is working for everyone but Cora who has an admirer in Walt but Walt again is a man who is shy and reserved and he too needs to be given a gentle nudge in the correct direction.

However the nudge goes in the wrong direction and Walt is thrown into the path of Milly, another shy and reserved young widow who is lonely and bereft and who sees in Walt a partner to replace her dead husband Hugh. Cora on the other hand gets involved with unraveling the secrets of her parents death and is totally unaware of the machinations around her!  

Ending happily ever after as it had to, this was a pleasant read.

A book which I obtained from Blogging for Books.

4 comments:

  1. I like Sarah Addison Allen's books and I have read a book similar to this one (but not written by SAA).

    I have a copy of this for review and I will probably be reading it this winter when I might need to read a lighthearted book with a happily-ever-after kind of ending.

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  2. I do enjoy Sarah Addison Allen's books. This has a lovely cover.

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  3. I loved The House At the End of Hope Street, and so was excited to see your review of another of her books. Adding it to my wish list.

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