For fans of Alice Hoffman, Sarah Addison Allen, and Adriana Trigiani, The Dress Shop of Dreams is a captivating novel of enduring hopes, second chances, and the life-changing magic of true love.Since her parents’ mysterious deaths many years ago, scientist Cora Sparks has spent her days in the safety of her university lab or at her grandmother Etta’s dress shop. Tucked away on a winding Cambridge … away on a winding Cambridge street, Etta’s charming tiny store appears quite ordinary to passersby, but the colorfully vibrant racks of beaded silks, delicate laces, and jewel-toned velvets hold bewitching secrets: With just a few stitches from Etta’s needle, these gorgeous gowns have the power to free a woman’s deepest desires.
Etta’s dearest wish is to work her magic on her granddaughter. Cora’s studious, unromantic eye has overlooked Walt, the shy bookseller who has been in love with her forever. Determined not to allow Cora to miss her chance at happiness, Etta sews a tiny stitch into Walt’s collar, hoping to give him the courage to confess his feelings to Cora. But magic spells—like true love—can go awry. After Walt is spurred into action, Etta realizes she’s set in motion a series of astonishing events that will transform Cora’s life in extraordinary and unexpected ways.
Praise for The Dress Shop of Dreams
“Reminiscent of Love Actually and P.S. I Love You, this cute little book is recommended to readers who want to be charmed by the possibilities of love.”—LibraryReads (Top Ten Pick)
“[Menna] van Praag has a deliciously innate capability to weave the totality of characters of The Dress Shop of Dreams into a compelling tale. Each character, from Cambridge to Oxford, augments and refines these dynamics. Ultimately, van Praag cracks the code that deciphers magical fate when it comes to couture and the complexities of love.”—New York Journal of Books
“[A] brightly colored fabulist confection . . . sure to delight those looking for a little fairy dust in their romance.”—Kirkus Reviews
“The Dress Shop of Dreams is a delightful blending of many love stories plus a tale of murder and suspense. Van Praag has a knack for balancing a large cast of engaging characters, and her references to beloved authors and historic scientists are enjoyable touchstones between doses of mystery and magic.”—Booklist
“The Dress Shop of Dreams is a light, sweet and shimmering confection, well worth a read.”—BookLoons
“Bighearted, beautiful, and brushed with magic, this novel celebrates life’s moments of joy, possibility, and transformation. Menna van Praag’s writing is bright with sparkles and lovely grace notes.”—Susan Wiggs, bestselling author of The Beekeeper’s Ball
“The Dress Shop of Dreams is a dream come true for lovers of romantic tales with a twist of fantasy. Utterly enchanting! Menna van Praag’s imaginative, endearing characters will stay with you long after you close the book.”—Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Wind
“Dresses, dreams, magic, and mystery swirl in this enchanting novel. The Dress Shop of Dreams is the book to read before turning off your bedside light.”—Nancy Thayer, New York Times bestselling author of Nantucket Sisters
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What a captivating novel of everlasting love, eternal hope, and the beauty of second chances! Menna had me enthralled from the very first chapter (okay, the first page!).
Cora Sparks is intelligent, complicated, dynamic, and fascinating. Her grandmother and her shop full of secrets pulls you in, and she’ll have you wishing you could pop into the store and twirl around in the perfect dress. The power of magic is all around, and Cora can’t escape it, even if she wants to.
Walt, among the other characters, will capture your heart and hold it tight until the very end. And if you’re like me, when you reach the end, you’ll sigh, squeeze the book against your chest, and smile. I love how magic and love can both remedy and complicate life, and how we desperately need both in our lives. Cora’s life is transformed by both, and yours will be too.
Enjoyed reading the book.
Quirky, charming and gloriously romantic – I loved it!
This was a lovely book! I could see it like a magic puzzle in my head with all the pieces moving around and then finally joining up together in the end in a perfectly perfect way. Such a wonderfully satisfying read! This book is beautifully written and the landscape and emotion was so lovingly described. The characters were all lovely and even though I felt like I should think that Milly was a home wrecker I still loved her and I was completely invested in her happiness … that is a sign of good writing in my book!
I enjoy stories with the overall theme of women doing crafts. Also enjoy the new trend of stories with recipes, quilting patterns, knitting, etc
Loved this book easy read and fun story
One of the best books I’ve read in a while.
Cute story toooo long
Magical realism done well. An enjoyable read!
I adored this book! It was a “ magical” read just as it was intended. Each character has a uniqueness that made them oh so appealing. And although the happily ever after was expected… the getting there was just twisty enough to keep it totally engrossing! I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next!
A bit too fluffy. I didn’t enjoy it as much as books by Sarah Addison Allen.
What bothered me is the continual misunderstandings that make the happily ever after take too long to get to. However, there were interesting twists that I enjoyed.
A charming story of interesting characters I enjoyed spending time with.
I’ve had this book in my library for awhile & would occasionally take it out to read but for some reason “it just didn’t grab me.” My son had surgery, I opened the book & really began reading; I could not put the book down. Was it the situation or was it that the book said, “You are going to read me this time.
The story kept my attention with the twists, turns, & the unbelievable storyline. Until the last paragraph I was totally immersed in this story. An excellent read.
This book was hard to read. The vantage point would change from paragraph to paragraph with out warning. It was confusing. The characters in the story were not well developed and felt hollow.
After reading two thirds of the book i couldn’t take it any more and just deleted the book.
The characters in this book had goals in their lives. It is interesting the directions their paths too to try to get them where they should be.