“Jennifer Dupee’s debut novel is a delight…a story about discovering your authentic self when things get hard, and the joys you can find when you live from your heart.” –Louise Miller Is a lie of omission still a lie? Larisa Pearl didn’t think so and it got her into a heap of trouble. When Larisa Pearl returns to her small seaside hometown in Massachusetts to manage her beloved great aunt’s … Massachusetts to manage her beloved great aunt’s estate, she’s a bit of an emotional mess. She’s just lost her job and her boyfriend and she’s struggling to cope with her mother’s failing health. When she passes by the window of The Little French Bridal Shop, a beautiful ivory satin wedding gown catches her eye…
Now, to the delight of everyone in town, Larisa is planning her wedding. She has her dress, made floral arrangements, and set the date. The only thing missing is the groom. How did this happen? All she did was try on a dress and let her fantasy take flight. But word about her upcoming nuptials has reached the ears of Jack Merrill. As teenagers, they spent time together on her great aunt’s estate, building a friendship that could have become something more had they chosen different paths.
Lost in a web of her own lies, Larisa must first face some difficult truths, including her mother’s fragile future, before she can embrace her family, straighten out her life, and open her heart to finding love.
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The Little French Bridal Shop by Jennifer Dupee is a wonderfully written story that deals with reality and love.
Will Larisa find herself again?
Larisa Pearl
Larisa is our main character. She has recently lost her Aunt Ursula; her mother was diagnosed with dementia, she broke up with her boyfriend and was fired from her job. You could say she has been having a rough time of late. However, some of these things happened due to her own actions. Larisa is lost and has difficulty dealing with her mother’s loss of memory and personality changes. It is almost like she has lost her center.
Larisa does some really off-character things like lying, starting a renovation that she really didn’t know much about, taking someone’s car, and wrecking it. However, lying is the worst. She isn’t just lying to other people; she isn’t truthful with herself. Larisa isn’t dealing with the real reason that she is hiding at the house that Aunt Ursula left her father.
I felt sorry for Larisa at times, and at other times I was honestly trying to figure out if she had lost her morals. She is so selfish at times; all she thinks about is herself. Larisa does finally seem to get beyond her issues and steps up. By the end of the book, I was honestly rooting for her. Larisa has such a hard story, yet the author does a fantastic job of showing us how Larisa learns to deal with life. Ms. Dupee reminds us that everyone is human, we lose our way, but with patience and time, we can remember what is important.
Jack Merrill
Jack is our male lead; he is married, has triplet sons, a contracting business, runs a snow plowing business in the winter, and is the caretaker at Elmhurst, Aunt Ursula’s estate. He is extremely busy and doesn’t spend much time at home. Jack is also not himself; he is lost, his marriage is falling apart, and he misses Ursula, who was like a mother. Jack isn’t sure who he is anymore, other than the father to his sons. He wants to be happily married, but it doesn’t feel right. There is an attraction between him and Larisa, but it’s complicated.
I liked Jack, and then I didn’t, and then I did again. Jack’s story isn’t complicated, but it is something that happens. We have to work on marriage, and if we don’t, it won’t last. Ms. Dupee shows that in Jack. He isn’t mean; he doesn’t hate his wife; they just aren’t in love anymore. They can’t find things in common anymore. But he feels like he doesn’t want to end it because it hurts to think along those lines. Ms. Dupee shows us life itself with Jack and his plight.
Four Stars
The story follows these two characters through some hard times and some good times. It is a glimpse into life and how these two characters deal with what is thrown at them. My rating for The Little French Bridal Shop by Jennifer Dupee is four stars. The author does a fabulous job of showing us what it is like to live with someone with dementia and how it affects the loved ones of the diagnosed person. I think the ending of this book is perfect.
If you like women’s fiction/chick-lit, this is a good pick.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Little French Bridal Shop by Jennifer Dupee.
Until the next time,
~Jen
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
I loved this story! I honestly did not want to put it down and totally devoured it. This is the author’s debut novel and she did an amazing job. The writing was excellent and so descriptive—I felt like I was there in Kent Crossing, experiencing life as it happened.
I have to admit, I got a little frustrated with Larisa at times, with her continual lying, but it was also a bit comical watching her dig herself into a deeper and deeper hole. Poor Larisa, she was going through a lot in her life and I guess you do what you have to do. All-in-all, a lot of life lessons were learned and she, along with most of the other characters, matured and grew as the story developed.
This is an outstanding debut novel, so charming and beautifully written. I can’t wait to see what Jennifer Dupee creates next. I thoroughly enjoyed The Little French Bridal Shop and would highly recommend it.
The Little French Bridal Shop
By Jennifer Dupee
This is a bitter sweet story about a woman whose life has been turned upside down. Sometimes in life, and certain coping mechanisms will lead you to try to do things to cover up the harsh realities of a situation. In this case with Larissa, multiple situations come crashing as her relationship with her boyfriend in shambles, her aunt passing away, and her mother suffering from dementia, this has all become too much that she creates a different reality. So much so that on a whim, she purchases a beautiful wedding dress and of course, in a small town, her little lies spread like wildfire.
I did enjoy this story a lot and found the situation the character was faced with and the eventual growth and change amidst all this drama, lies, and avoidance in confronting her challenges. I enjoyed the intriguing and loving characters surrounding Larissa which helped with her finding her strength to grow, accept, and take courage to face problems head on. I found this character driven story heartwarming and delightful.
Beneath this beautiful cover is a gem of a story I enjoyed. I enjoyed the writing and in the intricate details of the story and the setting. A true delight!
This is such a sparkling debut novel! Definitely worth a read…
This was a really interesting read. Larisa is at a crossroads. She las lost her job, ended her relationship with her boyfriend, lost her adored aunt, her mom is showing signs of dementia and she is feeling like life is passing her by and a little more than stuck so she heads home to prepare her aunts house to be sold. While walking through town Larisa decides to poke her head into The Little French Bridal Shop and with a slip of the tongue a huge lie is born and takes flight. It’s a funny, poignant, journey to finding herself, making it all right again and figuring out how to create a new path forward.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This was a charming and delightful book, the characters very likable, although I kept wondering why Larisa continued lying about her wedding when she wasn’t even engaged. Was it that beautiful wedding dress she saw in that bridal shop? Would she eventually get married? Will it be Brent, her ex-boyfriend who has come back in hopes of getting back together, or Jack, her childhood friend that is helping her renovate her late Aunt Ursula’s home? That’s something you’ll have to find out by reading this book. The lying in one part of the book actually became a little comical that I had to chuckle. While the book was very enjoyable, I found it sad and at times difficult to read because of Larisa’s mother’s dementia. I’ve been caring for my mother, who has Alzheimer’s, for a few years now and reading how Larisa felt about her mother’s disease really resonated with me. I have to say that Larisa’s dad had some good words of wisdom about dealing with the changes caused by this horrible disease.
This debut novel was very well done and very entertaining. I look forward to reading more by Jennifer Dupee.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
This is a debut novel about Larissa, who has returned to sell her great aunt’s house. She has returned at a very low time in her life having lost her job and boyfriend and trying to cope with her mother’s dementia. She no longer knows who she is or what she wants and so begins her impulsiveness and lies until everything becomes too much.
I found it fascinating she decided to stop in the Little French Bridal Shop and try on dresses and even bought one and there the lies began. I was really pulled into her web of lies and her being impulsive and wondered when it might all come crashing down or if she could untangle the web and deal with her losses.
I really enjoyed this emotional story. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.
I chose this book for the title but it was deceptive. I ultimately enjoyed the book though. There was very little of the bridal shop but the house, Elmhurst, is a very prominent character. The main character, Larisa, is dealing with lots of issues. She was fired from her job, broke up with her boyfriend of 2 years, her mother is suffering from dementia and her great aunt just died. As she goes to see to Elmhurst and decide what to do with it she passes the bridal shop. Needing something in her life she enters and winds up trying on dresses and making up a fake wedding. It’s all very entertaining and turns out to be a lovely story. A good quasi-romance.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.
I adored this novel. I loved this story of a young woman, Larisa, trying to navigate a series of sticky relationships with family, lovers, and friends, and not always doing so with grace or aplomb. She is impulsive, she isn’t sure what she wants, she makes terrible decisions, and she ends up lying to everyone she loves. But, she has pluck and heart, and how she manages to dig her way out of the mess she’s made of her life is what makes this book really shine.
Larisa is a crossroad in her life. She is been fired, has broken with her two years boyfriend, has been avoiding her parent due to the dementia her mother is suffering, and he is back in town to restore and sell her aunt Ursula’s State. But Elmhurst is much than a house to Larisa. And it is to Jack, the caretaker, too. Will Larisa and Jack find each other again and learn how to face their feelings, their life be happy again? A great story about family, friendship, love and life.
This is such a heartfelt story with well written characters who relationships trump all else. Family is extremely important and the Author goes to show what the protagonist is willing to go through to keep from taking happiness from or hurting her friends or family.
What started as innocent trip to a Bridal store upon the return to her hometown of Massachusetts to manage a home left to her by her Aunt, turns into a massive lie that Larisa Pearl must cover up after buying a wedding dress in the town’s bridal shop.
Now the entire town has gossiped and thinks she’s getting married. With her mom now showing signs of dementia and dealing with the grief of losing her Aunt, Larisa finds it easier to just to go along with everyone’s beliefs. But eventually she must confront everything she has been trying to avoid and deal with her friends and family and the emotions that come with loss and having someone that is falling deeper into the grasp of dementia. This is a story with ups and downs but one you won’t want to miss.
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Little French Bridal Shop” by Jennifer Dupee, St. Martin’s Press, March, 2021
Jennifer Dupee, the author of “The Little French Bridal Shop” has written a thought-provoking, intriguing and memorable story. The genres for this story are Women’s Domestic Life Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and Fiction. The story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. The author describes her characters as complex, complicated, flawed, and searching for the truth within themselves.
When Larisa Pearl comes back to the house her late Aunt Ursala lived to manage it, she never dreams how one little lie can change the event and course of other people’s lives. The first thing that Larisa does is walk into a Bridal shop. She starts trying on dresses and finds herself looking for the one, overlooking the fact that she isn’t getting married. Of course, the owner of the store asks Larisa questions in this small town, and you can only guess what happens.
Larisa has lost her job, her aunt, and now her mother is starting to show signs of dementia. Larisa fears that she will lose her mother. Larisa’s father treats his wife with dignified respect at any stage that she is mentally at. I appreciate that the author brings up important topics such as dementia, and the importance of family support.
Aunt Ursala has left an amazing legacy in her house and from her personality that affects other people. It is almost like the house has a personality of its own. There are also other characters that seem to be at a loss like Laris’s mom and have to find themselves.
Are you wondering about the wedding dress from the Bridal store? I suggest and recommend that you read the story to find out, but please note that it is extremely symbolic of the truth within.
When I saw the title of this book, “The Little French Bridal Shop,” I immediately pictured a book similar to Julie Caplin’s novels — a gentle love story set in a picturesque little town centered around a bakery owner, a bookstore owner, or another small business. But this story is really quite different than that. In fact, I think the title is a bit deceiving, because the title refers to a shop that plays only a very small, but pivotal role in the story.
Larisa is a 30-something woman who is struggling with some deep personal issues — the loss of her mother’s mental capacity to dementia, a recent breakup with a longtime boyfriend, and the death of her eccentric beloved Aunt Ursula. Aunt Ursula owned a stately older home called Elmhurst in a small New England town. She left the home to her brother, Larisa’s father. Since Larisa’s father is busy taking care of his wife, as her Alzheimer’s progresses, Larisa decides to go to the home and assess it, with the idea of convincing her father to sell it. It will also give her an opportunity to get away and hopefully get a new perspective on the personal issues that plaque her.
Larisa spent a lot of time at Elmhurst when she was younger, so everyone in the nearby town knows her and remembers her. On a whim, she walks into a little French bridal shop and discovers that one of her grade school teachers owns the place. Although Larisa is no longer engaged or even going out with a special guy, the teacher immediately assumes that Larisa is in the shop because she’s looking for a wedding dress. Larisa doesn’t correct her, and so begins the lie that weaves itself into a web and involves several other people in town, eventually with some short-term devastating effects on Larisa and several others.
Although the story does have some romantic aspects, it really is about Larisa’s discovery of herself and her ability to deal with the devastating effects that dementia is having on her mother. Larisa struggles with the fact that her mother is no longer able to nurture Larisa, which I’m sure is a feeling that haunts many adult children with parents who have Alzheimer’s. In the process, Larisa learns to be more honest with herself — not only about her relationship with her parents, but also with the man in her life.
I must admit I was disappointed that it wasn’t a lighthearted romantic read, but I did enjoy reading the book. I could relate to Larisa’s mental struggles about the role reversal that takes place as one’s parents age and are no longer able to do the things they once did. I know that other reviewers thought that Larisa was self-centered and maybe even a bit neurotic, but can any of us predict to how we will react when an unexpected, extremely stressful situation, like the loss of a parent to dementia, will affect us?
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
The Little French Bridal Shop by Jennifer Dupee left me with mixed feelings about the character of Larisa. Maybe Larisa is mentally or emotionally impaired? I wanted to like this book but I just never could accept Larisa’s deceit, lies, and selfish behaviors. Larisa lied to people who loved her when the truth would have been so much more believable!
Larisa is fired from her job and goes to her great aunt’s house which her father inherited. She starts pulling down walls the first evening without having the forethought of asking a professional for advice.
I detested the way she treated her mother and father during most of the book. Larisa is totally selfish in not wanting to see her mother as she ages with dementia. I know how hard that stage of life is for a daughter. I left a home I loved to go and care for my mom for six years as her dementia progressed. Larisa’s attitude and actions are deplorable!
She lies to Brent, her ex-fiance’ about wanting to marry him. Then she decides she wants Jack, the groundskeeper, and another woman’s husband, but she does not know if she ‘loves’ him. Jack is also selfish. He complains about his wife who is caring full-time for his sons, pre-teen triplets.
Larisa takes Andy’s Rolls Royce on a trip during a snowstorm without him knowing. Of course, she wrecks the car. and leaves it for her father to have repaired. Who does that?
I thought it was wonderful that she could fall in love with a certain wedding dress and have the confidence to purchase the dress even though she was not engaged. Sometimes a woman needs a boost of something which gives her joy.
The last part of this book is about Larisa trying to come to terms with her life and all the lies she tells. I did not think the story was humorous, it was frustrating for me to read through to the end.
The last chapters reveal a sweet event Larisa stages for her mom and dad, but it was too little too late to redeem this book. The bridal shop was featured in only two scenes in the book. This story had potential but was so very disappointing.
Publication Date: March 9, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.