An Amazon Charts bestseller.A plus-size Texas gal has designs on an old crush in New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown’s exuberant, bighearted romance.In the small town of Celeste, Texas, Mitzi Taylor has never quite fit inside the lines. Nearly six feet tall, flame-haired, and with a plus-size spirit to match every curve, she’s found her niche: a custom wedding-dress boutique catering … custom wedding-dress boutique catering to big brides-to-be with big dreams. Taking the plunge alongside her two best friends, she’s proud they’ve turned The Perfect Dress into a perfect success.
Just when Mitzi has it all pulled together, Graham Harrison walks back into her life, looking for bridesmaid dresses for his twin daughters. A still-strapping jock whose every gorgeous, towering inch smells like aftershave, the star of all Mitzi’s high school dreams is causing quite a flush.
For Mitzi, all it takes is a touch to feel sparks flitting around her like fireflies. She can just imagine what a kiss could do. Graham’s feeling it, too. And he’s about to make that imagination of Mitzi’s run wild. Is it just a hot summer fling, or are Mitzi’s next designs for herself and seeing her own dreams come true?
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THE PERFECT DRESS by Carolyn Brown is an emotionally packed women’s fiction story with a cozy romance subplot of three lifelong friends and their plus-size only custom made wedding dress shop “The Perfect Dress” in small town Celeste, Texas. Mitzi, Paula and Jody are three strong female characters that are all going through differing life challenges as the story begins, but no matter the problem they always know they can count on each other for love and support.
Mitzi is the dress designer of the group. Her grandma and her father have always supported her and her dreams. When her high school crush moves back to town in the summer divorced and with a set a twin girls, Mitzi wonders if she has a chance with Graham. The twins love The Perfect Dress shop and Mitzi has them helping with flower arrangements. She loves the twins and does not want to ruin her relationship with them if she starts dating their father and she also is insecure about her larger size since the twins mother was a tiny woman.
Jody specializes in beading veils and dresses. She has lived “in sin” with her high school sweetheart since graduation, but she is about to learn he has not be faithful and is dumping her for the mother-to-be of his child. Jody has put up with years of abuse from her mother about not being married and now she has to deal with the entire small town knowing she was cruelly dumped.
Paula loves sewing the beautiful dresses they make. She has been criticized and abused by her mother and sister because of her weight her whole life. She had been secretly seeing a man until she found out his wife is pregnant and he lied about getting a divorce. When she finds out she is pregnant, she wants to raise the baby as a single parent and does not want the cheater to ever know he got her pregnant. Her mother disowns her when she finds out, but Mitzi and Jody swear they will all be loving her baby right along with her.
Mitzi and Graham’s cozy romance is more of a subplot than the main focus of this book. This book revolves around the three friends who love each other and will do anything for each other. This is a book about how messy life can be, but with good friends you can get through the tough times and triumph in the end. Ms. Brown deals with many weight related prejudices throughout this story realistically and with heart. The Perfect Dress is a heart-warming, feel good book that had me closing the book with a smile on my face.
Everything about this book is wonderful. The idea that three women come home and start a business making size 14 and large dresses so that every person can be beautiful for any special occasion. They specialize in wedding dresses but have been known to make dresses for other reasons.
Tabby and Dixie are two teenagers who have been bullied due to their size, when they approach the ladies to make them dresses for a wedding they are in these women take them into their hearts and show that how truly beautiful and special they are. I love how open, loving, and protective they are to these two girls even though they are strangers. They don’t question their hearts, they don’t question their reasoning, they just do it.
Each of these women is happy with their lives but their lives are not quite what they wish them to be. It was fun watching each woman open their hearts and lives to others in the community. They see what they have been missing, what they want to achieve, and go for their goals. They fall in love, they make new relationships, and they nurture current friendships.
The Perfect Dress by Carolyn Brown was an enjoyable read with female characters you love and want to cheer for. A story about friendship, strengths and following your dreams. When three friends open up a shop for plus sized girls looking for custom wedding dresses, they know they are making women happy.
Mitzi Taylor knows she stands out. She is a woman who is curvy, tall and red-haired after all. She is careful who she opens up too, but even so, she accepts the woman she is. I loved that about her. When Graham Harrison walks into their shop in need for dresses for his twin girls, there is an instant chemistry between them. Their romance is slow burning, sweet and charming.
Happy reading.
I love the women who own the wedding dress shop. Mitzi, Jody, and Paula are wonderfully supportive of one another and their clients. Throw in Mitzi’s dad and grandma, then Graham and his twin daughters show up, and the characters in this story are a perfect blend of genuinely nice and lovable people. While that’s a key ingredient for a story, there was still something missing.
I’ve read stories by this author that are dripping with chemistry. While there is a definite energy between Mitzi and Graham and their connection is very sweet, there is a bit of zest missing. While I was invested in them getting together, I didn’t get butterflies. I feel this story is really more about Mitzi and her friends and the bond they share, and that’s okay. I wanted to see them each get their own HEA, but more important was the journey they took together.
Surprisingly, the writing felt a bit stilted to me. There were also some continuity problems. Nothing major, but not what I’ve come to expect from Ms. Brown. It’s still a good story, it just didn’t seem to be of this author’s caliber.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
This review can also be found at https://allingoodtimeblog.wordpress.com/2019/04/15/the-perfect-dress-arc-review/
Okay, so at first read…I was actually worried it was going to be one of THOSE books. You know the ones…where the he/she lead and supporting cast is SO hung up on size that quite literally EVERY other sentence has something to do with them being bigger/smaller, or the hard times they faced because of their size, or how awful the world is in general thanks to their waistline or lack thereof. Now, admittedly, there is quite a bit of talk regarding weight/size here, but it’s done in such a way that it’s not overbearing to the story…it’s in addition to it…and at some points THE actual story itself, like the bullying the girls faced, both past AND present…so readers like myself don’t feel bogged down in the details.
Then we have the characters, and what a cast it is! Okay, can I just say that I love Fanny Lou’s character? I mean seriously…she is a hoot! Moving forward, I was really loving these girls, individually and as a fearsome threesome! Paula is so strong and self-assured, and in the face of what’s in store for her, she’s gonna need that strength, but also the ability to lean on others. Joy…OMG…what Lyle did is UNFORVGIVEABLE…and let’s just say if we met face to face, someone would have a new pair of earrings, while the other would be in A LOT of pain! Mad props to the twins for their “performance” …BRILLIANT! Mitzi has definitely got some good juju coming her way, as long as she doesn’t let herself second guess it to a halt before it even gets started. I was definitely ready to see the sparks fly between her and Graham.
All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this one in many ways. From the story slant to the drama, the powerful friendships to the relationships, the characters to the memorable moments, there’s something around every page turn to watch for, follow, or belly laugh it out with. If you’re a fan of Contemporary Romance, you’ll certainly want to make room on your summer reading list for this one!
**eARC received for review; opinions are my own
Fantastic story of friendship, love, and being yourself. Mitzi, Jody, and Paula were three women who have been friends since they were in school. Though they went their separate ways for a while, they always stayed in touch. When each of them needed a change in her life, they opened a custom bridal shop for women like themselves – plus-sized women with dreams to match. The shop is the backdrop as all three women experienced unexpected changes, both good and bad, in their lives.
Mitzi is a tall, red-haired, curvy woman. She’s had a few bad relationships and is a bit on the cautious side when it comes to men. She is fairly comfortable with who she is thanks to the support of her friends and family. Some of her happiest moments have been seeing the joy her designs bring to the women who wear them. Her life took an unexpected turn when her high school crush, Graham Harrison, showed up in her shop, wanting bridesmaid dresses for his daughters.
I loved the development of Mitzi and Graham’s relationship. Neither one was looking for love, but there were sparks between them from the start. The progression was slow, but steady and sweet, with some hilarious encouragement from Graham’s daughters, Mitzi’s friends, and her outspoken grandmother along the way. Things became complicated when Graham’s ex-wife showed up, determined to reclaim Graham. I loved that he didn’t even nibble at the bait she threw out there, and he earned major points from me when he told Mitzi about each of the encounters. Mitzi had some doubts about the relationship, first, that the connection between them was more about his daughters than about them, and second that Graham could want her when he could have the petite and skinny Rita. I liked that she and Graham spoke honestly about her doubts and that he gave her the space she wanted while she worked through them. I loved the kick in the pants they each got that finally brought them back together.
Mitzi’s friends Paula and Jody also had some significant changes going on in their lives. Jody’s fifteen-year relationship with her man came to an abrupt and unexpected end. I ached for Jody but also wanted to shake her for the way she had buried her true self under his expectations of who she should be. I loved the support she received from her friends, old and new. I laughed out loud at the encounter at the bridal show, especially Tabby’s brilliantly over-the-top method of revenge. The last thing Jody was looking for was a new relationship, but one found her anyway. I loved Quincy’s complete acceptance of her just as she is, and his good-humored reactions to her sass. He did have a couple of moments of foot-in-mouth disease, but his persistence paid off, even though Jody fought hard against her feelings.
Paula’s breakup with the man she had been seeing turned out to be the catalyst that brought The Perfect Dress bridal boutique into existence. I ached for her but wasn’t too surprised at the cause of the breakup. I liked the way that she took charge of her life, especially after she shared her secret with her friends. Their love and support were crucial, especially given the lack of support from her family. There were a couple of scenes with her ex that I thought were fantastic and showed how strong Paula was.
I loved Graham’s daughters, Dixie and Tabby. They had a terrific relationship with their dad, who loved and supported them. Their self-confidence is a direct result of that love. Their enthusiasm was contagious, and I loved how they connected with Mitzi. It was so much fun to see their excitement over working at the shop. I enjoyed their conversations with Graham, as they tried to encourage his relationship with Mitzi. I ached for them in their dealings with their mother, who was a real piece of work.
The humor in this book was fantastic and typical of Carolyn Brown’s books. The Southern/Texas attitudes had me laughing out loud frequently, with everything from the response “ain’t that nice?” instead of “Screw you” to Mitzi’s protectiveness of Dixie and Tabby when it came to their mother. None of the women could be accused of being shrinking violets when it came to standing up for themselves or their friends. I also love the small town atmosphere and the challenges of everyone knowing your business. The epilogue was terrific with its updates on the characters’ lives. Loved the twist at the fireworks show.
A fun, sweet southern read that has all the feels. A journey of sorts for all three of the ladies that run The Perfect dress and how what they gain far out weighs they lost along the way. An abundance of characters that ooze charm, strength and love, as well as a cast of characters we can definitely do with out! I loved all three ladies. The uniqueness of each and what they bring to their life long friendship is inspiring. The way they tackle problems that are thrown at them as well as the torment they have each felt growing up as larger woman has seem them create a circle of love and faith in each other. It’s funny and sweet and has the perfect ending to each of their quests in love and life. A perfect five star read for anyone who loves sweet southern romance with all the feels! And let’s not forget the works of art they create!
Charming story about three friends and business partners as they made their niche in a small Texas town. All three were went into business making the prefect dresses for plus sized brides, a response to their own size and limited availability of pretty dresses above the size 14, because every woman deserves the perfect dress. This book has humor, emotions, heartbreak and good friends oh and love! Mitzi, Jody and Paula support each other as life comes at them along with Mitzi’s sassy grandmother. Great read about being comfortable in your own skin and building up a friend instead of tearing down. A real feel good read filled with good times!
The Perfect Dress is another fantastic Carolyn Brown book. She writes a story about plus-size women who are going about living their lives, dealing with the chaos of life and the losing and finding of love. Her characters are (as always) very likable and very easy to relate to.
There is the slow and cautious development of the relationship of Mitzi with Graham, a rather awkward with women type of guy who is also dealing with a crazy ex-wife and his very tall twin 15 year old daughters. The attraction between them is sweet…and perfect.
The friendship of the three women running the plus size wedding dress shop is another fantastic aspect of the story. They fuss at each other plenty and don’t cut each other any slack when toughness is warranted, but they will always support each other. They have the kind of friendship we all should have in our lives.
As usual, Brown’s quirky lines help fill in the story. My favorite was, “The rest of the day went by like a snail headed for his own funeral”.
I received this book via Netgalley. I was thrilled until I realized what I’d done. I usually reserve my Audible credits to use on Carolyn Brown’s Women’s Literature books because I love the accents so much. Even though I’ve read the book already, I may still have to get the audio–because I love them THAT much. If you haven’t tried one of her audio books, you really should!
Mitzi Taylor, Jody Andrews and Paula Walker have been best friends since their school days. They went their separate ways after high school graduation but now the three plus-size friends have opened a custom wedding boutique for plus-size women in their hometown of Celeste, Texas called The Perfect Dress. Mitzi designs the dresses and Jody and Paula make Mitzi’s designs come to life. Their lives are about to change and they will be facing good times and bad times, blessed times and disastrous times.
The main female character is Mitzi Taylor who is about to have a “blast from the past” high school crush Graham Harrison breeze back into her life. Graham is divorced and raising his fifteen-year-old twin daughters who are “big girls” who need bridesmaid dresses. He stops in to The Perfect Dress to arrange for his girls, Dixie and Tabby to have dresses designed and made there. Looks like there is attraction blazing between Mitzi and Graham although neither one is quite ready to act upon it just yet. Thus begins a slow buildup to a serious relationship between the two. Add in Mitzi’ s friends and her grandmother Fanny Lou with lots of encouragement, Graham’s twin daughters’ encouragement and what you get is a heartwarming story. As an added bonus the author includes the ups and downs in Jody’s and Paula’s lives so there is never-ending entertainment to be had.
The Perfect Dress by Carolyn Brown is truly the “best of the best” to be had in current Women’s Fiction. This book has so much to offer in the way of page-turning entertainment. The love and support of the three best friends is so uplifting to read that I came away at the end of the story filled with happiness. Carolyn Brown writes the best comfort-for-the-soul, heartwarming stories and she never disappoints. If you enjoy feel-good, soul-comforting stories you won’t go wrong with The Perfect Dress!
In The Perfect Dress, Ms. Brown gives her readers a glimpse into the lives of three best friends running a wedding dress business & their lives, loves & families. All three girls are what is considered “big” girls & have been bullied for their size. They cater only to plus sizes, determined to help them feel beautiful on their big day. I enjoyed the fact that even though all three have their moments of shame & self doubt, they stand behind each other through everything & come out the other side stronger & more self assured.
This story follows three friends who own their own custom wedding dress shop. These three women are the type of friends everyone is looking for in their life-one who will stand beside you or stand up for you no matter what. Carolyn Brown presents us with witty characters as she tackles family dynamics, romance and gives us TONS of humor along the way.
There were some wonderful things about this book. I adored the relationships and family that the women formed. They were the essence of “ride or die” and supported each other always. That they were comfortable in their bodies was wonderful. What drove me a little crazy was that never for a second did we get to know the women and the girls as anything other than plus sized and they were so much more than only that. Not a page went by without reminding us “how big” they were and each and every time there was any sort of issue the author picked the lowest hanging fruit and used a fat insult. Yes, this is about their wonderful business catering to plus sized women, but we knew that and it felt at times gratuitous. The words “one trick pony” kept going through my mind.
A sexy, sweet contemporary romance, that’s a bit of a second-chance romance too. I loved the premise of three best friends creating a business out of need and want. A dream to create gowns for all shapes and sizes.
I loved the connection between Mitzi, Jody, and Paula. That their enduring friendship was more of a sisterhood, a family. That they had each others backs regardless of the situation.
But I struggled a little bit with Mitzi’s connection to Graham. The relationship seemed more forced due to her growing affection to Graham’s two daughters. rather than honest affection and love beyond a bit of lust. The romance was secondary to the story of the friendship between Mitzi and the girls and it showed.
I’ve yet to read a Carolyn brown book that I have not liked. She reminds me a little of Nora Roberts in that her style doesn’t change, but the stories are original and unique.
I am a Carolyn Brown fan. I have read many of her books and love them all because they are always a “feel good” experience. The characters are always realistic, good or bad. I highly recommend all her books.
Carolyn Brown is well known for her feel-good romantic fiction, and in a story reminiscent of Sharon Sala’s first Blessings, Georgia novel, The Curl Up & Dye, and Steel Magnolias, she’s added a new twist to the gal pals at the hair salon, in The Perfect Dress we meet the gals who’ve opened a custom bridal gown specialty shop for big, beautiful women in tiny Celeste, Texas, and the three women (and 2 almost women), and the men in and out of their lives form the backbone of an emotional, empowering, sweet, funny and charming novel about, single motherhood, fat-shaming, love lost and found and most importantly, the tight bonds of friendship among women. Aside from a few minor flaws, this was a heartwarming and special read, especially if you’re a woman who’s not fit into a size 6 since birth. It gets 4 stars from this reader.
Mitzi, Jody and Paula have been best friends from high school on, and because they themselves have experienced fat-shaming and bullying in their own lives, Mitzi, who loves to design dresses, and Jody and Paula who love to sew, opened The Perfect Dress, dedicated to making beautiful wedding, bridesmaid, prom and other formal dresses and bouquets for women size 14 and up. This is a character-driven tale of how the lives of these three friends are changed and sometimes betrayed by the men they love, some of whom lied to them, cheated on them and left them pregnant and alone without so much as a backward glance. Although Mitzi had a great childhood with supportive parents and a supportive and feisty grandmother (Fanny), Jody and Paula weren’t so lucky. It’s through these friendships that these women find the love and support they never had while growing up.
Back into Mitzi’s life 15-years later, comes her high school crush, Graham, and his two big, beautiful, enthusiastic, teenage daughters, who love to sew and are soon working at The Perfect Dress for the summer. Graham’s marriage to his petite wife Rita, another former high school classmate who married Graham because she thought him wealthy. The marriage ended 2 years later when she cheated on Graham and didn’t want to be a housewife and mother to two large twin daughters–and the girls blame their size on why she left. Graham seems interested in Mitzi, but trust is a hard thing for her, especially when she realizes Graham might want her only because she’d be a wonderful mother to his daughters.
Jody has issues of her own. She’s spent 15 years living with her high school boyfriend, Lyle, who convinced her that a piece of paper, like a marriage license, wasn’t all that important when two people truly loved each other. It’s even worse when he tells her the relationship is over and cleans out their joint checking and savings accounts, and sells the trailer they’ve lived in for the past 15 years out from under her. It’s her friends who bolster her back up and support her all the way, especially when she meets the man who bought the land and trailer, and he seems interested in her. Is it too soon? Will she ever be able to trust her own feelings again?
Paula has her issues too. She’s pregnant, but when she found out that not only was the man who impregnated her already married, but he’s already the father of one child and with another on the way, and that he’s made her the other woman in his relationship. She’s chooses not to tell him she’s pregnant, and she’s devastated. But once again, it’s her friends who have her back.
These 3 friends, plus Graham and his twin daughters, and Mitzi’s quirky grandmother are all women I came to love in this novel, as much as I hated the bad parenting that lowered the self-esteem and self-images of Jody, Paula and Graham’s daughters. I’d have loved to be sitting at their kitchen table with them, commiserating about their parents and the men in and out of their lives, and sharing a tub of ice cream with them and several spoons. Each of their stories presents them with the same questions–are they willing to ever trust a man again? Will having had parents who were abusive and put them down at every turn make them bad parents themselves? Is it worth risking their hearts again and possibly being hurt again to try to engage in another romantic relationship? Will any or all of them eventually find happiness?
The issue I mentioned at the outset of this review is that while I loved these characters and their relationships, and am a fan of second-chance romances and romances in general, sadly, romance took a back seat to friendship in this novel, most of the romance happening off-screen, and then wrapped up in a too short, not particularly romantic HEA epilogue. All told, this was a very good read nevertheless, engaging and sweet, with well-drawn characters and I’m happy to recommend it.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
AFUN READ
Good fun, romance and laughs.
Good people, crappy people and the stories that connect them make this book a great read! There were a few times I wanted to scream, “You’re an idiot!” while reading. But on the whole loved the book
I loved this book! Three friends who are plus size go into business making wedding dresses for plus size women. Mitzi, Jody and Paula are experiencing upheaval in their lives. An old high school crush is back in town, a boyfriend dumps one and and the other is a mess. Through it all, they have each others back. Spoiler, when one guy comes to the back door looking to talk to one of them, Mitzi pulls down her shotgun and puts a cartridge in it. If she wants to talk to you fine. Otherwise get off my property. Aunt Fanny is a hoot. She also gives these girls a kick in the pants. Give these two men a chance or let them go. What a summer!