This book was an interesting look at the life a woman after WWI. I was slow getting into the book as it went back and forth between 1853 and 1919. This made it hard to figure out what was going on in each time period. I don't believe this is really a romance, as the mystery of what was going on (in 1853,) and what had brought them to this point in 1919 seemed to be the focus. After I felt comfortable with the story, it was hard to put it down. I enjoyed the story , but the ending was awkward and the rest of the book hadn't done well to prepare for it. It also I felt left some questions unanswered. Enjoyable, but not satisfying.

Beautifully set in Sydney, this book tells two stories situated at different times in history. Tied together in a fabulously atmospheric world, this book will stay with me.

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
The idea of the book is truly "original" and it is nice to read about another continent, with other animals and plants.
But, there is nothing new really to learn about Australia in the story, unfortunately we have already heard about the issues with the Natives and the different waves of immigrants. Anyway this does not seem to be the purpose of the book, to inform through fiction in lengthy details about these matters. Next, I found the description of landscapes quite long and just ... descriptive, I mean, I didn't dream of going there, sorry... Then the characters seem all to speak and more or less think the same way. The story, from one chapter to another, jumps in one time line then back into the other previous time line. Which, in fact, again sorry, are not truly time lines, it is just a 60/70 years difference. But, sometimes, I just had to make an effort to figure out when I was in the story. Maybe it's me. Hence I found the pace of the story very slow, and suddenly, the very last chapters informed a lot about the characters, their purpose in life and what happened to them. It felt like reading a very good draft.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book!
I’ve had an interest in colonial Australian history for a while, and I enjoy historical fiction that crosses generations, so the set up for this book got me interested right away. I enjoyed the descriptions of Australia in both timelines and I feel like Cooper does an excellent job putting the reader into the setting. I found myself more interested in the characters from 1853 than those in 1918-20, but in both settings I wanted to know more about the characters than I got. In particular I wanted to read more about the 1853 setting and characters because I found them more interesting and I wanted the focal characters to have more page time. I wasn’t as interested or invested in the 1918 characters and found them to be less dynamic. While the plot and setting kept me reading, I felt like I was reading a draft more than a finished product because a lot of the story felt choppy and unfinished. Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I feel unsatisfied.

A well written historical romance/mystery. I am not a big fan of historical fiction and dual time line plots but this author did a good job writing this book. My thanks to the publisher for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

The novel is about two women and two timeframes. Fluer’s husband Hugh has been killed in the Great War and she is told she has inherited her husband’s estate. Fluer doesn’t believe Hugh is dead and travels to Australia to learn more about Hugh’s family. In 1853 Stefan vin Richter lands in Australia looking for an opal that his mentor had left in the hands of a Mr Bishop. In his search he meets Cordelia Atterton who owns land named amigo Creek. The story is told from Fluer’s and Stefan’s point of view. While Stefan searches for the opal, Fluer searches for information about Hugh’s family and inheritance, which includes Mogo Creek. It is believed that the opal causes the death of it’s owner and indeed it does under mysterious circumstances which will be explained later in the novel. There is history and suspense in this novel. At first it was hard to follow but once I realized it was taking place in two timeframes it was okay. The title is misleading as it really has nothing to do with the story until the very end.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Press for a preview of this novel.

The historical detail in this book was absolutely stunning and I adored the setting. It hit me as I began this story how few books set in Australia I've read. I loved both time periods and definitely enjoyed the assortment of characters. I'm looking forward to reading more from Tea Cooper!

1853. After cholera claims her parents, Della return to Sydney and devotes herself to the Curio Shop of Wonders. Where she also discovers her aunt Cordelia is selling something more than just curiosities to collectors.

London, 1918. Fleur learns about her husband being claimed by war. She travels to Sydney to claim her inheritance, her husband’s land and wealth. It leads her to the same store, Della and her aunt owned. There, she unravels the story of her inheritance.

I like fast moving stories, but the characters and events could be better developed. It feels as everything is just scratched at the surface and it keeps jumping from one person to another, at least at the beginning. It gets better developed later in the story, but I was still missing a good hook at the beginning. I had a hard time getting into the story and being connected with the characters.

This was such an amazing story, the characters were so compelling and you become so invested in them you want to keep reading even way after the story ends!

It held my interest and I did read it fairly quick, but the dual timeline didn't work too well in some places, especially at the end.

The setting in Australia is gripping, especially the landscape and the way people interact with it. The social divide between Australians/Germans and Australians/Natives affects relationships and outcomes.

The romance was very light and kind of left open-ended in its own timeline (we only learn what happened from the second timeline).

The title is about a secondary character and I didn't feel like it represented the novel right.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

A great quick read! A historical fiction following two different timelines with memorable characters and an intriguing plot.

The Woman in the Green Dress by Tea Cooper will take you from London to Australia after WWI. Fleur lost her parents in the Zeppelin raids, married an Australian soldier, and learns he was killed in the last days of the war. She has been left with a sizable inheritance but she must travel to Australia immediately to sort it out. The inheritance, and the story as a whole, revolves around the first Australian opal discovered. The story takes you back to 1853 and Austrian Captain Stefan von Richter and his quest to reclaim the opal for his mentor. Stefan meets some unsavory characters, Della (the love of his life), and Bert, a homeless lad who unlocks the mystery for Fleur. The beautiful and unique flora and fauna of Australia are described along with some of the history and mystery of Australian opals. The story has lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed the read.

My first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. i will be looking for other books by this author.
I received an advanced copy from the publisher and netgalley and this is my opinion

Wow this book confused me! I liked the story, but got kind of lost between the back and forth between characters. Both stories were about a curiosity shop, it was open in one instance, and abandoned in the other. I liked the story okay, but it was confusing. Different kind of story, but I liked it.

I received this book from Netgally and all opinions are my own.
Family secrets cause much confusion and turmoil in this beautifully written work of historical fiction. Cooper does a great job of weaving her characters together across generations. I enjoyed learning about war time Australia and culture. I thank Netgally for the opportunity to explore new authors. I will definitely look for more works by Tea Cooper. If you enjoy a generational saga this is a great read for you.

I very much enjoyed Tea Cooper's The Woman in the Green Dress. She handled the dual time line seamlessly and it was entertaining to learn about Australia and its history. Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy