With The Dress Shop on King Street, Ashley Clark has crafted a novel that is steeped in both heart and history. Beautifully written in seamlessly stitched together split-time, the stories of Harper Dupree and Millie Middleton unfold and intertwine as they each, in their own way, seek to untangle the threads of the past and weave a bright new future of their own determining. This is a story of love and sacrifice, of redemption and restoration, of dreams deferred and dreams come true. This is a story that will linger in your heart and thoughts long after the last page is turned.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Story of a woman who “had lived her life stuck at the seams of the in-between”
I have never paid so much for an ebook…ever! That is the reason for the 4.5 star rating. Having said that, this was a wonderful book. The writing was beautiful, kept me enthralled by flashing to the past and back to the here-and-now thereby filling in the gaps. So many parallels and intersecting of the lives of these characters. It is not until you are well into this book that you can see how many times their lives almost met/touched.
Millie Middleton is the lynchpin of our story. She has lived as a white woman although her mother was black and her father was Italian. (Poignant: Her mama “held her darker forearm against Millie’s. ‘You see this? You’re luck, Millie.’ ‘Lucky?’ Because she didn’t quite belong anywhere? Black folks thought she was privileged, and white folks had to be tricked? Lucky when no one would accept her wholly, honestly, as one human being with two distinct parts of her heritage?”) Millie’s story is so beautiful, sad, scary that I sobbed at parts and wistfully sighed at others. The intersection of Millie’s story with Harper’s young life will keep you reading until the end. Millie’s and Harper’s hopes for their futures unknowingly coincide many years before we get to their Dress Shop. For those readers who like romance there are two very sweet albeit sometimes sad love stories: Millie and her train jumper, Franklin Pinckney along with Harper and Peter. Their interactions will give you warm-fuzzies.
I haven’t felt this way about a book since I read “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” many years ago. You must read the notes at the back of the book, ALL of them to get a sense of this story. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through NetGalley and predict that this book will one day become a classic in Christian romantic literature.

An incredible story that is a richly woven tapestry of textures and designs. Love. Racial tensions and difficulties. Family. Friendships. And so much more.
Harper was such an intriguing heroine. Her lifelong dream of owning her own dress shop is what has kept her going. Then, when that is dream is quickly snatched away, she's left without purpose, not knowing which way to turn.
This book takes place in several different time periods.
There's the current day one, with Harper. Then there's the historical one with young Millie Middleton, the wearer of the red cloche.
Ashley Clark beautifully pulls these two time periods together, one intricate piece at a time, leaving you with bits and pieces of the puzzle to solve as you read.
Millie was also an inspiring character. She saw some hard things in her life, and had to make some seemingly impossible choices, because of love.
This story is just an all-around beautiful tale, and I loved it from the beginning to the very end.
In the midst of all the hard times, there are those bursts of hope that carry the story through, and keep it moving ever onward.
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

I really enjoyed this book! I will admit that some parts were really hard to read, racism isnt pretty, but its important to tell those stories and understand. So while some things were hard to read I appreciated them and the insight and ability to learn from someone else's experience and perspective.

Ever since she learned to sew as a child, Harper Albright had dreamed of owning a dress shop, full of beautiful gowns and fine fabrics. Her dream led her to design school in Savannah, where her final project, a dress she had designed and crafted, was dismissed outright by her instructor. Broken-hearted, Harper left Savannah to return home to Fairhope, Alabama, where she knew Millie would welcome her back.

Millie Middleton left Charleston in 1946, terrified of being found out, and knowing that her Mama was doing what she could to keep Millie safe. Before the train could leave, there was some commotion about train jumpers, and Millie looked out the window to see a handsome young man hop on board, and soon he made his way over to her. Millie and Franklin began talking, and found themselves at a boardinghouse in Fairhope, where they pretended to be a married couple in order to stay there. As time went on, Millie and Franklin fell in love and married, and continued to run the boardinghouse after Mrs. Stevens grew too old.

I loved Millie and Harper, and admired the strength they projected even as their dreams were shattered over and over. Millie’s long-held dream of opening a dress shop coincided with Harper’s, and even though Harper had reservations about their idea, she continued working on the dream. The story is rich in the history of the South, including its less than flattering aspects, and paints a picture that comes full circle for Millie and The Dress Shop on King Street. This book, Heirloom Secrets #1, is a delight and has me eagerly awaiting the next in the series.

The Dress Shop on King Street is a story that brings together the unified dreams of a young girl and her mentor.
I had heard so much about this book, I finally decided to request a copy to read and I’m happy I did. This time slip novel (weaving the past with a contemporary story) is an interesting survey of living in the South during the 40s and 50s, up to present day. The heroine is of African and Caucasian heritage in a place where she has already lost a father due to hatred. Her father was murdered because he had a child with an African woman. Millie is faced with a choice her entire life – hide one of her heritages and speak to no one of where she comes from.
The sensitivity to which the author tackles this issue is commendable. It takes the reader back to a time when hatred was left unpunished and people of mixed heritage were forced to choose which one to embrace. If one chose unwisely, s/he would suffer what no one should go through. The author brings the inner struggle of Millie to light, which begs the reader to ask themselves a simple question. What would I have done in Millie’s place?
She is able to hide her heritage until she gives birth to fraternal twins – one who is white, and the other who is darker skinned. Millie and her husband make a desperate choice which takes her to the end of the story to find redemption.
The contemporary story sees a much older Millie mentoring a design protégé who reminds Millie of herself. Harper’s story will be intricately woven with Millie’s by the end.
It was a challenging read in the sense of the issues tackled in this book. It was an enjoyable read for the ability of the author to bring the reader into Millie’s world.
I’m glad I listened to the recommendations of others and look forward to reading more from this author.
I received an ecopy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I thought I would really enjoy this one, but, unfortunately, it didn't hold my attention. I ended up DNFing about one-third of the way through. It's getting great reviews, though, so I would recommend checking it out for yourself.

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher and Netgalley.

I was caught up in this story from the first paragraph. It is a colorful view of a life many of us have never even imagined. Full of memories of "passing", and deciding to stand for what is right, and striving for impossible goals; it's all there. I want more!!!!!

Dreams of careers in fashion. A dual timeline. Harper in the present in Fairhope, Alabama and the back story of Millie (1946) in Charleston, South Carolina. The racially divided South. Fabrics, secrets, heritage, heirloom buttons. Very enjoyable and easy to follow story. Seems it is #1 in a new series. That is intriguing! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

What a lovely debut from Ashley Clark! I'm a sucker for split time stories and this was such an enjoyable read. Both Millie and Harper tugged on my heart and I was thoroughly intrigued by the plot. Plus, there was such a feeling of warmth and heart to this story—and it had a thoroughly Southern feel to it as well. I get the sense that Ashley Clark has handed her heart to us in this novel and I'm eager to see what she writes next!

Harper Dupree moves back to the South after a career in fashion is derailed. She moves back in with Millie, an interracial woman who taught her to sew. A dual storyline tells the compelling story of race and struggle during the time of blatant racism. Beautiful descriptions of Charleston as the two move there to rediscover the past. A beautiful novel to enjoy.

Not a bad piece of historical, southern fiction, with some Christian lit sprinkled in. Living in South Carolina, I loved reading about Charleston and the history there. The back and forth in places and time was a bit scattered at times, but I enjoyed the characters and the history.

The Dress Shop on King Street, by Ashley Clark, was a wonderful story of love and connections through several generations. Ms. Clark does a fabulous job of weaving a clear story throughout the generations. It was easy to read and hard to put down. Sometimes love means making the hard choice, as one of the characters discovered.

This was a lovely story with a series of interesting characters in three different time frames. Millie, from the central time period, is the daughter of a black mother and an Italian father, and after suffering the consequences of that union in South Carolina, leaves that life behind. In Fairhope, Alabama she forges a new life passing as white. Harper, from the present time, dreams of designing dresses and seeks to make that dream happen by studying design in college. The racism affecting the characters in the book is heart-breaking, and is such a sad commentary on the times, but totally realistic. It is all about following your heart, finding your dreams, and not being afraid to live. There is an interesting thread connecting the times and the characters involving some buttons shaped like butterflies. I thought the book was very well done, and enjoyed it a lot.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bethany House for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Hopes, dreams, and a desire to belong fill the pages of The Dress Shop on King Street.

Hauntingly beautiful and of great depth, this is made to savor. I often get frustrated when I only have snatches of time to read a book, wanting to consume most in a single sitting. Yet I found as I read and had to put the story down to do real life, I was glad for the opportunity to ponder the things I had read.

The characters were richly developed. I was able to experience Millie's fear of discovery and understand why she would keep her secret from the one who loved her the most. I ached for Harper as her dream slipped out of her hands and she scrambled to make sense of her life. And hoped for Peter to find the heritage he sought so diligently as he brought other people's history to life. And Franklin. Oooh! He captured my heart from the very start.

The author's sensitivity and insight about the racism that was so prevalent not very long ago in our country were astounding and I gained a new understanding of the pain inflicted on so many for far too long. While racism was the reason for the story and provided the motivations, The Dress Shop on King Street is about having the courage to follow your dreams, even when it looks like they are impossible. And about having hope in the darkest of circumstances.

The pacing of the story was perfect, especially the rate at which the mystery of Millie's life was revealed. Just as the next tidbit was going to be shared, the story jumped ahead to the contemporary part, leaving me anticipating finding out the rest!

I am so glad to see that the next book in the Heirloom Secrets series, Paint and Nectar, is already available for preorder, ready to be released in May! This series is not be missed!

“Buttons may be tiny. Delicate, even. But they fasten together the fabric of an entire garment. The fabric we wear day in and day out, the mundane cotton blouse and the lacy wedding dress. The fabric, the seams, that cover us, warm us, protect us. Binding dream to dream, story to story, but mostly, death to life. And with each memory came a different sort of fabric—some soft, others coarse, some floral, others with predictable stripes and patterns. But life had sewn each of them, stitch by stitch, together.” These words written in the story by the author are a fitting description of this novel.
This story starts with Mille and the fascination of her mamas’s two buttons and with dresses and the stories of the women who wore them. Two buttons that brings you into the lives of Millie and Harper and their dreams of owning a dress shop. But these were times when a drop of African blood meant you were all black, and because of this, many light colored blacks passed themselves as white to get a better life. When in actuality they were both. So Millie had to put her dream aside and make decisions that change the course and history of those she loved.
I found this a beautiful interwoven story in historical fiction. I had the chance to receive an ARC of this book through #NetGalley and #Bethany House, but the review I have written was not influenced by this opportunity.

A wonderful debut book by Ashley Clark! I loved this story to the fullest!
A time slip novel that drew me in from the start. I didn't want it to end!
From wonderful characters, their dreams and a good plot to go along with it? Well.... what more could one want in a book!
I'm sure that most of us can relate to the dreams part and what we want out of life.
Mille and Harper were women before their time. I admired them so much!
Such determination! I really appreciate these two women who were ahead of their time.
This novel will touch your heart in more ways than one.It did mine.
I finished this book around 4 in the morning it was so good! I'm going to add This one right along with Book of Lost Friends and The Edge of Belonging.
A book that is worth rereading
5 stars for a cool subject and for keeping my attention.
Highly recommend. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

This is Ashley’s debut novel and I have to say I can’t wait read her next. This book is beautifully written. So rich in narrative and she paints such vivid pictures.

Harper and Millie’s story is so powerful and so woven together. A story of forgotten dreams and dreams restored.

I will say there were times my mind kept trying to wrap itself around what was going on and who was related to who and how the generations lined up. But I eventually got a grasp on it.

If you like women’s fictions with some romance I highly recommend this book

A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

In her debut novel, Ashley Clark blends the past and the present with a story the drew me in, challenged me at times, and ended with the hope of overcoming obstacles (whether set there by ourselves or by others).

The Dress Shop on King Street gives readers a true taste of the south—both in 1946 and in present day as the story shifts from Fairhope, AL and Charleston, SC (there’s even a little Savannah, GA in there).

My heart hurt for Millie and the things she experienced trying to forget half of her heritage. And Harper and Peter enhanced the overall book. I look forward to what Clark has in store for us in book two of the series.



Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

This book makes me want to visit Charleston, SC, a city I've never been to. This is the story of Millie and Harper. Although each woman represents a different generation, each shares the dream of owning a dress shop. But that's not really what this is about. This is about race, discrimination, love and secrets. I was enraptured with each woman's story as the timeline switched back and forth.

Thank you for the advanced copy. I've been recommending this book.