I received this book complimentary from NetGalley however all opinions are my own.
This was okay. I wasn’t super into the birding info and the story was really slow. I also really bored of John’s perspective. I’m undecided what to rate this. It wasn’t my taste but it wasn’t bad writing.

Reading this book was a trip down memory lane. Most of my professional career was developed at a British Bank in the personnel area. Some of the requirements from Head Office were impossible for the Brazilians to understand and through this book they made sense to me. It was also interesting to read about the many worldwide remarks through the years from the perspective of someone living in the UK and working for an American company. It´s rather interesting how culture and values have a very strong impact on corporations and its employees. This reading adds to anyone´s culture and is entertaining!

I started reading the ARC shortly after I downloaded it back in October 2020. I didn't get very far with it, though I appreciated the story.

Unexpected editing work got in the way of my free time during my third year of retirement, though I cherish any editing work I'm offered.

I finally resumed reading the book on Feb. 17, 2021, after I received a very nice email from a publicist asking me, "How are you enjoying She Wore a Yellow Dress by John Cammidge?" The email came the day after Pub Day.

I am enjoying the book and I highly recommend it. It is one of the favorites in my long reading life.

This is a wonderful work of fiction that sounds like a well-told memoir. My blog will have a better review later this year.

This was a great read about a young couple that meets and falls in love. The author seamlessly writes about the different milestones in their lives as they mature individually and as a couple. I only gave it 4 stars because I thought too much time was spent on details about bird watching.

When I read the synopsis of the book on NetGalley, I imagined a romance set during a specific period of British industrial development. The book delivers the second part but not the romance - for a novel that mentions the love interest of the MC as title, it lacked emotion, romance, real-life dialogues, or anything that makes a story likable. I understand this is the story of the author himself but I wish he had given more life to people and spent less time talking about the development of Ford industry and uncountable stoppages and strikes. I appreciated that it talked about the fight of women for equal pay and work laws.⁣

I believe a book with a not-interesting plot could be saved by good or exceptional writing, however it was not the case with "She Wore a Yellow Dress". The feeling I had while reading this book was that I was reading a series of events in the MC life, as if he was writing down every happening, but without emotion - it all read as "I did this", "she said that", "we expected that", and this became very boring after the first 70 pages. Because of this, I also couldn't connect well with the characters and didn't find any very likable.

I believe this book might be interesting for many people, especially people who live in the UK, work in the car industry or enjoy bird-watching. The main mistake of this novel was being marketed and sold as a romance, when it has actually a very niche-driven plot that might not be appealing to any type of reader.

I honestly don't know how this novel ended up on my NetGalley shelf, but once I saw the cover I knew I had to read it. Absolutely gorgeous! This is certainly an interesting novel and went above and beyond as far as historical fiction. I was surprised about how many things I learned about England during this time period and it was fascinating. John and Jean-Louise are complex characters that you will cheer for. They are real, flawed, and make mistakes, making their marriage very realistic and relatable. Great novel!

It is a book that completely surprised me. I didn't know the synopsis just started reading it. It is the story of John, who grew up in a small town located in rural England. From a very young age, he has a fondness for birds. He loves to sit and observe the behavior of these incredible animals. One day, the government grants John a scholarship to attend the University of Hull. John is very excited about this new adventure, as this change will allow him to meet new people. Jean Louise is one of the people John knows, the relationship that begins to develop between them, very interesting. I liked that the book mentioned historical events not only in England but in the world. I did not know about the conditions that existed in England during the 60s. This book describes these important features very well. I am fascinated by the beginning of each chapter because it shows a different species of birds. I have always liked birds but, I did not know that this hobby existed. He is a fantastic author, as I found his narrative very compelling. I thank NetGalley and Gatekeeper Press for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

"John is brought up on an isolated farm near York, spends his spare time birdwatching, lives with an unsympathetic stepfather and loving mother, and attends Hull University as the government pays his expenses. He worries about serious relationships with girls and has no idea of what career to follow. His experience so far is as a farm hand and a hospital porter. A letter he finds at home confirms his biological father is alive but has no intention of helping him.

On Bonfire Night 1965 (Guy Fawkes Night), during his final undergraduate year, he meets a fellow student, Jean-Louise, and a romantic relationship develops. In many ways she is different from John; she is a town girl, brought up by loving parents, is an only child, has opposing politics and knows what she wants to be - a fashion buyer for Marks and Spencer. The obstacle is her mother is ill with muscular dystrophy and she must help take care of her parents. She surprises John by encouraging his birdwatching. John joins Ford of Britain as a graduate trainee and after an uncertain start, is placed in industrial relations and decides to study for a graduate degree with the Institute of Personnel Management. He also discovers more about his real father.

What happens to the couple during the subsequent 10 years as they navigate their careers, have to deal with events that take place in Britain during the period and manage personal issues at home, are the subjects of this book. There is panic buying during the 1974, 3-day working week, the affects on home life of Britain's entry into the Common Market, annual inflation driven above 25 percent in part because of trade union militancy, and many other national incidents.

A unique feature of the novel is the use of bird species to illustrate human behavior and character. At the end of each chapter there is an illustration of the featured bird from that chapter to provide a summary of the bird's appearance and habitat in case the reader is interested.

The novel blends British history, ornithology, success at work, discrimination against women and the challenges of home life into a single story."

I do not think I have loved a book cover more than this one. It has the feeling of Hitchcock or an old French New Wave film.

this was a great historical novel, I loved the characters and going on this journey from beginning to the end. I look forward to reading more from Mr. Cammidge.