The Last Dress from Paris by Jade Beer was such interesting and intriguing historical fiction read.

Inspired by the dresses of Christian Dior, this is a fictional story of a Lucille, who heads off to Paris on a search for 8 of the dresses by request of her grandmother, Sophie. Along the way, Lucille also discovers the secrets of Alice, the woman who wore these beautiful dresses so many years ago.

This was such and interesting read. I liked how the chapters were named after the dresses. I also liked the dual timelines and narrators - present day with Lucille and the 1950s with Alice. I will admit this was a bit of a slow start for me, but once I got a third of the way in, I found it to be more difficult to put down.

Overall, this was an enjoyable story about love, loss, repairing relationships and finding oneself again.

Told from alternate viewpoints - present day and 1953, this is a love story while being so much more than that. When Lucille’s grandmother, Sylvie, asks her to go to Paris to pick up a dress, Lucille agrees to please her grandmother. However, upon arrival in Paris, nothing is as it seems - the task is much more than it appeared and being in Paris has Lucille questioning her life choices as well as everything she knew of her grandmother. Exquisite attention to detail - I was transported to 1950s Paris and to the beauty of Dior couture. And a wonderful cast of characters to fall in love with, from Sylvie to Leon and especially Veronique in the present day, the beautiful friendship between Alice and Anne; Beer knows how to create characters!

This was just so lovely to read - I could not put it down for the desire to know what would happen next. While I figured out the ‘twist’ early, I do believe that was the intention! Fair warning, this is a tear jerker!

The Last Dress From Paris is a historical novel told in two timelines. In present day, Lucille's grandmother Sylvie has asked her to go to Paris to find a mysterious lost dress -- a Dior from the 1950's that belonged to a woman named Alice. In 1952, Alice Ainsley is an English diplomat's wife living in Paris, when she meets a man who changes her life. Her story is told in reference to a series of Dior dresses and mysterious letters.

I wanted to read this novel because I love historical fiction, love books set in Paris, and I found the 1950's setting appealing. It started a bit slowly for me, but once Alice's story truly began, I was mesmerized and could not put this book down.

The Mid-Century historical details are exceptional. Although I don't have a special interest in fashion, I found the details of the dresses fascinating and I could picture them vividly just through the words the author used. (This is important, as the dresses figure prominently in the storyline.)

Alice's story involves a couple of mysteries that wind through the narrative of both timelines. It was beautifully told and so moving. In present day, Lucille is a warm and likable protagonist, and I enjoyed her role in this mysterious search.

I highly recommend The Last Dress from Paris for fans of historical fiction, especially for anyone interested in Paris or fashion history.

Lucile has a very close relationship with her Grandmother, Sylvie. She does not have a great relationship with her mother, Genevieve. When her Grandmother asks for a special favour of course Lucille will do anything to help her. When Lucille realizes the favour is a trip to Paris to find a special dress she is definitely confused. She is to reach out to her Grandmother's dear friend's daughter, Veronique, while she is there for help with the mission.

At first the mission seems easy when Veronique shows her the dresses but the one she needs to bring home is missing. Even more puzzling than the missing dress is that the dresses are haute couture dresses from the 1950's. Why would Grandma have an expensive Dior dresses? Each dress has a card with a cryptic clue and the location she wore the dress. There is more to Grandma's story that Lucille needs to uncover.

With the help of some new friends, Lucile retraces the steps and uncovers the story of her Grandmother. Along the way, she falls in love with Paris and the trip has her rethinking her relationships and career.

I really enjoyed The Last Dress from Paris. I loved reading about all the dresses and if you Google them you can see the dresses mentioned in the novel. This was a wonderful novel with many twists and turns that had me engaged right to the end.

The book's cover and title grabbed my attention. This is a story about how 8 Dior dresses changed a woman's life. The story is told in a dual perspective/timeline; and begins in present day with Lucille is asked to collect the dresses for her grandmother. The story shifts from present day to the 1950s.

I loved the dual perspective and enjoyed going back and forth between time periods. Parts of the book did have me frustrated with the character's decisions, but overall, the story was beautiful.

A Fabulous historical fiction read that was heartwarming, heart-wrenching, and enlightening. I really enjoyed reading this one. It's got so much heart in it and so much richness from history and the settings of Paris and such.
This is written from two characters in a dual timeline, one with Lucille, who's Sylvie's granddaughter, and one with a woman named Alice who is a fashion designer/famous in the designer world, wearing Dior gowns and going to all the fashion shows. Sylvie asks Lucille to go to Paris to find out about a priceless Dior dress and what Lucille discovers is much more than just a priceless Dior dress. As Lucille goes on this trip, she meets and befriends another woman that helps her on her quest and, of course, a swoon-worthy guy that also helps. Lucille finds herself on a journey of self-discovery and re-examining family relationships and what she wants out of life as she goes on this scavenger hunt after these Dior dresses.
Alice, in the past, also finds herself on a journey of self-discovery as she finds herself in a marriage where her husband no longer finds her attractive or cares for her that much anymore. She finds herself with the help of a young dashing man who she has an affair with and then has life-altering things happen after that, which leads to where she goes with her life next and who she becomes.
All of the two timelines have a purpose and intertwine and are woven together in the end where everything makes sense and there are some great reveals. There's a lot that is great about this story, but one of the best and biggest moments is when you find out why Sylvie sent her granddaughter on this scavenger hunt, and everything is all tied up nicely at the end.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction, fashion, Paris, heartwarming, thought-provoking, and enriching stories. This was an easy 5-star read for me and one of my top faves of this year.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for letting me read and review this wonderful book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a story of unrequited love, haute couture fashion, friendship, and secrets! Also, 𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙖 𝙡𝙖, the story takes place in Paris!

I loved how this story unfolded - two women, two timelines. Alice’s story was set in 1952, and Lucille’s story was set in 2017.

I quickly became engaged in the story and enjoyed both timelines! I read this one late into the night because I needed to figure out exactly who Sylvie was and what secrets she was hiding! I enjoyed the descriptions of the dresses, as well as the scenic locations in Paris. Secrets were gradually revealed, right up to the satisfying conclusion.

My sincere thanks to @berkleypub and @netgalley and @letstalkbookspromo for my eARC and for including me in this buddy read! My thoughts are my own.

There was not only the promised dress in this story but a collection of 8 Dior original dresses that tell the story of a season in Paris that changed one woman’s life. The story is told in dual timelines and I have to say the past timeline was a bit tough for me to get through at times and quite repetitive. I loved the present day timeline thought and overall I did enjoy the story quite a bit. Lucille’s beloved grandmother has asked Lucille to take a trip to Paris to retrieve a Dior dress that she would like to hold again. Lucille doesn’t take spontaneous trips, but she can’t let down her grandmother. Going to Paris helps Lucille find herself, and some wonderful connections. When she goes to collect the dress and finds it was part of a collection of 8 with corresponding cards but two dresses are missing. Lucille walks the path of the dresses and learns more than she imagined about her grandmother.

This is a beautiful historical mystery about the search for a missing Dior dress. The story is dual timeline; Fran in 1952 and present day London. The stories of both Alice and Lucille grabbed me and kept me intrigued. Alice’s husband was horrible and it was sad to see that women are still facing similar difficulties in both settings. The ending of this book was heart wrenching. Please do yourself a favor and read this book.

Fashion with my literature? Yes, please.

We never really think about the lives our grandparents or older generations lived beyond what have seen them as. Its funny, but surprising to see what they were like when they were our age. What they went through, who they knew, where they lived....

It was interesting to read this story from two different timelines and how each woman approached the ups and down of life. Love, loss, and lots of Christian Dior. Experiences can be good or bad, big or small. All the things these women with through shape who they are and who they become. I was not a fan of some of the characters (hmm Antoine, I'm looking at you) but it was entertaining experience.

Book Review…The Last Dress from Paris by Jade Beer

The secret is hidden within a collection of Dior dresses...

London, 2017. When Lucille's beloved Granny Sylvie asks her for help with retrieving a priceless Dior dress the next thing she knows she's on a train to Paris. But not everything is as it seems and the truth may change her entire life.


Paris, 1952. As the wife of the British ambassador Alice Ainsley's job is to see and be seen. Her husband showers her with jewels, banquets, and Dior dresses, but his affection has become elusive. As the strain on her marriage grows, she finds comfort in her friendship with her lady's maid Marianne. But when a new face appears in her drawing room, Alice finds herself yearning to follow her heart.

It was quite interesting learning about the glamour of the 1950s, and the rich lifestyle and intriguing to read about the secrets people keep, a forbidden affair and betrayal. It really brings Paris to life beautifully. It has a dual timeline so you are able to see Paris from different points of views and get to know each character very well. They are likeable and I liked that I was able to admire and root for both of them! I loved the mystery added in it really added to the entertainment. And the dresses! If you like fashion you are going to love this! The descriptions were amazing. You could almost feel the lush materials in your hands! It did take me a couple of chapters to really get into the story but once I got going I had no problem finishing it and I was glad I did. I really liked the twist at the end! Overall it's a well written story about family, secrets, forgiveness and love!

Thank you Berkley Books and Jade Beer for sharing this lovely story with me!

History, mystery and couture-what more could I have asked for? The Last Dress from Paris by Jade Beer is a rich story told in dual timelines by different narrators. I was hooked from the first scene to the last page with the gorgeous descriptions, charming characters, and delightful storyline.

The Last Dress from Paris follows Lucille from London to Paris as she chases down a Dior gown that her beloved grandmother claims to have owned. On her journey she discovers her grandmother’s secrets, forges new friendships, falls in love with Paris, and best of all, she learns much about herself.

I loved the descriptions of the gorgeous Dior dresses as well as the details of each dress’ history. I was much more enthralled with Lucille’s story in 2017 than that of Alice in 1952. Ms. Beer’s entwining of the two storylines was beautiful and smooth. The Last Dress from Paris is a must read for fans of historical fiction and fashion.
4.5 stars

The Last Dress from Paris by Jade Beer was a beautiful read. It almost felt like a historical version of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants but with designer dresses. This fun, mysterious read follows the wearer of 8 couture Dior dresses. While light and sappy, this book made it fun to look up the historical dresses and path of locations in Paris. Would definitely recommend to all readers!

This story follows both Lucille’s journey and flashes back to the 1950’s where a woman named Alice wears each dress.

Alice’s story is the more dramatic of the two storylines but Lucille’s introspection and self-discovery is the raison d’être that binds the two stories together. Her new friendship with Veronique, the daughter of the woman who was holding the dresses for Sylvie, provides a parallel for Lucille to view her own life and the impetus for her to change her path. Her flirtation with Leon provides fun and joy, and a comparison to Alice’s story as it unfolds. I loved how all three of these characters interacted and the friendships they made.

Alice’s story told through her wearing each of these fabulous Dior gowns was a fascinating look into the political social scene during the 1950’s. Her job as the wife of the British Ambassador to France was to provide a setting where their peers would gather and gossip. That life sounded romantic and glamorous but as the story unfolds we see how structured and trapped that life would be. The mystery of each note card and quote tells a story that holds romance and sadness. I’ll admit to shedding a few tears and hoping for a happy outcome.

The Last Dress From Paris did what my favorite historical novels do, it took me away from my own world and dropped me into another setting in a fascinating place and allowed me to play voyeur. Like I said above I found Alice’s story more riveting but it was a great comparison to Lucille’s current day life and the journey that she herself could possibly take. The mystery of why her granny Sylvie sent her to find these dresses is the greatest story of them all and one that each reader should unwind on their own by reading this story. I would hate to unwrap this present and reveal anything that would spoil your own enjoyment of this story. It’s a good one! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

The Last Dress from Paris from Jade Beer is a delightful gem of a book, it has Paris, beautiful Dior dresses, a forbidden love story, a mystery and the love of family, what more can you ask for?
Since the beginning of the book I was truly captivated by the story, but also by the writing on the book, the descriptions of the Dior dresses make you feel like you are looking at them and wanting to touch them to feel the fabric of them.
This book besides having Paris in the background and the fashion of 1950's gives you the present day story on 2017. Told in a dual timeline we learn the story of Sylvie (known as Alice) in 1952 and Lucille, her granddaughter, in 2017.
Using the lure of bringing back a Dior dress from Paris Sylvie sent Lucille to Paris to engage in a treasure hunt using her Dior dresses as clues to unravel Sylvie's life story; helping Lucille this way to sort out her life.
This book was a pleasure to read, combining historical facts with fiction the author has created a beautiful story where love and family are centerpiece.

What an incredibly beautiful book. The Last Dress in Paris will take you on a journey through Paris and London, all the while unraveling a mystery behind eight Christian Dior dresses and the woman who wore them.

Lucille has a very close bond with her grandmother Sylvie and on her birthday, Sylvie surprised Lucille with a ticket to Paris on the premise that she is going to retrieve a dress from a dear friend. Once she arrives, Lucille not only discovers there are more dresses, but there are some missing, and is determined to find out where they went, but not before discovering that there was a bit of mystery too.

I adored Lucille's character and watching her discover what she truly wanted out of life. I never expected there to be an element of mystery to this too, but it adds another layer to this already great story.

Highly recommend.
4.5/5 stars

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC!

3.5 Dior Haute Couture Stars
* * * 1/2 Spoiler Free
This takes the incredible House of Dior and the beautifully special garments they made and weaves them with a story of generations and their secrets. We have a grandmother asking a grandaughter to find a past Dior gown she once had many years ago. It is said to be in Paris and the granddaughter goes on this journey to retrieve the gown.

What takes place is more of a treasure hunt for more than one gown. We have two different times shared in this story, the 2017 Grandmother and the 1950s times of glamour, Dior gowns and those who wore them, and the secrets kept during those times.

The descriptions of the gowns, Paris, and how all the gowns were so important is a huge draw.

Do you have any special memories associated with a particular piece of clothing? If you put several outfits that you wore in a specific timeframe of your life, would they tell the story of you?
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Odd questions, I know, and ones I had never thought much about until reading this wonderful book, The Last Dress in Paris by Jade Beer. I think if you put some notable outfits together from my college years, you would get a pretty good idea of what I was doing and what I might be like.
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Lucille’s beloved grandmother asks her to go to Paris and retrieve a dress she had left there with an old friend. Because she adores her grandmother so, Lucille does as she asks and then continues to follow the trail of several spectacular Dior gowns that Granny Sylvie claims will reveal all she wants Lucille to know.
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Paris, Couture, Society, a mystery man, the hunt and the ultimate reveal blended together for a story that had such a vivid, visceral feel to it. I am sitting here, holding the book to my chest, and with a big sigh, I remember the beauty of this story.
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It wasn’t perfect, there is one twist I really expected and must say I was disappointed it didn’t turn out, but it would have been a different story if it had.
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Granny Sylvie looks upon one particular dress and memories transport her back to Paris. I can immediately pick out one dress that, while it isn’t Dior and doesn’t take me to Paris, does evoke incredible memories. I have kept that dress for 40 years. (It isn’t my wedding dress.)
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The Last Dress from Paris by Jade Beer kept turning pages way past my bedtime because I absolutely needed to know how it was all going to end. This is a dual timeline story one is Paris 1952 with all it’s postwar glory, couture and glamour, the other is 2017. Sylvie asks her granddaughter to go to Paris to retrieve a Dior dress. The granddaughter, Lucille, does as her grandmother requests, although this quest turns into much more than Lucille bargained for. She ends up with more questions and continues to dig for answers.

This is the first Jade Beer book I have read. I did keep turning pages because I wanted to know what happened but as much as I want to give this 5 stars, I am going to have to give it a 4. Read and see if you can find out why.

Thank you #netgalley and #berkleypublishinggroup for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

Thank you #NetGalley @BerkleyPub #BerkleyWritesStrongWomen #BerkleyBuddyReads for a complimentary e-Arc of #TheLastDressFromParis upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Do you own a dress that could tell a story?

In dual timelines (2017 and 1952), The Last Dress From Paris is a page-turning story of family secrets, romance, and couture. In the present-day timeline, Lucille’s grandmother asks her to go to Paris and retrieve a priceless Dior dress for her. Upon Lucille’s arrival in Paris, she realizes that there’s more than one dress and a mystery involving her grandmother’s past to solve.

In historical fiction, a grandmother’s secret uncovered by a granddaughter is a commonly used trope. This allows the author to provide us with a side of mystery and intrigue as well as a multigenerational relationship.

One of the reasons I liked this story is its structure. In alternating chapters, the past unfolds as present-day discoveries are made. I also appreciate that the story uses the eight dresses as an informal organizational structure. Each dress represents an important development in the story as it unfolds and we gain a more complete picture.

I love a story with likable characters you can root for, and there are reasons to admire the woman in each timeline. Alice (1952) is a risktaker which causes her to make difficult decisions. Lucille (2017) is determined to solve the mystery of her grandmother’s past. Throughout the story, we’re never quite sure which character the grandmother is until all is revealed and made clear in the end.

If you love the world of couture, design, and, fashion, you will have extra reasons to appreciate this story. The couture Dior dresses are easily googled!

Thoughtful themes include family secrets, difficult decisions, risk-taking, found family, reconciliation, forgiveness, sacrificial love, and daughter/mother/grandmother relationships.

I think fans of historical women’s fiction and couture (Dior) with a side of page-turning mystery and romance (closed door) will appreciate The Last Dress From Paris.