(3.5 stars, rounded up)

Content warnings: infidelity, death of a spouse, grief

One wedding veil connects several women through history -- Edith Vanderbilt, her daughter Cornelia, contemporary bride Julia Baxter, and her grandmother Babs.

Edith Vanderbilt is pleasantly surprised when she becomes fond of her husband George, despite their marriage of convenience. She needed his money and he needed her old money clout. After his departure from this world, George leaves behind Edith and daughter Cornelia with no funds to run their beloved Biltmore Estate and the girls must get creative to care for their lands and community.

Julia Baxter is getting married at her favorite place, the Biltmore Estate near Asheville, North Carolina. During the festivities, the entire bridal party received a scandalous video that will have consequences for Julia whether she decides to marry her fiancé or not. She panics before donning the family's famous veil -- guaranteed to give the wearer a lifetime of happiness -- and leaves the wedding alone for their destination honeymoon in the British Virgin Islands. There she must find what it means to be just Julia after a decade-long relationship with fiancé Hayes.

Julia's grandmother Babs is grieving her departed husband and battling loneliness after his constant presence over the past fifty-plus years. She can no longer sleep in their marital bed and is contemplating moving to a senior living community. She meets a man there that was a former flame before she married her husband. Her twin daughters are mothering her and stifling Babs, who at eighty is still of sound mind.

All of the women are connected by a wedding veil, but the story of how the veil became a part of Babs' and Julia's family after the Vanderbilts is a mystery that Julia and Babs must figure out together.

Recommended for readers of historical and contemporary women's fiction.

Representation: twins, elderly main character

Kirsty Woodson Harvey has done it again with this novel about 4 women and the wedding veil that has shaped their lives. I loved this book, the witty characters and their growth, as well as the mystery behind the wedding veil.

In Present day, Julia Baxter is engaged and feeling the pressure of wearing the wedding veil gifted by a stranger on a train in the 1930's that has brought good luck to her family for three generations. She panics and with the help of her grandmother, she runs away from her wedding.

in 1914 Edith Vanderbilt is at a loss after her beloved husband died and is struggling to manage the massive Biltmore estate. She is torn between honoring the life and dreams of her husband and the huge financial burden of running the estate.

I love the history in this book, it is completely fascinating. The past and the present are woven together seamlessly with the brilliant characters and a story line unlike any other.

I loved this book! Kristy Woodson Harvey did a great job of moving from current times to the Vanderbilt years in the 20s and 30s. I loved the mystery of whether the wedding veil was the long lost Vanderbilt veil that was woven between the character's stories.

I highly recommend this book if you like historical fiction and a love story. This would make a great vacation read this summer. It's one of those books that I looked forward to picking up at the end of the day and reading more the story.

Southern fiction is not a genre I usually read, but I was intrigued by the description of Kristy Woodson Harvey’s latest novel, The Wedding Veil. Last summer, I visited Asheville, North Carolina, and its famous Biltmore Estate, where much of the book takes place. The chance to visit the mansion again through the eyes of Harvey’s characters was too good to pass up.

To read the complete review, click on the link below:

This is a fantastic historical fiction romance. I literally was up half the night reading! It’s told across two timelines, one the present day with members of a Northern Carolina family and the other in the past with the women of the Vanderbilt family at The Biltmore, the family estate.

I wasn’t sure how the two were related but all is revealed in time. The descriptions of Biltmore were so vivid I had to look up pictures of the house. It’s a private home but open for tours and it’s beautiful.

Blurb:
“Four women. One family heirloom. A secret connection that will change their lives—and history as they know it.

Present Day: Julia Baxter’s wedding veil, bequeathed to her great-grandmother by a mysterious woman on a train in the 1930s, has passed through generations of her family as a symbol of a happy marriage. But on the morning of her wedding day, something tells her that even the veil’s good luck isn’t enough to make her marriage last forever. Overwhelmed and panicked, she escapes to the Virgin Islands to clear her head. Meanwhile, her grandmother Babs is also feeling shaken. Still grieving the death of her beloved husband, she decides to move out of the house they once shared and into a retirement community. Though she hopes it’s a new beginning, she does not expect to run into an old flame, dredging up the same complicated emotions she felt a lifetime ago.

1914: Socialite Edith Vanderbilt is struggling to manage the luxurious Biltmore Estate after the untimely death of her cherished husband. With 250 rooms to oversee and an entire village dependent on her family to stay afloat, Edith is determined to uphold the Vanderbilt legacy—and prepare her free-spirited daughter Cornelia to inherit it—in spite of her family’s deteriorating financial situation. But Cornelia has dreams of her own. Asheville, North Carolina has always been her safe haven away from the prying eyes of the press, but as she explores more of the rapidly changing world around her, she’s torn between upholding tradition and pursuing the exciting future that lies beyond Biltmore’s gilded gates.

In the vein of Therese Anne Fowler’s A Well-Behaved Woman and Jennifer Robson’s The Gown, The Wedding Veil brings to vivid life a group of remarkable women forging their own paths—and explores the mystery of a national heirloom lost to time.”

The book is beautifully written, with vividly drawn characters and settings. I highly recommend it, 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Huge Thank You to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my advanced copy of The Wedding Veil!

Please do not let this star rating fool you! Some people will see a 3 or 3 and ½ Star Rating and think that this book was just not that great. It was!

I love Kristy Woodson Harvey and have read most of her backlist.

A lot of time and research was put into this novel and it shows. I appreciated the past and present timelines that spanned decades!

I was mostly invested in the present day. I love the way KWH writes family dynamics and female relationships. Not that the other timeline and POV's were bad: I just didn't love The Vanderbilt's as much.

Overall- Recommend. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Kirsty Woodson Harvey has done it again with this novel about 4 women and the wedding veil that has shaped their lives. I loved this book, the witty characters and their growth, as well as the mystery behind the wedding veil.

In the present day, Julia Baxter is engaged and feeling the pressure of wearing the wedding veil gifted by a stranger on a train in the 1930s that has brought good luck to her family for three generations. She panics and with the help of her grandmother, she runs away from her wedding.

in 1914 Edith Vanderbilt is at a loss after her beloved husband died and is struggling to manage the massive Biltmore estate. She is torn between honoring the life and dreams of her husband and the huge financial burden of running the estate.

I was not familiar with Kristy Woodson Harvey, but I am now a FAN. The Wedding Veil was a fantastic book.

1879: Edith discovered the veil. Edith’s mother, Susan Dresser told her the legend of the veil. Susan said the secret of the veil was you will find a wonderful man who is kind, handsome and loves you very much, and you will be happy forever.

In 1898, Edith married George Vanderbilt and moved into the 250 room Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. Edith and George had a daughter Cornelia. Cornelia married Jack Cecil in 1924 with the same wedding Veil.

Present day: Julia Baxter was to be married at Biltmore Estate with a Wedding veil that was passed down in her family. Julia’s wedding did not take place. Grandmother Bab’s rescued her from the man that was cheating on her. Now Julia must go on her quest to find out about the Wedding Veil.
It’s a story of strong women through time who value their female family relationship. The different timelines flow together beautifully. I had no idea the Biltmore Estate was a real place. I had to google it and learn more about the family.

This is a must read! Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to review the Wedding Veil.

A beautifully written story of an heirloom wedding veil! Kristy Woodson Harvey's mixing of past and present was seamless. The last chapter made me cry and laugh out loud. My favorite part was the relationship between grandmother, Babs, and granddaughter, Julia. This story made me want to learn more about the Vanderbilt family and Biltmore.

She is one of my favorite authors and she nailed this historical fiction book. This book was sent to me electronically for review from Netgalley…I am letting my friends know about this book…

Kristy Woodson Harvey has written a number of contempo lit/women’s fiction novels over the years and I have been a massive fan ever since I read her first book years ago! I have read almost all of her books and each one is always well written with charm, wit, and excellent story telling. I have recommended her books to so many of my friends and I have yet to meet someone who was disappointed in her novels.

This book is her first foray into historical fiction and sometimes the crossover doesn’t go smoothly for some writers. Most writers pick a genre and stick with it and historical fiction writers are kind of a weird breed to be honest. They often do meticulous research for their books and try to remain true to the period so it is rare to see an author go from contempo lit into historical fiction. If it were any other author, I would be nervous but I never once doubted that Harvey could make the cross over.

I was so excited to see this book was coming out and I spent MONTHS eagerly awaiting the release of the book and when it arrived I wasted no time diving into it. I just love Harvey’s writing style and couldn’t wait to see how her modern voice translated into a more historical piece. Not only is this cover stunning, the summary and story promised within are surly enough to lure readers in without much trouble! I know that I for one would have picked this one up based on the cover alone!

Summary

The New York Times bestselling author of Under the Southern Sky and the Peachtree Bluff series brings “her signature wit, charm, and heart” (Woman’s World) to this sweeping new novel following four women across generations, bound by a beautiful wedding veil and a connection to the famous Vanderbilt family.

Four women. One family heirloom. A secret connection that will change their lives—and history as they know it.

Present Day: Julia Baxter’s wedding veil, bequeathed to her great-grandmother by a mysterious woman on a train in the 1930s, has passed through generations of her family as a symbol of a happy marriage. But on the morning of her wedding day, something tells her that even the veil’s good luck isn’t enough to make her marriage last forever. Overwhelmed and panicked, she escapes to the Virgin Islands to clear her head. Meanwhile, her grandmother Babs is also feeling shaken. Still grieving the death of her beloved husband, she decides to move out of the house they once shared and into a retirement community. Though she hopes it’s a new beginning, she does not expect to run into an old flame, dredging up the same complicated emotions she felt a lifetime ago.

1914: Socialite Edith Vanderbilt is struggling to manage the luxurious Biltmore Estate after the untimely death of her cherished husband. With 250 rooms to oversee and an entire village dependent on her family to stay afloat, Edith is determined to uphold the Vanderbilt legacy—and prepare her free-spirited daughter Cornelia to inherit it—in spite of her family’s deteriorating financial situation. But Cornelia has dreams of her own. Asheville, North Carolina has always been her safe haven away from the prying eyes of the press, but as she explores more of the rapidly changing world around her, she’s torn between upholding tradition and pursuing the exciting future that lies beyond Biltmore’s gilded gates.

In the vein of Therese Anne Fowler’s A Well-Behaved Woman and Jennifer Robson’s The Gown, The Wedding Veil brings to vivid life a group of remarkable women forging their own paths—and explores the mystery of a national heirloom lost to time. (summary from Goodreads)

Review

The first thing that stood out to me in this one was the duel timeline narrative. This approach has been a staple in the historical fiction genre for a while now and while some people might feel like it’s over done, but I thought it worked well in this story fit appropriately within the narrative. I for one love pondering the backstory of family heirlooms and with this book the story of the wedding veil and the connection is has really came alive with the narrative. Each duel narrative worked to enhance the other, forming a nice synergistic feel to both plots. Over-done or not, the duel timeline worked for me in this one and I just loved it! I also loved that there was a little bit of a rom-com in the modern narrative that I was not expecting so if you love a fun little modern day romance mixed into a lovely historical fiction novel then this is a must read option!

Now as a huge fan of historical fiction, I am always approach every historical fiction novel with a critical eye. I love history and I appreciate attention to historical details so naturally I was most eager to read the historical parts of this book. I was pleasantly surprised by the attention to detail and historical research that was done with this one! Baltimore House was almost it’s own character in this book and I loved reading about it as well as the Vanderbilt family. I thought Harvey did a marvelous job crafting a fictional story based on real people and events with care and attention to the historical details. I think that even the most devoted readers of historical fiction will appreciate her research, care, and details that went into making this book shine in the historical fiction genre.

Harvey does generational novels so incredibly well. I cannot reiterate enough how well written this book is and how each story line is compelling in its own way. I absolutely adored reading this book and didn’t want it to end. There is so much to enjoy in each narrative, you will find love, history, glamour, emotion, and addition in this one—-addicting because you will NOT want to put this one down or want it to end! Often when I read duel timeline books I find I am invested in one timeline more than the other but not with this one. Each timeline has a lot to enjoy and relate to and I simply adored this one. I hope Harvey will continue to write historical fiction novels because she certainly has a gift with them!

Book Info and Rating

Format: 416 pages, paperback

Published: March 29th 2022 by Gallery Books

ISBN: 9781982180713

Free review copy provided by publisher, Gallery Books in partnership with the Tall Poppy Writers/Bloggers, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 5 stars

Genre: historical fiction

Four women. One veil. Kristy Woodson Harvey’s classic southern fiction that I’ve come to love gets a little something extra in her first historical fiction novel. We follow four women across generations with unknown connections, family secrets, and so much more.

This sweeping novel is split between two timelines. One for Cornelia and Edith Vanderbilt starting in the early 1900s and the second in the present day.

Although I live only a few hours from the Biltmore estate, I’ve never visited and I can’t say I knew a lot about the Biltmore and the Vanderbilt women. I enjoyed learning about the many hardships they faced, their legacy, and everything they did to keep their family home afloat.

The present-day storyline is equally as fun with Julia Baxter, the runaway bride, escaping to the Virgin Islands to rethink her life. Plus, her grandmother Babs is the real winner of this book. She’s strong, she’s sassy, and she’s full of wise advice.

There is so much to love in this book:
-mother-daughter relationships
-history
-dual timelines
-secrets

Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey wove together a story, which was purely fiction and an interesting piece of historical fiction. The historical fiction was about Cornelia Vanderbilt, whose father George dreamt of and built the Biltmore in Ashville, North Carolina. Look her up: she was a true eccentric and possibly this story explains why. The purely fictional part of the story is about an insecure young woman who walks away from her wedding, literally, and ascribes having the courage to do that as coming from her wedding veil, which had been handed down for several generations. The legend was that if the bride wore this veil she would have a long and happy marriage. Well, it had worked for several generations. It kept her parents together, but happy? Not so much. Now she knew that it would not work and she could not let the veil down.

In her architectural research she had come across a photo of Cornelia Vanderbilt in her wedding dress and read the article, which said the veil had been lost and the one on display was a replica. Certain that her veil was the lost Vanderbilt veil she started on a quest to right her life and return the veil to the Biltmore estate. It was an intriguing tale, which led me to do more research on Biltmore and the Vanderbilts. A book that can inspire such interest is a book worth reading. Poor Cornelia: she had everything and she was miserable. It was an enjoyable read.

I was invited to read a free ARC of the Wedding Veil by Simon & Schuster, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #simon&schuster #theweddingveil #kristywoodsonharvey

I don’t even know where to begin! Kristy Woodson Harvey really out did herself on this one. I have added Biltmore to my bucket list. Kristy’s rendition of the Vanderbilts really has me intrigued. I do not want to give any spoilers. I hope my grand children save me as a Babs!
This is definitely not one that you want to miss 💙

The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey was a true delight to read. It weaves through past and present seamlessly over the power and mystery of a wedding veil. I have read a few books that have the Vanderbilts in them, but this was my first time learning details about the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, and the Vanderbilt family that lived there. I visited the estate a few years ago, but it was about to close and unfortunately, we were not able to take the tour so I was especially interested in the setting of this book. Present day focuses on Julia Baxter, a bride-to-be, and her grandmother, Babs, with whom she has the most beautiful relationship. The past focuses on Edith Dresser Vanderbilt and her daughter, Cornelia Vanderbilt Cecil, the two of which must work hard and be clever about keeping the Biltmore Estate running after Edith's husband dies and then The Great Depression. Through it all, there is the mystery of how a wedding veil connects them. If you are a fan of Kristy Woodson Harvey like I am or just love books full of southern charm, make sure to add this to your reading list. Fair warning: be prepared to not want to stop once you start, you will be enveloped in the beauty of it and not want to put the book down until you reach the last page.

I've been wanting to visit Biltmore Estate for years, so when I heard about The Wedding Veil, it was the perfect opportunity for me to visit with a journey inside the pages of this book.

"Four women. One family heirloom. A secret connection that will change their lives --and history as they know it."

Julia Baxter has dreamed since she was a little girl of wearing the family heirloom wedding veil that was gifted to her great-grandmother by a mysterious woman on a train in the 1930s, and has brought love and luck to her family ever since. On the eve of her wedding day, Julia receives a video message of her fiancee with another woman and her world is suddenly turned on end. She calls off the wedding and takes her honeymoon alone so she can sort out what her future holds.

Babs, Julia's grandmother, is also learning to navigate new waters. Her husband Reid was the love of her life and with him gone, Babs is lonely and afraid, but she is hoping a move to the new retirement community will help her find a path forward.

Edith Dresser Vanderbilt and her daughter Cornelia Vanderbilt have just suffered the terrible loss of Edith's husband and Cornelia's father George Vanderbilt. How will Edith keep Biltmore Estate going and how will Cornelia deal with the bright spotlight that is being shown on her?

Learning about the women behind Biltmore Estate and also the way the Biltmore Estate developed over the years was fascinating. I appreciated the balance of Julia's story as a young woman finding her way and Babs' story of a more experienced woman finding new ways to grow. It was a satisfying book, that was at times slightly predictable, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow this book is amazing!!!!! I loved this fiction telling of The Vanderbilt and their history. It makes me want to go to the Biltmore House even more than I already did!!!!! Kristy Woodson Harvey is a literary genius and her books are priceless works of fiction art.

The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey is a rapturous story of romance and history. Four women, two in present-day and two from the early 1900’s, have a connection that none of them are aware exists.
Julia Baxter, our present-day bride-to-be, is about to attend her lavish Bridal Luncheon staged at the elegant Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, when she and all her guests receive a video-text message of her fiancé passionately kissing another woman. Julia is stunned, of course, and doesn’t know if this is a mean joke masquerading as a wedding prank, or if it’s real.

Hayes, the fiancé in question, has received the text as well, and immediately tries to bring every excuse heard before time, to his defense, including the famous, ‘this isn’t what it looks like.’ Over the next twenty-four hours before the wedding, Julia has time to assess the ten-year relationship she and Hayes have conducted. The morning of her wedding, dressed in her gown, she decides not to go through with the wedding, and her beloved grandmother, Babs, helps her escape.

In 1898, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser is about to become the wife of George Washington Vanderbilt, in Paris, France. After a four-month long honeymoon traveling through Europe, George and Edith would be moving to Asheville, NC to assume residence at the Biltmore Estate, then the largest and most glamourous home in America.

Edith loved George and had taken to love Biltmore as their family home. Cornelia, their only child, adored the house and surrounding grounds, feeling there was no where else she’d rather live. By 1914, their happiness would change with the sudden death of George after a routine appendectomy, in Washington, DC, at 51 years old.

Over the course of the book, Edith and Cornelia focus all their energy on maintaining the huge Biltmore Estate and keeping it one-step away from financial disaster. Cornelia marries, has two sons, and remains at Biltmore until early middle-age, when she feels compelled to ‘get away.’ She struggles with the tradition in which she was raised and the need of pursuing her own dreams.

Juliet, our present-day, run-away-bride, takes Hayes’s advice and goes on their honeymoon to the British Virgin Islands (BVI) alone. Just as she begins to regret this decision, she meets Conner Hamilton, a handsome architect who’s becoming the next star of that fascinating world. He’s even won awards for a building he designed in New York. Conner turns out to be not only be charming, but someone Juliet finds is easy to talk to and just be around.

She reveals to Conner that she was just about to graduate from architectural school before she left it and her final project behind. He convinces her to try and reenroll in school and graduate and offers to help her with that final project. Is this too good to be true? Juliet certainly does not want to jump into a new relationship immediately after ending a ten-year one. Perhaps she’ll just see where this might go with no commitments or promises, yet.

So much happens to both sets of women in their respective time frames that you’ll enjoy being in their company and won’t want to leave. Plus, I haven’t mentioned the wedding veil at all; the story around that item is a beautiful mystery. Don’t worry, it’s all revealed in time. Walk right in and welcome to this enchanting world created by Kristy Woodson Harvey, you’ll love every minute.


Thank you Netgalley, Edelweiss and Gallery Books.

The Wedding Veil was quite a wonderful surprise! The title led me to think that the book would be a lot of fluff, but it was a serious look at women's lives both currently and in the early 1900's. The historical section of the book revolves around Edith Vanderbilt who married George Vanderbilt not long after he completed The Biltmore. I savored the descriptions of the mansion since I was lucky to have toured it last summer. That portion follows the birth of their daughter Cornelia through to her mid-30's.

In the modern day parts of the book, we have three generations of women and a wedding veil that they have been raised to believe brings happiness and luck to any couple when the bride is wearing it when they are married. Julia is set to be married to a man she has been with off and on for a decade. At the brunch attended by all the women in her life the day before the wedding a text message with a video of her fiancé with another woman is sent to everyone there. Obviously doubts about the marriage ensue. Julia leans a lot on her grandmother, Babs, who happens to be my favorite character. Babs, at the age of 80, is also taking control and embarking on a new chapter of her life.

Without giving too much away, we learn how the strength of the Vanderbilt women intersect the lives of Julia and her grandmother while at the same time Julia learns how to live on her own. There's history, romance, and a little mystery along with humor and family drama. This book has a bit of all, and it works because the characters take us along on the journey.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for this honest review.

Kristy Woodson Harrvey has done it again! She writes stories you can't put down. I loved t
his one just as much as I've loved all of her previous books.

Review will be posted on 3/31/22

Julia Baxter's family has an heirloom, a wedding veil, that has been passed down through her family for years. It's not just a wedding veil though; it symbolizes a happy future and long lasting marriage. Julia is planning her dream wedding at the Biltmore Estate, but things aren't going as planned. Julia receives an anonymous text that shows a video of her fiance cheating on her. Cue the drama as the wedding was about to unfold. Julia can't go through with it as this isn't the first time she has had fidelity issues with her fiance, so after the wedding is called off she travels on her honeymoon alone to figure things out. Rewind many years to Edith and Cornelia Vanderbilt in 1914 at the Biltmore Estate. They are struggling to keep it afloat after the sudden death of George Vanderbilt and the Great Crash of 1929. The two families have a connection to the heirloom of the wedding veil, but share much more than that deep down. Both Cornelia and Julia want to break free from society's expectations and make their own way. Kristy Woodson Harvey's The Wedding Veil is a pleasant historical novel about the power of family, and having the courage to follow your heart.

The Wedding Veil ties together four women, but Cornelia and Julia's stories stand out the most. Julia's story in present day was the easiest to imagine and the unsuspecting text prior the wedding is enough to make any former bride anxious. Readers can't help but feel bad for Julia at first, but then you start to learn more about her relationship and realize that she is definitely dodging a bullet. How did she get this far with her fiance though? Why did she stay with him this long? Because it was comfortable? So, I was happy to see Julia break free from her fiance, break free from those expectations, and forge a new path for herself. Once she travels to the Virgin Islands (her honeymoon) solo, she starts to not only figure out who she is without her fiance, but also what she wants out of life as she has lost sight of her goals. Also, I really enjoyed Julia's relationship with her grandmother, Babs, and was entertained by the chapters from her point of view. She tugged on my heartstrings and made me think of my grandmother.

Cornelia Vanderbilt is a difficult character to capture in The Wedding Veil, but Harvey did a good job considering this is her first foray into historical novel. I enjoyed the passages describing the Biltmore Estate and although I have never been there, Harvey brought it to life well. She also captured the pressure and immense responsibility that weighed over the Edith Vanderbilt's head as she was in charge of this luxurious 250 room estate as well as the surrounding village. Cornelia has responsibilities to carry on things for the family, but she also has her own hopes for her future. The wedding veil originally is in Cornelia's possession and without giving too much away, Harvey is able to tie these two unlikely families together very well.

The pacing of The Wedding Veil did drag at times in the middle, especially the historical sections, as I found myself really wanting to go back to present day to see what Julia was going to do next. Other than some of the sluggish parts, I thought The Wedding Veil was a solid historical read, especially for fans of A Well-Behaved Woman. It has inspired me to plan my own trip to the Biltmore Estate.

Are you a fan of Kristy Woodson Harvey? Is The Wedding Veil on your TBR list? Have you been to the Biltmore Estate? Let me know in the comments below.