A luxurious wedding veil has been passed through a family for generations. The Vanderbilt veil. Is this veil a blessing or a curse? It is hoped that the veil will bring good luck, but for some it seems that it is anything but.

The story begins in 1879 with six-year-old Edith Dresser. She hears a wonderful story from her mother about a magical wedding veil. Sadly, Edith is soon orphaned. In 1898 Edith is about to marry. She is saddened as she misses the fact that her mother will not see her get married. However, she will wear the family veil, which is a lace point heirloom. Edith Dresser marries the love of her life, George Washington Vanderbilt, and the legacy continues.

Then we meet Julia Baxter. She looks glamorous on her wedding day and is wearing the carefully preserved precious veil. However, a group text changes everything and she calls the wedding off, fleeing to the previously designated honeymoon location to try and sort her future out. She meets Connor and even wonders if she just might have a brief fling.

While Julia is struggling to sort our her future, it is soon learned that her grandmother Babs has sold the family home and is moving into a retirement home. She did not want to worry the family about any major decisions concerning her, so she did this all on her own. Running into a man that was once very special to her is something that Babs never expected.

As the story shifts back to 1914, now Edith is managing the vast and exquisite Biltmore Estate after the tragic loss of her husband George. She will do her best to keep the 250-room estate running with hopes of passing it on to her daughter Cornelia. However, Cornelia wants more for herself in life. The story then shifts to 1934 with Cornelia striving to make her own mark in the world while keeping the Biltmore running.

Kristy Woodson Harvey has woven the mistress of Biltmore, a real historical icon, Edith Stuyvesant Vanderbilt, into the pages of this truly engaging read. As the book closes, the author's note illustrates Harvey's remarkable research and talent when it came to bringing this book alive to readers. Quite naturally, Harvey took literary liberties to make this such an enjoyable story. There are tons of resources for anyone who wants to take a similar course of research as this talented author.

Side note: The Biltmore Estate is still around in a grand way. It is a glamrous 8,000 acre oasis.

Please also see my YouTube video book review - https://youtu.be/4hzdbr5wQ_c

Many thanks to Gallery Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Kristy Woodson Harvey writes the kinds of stories that readers enjoy. Those who have picked up books by authors including Dorothea Benton Frank will want to give this title a look. It is a women’s fiction title that has heart.

As is currently popular (and enjoyed by me), this story travels across several time periods. It spans many years, running from 1914 to the present day. The common thread (no pun intended) is a wedding veil, its history,meaning and beauty a part of the narrative.

This is a story about women who face challenges and changes. Readers will be absorbed spending time with everyone from a bride who feels uncertainty about her wedding in the present day to a grandmother who is making changes. One part of the story that I especially enjoyed had to do with a real people, Edith Vanderbilt and her daughter.

Is there a connection between the Vanderbilts and the other characters? Read this one to find out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are

Happy Publication Day!
The Wedding Veil
by: Kristy Woodson Harvey
Gallery Books
Genres: Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction

Kristy Woodson Harvey's writing just gets better with each book that she writes. She is an author that you want to be your best friend, knowing that spending time engrossed in her pages brings warmth and deep female relationships. The legacy of an heirloom wedding veil is at the center of this story of connecting the past to the future for a group of four extraordinary women.

In her engaging first historical fiction endeavor, Harvey provides a dual timeline set in both 1914 and present time.
Each time period was equally intriguing for me, along with the contrasting settings of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina and the Virgin Islands. I loved exploring both the differences and similarities of love and finding one's place and purpose in both historical and contemporary times.

Women who value their female relationships with their mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and siblings will appreciate the depth of Harvey's belief in the importance of these connections. This book is one to cherish and savor, and I'm happy to highly recommend it.

Thank you to Net Galley and Gallery Books for the advance reader's copy and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.
#NetGalley #TheWeddingVeil

Oh my goodess! The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey is a wonderful book. I love this book because it has a dual timeline that brought more depth to the story. I have loved all of the books I have read by this author. They all are southern fiction. This one is too but, is also Historical Fiction. I believe it is my favorite of all of her books.

One timeline is the story of the Vanderbilt mansion called the Biltmore and the women who lived there. The Biltmore was built and owned by George Vanderbilt. He met and married his wife Edith at the age of 35. I believe she was 25 and they were married until he died 16 years later. They had one daughter that inherited the Biltmore whose name was Cornelia. Edith always said George was the true love of her life although she went on to marry one more time. I love the Biltmore and have visited there three times over the years. It was facinating to learn of it’s history and the expense to the family taking care of the largest family owned home in the United States. It has 250 rooms!

The other takes place in several locations. It is about a family that has a wedding veil that is supposed to bring whoever wears it to wed a lifetime of love and happiness. The most recent bride to wear it learns some interesting facts about the veil that I can’t tell you about. This timeline was more of what you expect out of Harvey’s books. It was nice to have the two timelines and watch how they were eventually weaved together.

The characters were well developed and likeable, the history was well researched and the storyline was very cleaver. If you are a fan of Historical and Southern Fiction, you will fall in love with this book. If you love Kristy Woodson Harvey and weren’t sure if this book was for you because it is a little different, take my advise and jump right in. You are going to be glad you did.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the historical aspect of it.
This is a dual timeline story that bounces back and forth between the time of Edith and Cornelia Vanderbilt (late 1800s to mid-1930s) and Julia and her family in the current day.
The funny thing is that the veil, which links the two timelines, is the least interesting part of the story, and yet, there would be no story without it!
Still, the book is well-written with a mix of contemporary romance and historical fiction. It is relatively fast-paced, and even though I preferred the Vanderbilt part of the story more, I did love the relationship between Julia and her grandmother, Babs.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

The Wedding Veil is a compelling read, written with Kristy Woodson Harvey's trademark charm. This novel features four women, dual timelines and an exquisite wedding veil. I thoroughly enjoyed this window into the world of the Vanderbilt family, their quest to build a phenomenal home, and all the trials and tribulations that come from being wealthy and admired in America. My favorite characters are Babs and Julia. Their relationship is such a poignant reflection of how special the bond between grandparents and grandchildren can be. I adored this novel from beginning to end, and I'm super excited to read whatever comes next from Kristy Woodson Harvey. Keeping my fingers crossed that she'll give us more historical fiction someday.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions stated here are my own.

The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey is a women’s fiction novel that does have a touch of reality involved with basing characters off the famous Vanderbilt family. The story in The Wedding Veil is one that is told by changing the point of view between multiple characters and also alternating timelines. Half of the story takes place in the past and the other half in the current time making it a mix of historical and contemporary with some romance and a bit of mystery.

The story in the past begins in 1879 with Edith’s mother telling her about her wedding veil and how she will one day wear it so she will have a wonderful and happy life with her future husband. In the present time Julia Baxter is about to get married to her long time on again and off again boyfriend. Julia is planning on wearing the wedding veil that has been passed down in her family since the 30s thought to bring good luck to all the brides. Instead of a wedding though Julia calls of the marriage when a video is found of the groom cheating with another woman.

The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey was a very multi layered story that you just know would at some point connect the characters from the past and the current. I loved that this veil meant so much to so many throughout the years and really enjoyed getting to know everyone along the way and watching the characters grow as the story unfolds in both timelines. I would call the romance within a bit on the lighter side and that was totally a good thing as it fit the rest of the story wonderfully. This was the second book I’d read by the author and again it did not disappoint at all leaving me wanting to return to her books in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Those who have followed my blog for a while know that I’m a big fan of Kristy Woodson Harvey’s novels. I love how she writes her characters with warmth and depth, as well as how vibrantly she brings to life the settings for each of her books. I was thrilled to learn that The Wedding Veil is actually a historical fiction novel since that’s one of my favorite genres and I couldn’t wait to see how Harvey reimagines the lives of one of the most famous families of the Gilded Age, the Vanderbilts.

In short, I loved everything about The Wedding Veil! I thought the premise of having the lives of four generations of women bound together by something as seemingly as simple as a wedding veil was just so creative and I loved watching their stories unfold and learning how it was possible that the treasured Vanderbilt heirloom veil ends up in the hands of another unrelated family altogether.

Harvey traces the journey of the veil from one family to the other through the use of dual timelines. We follow Edith Vanderbilt and her daughter Cornelia in the early 20th century, and the struggles they encountered while trying to keep their famous home, The Biltmore Estate, up and running after Mr. Vanderbilt unexpectedly passes away. I admired their strength and determination in the face of such difficult odds, including, particularly in Cornelia’s case, being forced into roles that they didn’t necessarily want and how the symbol of the wedding veil tied into all of that. I thought that Harvey did a wonderful job of telling the Vanderbilt women’s stories with great respect and compassion.

As much as I enjoyed learning more about the Vanderbilt women and the Biltmore estate, the contemporary timeline was actually the one that captivated me the most, especially since it starts out with a runaway bride who is encouraged to run away, by all people, her grandmother! I loved Julia and Grandma Babs from that opening scene and just couldn’t get enough of them. Julia does a runner because she learns her soon-to-be-husband has been cheating on her and feels like she would be tainting the treasured family wedding veil if she were to go through with the wedding. The veil and all it stands for leads Julia to go on a soul searching journey to figure out what she wants out of life, everyone else’s expectations be damned. I really liked Julia – she’s smart, spunky, and resilient, and the more we get to see Grandma Babs in action, it’s easy to see where Julia gets her spark from.

I don’t want to say anything else because I think it’s best to experience the journeys of these four extraordinary women yourself, but I will say that with all of its intricate threads woven together between past and present, The Wedding Veil is a beautifully written story that spotlights the inner strength of these four unforgettable women and that celebrates love, family, and a woman’s right to choose her own path.

The Wedding Veil is a historical/contemporary fiction set in dual time frame with four narrators. The past focuses on the Vanderbilts during the peak and decline of the Gilded Age which seems to be a popular setting in so many newly published books. The author's writing style has great flow and is well paced. Things I liked: the multigenerational relationships in both settings and how the past and present were connected. Thing that made me think: the general theme of wanting something different for yourself that may not make sense to other people. Overall I really liked this one! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early read!

Historical fiction and the present…I do not enjoy books written in several time periods…however, that seems to be the trend…that being said, this author is ingenious and weaving a story written today and then…reading about the Biltmore was fun…the characters are quirky and delightful… this is a quick read…a cozy read if you will…so cozy up with a warm Afghan, a cup of steaming herbal tea, and a delicious scone…or read this by the ocean with a cool glass of lemonade…either place fits…I look forward to more books by this author. This book was sent to me electronically for review from Netgalley…

A blend of the present and the past but with women that all want the same thing, happiness. 

This fictionalized story of the Vanderbilt family and The Biltmore fascinated me and remind me of a couple of shows that are set in this same time period. To be that wealthy might have been nice but had its own share of problems. This story follows the life of Edith and Cornelia Vanderbilt (the past), and Julia and Babs (the present). Each family has a veil that has been passed down through the ages and is supposed to bring good luck. It might have been in the past, but when it was Julia's turn to marry she becomes the runaway bride.  She may love Hayes and he might love her, but that doesn't mean that they belong together. An unsuspecting video puts Julia on another path to rediscover herself and what she wants from life. It also forces Babs (Julia's grandmother) to take a hard look at her own life since her husband's passing and is she living the life that she wants or deserves?

The story flips back and forth in time and we see the lives of these women unfold as they marry, discover themselves, and look to the future. Edith created the Biltmore estates and everything it entailed. That was a huge undertaking for her and her husband, George, but they did succeed. They have their ups and downs due to the times and even they were affected by the stock market crash in 1929. If you were wealthy even in these times you were looked at differently. Julia, an aspiring architect, has always admired this estate and chose to get married there. We learn that Julia has given up her dream of being an architect due to negative feedback from a professor. Instead of fighting for her project, she ran away. She ran away from her wedding too and she has a lot of soul searching to do to decide where she must land in this life.

We don't know the whole story about how Julia's family received the treasured veil, but bits and pieces are revealed and the full story is discovered in a letter that ties both stories together. It is a beautiful tale and gives one hope for happiness no matter what life throws at you.

Julia learns a lot about herself with the help of a new architect friend, Connor. He isn't present in the whole story but is at the beginning and the end. It was nice to see that he was not brought in too soon before Julia had a chance to discover who she was without Hayes (her former fiance) and how she was going to support herself.

I found the stories about Edith and Cornelia fascinating because that was a different time when women were expected to marry and raise a family. They didn't do much else and rarely had a career. However, Edith and Cornelia's running of the estate was quite an undertaking and I can't even imagine doing what they did to keep it afloat and supporting those that lived on the estate or in the village. 

I appreciated the author's notes about how she came to write this story so make sure to check that out if you pick up this book.

Overall, we really enjoyed the story and give it 5 paws up.

I love historical fiction and Kristy Woodson Harvey is one of my must-read authors so when I found out that her new book was historical fiction, I was through the roof excited. I couldn't wait to read the story she created. I've loved everything that she has written so I knew this would be excellent.

The Wedding Veil did not disappoint. Four generations sharing the same beautiful wedding veil. Oh, the stories that veil could tell. I loved reading about the love that the veil came to mean to each bride as well as learning about each woman and the lives that they lived. What an amazing group of strong, independent women forging ahead with their lives.

As with any historical fiction story I read, I love learning the actual history that the author has researched and placed into their story. To weave such an entertaining, enlightening story around history is truly special.

I absolutely loved everything about The Wedding Veil and highly recommend it, especially for historical fiction fans. And if you have not read KWH's stories yet, this one would be a great one to start with.

I love dual timeline novels, and I've heard so much about Biltmore over the years, so I was excited to read this. This book taught me a lot about the Vanderbilt family, and I was glad, as I enjoy being educated as well as entertained. (I want to visit Biltmore now!)

There are four POVs, and the author does a nice job of blending them, and each woman is well-crafted and relatable. I've seen movies and read other books with a similar theme (various women with the same veil), and this was one of my favorites. I've never read books by this author in the past, but I will look for more in the future.

What a beautiful story! The authors note in the back explains how close she tried to stay to the Vanderbilt’s story. This dual timeline story is told from the present and the 1910’s with a few pre-1900 chapters. The past focuses on the Vanderbilt women and the present is a woman determined to find her path.

I loved this book from page one! The author’s writing captures my attention in this and her previous books. This is a story you will fly through because you can’t put it down. If you love books with southern women leads and a southern feeling, this is a book for you!

What a story! I was sad for it to end.

I loved the modern day romance weaved in with the historical aspect from the early 1900’s. It was interesting to learn about the history of the Vanderbilts, the Biltmore and the wedding veil.

This was my first by Woodson Harvey, although I do have several on my TBR. She makes it difficult to not like and root for her strong, determined characters. I highly recommend reading when it releases on March 29, 2022. Thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for a digital copy of this amazing book.

This is a well written story about four women and one special wedding veil. We start the story with Julia. She is closing in on her wedding day and having a very special bride's luncheon at the Biltmore Estate. Her grandmother Babs again tells her the story that she has shared many times about the family bridal veil. This veil has been passed down for several generations and each has had a very happy marriage. But part of the story is that Julia's great grandmother was given the veil from a stranger at the train station.
This is where the story splits and tells the story of Edith Vanderbilt and when she first wore the veil. Yes the Vanderbilts that built the Biltmore. We got through history of Edith's daughter Cornelia when she wore the veil and the aftermath of both of their weddings.
There are lots of twists and turns in this story and a lot of growth by strong women. It is fiction but you kind of hope there is a little truth to this story.

This is an enjoyable novel that I would categorize as a cross between Women's Fiction and Historical Fiction.

This is an interwoven story that ties together a number of generations through a wedding veil. I liked how the novel went back and forth between the generations. I also like how it included historical information about the Vanderbilt family.

This is a modern story about Julia Baxter, who is on the verge of getting married and wearing the wedding veil. It is also about the historical Vanderbilt family and their ties to the wedding veil.

I've read numerous Kristy Woodson Harvey books and this one does not disappoint. I especially liked all of the information at the end of the book. Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and Kristy Woodson Harvey for an ARC of this book. I'm looking forward to her next book.

I’m captivated by the beautiful spring cover on The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book since I am from North Carolina and love books set in one of my favorite historical homes to visit, the Biltmore. Harvey’s first historical novel is a breath of fresh air, containing fascinating historical tidbits about the women of the Vanderbilt family who maintained the Biltmore’s legacy, sometimes to their own personal detriment, mixed with a compelling contemporary story of personal introspection and new starts.

I loved both storylines and couldn’t pick which one I liked best! Edith and Cornelia Vanderbilt were trailblazing women who chose very different paths in life to live out their destiny. I felt a real kinship with Edith’s sense of duty and was struck by Cornelia’s yearning for more out of life. The contemporary storyline with Julia’s hesitation about her wedding at the Biltmore and her grandmother’s quest to find love again was very poignant and emotional. I love seeing people find their way back after suffering a devastating loss, and both of these stories were heartfelt and real.

All four women are linked through an heirloom veil, and I loved learning more about the real historical veil and the mystery of its whereabouts. After reading the book, I dug out my own wedding dress and veil, still in its protective sealed case from my wedding 24 years ago. As a mom of boys, I don’t hold any hope that my veil will be used as an heirloom anytime soon but maybe one day with a granddaughter? It’s such a lovely concept, the passing of a wedding heirloom through the generations containing the love and hope of your ancestors. As a history enthusiast, I can’t help but be a fan of anything that connects us to our own personal history.

Being a fan of Kristy Woodson Harvey's family drama writing style in Peachtree Bluff, I was so excited to read a family drama with multiple timelines and point of views mixed with historical fiction. I was not disappointed in The Wedding Veil.

The historical fiction portion of the book revolves around Edith and Cornelia Vanderbilt and the Biltmore Estate. Having always wanted to travel to the Biltmore it was fascinating to learn about the history and increased my desire to visit. Both of these women were so strong in the face of a hard time in history and it showed their drive to keep their husband/father's Biltmore dream alive.

The modern day story revolves around Julia and her grandmother Babs, the two of them have always had a special connection. Julia is about to get married at the Biltmore and on her wedding day is faced with a grim reality that she has always known but never acknowledged about her fiancée. Instead of settling she decides to jet off on her honeymoon and use the opportunity to re-center and re-assess her future. One thing that does come out of the day is her realization that their family wedding veil that brings happy, lasting marriages to all who wear it, bears a striking resemblance to the long-lost Vanderbilt veil.

Babs is trying to recover from the lost of her dear husband and prevent her children from becoming her parental figures as is wont to happen in old age. She decides to take her life in her own hands and moves herself into a retirement community much to the chagrin of her daughters. She is a spitfire of an 80-year-old woman and one of my favorite characters in the book.

The alternating POVs in the chapters sometimes had me wanting to skip ahead and see where that storyline was headed. However, my patience paid off as the stories worked closer and closer together until the interwoven nature of this type of book came clear while each story followed its own arc. I felt invested in each of the storylines, I was cheering for the romances and the woman as they pursued their various dreams and passions.

Almost immediately after starting this book I was fully immersed in the stories of the different women who all wore "The Wedding Veil". Like most good novels with a historical base, this one left me wanting to learn more about the historical figure, in this case Cornelia Vanderbilt, and at the same time I was totally immersed in the present day stories.

I've never been that enthralled with the Biltmore Estate but now I look forward to reading more and will see it through new eyes thanks to this book. All in all a very engaging and interesting book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.