I enjoy historical fiction but this one couldn’t hold my interest. Dorothy Draper grew up in a rich household that spent summers at the famous Greenbrier. During WWII, the Greenbrier was used as a military hospital. Drawer’s marriages had failed and she became a sought-after interior designed. The resort hires her to revamp the entire property and bring it back to it’s former glory. Callaway has sprinkled in famous people effectively. The story jumps back and forth between Draper’s young years at the resort and present time, a format I usually enjoy. The characters just never caught with me. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Really loved this book! A captivating look at the life and loves of Dorothy Draper—and the gorgeous Greenbriar hotel. Adore historic grand hotels, and refurbishing one would be a dream job. With fully realized characters and plenty of period detail, this story is the perfect escape for right now.

Historical fiction at its best based on the real life of Dorothy Tuckerman .Three time periods in her fascinating life who followed her own path.A fabulous woman a designer who redesigns the famous Green Briar hotel..A book I will be recommending,#netgalley#theGranddesign.

This was a captivating book that completely swept me in from the beginning. It is a split timeline novel and begins in 1908 and ends in 1961. The author smoothly transitions her readers back and forth through the years. The story was very well researched and I felt like I was there at the Greenbrier Resort mingling with the guests. The book was based on the true story of Dorothy Draper, who was America’s first to establish an interior design firm. It is her story from the time she was a debutante attending the balls at the famous Greenbrier to her career in interior decorating. In 1946 to 1948, Dorothy took on the challenge of returning the Greenbrier Resort to its former glory and beyond with a whole new design. I found this book to be very entertaining, realistic and informative. It was almost impossible to put the book down once I started reading it. I loved the happily ever after ending and it goes on my self of favorite books.

1908
Dorothy Tuckerman came from a wealthy New York family. She was a debutante just coming of age to marry. She was bored with her life and keeping up with the demands society placed on the rich. She didn’t appreciate how her wealthy family and friends looked down on the less fortunate. Dorothy often longed to just run away from it all and be free to do the things she really wanted and find a man she could fall in love with, not caring what family he came from or what social standing he had. Her parents had a young man from the Abercrombie family picked out for Dorothy to one day marry but she considered him a friend and not someone she wanted for a husband. Then Enzo Rossi, Italian race car driver came to visit The Greenbrier Resort. He was handsome and he made her heart pound when he looked at her. Enzo and Dorothy fell in love but Mr and Mrs Tuckerman didn’t approve. Dorothy felt she was a prisoner of her family’s wealth and social standing. Would she give it all up to gain her freedom to love Enzo and marry him?

1946
The years have passed and now Dorothy Draper is divorced and has her own interior design business. She is a mother and grandmother and very independent. She is no longer a member of upper New York society and in fact she is looked down on because she has a career in a successful business and is divorced from her husband. Dorothy has just been hired by the Chairman of the C&O Railroad to restore the Greenbrier Resort to its original glory. It had been turned into a hospital during the war years but now C&O wants Dorothy to restore it back to a resort. Dorothy wants to completely change it to a brighter more colorful place. It will have Dorothy Draper’s creative touch and people would long remember her legacy in years to come. She has been given a budget and a limited amount of time to do the renovations. As Dorothy walks the halls of Greenbrier hotel memories come flooding back and she realizes that after all these years she is still in love with Enzo. This assignment is an overwhelming challenge for her but a great opportunity for her business to grow . Will she be able to design a newer Greenbrier Resort within the budget allowed her and the time frame she’s been given to complete the Grand Design?

I recommend this book to readers of Historical Romance and Woman’s Fiction. It is a stand alone read. This book is scheduled to be released on 5/17/22.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#TheGrandDesign#NetGalley

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperMuse for my ARC of The Grand Design. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The Grand Design takes us to the Greenbrier Hotel through the life of designer and socialite Dorothy Draper. We see the grandeur of the Greenbrier in two different eras, the early 1900s and then later in the late 1940s. The thread that ties the two timelines are Dorothy Draper’s life as a young woman visiting in the 1900s and then as a designer to take the Greenbrier back to its glory after having served as hospital during the war.

Callaway does an exquisite job of describing the grand and beautiful details while creating a love story that crosses eras. It is easy to see the confines of being a young woman heiress expected to marry well and live up to high society’s expectations.

I truly enjoyed this work of historical fiction, and I find myself wanting to make a trip to the Greenbrier Hotel.

I enjoyed this story, mainly because I once visited the Greenbriar in the 1980's for an educational conference. By this time Carleton Varney had bought Dorothy Draper & Company, but I immediately recognized the Draper decors seen in magazines. This happened several years later when we went on vacation to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan. Her designs are definitely unique, as is her story of socialite turned decorator.

The fascinatingly reimagined story of the inimitable Dorothy Draper & the famed Greenbrier resort in West Virginia.
Spanning three time periods, the story shares insights into ideas of class, gender & relationships.
With great thanks to NetGalley & Harper Muse for this ARC!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A coming-of-age story mingled with the storied history of The Greenbriar - this book captures you from the first and holds for a good read. Based on the real story of Dorothy Draper, Dorothy Tuckerman is of the privileged set in the early 1900's, and "summers" at the Greenbriar, where she enjoys the relaxed days and dance-filled nights. But in her heart, she knows this lifestyle is not what she wants. Instead, she has always had an eye for design, and wants to pursue that passion. Her parents want her to marry the "safe choice" - her best friend who, despite her trying to feel otherwise, is only on the platonic level. It's not until an Italian race car driver enters the picture that Dorothy begins to imagine a "what if" kind of lifestyle.

Almost 40 years later, Dorothy is now an established designer, and has been chosen to refurbish The Greenbriar, and to bring the the charm of the old hotel to the newer hotel that was once used as a field hospital, and has since been neglected. As she reimagines what could be in design, she also is haunted by the ghosts of her past, and must consider what her success has cost her in her personal life.

I've not been to The Greenbriar, but the author brings it alive in the description so well that the reader "sees" it as the story unfolds.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this one.. Opinions expressed in thie review are completely my own.

I stopped reading at around the 40% mark in this book. I found it hard to picture either the Greenbriar itself (when I ended up searching online, I was amazed to see the scale of the resort, which I felt did not come across in the writing) or the time period from the descriptions in the novel. The character of Dorothy came across strongly in the scenes set in 1908, but I could not to relate to her in the 1946 timeline (which was disappointing as I felt here was an opportunity to write a compelling middle-aged female character). After finding out (around 30% in) Enzo's fate, I struggled to care more about what happened to the characters in the 1946 timeline. I also struggled with the sheer number of men in that timeline and who they were in relation to Dorothy - there seemed to be so many Mr This and Mr That and I could not work out which one was which. I just wish I had liked this more because I think it had such potential to be a brilliant story, but it failed to grip me.

The young Dorothy Tuckerman is a bit board of her life in 1908 with her family of socialites. The summer trips to Greenbrier resort in West Virginia are the one thing that she really enjoys. When Dorothy begins a romantic involvement with an Italian racecar driver, her parents quickly intervene. Fast forward almost 4 decades later, Dorothy has crossed all of the limitations set for women in the 1940’s. She is divorced and has started her own business as an interior designer. Now Dorothy must return to Greenbriar with the assignment to restore its lost beauty!

I am a history buff so I really enjoyed this one. With both timelines in the distant past, it was a fascinating read for me. The setting was well chosen and described in a way that you felt like you were right there with the characters. Of course, some romance was included for good measure. I would recommend this excellent historical fiction story!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

"People lost all but a tiny ounce of childlike wonder as they grew to adulthood, and unless something extraordinary caught their eye, the conversation would turn to the weather or sport or, heaven forbid, professions."

I was first introduced to Dorothy Draper and her fanciful interior design style when I stayed at The Greenbrier, in White Sulphur Springs, WV, a decade or so ago.

Our room captivated and delighted me more than my husband. With swirling pinks and tropical greens, there was not a quiet surface for the eyes to settle. And I adored it. I loved the charming prints and formal dining room, where we donned dressy clothes for dinner. The resort was truly a special place, steeped in tradition, and I couldn't wait to read the story behind its grandeur.

Narrated by Dorothy, this historical fiction novel flips between 1908 and 1946. In 1908, younger Dorothy found love among the other wealthy and privileged socialites summering at the Greenbrier. In 1946, the interior designer Dorothy restored the resort, serving as a hospital during the war, to its former splendor.

Although upper-crust society frowned upon an heiress actually "working," I enjoyed learning Dorothy desired a purpose and was the first to establish a professional design company.

I thank Harper Muse for the complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a very long book but is of a subject and genre I enjoy so it wasn't so bad. Based on a true story of Dorothy Draper which is a book you can delve into and live in her world.

Jo Callaway really brings the story to life and makes this story easy to read, It is a good mix of interesting historical details, the life of an amazing woman and her life and relationships. I love the dual-timeline as it really pulls the story together.

A great read that takes you to another world and lets you live a life other than your own. That is what a good book should do.

This book is an example of historical fiction at its best - immersive, a feeling of grandness in scale, impeccable sense of place, and with a central character who becomes flesh and blood and breathes with life on every page. I love that the publisher decided to change the title from The Greenbrier Resort to The Grand Design - with its dual meaning of Dorothy Draper's work at The Greenbrier and also the grand design she had for her own life, masterpieces both. Told in alternating timelines, we meet Dorothy as a young headstrong heiress and later in life as the iconic designer she has become, the former providing insight to the fictionalized events that shape the character and future of Dorothy in this story. I appreciated the author's note at the end to distinguish fact from fiction, and I've already added several of the further readings to my collection. Callaway's take on Dorothy Draper has piqued my interest in her work as well.

I received a digital pre-publication copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and I'll be including it in a TBR round-up for Women's History Month in March. I will also be adding a print edition to my permanent collection upon its May 2022 release.

THE GRAND DESIGN is another stunning winner from Joy Callaway. I have enjoyed Callaway's previous novels and, having been to the Greenbrier resort, was eager to dip into this one.

This novel does a fantastic job at dramatizing the life of Dorothy Draper. Aside from her dramatic, eye-popping designs, I didn't know much about her life. The author's note summarizes what is real versus fictional and I'm so impressed with how Callaway fills in the gaps with such lovely drama. The love story is compelling and the personal conflicts kept me turning the pages. I especially appreciated seeing how Dorothy lived her life and developed such a successful business.

The ending feels very cinematic and satisfying.

This book has it all - a gorgeous resort, salacious gossip, star-crossed lovers, a talented and ambitious designer and business woman, and a surprise ending featuring long-lost love letters.

I adore historical fiction, and this is such an interesting premise. I recommend because of the story itself, writing style, and its ability to transport you into a different world/time period.

Thank you so very much to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I love reading anything set in the 1900's and especially about successful women. This novel was perfect. It depicts the true story of famed designer Dorothy Tuckerman who goes against all social norms and perseveres. I loved every minute of this read!

The Grand Design will release next Tuesday, May 17th. Callaway spins a romantic story in two time lines, both about the life of the famous interior designer Dorothy Draper. I have never been to The Greenbrier Hotel, but have seen beautiful pictures of its interiors, designed by Ms. Draper. This fictitious account of her life leading up to the design project brings out all of the fascinating and romantic historic details of the great hotel. The descriptions of the parties, rooms and grounds are beautiful and colorful, just like the designs that Dorothy created. The love story was a little cloying and Ms. Draper doesn't come off as wholely likeable, but it was a nice read and would be great for a vacation book, even if you can't make it to the Greenbrier.

Thank you to Harper Muse and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

This is the story of designer Dorothy Draper. When she was a young lady, she always visited the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia with her family. She fell in love with a race car driver, but her family put a stop to that relationship. Now, thirty-eight years later she has the chance to return to the Greenbrier Resort and redecorate it. I really enjoyed this book. It was so interesting to learn about the first woman to open her own interior design firm. I highly recommend this book if you like stories about strong women!

Note: Thank you to Netgalley & publishers for allowing me access to this arc in exchange for an honest review! Please note that all opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Dual storylines are either exceptional or fall flat. Unfortunately, they fell flat in this book, as did the writing. On top of that, the story was a tad dry to me, despite the mild drama and angst that should have made it great. The first part of the book was intriguing and drew me in, but I ended up disappointed far too quickly. However, I will say that the historical aspects of the story and the edition of design elements and architecture are fitting, so I’m giving it three stars instead of two.

Note: in the time since I received this book, it appears the title has changed from "The Greenbrier Resort" to "The Grand Design".
This novel is a fictionalized account of a real person, Dorothy Draper, who decorated the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, WV among many other projects. The story alternates between 2 timelines, in 1908 when Dorothy is at the Greenbrier as a young debutante with her parents, on the verge of marriage, and just after WWII when she has been hired to take the hotel, which has been used as a hospital and internment camp during the war, and turn it into a grand resort. As I grew up in WV and have visited the Greenbrier multiple times, I was very interested in this story. I enjoyed the historical aspect and the decorating descriptions. I couldn't really connect to the romance parts though. I can definitely see this book selling many copies in the Greenbrier gift shops. The cover is beautiful and will fit in beautifully. The Author's Note at the end (which should be saved for the end) was really helpful in explaining which parts of the story were true. It got me interested in reading some of the nonfiction books about DD and the Greenbrier.