This book is not my usual fare. I'm not even sure I meant to request it, but I gave it a try. And I was pleasantly surprised. At once a bit of a murder mystery, a coming-of-age story and an intertwining tale of friendship gained, I have to admit I skimmed the parts about dresses, but overall it was a sad but satisfying book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Diane C. McPhail and Kensington Books for allowing me to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Two women, two very different backgrounds and two different social classes but sharing one faithless husband unknown to each other are set to collide. The early 1900’s New Orleans was a place where the rich and powerful controlled a city of widely diverse lifestyles. While well-to-do women supported orphanages with their beneficence, powerful men kept the tawdry side of life of brothels and gambling halls readily available to men and carefully contained away from “good citizens”. Constance is upper class, living her seemingly perfect life with her husband and two daughters. Alice a Midwest farm girl come to Chicago to live a better life meets a charming man and in a whirlwind romance marries. Constance suspects her husband of something nefarious and witnesses his murder while she is in disguise and secretly following him. Alice knows only that her husband has disappeared and she cannot continue to live on her own. Following the scant information she has of her husband, Alice ultimately arrives in New Orleans. In a series of fortuitous circumstances the women end up living together in Constance’s home with Alice working as her seamstress. Background information about the era and New Orleans’ history is rich and interesting. Characters are well described and developed. Sadly, the plot is a bit too trite and conclusions obvious.

In 1900, after Alice’s husband goes missing, she makes a decision to move to New Orleans, where she takes a position as a seamstress at an orphanage. She gets introduced to Constance who is in need of a ball gown for the upcoming Mardi Grass ball. She also just lost her husband. In her case, the question is was her husband murdered or committed a suicide as he was in debt because of his gambling.

I was expecting this story to be alive not only with preparing gowns for Mardi Grass, but with all preparations leading to create such magnificent event. Instead, it is more focused on the mystery of disappearance of both men. The story gives us good backgrounds of both characters, but at the same time I did not feel a strong connection.

What I loved about this story and wanted more of was the time period. It was interesting to learn about the leap year tradition of Mardi Grass becoming all-female krewe. In 1896, the women made history with that and four years later in 1900 they try to repeat the history. The story weaves other interesting facts pertaining to time and place. With time, when men were still considered supporters of women, thus when something happened to a man, it left them in very challenging position. With place of New Orleans, orphanages had a lot of half-orphaned children due to the yellow fever and cholera frequently leaving children with only one parent, who was often unable to care for them and also work.

Despite the slow progression of the story, I believe that this is more for those who like plot-driven stories with some mystery.

As someone who rides in the oldest female krewe of New Orleans Mardi Gras, I was immediately interested in the story of this novel. While there was definitely some interesting bits about that aspect of this novel, it wasn't really the main purpose. No, the main purpose was learning about two women who had a lot in common for reasons that are almost immediately known to the reader. Both were supremely unhappy and trying to find their footing and their future beyond the moment they were living in.

I liked the characters and their stories but I didn't love them the way I wanted to. Maybe I was expecting more about the Mardi Gras aspect or maybe I just found that their angst was just too much for too long? It was just okay for me.

I am thrilled to write a review for this fantastic book! Most movies and books honestly do not really "get" New Orleans correct when they try to tell a story about this city. This author Diane C. McPhail has written a book that captures the essence of New Orleans. It also has wonderful friendships between women who want to support and lift other women to achieve. It definitely shows how difficult it was to be a woman when her worth was not appreciated.

Having been taught to sew by my mother, and it is a gift I cherish, I found so much to relate to in this story. Alice is a seamstress, learning that skill from her mother and it is her saving grace. The loving mother/daughter bond is a major theme throughout the book.

I usually read contemporary romance, or women's fiction, but I am so happy that I ventured out my comfort zone to read this Historical Fiction book. It is a book I will be highly recommending to everyone and think it would be ideal for a book club. Lots to discuss after reading it!

I want to thank Kensington Books and NetGalley for giving me the immense pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I sincerely loved the main plot and characters of this novel but not the way they were executed. At any given point in the story there were multiple events coinciding and thus it made each one feel less significant. Additionally there was added conflict where none was needed, and far too much re-hashing of past events. The plot twist at the end was unfortunately given away in the first chapter and a secret discovered by one character should not have been reasoned out so easily.

I loved the setting and truly felt that this book could have been more of a success with a focus on the two lead characters and their growth together instead of having them constantly putting out multiple "fires" as it were (and almost always on edge of fainting).

This book was really touching. Two women suffer the loss of a spouse, and manage to come together to help each other move on with their lives. The obstacles each woman has to overcome are burdens that they can’t quite fully share with each other, but they are kindred spirits and soon form a little family of their own as time goes on.

What really shines through are the early signs of the feminist movement as women fight for the vote, take more of life for themselves vs letting the men run everything…and in the only state where women are allowed to have property and money that cannot be touched by their husbands. This story brings so much to the story, beyond they lives of the women alone. It’ is a great read and will make you proud to remember the women who came before us and made changes that we have thanks to them.

I thought The Seamstress of New Orleans was a good read. I will be looking for more by the talented Diane C. McPhail's historical novels in the future. Four stars.

The year is 1900, the setting is New Orleans. Times were such that women were chattel, not individuals but those married depending solely on their husbands. No questions asked, no input between husband and wife, hardly any independence, if at all, for themselves. As an unmarried women one had to tread carefully with little hope for the most part. This is a story of two women and one man that unbeknownst to each other share secrets...secrets that altered their lives. As you read, you see the history of New Orleans in front of you and at the same time the beginnings of what women had to overcome to lead an independent life. The research was excellent and the story itself quite interesting. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's 1900 and the wealthy ladies of New Orleans have decided to participate in an all-female krewe for Mardi Gras called The Krewe of Mysterieuses. Constance Halstead has recently lost her husband and doesn't think she should participate, but wealthy socialite Dorothea Richard bullies her into hiring a newly arrived seamstress. Alice Butterworth has arrived from Chicago after her husband abandoned her. Desperate to make a living for herself and her soon-to-be new baby, Alice takes up residence in the Halstead home to create a spectacular gown for Constance from pieced together bits of other gowns worn in the past. The Seamstress of New Orleans is the story of women fighting for their rights and some power in their lives and learning to lean on other women for support. Alice.grows to love the family.and thinks of Constance as the sister she never had, but Constance has a dark secret she cannot share. An excellent life at life at the turn of the 20th century.

5 stars
Not at all what I expected. I do feel there is a audience for this book. It is not for me. Thanks for the ARC of this book.

When you read an historical fiction book that of sends you down rabbit holes of research of your own you know you have read a good book. This book has so much! New Orleans is full of stories and history ANF mystery. Diane McPhail finds it all and shares it with us in a beautifully written narrative.

The Seamstress of New Orleans by Diane C. McPhail is a great historical fiction novel set at the turn of the 20th century and takes us into the heart and culture of New Orleans.

I really enjoyed this book. It is so unique in that not only did the author focus on the rich, beautiful, and intricate culture and heritage of New Orleans, but she also included Mardi Gras. This is a time, place, and history that, I feel, is beyond fabulous and completely under appreciated and discussed. The extensive research into all aspects of this novel is evident, as is the author’s passion. It radiates luminosity from each page.

What makes this book even better is the additional aspects of women’s rights, women’s positions and limitations that were established and also being created at the turn of the 20th century in the southern US, but also the relationships present between women themselves. How women were treated not only by society, but by men and fellow women were also fundamental and explored. Family, friendships, heartache, deception, love, loss, hopes, fears…all are present here.

This was not an easy time for a lot of women, especially women who have experienced such hardships and obstacles such as our main characters: Alice and Constance. Despite their differences in how they ended up in this place and time, finding strength within themselves and one another, they are able to overcome so much.

I also enjoyed the entire cast of characters created. I liked Dorothea and Martin as well. Mystery, suspense, and a wonderful narrative pull all of this together as well.

Learning more about the creation of the first all-female Mardi Gras krewe was fascinating. I knew nothing about this subject at all and I am researching more about this rich history as we speak. The author’s note adds a bit of historical context to the novel.

I really liked this book, the extra history that I learned in the process, and I definitely recommend this novel.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 5/31/22.