Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for a fair and honest review. This is Ms. Ryan's 4th historical novel, set in WWII England, and I devoured it, just as I did the first 3!

To begin with, I always enjoy books about ordinary people coping with life in extraordinary times. While stories about women who are spies and undercover agents and soldiers are, of course, fascinating, stories about regular women, coping as best they can, are even more fascinating - it's easy to see yourself in them, and to imagine yourself falling into those situations.

The book centers primarily on three women from a small town in England. Grace is a vicar's daughter, about to marry a curate because she believes that her role in life is to marry a curate and devote herself to serving other people, hopefully including a couple kids for whom she can be a good mother and make a happy home. She doesn't particularly love the curate, but he did suggest marriage, so she dutifully agreed. Violet, the daughter of the manor, is set on one thing only - she must marry a titled husband, regardless of how she feels about him, and she must downplay any possibility of intelligence or competence. Cressida, Violet's aunt, is a fashion designer, estranged from the family, but forced to go stay with them when she is bombed out of both ther home and her design house in London. The women of the town Sewing Circle are also essential characters, giving the heart and soul to the story.

The Women's Sewing Circle is focused on repairing clothing and helping people cope with the clothing rationing - their mission then expands to helping Grace repair her mother's wedding dress, so that she can have a "white wedding." That provides the catalyst for the women to develop a project to collect wedding dresses and repair/refit them to lend them to brides. Meanwhile, through their relationships with each other and their war work, Grace, Violet, and Cressida all learn and grow.

Why do I like this book (and Ms. Ryan's previous books) so much? It's wonderful to read about women supporting and helping each other, and learning and growing through dealing with adverse experiences. Of course a book has to have some sort of conflict - but here the conflict is with the war and the circumstances of the war. People aren't spending their time being nasty to each other - they're supporting and helping each other, and dealing with the conflict being imposed upon them by adverse circumstances. They rise to the occasion and grown through their experiences.

When you finish reading the book, you feel good about people - and that's a lovely feeling!

LOVED this story! The story is as old as time but so wonderful The way a women has to be encouraged to become herself! Set in the 1900; when you've got to fight for every inch of being your self.

This book brings home the sacrifices that were made in Britain to keep supplies for the war effort high. The British women and the women in this book really got together to help each other find clothing including bridal dresses in spite of the shortages of fabrics and other supplies. Really great to see how they came together as a group regardless of class.

4.0. Thoroughly enjoyed this novel. A quick, easy and uplifting read. As in her earlier novels, The Chilbury Ladies Choir and The Kitchen Front, Jennifer Ryan focuses on the resilience, pluckiness, and resolve of the British people in World War II. The story centers around a small English village not far from London where a community of women concoct up a mechanism to recycle old white wedding gowns, make more modern, and create a process to provide wartime brides with a wedding dress exchange. Throw in a few love challenges, and voila. The characters were all well developed and although the story was predictable, it was a fun read that offsets so many of the depressing and challenging novels I’ve read of late! Thank you NetGalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for a candid and unbiased review.

A charming read! It is a story of friendship, love and most of all resiliency. I think that fans of historical fiction will adore it, but it has wider appeal too. Slightly predictable, but overall a pleasant novel.

Jennifer Ryan continues to delight readers by combining romance with unique aspects of England's WW2 experience.
In the latest title the rationing of clothing and fabric focuses on the ingenuity of women who meet weekly to transform old clothes.
With Grace's wedding approaching they are challenged to remake her mother's wedding dress in time for the wedding.
When a former resident of the village, now a well known fashion designer, returns to escape the bombing in London, she brings her skills to the sewing circle.
Realizing that many brides would love to have a bridal gown, the Wedding Gown Sewing Circle is born.
As in her previous books Ryan takes an idea and blends it with multiple Cinderella romances. While the plot twists are predictable and character development happens at lightening speed, I shed a tear or two.
Well drawn characters and the camaraderie of the women coupled with the sewing circle, almost missed opportunities and a sweet village setting make for a satisfying read.

I loved this quaint little book. Usually, I am not really drawn to historical fiction but this one involved sewing and since that's one of my other passions, I decided to take a chance on it. The characters are relatable and very likable. It's easy to see the strengths and weaknesses of each one and I loved cheering on the characters and watching them grow and overcome obstacles created by the war. The war has caused such distress and the community learns to band together to solve problems. Doing this, they form friendships and dissolved social barriers that used to separate them.

I have truly enjoyed each and every Jennifer Ryan book I have read. She brings little-known stories of World War II England to life in each of her books. Set in England during WWII, everything was rationed, including clothing. When someone wanted to get married they either married in their best suit, or they might have a relative who had a wedding dress stored in a trunk. Grace, Violet and Cressida are all living in a remote village. Cressida is seeing her dress design business being over and she feels ever so sorry for herself. Grace and Violet don't have time to dwell on self-pity as they are trying to keep their lives together. The mending group meets weekly and keeps on patching clothing. They discover that wedding dresses were in short supply, so they set out to solve the problem.As women in the community began to donate their wedding dresses, word got around and the women were able to start a wedding dress loan program. Some were remade or refitted for future brides to wear. This was another aspect of the war that was new to me. Strong women came together to fill a need and they did it.

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is a Warm Historical Romance!

This was the second book that I have read by Jennifer Ryan. She also wrote the Chillbury Ladies' Choir and The Kitchen Front, which is out right now and having good reviews. I will possibly have to pick that book up and read it too!

As is her formula, Jennifer Ryan follows the lives of three women during WW II. Cressida is a prominent London designer whose home and studio are bombed. She returns to her family's estate to find her brother dead, and her niece and nephew are now running manor. Her niece, Violet, is a pampered princess who receives her conscription papers and is sent to work for the war effort. Her nephew, Hugh, seems to be doing his duty and following his father's wishes in love and business. But he does not seem happy about any of it.

Grace is a local girl who is the daughter of the vicar. She is promised to a young man and is looking to fix up her mother's wedding dress for the wedding. In steps Cressida to help her restore the gown with the assistance of their local community sewing circle.
Through the stories of Cressida, Violet and Grace, we see these three women struggle to discover their strengths and their dreams and find love along the way.

This book was a very warm and entertaining read. I loved how the author developed her characters throughout the book, which were all centred around the sewing circle.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing-Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. A great read!

4 stars out of 5
Available May 31, 2022

What a wonderful novel! Jennifer Ryan once again has written a novel I was completely enamored by! The Wedding Dress Circle takes place in Britain during WWII and centers around three ladies, Cressida, Violet, and Grace. Throughout the war, women had strictly enforced clothing rations and niceties like wedding dresses were unheard of. The trio along with their sewing circle joined together to create beautiful wedding dresses by redesigning donated dresses. As the women help others, they also discover what exactly is important to them (both personally and professionally)! The Wedding Dress Circle is a heartwarming tale that I also learned a lot from—love that! Jennifer Ryan’s novel are like chicken soup for your soul! I highly recommend this 5 star gem to everyone!

Fantastic Historical Fiction book that interweaves an extended family back together through a wedding dress during the war through many trials and tribulations. Also shows how a community can come together through war time to help any and all. Writing keeps the reader engaged from start to end. Highly recommend to all.

Not what one expects to hear about a book set during WWII, but The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan is absolutely delightful!  The history is intriguing and prompted me to research some on my own, only to find that Ryan was on point in every way.  The characters were so fun and easy to connect with, and the storyline kept me turning pages until there were no more.  Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review. Books like this make learning history fun!

If it is possible to write an uplifting book taking place in England during WWII, Jennifer Ryan has figured out how to do it. I've previously read "The Chilbury Ladies Choir" and "The Kitchen Front" by this writer, so I was excited to read her latest novel. The story is told in alternating chapters by 3 women in one small town. They are as different as night and day but come together in a sewing circle to repurpose old wedding dresses at a time where wedding dresses and clothing material in general are not available. These dresses are then loaned out to young women to wear on their wedding day. You are completely drawn in to the stories of Violet, a vain woman who only cares about marrying a titled man, Grace, the Vicar's daughter, who is ready to become a vicar's wife, and Cressida, a famous dress designer who lost her own true love during WWI. Although where these ladies end up is quite predictable, the journey is wonderful.

A super sweet story. It was predictable, but if it had turned out any other way, I would have been annoyed. Witch several main characters, this could easily be a series. I hope the author writes more. I would love to read more of their stories!

My favorite kind of book! A WWII historical fiction novel, with so much to be learned, truly likable characters (and one character you must hate!), a few love stories, and happy endings all around.

Through the stories of Cressida, Violet, and Grace we are able to transport ourselves to the countryside outside of London during the Blitz. We learn about the way the war impacted fashion and clothing, and how groups of women banded together to ensure brides still had proper wedding dresses.

Best of all, we see each of our three main characters give up false assumptions about themselves, and embrace the best parts of themselves as they strive to find happiness and love during a time of war.

This was a very quick read - which I thoroughly enjoyed! Five stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Special thanks to @netgalley for the ARC.


Also posted to Goodreads

What a delightful book!
Here is a feel good story definitely needed in the world right now.
This is the story of Grace, the do-gooding vicar's daughter, Violet, the daughter of the manor in the village and Cressida, a couture designer and "black sheep" aunt to Violet. The setting is WW 2 and the blitz of England and the hardships the people endured are central to the story. The women come to be part of a sewing circle and develop a project to refurbish wedding dresses for women in England during the war.
The characters are brilliantly developed and I most enjoyed following their personal development throughout the story. The plot is fast paced and compelling for a quick read with an oh satisfying ending. When I read good historical fiction, I find I'm hoping that most of the story is true. I would love to meet all the characters in this story.
I highly recommend this book to fans of WW2 historical fiction who don't enjoy gruesome detail but want a real feel for what life was like at the time.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for a chance to read this and give an honest review. This book made my happy!

Thank you Random House Publishing - Ballantine for an ARC of The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle in exchange for my honest review!

This story was so beautiful and inspiring! The friendships that develop are very endearing and it really makes you appreciate the human spirit and importance of kindness. I appreciated that it wasn’t just a love story but the female friendships were just as important for the characters.

WWII affected so many different aspects in everyone’s lives and it was interesting to read more about how it affected woman’s fashion. Very enlightening!

I loved how each of the women grew in themselves but also in how they loved. There was some great character development! I have read a lot of WWII focused books but none of them have told such a powerful story while also focusing on an important message which is you need to learn who you really are and what makes you happy before you can really love.

For my complete review please check out my post on Instagram (@beccakatesbookshelf), available today!

I wish to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a delightfully enjoyable book. It is set in WWII in England. A major designer loses her shop in a bombing incident and is forced to return to her childhood home outside London to recoup and rebuild her business. Her brother allows her to set up shop in one of the extra rooms in his manor house. She reconnects with friends and meets new people who belong to a local sewing circle. One of the young girls is to be married and wants to wear her mother’s wedding dress which needs major repairs. The circle pitches in to repair the lovely dress and they discover a new movement to help the women of England be able to have beautiful wedding by borrowing a refurbished wedding dress. The idea takes root and the reader follows the romances of several of the women in the circle. This is a sweet read and one I think anyone will greatly enjoy and learn about how the women in England found they could become involved in many ways in the support of the troops. The characters are believable and engaging. I liked them all.

This is a solid “cannot put down” book. I look forward to reading more of Jennifer Ryan’s books.

I loved this story and I found this story of the fashion world and the military charming. The war was not so charming but the sewing Circle was kept busy.The wedding dress Sewing Circle made and repaired old wedding dresses using silk from parachutes and from old clothes with lace. Brides had to be very frugal in these days.They had many donations from people willing to donate their own wedding dresses. Amidst all this is an extremely aristocratic society of love and romance.

Jennifer Ryan can do no wrong! I LOVE her books and this was no exception!!! I thought the characters were so well done and I cared so much about the plot. I read it all in under one day, it was just that good. I really loved it. It left me feeling empowered, warm, and fuzzy. What more can you ask for in a book?!!