Set in a small village in Kent during WWII, the novel presents a clear picture of the home front in England. Cressida is a well known couturier in London until her home and design building get bombed in the blitz. With nowhere else to go, Cressida travels to her late brother’s estate after years of being estranged. Hugh, her nephew, is now the lord of the manor, and his sister, Violet, were brought up to think they had to uphold the family heritage. Violet evolves as she realizes the societal changes that are occurring, for women in particular. The third main character is Grace, a shy vicar’s daughter who changes the most in the story. The sewing circle starts out with mending Grace’s wedding reds before moving on to more “Make and Mend” projects. I really enjoyed this view of the English home front, reflecting the changes in society as the war continued. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

In general, recently I have been a bit burnt out on historical fiction, but I ended up really enjoying this one. The story is told from the perspectives of three women, Cressida, Violet and Grace, who are all affected by the war.

When famous fashion designer, Cressida Westcott's home and design studio are bombed in an air raid she returns to her ancestral home where she gets to know her niece and nephew. Said niece, Violet has lived a sheltered life focused on finding a wealthy man to take care of her, but she gets conscripted to aid the war effort and learns a lot along the way. Grace is the vicar's daughter and is set to marry a clergyman more so out of duty/security than love.

I appreciated that this one felt different in an oversaturated market/book genre. I loved each of the MCs and appreciated their different journeys! There was something about the story telling that gave me pride and prejudice vibes which is a win in my book. I am not always very good at mentally casting characters, but I could very vividly see Cate Blanchett playing Cressida in a movie adaptation....she's plucky!

I fell absolutely head over heels for The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle. I recently started teaching myself how to sew, so my first draw to this novel was the title, as was the lovely cover. I never could have imagined, based on a title and a cover, that this narrative was going to be so immersive! I was captivated from the beginning, immediately invested in Grace, Cressida, and Violet as they try to continue on with a semblance of a normal life as World War II is raging.

Vivid imagery and wonderful world building puts you into the lives of these three women, each dealing with their own personal struggles amid a tense British backdrop, bringing to light personal insecurities and hidden desires. I was enchanted from the first chapter and practically read the entire novel in one sitting, despite its length.

I have read a lot of historical fiction recently, especially since the market has been positively saturated lately, but The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle highlighted something I haven’t really thought about. Violet is from polite English society and during the war the social class lines had started to blur, which she brings up multiple times, as she wants to marry because of a title and not love. Though I’ve read plenty of regency novels I’ve never thought about the transition from regency to modern society, and it’s definitely something I want to explore further.

Being a heavily character-driven novel, I admired the development of each character in their own rights, both the main character and the supporting characters as well. Each have to face their own personal issues, and while they each deal with the hard situations they each find themselves in, none of them are having to deal with these issues alone. There is such grace and personal growth and all the characters find the strength to do things they would’ve never dreamed, both in love and otherwise.

As far as relationships go, Ben and Cressida’s friendship and adoration for one another was one of my favorite parts of this novel. I’m not sure if it’s because I am closer in age to them than I am to the other characters or just the overall vibe they gave, but the scenes of the two of them together were truly touching and absolutely tugged on my heartstrings.

There is a lot of truth in this novel, like the clothing shortage, and other heartbreaking yet resourceful details that were a part of life in England during the war, which I also found utterly fascinating. Even though there is a lot of historical fiction surrounding the second world war I am pleased to still be learning things that I didn’t know before.

As you can see by this incredibly long review I can’t say enough about The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle. It is a clean read that doesn’t lack passion, heart, or the strength that can come from love and friendship, and I cannot recommend it enough!

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan is a historical fiction novel with some romance in it. However, it is much more than that. It’s the story of three women, the changes they go through and their impact on others during World War II.

One of the things I adored about ‘The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle’ is that is based on true events. During World War II clothes rationing was mandatory. This rationing not only left all of England in a bind but it certainly left all of England’s young brides in a very challenging situations.

This story focuses on three unique women and their strong sense of helpfulness, community spirit and kindness. These three women characters belong to a sewing circle which exemplified the ‘make do and mend’ spirit. The camaraderie, working toward a common goal creates a sense of friendship, support and a strong sense of belonging to this group of women. These women come up with an idea to start mending and altering wedding dresses. All the wedding dresses are donated and the sewing circle brings new life to them. At it’s completion each dress was worn and then passed forward to the next bride to be. This idea not only lifted the spirits of the women sewing the dresses, they lifted the spirits of future brides and everyone learns resilience during a time when this would all be out of reach.

This book is delightful from cover to cover. Jennifer Ryan has written a masterpiece showing the reader what women can do when they work together. As you will find in her Author’s notes, she has a personal connection to the work that is shared in this book. Come meet Grace, Violet, and Cressida. You may not like all of them at first but by the end you will be rooting them on as if they were your friends. Well Done.

I would like to thank Jennifer Ryan, Random House Publishing – Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is not a typical historical fiction story but a story of friendship, love and life. I loved seeing how the fashion industry impacted the war but I enjoyed the stories of the three women even more. They are strong women who through their sewing circle, find love and happiness. I really liked how the wedding dress is almost a character of it's own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the published for an advanced copy of this ebook.

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is another wondrous historical fiction book by Jennifer Ryan. As with The Kitchen Front, this also covers rationing in England during WWII, bu this time with fabrics and clothes.

At first, wedding dresses were prohibited because most were made of silk during that time frame, but silk was reserved for parachutes. Even if one found a used and damaged parachute it was illegal to use the fabric and must be returned to the military to use for other parachutes. Makes sense, but most brides were disappointed to get married in an old dress or suit. Military couples were forced to get married in their uniforms!

Jennifer Ryan describes an ingenious program that allowed brides to borrow old wedding gowns, donated by their owners, The Sewing Circles would volunteer to alter the dresses for the new bride. Many in England donated their dresses, including women from the U.S.

Clothes were rationed up to 1951, as England started the long process to recover from the war. Food was rationed up to 1959! The 'Make Due and Mend' program gave tips on how to repurpose old clothes into something 'new.' For example, they would demonstrate how to make a skirt out of men's trousers.

The story follows three women: Sarah, a reverend's daughter, set to marry her father's former assistant, rather than her childhood friend, Hugh, Lord of a nearby Manor. Violet, Hugh's younger sister who starts off as a spoiled and shallow young adult, but eventually matures and finds her own true love. And finally, Cressida, a famous fashion designer and Aunt to Hugh and Violet, is forced to move to the Manor when her home and business are bombed in London. Cressida joins forces with the Sewing Circle to help the brides and others.

It's a fabulous story of women helping women during the War. I loved it. Jennifer Ryan does her research thoroughly and includes an informative, Author's Note.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine Books, for this galley.

4.5/5

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle was a book I actually hesitated to read for a couple of months. Neither the title or the cover really drew me in, but with so many great reviews of this book I took the plunge. I am so happy that I decided to read this book! Such a great piece of historical fiction, with a lot of information about the lives of women in England during WWII. Following three main women, Violet, Cressida, and Grace the story gives a look at the lives of women of different classes during the war.

I was really impressed with the character development in this book. Violet was a little hard to stomach at the beginning, but she turned out to be one of my favorite characters. Each woman had their own personalities, flaws, and skills and they came together as friends to create a very unique cast of characters.

Like the title, the three main characters as well as members of their village come together to create, mend, and loan out wedding dresses to women during the war. With cloth being scarce and everyone on clothing coupons, many women could not afford any outfit, let alone a white dress, to wear to their weddings. This "circle" of women come together to support one another and help out their fellow man.

Cressida, Violet, and Grace all have their own love developments and each of the men brought in additional perspectives to the whole story. I am just really happy that I read this book. Full of emotion, romance, and strong female characters. Although I do not think the title or cover do the book the justice it deserves, the writing is definitely strong! For historical fiction lovers, this is a fresh WWII perspective!

Thank you To NetGalley and Ballantine Books for granting me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I love this author and have read all her previous books and they have all been unputdownable. Have been unable to review due to illness. Review coming soon! This novel looks fantastic and I highly recommend this author to everyone! Can't wait to read this one!

I loved this book!!! When the going gets rough, lean on your friends. It will be amazing what can be accomplished together. That is exactly what this group did.

A sweet work of historical fiction from one of my favorite time periods, encompassing love, loss, war, and the challenge of figuring out who you are and who you choose to be, in spite of where you come from. I love that this story centers around three women who couldn’t be more different, but who all desire the same thing—love, friendships, and connection in their community. The ingenuity that binds them all together is inspiring, and the sweet village and the people within it are absolutely endearing. A lovely book!

This story takes you back to a heartwarming, wholesome time! Just the read I needed right now! We follow two main characters, Violet and Grace as they find and lose love and become strong women making choices for themselves in a time of war. Excellent! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!

Three plucky women lift the spirits of home-front brides in wartime Britain, where clothes rationing leaves little opportunity for pomp or celebration—even at weddings—in this heartwarming novel based on true events, from the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir.

This is a charming historical fiction which focuses on the power of women working together during WWII, of strong friendships that grow and strengthen throughout the years, and of family and romance that struggle and thrive through difficult times of war, rationing, and fear. I loved the characters, but what I loved most was the actual story being told - women who form a sewing group to make and exchange wedding dresses during a time when most wouldn’t have been able to have one due to the clothing rationing. I was already impressed with the book but the author’s note at the end really clinched it for me. It truly added so much more to the story to hear the author’s inspiration and to learn more history about that time period and what was happening. It was the perfect touch and ending to an already wonderful book.

#theweddingdresssewingcircle #netgalley #bookreview

“Sometimes we just need someone with a fresh perspective to hold up a mirror and show us who we really are-” - Jennifer Ryan, The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle.

This story reminded me a lot of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Except “This story began with a wedding dress” in Britain during WWII. It was nice to witness the transformation of these characters & the bonds that they developed.

I did find the ending a bit too ‘neat’, but, overall I enjoyed it. I, also, really appreciate when authors include in the AUTHOR’S NOTE what motivated the writing of the novel. This is always an added treat for this reader. This should appeal to all WWII fiction lovers. 4.5 stars.

***ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As in her last few books, Jennifer Ryan sets her story in a small town in England during WWII. But these books are less about the war than about the characters and how they help each other through the hardships to make the best lives they can. This one is about friendship and romance as well.

Follow three women, and their community, as they journey through the challenges faced during WWII and how they found themselves, love and happiness all because of a beautiful, shared wedding dress.
This is an amazing read that will have you falling in love with the characters and feeling all the feelings they experience. Exceptionally written, I can’t give it enough stars!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Jennifer Ryan and Ballantine Books and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is a historical fiction novel that takes us to a small village outside of London during WWII. When Cressida Wescott’s home and fashion design business are destroyed during the Blitz, she has no where else to turn other than her childhood home in Aldhurst. Shunned by her brother, she finds herself back in the familial home with her niece and nephew. Determined to keep busy, she takes her talent to the local sewing group and helps to repurpose and rework clothing.

When Grace Carlisle brings her mothers old wedding dress to the group in hopes of restoring it enough to wear to her wedding, a new purpose is brought to the group…reworking wedding dresses so that the women of England can have something beautiful to wear to their weddings despite the war raging around them.

Cressida’s niece Violet, a symbolic figurehead of the group who never actually attends or even helps due to her social standing begins to change her tune when she tags along with Cressida. Her ambition in life is to marry a title but a conscription and the people around her open her eyes and heart to a whole new world.

Together these three women learn to love, explore their ambitions and look beyond their upbringing and what’s expected of them during a time of war when everything is turned upside down.

This book is fantastic! While the characters are fictional, the women of England did form sewing circles and create a wedding dress exchange program bring a bit of beauty and hope to an England full of fire and fear. It is another terrific example of the extraordinary acts of kindness that regular people displayed during the worlds darkest hour. I love, love, love the way the main characters grow and change and begin to see things in a new light. It also reminds us that hope and love were very much alive despite the circumstances and that it’s okay to fight for what you want.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group and Jennifer Ryan for access to this excellent tale of love and war.

Every single time I read a new historical fiction novel, I always learn something new in history. This book is about a sewing circle who helped their villagers with repurposing/recycling clothing and fabrics during WWII. I had no idea that clothing and fabrics were also rationed during the war. The author learned a great deal of her information about this from her grandmother and mother, which I think is such a great opportunity for her, and us as her readers.
Women were expected to be constantly knitting something for the troops, if you were not busy repurposing something else. Fashion designers and clothing manufacturers were considered very important at the time due to clothes and fabric rations, and the unavailability of everything.
This novel follows three women: Grace-a vicar's daughter; Violet-an upper class, spoiled young woman; Cressida-an upper class, successful fashion designer. They are all called to the sewing circle, and when word gets out that they are repurposing and borrowing out people's old wedding dresses they become very well known in England, and then the USA. All they way to Eleanor Roosevelt! The three women are in for a wild ride, and each of their lives changes drastically because of it!
I really enjoyed this book. It was a nice, easy read, and in the end I learned so much about fashion and this time in history.

In 1942 Britain, new clothing was rationed and women wed in their uniforms or what clothing they could scrounge from friends - the setting for Jennifer Ryan's delightful tale, "The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle".

It alternates between the voices of 3 women - renowned fashion designer Cressida Westcott, her entitled young niece Violet, and vicar's daughter Grace Carlisle - who works constantly for others and doesn't value herself nearly enough.

Friendship - and romance - grows for all three of them, as wedding dress renewal takes off across the country.

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is based on real world events during WW2 where women would share their wedding dresses with other women to wear for their weddings. With the supply chains slowed and often broken, Europe had restrictions on what could be made from fabric. Wedding dresses were something that could not be made during this time. Many women got together to share their dresses so others wouldn't have to go without.

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is character driven. It was a slow start for me but then picked up about 1/3 of the way in. The story is based around three women whose paths cross: Cressida Westcott, a famous fashion designer, Violet Westcott, Cressida's niece, and Grace Carlisle, a local vicar's daughter. These women form a friendship during the challenging times.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Ballatine Books in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan is a wonderful read. The story and the characters are so well drawn out, that you just want to befriend them. Together the three of them started a small revolution during WWII to help women feel like brides on their wedding days. While the book is fiction there is, as with all great stories an element of truth, an actual wedding dress borrowing system during WWII in Britain.

Cressida Westcott has worked hard for many years. She could not follow the pathway her family had set for her after the death of Jack, her fiance. Instead she found her way in London and became a rather famous dress designer. With WWII and the bombing of London, her home and shop were destroyed and she needed to head home.

Violet Westcott (niece) felt her life was not going as planned. She was going to marry a lord and become a lady in this manner. The only problem was WWII and how society began to break down the barriers between classes. Violet had to find a new way. She had a gumption she didn’t even know about!

Grace Carlisle had never put herself first. She was constantly covering for others, doing things for others, and slowing erasing herself from being anything be a shadow of a helpmate. With Violet’s and Cressida’s help, pushing and shoving, Grace too found a new way forward of helping herself to help others.

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan is a ‘feel good and want to take on the world’ type of read! It is an awesome book! Enjoy!