This book is inspired by the real-life mysteries of poet Christina Rossetti, but this story is fiction. It’s a great story and I love dual timelines. I couldn’t wait to learn the mystery behind the letter, the pendant and the stolen book. The twist surprised me and the ending was great. It was just slow paced and the best part for me was the ending.

I read The Lost Dresses by M.A. McLaughlin.  I enjoyed the dual timeline and the historical fiction in this book.  I found the switch between timelines to be awkward at some points.  The long chapters in the book were not my favorite.    The storylines were interesting and well written.  Discovering how people & items are connected made for an fun read.  I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Anything or anyone who leaves us forever never leaves without leaving something or someone behind.   In this instance, it is three dresses. These dresses belong to the genius Christina Rossetti. A lady from Boston, Marianne,  has traveled to Italy to research these garments. They were found in a small hidden room. So delicate you must wear gloves to touch them. From the Nineteenth Century to the Twentieth Century  the dresses have traveled. From Boston to Italy, there is a life of unknowns to uncover and to discover.

 Time is in motion. It moves without us. It is in control of us. When my mother died, I rushed home. My sister and I went straight to my Mother's bedroom. to talk, catch up. Sitting in my Mother's rocker, my eyes landed on the closet door. Her daily house dresses hung there. I felt a chill. She was in the bedroom. She was over at the closet choosing that day's dress At that moment, I did not feel her death. I felt her life again. Pieces of clothing are sewn into quilts: prom dresses, ties, cumberbunds, jeans,aprons, a nurse's cap  a Sunday go to meeting dress or a baby's christening dress. None of these are old rags. They are our lives. They tell our secrets.

I am dying for Marianne, M.A. Mclaughlin to tell Christina Rossetti's private and public life. I only have read  a few pages and my skin is tingling to travel back to the Victorian Age. I will travel back home more cautious. Caring about what is thought of as throwaway. Because some where a woman or man is not fully gone. They are in a locket, a watch, in a pair of shoes, in a peacock pin. I would love to read more books like The Lost Dresses. I am humbly and blissfully in Italy. By the way, did Christina Rossetti  have a small waist or one that showed her love for Italian food? Where did her thoughts wander? Where are those dresses now?

What I enjoyed about this book was that we were in the same place almost a hundred years apart. M. A. Mclaughlin has a great writing style and I enjoyed how good the characters were written. It was a beautifully done story between the two women and I’m glad I got to read this.

The Lost Dresses by M. A. McLaughlin is a dual timeline historical fiction. When three dresses are discovered in post WWII Italy, Marianne Baxter is summoned by a lifelong Italian friend Rufina to prepare the dresses for a museum exhibit. Finding a letter among the dresses, Marianne, along with the museum director Alessandro Forni, begins the task of uncovering what happened in the life of poet Christina Rosetti, uncovering the mysteries that led to the death of Alessandro's murder, and so much more. 

With a surprising twist toward the end, McLaughlin has created a wonderful novel of suspense and historical information.

A copy was provided for my review, but all opinions are my own.

This is a tale of two women intertwined nearly a hundred years apart in Verona, Italy that will captivate your love of mystery, history and romance.  I would recommend this book as it was very intriguing and entertaining.

Marianne Baxter is a textile historian who comes to post-war  Verona, Italy in 1947 at the request of a friend to help restore 3 dresses.  Marianne sooner finds out the Victorian dresses were once owned by poet Christina Rossetti that have been hidden away in a trunk for nearly a 100 years.  Marianne searches for the reason why the dresses were left behind and soon finds the past is playing with the present.

Christina Rossetti lives in England where she is a poet after meeting a past friend of her beloved father she finds a letter,  pendant and a copy of Dante's poetry with an urgent and personal request from her father. So Christina her mother and her older brother returns to her Father's homeland and finds themselves in Verona, in 1864.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

This dual timeline historical fiction novel was a little darker than I expected, especially towards the end. I enjoyed learning about the Victorian era British-Italian poetess Christina Rossetti and post-war Italy, as seen through the eyes of textile restorer Marianne. The descriptions of the clothing and the Italian locations were gorgeous. But I never felt that invested in Marianne's story. And the mystery surrounding the items Marianne finds that ultimately connects her with Christina became a little convoluted as the story went on. The twists at the end were engaging however.

Three stars.

A captivating dual timeline story set in Verona, inspired by real mysteries involving poet Christina Rossetti. I loved the Italian setting, culture, and fashion that histfic fans will clearly adore too.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I loved the different character points of view and appreciated the attention to detail as each character was telling her story. Loved the historical references. The love story was heartbreaking yet exciting and the end. I never saw coming.  What a GREAT TWIST! Overall wonderful book and I would recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read M. A. McLaughlin's The Lost Dresses.  

Italy.  Art.  Fashion.  Mystery.  This book hits a lot of the right buttons for lovers of historical fiction!  And hits them just right.