Wow, what a great book! A historical dual time line story set in Verona, Italy.
I was so pleased to read that the story was inspired by a real life mystery involving the famous London based poet Christina Rossetti and members of her family.

It is the mid 1880s and Christina Rossetti travels to her fathers birth country, Italy, with her mother and brother William. It is in Verona that she falls in love with Angelo. Her aunt has had three beautiful dresses made for her niece’s trip and it is these three dresses that are found in a trunk in 1947 just after WWII with a letter that Christina’s father Gabriele Rossetti had written to his daughter about his exile from Italy.

Marianne a textile restorer travels to Verona at the request of her friend to restore Christina’s dresses for an upcoming museum exhibit. Marianne begins a quest to find out more about Christina and why the dresses were left behind. Marianne has lost her husband Paul in the war and is still grieving but as she brings Christina back to life through the exhibit, Marianne becomes revived also.

The past and present begin to collide. There is mystery, a little bit romance and a great story to be told.

“The Lost Dresses” is a historical fiction book by M.A. McLaughlin. This book has dual timelines. One timeline is in Italy right after WWII and the other is set in Victorian times. I found the post-WWII timeline (aka “the present story”) to be the most interesting, possibly because clothing restoration (and museums that do that) are interesting. I usually find the past timelines more interesting, so that was a bit of a surprise. I didn’t know anything about Christina Rossetti, but was surprised that I was familiar with her 1862 poem “Song.” I found this book interesting and would recommend it to those who like books set in Verona, Italy who like mysteries with a historical fiction angle.

This was a tale of two women 100 years apart that really captivated me took place in Italy. It reminded me of a mystery book and I just couldn’t put it down.. it was a mystery on what happened to one of the ladies and had a mystery about the lost dresses. Five stars great book.

THE LOST DRESSES is an evocative and compelling read perfect for fans of dual timeline historical fiction. The author did a great job of making both timelines interesting, which can be difficult to juggle. On a scene level, the reader feels immersed in the story world, which keeps us turning the pages. I especially appreciated and admired how the mystery element was so well plotted, complete with a surprising twist near the end.

Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction.

I received a complimentary e-galley from the publisher; all opinions in this review are 100% my own.

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.

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.