I DNF’d this at 24%.

It has great potential but for me it was just to slow and it kept taking foreveeer. Sorry.

Dorothy Tuckerman grew up as a socialite and summered at Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia - the story takes place pre WWI and Post WWII.

In one timeline line see Dorothy’s life as a debutant and her time spent at Greenbrier resort and society’s expectations of her. In the second timeline we Dorothy Draper as divorcee in 1946 working as an interior designer, she is shunned by some as taboo “working woman” in the 1940’s. Dorothy is back at the Greenbrier as the interior designer with the job of a lifetime to bring the resort back to its glory.

I enjoy historical fiction and this book did not disappoint- and wonderful telling of Dorothy Drapers life and challenges a woman faced in the early 20th century.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early review of the book

The book is written in dual timelines, which gives the story a unique feel and intrigues the reader to follow Dorothy at different stages of her life. In some chapters, as a young woman in 1908, a debutante coming of age to meet with suitors, and another around 1935-unwards, when she became an interior designer, working as a businesswoman! ✨ I feel like the author did a great job at transitioning between the timelines and also capturing the scenes in such detail! It was fascinating to know about the designer, her choices, and why some of these choices were made (potential reasoning)! If you are into interior design and home decor, and you want to read a book with a vivid atmosphere/setting, something that would give off spring vibes, I would definitely recommend this book! 🌼🍃

The narration of the audiobook was also great! Even when the story lacked impact or when I felt uninterested in the plot, the narrator was able to get my attention and make me enjoy the story a lot more!

Thank you, Harper Muse Audiobooks and NetGalley, for providing this audiobook! #NetGalley # TheGrandDesign

I was initially captivated by the iconic Dorthy Draper interior designer who colored outside the lines. Dorthy portrayed as selfish, although, she was strong and pioneering. (Not an easy character to like). However, the raw emotion of a time when and how a woman should act and “know their place” this was risqué. Therefore, to me this was a good emotional southern historical fiction with a true love for design and a bit of a love story for hopeless romantic in me!

Thanks NetGalley for the audiobook of this book! I enjoyed the narration by Gina Carlson.

Really enjoyed how Callaway balanced history with the elements of design of Greenbrier Resort. Based on a true story of an interior designer named Dorothy.

Y’all, let’s talk southern historical fiction. I love @joywcal’s books. She takes an iconic southern destination, along with an interesting woman who helps shape the history of the place and creates emotional yet inspiring stories out of her research.

In The Grand Design, the setting is the famous Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia and the spectacular woman is interior designer, Dorothy Draper. I loved learning more about how Dorothy’s passion for design and color shaped the Greenbrier Resort rebranding, as well as how she succeeded despite breaking all of the societal norms of the 1940-50s. The story has a sprinkling of romance, but that is not the main theme of the story. I loved this audiobook which was narrated by Gina Carlson. I could just picture being in West Virginia at the Greenbrier. I am now ready to plan a trip 💚

I recommend grabbing this audiobook when you are ready for a vacation or break! Let it transport you to the Greenbrier.

I had a tough time differentiating the switch between timelines in this audiobook. The overall story was interesting.

In 1908, young Dorothy Tuckerman chafes under the bland, beige traditions of her socialite circles. Only the aristocracy’s annual summer trips to the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia spark her imagination. In this naturally beautiful place, an unexpected romance with an Italian racecar driver gives Dorothy a taste of the passion and adventure she wants. But her family intervenes, sentencing Dorothy to the life she hopes to escape.

Thirty-eight years later, as World War II draws to a close, Dorothy has done everything a woman in the early twentieth century should not: she has divorced her husband—scandalous—and established America’s first interior design firm—shocking. Now, Dorothy returns to the Greenbrier with the assignment to restore it to something even greater than its original glory. With her beloved company’s future hanging in the balance and brimming with daring, unconventional ideas, Dorothy has one more chance to give her dreams wings or succumb to her what society tells her is her inescapable fate.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction novel based on the beautiful Greenbrier. The author captured the spirit of Dorothy Draper and the grandeur of The Greenbrier. The narration is beautifully done.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the audiobook.