Really enjoyed this book. Great plot and engaging, believe characters. I was drawn right into the story. Would definitely recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was an enjoyable book.

I have loved Carolyn's book in the past. Unfortunately i didn't get to read this. I lost interest in the subject matter. This seems to be a second chance romance and does are always quite lovely.

THE PERFECT DRESS tells the perfect story of three plus-size women—one who lost weight for her boyfriend, what was she thinking?—and the business they open together. The story centers around their shop, which custom makes wedding dresses for plus-size women.

Their business takes off better than they hoped, but their personal lives steal the show. Paula and Jody thought they’d had love but end up leaving their relationships thanks to their guys who aren’t what they seem. Mitzi is too busy for love, or is she just looking for the type of love her parents had?

We learn about each woman a little at a time. Mitzi’s high school crush, Graham, and his teenage twin daughters move back to their small town. Their characters are woven throughout as are Mitzi’s dad, grandmother, and Paula’s and Jody’s mothers. The interactions among the rich cast make the story shine.

The story flows smoothly as we get to know the characters, whose actions definitely affect the three women. I loved how Graham’s daughters, Dixie and Tabby, love all things wedding and are willing to help out wherever they can. That they get to make flower arrangements, corsages, and boutonnieres makes their day.

There are twists and turns to the story, some of which are expected and others not. But as much as the story had wonderful detail, I felt the ending was too rushed. There were stories that should have been told more expansively than just a few short sentences in the epilogue, although it helped give the story the closure it needed.

Carolyn Brown has become a new favorite author of mine. All her books involve family and friends, friendship and love. I love her stand-alone stories as well as those in a series. Give her books a try if you haven’t already. You won’t be disappointed!

A sexy, sweet contemporary romance, that's a bit of a second-chance romance too. I loved the premise of three best friends creating a business out of need and want. A dream to create gowns for all shapes and sizes.

I loved the connection between Mitzi, Jody, and Paula. That their enduring friendship was more of a sisterhood, a family. That they had each others backs regardless of the situation.

But I struggled a little bit with Mitzi's connection to Graham. The relationship seemed more forced due to her growing affection to Graham's two daughters. rather than honest affection and love beyond a bit of lust. The romance was secondary to the story of the friendship between Mitzi and the girls and it showed.

Bold, audacious and unapologetic, “The Perfect Dress” is the heartwarming story of three friends who found love, lost it, then found it again.

Friends since they were knee-high, Mitzi, Paula and Jody started “The Perfect Dress,” a custom-made bridal shop specializing in plus size women. With Mitzi and Paula being plus size themselves, they relate very well to their niche market.

Since the first day that they opened the doors of their business, everything was looking up as their dress shop/boutique make a name for itself. But, nothing stands still and Mitzi found herself crushing once again to her high school dream boat Graham Harrison who is a single dad to his twin daughters.

Then Jody found herself in the most unexpected scenario with her lived-in boyfriend Lyle, while Paula has a secret that she was so scared to share with her friends and family.

Amidst this drama are Graham’s teenage twin daughters whom Mitzi taken under her wings. Now, her problem has turned from crushing on Graham to should she put her friendship with the girls in jeopardy just because she likes their father.

At first glance, “The Perfect Dress” feels like a rom-com; but it is really a comedy-drama of living in a small town, how to be an entrepreneur and being comfortable under your skin. There was no big dramatic moment; just small ones. But, there are enough of these small ones to keep you reading and make “The Perfect Dress” a perfect read during a lazy weekend.

Once again, Carolyn Brown’s light touch mesmerizes as she gives her audience unforgettable characters who are adorable and unforgettable.

I received an ARC for this book and also listened to its audiobook narrated by Karissa Vacker. She got the Texas drawl just right; in fact, I will say it is perfect, which is not surprising since her website says that she is originally from Texas. This is my first listen from Karissa and she was right on target with her narration of all the characters in the book.

“The Perfect Dress” is Rated T for Teens. There are no sex scenes in this book.

On my to be read list is always Carolyn Brown and this book was sooo amazing!! I've read it a handful of times since I've had it and each time I catch something different that I didn't catch before. This was awesome storytelling at its best!!

Okay story

There wasn't much in the way of character development. The couple took a while to get to being a couple. The overall story was too patchy for me.

All up I think this is an okay book the storyline is okay the characters okay but not something I would read again.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I really tried but I just kept putting this book down and losing interest. I just found the writing to be not my style at all. It's a bit hard to read in parts and the chemistry between the two main characters was lacking to me.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Montlake Romance and NetGalley for my unbiased opinion of the book. Mitzi, Jody, Paula are three strong women who run a business together and help each other with life hurdles as they are thrown at them with grace and dignity. When Graham and his twin daughters enter their life, nothing is ever the same. Forging a new path all these women are on is refreshing since none are young or a size 2. It’s also great how they influence the twins to see their worth and value beyond the size they are. I really enjoyed the complexities of the multiple story lines. It was hard to put down once I started to read it, and sad once it was over. Carolyn Brown is such a great find as a reader. I love all her books; they make me feel as though I' m visiting with friends each story I read.

The Perfect Dress is the perfect ode to the strength you gain from enduring friendships.

Mitzi, Paula, and Jody are three life-long friends who briefly went their separate ways after high school, but now in their early thirties have pooled their resources and talents to open a boutique that designs and sews weddings dresses for plus-sized women. And they opened their shop back in their small hometown of Celeste, Texas, with all the stereotypical small-minded and judgmental people you’d expect from such a place. As the three friends work to make the wedding dreams of their clients come true, they each have their own dreams to chase and crazy situations to deal with.

“You remember that sayin’ about the north and south fairy tales?”
Mitzi shook her head. “No, but it’s early. Maybe after a cup of coffee and a hot biscuit, I’ll remember.”
“Folks up north start off a fairy tale by sayin’, ‘Once upon a time’,” Jody said.
“And us southerners start one off by sayin’, ‘You ain’t goin’ to believe this shit’,” Paula said.
“So which fairy tale are y’all about to tell me?” Mitzi asked.

And there were lots of tales.

This book ended up being completely different from what I was expecting, which was a romance about a woman who gets a chance with the boy she had a crush on in high school. I’m not even sure I would consider this book a romance, with much of that story line taking a back seat to the rest of Mitzi’s life, and as little page count it was given compared to the rest of what Paula and Jody were going through. Even so, the main characters - all of them - and their stories, were enchanting. The villains (and there were several of them) were just bad enough to not come across as caricatures, which is frequently the case when dealing with small-town bad guys (or gals, as the case me be). The author managed to write about a small Texas town, and give the reader exactly what you would expect from the people living there, but still not have things be kitschy or overdone stereotypes. Mostly, I loved these friends and would have loved to spend more time with them.

This book started out slow for me, and I wasn’t sure I was going to keep reading it. Yet in less than 30 pages, the girls and their stories drew me in, kept me hooked until the end, and entertained me the whole way through. Yes, there was some romance goin’ on, but this story was mainly about the women, their struggles to find acceptance for who they are and how they live their lives, and how their friendship would get them through anything. And it was delightful. Carolyn Brown was a new-to-me author, but I’ll definitely look for more from her, because a reader can never read too many delightful books!

* thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Carolyn Brown is well known for her feel-good romantic fiction, and in a story reminiscent of Sharon Sala's first Blessings, Georgia novel, The Curl Up & Dye, and Steel Magnolias, she's added a new twist to the gal pals at the hair salon, in The Perfect Dress we meet the gals who've opened a custom bridal gown specialty shop for big, beautiful women in tiny Celeste, Texas, and the three women (and 2 almost women), and the men in and out of their lives form the backbone of an emotional, empowering, sweet, funny and charming novel about, single motherhood, fat-shaming, love lost and found and most importantly, the tight bonds of friendship among women. Aside from a few minor flaws, this was a heartwarming and special read, especially if you're a woman who's not fit into a size 6 since birth. It gets 4 stars from this reader.

Mitzi, Jody and Paula have been best friends from high school on, and because they themselves have experienced fat-shaming and bullying in their own lives, Mitzi, who loves to design dresses, and Jody and Paula who love to sew, opened The Perfect Dress, dedicated to making beautiful wedding, bridesmaid, prom and other formal dresses and bouquets for women size 14 and up. This is a character-driven tale of how the lives of these three friends are changed and sometimes betrayed by the men they love, some of whom lied to them, cheated on them and left them pregnant and alone without so much as a backward glance. Although Mitzi had a great childhood with supportive parents and a supportive and feisty grandmother (Fanny), Jody and Paula weren't so lucky. It's through these friendships that these women find the love and support they never had while growing up.

Back into Mitzi's life 15-years later, comes her high school crush, Graham, and his two big, beautiful, enthusiastic, teenage daughters, who love to sew and are soon working at The Perfect Dress for the summer. Graham's marriage to his petite wife Rita, another former high school classmate who married Graham because she thought him wealthy. The marriage ended 2 years later when she cheated on Graham and didn't want to be a housewife and mother to two large twin daughters--and the girls blame their size on why she left. Graham seems interested in Mitzi, but trust is a hard thing for her, especially when she realizes Graham might want her only because she'd be a wonderful mother to his daughters.

Jody has issues of her own. She's spent 15 years living with her high school boyfriend, Lyle, who convinced her that a piece of paper, like a marriage license, wasn't all that important when two people truly loved each other. It's even worse when he tells her the relationship is over and cleans out their joint checking and savings accounts, and sells the trailer they've lived in for the past 15 years out from under her. It's her friends who bolster her back up and support her all the way, especially when she meets the man who bought the land and trailer, and he seems interested in her. Is it too soon? Will she ever be able to trust her own feelings again?

Paula has her issues too. She's pregnant, but when she found out that not only was the man who impregnated her already married, but he's already the father of one child and with another on the way, and that he's made her the other woman in his relationship. She's chooses not to tell him she's pregnant, and she's devastated. But once again, it's her friends who have her back.

These 3 friends, plus Graham and his twin daughters, and Mitzi's quirky grandmother are all women I came to love in this novel, as much as I hated the bad parenting that lowered the self-esteem and self-images of Jody, Paula and Graham's daughters. I'd have loved to be sitting at their kitchen table with them, commiserating about their parents and the men in and out of their lives, and sharing a tub of ice cream with them and several spoons. Each of their stories presents them with the same questions--are they willing to ever trust a man again? Will having had parents who were abusive and put them down at every turn make them bad parents themselves? Is it worth risking their hearts again and possibly being hurt again to try to engage in another romantic relationship? Will any or all of them eventually find happiness?

The issue I mentioned at the outset of this review is that while I loved these characters and their relationships, and am a fan of second-chance romances and romances in general, sadly, romance took a back seat to friendship in this novel, most of the romance happening off-screen, and then wrapped up in a too short, not particularly romantic HEA epilogue. All told, this was a very good read nevertheless, engaging and sweet, with well-drawn characters and I'm happy to recommend it.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

This was a fun romance and friendship story between three big, beautiful women who had been friends since childhood. They own a made to order bridal shop for plus size women, in a small town. Mitzi finds out that her teenage crush has moved back to town, and he stops in the store to make an appointment for his daughters to get bridesmaid dresses made for an upcoming wedding. Jody, finds out that the last several years of her life have all been for naught. Lyle, her highschool sweetheart has been involved in an affair with a young woman and gotten her pregnant, marrying her in secret and Paula, finds out that the man she has been involved with is not leaving his wife, but just a cheating husband. This group of woman support each other, cheer each other on and offer advice and a hand when needed. This story is about the ups and downs of life, the doubts and insecurities that these beautiful women and girls live with and the emotional abuse and bullying that larger people have to deal with. There are also abusive and bullying parents who want to control their children and expect them to live in a certain way. All these issues are dealt with in a fun and realistic way. I love the characters, including the twin daughters of Graham who are strong young ladies, but despite their intelligence and strength, allow their mother to belittle them and it always hurt. I really enjoyed the sisterhood, the love and caring these women had for each other and the side stories and romance that rounded out this story. I have enjoyed all the books I have read by Carolyn Brown and definitely recommend this one.

The Perfect Dress 👗 made me laugh, cringe, and cry. Some of these people are so hateful sure some of it is size shaming but some of it is just nastiness.

As a book, The Perfect Dress was amazing. It was fun, authentic, and heart-moving. The characters and their love for each other is something you’ll envy forever

I’ve read Carolyn Brown’s books before and enjoyed the combination of irreverent humor and southern charm her characters always display, so when I saw The Perfect Dress was about three women who operate a plus-sized custom bridal shop, I picked it up looking for a fun, light-hearted read.

What I got was three women who honestly seem to despise themselves. Jody hates herself for caving to pressure from a man and going vegan to diet into thinness (spoiler; the guy leaves her for a younger model anyway), Paula hates herself for falling for a man without checking him out first (spoiler; he was married) and Mitzi, the main heroine of this story, claims to be body confident but won’t let her love interest see her in a swimsuit - she doesn’t even OWN a swimsuit. The hero’s teenage daughters are frankly too good to be true and are written like no teenagers who exist in this day and age - they barely touch their phones, for starters.

If you have even the ghost of a decent relationship with your mother, you’ll be horrified by how mothers are portrayed in this book. Every single character’s biological mother is either sainted (dead) or an absolutely horrible person who seems to live to torture her children. The single older female character who’s portrayed in a positive light is Mitzi’s grandmother, who’s a hoot but I’m pretty sure is the author’s self-insert.

Mitzi and Graham’s romance could have been interesting, but every time we got a scene between the two of them, the story promptly derailed into Paula and Jody’s angst. This needed to be a series of three books, one for each of the three women, rather than rushing through and shoving everyone into a happy-ending-shaped slot. The constant PoV changes very quickly started to irritate me, because every time I put the book down even to get a snack or a drink, I had to spend several minutes checking back to see whose point of view I was in when I picked back up. It’s a hot mess and a competent editor should have done a LOT of cleaning up to make things easier for the reader to follow.

There are good parts to the story - the humor and sly Southern charm is present in full force, as well as the scene-setting that really does feel like a small Texas town. Ultimately, though, I was disappointed. Two stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.

The Perfect Dress by Carolyn Brown
Source: NetGalley and Montlake Romance
My Rating: 4/5 stars

“Folks up north start off a fairy tale by sayin’, ‘Once upon a time’. And us southerners start one off by sayin’, ‘You ain’t goin’ to believe this shit’.”

Mitzi, Jody, and Paula have spent the past year building their new business, The Perfect Dress. With an emphasis on plus-size custom made dresses, the ladies spend their days making the wedding dress dreams of larger ladies become an absolute reality. With originality, flair, and a desire to see every client happy and beautiful, the woman have little time for anything other than their work.

For Mitzi, the work is everything and though she wouldn’t mind having a man in her life, there isn’t much time for such distractions. In truth, Mitzi hasn’t had much time or energy for thoughts about her non-existent love life until the day she runs into Graham Harrison, her high school crush and newly divorced dad of two who has just moved back into town. Oh boy! With Graham back in town, Mitzi is suddenly faced with many, many new possibilities and those possibilities are taking up brain space normally reserved for design and sewing.

As if encouraging her thoughts on possibilities, Graham’s twin daughters work their way into Mitizi’s life and heart in short order. With fire, sass, intelligence, humor, and a very real interest in learning Mitzi’s craft, the girls are always at the shop and that means Graham is always in Mitizi’s orbit. In short order, Mitzi, Graham, the girls, Mitzi’s family, and her partners become a tight social circle which is a welcome for Graham and his girls as they settle back into town. Being together on a regular basis creates all kinds of wonderful and welcome feelings for both Graham and Mitzi and with literally everyone in their respective lives encouraging the match, it’s hard for both to ignore the obvious. As with so many other things in life, the path to happiness isn’t always easy and for Graham and Mitzi, there are considerations beyond their own desires that must be taken into account before they can commit to one another.

The Bottom Line: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Carolyn Brown is my go-to girl in this genre!! Once again, I fell in love with Brown’s version of small-town life, endearing characters, and a plot that is just right for the genre. While this story is meant to be Mitzi and Graham’s love story, there’s so much more going on with the other characters including Mitzi’s partners, Jody and Paula, and Graham’s twin daughters. The multiple sub-plots work beautifully with the main plot line and really come together to create a more complete book full of love, friendship, and community. It’s the spirit of love, friendship, loyalty, and community that keeps bringing me back to Brown’s books. I always know I’m going to get a solid, emotionally wrought read with real problems and real issues that are dealt with by real people. This particular read has a great number of issues and problems across a variety of characters and every one of them is blended perfectly with Mitzi and Graham. Once again, an excellent read from an author who perfectly understands small town life, creating real characters, and helping each of them reach a lovely and well-deserved HEA.

RATING: 2 STARS
2019; Montlake Romance
DNF @ 35%

I was so excited to read this novel for a blog tour and review. As I snuggled into bed to read it, I slowly started to frown. This book has all the genres I love - romance, small town, southern and contemporary fiction - yet, I was bored. I liked that the main character Mitzi was a plus-size, something that isn't the norm in romances. However, overall, I didn't really like the characters. The women were a bit over the top as is the humour. I found myself clenching out of embarrassment for the characters which is something that makes me feel uncomfortable so I had to stop reading. I am not sure if it is this novel or Brown's writing style, but I will definitely try another novel by Brown.

***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***

THE PERFECT DRESS by Carolyn Brown should come with a warning – caution smiles abound. Yes once again Carolyn Brown has come up with a storyline that is guaranteed to make your day. THE PERFECT DRESS is about not being perfect. After all who can actually claim perfection – which by the way is just plain boring if you ask me. THE PERFECT DRESS is about a wedding gown store in a small western town that caters to plus size brides. Every girl is entitled to her dream of a wedding day and the ladies of THE PERFECT DRESS are there to make that happen.
Along the way to the wedding day we are treated to some fabulously engaging conversation between women who are bossy, sassy and wonderful. All would be someone you’d love to have as a friend. That’s the thing with any Carolyn Brown story. Her characters leap off the page into your heart. And THE PERFECT DRESS is no exception to that rule.
Let’s face it life just isn’t perfect but in order to have a happy fulfilled life you must first accept that fact. Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder and even though some of us blanch at our reflection in the mirror that absolutely does not mean that we aren’t beautiful in our own way. At THE PERFECT DRESS Mitzi, Paula and Jody are determined that every bride to be that enters their shop sees a beautiful princess in their dream gown. After all so many brides have been dreaming of their trip to the altar. They have a vision. The ladies at the Perfect Dress understand that. They are all larger women, tall and curvy. They know how society is sometimes downright insulting and rude. Their lives aren’t perfect. They would all like to meet that special someone and commit to a happily ever after life. But they aren’t sitting around waiting for Mr. Right to come. Mitzi, Paula and Jody have each-others backs. They are a force to reckon with.
Families can be a problem just as much as strangers. And Paula and Jody seem to have drawn short straws when it comes to family support. Mitzi is lucky. She has her father and her grandmother. And now that Graham has returned to town with his lovely twin daughters dare we hope that there is a Mr. Right in Mitzi’s future. We can only hope.
As in all Carolyn Brown stories we are treated to quite a cast of characters, too numerous to mention here and candidly I wouldn’t want to ruin your experience meeting them. THE PERFECT DRESS is very honest in its approach with dealing with plus size women and their needs and desires. Carolyn Brown treats them with dignity, humor and love. So if you are looking for a great summer read especially for those that aren’t all that taken with their own mirror reflection, and that about includes every woman I’ve ever know, than THE PERFECT DRESS is definitely for you.

Mitzi Taylor has a very successful custom wedding dress boutique for women just like her, She is buxom and nearly six feet fall with bright red hair. Her clientele always come away from her shop looking like true divas. So Mitzi, along with two friends, has made a great success.

When Mitzi sees Graham Harrison again, who is shopping for bridesmaid dresses for his twin girls, she is in constant awareness. As a matter of fact, he feels it too. Mitzi has dreams, and just maybe one day Graham could be a part of it.

The Perfect Dress is a wonderful romance with the true fact that plus-sized women can be beautiful, glamorous and sexy and deserve every chance at love. I appreciated the kindness Mitzi showed to Graham's daughters, who were very much like her. She was able to instill confidence in them that teens really need in this day and age. In addition, Mitzi's friends Jody and Paula, who co-owned the shop, had chances to work through their issues.

I enjoyed this book Carolyn Brown, and have read another book by her as well. I look forward to reading much more.

any thanks to Montlake Romance and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Four stars: A book that focuses on plus size girls and girl friendships.

Mitzi Taylor and her two partners, Jody and Paula, are thrilled that their plus size dress shop is a success. The three girls opened the shop to serve the many plus sized gals who need custom size dresses. Even though their shop is in a small town, the girls are busy. Then trouble strikes as Jody’s long term relationship crumbles, and Paula reveals a secret. When both Jody and Paula’s mothers turn against their daughters, the three women come together and form a strong sisterly bond. Together the three will conquer life’s woes, plus size curves and even romance. Can the three gals make it all work?
What I Liked:
*I have said this time and time again, there is nothing like a Carolyn Brown book for when I need a comfort read. I loved that The Perfect Dress was all about girl friendship and supporting one another, as well as celebrating larger woman and their curves. This is an empowering read that reminds us that woman come in and all shapes and sizes, and they are all beautiful.
*I adored the dress shop. It was such a treat to read about plus size gals helping other gals with curves find their perfect dress. I loved that this was all about celebrating beauty no matter the size. It was a delight to see the little business take off and reach success.
*I loved that the main focus of the book was on friendship. The story revolves around the three women as they navigate pregnancy, breakup and new relationships. Through it all, the girls find solace and power in their friendship. The girls constantly support one another and have each other’s backs no matter what. There isn’t anything some ice cream and conversation can’t fix when friendship and support are involved. Loved the girl power!
*Another highlight of the book was watching Mitzi form a relationship with the twin teen girls that belong to her former high school crush. The twins’ mother walked out on them and their father when their were babies. It was a joy to watch Mitzi get to know these girls and to see her take them under her wing.
*For all you romance lovers, there is a romance. I liked that the romance was a secondary story line. It was simple, straightforward and it moved at the right pace. I thought it fit into the story perfectly, and it was a nice, light story line that brightened up the story.
*I loved Fanny Mae, Mitzi’s grandma. That old gal had spunk. She was always popping into the shop to liven things up with her inappropriate comments. Loved that old gal!
*The book ends with a delightful epilogue one year down the road. It was a joy to catch up with the girls and see how things worked out for them.
And The Not So Much:
*It felt like there was a great deal of nastiness in this one. The mother’s of Paula and Jody were both downright awful. I didn’t like the way either one of them treated their daughters. I was disappointed that there wasn't any development with either relationship. In fact, it felt like the mother-daughter conflicts were completely forgotten as they weren’t mentioned again after the blowups. I wish that things were sorted out. I also hated the nastiness of Rita toward her twin daughters. Ugh. I get that there are many conflicted mother daughter relationships out there, but this book had far to many for me.
*I wish that there was more focus on Jody and Quincy. Their friendship didn’t come up until after the half way mark. I wanted more of their relationship.
*The book ends with a happy epilogue a year later, but I felt like the ending was rushed. I wish that we had gotten to experience Jody and her little romance and see Paula through her pregnancy. I wanted more!
The Perfect Dress was a book that had a strong focus on female friendship and women with curves. I loved the positive way plus sized women were featured in this book. I also loved the sisterly bond between the three friends. There is a lot to love in this one from girl friendships, wedding dresses, plus size curves and romance. If you want a delightful book with plenty of girl power, this is one to check out.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.