I'm not a fashionista by any means, but I still found this story, of two women who inherit their mother's collection of Chanel items, very moving. Well-written and funny, with two very relatable heroines.

If you are a fashion aficionado or love all-things fashion then this is the book for you! A beautifully woven story with fashion, wardrobes and a lot of heirloom clothing thrown in - testament to how fashion is a great legacy to leave behind!

Lulu Quattro and Gabrielle Winslow are estranged half-sisters who could not be more different. They have only two things in common. The first is their mutual loathing of Bette Bradford, an imperious, controlling, self-centered narcissist, who happens to be their recently deceased mother. The second is that both are heavily in debt, desperately in need of money, and sole heirs to their mother’s estate.

Much to the women’s shock, they learn that their mother’s estate consists of nothing but a large collection of high-end designer clothes and accessories, primarily Chanel, which they cannot sell, use, or get rid of without the approval of their mother’s estate attorney. The story revolves around the two women being forced to join forces to figure out how settle their mother’s estate, which requires them to get to know each other and form some semblance of a sisterly alliance.

Fashion is admittedly not one of my interests. However, having been a huge fan of Randy Susan Meyers’ previous novels, I was eager to read “The Fashion Orphans,” certain that despite my lack of interest in the subject so integral to the plot, I would enjoy it. Unfortunately, I did not. The book is so radically different from Ms. Meyers’ prior novels that I had a hard time understanding how she could have written it. The characters are whiny and clichéd. The plot is sadly predictable. I wish I could say that I enjoyed reading this book. Unfortunately, I cannot.

I have to in all fairness admit that my opinion of the book is colored by expectations based on having read and loved the author’s previous novels which were more in the mode of Jodi Picoult’s novels and deal with weightier issues like domestic abuse and spousal betrayal. Therefore, readers who are not familiar with the author’s previous books or who are simply looking for a lighter read may well enjoy “The Fashion Orphans.”

Gabrielle and Lulu are such lovable characters, and that makes the book an easy read as well follow along with them through their grief. The challenges the sisters' face in mourning aren't quite commonplace, but everyone with a sibling will find pieces of their story in how the sisters navigate their contentious relationship.

This book was a light and fun read. I did feel that it got a little sappy and started feeling like a Hallmark movie. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just not the kind of thing that I personally enjoy. Thanks for letting me check it out!

I loved this story! Sisters and fashion icon Coco Chanel, could you ask for more? The magical element of the mother "talking" to the sisters gave this just the right touch of sentimentality.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I have read all of Randy Susan Meyers' books, and they never disappoint. The style of writing is realistic and draws the reader in, no matter what the topic involves. As always, this novel had the right mix of humor and drama and is definitely worth a read!

A light and gratifying read.
Many thanks to Blue Box Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Gabi and Lulu were close as children even though Gabi was eight years older. After Lulu's husband dies suddenly at 45 and Gabi's marriage falls apart they become estranged. Upon their mother's death the girls are called to a lawyer's office for the reading of the will. They find out Bette didn't have a lot of money but she left them her collection and the lawyer is the one who has to approve how they dispose of it.

Most of the time I didn't care for Lulu. Having gotten married at 19, having a baby and becoming a part of her in-law's bakery and then losing her husband I can understand her devastation but at times I felt like she was wallowing in her grief. Gabi also was grieving the demise of her marriage and the loss of the life style she had when she was married. All the sisters had left was each other so as they work through what to do with the "collection" they have to work through their different personalities and different ideas for how to handle the terms of the will.

I thought the characters were pretty well developed. It would have been nice to know more about Matt, Lulu's husband, and more about the bakery, Quattro's. Victoria, one her sisters-in-law seemed quite the character. I would love to see another book focusing on Lulu's son, Seth, and his husband, Gus, who now works at the bakery.

Thank you to Netgalley and Blue Box Press for providing me with a digital copy.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Gabrielle and Lulu are estranged half-sisters that have just lost their mother Bette. Bette was never one for affection; however, she did love her girls fiercely.

After the service, the girls arrive at the lawyer's office for the reading of the will as dictated by Bette's final wishes. The reading of the will leaves cryptic message for the girls to figure out. Upon going to their mother's apartment - they find a super-sized closet filled to the brim with vintage and runway, high end clothing, shoes, and accessories. What are they to do with this mess? They did not know it even existed.

Together, the girls have to come up with a plan on how to handle their mother's estate and receive approval from the estate attorney before doing anything. Can they fix their relationship and come up with a plan or will they continue down the same path they are on and make no decisions.

I had a hard time putting down this book. I had to know what happened next and what happened to the characters. I look forward to more books by these authors.

This was such a fun and warm book, which I wasn't expecting! I am fascinated by fashion history, so I am definitely the right person to read this, and it did not disappoint. I thought that Gabrielle and Lulu were imperfectly lovable, and I was rooting for them the whole way through. From the description of the sisters, I thought it would be heavier/darker, but it was the perfect lighthearted read! (I read it while I had covid, and it let me escape for an afternoon!)

If you love, live for, or appreciate fashion (yes, yes, and yes for me), you will probably enjoy this book for that aspect alone.

It’s light, fun, funny, and, at times, touching… given there are also themes of death and estrangement… this in itself is a feat. The characters have flaws, and it gave me vibes of Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeny’s The Nest… which I really enjoyed.

This isn’t some deep commentary about family ties, and readers expecting that will be disappointed. However, if you take this book for what it is… a potential beach read… a palate cleanser between heavy reads, you will enjoy this much more.

#thefashionorphans #randysusanmeyers #ajrose #blueboxpress two half, estranged sisters. After their mothers passing they must go through her extensive Chanel collection. Together they must sort through the items deciding what to do. Along the way they discover little notes from their mom to them. Details about a life of a woman they thought they knew. This is a story of mothers. Daughters. Sisters. And unlikely friendships. It’s a cozy read for rainy days. #netgalley #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #fashion #cocochanel #death #family

As much as I enjoyed reading this, I am not very fashion forward nor do I have much interest in branded items so I couldn’t appreciate the story fully.

This story follows two estranged sisters, Gabrielle and Lulu who inherited their Mom’s extensive Chanel collection after she passed away. In her will, she wanted the two sisters to go through her collection and make a decision on what to do with it together. As they work through their decisions and rummage through her collection, Gabrielle and Lulu saw a side of their mother they didn’t know. What’s more heartwarming was how their mother had hidden little notes for her daughters to find which helped bring them closer together.

Sisterhood is the main theme of the story. It’s about going through grief, overcoming their differences and understanding the importance of family. Throw in a closet full of Chanel, a little hint of magic and love and you have yourself a heartwarming Hallmark-ish story.

This was definitely a light and fun read but it was a little too sappy for my liking. If you are looking for a cozy read, do give this a go.

Thank you Netgalley and Blue Box Press for the arc.

An excellent book! I couldn't put it down! Gabriel and Lulu were wonderfully written characters. I loved their sister bond and their character development throughout the book. The chanel references had me grinning. The Fashion Orphans was an absolute delight!

I absolutely loved this book! I found it hard to put down. I highly recommend reading it! You won’t be disappointed.

I enjoyed this story of sisters, Lulu and Gabrielle. They are meeting in their mother's lawyer's office to hear her will. The sisters are both broke and mad at their mother and each other. They expect some money and see the last of each other. Their mother has spent her money and filled a secret closet with designer clothes and accessories most by Coco Chanel. The sisters decide to open a store and sell the secret collection. Along the way they discover to like each other. A little predictable but a good story. I've read previous books by both Meyers and Rose, this was a good collaboration. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I didn't honestly know what to expect from this book - but I was humbly surprised by how much I liked it. The characters were rich, and I loved all the fashion references (like others, had fun googling). While not the most moving plot (some parts dragged for me), I did enjoy this one. A solid three stars. Thank you Netgalley!

"To achieve great things, we must first dream" - Coco Chanel

In her will Bette leaves her 2 daughters a mystery to solve. They are half sisters who are a bit estranged. They must figure out what the mystery is and how to solve it, with the potential being live changing.

This book has so much to love: the beauty and challenges of sisters, mothers and daughters, your parents friends, art, fashion, beauty itself and Coco Chanel.

For me the story of how the girls felt not enough in their mothers eyes, yet the mother, after her death, provided some magic to show her love was everything. Whether through stories her friends shared with the girls or the messages and items she left behind, the mother loved and wished the moon and stars for her daughters.

“𝘈 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴: 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴” – Coco Chanel

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁
💄 Estranged half-sisters, Gabriel and Lulu, arrive for the reading of their mother’s will expecting to receive a sizeable cash inheritance to help them pay off their debts.
💄 They are shocked to learn their mother has left them an extraordinary inheritance consisting of a massive wardrobe of Chanel clothes, shoes, handbags, and accessories with instructions they must decide together how to handle the collection.
💄 Forced to work together, they find notes left for them tucked in the handbags and learn their mother was an extraordinary woman who is seemingly helping them repair their relationship from the beyond.

𝗜 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁
I love vintage fashion, so reading and learning some details of the collection was fun for me (with pauses for Googling specific pieces). Their mother was not a loving woman, but she loved the wisdom of Coco Chanel (who died in 1971 with a questionable legacy briefly addressed in the book) and used Chanel’s quotes to reach her daughters after her passing.

This is a heartwarming story about mother-daughter relationships and the bonds sisters share. As the sisters learn more about their mother, they work on their damaged relationship and the importance of family and the family you make.

Recommend for a unique and uplifting story focusing on the ties of family and friends, finding inner strength, and the tiniest hints at romance.