I absolutely loved this book!!! What a wonderful way to start my summer reading. I am a big historical fiction reader but have not read anything about the Biltmore Estate. I loved how this story was written. The writing is detailed and can place you in the house in its heyday. I like that the Vanderbilts were not portrayed as uppity recluses but as part of the people of Asheville. The book focuses more about how they helped build up Asheville and the community and how the family struggled to maintain the home. On top of the history storyline is a female, multigenerational story about love and what it means at different points in your life. A fun grandmother-grand daughter relationship and, of course, a wedding veil that ties the storylines together. You will laugh, sigh, tear up and feel like a visit to Biltmore after this one. This a perfect book for the beach.

I enjoyed the premise of this novel but it wasn't as compelling as I had hoped. Although I thought Julia's story was interesting and Babs was a fun character, Cornelia and her sudden about face didn't sit right with me. Cornelia's character didn't feel fully developed and didn't elicit any emotion from the reader. This isn't a book that will stay with me.

The Wedding Veil is the story of four women and the wedding veil that connects them. The book is told from multiple timelines and multiple POVs.

I enjoyed this - I like that it bounced from contemporary to historical fiction, and I liked learning more about the Vanderbilts and the Biltmore Estate.

I love historical fiction books and when there is a dual timeline, I am hooked. The setting of the Biltmore House was delightful. Having visited there several times, it was fun to explore the building and the town. There is the typical romance of which the author does well. I fell in love with Julia and her grandmother, Babs in the contemporary portion of the story. You will find yourself cheering her on as she becomes a runaway bride. I enjoyed seeing Julia grow and mature as she discovers who she really is. And how encouraging to see her grandmother, Babs, find hope later in life. The past storyline provided a view into the life of Edith Vanderbilt and her daughter, Cornelia, and the journey of the wedding veil will kept you waiting to discover the truth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

At her bridal luncheon, Julia learns that her fiancé has been cheating on her. Already in her wedding dress and veil, Julia walks away from Hayes, her boyfriend of ten years. Hayes tells her to take the planned honeymoon trip by herself to clear her mind and think things through. As Julia reflects on her life and decisions, she thinks about the wedding veil that has been passed down for generations in her family. The reader learns about some of the other women who have worn the veil and its possible ties to the Biltmore Estate and the Vanderbilt family.
I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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This book was so good! I love this author and was excited to read another story by her. I just loved the characters. The historical story was a little different than past stories but very enjoyable. I would highly recommend this author and book!

I love Kristy Woodson Harvey books and this was another hit! I loved the Biltmore family and mansion as I have been there recently. The dual timelines made the book so interesting and so did the mystery behind the wedding veil. The strong female characters in this book were uplifting and gave me hope and joy. I love the relationship between mother and daughter and grandmother and granddaughter. Family stories are my favorite and this hit mark!

I absolutely love this author. I’ve been on a mission to read everything she’s written and so far they’ve all been amazing.

Julia is about to get married but her gut is telling her to not put on the heirloom veil, it won’t help her marriage. She doesn’t and escapes to the British Virgin Islands

Babs, a spirited grandmother to Julia, moves out of the family home essentially without telling her daughters about it and moves into a retirement community, where she’s happier.

The story also covers Edith and Cornelia and the esteemed Biltmore estate. Edith and Cornelia are Vanderbilts.

I love that this covers 4 women, over various times in their lives all surrounding the veil.

A total 5 star read!

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to review and read this title, all view are my own. I just reviewed The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey. #NetGalley

This book wasn't for me. I found the whole thing to be a bit cheesy. The idea of this wedding veil just became repetitious and corny. I really wanted more of Julia's story as well as Babs. I wasn't interested in the other women's stories.

I've been wanting to read a book by Kristy Woodson Harvey because Susan always raves about them. I've hesitated only because I'm not as partial to southern fiction as Susan is. When I saw that The Wedding Veil had a plot line involving Edith and Cornelia Vanderbilt, I knew that this would be the book I read.

I've visited Biltmore Estate twice. Ironically, my last visit (to see the Downton Abbey exhibit) was the week before everything shut down in March 2020 because of COVID-19. I say ironic because this was about the time Harvey started working on this book and couldn't take the expected research trips to the estate.

I did have a little trouble getting into the book. The opening scenes with Julia at the wedding were a little too southern fiction for me. I started enjoying the book as we got more of Edith's story. By the time Julia was honeymooning in the British Virgin Islands, I had warmed up to her too (it might just be because I'm desperate for a real vacation and I was enjoying living vicariously through her). I liked Babs, Julia's grandmother, who is still grieving the loss of her husband but also wants to move on with her life. She is a fun character.

I loved getting the tidbits about Edith and Cornelia. When you visit Biltmore Estate there is little about them on the tour, even though they lived at the house much longer than George did. But even they seemed to be doing everything to keep George's legacy alive and not so much for their own sake.

Overall, this book would be a great summer beach read. It has some historical moments with Cornelia and Edith and some romantic comedy elements with both Julia's and Babs's storylines. There's even a little mystery surrounding the heirloom wedding veil. It all works together to create an engaging story.

P.S. if you haven't visited Biltmore Estate, you should plan a trip. It is really beautiful. The descriptions in this book took me right back there and I could picture it, especially the description of the winter garden. I wish I could remember where my photo of it is. It is my favorite part of the house, though I love the library too, of course.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Friday, June 24 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2022/06/the-wedding-veil-by-kristy-woodson.html

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I loved the two different points of view of this book, though I liked the historical part of the story the best.

I absolutely loved this one. For starters, I love this author, so I knew I would at least somewhat enjoy what was written but wow, she exceeded expectations. But for her to write about the Vanderbilts with the connection to the Biltmore Estate (I live in North Carolina), I couldn't put the book down. I love that Kristy Woodson Harvey always seems to write about places I know about and for that, I am grateful.

The Wedding Veil is a sweeping new release that follows four women across generations who are bound by a beautiful wedding veil and a connection to the famous Vanderbilt family.

On June 1, 1989, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser marries George Vanderbilt wearing her family’s treasured wedding veil. After her husband’s untimely death in 1914, Edit struggles to maintain their luxurious 250-room Biltmore Estate and leave it as a legacy for her free-spirited daughter, Cornelia. In the present, Julia Baxter wears a wedding veil bequeathed to her great-grandmother by a stranger on a train in the 1930s, to her own fairytale wedding at the Biltmore Estate. When she learns of her fiancé’s infidelity, she leaves him at the altar. Centuries apart, the two women struggle to find their own paths despite the obstacles they face.

When I was first approved for a review copy of this book, I thought, why in the world did I request this? I don’t even read chick lit! If it had a different title and cover image, I wouldn’t be embarrassed to say admit how much I enjoyed it. First, the pros. The historical references to the Vanderbilt family were fascinating. So fascinating, in fact, that one of my next reads will be Vanderbilt by Anderson Cooper (his mother was Gloria Vanderbilt) and author Katherine Howe. Kristy Woodson Harvey is a fine storyteller with likeable, complex characters. The cons? I’m not a big fan of novels about high society and the Gilded Age, and some events and settings made me cringe. I found the multiple narratives disorienting—too many women, too many narratives. The historical details trump, though, so I give this book 4 stars.

The Wedding Veil review👰🏼‍♀️

rating: 4.5⭐️
genre: historical fiction x contemporary romance
read this if you liked: The Golden Girl

*yes I did break out my wedding dress for this pic* …and it still fits almost 5 years later🤣👰🏼‍♀️👏🏻

Did you wear anything special for your wedding day? I wore my grandmother’s earrings and they really made her feel present on our wedding day, even though she wasn’t with us.👰🏼‍♀️ Swipe for a few wedding photos… how could I not reminisce after reading this book?

review: One veil. Four women. And a connection to each other that will change their lives. In present day, Julia’s wedding is coming up. With everything up in the air, one thing she knows for sure, she must wear her families wedding veil on her big day. But as her wedding day gets closer, she begins to question her decision even more. In 1914, Cornelia Vanderbilt is being taught how to uphold the Vanderbilt legacy - but that’s not the path Cornelia wants to go down. Should she uphold tradition or pursue a future that lies behind the gates of the Biltmore?

Being a fellow NC girl, I have been a long time fan of Kristy Woodson Harvey. She has a beautiful way of having NC as the backdrop of her books and I always enjoy reading them. I was excited for her foray into historical fiction and this book did NOT disappoint! I really loved the dual timelines - it was the perfect blend of historical fiction and contemporary romance. She has stayed true to her own style and characterization in both timelines. The characters were an absolute delight - their quest to find themselves was such a fun journey and you really got to *feel* the inner workings of each of them. This is one of those books that you don’t want to miss!

I'd read KWH grocery list - I liked the present day chapters (babs/Julia) better than the historical fiction chapters, but this was such a solid read. KWH can do no wrong!!

This book covers multiple generations and includes the famous Vanderbilt family. Julia is getting married and it's tradition to wear her great grandmother's wedding veil. In 1030 a woman on a train gave it to her great grandmother. When Julia panics on her wedding day, she heads to the Virgin Islands to escape. Julia's grandmother is moving into a retirement home after the lose of her beloved husband and Julia's mother has to deal with that upheaval. a story of family and tradition. Also a good look into the Asheville Vanderbilt family's estate. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A charming novel with history, strong female characters, and romance. The story covers those generations of women, and what they experienced with the heirloom veil. I loved how Harvey tied in the true-to-life missing Vanderbilt wedding veil to this fictional story. Harvey did an excellent job of combining contemporary and historical points of view. Beautifully crafted and a truly delightful read.

Thank you to Gallery Books & NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I’ve read and enjoyed Kristy Woodson Harvey’s romance novels and I was thrilled to be able to read her first historical fiction / contemporary novel. The Wedding Veil is the intermingled stories of four different women through time. In 1879, Edith Dresser dreams of the day she will wear her family’s historic wedding veil. She grows up and marries George Vanderbilt in a beautiful wedding. George has built the Biltmore estate in Ashville North Carolina. After his untimely death, Edith tries to hold everything together for her daughter Cornelia to inherit. Cornelia has the dream wedding of her own, but she wonders, is their more out there in life for her?

In present day, Julia Baxter is ready to be married using her family’s historic wedding veil. After receiving a video, the day of her wedding showing her fiancé cheating on her, she knows she needs to change the direction of her life. Luckily her Grandma Babs is there to support her. After becoming a widow late in life, Babs wonders, can she move forward and have the life she wants while she still can?

I loved this novel. The four women and two dueling timelines was intriguing and kept me vested in the story. I enjoyed both timelines equally. In contemporary times, I wanted Julia and Babs to figure out what they wanted to do with their lives and to solve the mystery of their family veil. In the past timeline, I learned about Biltmore and the Vanderbilt women. I had not read about them before, and I found their story to be fascinating. I have always wanted to visit the Biltmore estate and Ashville ever since I watched Last of the Mohicans (filmed on location there) as a teenager. This novel made me want to visit even more! I also just love to read about weddings, historic clothing, beautiful estates, and this book had it all. It also had very interesting characters and conflict as well. I love that they all had to find their inner strength and forge their own paths. It was an uplifting novel.

I enjoyed the author’s note at the end and hope that the author writes more historical fiction novels. I think if you enjoyed The Gown by Jennifer Robson or The Last Dance of the Debutante by Julia Kelly, or any of Kristy Woodson Harvey’s previous novels, you will love this book.

Book Source: A Review Copy from Gallery Books and Spark Point Studio. Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Edith, Cornelia, Babs and Julia. Generations of women woven together by happenstance. I thoroughly enjoyed the Vanderbilt timeline. It was fascinating to hear of all that Edith did to support her husband's vision of Biltmore even after he passed away. The author captured the colossus of Biltmore beautifully. With losing her father as a teenager it is easy to see how Cornelia became a bit of a wondering soul. The story line of Babs was just so endearing. Harvey gave her tons of spunk and a deeply rooted love of family. Julia exhibited much of her grandmother's strength and tenacity as she fought to find her way. The veil represented a legacy for all of them. This book was lighthearted and a strong showing for Harvey as she embarks into the genre of historical fiction.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

One wedding veil, two families, and four brides are the storylines for The Wedding Veil. I have not read Kristy Woodson Harvey's earlier works, but I am going to after reading this book.
The Wedding Veil had me researching Edith Vanderbilt and her daughter Cornelia because the historical storyline had me so interested in their lives and how the wedding veil brought short lived joy to one bride, but didn't bring a promise of life long love to the other. The contemporary storyline had 80 year old Babs thinking of new love after the veil gave her a long wonderful marriage and her family believes that is the magic the veil gives its brides. Babs granddaughter Julia is the newest bride to wear the veil, but the doubts that it will bring her the promised happiness has her running off to her honeymoon alone.
I think this book tells honest stories that some of us are blessed by life long love, some won't be so fortunate and some get a second chance at it. All the characters and storylines were excellently created and is perfect women fiction for the beach!
I received a complimentary copy of The Wedding Veil, but all opinions are my own.