Joy Callaway has crafted an interesting tale regarding the Greenbrier and the fabulous designer who created the beauty that is the resort. Dorothy Tuckerman Draper grew up visiting the Greenbrier and is asked to redesign the resort after the World Wars. As she works, she remembers the friendships, loves and heartbreak she suffered during her last summer at the resort.

Though I did enjoy most of the story, I found some of the book slow and a little repetitive. I also wanted to like Dorothy and sympathize with her, but I found her character annoying and, at times, obnoxious.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Having spent many of my summers in West Virginia with my grandparents, I'm familiar with the name of the Greenbrier Resort, although I've never been. After reading this, I'm certainly of a mind to. I hadn't heard of Dorothy Draper prior to reading this novel, and she's such a fascinating character! I love any book with a dual timeline. There's lots of history, signs of the times, architecture, and decorating. This was a well researched and plotted book.

Dorothy is a bold young woman with an eye for design, born and raised in high society. She thrives using color and concept to create design worthy of discussion. Though she loves her work the reviving the Greenbrier reawakens memories of a love yet to be surpassed. The grand design is a historical romance, based on a true story, for the modern woman.

This was a fun read! I have never heard of Dorothy Draper, but I certainly have heard of The Greenbrier, so I was interested in reading more about them both. From socialite to designer, Dorothy certainly led a fulfilling life. This book is written in dual timelines at different parts of her life. I found myself more drawn to the late 1940s timeline after she had established her interior design company. I really enjoyed the writing in this story, and I can't wait to see what Joy Callaway writes next!

A dual time line book dealing with the life of a real person and her rise to fame as an independent, working woman.
Although I found the descriptions of American society of the period interesting I found their sentiments of entitlement rather wearing. The attitudes portrayed were quite probably those of the period and thus it is easy to comprehend why Dorothy rebelled against them.
Unfortunately I found the book dragged somewhat in places

This book was an enjoyable time piece; I can imagine it as a series on PBS! Strong main character and I always find it interesting to read about woman who succeeded in spite of the time period they were born. I did find the last third dragged a tad - a bit too much rehashing for my taste.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

this book is based on the life of desiginer Dorothy Draper. very good fictional account. I enjpyed the story.

This is a fictionalized account of Dorothy Draper, a well-known designer best known for her bold colors. Draper was not an easy character to like, and she was a complex woman who kept her emotions in check and sometimes at the expense of those around her. She was most in love with her work and was dedicated to the restoration and decoration of The Greenbrier. I loved reading about her ideas for decorating The Greenbrier, and it was pretty extravagant. I also enjoyed reading about the history of The Greenbrier, and I still would love to know more as the author gave glimpses as opposed to an entire scoped account of the resort. I should also mention that this story is primarily broken into two timelines, Dorothy's early life (mostly fictionalized) and her time designing The Greenbrier post-WWII. As with most stories that have dual timelines, I preferred one timeline to the other; in this case, I liked reading about Dorothy's decorating in the late 1940s, which was the least fictionalized portion of the book. Overall, a well-written story. Thank you, Net Galley, for the opportunity to read for a review.

THE GRAND DESIGN
by Joy Callaway
Harper Muse
Pub Date: May 17

I knew nothing about Dorothy Draper, socialite and founder of the first interior design firm, and eagerly read Joy Callaway's historical fiction novel, The Grand Design, which compellingly tells her story.

As a young woman in the early 1900s, she adored her family's yearly trips to the magnificent Greenbrier Resort, set in the uncommon beauty of West Virginia. During one visit, she falls in love with an Italian race car driver, who gives her a taste for a freer life and a longing for more than a confined socialite's existence.

But her family ends their relationship, and Dorothy fears she'll be trapped into a conventional life.

Through dual timelines, we see how the young Dorothy evolves into a courageous woman who later divorces her husband -- scandalous then -- and starts a daring business in interior design. And we follow her progress 38 years later when after WWII, she applies her audacious ideas to
renovating Greenbriar once more. Now, her business and reputation hang in the balance. Will she succeed?

A must-read for historical fiction fans, interior design lovers, and those who adore gracefully written stories about strong inspiring women.

Thanks to author Joy Callaway, Harper Muse
and #NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

#JoyCallaway #HarperMuse #NetGalley #historicalfictionnovel #DorothyDraperInteriorDesigner #novelsffeaturingboldwomen #TheGreenbriarResort #WestVirginiasetting#heiressfoundsfirstinteriordesignfirm #bookstagramcommunity

I enjoy historical fiction but this one couldn’t hold my interest. Dorothy Draper grew up in a rich household that spent summers at the famous Greenbrier. During WWII, the Greenbrier was used as a military hospital. Drawer’s marriages had failed and she became a sought-after interior designed. The resort hires her to revamp the entire property and bring it back to it’s former glory. Callaway has sprinkled in famous people effectively. The story jumps back and forth between Draper’s young years at the resort and present time, a format I usually enjoy. The characters just never caught with me. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Really loved this book! A captivating look at the life and loves of Dorothy Draper—and the gorgeous Greenbriar hotel. Adore historic grand hotels, and refurbishing one would be a dream job. With fully realized characters and plenty of period detail, this story is the perfect escape for right now.

Historical fiction at its best based on the real life of Dorothy Tuckerman .Three time periods in her fascinating life who followed her own path.A fabulous woman a designer who redesigns the famous Green Briar hotel..A book I will be recommending,#netgalley#theGranddesign.

This was a captivating book that completely swept me in from the beginning. It is a split timeline novel and begins in 1908 and ends in 1961. The author smoothly transitions her readers back and forth through the years. The story was very well researched and I felt like I was there at the Greenbrier Resort mingling with the guests. The book was based on the true story of Dorothy Draper, who was America’s first to establish an interior design firm. It is her story from the time she was a debutante attending the balls at the famous Greenbrier to her career in interior decorating. In 1946 to 1948, Dorothy took on the challenge of returning the Greenbrier Resort to its former glory and beyond with a whole new design. I found this book to be very entertaining, realistic and informative. It was almost impossible to put the book down once I started reading it. I loved the happily ever after ending and it goes on my self of favorite books.

1908
Dorothy Tuckerman came from a wealthy New York family. She was a debutante just coming of age to marry. She was bored with her life and keeping up with the demands society placed on the rich. She didn’t appreciate how her wealthy family and friends looked down on the less fortunate. Dorothy often longed to just run away from it all and be free to do the things she really wanted and find a man she could fall in love with, not caring what family he came from or what social standing he had. Her parents had a young man from the Abercrombie family picked out for Dorothy to one day marry but she considered him a friend and not someone she wanted for a husband. Then Enzo Rossi, Italian race car driver came to visit The Greenbrier Resort. He was handsome and he made her heart pound when he looked at her. Enzo and Dorothy fell in love but Mr and Mrs Tuckerman didn’t approve. Dorothy felt she was a prisoner of her family’s wealth and social standing. Would she give it all up to gain her freedom to love Enzo and marry him?

1946
The years have passed and now Dorothy Draper is divorced and has her own interior design business. She is a mother and grandmother and very independent. She is no longer a member of upper New York society and in fact she is looked down on because she has a career in a successful business and is divorced from her husband. Dorothy has just been hired by the Chairman of the C&O Railroad to restore the Greenbrier Resort to its original glory. It had been turned into a hospital during the war years but now C&O wants Dorothy to restore it back to a resort. Dorothy wants to completely change it to a brighter more colorful place. It will have Dorothy Draper’s creative touch and people would long remember her legacy in years to come. She has been given a budget and a limited amount of time to do the renovations. As Dorothy walks the halls of Greenbrier hotel memories come flooding back and she realizes that after all these years she is still in love with Enzo. This assignment is an overwhelming challenge for her but a great opportunity for her business to grow . Will she be able to design a newer Greenbrier Resort within the budget allowed her and the time frame she’s been given to complete the Grand Design?

I recommend this book to readers of Historical Romance and Woman’s Fiction. It is a stand alone read. This book is scheduled to be released on 5/17/22.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#TheGrandDesign#NetGalley

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperMuse for my ARC of The Grand Design. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The Grand Design takes us to the Greenbrier Hotel through the life of designer and socialite Dorothy Draper. We see the grandeur of the Greenbrier in two different eras, the early 1900s and then later in the late 1940s. The thread that ties the two timelines are Dorothy Draper’s life as a young woman visiting in the 1900s and then as a designer to take the Greenbrier back to its glory after having served as hospital during the war.

Callaway does an exquisite job of describing the grand and beautiful details while creating a love story that crosses eras. It is easy to see the confines of being a young woman heiress expected to marry well and live up to high society’s expectations.

I truly enjoyed this work of historical fiction, and I find myself wanting to make a trip to the Greenbrier Hotel.

I enjoyed this story, mainly because I once visited the Greenbriar in the 1980's for an educational conference. By this time Carleton Varney had bought Dorothy Draper & Company, but I immediately recognized the Draper decors seen in magazines. This happened several years later when we went on vacation to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan. Her designs are definitely unique, as is her story of socialite turned decorator.

The fascinatingly reimagined story of the inimitable Dorothy Draper & the famed Greenbrier resort in West Virginia.
Spanning three time periods, the story shares insights into ideas of class, gender & relationships.
With great thanks to NetGalley & Harper Muse for this ARC!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A coming-of-age story mingled with the storied history of The Greenbriar - this book captures you from the first and holds for a good read. Based on the real story of Dorothy Draper, Dorothy Tuckerman is of the privileged set in the early 1900's, and "summers" at the Greenbriar, where she enjoys the relaxed days and dance-filled nights. But in her heart, she knows this lifestyle is not what she wants. Instead, she has always had an eye for design, and wants to pursue that passion. Her parents want her to marry the "safe choice" - her best friend who, despite her trying to feel otherwise, is only on the platonic level. It's not until an Italian race car driver enters the picture that Dorothy begins to imagine a "what if" kind of lifestyle.

Almost 40 years later, Dorothy is now an established designer, and has been chosen to refurbish The Greenbriar, and to bring the the charm of the old hotel to the newer hotel that was once used as a field hospital, and has since been neglected. As she reimagines what could be in design, she also is haunted by the ghosts of her past, and must consider what her success has cost her in her personal life.

I've not been to The Greenbriar, but the author brings it alive in the description so well that the reader "sees" it as the story unfolds.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this one.. Opinions expressed in thie review are completely my own.

I stopped reading at around the 40% mark in this book. I found it hard to picture either the Greenbriar itself (when I ended up searching online, I was amazed to see the scale of the resort, which I felt did not come across in the writing) or the time period from the descriptions in the novel. The character of Dorothy came across strongly in the scenes set in 1908, but I could not to relate to her in the 1946 timeline (which was disappointing as I felt here was an opportunity to write a compelling middle-aged female character). After finding out (around 30% in) Enzo's fate, I struggled to care more about what happened to the characters in the 1946 timeline. I also struggled with the sheer number of men in that timeline and who they were in relation to Dorothy - there seemed to be so many Mr This and Mr That and I could not work out which one was which. I just wish I had liked this more because I think it had such potential to be a brilliant story, but it failed to grip me.

The young Dorothy Tuckerman is a bit board of her life in 1908 with her family of socialites. The summer trips to Greenbrier resort in West Virginia are the one thing that she really enjoys. When Dorothy begins a romantic involvement with an Italian racecar driver, her parents quickly intervene. Fast forward almost 4 decades later, Dorothy has crossed all of the limitations set for women in the 1940’s. She is divorced and has started her own business as an interior designer. Now Dorothy must return to Greenbriar with the assignment to restore its lost beauty!

I am a history buff so I really enjoyed this one. With both timelines in the distant past, it was a fascinating read for me. The setting was well chosen and described in a way that you felt like you were right there with the characters. Of course, some romance was included for good measure. I would recommend this excellent historical fiction story!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

"People lost all but a tiny ounce of childlike wonder as they grew to adulthood, and unless something extraordinary caught their eye, the conversation would turn to the weather or sport or, heaven forbid, professions."

I was first introduced to Dorothy Draper and her fanciful interior design style when I stayed at The Greenbrier, in White Sulphur Springs, WV, a decade or so ago.

Our room captivated and delighted me more than my husband. With swirling pinks and tropical greens, there was not a quiet surface for the eyes to settle. And I adored it. I loved the charming prints and formal dining room, where we donned dressy clothes for dinner. The resort was truly a special place, steeped in tradition, and I couldn't wait to read the story behind its grandeur.

Narrated by Dorothy, this historical fiction novel flips between 1908 and 1946. In 1908, younger Dorothy found love among the other wealthy and privileged socialites summering at the Greenbrier. In 1946, the interior designer Dorothy restored the resort, serving as a hospital during the war, to its former splendor.

Although upper-crust society frowned upon an heiress actually "working," I enjoyed learning Dorothy desired a purpose and was the first to establish a professional design company.

I thank Harper Muse for the complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.