The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is a captivating tale about reconnecting with your past in order to have a better future.

When renowned designer Cressida Westcott left her childhood home, she vowed never to return. Her parents had died, her brother Eustace subsequently treated her abominably, and so she struck out on her own and has been wildly successful. Twenty years later, a single bomb does serious damage to her independence. Cressida loses both her elegant townhouse and her design studio in the London Blitz and since she is far from the only one who has suffered such a loss, she finds herself with absolutely nowhere to go. Her friends aren’t close enough for her to move in with, the hotels are full and there is no flat, house or hovel vacant to rent. Since Eustace has died, Cressida screws up her courage and calls Aldhurst Manor, the family estate. Her nephew Hugh isn’t effusively welcoming but he agrees to let her stay. She heads to Aldhurst with only the nightgown she was wearing at the moment of the bombing, her coat and her handbag. She owns literally nothing else except her worries that she won’t be able to rebuild her business.

Violet Westcott has never met her aunt Cressida but she is thrilled when she hears the infamous black sheep of the family is coming to stay at the manor. Violet prizes her beauty above everything else and wartime fashions haven’t exactly made the most of it. Her biggest hope is that her aunt will be able to help her build a new wardrobe which will in turn help Violet catch a new aristocratic fiancée – the last one had foolishly managed to get himself killed in the war. But just as plans of new dresses dance like visions of sugarplums through Violet’s head, a conscription letter arrives in the mail. She is required to do her bit for the current inconvenient conflict and will have to leave for training in the FANYs just days after Cressida arrives. And before then she is expected to put in an appearance at the local Sewing Circle, a unit she nominally heads but which the village do-gooder runs. Surprisingly, Cressida agrees to join Violet on this little adventure and becomes a catalyst that will forever change the small group. And it all begins with one dress.

Vicar’s daughter Grace Carlisle had no idea the effect pulling her mother’s beautiful old wedding gown out of the attic would have on her life. The dress is not only her sole hope for having a white frock for her upcoming nuptials, it will be the only representation of Grace’s mother – who passed away from tuberculosis a decade earlier – at this pivotal ceremony. However, the smock is moth-eaten and Grace has no idea how to repair the damage without new silk – which is unequivocally unavailable. She takes it to the Sewing Circle meeting on the slim hope that the ladies there will have some inkling of what to do. Cressida Westcott’s appearance at the meeting therefore has the feel of a fairy godmother popping out of nowhere to get her ready for the ball. Cressida quickly takes over the project and their joint efforts to repair the gown surprisingly turn Grace from a rather frumpy, dispirited young woman into a luscious beauty who quickly rediscovers the joie de vivre and courage she lost when her mother passed.

Which is a good thing, because her former best friend Hugh, now lord of Aldhurst Manor and head of their small village, looks to be following in his extremely unpopular father’s footsteps – and it seems like only Grace is willing to step up and tell him just what he can do with his attitude of superiority towards their community and the people in it

Lately I’ve been reading a lot of romance novels which have a decidedly women’s fiction vibe, but this one is the opposite – women’s fiction that is for all intents and purposes a romance novel. The narrative follows our three heroines as they come to terms with some of their past life choices and find love along the way.

In the case of Cressida, this means dealing with the fact that the pain caused by her elder brother forced her to build an impenetrable shell which has kept her closed off from others. The bombing and move to Aldhurst help her realize just how lonely she is and how much she longs for community. Being welcomed back by those she grew up with in the village helps her to reclaim the loving, caring part of herself she’d had to leave behind in order to succeed, and she finds herself revitalized as she takes part in village life. Reconnecting with a good friend from childhood reminds her that not all men are like her brother and allows her to open her heart to the idea that her future doesn’t have to be as empty of romance as her past.

Violet’s father convinced her that her sole purpose in life was to be a vapid adornment in some man’s life. Watching the vigor and independence with which Cressida lives her life opens Violet’s mind to the idea she could be so much more. Joining the FANYs and having some sense gently pounded into her by superior officers who come from the working classes finishes her transformation into a bright, capable young woman, something for which I was extremely thankful. The Violet of the first few chapters was not someone I could have spent a whole book with. The new and improved Violet starts to look at men as something more than just a title and of course that helps her to discover love.

Grace has allowed herself to be swallowed by grief. Rather than mourning her mother, Grace essentially took her place, allowing vicarage work to devour her lively spirits and replace them with a placid, serene woman who spent twenty-four hours a day in service to others. She has also allowed herself to become engaged to a man who sees her as little more than a work horse. Cressida helps Grace realize that sometimes the best we have to offer everyone around us is our genuine self.

As the women work on their own love lives, they also begin a project to find wedding dresses for those around them. Wartime rationing has left many brides scrambling for something to wear on their big day and often settling for wearing a uniform or everyday dress. The ladies of the sewing circle begin refurbishing old wedding gowns and lending them out, which turns into quite a popular enterprise.

Ryan’s prose is elegant and engaging, her characterizations rich and wonderful, and her historicity is blended perfectly into her story telling. If you like women’s fiction and tales of the second world war at all, you will love any book written by her including this one.

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is a perfect meringue cookie of a book. It is sweet and light and lovely, almost to the point of being too twee. It doesn’t have much depth but if you are looking for something charming and delightful, pick this up.

“The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle” by Jennifer Ryan is a purely delightful read! This WWII historical fiction tells the story of Cressida Westscott, London fashion designer whose home and design studio are destroyed in a Nazi bombing raid, forcing her to seek shelter in the village she fled years earlier. Despite her apprehensions on returning to her small village, she is soon caught up in friendships and community life including the village sewing circle. There is more than one romance in the book - only appropriate for a “wedding” titled book! Each character is so well-drawn that we are quickly caught up in their story and want to see how it spools out, and how Ryan will pull all the threads together at the end. Highly recommend for fans of WWII historical fiction! Thanks to #NetGalley for the early digital copy! #TheWeddingDressSewingCircle #NetGalley

Jennifer Ryan writes in a manner that draws in the reader, creating a feeling of belonging. Characters are beautifully crafted in all her books. Cressida Westcott is forced to leave Chelsea behind and seek asylum with a niece and nephew she knows little of and is leery of her reception. A noted couturier, she must reimagine life as it is rather than as it was. Slowly, she becomes a part of the family, the village and the women of the sewing circle. Her talent takes on a new meaning as she awakens feelings and emotions, and opens herself to friendship and belonging.
The Wedding Dress Circle is more than chic lit, slightly WWII historical fiction, it is a very relatable tale.

I love historical fiction books like this one that feature a group of strong women across classes who come into their own during the war, finding new found purpose and love along the way. This book was especially interesting with its focus on the cloth shortages and the ways women came together to help one another with wedding dresses and other special occasion items. The author did such a good job interweaving real facts throughout the story seamlessly. Perfect for fans of books like The Chilbury ladies' choir or The Kew Gardens girls at war. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy!

I really enjoyed this book. While it does include the standard have and have-nots arguments, the way things are resolved in the book are satisfying. I did learn a lot about how things were during war time England. And it was interesting to read how things were handled in London versus the countryside.

This was such an enjoyable refreshing read, the camaraderie of women during WW II is so uplifting. I wish we had the women's groups here in the US that they still do in England.

I had heard of the mend and make do programs they had during WW II and growing up my grandmother continued to take a piece of clothing and repurpose it into something else. The idea of wedding dresses getting a new life with a new bride filled my heart with joy. I took my time reading this book as I wanted to savor the characters and the time period.

I loved the previous book by this author, The Chilbury Ladies' Choir and I loved this book as well. I can't wait to find other books by this author.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful story.

An upbeat ode to love in its various forms, fashioned as a historical romance set in England during WWII. I loved reading this heartwarming and hopeful story, which also celebrates women, community and equality. That sentence may sound jarring given the time frame and setting, and horrific loss, fear and deprivation do feature in the tale. Overall, however, the author chose to focus on survival, resourcefulness and keeping calm and carrying on. This book was mostly beautifully written, and the main characters, the Kent countryside and the fashions particularly came alive. As a daughter of a Protestant minister, I especially appreciated how aptly Jennifer Ryan captured the selflessness, duties and sacrifices expected of the vicar’s daughter, and the associated conflicts with which she struggled. I occasionally noticed dialogue seeming a bit stilted, and in some, especially earlier scenes, “showing rather than telling” would have been more compelling. I’ve also read The Kitchen Front, The Spies of Shilling Lane and The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan, and felt the tone in the latter two was a bit flat and the character development a bit wanting somehow. For my taste, The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is at least on par with the seemingly popular The Kitchen Front, and might be the strongest of Jennifer Ryan’s historical novels to date. Three and 1/2 stars, rounded up due to the joy sparked by the read and the escape to a beautifully depicted English village. Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC. This review reflects my honest opinion.

There have been some extraordinary stories of women doing extraordinary things during wartime. Authors have revealed tales of women codebreakers, Resistance fighters, spies and more. Jennifer Ryan focuses this newest tale on the more subtle ways in which women supported the war effort. While women were called to do their duty and fill the job vacancies left by men who were drafted, they were also expected to get by with the strict rationing that was put in place by the government. Rationing impacted every aspect of family life. Clothing rationing meant that providing for growing children became a struggle, being prepared for the change of seasons difficult, and continuing traditions for marriage ceremonies almost impossible. Ryan gives readers a thoroughly wholesome tale surrounding three different women who each come into their own during the war. They each discovered that their rigid mindset of who they could be was holding them back from being their best self. Through friendship and acceptance they all find a way of making the war just a bit more bearable for them and those around them.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

The people you surround yourself with sometimes become your family. That is true in this tale of a group of acquaintances who become fast friends while working on a war time project. They collect used wedding dresses and refurbish them for new war brides to wear on their special day. Naturally there are included several love interests within the story, so it goes a little into a romance novel, but still a wonderful, entertaining story to read.

A heartwarming story about being true to yourself and determining whether the way you were taught to do things is the best way. The story follows three women at different points in their life and how they find themselves in their service during the war. I loved getting to know these characters and their friends as the navigated England amidst bombings and war shortages. Highly recommended as a feel good read.

A sweet (if predictable) engaging look at a small village in England during WWII. Life goes on despite shortages, rationing, and air raids. Because of the austerity, wedding dresses have become a luxury and are even discouraged as "unpatriotic", but every girl wants to feel special on her wedding day so the sewing guild in this small village works to refurbish gowns and lend them to anyone who is getting married. The story centers on three women -- a vapid aristocrat who is looking for an equally aristocratic husband, a vicar's daughter who has devoted her life to her father and the community, and a fashion designer who has returned to her home after her shop & apartment in London are destroyed.

As expected, the relationships that bind these women also affects changes in each of them. There's plenty of history, fashion, and romance before the happy ending. I really enjoyed this book. Yes, it's predictable and sometimes a bit sappy, but there are enough moments of wit, heart, emotion and romance to keep me interested . I love historical fiction, and this is a worthy example.

A heartwarming novel of three women brought together in Aldhurst, England, in 1942. Famous London couturier, Cressida Westcott is forced by the Blitz to the small village to stay with her niece Violet, at the Westcott estate. Violet feels the urgent need to find an aristocratic husband but receives her conscription letter. Third is subservient Grace Carlisle, the vicar’s daughter; engaged and feels duty bound to serve her community. Vicar, Ben Carlisle, has found his late wife’s wedding gown, ravaged by moths and time, for Grace to wear at her wedding. This is where Cressida finds her purpose, not only to help restore a dress for Grace, but to help Grace find herself.
Jennifer Ryan’s comforting words help readers rejoice as each character makes wise decisions and becomes involved in the community outside of individual desires. A competition in London to find well designed affordable clothing of good quality adds to the growth of Grace as a designer and Cressida as a businesswoman. The author weaves several budding relationships into the village sewing circle which evolves into the creation of a Wedding Dress Exchange. Some pairings readers will be rooting for, others not so much! Members of the Wedding Dress Sewing Circle learned more than “Make Do and Mend.” Jennifer Ryan’s strong character development leads to women finding their voice, a new calling, and discovering a path forward. A very different view of World War ll and the role of women and rationing.

"The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle" by Jennifer Ryan is a lovely historical fiction novel. Taking place during WWII in England, where several women discover their life path, voice, and their strength, via this productive, creative friendship source. I enjoyed this book. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the copy for review. All opinions are my own.

This was a great historical fiction novel about women and their struggles during World War II. It tells the story of 3 women all dealing with different issues of love, family, responsibility and friendship during a challenging time in history. I loved these well developed characters and was moved by their struggles and story.

I had no idea what to expect when I picked up The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan. But only a few pages in, I was telling myself, “I love this book!” Set during World War 2 and featuring the lives of three very different women, each trying to figure out where they fit in the tumultuous world before them, this book held me captive. The characters, dialogue, storyline, and descriptions were absolutely entertaining, and I found myself completely immersed in the plot. At times light hearted, at others heart wrenching, this book was a joy to read!

I received this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Set in London and the surrounding countryside during WW2. I felt like I was in England, felt that I was a part of the marvelous Wedding Dress Sewing Circle. Made up of women of different ages, different stations in society, I loved every one of them. Such a heartwarming story on all levels, patriotism, friendship, love. I have already looked up more books by this author!

Ryan is one of my favorite authors and I loved this book. She knows how to tell a story snd brings her characters to life. I hated to finish this one!
Many thanks to Random House and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Heartwarming novel based in the English countryside during the Second World War. I thought this would be another wartime saga, however it turned out to be a pleasant tale about three bold, independent women, trying to break with convention and discovering their true natures in the midst of wartime hardship. Touches on an interesting bit of wartime history when women in Britain remodeled and redesigned their dresses, even wedding dresses, to overcome the shortages and keep their spirits up. This may have set the stage for high street fashion and even rent-a-wardrobe services which have gained popularity in recent times. A blend of historical and women's fiction, with a bit of romance thrown in, this book is an absolutely enjoyable read. My first from this author and definitely looking to read the rest.

Thank you Netgalley, Jennifer Ryan and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the pleasure of an advance copy.

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan has so much to offer - life during the war, women supporting women, romance, and friendship. It is rich with historical information.

Another delightful title by Jennifer Ryan that once again depicts village life during WW2. Historical fiction at it's best gives you characters, context and something to root for. Ryan delvers on all counts. Country life is never boring.