The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is a story of hope, friendship, loss, love, and renewal. The characters learn and grow as they experience war. I love the historical accuracy and learning about the rations systems that were in place regarding clothing. At its core, The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is a testament to the tenacity and resiliency of women.

I'll admit that, as a heavy reader of historical fiction, I'm a tad bit burned out on World War II historical fiction. However, I'm easing my way out of a horrid reading slump, and I've been choosing authors/stories that I know will feature bighearted stories (not necessarily happy stories!) by authors that I know I can depend upon for satisfying and moving stories. I hit the JACKPOT with this one!

This is a gorgeously told and moving story about women from very different walks of life who band together during a very hard time in Britain's history. There's drama, love, heartbreak, and hope--everything you need if you need a story that will take you away.

Many thanks to PRH and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another enjoyable read by Jennifer Ryan, full of likeable characters, well written situations, and a good sense of time and place. Sure to please!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book set in England during the blitzkrieg focusing on a leading London designer whose house and design study is bombed and the time she spends and people she meets and business she starts to solve the wedding gown shortages during the following 6 months at her childhood country home in Kent. The characters and settings are realistic, relatable, and well developed. The story is well written and comfortably paced. And the mood is positive and uplifting. I enjoyed this book and recommend it.

This author has such wonderful stories and characters, but what I really look forward to time and time again is the detail she puts behind the setting and the descriptions in her books. I was not disappointed in The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle - such intricate details about sewing and stitches, etc. Great for book clubs to read!

4.5 rounded up

You'd think a feel-good book set in England in the middle of World War II an oxymoron, but here it actually works, as the tone of the whole is not just romance but working together and making do. Even finding ways to excel--while everyone learns to become a better person.

It begins with Cressida, a forty-something who stayed single and became a dress designer. She's ignoring the war, as her business is booming--so much of industry is geared toward war that people are turning to dressmakers. But when London is bombed yet again, both her house and her design house are flattened. She is left with nothing but the nightgown and coat and shoes she fled in.

She goes back to her home village to stay with her niece and nephew, barely known, and reconnects with some childhood friends . . . and slowly the lens widens as we get to know the villagers, and a few visiting allies.

Ryan is kind to her characters. They have flaws, but they work to become better people. Meanwhile, the glimpse into the world of rationing from food to clothes is well integrated and fascinating. It matches up with the many letters and diaries I've read from the period. The shadow of war is there--and grief--reminders of the senselessness and cruelty of war.

But our focus stays with our main characters, whose meaningful work comes to a lovely ending centered around the wedding dress. It's a kind book, an instant comfort read. Vert welcome these days!

THE WEDDING DRESS SEWING CIRCLE
by Jennifer Ryan
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books
Pub Date: May 31

I chose The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle because of author Jennifer Ryan as well as that glorious cover! And the setting of WWII England, which has always intrigued me.

So many commodities during the war were rationed, including silk, which was reserved for parachute making only. For the many young women hoping to wear a real wedding gown to their ceremony, three creative women devise an ingenious solution: Repairing wedding dresses for brides across the country.

The author has a compelling way of conveying the heroic spirit of the British, as described beautifully in her earlier novels, The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir and The Kitchen Front. That same spark is found in her newest offering, and I found myself totally immersed in the lives of these grand characters and their engaging stories.

Highly recommended for histfic fans, for readers drawn to this gripping time period, and for lovers of Jennifer Ryan's splendid books.

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This is a very good book. What an interesting storyline. I love reading about strong women and women that support each other. This book is full of that. The three main characters are Cressida, Violet and Grace. The story begins in Britain in 1942. Cressida is the oldest of the three and lives in London. Violet is her niece and she lives in Aldhurst Village. Grace also lives in the village, she is not related to the other two and her father is the vicar of the village. I don’t feel I need to recount the story- it’s not a book report. But it is interesting, the characters are believable and it moves rather quickly. I would recommend to friends and family and am glad that I took the time to read it to completion. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This was a really good story and I learned something new! The three main characters evovled throughout the story. A quick easy read!!! Definitely will recommend!!

I loved this book! There are many novels set in England during WWII, so one must be pretty special and unique to stand out. This one definitely shines. I was immersed in the characters' lives. Each person felt so real and relatable as they struggled, changed, and grew. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this advanced copy. It was a treat from start to finish. Just fantastic.

Thank you Netgalley for furnishing me with the ARC. I read a lot of WW II fiction, and feel this novel was especially well done. It focuses primarily on how the women in a small English village coped when war changed their lives. Revolving around clothing shortages, it also touched on women conscription and how previous expectations for women changed as the war continued. I appreciated the way the main characters grew And evolved amid all the turmoil they endured. And how women depended on their friendships for support. Definitely recommend!

Rounded up from 3.5 stars.

There are absolutely no surprises here, but for once that didn't bother me. "The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle" is the reading equivalent of mac-and-cheese or chicken pot pie: reassuringly comfortable. Of course, even comfort food and comfort reading vary in quality, and this was happily on the higher end. The writing was descriptive without trying too hard to be lyrical, and the pacing zipped along. Perhaps best of all, none of the primary characters were Mary Sues; all had good points and bad, and they all changed in realistic ways. And I learned a ton about the utility fashions of WWII Britain!

Thank you, Ballantine Books and NetGalley, for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

At first I wasn't sure I was going to like the story as I couldn't relate to a few of the characters, but then everything changed and the story became an addictive one to read.
I love the growth of the characters and their roles in the book. All of them working towards a goal for their village and its people in the time of WWII.
The books chapters go back and forth between three women, Cressida Westcott, Violet Westcott and Grace Carlisle.
Some, local to the small village and one coming back after years of being away.
Cressida Westcott, a known fashion designer in London, had grown up in the village and had no thoughts of returning, but then she lost her apartment and design studio to the bombings in London and had nowhere else to go but back to her childhood home, which had been owned by her late brother but now owned by her nephew and niece.
Violet Westcott, Cressida's Niece, is a spoilt girl, and an elitist , mainly hoping to make a good marriage, but men are scares now that there was a war. She is excited about her Aunt moving to town, and the glamorous life she might bring, but before Violet can find, a husband, she is conscripted into service , where her views on life change.
Grace Carlisle, is the daughter of the local vicar, who was about to enter into a loveless marriage. She had found her mothers wedding dress, which had been partially destroyed by moths. So she takes it to the sewing group that had formed in town and now with Cressida there, they all work to make it new.
The author had read a memoir of about a young vicar's wife, who would let any perspective bride wear her own wedding dress for their own big day.
This along with the mend and repairing of clothes and the fashion for utility clothes, she has turned this piece of history into a wonderful story.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House publishing Group- Ballantine for a copy of this book.

There was a lot to love about this book., as it touched on history, war, fashion, friendship, love and more. Although I have read many books about WWII, I had never read about the clothing shortage. I didn't know that there were such stringent rations on clothing during this time. This book focuses on that and, in particular, how the clothing rations impacted brides looking for wedding dresses. It tells the story of three women, all from different backgrounds, who come together with the shared purpose of creating a wedding dress exchange by collecting and altering existing wedding dresses. I loved the camaradie and friendships that developed among the women, and their group in the sewing circle. I also loved learning about the Utility Clothes program and IncSoc Fashion Show.

However, I did find the storylines about the various romances very predictable. And while it was wonderful to see how the three main characters changed based on their circumstances, I felt like it happened way too fast. I would have liked to have seen greater character development.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this wonderful work of historical fiction.

Jennifer Ryan outdid herself! Throughout the Wedding Dress Sewing Circle Jennifer weaves not only the history of the war but the challenges that women at the time has to overcome. Learning about the stigmas that women had to overcome and how resilient they had to be is one of my top reads and this book just hits that mark! The 3 leads in the story share and show, not only their challenges but also how they overcome and persevere! Great read!

A really lovely read. Set during WWII three women are brought together in the village of Aldhurst. Grace Carlisle, the local vicars daughter; Cressida Westcott, a successful London fashion designer who had turned her back on her aristocratic family and Violet Westcott, Cressida’s niece.
Grace is to be married and her father discovers his late wife’s wedding dress in the attic. The dress is in desperate need of repairing which sets in train the beginnings of the Wedding Dress Sewing Circle.
Cressida’s home, design studio and shop are bombed in the Blitz and swallowing her pride she returns to the family manor in Aldhurst where she takes refuge with her niece Violet and nephew Hugh.
The interweaving stories of the three women set against the backdrop of clothes rationing and the hardships of the war makes for a truly heartwarming read.
The three women become the best of friends while assisting the war effort in their own way.
If you love history, fashion, strong women and a good love story or two then you will love this book.

I am a sucker for historical novel and was excited for a change to review “The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle” by Jennifer Ryan. The author introduces us to a group of women who are part of local sewing group in Aldhurst, England during the second World War. We meet recently engaged Grace who finds that her mother’s wedding dress has been damaged and requires mending. so she reaches out to the Sewing Circle. Meanwhile, Cressida has lost her home and business to the London Blitz. Hence, she retreats to Aldhurst to live with her estranged family. Finally, Violet believes life will be perfect is she marries a like-minded aristocrat. Part of the rationale for the sewing group was because material, including that for gowns, was in short supply so the group helps resource fabric and mend otherwise ruined gowns. More important, the group allows the women to build community while forming life-altering friendships.

Because I just got back from a trip to England, this novel really resonated with me. Jennifer Ryan does a fantastic job of weaving in the tension of the war while highlighting the importance of camaraderie. While the novel doesn’t shy away from the horrors of war, the focus was on the kinship of women and how important it was (and still is) to have someone on your side.

Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, Jennifer Ryan for the eARC in exchange for my review

This was a great book. Touching without being trite. The rending was a bit predictable but getting there was thoroughly enjoyable.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for a fair and honest review. This is Ms. Ryan's 4th historical novel, set in WWII England, and I devoured it, just as I did the first 3!

To begin with, I always enjoy books about ordinary people coping with life in extraordinary times. While stories about women who are spies and undercover agents and soldiers are, of course, fascinating, stories about regular women, coping as best they can, are even more fascinating - it's easy to see yourself in them, and to imagine yourself falling into those situations.

The book centers primarily on three women from a small town in England. Grace is a vicar's daughter, about to marry a curate because she believes that her role in life is to marry a curate and devote herself to serving other people, hopefully including a couple kids for whom she can be a good mother and make a happy home. She doesn't particularly love the curate, but he did suggest marriage, so she dutifully agreed. Violet, the daughter of the manor, is set on one thing only - she must marry a titled husband, regardless of how she feels about him, and she must downplay any possibility of intelligence or competence. Cressida, Violet's aunt, is a fashion designer, estranged from the family, but forced to go stay with them when she is bombed out of both ther home and her design house in London. The women of the town Sewing Circle are also essential characters, giving the heart and soul to the story.

The Women's Sewing Circle is focused on repairing clothing and helping people cope with the clothing rationing - their mission then expands to helping Grace repair her mother's wedding dress, so that she can have a "white wedding." That provides the catalyst for the women to develop a project to collect wedding dresses and repair/refit them to lend them to brides. Meanwhile, through their relationships with each other and their war work, Grace, Violet, and Cressida all learn and grow.

Why do I like this book (and Ms. Ryan's previous books) so much? It's wonderful to read about women supporting and helping each other, and learning and growing through dealing with adverse experiences. Of course a book has to have some sort of conflict - but here the conflict is with the war and the circumstances of the war. People aren't spending their time being nasty to each other - they're supporting and helping each other, and dealing with the conflict being imposed upon them by adverse circumstances. They rise to the occasion and grown through their experiences.

When you finish reading the book, you feel good about people - and that's a lovely feeling!

I loved 😍 the characters, descriptions and dialogue. So Sweet to wear your mother's wedding dress. Especially at a time when imports are so scarce.