The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is a heartwarming novel about 3 women who gather together in a village outside of London. With clothing being rationed, not only do they help each other, but help a young bride-to-be alter her mother's wedding gown. The novel is full of grit, determination, strength, and love, sprinkled generously with a fashion theme. This book set during WWII was quite different from the usual HF novels set in that time period. Loved it and would highly recommend it. In fact, I also belong to a Facebook page called Historical Fiction Book Lovers where I posted info about the story. Happy to say I received quite a few comments and "likes" indicating the interest to The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle, My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer Ryan is carving a niche out for herself in writing about the British Home Front in WWII with very appealing novels. Her latest, The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle, has some similarities with The Kitchen Front as it is set in a small village in southern England and the women who are her main characters end up growing throughout the book. Apparently, contests were very popular at that time and once again there is one in this book (sewing vs. cooking) although the contest in this book is not part of the main plot.
It is 1942 and dress designer Cressida Westcott is continuing to do well with her couture business in London, at least until the night that she and her design house are bombed out. A self-made woman who became that after losing her fiancée in WWI and leaving her upper class but loveless home, Cressida is left with nothing and ends up going back to Aldhurst where she thought she would never go again. Her brother who she despised has died so she is asking for shelter from her nephew and niece Hugh and Violet Westcott who are much more welcoming than her brother ever was. In WWII, people got married quickly and another resident of Aldhurst, Grace Carlisle, the Vicar's daughter is engaged and soon to be married. All brides at that time were faced with the fact that the wedding gowns of their dreams were not available but luckily the Vicar has found the dress that her deceased mother had worn. It is beautiful but it does need some major repairs.
Thus, the plot of the book is revealed as Grace reaches out to her local sewing circle for help and this group is immensely helped when Cressida comes and joins it. The beginning of this book was perhaps a little slow but once you get past some of the characters' flaws and they begin to grow, it is as appealing as all of Jennifer Ryan's books.

I want to thank Random House - Ballantine and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan. She previously wrote The Chillbury Ladies Choir.
“It’s hard to forget something that’s been drilled into you all your life. It takes a great deal of bravery to defy the label people try to give you, forge ahead on a different path, become something new.”
War certainly changes things. The chapters are headed by Cressida, a couturier from a noble background, Violet, her niece, who’s looking for a wealthy titled husband, and Grace, a sweet daughter of the local vicar. WW11 is going strong in England. Bombs are falling, the men have gone to fight, food and fabrics etc are rationed. Women from different social and economic groups join together. Repairing a moth eaten wedding dress with pieces of curtains and stolen silk from a parachute seem insurmountable.
Such a heartwarming book! Wonderful characters! I was sad when it ended.
The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle publishes May 31, 2022.
Maybe there will be a sequel after the war ends!

Jennifer Ryan, author of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir and The Kitchen Front has opened a window into the WWII English countryside to give us another charming tale. The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle introduces Grace, Cressida, and Violet, whose lives merge at Aldhurst Village in 1942 as Grace prepares for her wedding to a vicar. The strict limitations of clothes rationing were creating difficulty for young war brides who could no longer purchase new white wedding dresses, or even find fabric to create their own. Cressida Westcott, a London fashion designer who has just lost her business and her home in the fiery bombing raids on London, has reluctantly returned to the village of her childhood and is invited to the local sewing circle by her young niece, Violet Westcott. When Cressida volunteers to help Grace alter and repair her mother's wedding gown, a true friendship begins to grow that helps each of the women find their place in a changing world. Along the way, a wedding dress exchange and sharing program is born and love blooms in Aldhurst.

Jennifer Ryan is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Her books are full of positive relationships, female friendships, historical accuracy, harrowing situations, and gentle humor. I adore her work!

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is an incredibly enlightening and romantic historical fiction novel starring three unlikely friends Grace, Cressida, and Violet, opposites in so many paths in life but the most charming of book characters for this novel. The community in Britisn during World War Two teams up to survive all the rationing coupons especially the clothing shortage. With the help of the Sewing Circle clothing is revamped and repurposed for community necessities--one being wedding dresses. This book educates us to the lives of those during those dismal years in the most delightful way. I loved Jennifer Ryan's offering.

I want to thank Random House, Morgan Holt and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to review this book as an ARC. Historical Fiction is my favorite Genre these days. I must admit, I had recently told my husband that I had read way too many books recently where a plucky young heroine single handedly defeats the Nazis. ( I only exaggerate a little).Then I see the blurb for this book-"Three plucky women lift the spirits of home front brides in wartime Britain"- and I was hooked. They had me at plucky.This is a lovely, delightful book. It follows 3 women in a small village outside London.There is Cressida, who lost her fiancee in WWI, and became a fashion designer in London. Cressida left her manor home in her small town , and never planned to look back, until she lost her London home and design studio during the bombings. Violet is Cressida's niece and is the daughter of the late Lord of the Manor. She was raised to marry wealth, and is devastated when she is conscripted to work as a driver for American Military personnel. Grace is the Vicar's daughter . Her mother died 10 years ago and she has been helping her father tend to the needs of the parish. She is engaged to Lawrence, also a vicar. Lawrence is a good man, but there is no passion or spark in the relationship. Grace once had feelings for Hugh, Violet's brother and new Lord of the Manor, however Hugh is promised to Astrid, whose family is wealthy. As Grace plans her wedding to Lawrence, she finds her mother's wedding dress. She wants a white wedding dress but fabric and clothes are being rationed. She will need to use her mother's dress , which is in poor condition. Grace is joined by the ladies of the town sewing circle, who initially meet to help mend and re use old clothes to help the townspeople. The ladies join together , along with Cressida and Violet, to help Grace with the gown. The story goes between the 3 main protagonists, as they spend several months together. The book is focused on the women in England during the war, and how they had to change and grow to help the country, each other and most importantly themselves.All of the characters are well written and the background is well researched. I really enjoyed this book.

A well-known London designer, her spoiled niece and the local vicar's daughter make up the main characters for this story set in the midst of WWII. Clothing rations were impacting weddings and this little village decided to do something about - they started making over old wedding dresses to loan to new brides to wear. It's an interesting story - including some romance. It's a little predictable, but its a sweet story - and the sewing circle ladies are all so interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

This was a quick read that I really enjoyed. Cressida Westcott, a high end fashion designer, loses her house and everything she owns in the London Blitz. After realizing that she has nowhere to go, she returns to the manor where she grew up. Her niece and nephew take Cressida in and let her stay with them. She decides to visit a local Sewing Circle meeting and ends up making friends for life. Cressida ends up mentoring these ladies and shows them all how to sew. This group of ladies ends up mending old wedding dresses for new brides to be. This was cheerful book that made me want to continue reading. Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book.

In Jennifer Ryan’s “The Wedding Dress Circle,” a group of women from the village of Aldhurst near London get together to try to mend a wedding dress for an upcoming wedding for Grace, who lives with her widower father in the vicarage. Mending has become a necessity due to clothing rationing imposed during World War II. The task seems impossible until the sewing circle ranks are joined by 46 year old Cressida Westcott, a refugee from London whose home and dress design business were destroyed during a bombing raid. She has returned to Aldhurst Manor, her childhood home, now occupied by her niece, Violet, and her nephew Hugh, who spends most of his time at his war office in London. The goal to renew and revitalize one dress soon grows to seeking out other older wedding dresses to mend, and lending them out to brides throughout the country in need of a traditional wedding gown.

The novel is essentially a tale of women getting together during adversity to help each other out in times of need. As each character makes her contribution to the war effort, she grows and changes in ways she never anticipated, finding hope, friendship and romance.

I’m generally not a fan of romance novels, but I love Jennifer Ryan’s World War II historical fiction novels for their sense of camaraderie in the midst of devastation, and the strong, well-defined characters who reach self-awareness and personal growth as the novel progresses. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a happy ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me an ARC copy of the book for my review.

This was one of the best heart-warming stories that I've read in a long time. Although I suspected the "happy ever after ending," I still could not put it down. I knew about rationing as I experienced it myself as a child in this country but didn't realize that it actually lasted until 1949 in England. Small thing, but who knew that underwear was fastened with buttons because elastic wasn't available? Wonderful story.

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is based on facts about the rationing of clothes in Britain during WWII and The IncSoc Utility Fashion Show. It is a story about community, friendship, and family. Cressida Westcott returns home to a small country village after losing her home in London during the Blitz. Being a designer and owning a fashion business, she joins the village sewing circle and we learn of all the good that comes when we band together and help each other out. Jennifer Ryan is being added to my favorite author list. Historical fiction fans will not want to miss this book. Thanks to author Jennifer Ryan, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for an honest review.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was another fantastic WWII historical fiction from Ryan. I lived the chilbury ladies choir and this had much the same feel..... different chapters told by different women in an English village trying to do their bit for the war by sharing a wedding dress. The characters definitely had a lot of growth and my favorite was Violet. I loved all of the dialogue between her and Landon. Excellent storyline that was well researched and tender. I can't wait to read more by this author. 5stars!!!!!

Fabulous page turner with a great cast of characters. Lifting the spirits of brides in wartime Britain. A get cozy and settle in type of historical fiction novel. I loved it!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for my copy all thoughts are my own.

I lovedJennifer Ryans engrossing book the Kitchen Front I was so excited to her latest and it was another hit for me.I was drawn in from the opening scene and got so involved I didn’t want to put it down.Will be recommending both books.She is an author with the special touch of bringing characters alive #netgalley#randomhouse

4.5 stars! Thank you Random House and net galley for the opportunity to read this ARC. The Wedding dress sewing circle is an engrossing character driven historical WWII novel. As Jennifer Ryan’s novel The Kitchen Front centered around food rationing in England during WWII, this novel of hers centers around clothing rationing. A delightful read!

4.0 stars

I received a complimentary Kindle book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Jennifer Ryan, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This was an interesting book about WWII (although, I am totally burned out by this time period). Primarily about the women who were left behind and had to make do with food and clothing shortages/rationing. Three specific women in a village sewing group are highlighted.

At times, I felt that the story was obvious from the very beginning. Also, it was just too wrapped up in a big bow finish.

I liked this book but didn't love this book like I was hoping.

RECOMMEND

Silence your phone and grab the snacks because this is a page turner that you’ll want to read in one sitting. Ryan is back with her blend of history and humanity in this character driven story. Friendship and feminism are the backbone of this World War 2 home front novel. It’s the perfect blend of history, romance, and women’s empowerment. I love that Ryan includes a middle age heroine to remind us that dreams don’t die with the arrival of grey hair. You won’t need tissues for this World War story. There’s plenty of happily ever afters for all the characters.

What a lovely story by Jennifer Ryan. She has once again written a novel about a lesser known subject of the war, the women who sewed using old material to keep clothes on everyone's backs. Grace, Cressida and Violet are each heading down a comfortable path when the war intervenes and their lives change. Friendship is at the heart of this story, how much each person needs it.

Out of the ballpark again! Just as I start to tire of the WWII genre, along comes another of Jennifer Ryan's "feel good" standards, with just enough tension to satisfy the toughest critic.