This is an uplifting story about wartime Britain and the women who did their bit for the war effort, and about the sacrifices they made, the bonds of friendships that were formed in a time of great upheaval in their country. It is a story told from three POVs, which I really like as you get to experience events from different angles, each with their own insights and perspectives.
You have Cressida, a wealthy designer who loses her home and business in the London bombings, retreating to the family manor in the country looking for a new beginning.
Then there is Violet, who is looking to marry a man with a title, wealth and high social standing.
Lastly you have Grace, the vicar's daughter, engaged to a church minister.
The three women are brought together over a moth eaten wedding dress as they try to restore it to its former beauty. As they repair the dress a transformation occurs, not only to the dress itself but to the women as they mature and grow into more than just the expected roles placed on them by others.
This was an uplifting, joyful read, putting a bit of light into a very dark period in our history. I recommend this novel to any historical fiction fan that wants to brighten their day.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

This is a fascinating story, a different type of WWII story, that gives insight into the clothing shortages and cloth rationing in Great Britain during the war. Clothing, a basic need that we take for granted, was rationed, a reality that affected people’s daily lives, including brides who could not find wedding dresses due to the rationing of fabrics.

The novel tells the story of how a community of women in a small village outside of London, came together through their sewing circle to support each other during the war. Told from the perspectives of three very different women, Cressida, Grace, and Violet, each woman experienced her own personal growth. I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend this unique and special WWII story. Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This is an amazing story of women coming together during World War II to help make dreams come true. The realities of rationing during World War II are well described. The characters are well written and I connected with them easily.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it very much. It's a lovely read about the fashion industry during WWII and it provides excellent insight into the dilemmas the war caused. Shortages forced women to find creative ways to change up their wardrobes and to help in the cause to provide clothing to those in need. Brides often had to wed in everyday clothes because silk and lace were nearly impossible to find. The characters were very likeable and each had unique stories to share. You will learn something as well as be entertained. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan will make readers feel warm and cozy all over. It is historical fiction based on true events.. The tone of the book is not just romance but working together and making do. I've not read this author before, but will be checking out her other books. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for a review.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

After Cressida's London home and dress studio are destroyed during the Blitz, she relocates to her family manor in the English countryside. She planned to stay with relatives from whom she has been estranged for many years. She is grudgingly welcomed, but ultimately makes herself indispensable to the community.

The local women's sewing circle gathers to repair and make old clothes usable during the wartime shortages and rationing. Currently, they have to somehow make an old, moth-eaten, wedding gown serviceable. Cressida and her niece are accustomed to high society, but the war changes everything. Their outlook on social status and what values are truly important become the focus of the book.

This charming romance also provides an excellent view of wartime Britain, not only in the cities, but in the surrounding countryside.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful book. I enjoyed it as much as I liked this author's other books.

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is a historical novel set in Aldhurst Village, England during World War II. The novel is told from the perspective of three women: Grace, the meek vicar's daughter, who longs for love and a family of her own; Violet, the daughter of the wealthiest family in the community, who wants to marry an aristocrat; and Cressida, Violet's aunt, who lost her home and fashion design business in London during a bombing. The women spend time in the community sewing circle and come up with the idea to remake old wedding gowns that can be borrowed by brides, in light of the strict clothing rations during the War.

I wanted to read this novel because I love historical fiction. I have liked all of Jennifer Ryan's books, and The Chilbury Ladies Choir is one of my favorite novels.

This is such a lovely book - absolutely my favorite read of the year. It reminds me a lot of The Chilbury Ladies Choir in both setting and format -- a small British village during World War II, told from the perspective of different women in the community.

I loved the stories of the three protagonists. Violet was very off-putting at first, with an air of privilege, but she became my favorite character as she becomes involved in the war effort in a serious way and her perspective changes through work and a romance with a dashing American officer. Grace has a sweet story about pursuing her dreams and pining after a childhood sweetheart. Cressida also reconnects with a man from her past, with her niece (Violet) and nephew (Hugh, Grace's crush), and she finds herself changed by living in a small, close-knit community for the first time since she was a young girl.

I highly recommend The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle for fans of historical fiction, and especially for anyone who is interested in fiction set during World War II. It is beautifully written and tells such an ultimately uplifting story.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

This novel is set in London during WW2, this is a story of 3 women and how they survive and the changes they go through during the war.

Jennifer Ryan's newest book The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is an enjoyable, satisfying read. Set in World War 2 England, the book centers specifically on three women who are tied together in numerous ways but most significantly through mending and making over a wedding dress. While initially quite different in personality and outlook, the three main characters all grow significantly during the six months time frame of the book. The war, and particularly the clothing rations, play into the story line by providing the context and backdrop for the story which focuses on the hardships of those at home. With an emphasis on a wedding dress, there is definitely some romance involved and some definite twists and turns.

Recommended for high school and up. A great, fun summer vacation read. This is my first book by this author and I look forward to reading her other titles.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle from Random House Publishing--Ballantine Books via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I am so glad I got the chance to read this title. It was such an enjoyable, fun read. I loved the characters and the sweet story of the women in a small town making a big difference through their sewing circle. I will happily recommend this title and pass it on to my friends.

This is the third of Jennifer Ryan’s novels that I’ve read and I enjoyed it just as much as I did her previous works. One of the things I appreciated about this book is that, despite the similar background and setting (the home front in the British countryside during WWII) to both The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir and The Kitchen Front, Ryan still managed to make this a very different story. With most of the men off fighting in the war, the women at the home front do what they can to support the war effort. But with all the rationing taking place and the severe limitations on necessities from food to clothing, challenges abound for those trying to keep things going at home. It is against this backdrop that we meet 3 spirited women from different walks of life who are brought together through a joint effort of wanting to help other women celebrate love by mending wedding dresses for brides across the country.

Cressida Wescott grew up in Aldhurst village, but left when she was in her twenties due to a falling out with her brother. After fleeing to London, she makes a name for herself as one of the country’s top fashion designers — not an easy feat, especially for a single woman given the sentiments of the time and the traditions that confined most women to a life of marriage and motherhood. All goes well until both Cressida’s London home and her design house are bombed to ashes in the London Blitz and instantly, she loses everything that she worked so hard to establish. With no other recourse, Cressida has no choice but to return to Aldhurst and stay with her niece and nephew while she rebuilds her business, all the while hoping that the two of them are kinder and more hospitable than their late father was. While her niece Violet is thrilled that the famous aunt she never knew will be staying with them, she has her own “trouble” to worry about in the form of the conscription letter for war work that she receives, which effectively dashes her lifelong dream of marrying an aristocratic husband. Meanwhile, Grace Carlisle, the local vicar’s daughter, is engaged to be married and wants desperately to be able to wear her mother’s wedding gown for the ceremony. For Grace, it’s a special way to remember her beloved mother, who died 10 years ago, and also her only hope for a traditional white wedding given the mandatory wartime clothes rationing, which has made wedding gowns a scarce commodity. Unfortunately, her mother’s wedding gown is too damaged to wear without repairing, so Grace brings it to her sewing club in the hopes that, together with the other ladies in the club, they are able to salvage it. It is there that she meets Cressida, who decides to accompany Violet to one of the meetings, and as they come up with a plan to repair the wedding gown, the women also form an unexpected, close friendship. Soon, the “project” of repairing Grace’s wedding dress expands into the broader idea of a wedding dress exchange program where the ladies from the sewing circle mend donated wedding dresses and lend them out to other brides so they can get the chance to have a white wedding of their own.

I loved the concept of this story and felt that Jennifer Ryan did a great job writing about the time period in a way that made me feel like I was there sharing the characters’ experiences. Speaking of the characters — I also loved how, once again, Ryan’s main female protagonists were all strong, admirable women who had no problem standing up against the conventions of the time. The narrative alternates between Cressida’s, Violet’s and Grace’s perspectives, and together, we get the entirety of their shared story and experiences. While there was a little more romance in this one than I expected, especially when compared to the previous two books of hers that I had read, it didn’t overshadow the rest of the story, so I was fine with it.

Overall, this was in the same vein of Ryan’s previous two “home front” themed novels in that the tone was lighthearted and uplifting, though it also dealt with serious issues in a respectful, non- heavy handed way. Having said that, I did feel that the story as a whole was a tad longer than it needed to be, especially around the midway mark, where some of the scenes felt repetitive and I felt like I was losing interest, but I kept with it and am glad I did, as the story turned out well in the end.

I enjoyed this one and definitely recommend it, especially for fans of Jennifer Ryan’s previous works about women’s wartime effort on the home front. Also if you’re looking for a WWII-themed read that’s resonant and poignant but not too heavy, this one fits the bill quite nicely.

Received ARC from Ballantine Books via NetGalley.

During WWII, women had no choice but to be resourceful and support each other, since they were left home when the men went off to fight. This book was a beautiful example of how 3 women took it on themselves to make sure that every bride had a wedding dress to be proud of for her wedding.

While there were definitely sad parts of the story, I found it to be uplifting and hopeful. I really enjoyed it.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is a heartwarming story of resilience and finding oneself against the backdrop of WWII. Three women in a small English village from different backgrounds come together to support the war effort through their sewing circle. When one of the women brings her mother's wedding dress to the group, the women find they have much more to contribute as they mend and repurpose the gown which sets them on a new journey that may lead to love. A thoroughly enjoyable read that shares a part of history that many may not know about.

An interesting read, not an absolute favorite, was not an “I can’t put this down” but drawn in enough to finish. I’ll have to read more of this author. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC opportunity!

This was a really charming story of three women who are part of a group during WWII who provided wedding dresses to brides free of charge since the fabric and supply shortage made it difficult to find bridal gowns during the war. I didn't know that this was based on true events, and it was really interesting to learn about yet another facet of life that we take for granted that folks had to figure out how to work around in wartime. Fans of historical fiction will really enjoy this one. There's some romance, great character development, overall just a really great story.

Book received for free through NetGalley

Read 15% of the way into this book but kept starting and stopping and ultimately forgot about it. Figured it was better to review as is. It was written well just not my cup of tea.

3.5 stars.

I adored this author's book The Kitchen Front and was offered a comp copy of this her latest from Penguin Random House through NetGalley.

For me, this was a feel good story, as many WWII books attempt to be. When silk and other fabrics grew scarce in Britain, the government asked the people to "Make Do and Mend" clothing. There came a wedding dress shortage, so women were asked to wear their uniforms or street clothes instead. This sewing circle in a small English village would have none of that so began advertising for used bridal gown donations, of which they would loan out the original dress intact, or reconfigure it if damaged.

Here the circle grew very close while working to create happiness for others. The gown that started the entire idea was remade and used for three weddings and counting. With all the talk about weddings, of course there is some love and (gasp) romance, but this didn't bother me since it came with so much history and displays of kindness.

As with The Kitchen Front, I'm left with a much needed warm and fuzzy feeling. Maybe it will make you feel it too.

I was invited to read The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan by the publisher through netgalley.com. I was first introduced to Jennifer Ryan with her book The Kitchen Front, which is another wonderful story filled with well developed characters and a clever story. I was drawn to this book due to the title (I adore any books dealing with dresses, especially wedding dresses) and the cover. This story opens in 1942 England as Grace is examining her mother’s wedding gown and discovers it damaged by moths in the attic. Next, we meet both Violet and Cressida as they deal with situations arising from the war. Jennifer Ryan expertly weaves a clever story of these women. You feel that you are walking alongside them as they deal with what life throws at them, but then you hold your breath and cheer as the story winds itself to a wonderful conclusion. There are plot twists and romance, and a real appreciation for what the ladies in 1940 England had to deal with. I really enjoyed reading this story.

I really, really enjoyed the Wedding Dress Sewing Circle! It was a wonderful women's literature/historical fiction book following several characters find love and purpose as they connected over helping create re-made wedding dresses from donated ones, and helping women get those wedding dresses, during the clothes rationing of WWII (this was based on historical events).

It was a sweet story and I enjoyed each of the women's stories. There was nothing inappropriate (sex, language, gore) in the book either, so it was suitable for young adults as well.

It made me happy to read this book. I needed something not too heavy or hard to read while on a trip and I enjoyed it immensely.