A joy to read, I appreciated the historical undertone of the book. A bit romance, a bit mystery, a whole lot of self discovery. The author dealt with sexuality, socio-economic standings, community and independence in ways that were unheard of for the time period. Captivating from the beginning, the story kept me interested until the last few chapters…I could’ve dealt without the next steps for Ingrid or the full circle moment with Sage , both could’ve been kept for future spinoffs. 4 stars, no disappointment.

This story was quite interesting. I enjoyed the genuine friendship that developed between the main characters as well as the authors willingness to include controversial relationships in the story as well. Although there were some secrets that appeared obvious to me while reading there were far more plot twist that caught me off guard. I read this story because I am a fan of Trisha R. Thomas’s work and this addition to her catalog did not disappoint.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher William Morrow for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I have a lot of mixed feelings on this one? I enjoyed it enough to where I zipped through it pretty quickly. I thought Bailey and Elsa were interesting and engaging characters. But... the plot of the book is really nothing at all what the blurb suggested. The murder mystery was a blip that was mentioned briefly towards the end and then resolved within like, a chapter? And it certainly wasn't the overarching plot point.

Bailey's power was also really not a main plot point, as suggested in the book summary. I mean, it was there, but again, the blurb makes it appear as if Bailey's powers + the murder will be the main issue of the book, and it definitely is not.

I also did not really love how much everything ended up being interwoven, with Charlene + Matthias and Elsa + Bailey and so on, and I especially did not buy the saccharine-sweet happy ending with a biracial blended family, including a lesbian daughter with a child born out of wedlock, just... living happily and openly in 1950s/1960s Oklahoma. It was just really hard to believe.

I think part of my disappointment is ultimately due to how the book was described as opposed to it being an enjoyable read. I did finish it and liked it, but it just didn't seem to be the book I was told I was going to get, at all.

If you like Historical Fiction than you can't miss this one! Everyone had secrets in this book and it was such a fun book to fly through! If you want a high drama historical fiction with tons of action THIS is the one! This is fast paced so buckle up.

Acclaimed author Trisha R. Thomas delivers a masterful new tale of scandal and intuition. In 1950s oil-rich Oklahoma, Bailey Dowery, a dressmaker with the gift of “second sight,” reluctantly reveals the true loves and intentions of her socialite clients, making her a silent witness to a shocking crime.

I will be thinking about this one for a while! This was fast paced and intense. I can't believe I didn't read this sooner! I would even recommend this to those who like a good thriller. This has a little of everything.

This novel is a 3.5 star rounded to 4 for me. It is written well and had enough events to keep you interested. The story seemed to flow a little slow meaning I could put down and pick up at a later date without rushing to get back to it. With that said, other readers may dive right in and finish it in no time.
There are characters you will root for and others you wish to throat punch. All in all if you are on the fence, I suggest you read it.

Thanks to the publishers for an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book. Bailey works as a seamstress at a bridal shop. She has the gift of seeing things that happen to people if she touches their hands. Even though she tries to deny it, some brides come to the shop to find out if they are marrying the right person, which is an interesting concept.

.Race relations, mother-daughter relationships and love are explored.

The writing was good..The history was interesting. I recommend it.

Overall this book was a decent read. I enjoyed the fast pace and the shorter chapters to keep it moving. The multiple POVs was interesting as well. I thought the characters were well developed and interesting.

What this book lacked for me was a definitive identity and plot. It felt like it was trying to be too many things: a mystery, historical fiction, romance and a touch of magical realism. It was all these things but it didn’t do any of them particularly well. The plot got bogged down in too many side stories as well and nothing really felt finished or complete about this story in the end. At the beginning of this book I was really vining with it and felt it was going to be a 4-5 star read but in the end it fell flat.

This is the story of a young black dressmaker named Bailey in 1950s Oklahoma. She is gifted (or cursed, as she sees it) with an ability to see the true desires of one’s heart, and this secret ability has become well-known among the elite white women that are clients at her shop. One particular client, Elsa, is very unhappy about her current engagement and wants Bailey to help her find out if the true object of her affections could ever love her back.

This book was full of secrets, twists and turns. There were several points in the story where I had no idea what was going to happen. It was a fun, fast paced ride, and everything ended up connected somehow in ways I didn’t expect. The characterization was done very well. There were several different POVs, and the author did a great job of making each one have a distinct voice and their own motivations. The characters were realistic and engaging, and often relatable, even the ones I ended up hating.

One complaint I had with the story was that the pacing sometimes felt off. Many times I was left confused about how much time had passed from one story event to the next. At one point I read “it might as well have been yesterday instead of five months ago” and was momentarily confused because I actually did think the event happened the day before.

There were also many plot-lines, and some of them didn’t seem necessary at all and if anything confused me a bit. For example, the Alice and John situation didn’t really go anywhere and didn’t seem to serve a purpose in the story. Bailey could have discovered more about her ability in a different way, completely forgoing John, and it wouldn’t change a thing.

Overall, though, I was never bored reading this story and overall had a great time with it. I can see myself checking out some of this author’s other work in the future. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. 4/5 stars.

This was very well written. It takes you back in time to the 50’s in Oklahoma where things aren’t always as they may seem. I loved the mystery aspect and overall the pacing and plot was incredible.

This book has a little bit of everything in it - mystery, love, dreams, discovery and a story worth telling. It's a sort of long story that unfolds slowly but is worth the patience to get through it. The characters have to move through the entire story to be able to grow and accept themselves for who they are.

In 1950s segregated Mendol, Oklahoma, everyone is assigned a place and people are expected to stay in their assigned role and do what is expected of them. But Elsa and Bailey don't seem to fit in anywhere. Elsa is getting married and is expected to be the perfect bride and embrace her arranged marriage which will keep the oil money flowing between her and her husband's family. Bailey is a dress shop assistant and is supposed to work submissively and not get to know her clients. Bailey is merely supposed to dress Elsa in her wedding dress. Elsa is a rich, white oil heiress, Bailey is a black orphan being raised by her aunt and they shouldn't be friends according to society. But Elsa needs Bailey to rescue her from what he fears will be a bad marriage. Bailey has a gift of seeing the future and feels a connection to Elsa and becomes her friend, even though society and Elsa's mother don't permit it.

Their adult mentors never had the chance to live the lives they wanted to and had to make difficult choices throughout their lives that they regret several decades earlier. Matthias and Ingrid, Charlene, Walter, Gabby are all characters that represent what old cultural restrictions can do to destroy lives. They really didn't have options and are moving through life, but not really living life. But then a tragic event occurs which blows the world of Mendol apart and the two generations join together to live their lives for who they are not what the rules say they should be. The story shows that family comes from love, not rules and old wrongs can be righted and the future can be different than what everyone thought it would be.

The book is well-written and you never expect the characters and the plot line to go where it goes. There are violence and cultural triggers, but the book reads as authentic to the times it was set, There is hope for the characters who have struggled with racial barriers,, cultural limitations, sexual identity, forbidden love and youthful errors to become whole. I am grated to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this book.

My Thoughts: Oklahoma 1954. An oil baron, a seamstress, a privileged daughter, and a long lost love.
There are a lot of people in this story and they are all connected and initially don’t know it. Ingrid is the most dangerous type of white woman in 1954 and 2024. There is a common theme in the story that father and daughter are both selfish in their wants and desires with no care or concern of the dangers it causes those they claim to love in 1926 or 1954.
This story has many moving parts. It’s a bit of a mystery, a bit of coming of age, a bit of love, a bit of history and a bit of magical realism if your like you stories to include any of those you should give this a read.

Bailey Dowery is a Black dressmaker, or "couturier", in a small, oil-rich town in Oklahoma in the 1950's. Brides-to-be seek her out because she is said to be able to see your true love if she puts her hands on you, but sometimes Bailey see more than she bargained for. When socialite Elsa Grimes seeks Bailey out in advance of her talk-of-the-town wedding, desperate to be "read", Bailey sees more than she bargained for and becomes intertwined in Elsa's life, which is not that of a typical White socialite of the time, despite Elsa's mother's best efforts. Well written and excellently paced, the story combines thought-provoking historical fiction with a bit of mystery and mysticism. The characters have depth and the story explores difficult themes while still being somewhat uplifting... although I still found myself extremely thankful for both the civil and women's rights movements!

Bailey Dowery is a black woman who works at her aunt's dressmaker shop. The story is set in 1954 in Mendol ,Oklahoma. She works there as a seamstress making beautiful wedding gowns. Bailey is not only a talented seamstress but she also has a secret talent. Bailey has “second sight” where she can sense the future for someone with just a touch of their skin.
 
While Bailey modestly downplays her gift, she becomes embroiled in the life of Elsa Grimes. Elsa’s father is the richest oil tycoon is Oklahoma.  As her wedding date nears and Elsa dreams of a loving union, she needs to know what Bailey sees in Elsa’s future.
 
When Bailey predicts unhappiness for Elsa, she is unsure of what to do. They Bailey stumbles upon something so grave, that it makes her the prime suspect. With the town of Mendol targeting Bailey not only for her gift of second sight, but also for the color of her skin.
 
This book has stunning characters and is beautifully written, but it gives a stark picture of racism in the south during this time period, along with wealth and classism. Trisha R. Thomas handles these topics with care.  I truly enjoyed this book. It was a 4 star read for me.

In addition to being a talented seamstress, Bailey Dowery is also gifted with the ability to see the future of those she touches. Set in a fading “oil boomtown” of 1950s Oklahoma, Bailey must navigate racial prejudice, class differences and long held secrets.

The cast of characters, each with their secrets and prejudices, are inter-connected and their backstories keep you reading as details are revealed. Bailey’s protective Aunt Charlene, the selfish dress shop owner, the “least joyful” bride, Elsa, and her oil tycoon parents, Ingrid & Mathias are just some of the interesting characters created by the talented storyteller Trisha Thomas.

I definitely recommend this book for your enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGallery for an advanced copy of this book. While the synopsis of the book had promise, the story was just okay - it did not hold my interest.

I enjoyed this book. Set in an oil town in Oklahoma in the 50’s, Bailey is a seamstress in a wedding shop in town. Her whole life she has been able to see visions and futures when she touches people. Brides in the area find out about her visions and want to know about their futures with their intended, while Bailey would love to keep it under wraps.
When, Elsa, a bride to be from the richest oil family in town comes in, Bailey sees black. Elsa has a lot of secrets and Bailey discovers her secret which could upend the whole wedding.
I felt that there was a lot of different story lines, but it did wrap up nicely.
Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley, BookClubGirl, and William Morrow for this copy of "The Secret Keeper of Main Street."

It's 1954 and Bailey is the dress fitter and seamstress at a local boutique. When she touches people, she dreams about them and sees their true motivation and their heart's desire.

But will she unexpectedly discover some shocking secrets that have been hidden for years? And some recent ones that could help free a young bride-to-be from her controlling family?

This was suspenseful with several mystery plots and a touch of the supernatural, some of my plot elements to read.

Multiple plot points and fast paced, The Secret Keeper of Main Street is the story of a dressmaker who can see the future.

As a concept, this works. I loved the setting of Oklahoma, I will always love an Oklahoma setting. I think the class and race factors are huge and I don't know that this was done to the best of abilities.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

Set in the 1950’s, this is the story of fictional character Bailey Dowery who works as the “couturier” or dressmaker in the town’s high end dress shop which caters to the wives and daughters of the wealthy oil tycoons. A young Black girl, Bailey’s gifts are not just limited to dressmaking as she possesses the gift of “reading” her customers through touch. White bride-to-be, Elsa Grimes, the daughter of the owner of the oil company is unhappy about her upcoming nuptials and after hearing of Bailey’s gift, pleads with her to tell her if this marriage is right for her. So begins this story of friendship, secrets, family and racial prejudice in the South during this time. With elements of historical fiction, magical realism and mystery, this book satisfied this reader who enjoys the experience of reading a story with multiple genres.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Incredible on so many levels!
I regretted each time I had to put it down and couldn’t wait to pick it back up again. Every character brought a unique dimension to the story. I loved how Bailey’s special gift was weaved into various scenarios.

I attended an author event and someone in the audience asked the author what they had read recently. I’m so grateful Kate Quinn mentioned this book! And I’m grateful to NetGalley & William Morrow for sending this book for review consideration. I’ll definitely be adding Trisha Thomas to my reading list!