The Paris Gown tells the story of 3 friends in Paris in the mid-50s and the Dior dress that they bond over. Claire is a chef, Gina is a writer and Margot doesn't know what she wants, except to escape her abusive marriage. The novel starts out with excitement and curiosity to learn more about these young women. About the middle of the book, however, it turns into a standard romance and that's how it goes the rest of the way. I also felt there was not a great sense of Paris in the book. It could have been set anywhere. Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit the cover of this story is what intrigued me initially. When I then read the description of how fashion brought three friends back together during rough times, I was completely sold. And the similarities to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants seemed perfect for me. If you love fashion, friendship, and a little glimpse into a world of the past, this book is the one for you! You will love reading about the three women it follows and their lives, as well as the clothes that are described, and the setting of 1950's Paris as a backdrop for the story.

Summary:
Gwen, Claire, and Margot met in Paris, France in 1950 in their early 20s and bonded over their love of Dior. They would visit Dior's shop to share their successes and discuss their aspirations for the future while admiring the dresses in the shop window. After they part, they head to different continents to continue their lives and eventually lose track of each other. Years later, the women are all at different places in their lives than they had imagined, and they are all struggling in various ways. This book tells the story of how the Dior that they all loved may bring them together to help each other through their tough times.

Thoughts:
This is a great book! It is a very short read, and I found it easy to get invested in the characters. There are POVs of each of the three women throughout the book that all have distinct voices. There is a bit of mystery throughout to figure out what is really going on. The women felt very realistic to me and I could picture all three of them well. They all also felt very relatable to me, which helped me understand them as characters a bit better. I honestly enjoyed every moment I spent reading this and got a tiny bit emotional at the end.

Critiques:
There wasn't anything that I would change about this book. It was well written and super enjoyable to read. It wasn't one of my favorite books I've read this year, but that doesn't have anything to do with the quality of the book. I will say that as I got to the end, I did realize that this book is much shorter than others I've read recently, which means there was a bit of depth and explanation that I was missing. However, I don't really think this story needed any more depth or detail than what was provided to be a really great book.

Final Words:
I highly enjoyed my reading experience, and would recommend this to a wide variety of readers. Like I mentioned at the beginning, if you especially enjoy reading about fashion, friendship, and France in the 1950's, I think you will really love this story.
 
Thank you to William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

What a delightful and fun book to read. Fans of Jane Rosen’s books - Three Women and One Dress and A Shoe Story - will love this story and adore the main characters - Charlotte, Claire & Margot. A great beach read. Thanks for the advanced read!!

I was hooked from the very beginning! Friendship, love, loss, and secrets all entwine the lives of three friends living in post-war Paris, A Dior gown at the center of it all. This is a beautifully written piece by Christine Wells, one you won’t want to put down!
#NetGalley

1950s, Paris, Dior, and a trio of young friends! Post-war Paris, and three friends in their 20s from wildly different backgrounds seek to reinvent their futures with help from a fabulous Dior ballgown and a bond that transcends everything. TW: partner emotional abuse.

Great read. Warm. Uplifting. Wells wonderfully creates a story of friendship and overcoming obstacles. Her detail to historical Paris was a joy to read. If you love historical fiction, I think you will enjoy this novel!

In 1950s Paris three friends, students at the Escoffier, meet every week in front of Dior's display windows to share good news. After graduation they go off to follow their dreams. Charlotte wants to write, Gina wants to be a Michelin star chef, and Margot wants a family. Fast forward a few years and they are back in Paris. Gina is running her family's cafe. Charlotte is broke and getting over a romance. Margot has also returned and is in hiding. Can they still achieve their dreams? Enjoy this story of female friendship, support and couture.

The Paris Gown is a light-hearted, delight of a story. An easy summer read, this book moves along quickly through real life, love, and loss.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I absolutely loved this book. It was a mix of Mrs Harris goes to Paris and sisterhood of the traveling pants. Sure, this story had little love stories in it, but it was really about the friendships. We need people who will love us no matter what, be honest when we need it, as well as be vulnerable enough to apologize.

I am planning to share this book on my Instagram on august 19 at https://www.instagram.com/robinashleyreads?igsh=MXczYmd6bmszdXN2Nw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Dior gown + 1950s Paris + Le Cordon Bleu/food and wine = catnip for this lover of historical fiction.

The Paris Gown is woven around the stories of three young women, Margot, Gina, and Claire, who first meet in Paris. After a fast forward we rejoin them years later after they’ve had some life journeys and are all facing new challenges. While Christian Dior is a location in the book, it is not the central plot. What I did love was how the Christian Dior gown works with each character, and in general how all three women have such unique and intriguing life experiences. The glimmer of love and the magic of the Paris setting go a long way to pull the narrative together. I was particularly attracted to Margot because of the secrets of her past and was eager to find out how her plot line would resolve. Because of the particular challenges of the three strong female leads, the ending makes a lot of sense for the characters but was also a little unexpected. I did love how the gown ties the main characters and how the Paris setting works so integrally to the plot.

Thanks to @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

BE AWARE THAT THIS BOOK'S SYNOPSIS HERE ON GOODREADS IS INCORRECT FOR THE MOST PART - AMAZON AND BARNES & NOBLE HAVE THE CORRECT ONE.

This book is about compromises and whether we should give up all we are for those we love.

Normally, I would be captivated by reading about strong women in the 1950s and would have found it even more fascinating to read about Paris in the '50s. I was born in the '50s, so I felt it would be even more interesting to read about my 'older' sisters-in-arms! For some reason, I did not find this book as captivating as I would have hoped, but I was able to finish it without any difficulty.

While this IS a book about strong women, these three question too much and rely on men too much. Yes, I realize this is the norm for the women of the time period, but this was almost too much truth for me!

The last 10 or 15 percent of the book certainly makes up for the anguish and sometimes anger I felt for these women. They manage to get what they want without any compromises!


This is a great, fast-reading book and the perfect beach read if you want to learn a lot about Paris during that time. Make sure you have a translator around! (What the heck is a brunch jacket, anyway?) I learned a lot about Parisian cooking and being an agent for writers. You will also learn a lot about Dior (one of the more interesting parts of this book. (in my opinion)

*ARC was supplied by the publisher William Morrow, the author, and NetGalley.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyable. Who wouldn't love a book about a Chanel gown and Paris? We follow three friends through trials and troubles in their late twenties. Each has big dreams and big obstacles. The author walks us deftly through solutions fir each, sometimes clearing the path a but too easily.

The Paris Gown by Christine Wells is a lovely historical fiction novel with glamour and female friendship. Deciding to pool their money and purchase a Christian Dior gown in the 1950's each of the three friends experience life changing events. I loved Margot, Gina, and Charotte who shared an apartment above a BOOKSTORE in Paris. I want that life!
The writing style and creative nature of the novel is a perfect fit for this reader. It was easy to step into the world of friendship, intrigue, and romance all swirling around French cuisine, lovely Paris, and fashion!
Uplifting message to chase your dreams.
Loved it!

This is a sweet, easy story, perfect for a summer beach or long flight/train ride. read, It follows the trials 6 tribulations, love and heartbreak of 3 friends from varied places, all with the backdrop of Paris. There aren't a lot of original ideas, there aren't any real cliffhangers or plot twists, but... it's a breezy, fun book. It's not something that would be of interest to my middle or high school students, but I'd suggest it for a sorority book club, perhaps.

The description of the titular gown is the highlight of the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
I adore fashion and books so these three friends (2 of whom work in fashion and books) were very appealing to me. Each has career and man trouble in different ways and sometimes "happily ever after" doesn't mean in a romantic relationship. It was a fun book set in Paris with glimpses of fashion icon Dior's life. I kept expecting there to be a bit more sinister stuff in Margot's life with her narcissist husband, but other than that, it was an enjoyable read.

Fun book. I kept thinking Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Three friends and their experiences based around a Christian Dior dress. I wish there had been a little more of the story based on the dress itself or their times wearing it. I also felt like the stories were dragged out and then wrapped up quickly. But it was a fun read.

I was disappointed about this book as it lacked the historical references that I expected. It was trite. I felt that an outline was followed. Seemed like a sophomoric piece rather than a work written by an established author.

Thank you for the opportunity to read an early release of The Paris Gown
It was a moving story about love and friendship

Delightful book about three friends in Paris. These women share the ups and downs of life while enjoying good food, good wine and a beautiful Dior gown.

thank you netgalley for letting me review this arc. I absolutely loved following the three women's journey and reconnection years later. The world building is excellent! It makes you feel like you're in Paris shopping in the designer stores. I loved the friendship between these women over the sharing of the Dior gown. Christine Wells never disappoints!