Although I absolutely loved the concept of this story. This book unfortunately was not for me. I read 30% but was unable to finish due to the slow pace of the book.

With dual timelines of 1988 and 2018, this book focuses on Meredith, who provides the wardrobe for Princess Diana, and Jayne, who is Meredith’s neighbor 30 years later. Jayne is primarily solitary and quiet, but when a chance encounter has her enter Meredith’s apartment and finds it in disarray, she realizes that Meredith is suffering from some form of dementia and says that William, her husband, is missing.
Together with their neighbors, they try to piece together Meredith’s story while providing her with the care she desperately needs. And as that happens, we are given glimpses of her past.
While this one was interesting, and I did want to find out what happened, I felt a disconnect from the characters as a whole. The story was paced too slowly and was a bit too long and drawn out.

Jade Beer's The Memory Dress is a heartfelt novel that gently explores the impact of Princess Diana’s legacy on a global scale while weaving a poignant story of love, loss, and resilience. While the narrative unfolds at a slower pace, it offers a thoughtful meditation on the complex relationships between parents and children, as well as the deeply human nature of love—imperfect, yet enduring.

The novel shines in its portrayal of women who embody quiet strength and grace, much like Princess Diana herself. Their struggles and choices underscore the idea that while past mistakes may shape us, they do not have to define us. Instead, we can choose to stand up and move forward with dignity. Though some inconsistencies in the story may be noticeable, the novel ultimately delivers a sweet and touching reflection on love, forgiveness, and the power of quiet determination.

For readers who appreciate character-driven narratives with emotional depth, The Memory Dress offers a tender and graceful journey worth experiencing

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was well written, and it kept me interested. The idea that a dress from Princess Di can affect so many people was such a creative idea. I can't wait to read more from this author. I highly recommend this book to other readers.

Thank you Net Galley, Berkley Publishing, and Jade Beer

This dual time novel wasn't my favorite, I think the reason that was because they tried to mix in a real person from recent memory with a tragic end.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

One dress, owned by Princess Diana will change the lives of multiple women. This was such an intriguing way to tell a story and I was all in.

Thank you #NetGalley and #berkleypub an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have a lot of feelings about this book. It seems like it took me forever to get through this one as it crosses a few decades and sets up the plot through multiple characters. The crossover is in today's world, but the story starts in 1988.

This book was interesting and I really wanted to love it. I liked it but didn't love it. I really felt at time the story moved slowly and I wanted a little more. There were a lot of aspects to this story that may seem innocuous but end up being an important key down the road. This story is a blend of quiet neighbors getting to know each other, a touch of romance, and the hunt for missing people from an older neighbor who is worried about her missing her husband, but has little to no memory remaining while living on her own. The concept of the story is fascinating. The way it is written takes a lot of brain power and deals with the reality of dementia. There are so many positive points, but in some areas, this is a heavy story.
Who is helping our older generation? How hard is it to help and become a part of their lives? What will you gain or lose in your own life?
As we examine clues to Meredith's past, tidbits of information trickle in, and lives are changed forever. Deep dedication and hard truths are on display and the author's imagination is steeped in the history of a Princess and dresses.
Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC to preview.

I have always been a Princess Diana fame so this book was of interest to me. However, this story while featuring dresses made for Diana and one gifted to Meredith who was the designer of them, it really is a poignant story featuring someone dealing with dementia and the kindness of her young neighbor. Pretty sad but very touching. I thought the subject was handled quite well and it really touched a spot with me. Told in a dual timeline, there is also a love story that unfolds. This is a beautiful story of love and friendship and appreciating life. Nicely done. Many thanks to #netgalley #thememorydress #jadebeer for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Jayne lives in an apartment building in Bath, England in 2018. She only knows the single woman neighbour with two young daughters, as she walks their dog daily, as Jayne is a part time dog walker and florist. Further on, she lives a quiet life on her own. Until she meets her elderly neighbor Meredith, as her door is open one day and the dog she walks from the other neigbor runs into Merediths apartment. And this is how without knowing, Meredith and Jayne walks into each other's life. Meredith is suffering from dementia, and her apartment is one big and smelly mess that needs cleaning, notices Jayne. She also notices that Meredith is very lonely, and Meredith keeps on mentioning that her husband William is ''missing''. Slowly on, Jayne gains the trust of Meredith, and visits her as much as possible with a bouget of forget-me-nots. Jayne gets to know more about Meredith when she shows her her messy ''memory room'' with contains many memories from her past. Jayne notices a beautiful ball gown draped carelessly on one of the chairs in Meredith's memory room, and by asking more about the dress, she learns that in a previous and better time, Meredith was the costume desinger of many of Princess Diana's dresses and outfits, back around 1988, where she met her future husband William in the workspace. But what happened to William, why is he missing? Meredith is sure of it he can come home every minute, and Jayne finds out Meredith had a daugher named Fiona once. Slowly on, she tries to figure out where William and Fiona are now, with taking Meredith on outings to places in London that played a part in Meredith's life with William. And Jayne is determined to trace down Fiona..
During the story, the neighbors in the building get more connected and help each other, and a romance between Jayne and neighbor Jake starts too..

The Memory Dress is a beautiful book and also a very moving one. I really liked the style it was written in. The storyline was fantastic, it was easy to follow and it all felt very realistic. The characters in it could be your neighbors. I liked how at first the neighbors had no connection to each other, but because of Jayne and Meredith this completely changed for the better. Jayne is a character you immediately like as a reader. She is just always in to help someone. And so she helps the lonely Meredith, who suffered badly from dementia and needed care very bad. The story truly shows the sadness of dementia through Meredith. It was truly heartbreaking that from the start till the end she believed that William could arrive home anytime for dinner. While Jayne knows, and as a reader you feel it, he will never come home again. But Jayne did a great job to make life a bit less lonely and more liveable for Meredith, without invading her privacy and in a very respectful way, altough Meredith at many times forgot who Jayne was and thought she was her estranged daughter Fiona. What I also liked was how the chapters changed from the past from 1988 till the present time to 2018, and you read Meredith's past which was linked to the dresses of Princess Diana. What I also really liked was the romance that bloomed up between her and Jake, that was really sweet!

The Memory Dress is a fantastic new book, with an amazingly strong and good storyline and an even awesome cast of main and side characters, I truly loved it!

What an absolutely intriguing book!! I loved reading about Meredith and Jayne, and their unexpected friendship. As the story evolves, we learn that Meredith was on the team who made dresses for Princess Diana, which was a tie in that I absolutely loved.

I really enjoyed Jayne's evolution in this story, as she helps Meredith and realizes that she needs additional care. it was such a good message.

Add in the beauty of Princess Diana and her dresses, and you have a book that I could not put down! It was so good, and I am so glad I was given the opportunity to read it. I will absolutely be checking out other books by Jade Beer.

This novel is uplifting and heartfelt, bringing much hope in a messed up world. Jayne encounters her neighbor, Meredith, who seems confused and upset that her husband, William is missing. As the story unfolds, the reader is introduced to the various dresses and detailed dressmaking of Princess Diana’s wardrobe, as designed by Catherine Walker. Jayne has her own issues, having closed herself off from deep relationships. While helping Meredith, Jayne earns about true love and the importance of taking a risk. The secondary characters are fantastic, other residents of the building like Olivia, Davina, and Jake. I highly recommend this novel. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the chance to read The memory dress by Jade Beer. I loved the author's book The last dress from Paris, and was eager to read The memory dress. I was a fan of Princess Diana, and the dresses created by Catherine Walker, and made reading the book more poignant. We meet Meredith who is part of the design team of Catherine Walker's who creates gorgeous outfits for the most iconic woman, Princess Diana, and Jayne, a quiet and withdrawn woman who discovers her downstairs neighbour, Meredith who is suffering from dementia. Meredith's life has become confusing and chaotic, as she continuingly is looking for her husband, William. The story switches back and forth from 1988, and 2018, as we are slowly introduced to Meredith's life, and Jayne who slowly becomes involved with helping Meredith remember, and becoming more involved with the people who live in the apartment building.
I found the story beautiful, and emotional, bringing the issue of the care of society's elderly. I highly recommend not only this book, but the author.
Alternative title: The palace dressmaker.

Going down as one of my 2024 favourites! This book first attracted the "Royal Watcher" in me. Since Princess Diana (in the background) and her fashions are featured in this story I knew I had to read it!

Just loved everything about this one! It's my first Jade Beer book but certainly not my last.

"You've helped her, not because a family tree dictated you should, but because you are a good person.

It's a dual timeline story that switches back and forth in time. In the present day (2018) Jayne, lives in a small apartment complex and is a dog walker. Meredith, lives in the same complex and one day opens her door to look outside. As Jayne collects the small dog she is walking that day the dog quickly runs off and into Meredith's apartment. As Jayne goes inside to get the dog she is startled with the mess of the apartment. As she begins to talk with Meredith she realizes something is not quite right with her. Then she spots an exquisite looking evening gown that is draped over Meredith's couch. She is very intrigued. The gown seems so out of place. This puts Jayne on a quest to personally help Meredith and her predicament as she says she is waiting for her husband, William. Yet no one in the building has seen William for months. The story then goes back in time to the late 1980's and early 1990's and we begin to learn more about Meredith and William. The hints slowly begin to drop about the gown.

This is a really touching story. It pulls at the heartstrings 😢 I thought it was very clever how the gowns helped to unravel the story. A unique take on Princess Diana's fashions. I urge Royal fans to read this one but just know you are getting so much more than fashion! It's a deeply moving account of someone needing help and someone special who reaches out to help them ❤️‍🩹👗🧵👸🏼

A well written book dealing with memory loss and her interactions with people and sites that she remembers. As she had been a dressmaker for the royals. It is an emotional read, but a great read and I would recommend it.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the Publisher and leaving a review by my own accord.

This book was between a 3 and 4 for me. It is very “readable”. I liked the characters and how they evolved over time as you got to know them better. Just like in real life, not everyone is as they initially appear. Some plot elements just didn’t work for me which originally had me thinking it was a 3 star but I did truly enjoy reading - hence the bump to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A heartfelt haunting story that brings dementia to the forefront. Meredith has an interesting past but cannot remember where her husband is. Her neighbor Jayne is trying to help her, she cannot bear to see Meredith hurting. This is a very moving story and a must read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing this book in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this book was a beautiful read with a lot of heart to it. I also enjoyed the historical aspects of this book. I especially recommend this book if you love Princess Diana and the Royal Family.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Jayne discovers her elderly neighbor Meredith is struggling with dementia and confused about where her husband has gone. While in her apartment, Jayne discovers a dress which was created, worn and then gifted to Meredith by Princess Diana. Jayne enlists the help of her fellow neighbors to care for and also unravel the story of Meredith's life and with her husband William and missing daughter. This is the story of a special life, true love and also the community that develops when the neighbors join together to help Meredith. It's historical fiction for readers seeking something of more recent history.

The Memory Dress by Jade Beer
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Jayne keeps to herself at the building she lives in. One day she meets an elderly neighbor by chance named Meredith. She is drawn to helping Meredith, but also to knowing more about her life story after discovering an amazing dress she has.
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What I liked:
-I found Meredith’s back story so compelling. She was a mystery that I needed to know everything about.
-The neighbors in the building really come together to help Meredith, which causes them to all grow closer like a found family. I love a good found family story.
-I love to sew, so the story of creating these dresses was wonderful. Also, I may have gone down the rabbit hole searching for pictures of these dresses. I FINALLY found a picture of the “memory dress”.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book was an enchanting story about life, love, and loss.