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.

This was a new to me author- the cover drew me in first, and then the description. Loved it. Plain and simple, just a great story. Honestly burnt out on historical fiction all based around Holocost (they aren't bad, just so much that you can read and not go into a depressing hole with the topic) so this was such a refreshing change of pace. Will be keeping on hand for customers and added to my recommending read now list. You've got a mix of current(ish) times that tie in the past with the perfect blend. Add a bit of royalness into it, just a great story.

Moving, powerful, and heartbreaking, "The Memory Dress" is an emotional novel connecting the past and present.

Firstly, this cover is so beautiful!

Jade Beer's writing is extremely visceral, full of heart, and poignant. The way she weaves both timelines together piece by piece is seamless, and I found myself so drawn in to the story from the very first page. Exploring extremely important themes: such as human connection, friendship, memory loss, fashion, romance, love in different forms, and the deep connection to the history of one's past through what has been created and the memories weaved into them, this book is truly stirring and touching.

This dual-timeline novel centers around Meredith in both timelines. Now an older woman in the later timeline, Jayne, who is Meredith's neighbor, notices something is going on. She offers to be there with Meredith, who is showing signs of dementia. As Jayne begins to help, she slowly uncovers more and more about Meredith's life as a dressmaker and as a dressmaker to royalty, and learns about Meredith's journey with her husband William, whom Meredith expresses that she cannot find. I do not want to say too much about the plot due to spoilers, but, I will say that this novel truly is deeply touching and so meaningful. It moved me so much, and is heart-wrenching, thought-provoking, heartwarming, and beautifully written.

I highly recommend this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the e-ARC of this novel, it is incredible, and to Berkley Publishing Group for having me on the blog tour! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review to be published Friday, November 8, at The Good, the Bad and the Unread.

Sandy M’s review of The Memory Dress by Jade Beer
Contemporary Fiction published by Berkley 5 Nov 24

I was intrigued by the title of this book, so I read the blurb and became that much more intrigued on several levels hinted at in the story. It’s my first book by Jade Beer, and it won’t be my last. From the heartbreaking issues of dementia to the days of Princess Diana’s hold over the world to the beautiful gowns her dressmakers lovingly created, this book takes you inside all of those areas with heart-wrenching emotions both exhilarating and tragic.

Jayne one day meets up with another tenant of their building and realizes Meredith needs a bit of help. Once she discovers how Meredith lives, which doesn’t bother the woman herself, and that her husband is missing, Jayne encourages other residents, as well as her boss, to get involved. Thus begins a travel down memory lane to solve several mysteries surrounding Meredith.

It’s obvious early on Meredith has memory problems, which Jayne deduces is the reason her apartment is structured and messy as it is whenever Jayne visits. Little by little Jayne and her cohorts figure out Meredith and her husband were the team who created the majority of Princess Diana’s dresses during her heyday. Meredith does have lucid moments when Jayne takes her to the places where Diana wore her iconic wardrobe, and while a few questions are answered during those moments, others also come to the fore. Ms. Beer does a wonderful job of twists and turns as the story moves along toward an ending that the reader hopes for but can never be. You can’t help but feel your heart break for Meredith each time her memories come and go.

I love the way Meredith’s new friends keep working to figure out her past and give her answers to those questions that appear day after day for her. And I love the memories, both enchanting and tragic, the story brought back for me as one who lived through the Diana years. My heart broke every time Jayne introduced herself to Meredith.

This is a wonderful story of friendship, no matter the time and quality of life.

Grade: A

This book has such substance to it a heartfelt and emotional book. A very telling story.
Jayne, a dog walker in an apartment building, friends with some of the other apartment dwellers but had never met Merideth, an elderly woman whom she senses needs some help when they do meet.
Jayne and Merideth form a strong and caring friendship, each benefitting from it in a different way. Jayne visits Meredith daily yet needs to introduce herself each time as Meredith doesn't remember her, or even when she ate last. My grandmother went through dementia and it's so tragic and she as Meredith are so vulnerable. Meredith was a famous seamstress sewing for royalty now she can't even remember where her husband is or why her daughter never visits her.
You will be immersed in the world of dressmaking from years ago as you make a discovery about an important missing society dress. To be taken inside the mind of someone with dementia is tragically sad but wonderful to see moments of clarity as memories of the past are recalled. A special friendship discovered as cherished memories are shared. I enjoyed visiting the locations through the book the women visited and reading about their details. They sounded like fun trips. Very well written. Highly recommended!

This is the most beautiful, yet sad at times, love story involving alzheimers that I have ever read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cried a few times which I rarely have done in my 20+ years of reading.

The Memory Dress is a compelling story of fashion design, community activism, friendship, found family, and dementia.

Jayne works part-time at a floral shop and is a dog walker. She is a private person and keeps to herself. During one of her dog-walking duties, she meets Madeline, an older woman who lives below her in the apartment community. It’s quickly apparent to Jayne that all is not OK with Madeline. she appears confused and her apartment is dusty, messy, and neglected. Jayne begins to worry about whether Madeline is eating enough and about the whereabouts of her often-mentioned husband, William. As Jayne becomes more concerned, she reaches out to her neighbors for advice and help. As the neighbors develop a plan, we are immersed into a past timeline that reveals Madeline’s past and explains the gorgeous blue gown that Madeline has thrown over a chair in the bedroom.

In The Memory Dress, we have two timelines that explain Madeline’s past (1988) as the neighbors develop an intervention plan in the present. These timelines come together dramatically in the end. Both timelines are interesting and compelling. Some readers categorize this as historical fiction; however, forty years ago is debatable. It might barely qualify as hisfic.

I enjoy a multi-layered story which leads to the consideration of many different themes:

* Neighbors helping neighbors
* Taking the initiative even if it’s out of your comfort zone
* Compassion for strangers
* Work-life balance
* Demanding careers
* Forgiveness/Reconciliation
* Dementia/Alzheimer’s
* Long-term care for the elderly
* Friendship
* Found family
* Character growth (present day)

At first glance, you might think this book is a romance or about fashion. Surprisingly, dementia is the focus of the story in the present-day timeline. The title, the blub on the cover, and the cover photo didn’t prepare me for this heavy and important topic. Many older people suffer from some form of dementia and often they do not have adequate support. In The Memory Dress, a small community rallies around Madeline to ensure her safety and organize a support system.

Fans of fashion, dress design, and Princess Diana will enjoy these aspects of the story. Understanding the demands, skills, dedication, and rigor involved is informative and interesting.

Content Consideration: Dementia/Alzheimer’s, parent/child estrangement

Fans of well-written, engaging, and multi-layered women’s fiction with thoughtful themes might enjoy The Memory Dress.

Thanks #NetGalley @BerkleyPub #BerkleyBuddyReads for a complimentary e ARC of #TheMemoryDress upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley and the author for this arc!

Why am I such a sucker for books about dresses and books that feature gorgeous dresses on the cover!? I see one and immediately >>> adds to tbr! And this one did not let me down!

I loved this book! LOVED LOVED LOVED!! From the very first page I was absolutely glued to this story! I couldn’t wait to find out all the things about Meredith's past and to take the journey that would uncover the mystery of her missing husband, William. What a fascinating and exciting life she and her husband had as Catherine Walker dressmakers for Princess Diana and I took several field trips during the book, Googling pictures of each dress that was part of this sweeping saga! Stunning!

I also loved the found family aspect of this book with Jayne and all the neighbors! Each character was written perfectly and I especially enjoyed little Maggie! What a simply adorable hoot!

This book is why I am such a superfan of historical fiction! @jadebeerbrides did a phenomenal job of weaving fact with “what could have been” and I just had the best time in these pages!

Historical Fiction • Fashion • Dementia
Pub Date • 5 November 2024

Thank you @berkleypub and @prhaudio for the free finished copy and ALC!

👗 Gorgeous cover here depicting the dual timelines that are connected by dresses made for Princess Diana. I picked up this book because I enjoy reading about the fashion industry and celebrity gossip but you won’t find much of that here — this is a more serious book that centers around love, relationships, and mental illness.

In the present timeline Meredith is suffering from dementia and her husband William has gone missing. Neighborly Jayne, a single 20s-something professional dog walker decides to take up Meredith’s plight and corals all the neighbors to pitch in to help locate William. We flash from the late 1980s to present day to unravel the clues while learning more about Meredith, William, and the other tailors/seamstresses who created these beautiful gowns.

This was a heartfelt and genuine novel. The pacing was slower than I usually care for, and I struggled with feeling like certain parts were realistic, although I’ll recommend The Memory Dress if you have interest in a feel good novel with a love story and a sensitive treatment of the tough topic of dementia.