Julia Kelly is one of my favorite authors. Her latest novel is another wonderful one. Historical fiction set during WWII in England, this book focuses on two sisters and their mother’s dress shop. I always learn something new with Mrs. Kelly’s books, this time it’s about clothes rationing.

Thank you #Netgalley, #GalleyBooks, #JuliaKelly and #TheDressmakerofLondon for the advance readers copy for my honest review.

I loved this book. I've enjoyed Ms Kelly's books, but this was especially interesting. And, I really enjoy epistolary novels too!! This story was poignant and captivating. Highly recommended.

Julia Kelly has done it again. I haven't found any books by her that I don't like and this one is no exception! The Dressmakers of London will have you enthralled from the very beginning. The story of two sisters in World War II who inherit a store together and must learn to navigate a war torn world. Definitely worth it! You won't want to miss this one! Thanks NetGalley

I really enjoy Julia Kelly’s historical fiction books. They are well researched and her characters and stories are memorable.

The Dressmakers of London is my new favorite of hers. It is something special and I found myself reading every chance I got.

Izzie and Sylvia are faced with not only the death of their mom and jointly inheriting her shop, but the war will force them to rely on each other in ways they never have before.

With hurt feelings, memories of earlier years, and lack of communication over the years playing a part in their current relationship, or lack of one, they slowly begin to confront everything that happened. What happens is wonderful to watch unfold and I enjoyed every aspect of this story.

Sylvia and Izzie communicate through letters and those letters are part of this book. As a fan of epistolary novels I really enjoyed this. If you aren’t, don’t worry, the letters are only part of how their story unfolds.

Thank you to Gallery Books for the copy of this book. All views are my own.

This book highlights a little known aspect of WWII. England resorted to using clothing coupons in order to preserve the material for the war effort. The author writes an interesting story incorporating the family drama between two sisters while showcasing another hardship the public had to endure. Each sister has her own personal struggles and strengths as they attempt to keep the dress shop open. I enjoyed the growth of both sisters as they navigated their lives through the war and beyond. I appreciate the research done by the author to give us another wartime story that is different from the others. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an advanced eGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
#TheDressmakersOf London # JuliaKelly #NetGalley

Izzie has helped her mother run her dress shop almost from the beginning. But the mum does not feel well and the war is making everything harder. Them her mother dies and Izzie discovers the shop has been left to both her and her sister - a sister who has not been part of the family for 14 years. Fantastic from start to finish.

The Dressmakers of London was a delightful, unique book that centers on the relationship between two adult sisters, the dress shop they inherited from their mother, and the challenges of civilian life in London during World War II. This book was the perfect blend of WWII historical fiction and family drama that could be set in any time period. Both of the sisters, Sylvia and Izzie, were affected greatly by the death of their father during their childhood and the subsequent changes in life his death caused in their everyday life. This book beautifully explored their pain and growth as a result. I don't want to spoil anything but I was so pleasantly surprised by the ending of this book.

While the relationship between the sisters and their care for their mother's dress shop was my favorite part of this book, it was equally intriguing to read about Izzie's wartime service/conscription into the WAAFs. Izzie hadn't ever traveled far from home or from the dress shop, and this was a new experience for her... but one that came with a lot of personal growth, love, and friendships.

This book was so readable. I truly cared about ALL the characters in this book and could not put it down. Well written and researched, there is a fascinating discussion at the end about clothing rations during the war - something that was new to me.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

I love historical fiction set during WWII and I love books about sisters and family so this book was a perfect read for me. It was apparent throughout the book that the author had researched this time in history very well. Her characters were fantastic and the story was a real page turner.

Sylvia was the oldest sister and Izzie was 5 years younger. Their mother owned a dress shop in London and both girls were raised helping out in the shop The difference is that Sylvia couldn't wait to get away from life at the dress shop. Izzie loved the safety and the work at the dress shop and was content with her life. Once Sylvia married a doctor who was part of the upper crust of London and well respected, she didn't have much to do with her mother and sister and Izzie resented her for thinking she was better than her family. Izzie loved running the dress shop and knew that she would be the owner when her mother died. She was very upset after her mother died and the will was read leaving the shop equally to the two sisters. Sylvia is willing to give her sister her half of the shop but Izzie refuses and decides to buy out her sister. The only problem is that she doesn't have enough money and due to her mother's haphazard way of keeping records, she has no idea how much the shop is worth. When Izzie is conscripted into the WAAF's, she asks her sister for help. She wants her sister to do the minimal amount of work to keep the business running and to ask her questions by mail. Sylvia is having issues with her husband and starts to devote herself to the shop. Her first task is to clean up the accounting mess but then she starts helping with customers. Izzie is not at all happy with the way that her sister is running the shop but there's nothing she can do about it. Plus Izzie is enjoying life in the WAAFs. For the first time she outside the walls of the dress shop and is making friends and spending time dancing with the men on base. Will the two sisters be able to find common ground to keep the dress shop open during a difficult time when clothing is rationed? Will they ever be close again?

This book was well written and the characters were very realistic. I was hoping that the sisters could find the love for each other that they used to share.

Be sure to read the author's notes at the end to learn more about clothing rations during the war -- something that I knew nothing about until I read this book.

This is a great historical fiction book about family and love and forgiveness during war time in London. If you enjoy historical fiction, add this book to your to-read shelf - you don't want to miss it!

I am a huge fan of Julia Kelley’s work, and The Dressmakers of London is no exception. It is a beautiful story of two young women learning to go after their dreams and aspirations while supporting each other.

This is a fantastic book! I enjoyed the various settings. A dressmaker's shop in London, Nottingham Court, and a WAAF camp.

The characters are relatable, and I became invested in Izzie and Sylvia's stories. Izzie started out thrilled with the responsibility of running her mother's dress shop. Her passion, though, is sketching and making beautiful clothes. Sylvia left her family behind as she walked toward a bigger and brighter future. A tragedy brings her back home, and she finds pieces of herself that were lost.

It was heartwarming to watch the sisters' relationship unfold. As they wrote letters to each other, they began to see each other in a new light.

I found the author's note very interesting! I never knew about the various clothing rations that occurred during the wars. The idea of owning clothing tailor-made is probably something I'll only dream of. Thanks to this book, I can picture my outfits in my imagination.

I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from Simon and Schuster via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One can never go wrong when picking up a Julia Kelly book, so I knew I was in for a great read - but even I was blown away by how good this was! Unputdownable and lovely are the two words I would use to describe this!. Fantastic and utterly addictive would also suffice :) Either way, you are in for a treat! I loved this!

I have loved everything Kelly has written, but this is my new favorite and one of my top ones for 2024. Every historical fiction reader will love this one.

I was particular drawn to the story-line of a dressmaker’s shop that runs in this family. When the matriarch dies, she leaves the place to her estranged daughters. Sylvia walked away years ago and Lizzie stayed at the shop with her mother. She gets the news about the will and now they must work together. Will their relationship be repaired or forever estranged?

Love, loss, family and the strength you never knew you had. I am amazed that Kelly always finds a new story-line that completely has me staying up late at night to finish because I was so involved in these sisters. I am a quilter, so the sewing aspect and the designs discussed fascinated me.

The Dressmakers of London by Julia Kelly is a great WWII-era novel that is all about family and second chances.

Isabelle and Sylvia are estranged sisters, and through multiple events are brought together again to either overcome their pasts and differences or to have them distance themselves again from on another. The concepts of family, love, loss, forgiveness, overcoming obstacles, hope in the midst of adversity, and the complicated world of relationships are brought together beautifully in this HF by Ms. Kelly.

I also liked what the inclusion of the landscapes background of London during the War and their mother’s dress shop added to the character-led novel.

This is the 6th book I have read from this author, I enjoyed it very much, and will continue to read her mysteries and historical fiction.


4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Gallery Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/18/25.

Another great novel by Julia Kelly! Izzie and her mom own and run a dress shop during WW2 London. The mom dies and has left the shop to both Izzie and her estranged sister. Sylvia is older and disappeared from Izzie's life when she met Hugo, an aristocrat. Now Sylvia has discovered some terrible news about her husband and Izzie has been conscripted, forced to leave the shop.

I absolutely love this author and this book was amazing. I enjoy her writing style and the characters. The story was so much fun to read.

Story of two estranged sisters in WW II London who inherit their mother's dress shop, and must decide whether they can put their differences aside or risk losing their mother's legacy. A bit melodramatic at times, but still an interesting look into Britain's fashion history at that time.

In The Dressmakers of London, two sisters, Isabelle and Sylvia, inherit their mother’s dress shop, Mrs. Shelton’s Fashions. The sisters have always had a rocky relationship, worsened when Sylvia married a rich man and left Isabelle behind. As World War II hits and the shop struggles financially, the sisters must put aside their differences to save the business and their future. The book balances the WWII backdrop with the personal story of the sisters, making it both engaging and memorable.

I loved this book because while there is the theme of WWII, it isn't overpowering. I loved the storyline and each of the two independent and stubborn sisters.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Julia Kelly for the opportunity to read The Dressmakers of London!

I'm a big Julia Kelly fan -- I love her historical fiction set in England and have read many of her books. I had a hard time with this one though -- some good history but a little too much (needless IMHO) drama. It was clear how the story was going to go but I felt there was too much unnecessary angst put in and I it made me dislike the characters too much to complete. I'm holding out hope for the next Kelly offering which I hope I will like more.

Julia Kelly's The Dressmakers of London is a poignant exploration of sisterhood, legacy, and resilience set in World War II London. The story follows Isabelle and Sylvia Shelton, estranged sisters who unexpectedly inherit their mother's dress shop. While Isabelle finds solace in the shop's familiar routines, Sylvia has long distanced herself, marrying a wealthy doctor much to Isabelle’s disdain. The novel is both a heartwarming and heartbreaking journey of reconciliation, as the sisters exchange letters that gradually heal old wounds and uncover new possibilities. This beautifully written story is rich in historical detail and emotional depth, while capturing the essence of wartime London and the enduring power of family bonds.