A sweet, wholesome romance with a strong message about forgiveness, both personal and spiritual. The author expertly weaves a dual timeline tale which reminds the reader of God's love. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Love a good book that has very strong and interesting women characters. They have many issues that they have to look inside themselves and try to move forward and heal. This is a very good book about soul searching and deciding what is best for you in your life. Good read.

I enjoyed both of the stories in this book, but I would have enjoyed them more if I could have read them one at a time. I think maybe split-time stories just aren't my thing. I felt like I would just get interested in one storyline in time for it to switch to the other one. I did appreciate that the author was able to tell them this way without spoiling the older story of the two, and I really enjoyed the themes of faith woven throughout both stories. I think readers who enjoy split-time stories or are okay reading two books at a time will really love this book.

I absolutely loved this book. I apologize that I somehow forgot to leave a review. It was my first book by this author and I purchased the book for a friend because I knew she's enjoy it as much as I did.

Anything to do with weddings usually garners my attention. This story was intriguing revloving around shop that sells promises. Promises of the perfect dress, the perfect day, the perfect marriage. Sometimes promises can't be delivered.

Loved this book so easy to read great plot fun lovely characters your love them a page turner it a great book I recommend to you all

Two women in two different times and one wedding shop. The wedding shop was a place for women to get the all important dress they would wear on their wedding day. A place for women to come together and celebrate each other at a very specific time in their lives - a special building that should and could stand the test of time.

I liked that it took awhile before the reader finds out the connection between the two stories, other than the obvious one, the wedding shop. I appreciated that in each storyline there were very different things going on in the wedding shop - the current storyline they are renovating and trying to save it while in the storyline from the past the shop is thriving and serving another generation of women with wedding dresses and other clothing needs.

I didn't see the connection in book two for this to be deemed a series, but there were connections in this one. A real estate agent from book two was in this one and Charlotte Rose from the first book makes a large appearance in this one. I still am not sure if I would really count this as a series, they just didn't have as many connections and obvious shared things from book to book that I would like to see when it comes to a series. Of course, this didn't alter my reading experience of the books, just something I noticed.

I am intrigued to read and review a novella in the series and see if/how it fits into the situation.

My heart is full. I did not know what to think at the beginning, but I love it. The only thing I wish is that they were two different books, ms. Cora’s story and Haley’s story. Both of them were so interesting, I wanted to know more. There was a lot more spiritual talk than in the last book I read by this author, but the story made my heart happy.

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts.

Oh, how I wish I could have loved this story! The cover was pretty and grabbed my attention. The fact that a wedding shop and renovation were featured tickled my heart.

But I just could not get past the wonky theology.

Comparing a “magic” wedding dress that never needed to be altered to fit a variety of women over many decades to the Gospel (which was not capitalized in the story, but my personal preference in respect to the Holy Word of God is to capitalize it) twice and to God Himself once rubbed me the wrong way and seemed very disrespectful to the Almighty. Examples from the book: “Try [the dress] on? I want to see how God fits on you.” “This dress is like the [G]ospel…” “[The dress is] the [G]ospel… the trick is to believe.”

After a lady “imagined she saw a glow emerging from [the preacher’s] mouth every time he said the name Jesus,” she “decided that night to follow Jesus.” I wasn’t shocked when her faith later got “snuffed out” since her initial experience with it was based on magical, glowing words.

“You keep believing for us both, won’t you?” This line was a request so that the asker didn’t have to try to have faith in God for herself. That isn’t the way faith works. Each person has to work out their own faith in Jesus (Philippians 2:12).

Other reasons I struggled to enjoy this book…

I had a hard time finding any reason to like Birch. He seemed like a lovesick puppy who was stuck on a girl who couldn’t care less about him. It was so obvious that she didn’t care one iota about him as more than a friend, yet he pined for her through the entire story to the point of annoyance to this reader. Why he thought she’d “led me to believe, given time, you’d consider me” was beyond my ability to understand since the gal had claimed her love for this other guy the entire time, including to Birch’s face on a number of occasions. Then, to top off my dislike for Birch, when courting failed to win her over, he decided to attempt to buy her love with promises for a new stove and a generator for electricity and other material things. This was disheartening, because buying one’s love takes the meaning right out of it.

There was some awkward and explicit sensual content, such as, “The soft curve of her breast pressed his arm and his pulse snapped like a firecracker.” Ew. I’d rather not have had that image seared into my brain, thanks.

A character’s mom encouraged him to let another guy extort him rather than reporting it to the authorities. I don’t see how extortion (which is illegal, by the way) is the answer to solving problems in a positive way. Yet, there it was, one of the magic answers to solve the leads’ problems. I cannot condone doing something illegal to get what a person wants.

So, there were some things I enjoyed about this book. I enjoyed most of Haley’s story. I wasn’t a fan of her promiscuous background, but I did love her devotion to a promise she made her best friend and her dedication to revitalizing the wedding shop. I liked that she wanted to bring a freshness to a place most of the town thought should be razed. The shop itself was amazing. I wish it existed in real life. I imagine it would be stunning and the talk of any town, if it were run the way Jane and Cora and Haley did it. Despite her complete naiveté, I liked Cora. I think she was way too naïve for having not known in a gossipy small town that the guy she loved was a heel, but I admired the way she ran her shop and wanted every bride to have their special dress for their special day. And trousseaux! I have always loved the idea of a trousseau, and I’m glad this was featured in this book.

I think I’m done with Mrs. Hauck’s books. I have read eight of them now, hoping to find some keepers. Unfortunately, all but one of them had “magic” and/or wonky theology, which just doesn’t cut it in the Christian fiction market for me. I’m so disappointed that I couldn’t enjoy them as I had hoped.

Cora and Haley are connected more than one would thought.
Cora, living in the 1930s, seems a career woman in the eyes of the world - entrepreneuring with the wedding shop. But not everyone knows that she is in love with the dashing, rugged river boat captain. And she waits and waits for him to finally come for her to marry her. In the meantime, she deals with the life and strives to give her brides the exceptional wedding dresses and experiences. But then her love life gets a very hard blow.
Haley Morgan is a modern woman, with military experience under her belt. But captain's heart can be broken, too. So she goes home, being led by the promise from her childhood - to reopen the wedding shop.

But love can come silently, too. Unexpectedly. And a broken heart can trust again, too, can take a chance at love once again.

Ms Hauck can write the best modern fairytales for adults! Her stories have the charm of the black - and-white movies, glamour and almost movie-like sweetness - yet enough pain and heartbreak to stay in the realm of reality. And they have her trademark warmness, which feels like a cup of quality hot chocolate on a cold rainy day.
And while my favourite in this series is (so good!) The Wedding Chapel, this one is a quality read. The anxiety of the heart is believable here - because how to love again, when you have given away your true heart to someone? When you can not forgive them - or yourself? Can there be hope, and not the general, clichey one, but the very personal, real hope for you? And love?

Recommended read.

Great story, well written and great characters. Highly recommend to others!! An author to read and follow. Really kept me turning the pages.

This is one of those books I almost gave up on and I am so glad I didn't! I started this book 2 different times and both times I set it aside. I picked it up again a few days ago and I got drawn right into the story. I can't describe why it was different this time, but it just was. The dual perspective was done well and I didn't find myself liking one more than the other. And yes, the story was somewhat predictable, but I just didn't care. I loved Cora and Haley and all the supporting cast. The wedding shop sounded so beautiful and was definitely a character all on its own. I would have loved getting my dress in a place like Heart's Bend. I will continue to look for books by Rachel Hauck because I have not been disappointed yet!

In The Wedding Shop, the storyline alternates between past and present, engrossing the reader in both timelines. There are certain elements that are more obvious to the reader than to the characters, and it can get slightly frustrating waiting for the characters to get a clue. However, this is short lived, and the ways that God's provision is shown is heartwarming and can even increase the reader's faith. The weaving in of characters and plot points from The Wedding Dress and The Wedding Chapel adds depth and meaning to the gorgeously rendered tale.
After leaving the Air Force, Haley Morgan remembers a long ago promise she and her friend Tammy, who recently died of cancer, made as children — to reopen the wedding shop in their town of Heart's Bend, Tenn. Tammy's former fiancé isn't sure Haley should do this, because a big company wants to buy the wedding shop property. In the 1930s, Cora Scott and her family are running the wedding shop, helping brides have their special moment. Cora is waiting for her true love to return from his job on the river to marry her. Yet months and years pass without a proposal. Can Cora keep things running in the midst of The Great Depression?

The Wedding Shop is another great read by Rachel Hauck. It's fun, sweet, and uplifting with some great wedding and fashion details thrown in!

I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn't get into it. The flashbacks were confusing and didn't add enough to flesh out the story.

I absolutely loved The Wedding Shop. Rachel Hauck is a wonderful author and her books will leave you wanting more.

I don't think you can ever go wrong with a book by Rachel Hauck, and this one is a great example of her wonderful writing. The dual storylines, one historical and one current day, tell of Cora and Haley. Cora had a dress shop in the 1930's, and more than eighty years later, Haley, at a turning point in her life, reopens it.

As we learn the story of both of these woman, we see each of their hopes and dreams and watch them encounter the possibility of love.

I loved this book it is about beginnings, and life doing around in a full circle.
A little girls promise becomes a reality. All revolving around a Wedding shop. The best wedding shop around in its time people came from all over to get their dresses. As the building is now falling apart Haley is taking the reins to recreate the shop. The book jumps from the 1930's to present time.
This is beautifully written

** I received a copy form NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

I enjoyed the premise of the story and for the most part, I was satisfied with the read. I didn't expect so much religion intertwined, but it fit well into the story. If you're looking for a wedding related romance, this would be for you.