My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Time taken to read - 3 days
Pages - 400
Publisher - Bantam press
Source - Review copy
Blurb from Goodreads
Can her heart be mended too? Garland Fairford has her dream job as a historical Costumier in London and is engaged to a handsome and successful playwright, Marco. Whilst working on an exhibition of dresses owned by a Victorian actress, Garland meets a long-lost relative - Honey Fairford. Garland, an orphan, is delighted, and intrigued to discover Honey is planning to open a wedding dress museum in Lancashire. When Garland loses her fiancé e and her job in the same week, she is excited to accept Honey's offer to work at the museum. Escaping London, and her old life, Garland is then shocked to be confronted with a ghost from her past - Thom. As Garland starts to repair the beautiful vintage wedding dresses for the museum, as well as her relationship with Thom, could this finally be the chance for her own happy-ever-after?
My Review
Duo timeline, present day with Garland a historical costumier her self absorbed fiancé who is a playwright and fixated on his new play. Honey is a very successful author who happens to be related to Garland and of course Marco wants to exploit that. We hate Marco! Anyway something kicks off and Garland ends up losing her job and taking up Honey's offer, to work at her new museum. What museum I hear you ask? Only one prompted by Honey's own story and links in with her new book. Wedding dresses of brides that didn't have their happy ever after and Garland will be repairing and restoring the dresses, collating their stories and sorting the displays. Asif Garland's life isn't turned upside down enough - when she flees to the small town she is faced with something from her past that pulls the rug out from under her.
Oooft Garland fair goes on a journey, did I say we hate Marco? He is narcissistic, self obsessed, inflated ego and just an absolute banger we do not like him. The book flips between present day and back to the past, diary format, of the original wearer of the dress Garland was working on before everything kicked off.
Little dramas, relationships, secrets, lies and a beautiful wee scene stealer in the form of an old judgey cat, I absolutely love him. Overall it isn't a book I would have picked up myself but I am so glad I got it sent because I really enjoyed it. Despite it having a fair few characters/scene switches it flows well and I really enjoyed it - I think this was possibly my first by this author, it won't be my last 4/5.