chesilbeach Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Synopsis (from the back cover of the book) "Phoebe Swift always dreamt of opening her own vintage dress shop. She imagined every detail, from the Vivienne Westwood bustiers hanging next to satin gowns, to sequinned prom dresses adorning the walls. At the launch of Village Vintage, Phoebe feels the tingle of excitement as customers snap up the fairytale dresses. Her dream has come true, but a secret from her past is casting a shadow over her new venture. Then one day she meets Therese, an elderly Frenchwoman with a collection to sell, apart from one piece that she won't part with... As Therese tells the story of the little blue coat, Phoebe becomes aware of a profound connection with her own life, one that will help her heal the pain of her past and allow her to love again." Review The publishers are obviously trying to sell this to Isabel Wolff's existing readers as well as the chick-lit market, including their tagline, "Do fairytale dresses bring fairytale endings?" I think this undersells the book, as this is more than a tale of fluffy, comic romance, but much more a story of friendship with themes of loss, regret and redemption. While written in Isabel Wolff’s deceptively easy style and with enough romance to keep fans of chick-lit happy (and I include myself in that brigade) it was the relationship between Phoebe and Th Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Great review. I've only read one of hers a few years ago (about a vet?) and it was fairly standard chick-lit reading. It's nice to know that she's maturing as a writer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Good review! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K1nS Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 This sure sounds like a good read, I think I will see if I can order it from my local library once I have finished the 4 books on my list already ha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nellie Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 I just finished this. I have to be honest that I am not a lover of chick lit generally, almost always wanting to strangle the main character for her "cute ditzy" ways. This was a little different though, nice and light, but with enough of a story to keep me going. As I have a nasty cold at the moment, so it was a great book to read snuggled under the duvet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosalind Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 This book has been in and out of my ordering basket since I stumbled upon it. But every single time I order a batch of books I put it back in the save for later pile. I don't know why though, maybe next time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 I just ran across it yesterday in a bookshop, then added it to my TBR list.. I'll try to track it down from the library soon since it's freeeeeeee there, plus I don't have to worry about hauling it around with me whenever we move next. Looks like a good read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eurpho Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 sorry for bumping this old thread up, but I just finished reading this, and I was ridiculously disappointed with the ending. (and I'm talking really REALLY gutted.) Am I the only one, or does anyone else think that it should have ended differently? (i.e. I really REALLY thought that Phoebe should have ended up with Guy. I thought she clearly loved him, and him her.) Or maybe it's just the romantic in me talking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted September 1, 2009 Author Share Posted September 1, 2009 sorry for bumping this old thread up, but I just finished reading this, and I was ridiculously disappointed with the ending. (and I'm talking really REALLY gutted.) Am I the only one, or does anyone else think that it should have ended differently? (i.e. I really REALLY thought that Phoebe should have ended up with Guy. I thought she clearly loved him, and him her.) Or maybe it's just the romantic in me talking. I don't know if you're the only one, but I didn't want her to end up with Guy. There are some events that just impact relationships so deeply that people can never get over them, and they forever put a shadow over the most loving of relationships. Unfortunately, I think that Phoebe would never have been able to be truly happy with him . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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