Fantastic story of friendship, love, and being yourself. Mitzi, Jody, and Paula were three women who have been friends since they were in school. Though they went their separate ways for a while, they always stayed in touch. When each of them needed a change in her life, they opened a custom bridal shop for women like themselves - plus-sized women with dreams to match. The shop is the backdrop as all three women experienced unexpected changes, both good and bad, in their lives.
Mitzi is a tall, red-haired, curvy woman. She's had a few bad relationships and is a bit on the cautious side when it comes to men. She is fairly comfortable with who she is thanks to the support of her friends and family. Some of her happiest moments have been seeing the joy her designs bring to the women who wear them. Her life took an unexpected turn when her high school crush, Graham Harrison, showed up in her shop, wanting bridesmaid dresses for his daughters.
I loved the development of Mitzi and Graham's relationship. Neither one was looking for love, but there were sparks between them from the start. The progression was slow, but steady and sweet, with some hilarious encouragement from Graham's daughters, Mitzi's friends, and her outspoken grandmother along the way. Things became complicated when Graham's ex-wife showed up, determined to reclaim Graham. I loved that he didn't even nibble at the bait she threw out there, and he earned major points from me when he told Mitzi about each of the encounters. Mitzi had some doubts about the relationship, first, that the connection between them was more about his daughters than about them, and second that Graham could want her when he could have the petite and skinny Rita. I liked that she and Graham spoke honestly about her doubts and that he gave her the space she wanted while she worked through them. I loved the kick in the pants they each got that finally brought them back together.
Mitzi's friends Paula and Jody also had some significant changes going on in their lives. Jody's fifteen-year relationship with her man came to an abrupt and unexpected end. I ached for Jody but also wanted to shake her for the way she had buried her true self under his expectations of who she should be. I loved the support she received from her friends, old and new. I laughed out loud at the encounter at the bridal show, especially Tabby's brilliantly over-the-top method of revenge. The last thing Jody was looking for was a new relationship, but one found her anyway. I loved Quincy's complete acceptance of her just as she is, and his good-humored reactions to her sass. He did have a couple of moments of foot-in-mouth disease, but his persistence paid off, even though Jody fought hard against her feelings.
Paula's breakup with the man she had been seeing turned out to be the catalyst that brought The Perfect Dress bridal boutique into existence. I ached for her but wasn't too surprised at the cause of the breakup. I liked the way that she took charge of her life, especially after she shared her secret with her friends. Their love and support were crucial, especially given the lack of support from her family. There were a couple of scenes with her ex that I thought were fantastic and showed how strong Paula was.
I loved Graham's daughters, Dixie and Tabby. They had a terrific relationship with their dad, who loved and supported them. Their self-confidence is a direct result of that love. Their enthusiasm was contagious, and I loved how they connected with Mitzi. It was so much fun to see their excitement over working at the shop. I enjoyed their conversations with Graham, as they tried to encourage his relationship with Mitzi. I ached for them in their dealings with their mother, who was a real piece of work.
The humor in this book was fantastic and typical of Carolyn Brown's books. The Southern/Texas attitudes had me laughing out loud frequently, with everything from the response "ain't that nice?" instead of "Screw you" to Mitzi's protectiveness of Dixie and Tabby when it came to their mother. None of the women could be accused of being shrinking violets when it came to standing up for themselves or their friends. I also love the small town atmosphere and the challenges of everyone knowing your business. The epilogue was terrific with its updates on the characters' lives. Loved the twist at the fireworks show.
Mitzi is a tall, red-haired, curvy woman. She's had a few bad relationships and is a bit on the cautious side when it comes to men. She is fairly comfortable with who she is thanks to the support of her friends and family. Some of her happiest moments have been seeing the joy her designs bring to the women who wear them. Her life took an unexpected turn when her high school crush, Graham Harrison, showed up in her shop, wanting bridesmaid dresses for his daughters.
I loved the development of Mitzi and Graham's relationship. Neither one was looking for love, but there were sparks between them from the start. The progression was slow, but steady and sweet, with some hilarious encouragement from Graham's daughters, Mitzi's friends, and her outspoken grandmother along the way. Things became complicated when Graham's ex-wife showed up, determined to reclaim Graham. I loved that he didn't even nibble at the bait she threw out there, and he earned major points from me when he told Mitzi about each of the encounters. Mitzi had some doubts about the relationship, first, that the connection between them was more about his daughters than about them, and second that Graham could want her when he could have the petite and skinny Rita. I liked that she and Graham spoke honestly about her doubts and that he gave her the space she wanted while she worked through them. I loved the kick in the pants they each got that finally brought them back together.
Mitzi's friends Paula and Jody also had some significant changes going on in their lives. Jody's fifteen-year relationship with her man came to an abrupt and unexpected end. I ached for Jody but also wanted to shake her for the way she had buried her true self under his expectations of who she should be. I loved the support she received from her friends, old and new. I laughed out loud at the encounter at the bridal show, especially Tabby's brilliantly over-the-top method of revenge. The last thing Jody was looking for was a new relationship, but one found her anyway. I loved Quincy's complete acceptance of her just as she is, and his good-humored reactions to her sass. He did have a couple of moments of foot-in-mouth disease, but his persistence paid off, even though Jody fought hard against her feelings.
Paula's breakup with the man she had been seeing turned out to be the catalyst that brought The Perfect Dress bridal boutique into existence. I ached for her but wasn't too surprised at the cause of the breakup. I liked the way that she took charge of her life, especially after she shared her secret with her friends. Their love and support were crucial, especially given the lack of support from her family. There were a couple of scenes with her ex that I thought were fantastic and showed how strong Paula was.
I loved Graham's daughters, Dixie and Tabby. They had a terrific relationship with their dad, who loved and supported them. Their self-confidence is a direct result of that love. Their enthusiasm was contagious, and I loved how they connected with Mitzi. It was so much fun to see their excitement over working at the shop. I enjoyed their conversations with Graham, as they tried to encourage his relationship with Mitzi. I ached for them in their dealings with their mother, who was a real piece of work.
The humor in this book was fantastic and typical of Carolyn Brown's books. The Southern/Texas attitudes had me laughing out loud frequently, with everything from the response "ain't that nice?" instead of "Screw you" to Mitzi's protectiveness of Dixie and Tabby when it came to their mother. None of the women could be accused of being shrinking violets when it came to standing up for themselves or their friends. I also love the small town atmosphere and the challenges of everyone knowing your business. The epilogue was terrific with its updates on the characters' lives. Loved the twist at the fireworks show.
