Shaykitteh's World of Books

Red stars sewn into a dress.. such a simple thing, but something that can change the lives of others. Or at least change how they see themselves and the world around them.

Menna Van Praag's The Dress Shop of Dreams takes a smidge of magic, a bit of love, some heartbreak, a chuck of mystery, and a whole lot of confusion and intertwines it into the stories of four couples, apart yet connected in ways we see unfold throughout the book. Starting with an elderly woman who owns a dress shop with a little something extra, we are introduced to her analytical granddaughter, the man who loves her, and a priest holding a secret close to his heart. Other characters may not be as central to the story, but they have their own tales to tell and their interactions with our main cast flesh out a convoluted tale of love.

When I picked up this book, I was intrigued by the description. When I started reading it, I found myself never wanting to put it down. In some ways the story is simple: Boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, girl falls in love with boy. But just like real life, nothing is that simple. In this story, it's even more complex as the past comes back to haunt - and heal - and misunderstandings get in the way of the ending we all want. While this is essentially a "Happily Ever After" story in the tradition of fairy tales, the journey is not smooth and not everything works out as planned. The author does a great job at balancing the good versus the bad and working out and ending that leaves you mostly happy and very satisfied. This is more than just a romance, it's an adventure braided throughout with magic, real life, and maybe even a murder. I highly recommend this modern-day fairy tale for anyone who has ever wanted a fairy godmother or a little extra something in their life.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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