by Siri Mitchell
Publisher: Bethany HouseRelease Date: March 1, 2011
Source: sent by publisher
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Summary from goodreads.com:
My Review:
The elegance of Madame Forza's gown shop is a far cry from the downtrodden North End of Boston. Yet each day Julietta, Annamaria, and Luciana enter the world of the upper class, working on finery for the elite in society. The three beauties each long to break free of their obligations and embrace the American dream--and their chance for love. But the ways of the heart are difficult to discern at times. Julietta is drawn to the swarthy, mysterious Angelo. Annamaria has a star-crossed encounter with the grocer's son, a man from the entirely wrong family. And through no intent of her own, Luciana catches the eye of Billy Quinn, the son of Madame Forza's most important client. Their destinies intertwined, each harboring a secret from their families and each other, will they be found worthy of the love they seek?
My Review:
It's difficult to write a review when you just want to write "This book is so awesome!" But it's so much more than that, so I'll try to explain why.
I loved that the book is about everyday life and situations in 1918, it's not about politics, exact dates, and other thing we've already learned in history books. It's about women's lives at home, at work, in love, and with friends. This is what I love to read about!
There are a lot of characters in this book, the three women who work in Madame Fortier's dress shop, and two older women, Madame herself and her customer, Mrs. Quinn. All of the women are very different and lead very different lives, but they all come together at the dress shop.
The romances in this story are absolutely swoon-worthy! The little moments are just so romantic. And all three of the the ladies' love stories are completely different from each others'.
This tale doesn't read like Christian fiction. These ladies make all kinds of mistakes and are able to learn from them instead of being preached at. The message is still there, but it's much more realistic.
Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Romance: 5/5
Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Bottom Line: It's an eye opening look at city life at the time and glimpse at a piece of history we don't often see. Lovely characters with engrossing stories make this book a keeper!
I loved that the book is about everyday life and situations in 1918, it's not about politics, exact dates, and other thing we've already learned in history books. It's about women's lives at home, at work, in love, and with friends. This is what I love to read about!
There are a lot of characters in this book, the three women who work in Madame Fortier's dress shop, and two older women, Madame herself and her customer, Mrs. Quinn. All of the women are very different and lead very different lives, but they all come together at the dress shop.
The romances in this story are absolutely swoon-worthy! The little moments are just so romantic. And all three of the the ladies' love stories are completely different from each others'.
This tale doesn't read like Christian fiction. These ladies make all kinds of mistakes and are able to learn from them instead of being preached at. The message is still there, but it's much more realistic.
Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Romance: 5/5
Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Bottom Line: It's an eye opening look at city life at the time and glimpse at a piece of history we don't often see. Lovely characters with engrossing stories make this book a keeper!