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The Wedding Dress

by Rachel Hauck (Goodreads Author)

4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 · rating details · 2,106 ratings · 352 reviews

Four brides. One Dress.

A tale of faith, redemption, and timeless love.

Charlotte owns a chic Birmingham bridal boutique. Dressing brides for their big day is her gift . . . and her passion. But with her own wedding day approaching, why can't she find the perfect dress...or feel certain she should marry Tim?

Then Charlotte discovers a vintage dress in a battered trunk at an e...more

Paperback, 343 pages

Published April 3rd 2012 by Thomas Nelson Publishers

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Mar 21, 2012 Abbi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, this book!!!!! This is officially one of my all time favorite books!
Full review here: http://writingchristiannovels.blogspo...

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Feb 23, 2012 Sarah ortiz rated it 4 of 5 stars

An amazing love story

I know this book has not been release yet, but I had won a copy of it on facebook and the minute I got it I could not put it down. The book is not just about a wedding dress but about a love story and how four amazing lives were touched by a dress. The story also talks about the struggle of a each young women trying to make a choice that will impact there lives as well as the lives of others around them. God uses a time in each young women's life to show his love for them, t...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

First posted on my blog, Legacy of a Writer.

I was blown away by this beautiful, awe-inspiring tale of one dress that spans—and impacts—the lives of four special women. The Wedding Dress revolves around Charlotte Malone and her discovery of the dress within an old, beaten trunk…and the path down memory lane that it took her on.

While Charlotte was the main character this story revolved around, there were a lot of other central characters as well. And while one might think that this would get confu...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Deborah Boutwell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-faith-romance, audio

This was a simply wonderful story that I truly enjoyed. The audio was read by Eleni Pappageorge and she did a wonderful job capturing the characters' personality. And the subtle story of redemption was very cool.

The wedding dress is found in a trunk and a bridal shop owner feels it is her calling to find out the story behind the dress and find the perfect bride to wear the dress next. In the process of finding out about the dress, she finds out about herself and the 3 other brides that wore the...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Belindachaplin rated it 4 of 5 stars

"The Wedding Dress" by Rachel Hauck is about a 100 year old dress which has been worn by 4 different women on their wedding day. Going back to 1912 when suffrage and race relations were coming to the forefront all the way to a modern day bride dealing with issues of her own abandonment by her father, the author skilfully weaves all 4 stories together.

I did enjoy the book, but even with name headings for each chapter there were a lot of characters to keep a track of between all the stories, and...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Brandi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction

When I was growing up my grandfather liked to frequent auctions. Nothing was more exciting than when he would come home with a locked suitcase or a sealed container. What could possibly be inside? That is where The Wedding Dress begins. Charlotte has unwittingly stumbled into an auction and finds herself bidding on and winning an old locked truck.

The story jumps back and forth between modern day Charlotte’s life and Emily Canton’s life in 1912. I love how the author wove the tale between the tw...more

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May 06, 2012 Rambling Readers rated it 4 of 5 stars

Enduring, finely detailed, beautiful, and inspiring. Rachel Hauck's newest novel The Wedding Dress evokes the same qualities of the plot's common thread: a timeless wedding dress. On the surface, the white wedding dress is just a dress; but as the story progresses, Hauck reveals a deeper symbolism. The perfect and ageless dress becomes an analogy for God's love. It is also the link between four generations of women searching for the right husband.

Each of the four women in The Wedding Dress bring...more Enduring, finely detailed, beautiful, and inspiring. Rachel Hauck's newest novel The Wedding Dress evokes the same qualities of the plot's common thread: a timeless wedding dress. On the surface, the white wedding dress is just a dress; but as the story progresses, Hauck reveals a deeper symbolism. The perfect and ageless dress becomes an analogy for God's love. It is also the link between four generations of women searching for the right husband.

Each of the four women in The Wedding Dress brings her own dynamic to the plot. Emily's willingness to break through injustices and social barriers is a powerful example of courage and faith. I would have enjoyed more direct interaction between Emily and her future husband, but their feelings for each other are obvious even as Emily tries to overcome her emotions. Mary Grace and her husband enter the novel as an elderly couple in their 90s. The strength of their love, faith, and dedication is sweet and heartwarming. Hillary's story as a Vietnam War bride is heartbreaking and tragic. As she discovers the history of her wedding dress with Charlotte, both women find the healing and strength they need. While the love story of each past wearer of the wedding dress has been written, Charlotte's story is just beginning. She goes through a range of emotions over the course of the novel. Her doubts about being a bride are understandable, and her love story is rocky at times while she works through her past, present, and future. When she finally lets go of her fears and puts on the wedding dress, her purpose becomes clear and her heart finds peace.

When I first read the summary of The Wedding Dress, I expected the plot to focus equally on each of the women who wore the dress. Fortunately, the plot was not as predictable as I expected. The journey of the dress from woman to woman is not a straight path; there are mysteries, twists and turns. Along the way, Hauck introduces the past owners, each of whom faced different challenges and uncertainties when following their hearts and living faithfully. As present-day Charlotte discovers the story of the mysterious dress, she learns that following the right path can be easy or difficult and bring bliss or sorrow, but it ultimately leads to a perfect purpose. With romance and mystery spanning four different eras, The Wedding Dress is a perfect fit for a wide range of readers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”(less)

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Apr 29, 2012 Glenajo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian, contemporary-womens, history, romance

Brought Me to Tears

Charlotte owns a wedding dress boutique, and has a true gift for finding the perfect dress for every bride that comes her way, that is except herself. Somehow, she just cannot move forward with her wedding plans, so she visits a local historical estate for peace and quiet, but instead discovers they are having an antique sale to raise money for the foundation. She finds herself bidding on a trunk, then discovers that it holds a beautiful wedding gown, thus she begins a journey...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Deborah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-inspired, moral-message, new-author-for-me, paperback-i-own, reviewer-book, woman-writer, women-s-lit

In "The Wedding Dress" Rachel Hauck uses her considerable writing experience to take us on a journey capturing the essence of how eternal love finds its way into the heart of four very special women from different spans of time, and how a wedding dress connects them all. It's a story that I didn't expect to be so captured by when I first agreed to review the book. And, it's a novel that so touched my heart that I was reluctant to put it down for two days during the course of reading it between w...more
In "The Wedding Dress" Rachel Hauck uses her considerable writing experience to take us on a journey capturing the essence of how eternal love finds its way into the heart of four very special women from different spans of time, and how a wedding dress connects them all. It's a story that I didn't expect to be so captured by when I first agreed to review the book. And, it's a novel that so touched my heart that I was reluctant to put it down for two days during the course of reading it between writing and dealing with household chores. "The Wedding Dress" is a very moving and spiritual story that reminded me of how and why I first found true love and have kept it treasured in my heart.

Painted with a look at how and why both women and men are called in an irresistible and plain path toward each other, Rachel Hauck has built her honest and insightful story on a central theme. Her main characters, primarily Charlotte of contemporary times and Emily of 1912, with similar struggles, search their hearts about what God would have them do in resolving loving relationships and finding a life partner. Slipping seamlessly between these two women and then learning of Mary Grace from 1939 and Hillary from 1968's stories, we read about promises and how love makes everything possible.

Charlotte's search, precipitated by her purchase of a strange old trunk that holds a a wedding dress and dog tags within a sachet, leads her to resolving mysteries about herself and the women who wore a wedding dress preserved within it. It's through this old, dilapidated trunk that's been welded shut, and the wedding dress that we discover things over time when Charlotte does.

Mystery, romance, a spiritual journey~a story of faith and hope, "The Wedding Dress" is a heart-warming and satisfying novel in the oldest traditions. It's a refreshing story, a respite from the heaviness of books about murder, vampires and strangeness. I recommend it...a cool drink of lemonade for a spring or summer weekend. It won't disappoint you. Rachel Hauck is a seasoned and wonderful storyteller.
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Apr 14, 2012 Renee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction, favorites

What is it about a wedding that turns even the most unsentimental heart to mush? Or that transforms an ordinary man and woman in a tux and white gown into emissaries of True Love Always? Maybe it’s the rich biblical symbolism that makes us swoon over bride and groom—because God so often uses the wedding metaphor to describe how He woos us. (“As a young man marries a maiden, so your sons marry you. As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.” ~ from Isaiah) Wherev...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's that time of year: wedding invitations and "Save the Date" cards are beginning to arrive in the mail from summer brides, so this is the perfect season to curl up with The Wedding Dress. This book is as charming and beautiful as the dress itself. Every bride longs to find the perfect dress. This dress found the perfect bride. . . three times throughout a century. Who will be next? For Charlotte, who never knew her dad and whose mother died when she was young, the idea of lasting love, "'til...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Kaylea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: see-blog-for-more-info

A year ago, I crossed something off my bucket list.

I attended a writing workshop in Tulsa, Okla., led by Rachel Hauck.

It was a cool day, because I met a couple of neat writers, got some ideas (I'm really a non-fiction writer who dreams of writing a novel) and met Hauck.

Basically, I got to sit at her feet (OK, it was at a table in a church's meeting room), and listen to her talk writing and how she got lots of her ideas.

She also talked about writing a book a book about a wedding dress that fits f...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Krystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Charlotte can dress any bride, but she is having difficulty finding a wedding dress that is perfect for her. When Charlotte happens upon a vintage wedding dress, she makes it her mission to discover who wore the beautiful dress. Her journey takes her through some hardships and lots of love, she learns from the others' memories and grows as a character as well.

The reader will follow three wedding stories that lead up to Charlotte's. It is fun to get to know each individual character and come to a...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Charlotte makes a living helping brides find the perfect wedding dress, but she can't seem to find her own even though her wedding is just a couple months away. On a whim, she buys an old chest at an auction and finds a wedding dress inside...a dress from 1912. Determined to find out the story behind the dress and why it was welded shut inside a chest, Charlotte begins to uncover the stories of the three women who wore it before. Although all different, the four women's common thread is the cour...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Valentina rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was certainly different than from what I’d expected. I was pleasantly surprised by story.
What I enjoyed the most were the interconnected storylines spanning decades. That’s always a nice device to use to keep the reader really immersed in the story. The main character, Charlotte, is also a fun one. For some reason, maybe from the blurb, I expected her to be a weaker character, who kind of stumbled into this wedding dress and its meaning. But Charlotte is pretty active in her quest to f...more

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Apr 02, 2012 cupcake rated it 4 of 5 stars

What would you do if you wound up with a mysterious trunk that had been welded shut? For bridal shop owner Charlotte, this is just one conundrum she must face.

The Wedding Dress, by Rachel Hauck, is what you would call a sweet book, and I mean that in the best possible sense. It really is sweet. You will like the characters, the story and the way it's written. It may not stick with you after you've read it, but sometimes we need kindly, comforting entertainment, and The Wedding Dress provides tha...more What would you do if you wound up with a mysterious trunk that had been welded shut? For bridal shop owner Charlotte, this is just one conundrum she must face.

The Wedding Dress, by Rachel Hauck, is what you would call a sweet book, and I mean that in the best possible sense. It really is sweet. You will like the characters, the story and the way it's written. It may not stick with you after you've read it, but sometimes we need kindly, comforting entertainment, and The Wedding Dress provides that.

Charlotte is a bride-to-be herself, only she isn't sure that she wants to marry her fiancé, Tim. Is it that the spark isn't there? Is it that she doesn't love him the way she thinks she should? And what about that darn trunk? What is in it? Oh, and then there is a man who wears purple. First he all but coerces her to buy the trunk at an auction, and then he shows up at her shop, telling her things about the trunk and its contents that are unsettling.

Charlotte regarded the trunk. Who was the man or woman who owned the trunk in days gone by? What about the bride the auctioneer spoke of from 1912 - wouldn't she want a home for this battered old piece?

"Eight-fifty." The second man on Charlotte's left made a bid.

"One thousand dollars." Charlotte clapped her hand over her mouth. But it was too late. She'd made the bid.

As Charlotte tackles her engagement and the trunk, we are treated to a second story line, this one detailing Emily Canton, a turn of the century bride-to-be. Will Emily marry the wealthy and dashing Phillip Saltonstall, or will she accept the love offered by former beau Daniel Ludlow? And who will make her wedding gown - the uppity snob her mother hires or a talented black seamstress?

There is enough of a mystery to The Wedding Dress to reel you in, and the characters keep you hooked. Hauck also presents a Christian slant, but if you typically are put off by such things, don't let that stop you from reading this book. It is light enough that it won't offend the easily offended, but present enough that you sense Charlotte's spirituality.

This is a sweet book, and sometimes that's just fine.

Thanks to Net Galley for a preview copy.
Pubished by Thomas Nelson.(less)

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Mar 20, 2012 Wanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

“Let’s start the bidding at five,” he said....
“One thousand dollars.” Charlotte clapped her hand over her mouth.
But it was too late. She’d made her bid.

So begins the story of The Wedding Dress where Charlotte Malone finds herself at an auction and on impulse buys an old beat up trunk, not knowing what is inside. The trunk has been welded shut but when she finally gets it open she finds the most beautiful wedding dress she has ever seen. Determined to find out the history of the dress, Charlot...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Edna Tollison rated it 4 of 5 stars

As always when I see Rachel Hauck's name on a book I know that I am in for a great read. She just knows how to bring out the best. I never want to lay it down so I always read too long. But I love them and so this one is not different.

Great story about one wedding dress but being worn my four different brides. Charlotte owns a very fashionable bridal boutique and when it was time for her own wedding, there were so many dresses that she didn't know what she wanted for her own wedding. It had to...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Jasmine Ko rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction, received-from-publisher

I fell in love with the cover when I saw it for the first time. I don't know what it is about weddings, especially bridal gowns, and women, but I am a sucker for all things wedding-related even though I am already married. This story was a wonderful read and I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end.

The Wedding Dress tells us the story of four very different women whose stories are woven together by a dress. The main character, Charlotte, owns a bridal gown store and can find a dress for eve...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Victor Gentile rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rachel Hauck in her new book “The Wedding Dress” published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. brings us a story that is both contemporary and historical at the same time!

From The Back Cover: Four brides. One Dress.

A tale of faith, redemption, and timeless love.

Charlotte owns a chic Birmingham bridal boutique. Dressing brides for their big day is her gift . . . and her passion. But with her own wedding day approaching, why can’t she find the perfect dress…or feel certain she should marry Tim?

Then Charlo...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Ruth Hill rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, romance

This book was a pleasant surprise for me. I have read many historical fiction books in my time, and I have thoroughly enjoyed them. I am also an incredible fan of Christian romances, but this was so refreshingly different from anything I have ever read. And I read it very quickly.

The entire premise behind this book is a wedding dress that came into contact with four women and impacted them all in special ways. This means that the dress is over 100 years old. And it just so happens that Charlotte...more

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Mar 24, 2012 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Charlotte Malone is at an estate auction and finds herself bidding on and winning an old trunk for one thousand dollars. She has no idea what posessed her to buy the trunk but when she opens it she finds a beautiful wedding dress inside. Charlotte becomes interested in the history of the dress and so she begins to try to find out where the dress came from and learns of the other woman who had worn the dress before her. The story is filled with love and loss and Charlotte ends up learning about t...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Patty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Charlotte Malone falls hard and fast for for her fiance and their wedding day is fast approaching but for some reason neither one of them seems to be doing all the things a bride and groom do. Which is especially odd for Charlotte - she owns a bridal salon and she has not even started looking for a dress for a wedding that is two months away. On a "mental health" day trip to a favorite spot she finds herself bidding on an old trunk. The trunk contains a timelessly beautiful wedding dress and her...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Jenn O'Brien rated it 3 of 5 stars

As a whole, this was a good story, I liked the characters (especially in 1912) and I liked the concept of figuring out the history of the wedding dress; but somewhere along the line, I think this book suffers from a little bit from identity crisis. It cannot figure out if it wants to be a mystery, a contemporary romance, a historical romance, a Christian fiction, a supernatural fantasy, or commentary on social inequality. It felt like too many cooks adding an ingredient to the pot and you turn o...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars

One dress with a story spanning a century. Four brides with four unique lives in four different generations.

Those two lines probably have you thinking you know exactly what this book is about. Aw, it’s been done before, you say. Maybe so, but never like this.

Charlotte is a modern woman running a successful wedding dress boutique in the American south and suffering from twinges of panic without understanding why at the thought of marrying her wonderful, family-man, architect, studmuffin of a fi...more One dress with a story spanning a century. Four brides with four unique lives in four different generations.

Those two lines probably have you thinking you know exactly what this book is about. Aw, it’s been done before, you say. Maybe so, but never like this.

Charlotte is a modern woman running a successful wedding dress boutique in the American south and suffering from twinges of panic without understanding why at the thought of marrying her wonderful, family-man, architect, studmuffin of a fiancé. Orphaned as a young child, she can hardly remember a time she wasn’t lonely, until Tim showed up and won her heart in a whirlwind romance. They were each everything the other had always wanted. So why, then, the feeling that it was all just going too fast?

Emily was desperately in love with Daniel when he left to play ball semi-professionally in 1912. By the time he came back to claim her heart only 5 months later, her father had given his blessing to an offer of marriage from the son of one of the weathiest families in Birmingham…

Mary Grace fell in love with her childhood chum and in the midst of the Great Depression, he asked her to be his wife and to go away with him to serve the Lord by hosting tent meetings all across the country...

Hillary married her Marine fiancé on a whim just before he shipped out to Vietnam, and only a few months later she received back his dog tags, threw them in a trunk with the dress she wore the day she married him, and welded the trunk shut...

One day Charlotte found herself wandering through a random auction when something made her bid on a worn out old trunk, welded shut. The auctioneer wore vibrant purple and when he looked at her, it felt as if his eyes bore into her soul.

Little did she know that the contents of that trunk would connect her life forever to these other three women, and to one of them in ways she could never have imagined…

My cousin calls me a book snob. I don’t read many novels these days unless they are old enough to be considered “classic.” But if I do, they generally have to be Christian ones, because I often find contemporary secular novels a bit too graphic and crude (There are always exceptions, though :)). But, being a supposed “book snob”, I am very sensitive to contrived spirituality or overly-done religiosity in these books, leaving a story flat or shallow (Walking with Christ is REAL LIFE, people, and Christians are human too). Thus, I generally reach for my classics when needing a novel break. That said, it’ll mean something when I tell you that I have literally been purposely dragging out my reading of Rachel Hauck’s The Wedding Dress, luxuriating in its lines, in its love stories, in its twists and turns; savouring the feeling of being lost in the plot of a contemporary Christian novel without a hint of that tell-tale cringe.

I still wish I hadn’t quite reached the end…(less)

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Mar 14, 2012 Carrie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, romance, historical

It’s been a long time since I read a book that grabbed my attention and didn’t let it go. Rachel Hauck’s The Wedding Dress is pure magic. From the way Charlotte discovers the dress to how the search to locate the previous owners every element of the story weaves together in a magnificent tapestry of romance.

The theme of love and marriage links each of the four women in this story together. Each had to face their own personal issues and obstacles to marry the man they loved but somehow managed to...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Duygu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Optimum Kitap’tan çıkmış olan – Rachel Hauck’un Gizemli Gelinlik adlı kitabını bitirmiş bulunmaktayım .

Öncelikle çevirisi çok sade ve akıcıydı .Sadece yazı puntosunun bana göre küçük olması olumsuz bir etkendi ama onu nazar boncuğu olarak kabul ediyorum .

Kitabın konusuna gelirsek ; dört farklı gelinin birbirinden farklı yaşam öykülerini konu alıyor .(Charlotte ,Emily ,Mary Grace ve Hillary ) .Charlotte adlı kadının bir gelinlik butiği vardır ve günün birinde bir sandık satın alır ve bu sandıktan...more

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May 24, 2012 Andrea Guy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, christian, netgalley

This is a tale of 4 brides and one very special wedding dress. Their stories woven together like the threads that keep the gown together. This is a book that really kept me turning the pages, even when I should have been doing other things, though I have to admit, I was more interested in what happened to the previous brides than what was happening to Charlotte and Tim.

The main focus of the book is on Emily, the first bride. Emily is a character that I have mixed feelings about. I admired her co...more This is a tale of 4 brides and one very special wedding dress. Their stories woven together like the threads that keep the gown together. This is a book that really kept me turning the pages, even when I should have been doing other things, though I have to admit, I was more interested in what happened to the previous brides than what was happening to Charlotte and Tim.

The main focus of the book is on Emily, the first bride. Emily is a character that I have mixed feelings about. I admired her courage at times, but other times I felt she was a total coward, letting too many people dictate what she was doing. I realize that in 1912 that is what happens, but sometimes I felt Emily was being a bit daft.

This book paints the picture of life after the civil war and before WWI in Birmingham, AL. Tensions are high between the whites and the coloreds. Rachel really shines in writing about this period. She brings things to life, even if they are things that might make you angry. I hated how Emily easily went with Phillip, even though her heart belonged to Daniel, and later when she realized that Phillip was involved with another woman. It really made me wonder how she managed to hold out so long before abandoning him.

The other two brides stories were shorter but no less important. Mary Grace is the second recipient of the gown and when Charlotte finds her, through Hillary, the third wearer of the gown, Mary and her husband have been married over 70 years. Hillary's husband was killed 6 months after their marriage in Vietnam. What they do with the dress is what's important. Hillary was my favorite of the brides. She is the first one Charlotte finds. The dress doesn't bring happy memories for her. I think Rachel balances out each bride's experiences well. Mary is the only one that really had a happy tale. Emily had to struggle for the dress and with herself in choosing the man to marry. Charlotte and Tim breakup before the wedding and somehow manage to pull together in the end.

I had a hard time dealing with that relationship too. But if they stayed together and happy, the end result wouldn't be so sweet and the dress wouldn't be so important.

So many different stories and they all weave together beautifully and the dress is more than that..it is part of Charlotte's heritage, which is something she learns as a result of Tim's sleuthing.

This was one of the most beautiful stories I've read. It's more a tale of lives than romance. If you love the novels of Debbie Macomber, then you'll want to check this one out! This is one of my favorite reads of the year.

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Apr 15, 2012 Vera Godley rated it 5 of 5 stars

http://chatwithvera.blogspot.com/2012...

Most everyone loves a wedding, especially when the bride wears a beautiful white gown - a gown representing her beauty and purity. The cover of The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck beautifully depicts a graciously beautiful wedding dress worn by a 1912 bride. This is the story of that dress.

It begins with Emily in 1912 and her upcoming socialite wedding. She is a young lady with a decidedly "modern" opinion about matters and has a mind of her own. She is dari...more http://chatwithvera.blogspot.com/2012...

Most everyone loves a wedding, especially when the bride wears a beautiful white gown - a gown representing her beauty and purity. The cover of The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck beautifully depicts a graciously beautiful wedding dress worn by a 1912 bride. This is the story of that dress.

It begins with Emily in 1912 and her upcoming socialite wedding. She is a young lady with a decidedly "modern" opinion about matters and has a mind of her own. She is daring and courageous and caring. Her family is determined to put Emily into a dress that doesn't fit her body or her personality, but Emily has plans of her own.

Flash forward to the current year and meet Charlotte Malone, the proud owner of Malone & Company, a bridal salon for upscale weddings and for the bride who doesn't want to wear your run-of-the-mill dress. Talented as Charlotte is at finding the absolutely most perfect dress for each and every bride, she hasn't found one for herself to wear to her own upcoming wedding.

In the ensuring 90+ years between the original wearing of the dress and the current story involving the dress, we have two other brides who have worn the dress. The dress that fit each one perfectly.

Charlotte finds this extraordinary dress and hangs it on a dress form in her own bedroom. The dress seems to exude a magical aurora and the gold thread with which it is sewn gives it a sense of ethereal beauty.

The story of the Wedding Dress has an allegory essence to it because if you liken it to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.......

It never wears out.
It fits everyone who tries it on.
It doesn't need to be altered.
And it's always in style.

I recommend this book as a pleasant read and romp through time hanging onto the tail of a beautiful wedding dress.

I received a complimentary copy this book from BookSneeze and the publisher, Thomas Nelson, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. I received no compensation for this review.
ISBN: 9781595549631 (less)

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Apr 17, 2012 Cheryl Olson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley, lrt-reads-for-2012

Four women, one wedding dress managing its way through different times and situations, a one size fits all kind of dress, never needing any altering, never aging or looking out of date, always looking perfect on each bride. Spanning in time from 1812 to present, the reader discovers the origin of the dress and how it came to be and the mystery behind all the women that wore the dress and how they were linked together. I found this storyline to be most captivating and most charming as the story u...more Four women, one wedding dress managing its way through different times and situations, a one size fits all kind of dress, never needing any altering, never aging or looking out of date, always looking perfect on each bride. Spanning in time from 1812 to present, the reader discovers the origin of the dress and how it came to be and the mystery behind all the women that wore the dress and how they were linked together. I found this storyline to be most captivating and most charming as the story unfolds taking it’s time in a most wonderful way.

The story opens with our present day heroine Charlotte inexplicably finding herself at the annual Ludlow Antiques auction at the Ludlow estate, bidding on a mysterious trunk with who knows what inside; 1,000$ of bidding later the trunk is hers. She is a bit surprised at herself for splurging so to speak, as she is a future bride herself saving for her own wedding that is rapidly approaching. But this little purchase sends her on a mystery of her own as she seeks to know the story behind what’s in the trunk which is of course “the wedding dress”. While this contemporary storyline is happening, the book also flashes back to 1812 and Emily Canton a young beautiful woman with 2 men that have caught her eye, one that she thought was only in her past and one who is very much in her present. As the story unfolds Emily discovers who is after her heart and who has ulterior motives. Two other “wearer’s of the dress” Mary Grace and Hillary have lesser storylines but they are still intricate to the novel and an important part in the story.

Rachel Hauck weaves joy, heartache, coming of age struggles , love and a charming element of magic in a certain male character that pops up throughout the novel that just make this story a delight to read. This novel has wide range appeal as who doesn’t love to read a little romance, but also in this novel a strong historical component as the dress spans through time and what was happening to the women, as well as a nice contemporary storyline as well, as a friend of mine said- “it has something for everyone”. I heartily agree. I also want to mention that the author’s note at the end is not one to be skipped as it brings even more light to the precious spiritual elements to the book.

I highly recommend this book, there’s just something really special about it.

5 stars

I was graciously provided a digital copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through the Netgalley program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.
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About Rachel Hauck

RITA finalist and award winning author Rachel Hauck writes from sunny central Florida.

With strong southern stories, she infuses faith and real life into the lives of her fictional characters.

Rachel loves to encourage new writers and is the book therapist for My Book Therapy and writing community founded by
Susan May Warren.

Rachel graduated from Ohio State University with a BA in Journalism. She'...more

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