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Dress Me in Wildflowers
Farrin Taylor is a living rags-to-riches story, but it's not a story she cares to share with anyone. To her, the rags part of her story is in the past and should stay there. When she left Oak Valley, Tennessee, she had no intention of ever going back, of ever being the person she'd been there. She's no longer poor little Farrin with the outdated clothes and nonexistent social life. She remade herself into one of the top designers in New York, specializing in wedding and special occasion gowns for starlets, royalty and those with fat bank accounts.
So when Tammie, her best friend from high school, invites her to their fifteen-year high school reunion, Farrin can't think of anything she'd rather do less. Only when Tammie's mother, who'd been like a second mother to Farrin, encourages her to come back to Oak Valley for a visit does Farrin relent. She intends to be in and out in a day, but that's not exactly how things pan out. The next thing she knows, she's bought a historic inn to keep it from being demolished, learned her high school nemesis didn't have the perfect life she always thought, and her teenage crush has grown up and just might like her back. She also realizes that time and distance are funny things, and that Oak Valley isn't as bad as she remembers. In fact, it and the people there might be the things she's been looking for without realizing it.
So when Tammie, her best friend from high school, invites her to their fifteen-year high school reunion, Farrin can't think of anything she'd rather do less. Only when Tammie's mother, who'd been like a second mother to Farrin, encourages her to come back to Oak Valley for a visit does Farrin relent. She intends to be in and out in a day, but that's not exactly how things pan out. The next thing she knows, she's bought a historic inn to keep it from being demolished, learned her high school nemesis didn't have the perfect life she always thought, and her teenage crush has grown up and just might like her back. She also realizes that time and distance are funny things, and that Oak Valley isn't as bad as she remembers. In fact, it and the people there might be the things she's been looking for without realizing it.
249 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2012
8 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
Trish Milburn
111 books257 followersTrish Milburn is the author of more than 50 romance and young adult novels, a huge fan of Asian dramas and K-pop music, prefers Marvel over D.C. (except Wonder Woman is awesome), and loves road trips and visiting national and state parks, and of course is an avid reader with a never-ending to-be-read pile.
Learn more about Trish on her website, www.trishmilburn.com -- where you'll also find links to her social media. She's most active on Twitter @TrishMilburn. Also, her WordoftheK.com is dedicated to her books set in Korea as well as posts about various aspects of the Korean entertainment industry, Korean culture, etc.
Have a question? Be sure to check out the Goodreads option to ask about my books, K-pop, K-dramas, or writing.
Learn more about Trish on her website, www.trishmilburn.com -- where you'll also find links to her social media. She's most active on Twitter @TrishMilburn. Also, her WordoftheK.com is dedicated to her books set in Korea as well as posts about various aspects of the Korean entertainment industry, Korean culture, etc.
Have a question? Be sure to check out the Goodreads option to ask about my books, K-pop, K-dramas, or writing.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 12, 2012
I haven't cried so hard reading a book in ages!
May 2, 2020
3.5 Stars
This book was good. It’s not the best I’ve read or the worst but it held my entertainment. It wasn’t too exciting and it kind of followed the usual romance flow. But still a nice read.
This book was good. It’s not the best I’ve read or the worst but it held my entertainment. It wasn’t too exciting and it kind of followed the usual romance flow. But still a nice read.
November 2, 2012
Christina's BookReviews Blog
“You need to grab happiness whenever you can in life because you never know how much time you have. Make the most of it.”
RECAP:
Farrin grew up to be a completely different version of the girl she used to be. She’s hardworking, work oriented, rich and has avoided her childhood home and the people in it. When Farrin is forced to go back things don’t turn out as bad as she thought. People have grown up along with her and Oak Valley isn’t a scary place anymore. In one weekend her life will change forever.
Childhood friendship is reconnected, old love resurfaces, enemies aren’t enemies anymore, and a town becomes home.
As Farrin begins to become attached to Oak Valley she is faced with tough decisions. Her life is in New York City not in the country. But Oak Valley continues to call her back home. Will she finally be able to let go of the past and finally find a home? Or will Farrin continue to run?
MY TAKE:
The first things that caught my attention with this book was the beautiful cover. The bride running in a field was just exquisite and quickly intrigued me. When I read the synopsis I thought this book would be a quick, light read and I was right with one thing. It was a quick read but light it wasn’t.
Although I initially thought this book would be chuck full of romance it really wasn’t. There was a romance but the focus of the book was forgiveness and the ability to let go of the past.
I understood the dread and sadness in Farrin and why she didn’t want to relive her past. It truly is a “rags to riches” story but one that shows you the difficulty in finally letting go of the past. There are many lessons in this book and that is what made me love it so much. Farrin must learn to forgive the people from her past and to move on and accept that people change as they grow.
I also loved all of the secondary characters in this book.
Dara and Jason were just to freaking adorable. Dara was one smart little girl and you instantly fall in love with her. Faye and Tammie were incredible friends/family to Farrin and I liked that they were her backbone throughout. Drew was as sweet as pie and you instantly adore him and forgive him for his past transgressions.
The person that really pulls at your strings is Janie. Although you instantly want to hate her as much as Farrin, you just can’t. Farrin isn’t the only one that had a transformation. But unlike Farrin thinks, Janie’s life hasn’t always been as picture perfect as she thought.
If you haven’t read this book you are missing out on a cute story or love, forgiveness and yes some romance. The only reason this got 4 stars was because the romance was minor and because I wanted more! It’s a quick read and something to curl up and read, or on the beach, or read during a road trip.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
“You need to grab happiness whenever you can in life because you never know how much time you have. Make the most of it.”
RECAP:
Farrin grew up to be a completely different version of the girl she used to be. She’s hardworking, work oriented, rich and has avoided her childhood home and the people in it. When Farrin is forced to go back things don’t turn out as bad as she thought. People have grown up along with her and Oak Valley isn’t a scary place anymore. In one weekend her life will change forever.
Childhood friendship is reconnected, old love resurfaces, enemies aren’t enemies anymore, and a town becomes home.
As Farrin begins to become attached to Oak Valley she is faced with tough decisions. Her life is in New York City not in the country. But Oak Valley continues to call her back home. Will she finally be able to let go of the past and finally find a home? Or will Farrin continue to run?
MY TAKE:
The first things that caught my attention with this book was the beautiful cover. The bride running in a field was just exquisite and quickly intrigued me. When I read the synopsis I thought this book would be a quick, light read and I was right with one thing. It was a quick read but light it wasn’t.
Although I initially thought this book would be chuck full of romance it really wasn’t. There was a romance but the focus of the book was forgiveness and the ability to let go of the past.
I understood the dread and sadness in Farrin and why she didn’t want to relive her past. It truly is a “rags to riches” story but one that shows you the difficulty in finally letting go of the past. There are many lessons in this book and that is what made me love it so much. Farrin must learn to forgive the people from her past and to move on and accept that people change as they grow.
I also loved all of the secondary characters in this book.
Dara and Jason were just to freaking adorable. Dara was one smart little girl and you instantly fall in love with her. Faye and Tammie were incredible friends/family to Farrin and I liked that they were her backbone throughout. Drew was as sweet as pie and you instantly adore him and forgive him for his past transgressions.
The person that really pulls at your strings is Janie. Although you instantly want to hate her as much as Farrin, you just can’t. Farrin isn’t the only one that had a transformation. But unlike Farrin thinks, Janie’s life hasn’t always been as picture perfect as she thought.
If you haven’t read this book you are missing out on a cute story or love, forgiveness and yes some romance. The only reason this got 4 stars was because the romance was minor and because I wanted more! It’s a quick read and something to curl up and read, or on the beach, or read during a road trip.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
January 21, 2013
Beim Lesen von Dress me in Wildflowers braucht man viele Taschentücher. Der Roman handelt von einer jungen Frau mit dem ungewöhnlichen Namen Farrin Taylor. Sie ist eine sehr erfolgreiche Designerin von Hochzeitskleidern in New York und glaubt, ihre Vergangenheit hinter sich gelassen zu haben. Doch die Vergangenheit lässt sich nicht so leicht abschütteln. Sie erhält die Einladung zum Klassentreffen nach 15 Jahren. Beklommen macht sie sich auf den Weg in die Kleinstadt Oak Valley in Tennessee.
Farrins Kindheit und Jugend war keine glückliche Zeit, auf die sie gern zurückblickt. Sie war arm und lebte zusammen mit ihrer Mutter in einem Trailer. Das war für einige Schüler Grund genug, sie zu verspotten und zu schikanieren. Nun ist sie zwar fast so berühmt wie die Frauen, die sie einkleidet, aber das kleine, verletzte Mädchen ist auch immer noch da.
Die Verletzungen sitzen tief und Farrin hat in den vergangenen Jahren eine Mauer um sich aufgebaut. Doch sie erkennt nun auch, dass sie einsam ist und wie wichtig ihr die Nähe zu anderen Menschen ist, denn sie hat auch Freunde in Oak Valley. Und nach und nach öffnet sie sich, kann verzeihen und auch sich selbst vergeben. Wie Efeu schlingt sich Oak Valley um ihre Füße und lässt sie einen Platz im Leben finden, eine Heimat.
Dress me in Wildflowers erzählt eine süße Geschichte, es ist auch eine Liebesgeschichte, bei der sogar ich ab und zu seufzen musste. Es ist die Art von Geschichte, bei der man schon am Anfang weiß, wie es weitergeht und wo es enden wird, und trotzdem irgendwann alles nur noch verschwommen durch einen Tränenschleier lesen kann.
Trish Milburn schreibt so lebendig, dass man die Menschen, die kleine Stadt, die atemberaubenden Appalachian Mountains vor Augen hat und den Herbst riechen kann. Das Designen von Kleidern ist unaufdringlich in die Geschichte eingebunden, so dass man sich etwas darunter vorstellen kann, es aber nicht in Exkursen ausartet. Der Roman ist natürlich sehr emotional, dennoch hatte ich nie das Gefühl, dass die Konflikte zu dick aufgetragen wären. Perfekt.
Farrins Kindheit und Jugend war keine glückliche Zeit, auf die sie gern zurückblickt. Sie war arm und lebte zusammen mit ihrer Mutter in einem Trailer. Das war für einige Schüler Grund genug, sie zu verspotten und zu schikanieren. Nun ist sie zwar fast so berühmt wie die Frauen, die sie einkleidet, aber das kleine, verletzte Mädchen ist auch immer noch da.
Die Verletzungen sitzen tief und Farrin hat in den vergangenen Jahren eine Mauer um sich aufgebaut. Doch sie erkennt nun auch, dass sie einsam ist und wie wichtig ihr die Nähe zu anderen Menschen ist, denn sie hat auch Freunde in Oak Valley. Und nach und nach öffnet sie sich, kann verzeihen und auch sich selbst vergeben. Wie Efeu schlingt sich Oak Valley um ihre Füße und lässt sie einen Platz im Leben finden, eine Heimat.
Dress me in Wildflowers erzählt eine süße Geschichte, es ist auch eine Liebesgeschichte, bei der sogar ich ab und zu seufzen musste. Es ist die Art von Geschichte, bei der man schon am Anfang weiß, wie es weitergeht und wo es enden wird, und trotzdem irgendwann alles nur noch verschwommen durch einen Tränenschleier lesen kann.
Trish Milburn schreibt so lebendig, dass man die Menschen, die kleine Stadt, die atemberaubenden Appalachian Mountains vor Augen hat und den Herbst riechen kann. Das Designen von Kleidern ist unaufdringlich in die Geschichte eingebunden, so dass man sich etwas darunter vorstellen kann, es aber nicht in Exkursen ausartet. Der Roman ist natürlich sehr emotional, dennoch hatte ich nie das Gefühl, dass die Konflikte zu dick aufgetragen wären. Perfekt.
January 1, 2013
4 Stars ~ This is a wonderful "coming home" story about a young woman who had been cruelly snubbed by her classmates in highschool. She's avoided her home town and all the bitter memories but when her best friend's mother asks her to come she can't find it in her heart to say no. When Farrin arrives all those feelings of inadequacy come back but she's no longer the poor girl from the trailer park. Now she's the dress designer to the famous with brides all around the globe seeking her talents. Farrin's surprised at her own reluctance to leave now she's reunited with her best friend Tammie and Tammie's mother. With the purchase of an old Inn that had once been in her family, Farrin finds herself bringing life back to her home town and in exchange she's "found so many kinds of love. Love of a place, love of children, love of good friends, love of a man who'd been waiting so patiently while she went about her own life".
There is so much emotion in this story that I smiled and laughed and cried and then smiled some more. Farrin is a remarkable woman who learns that forgiving lightens the soul and that there comes a time that the past simply belongs in the past. This is a story I will not soon forget
There is so much emotion in this story that I smiled and laughed and cried and then smiled some more. Farrin is a remarkable woman who learns that forgiving lightens the soul and that there comes a time that the past simply belongs in the past. This is a story I will not soon forget
February 5, 2014
If you're looking for a book that will pull at your heart strings, then I highly recommend "Dress Me in Wildflowers" by Trish Milburn. There are a lot of novels out there about people going back to their hometowns when they swore they would never come back. This book is one of them, but it doesn't disappoint. The main character, Farrin Taylor, learns that even though she has come far from her dirt poor childhood and is now a top wedding dress designer in New York, her past made her who she was. And that sometimes what you need the most, is what you once left behind.I loved watching Farrin give grace and second chances to people who had once hurt her greatly in the past, like her high-school crush and the queen-bee of her high school class. Farrin had a lot of guts to do that; I don't know if I ever could do it. But it goes to show, that everyone is fighting a hard fight, and that's something you see when Farrin befriends her old enemy from high school, Janie. It was hard to put this book down the second I started reading, and I didn't finish it until the middle of the night (Oops!)
March 14, 2013
Dress Me in Wildflowers shows once again Trish Milburn's amazing skill to capture the importance of small town life--fashion diva Farrin Taylor's escape to NY is successful in city terms, but at what cost? Only when she returns to confront lowly Oak Valley again does she hope to recapture inner peace and move on.
Old enemies and old hurts abound in the tiny town, chief among them former football star Drew Murphy--who had ripped Farrin's heart out and thrown it away during her high school prom.
When the past is so painful, and the present is so full of accolades and accomplishments, how can there ever be a future?
The aspect of Milburn's writing I like best is her willingness to throw the current "hurry up and get on with it" out the window to develop real empathy for the characters. The story never drags--but there's always a fully fleshed story.
You'll cry. And you won't forget this story.
Old enemies and old hurts abound in the tiny town, chief among them former football star Drew Murphy--who had ripped Farrin's heart out and thrown it away during her high school prom.
When the past is so painful, and the present is so full of accolades and accomplishments, how can there ever be a future?
The aspect of Milburn's writing I like best is her willingness to throw the current "hurry up and get on with it" out the window to develop real empathy for the characters. The story never drags--but there's always a fully fleshed story.
You'll cry. And you won't forget this story.
December 12, 2012
This was a very nicely written story about life, friendship, forgiveness, compassion, and growth. I wouldn't call is a romance - that part seems to be very secondary to the main story line. It was an emotional read - so not one I'll re-read often, but am definitely glad to have read the first time.
Want to read
February 15, 2016249pgs, going back home, a rags to riches story where she becomes a top designer in New York. She never intends to go back home, but is convinced for her 15th class reunion, Before she knew it, she's bought a historic inn, learned her high school nemesis didn't have the perfect life, and her teenage crush has grown up and just might like her back. It may not be so bad back home.
April 29, 2013
I really enjoyed this contemporary romance. It was sad in parts, but shows you are never too old to come back home. I love how the story wrapped up and it threw a few good twists in. I would recommend this book for sure.
October 19, 2012
great quick read
November 6, 2012
The first half was a bit slow but good, the second half moved along. It was a very good story.
February 17, 2013
2.5 an ok read
March 15, 2013
Humbling one to read. It takes to that place full of pain, hatred and help you heal it with love and reconciliation and ways to mend broken relationships.
I love every bit of this book.
I love every bit of this book.
April 24, 2014
Not a bad read. Liked the character, Farrin, but found it odd how much a decision by Drew and Janie when they were in school kept affecting her so much. Repetitive and wordy often.
October 28, 2014
I loved this book!!!
May 30, 2016
Great read. There are all kinds of love.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews