The Wedding Dress: A Novel

3.5 Stars

This book was a nice respite from the heavier dramas/thrillers that I seem to lean to. Not to mention the irony of reading about one dark period of our history to our current one. This story spans several generations from Eleanor’s Coming Out and subsequent wedding to present day great great granddaughter Kendall’s wedding. From the opulence of the 20s to present day, a wedding dress handed down thru the ages.

This is a pure Danielle Steel book....family, loss, turmoil and defiance and, thru it all, love. Predictable, yes...but a good read for beach or couch quarantine!

Thanks to Ms. Steel, Random House and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

I enjoyed The Wedding Dress by Danielle Steel as I do all of her books, but I will be reading instead of listening from now on. Just didn't like the audio, even though I could listen while doing chores! Too humdrum for me, I rather put my own spin on reading the words!
The storyline was great. The wedding dress handed down through the generations from the first daughter in the mid 1920's, who purchased the dress from a top designer, to the great, great granddaughter who wore the dress last. From the depression era, through World War II, to the 1960's, the wedding dress is awed by each daughter in the family, showing the happenings of each woman in love and what transpires to them before and after their weddings. A very enjoyable show more storyline that kept me interested throughout the book! show less

The Wedding Dress by Danielle Steel is one of those stories that lingers with you long after you finish it. Danielle Steel is a wonderful storyteller and I was not disappointed with this novel. We go from 1928 which is the beginning of our tale and taken down through the generations. We see how each generation lives and how the wedding dress fits into their story. Each character goes on a journey and we see how they turn out as well as how their decisions impact the family. I thought the characters were realistic and relatable. The authors vivid descriptions brought the scenes alive. I especially enjoyed reading about the gorgeous wedding dress. It all begins when Eleanor Deveraux meets Alex Allen at her coming out ball in San show more Francisco. After they become engaged, Eleanor and her mother travel to Paris to commission her couture wedding dress. Unfortunately, the stock market crashes in October of 1929 while they are on their honeymoon. They must weather the changes and find a way to move forward. The special wedding dress, though, is kept protected so it will be available for the next generation. This special gown represents love and hope. Alex and Eleanor face different challenges in their life as do their descendants. We get to join them on their journey to see how they handle life’s tribulations. I found The Wedding Dress to be a touching story. I was transported into the book and reluctantly left when the story ended. The Wedding Dress is a wonderful escapist novel which is what we need during these uncertain times. show less

I enjoyed The Wedding Dress by Danielle Steel as I do all of her books, but I will be reading instead of listening from now on. Just didn't like the audio, even though I could listen while doing chores! Too humdrum for me, I rather put my own spin on reading the words!
The storyline was great. The wedding dress handed down through the generations from the first daughter in the mid 1920's, who purchased the dress from a top designer, to the great, great granddaughter who wore the dress last. From the depression era, through World War II, to the 1960's, the wedding dress is awed by each daughter in the family, showing the happenings of each woman in love and what transpires to them before and after their weddings. A very enjoyable show more storyline that kept me interested throughout the book! show less

I have been reading some pretty heavy books lately so it was nice to read a love story with a happy ending or many happy endings. This book about a wedding dress, designed in Paris, for Eleanor about to marry the love of her life Allen. They meet in 1929 at her debut ball, have a fairytale wedding and during their idyllic honeymoon in Europe the market crashes. Eleanor's father and Allen, who are both bank presidents, lose everything. A great deal of the book that follows is how these two couples deal with the loss of almost everything on their lives without losing each other or their love. Love and the Parisian wedding dress are the constants in this story.
The reason I gave this book 4 stars is because it was a tad too pat and it show more felt rushed. I felt it was a great story and there could have been 3 or 4 books created out of this one book. Charles and Louise, Eleanor and Allen the early years and the great depression and the war years, Eleanor and Allen the later years, Ruby and Zach, Kendall and Ross, etc. I just wanted to know so much more about the charectors. The book was too short. I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book. show less

Overall, a good multigenerational read. "The Wedding Dress" by Danielle Steel follows the story of four generations of strong women in the Deveraux family. A family that held stock and ran one of the largest banking fortunes in the area. The plot starts of in San Francisco in the 1920's (the roaring twenties), an era of rapid industrial growth and advances in technology in the United States. As the storyline continues, the reader follows the lives of the Deveraux family as they navigate the ups an downs (economically and emotionally) of the coming decades. Fortunes will be made and lost, as the family transitions from generation to generation.

I always enjoy Danielle Steel's books and this was no different !!

I loved the journey across the generations along with their trials and joys along the way. Each story will connect with you in a different way.

A heartfelt book which will keep making you think of it even after you have finished reading :)