Genre:
Historical/Contemporary Romance
Historical/Contemporary Romance
The Dress Shop On King Street
Heirloom Secrets book 1
by Ashley Clark
| -From Goodreads- Harper Albright has pinned all her hopes on a future in fashion design. But when it comes crashing down around her, she returns home to Fairhope, Alabama, and to Millie, the woman who first taught her to sew. As she rethinks her own future, secrets long hidden about Millie's past are brought to light. In 1946, Millie Middleton boarded a train and left Charleston to keep half of her heritage hidden. She carried with her two heirloom buttons and the dream of owning a dress store. She never expected to meet a charming train jumper who changed her life forever . . . and led her yet again to a heartbreaking choice about which heritage would define her future. Now, together, Harper and Millie return to Charleston and the man who may hold the answers they seek . . . and a chance at the dress shop they've both dreamed of. But it's not until all appears lost that they see the unexpected ways to mend what frayed between the seams. ISBN-13: 9780764237607 Two women bound together by a dream... |  This Book received a 4 Bark rating.
 Ashley Clark |
Some books are packed with a much deeper emotion than your average paperback, and they elicit a stronger emotional response in the reader. The Dress Shop On King Street is one of those books. I initially chose this book because I love split time stories. I love how the past and present are intertwined and how one has a direct effect on the other. Ashley Clark skillfully blended those aspects in the first book in her Heirloom Secrets series.
There's a lot to unpack in The Dress Shop On King Street but the two things that really got me thinking the most were, Harper's struggles with discouragement and not giving up, and Millie's struggles with fear and trust. Most of us have faced dreams not panning out, people's lack of faith in our abilities, and those things sting. And, while most of us haven't had to hide our heritage it did make me think more about my own ancestors as some of them made the same choice that Millie did, to choose one heritage over the other. Kudos to author Ashley Clark for her portrayal of the pain and angst of such a decision and the long term effects for everyone involved.
I will say that the choice to capitalize one race and not the other was a bit uncomfortable for me as a reader. I would have preferred that they both be capitalized or neither of them.
As a history lover I have to say how much I liked the premise of the two story arcs hinging around a pair of antique buttons, and, as a museum volunteer the restoration aspects were a hit. If you enjoy emotionally consuming novels that will make you chuckle and tug at your heartstrings you should definitely check out The Dress Shop On King Street, Ashley Clark's debut novel and the first book in her Heirloom Secrets series...
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives The Dress Shop On King Street by Ashley Clark a 4 Bark rating.
There's a lot to unpack in The Dress Shop On King Street but the two things that really got me thinking the most were, Harper's struggles with discouragement and not giving up, and Millie's struggles with fear and trust. Most of us have faced dreams not panning out, people's lack of faith in our abilities, and those things sting. And, while most of us haven't had to hide our heritage it did make me think more about my own ancestors as some of them made the same choice that Millie did, to choose one heritage over the other. Kudos to author Ashley Clark for her portrayal of the pain and angst of such a decision and the long term effects for everyone involved.
I will say that the choice to capitalize one race and not the other was a bit uncomfortable for me as a reader. I would have preferred that they both be capitalized or neither of them.
As a history lover I have to say how much I liked the premise of the two story arcs hinging around a pair of antique buttons, and, as a museum volunteer the restoration aspects were a hit. If you enjoy emotionally consuming novels that will make you chuckle and tug at your heartstrings you should definitely check out The Dress Shop On King Street, Ashley Clark's debut novel and the first book in her Heirloom Secrets series...
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives The Dress Shop On King Street by Ashley Clark a 4 Bark rating.
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