In the small town of Celeste, Texas, Mitzi Taylor has
never quite fit inside the lines. Nearly six feet tall, flame-haired, and with
a plus-size spirit to match every curve, she’s found her niche: a custom
wedding-dress boutique catering to big brides-to-be with big dreams. Taking the
plunge alongside her two best friends, she’s proud they’ve turned The Perfect
Dress into a perfect success.
Just when Mitzi has it all pulled together, Graham
Harrison walks back into her life, looking for bridesmaid dresses for his twin
daughters. A still-strapping jock whose every gorgeous, towering inch smells
like aftershave, the star of all Mitzi’s high school dreams is causing quite a
flush.
For Mitzi, all it takes is a touch to feel sparks
flitting around her like fireflies. She can just imagine what a kiss could do.
Graham’s feeling it, too. And he’s about to make that imagination of Mitzi’s
run wild. Is it just a hot summer fling, or are Mitzi’s next designs for
herself and seeing her own dreams come true?
Fantastic story of friendship, love, and being yourself.
Mitzi, Jody, and Paula were three women who have been friends since they were
in school. Though they went their separate ways for a while, they always stayed
in touch. When each of them needed a change in her life, they opened a custom
bridal shop for women like themselves - plus-sized women with dreams to match.
The shop is the backdrop as all three women experienced unexpected changes,
both good and bad, in their lives.
Mitzi is a tall, red-haired, curvy woman. She's had a few
bad relationships and is a bit on the cautious side when it comes to men. She
is fairly comfortable with who she is thanks to the support of her friends and
family. Some of her happiest moments have been seeing the joy her designs bring
to the women who wear them. Her life took an unexpected turn when her high
school crush, Graham Harrison, showed up in her shop, wanting bridesmaid
dresses for his daughters.
I loved the development of Mitzi and Graham's
relationship. Neither one was looking for love, but there were sparks between
them from the start. The progression was slow, but steady and sweet, with some
hilarious encouragement from Graham's daughters, Mitzi's friends, and her
outspoken grandmother along the way. Things became complicated when Graham's
ex-wife showed up, determined to reclaim Graham. I loved that he didn't even
nibble at the bait she threw out there, and he earned major points from me when
he told Mitzi about each of the encounters. Mitzi had some doubts about the
relationship, first, that the connection between them was more about his
daughters than about them, and second that Graham could want her when he could
have the petite and skinny Rita. I liked that she and Graham spoke honestly
about her doubts and that he gave her the space she wanted while she worked
through them. I loved the kick in the pants they each got that finally brought
them back together.
Mitzi's friends Paula and Jody also had some significant
changes going on in their lives. Jody's fifteen-year relationship with her man
came to an abrupt and unexpected end. I ached for Jody but also wanted to shake
her for the way she had buried her true self under his expectations of who she
should be. I loved the support she received from her friends, old and new. I
laughed out loud at the encounter at the bridal show, especially Tabby's
brilliantly over-the-top method of revenge. The last thing Jody was looking for
was a new relationship, but one found her anyway. I loved Quincy's complete
acceptance of her just as she is, and his good-humored reactions to her sass.
He did have a couple of moments of foot-in-mouth disease, but his persistence
paid off, even though Jody fought hard against her feelings.
Paula's breakup with the man she had been seeing turned
out to be the catalyst that brought The Perfect Dress bridal boutique into
existence. I ached for her but wasn't too surprised at the cause of the
breakup. I liked the way that she took charge of her life, especially after she
shared her secret with her friends. Their love and support were crucial,
especially given the lack of support from her family. There were a couple of
scenes with her ex that I thought were fantastic and showed how strong Paula
was.
I loved Graham's daughters, Dixie and Tabby. They had a
terrific relationship with their dad, who loved and supported them. Their
self-confidence is a direct result of that love. Their enthusiasm was
contagious, and I loved how they connected with Mitzi. It was so much fun to
see their excitement over working at the shop. I enjoyed their conversations
with Graham, as they tried to encourage his relationship with Mitzi. I ached
for them in their dealings with their mother, who was a real piece of work.
The humor in this book was fantastic and typical of
Carolyn Brown's books. The Southern/Texas attitudes had me laughing out loud
frequently, with everything from the response "ain't that nice?"
instead of "Screw you" to Mitzi's protectiveness of Dixie and Tabby
when it came to their mother. None of the women could be accused of being
shrinking violets when it came to standing up for themselves or their friends.
I also love the small town atmosphere and the challenges of everyone knowing
your business. The epilogue was terrific with its updates on the characters'
lives. Loved the twist at the fireworks show.
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