The Little French Bridal Shop

The Little French Bridal Shop by Jennifer Dupree is a story that explores the life of a troubled woman who is dealing with life around her changing and her inability to tell the truth.

Is a lie of omission still a lie? Larisa Pearl didn't think so and it got her into a heap of trouble.

When Larisa Pearl returns to her small seaside hometown in Massachusetts to manage her beloved great aunt's estate, she's a bit of an emotional mess. She's just lost her job and her boyfriend and she's struggling to cope with her mother's failing health. When she passes by the window of The Little French Bridal Shop, a beautiful ivory satin wedding gown catches her eye...

Now, to the delight of everyone in town, Larisa is planning her wedding. She has her dress, made floral arrangements, and set the date. The only thing missing is the groom. How did this happen? All she did was try on a dress and let her fantasy take flight. But word about her upcoming nuptials has reached the ears of Jack Merrill. As teenagers, they spent time together on her great aunt's estate, building a friendship that could have become something more had they chosen different paths.

Lost in a web of her own lies, Larisa must first face some difficult truths, including her mother's fragile future, before she can embrace her family, straighten out her life, and open her heart to finding love.

I’m not really sure what to think about this book. The storyline was quite scattered and the themes of finding oneself, romance, dealing with the past, and growing up (at 40 years old) were never fully developed. I found it hard to focus on the story due to all of this.

I really was not a fan of Larisa’s character. She was extremely immature for a 40 year-old-woman, and her constant lies throughout the story seemed pointless. Yes, her lies are the creation of the story, but I feel that it just didn’t work for a character her age. What was her motivation to tell all these lies?

I also wasn’t a fan of Jack’s character and felt that he had no dept. At the beginning of the story we find out that he is married and has cheated on his wife. From there, I realized that this story was not going to be the romance that I thought. Nor was it going to form a strong storyline in this book.

The story itself was well written. Dupee uses wonderful and vivid imagery and detail throughout the story. The whole time I was able to visually picture myself walking through the story with the characters.

The ending while abrupt was sweet and everything came together nicely.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing for the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.