Book Review: The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck

From New York Times bestselling author comes The Wedding Dress.
Four brides. One Dress.
A tale of faith, redemption, and timeless love.

Charlotte owns a chic Birmingham bridal boutique. Dressing brides for their big day is her gift . . . and her passion. But with her own wedding day approaching, why can’t she find the perfect dress…or feel certain she should marry Tim?

Then Charlotte discovers a vintage dress in a battered trunk at an estate sale. It looks brand-new—shimmering with pearls and satin, hand-stitched and  timeless in its design. But where did it come from? Who wore it? Who welded the lock shut and tucked the dog tags in that little sachet? Who left it in the basement for a ten-year-old girl? And what about the mysterious man in the purple vest who insists the dress had been “redeemed.”

Charlotte’s search for the gown’s history—and its new bride—begins as a distraction from her sputtering love life. But it takes on a life of its own as she comes to know the women who have worn the dress. Emily from 1912. Mary Grace from 1939. Hillary from 1968. Each with her own story of promise, pain, and destiny. And each with something unique to share. For woven within the threads of the beautiful hundred-year-old gown is the truth about Charlotte’s heritage, the power of courage and faith, and the timeless beauty of finding true love.

I’m going to state up front that this will not be a book for everyone. I want to lay out what I found and let you decide for yourself whether to add it to your list or not. 

My Thoughts: First of all, the book starts off so strongly. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the overall plot. I liked how Hauck bounced between two eras to tell this story and I was invested in both of these ladies and their struggling relationships with the men in their lives.
For me, the story took a wrong turn when Hauck introduced a mystical thread. It almost reads as a fantasy, except it isn’t. I don’t want to ruin the story, but I do want to point out some of what was found here. There is a dress with magical properties and the ability to fit “any woman who accepts it and believes in it” (quote from the novel), a mysterious man who appears to be a heavenly visitor, scenes where the characters mention smelling something spicy (think anointing oil here), among other things. This no longer lined up with my theology and I grew uncomfortable at times while reading it.
Without this mystical thread, The Wedding Dress would have been a hit for me. I found no fault with Hauck’s writing style or overall plot and even cared a great deal about the characters. But I can’t get passed what I can’t agree with.
There’s my honest opinion. Now, dear reader, decide for yourself what you want to do with it.

~I received a copy from The Fiction Guild. I was not required to review this book. All thoughts are my own.