Publisher: William Morrow
Date of publication: March 2014
A small-town girl with a flair for fashion, Violet Turner
had always dreamed of owning a shop like Hourglass Vintage. But when faced with
the possibility of losing the store to an unscrupulous developer, she realizes
that despite her usual self-reliance she cannot save it all by herself.
Eighteen-year-old April Morgan is nearly five months along
in an unplanned pregnancy when her hasty engagement is broken. When she returns
the perfect vintage wedding dress to Violet’s shop, she forges an unexpected
bond with women who won’t let her give up on her dreams.
Betrayed by her husband, Amithi Singh begins selling off her
vibrant Indian silk dresses. After decades of housekeeping and parenting a
daughter who rejects her traditional ways, she fears her best days are behind
her . . . until she discovers an outlet for her creativity with a needle and
thread.
Vintage was an enjoyable read. It was a quick read and I finished it in a day. The story is told through the eyes of three women who are all at a crossroads in their lives. Despite being a bit predictable in the end, I ended up liking it. At the beginning of each chapter, we are first given the description of a specific piece that is in the shop. The author then weaves this piece into the story so that the reader can see the significance of the article of clothing or jewelry. I found that inclusion unique and felt it added more depth to the story.
Of the three women, I liked April the most. She was in a bad situation, but was doing everything she could to grab for the future she wanted for her and her unborn child. While I did cringe a bit at her being so young, I was hoping Charlie would come to his senses and try to make things work with her. The one character that puzzled me was Violet. I liked her unique style and independence, but she came across as a lot older than her age. I also felt like her romance with Sam was a bit fast and forced. His change of heart at the end was questionable to me. I felt most badly for Amithi and was rooting for her to move on with her life and realize it wasn't too late.
This is a story filled with unique characters, friendship and love. Ms. Gloss should be proud of her debut novel.
About the author:
Susan Gloss is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame
and the University of Wisconsin Law School. When she’s not writing fiction,
Susan can be found working as an attorney, blogging at GlossingOverIt, or hunting for
vintage treasures for her Etsy shop, Cleverly Curated.
She lives with her family in Madison, Wisconsin.
Susan’s Tour Stops
Tuesday, September 2nd: The Book Wheel
Wednesday, September 3rd: From L.A.
to LA
Monday, September 8th: 5 Minutes For Books
Tuesday, September 9th: From the TBR Pile
Wednesday, September 10th: nightlyreading
Friday, September 12th: Lavish Bookshelf
Monday, September 15th: Every Free Chance Book
Review
Tuesday, September 16th: Drey’s Library
Thursday, September 18th: Jorie Loves a Story
Wednesday, September 24th: …bookworm…
Thursday, September 25th: Snowdrop Dreams of Books
I love those rare times when I can devour a book in a single afternoon - what a treat!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour.