Ashley Clark: The Dress Shop on King Street

 By Kelly Bridgewater

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. 

 

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark is a unique and timely story about how race can affect a person. This story reminded me a lot of The Wedding Shop by Rachel Hauck and The Hideaway by Lauren K. Denton. This is a split-time story with present time and flashbacks to 1946 and jumping around into the two timelines meet. While race relations and issues may be present in the news, in the fifties and sixties, it was definitely an issue. Today, not as realistic as it was then. While the characters did shine in their glory, the plot felt like I have read it before. While I did enjoy it, it just felt like a repeat story. So it was not that unique or original. As for the romance between Peter and Harper, I didn't buy their relationship at all. When Millie had to announce to Peter that they liked each other, I was like they do. When did that happen? I wanted more to show their emotions blooming on the pages of the story. The writing was well-written. Clark did a wonderful job at showing the storyline, but I had a hard time with not feeling like it was deja-vu. Overall, The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark reads like a repeat story about race with a little twist to the plot. Fans of Rachel's Hauck's The Wedding Shop or Southern Fiction may find delight in the novel.

I received a complimentary copy of The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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About the Author:

 

From Amazon

Ashley Clark writes romance with southern grace. She's dreamed of being a writer ever since the thumbprint-cookie-days of library story hour. Ashley has an M.A. in English and enjoys teaching literature courses as an adjunct. She's an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers. When she's not writing, Ashley's usually busy rescuing stray animals and finding charming new towns. (Taken from Amazon.)