The Christmas Dress by Courtney Cole

 

Meg Julliard has big dreams of breaking into the fashion world in New York City.  After her father’s death, she leaves her job in NYC to return to her hometown of Chicago to manage her father’s apartment building.  It doesn’t take long for her to realize that the building is in bad shape, and there is not any money to update it.  As she gets to know the residents, Meg realizes that it is a special building, and also that the residents don’t have the funds for a rent increase.  She befriends a wonderful older woman named Ellie who has a beautiful and special dress.  Ellie gifts the dress to Meg who uses it as an inspiration to start her own line of classic beautiful dresses.  Will she be able to win a fashion contest with her new designs?  Will she be able to get the money to rehabilitate her old building?  Will the cute handyman, Logan, who seems to be keeping the building together, be able to help her out?

I loved this cute story.  There were so many elements that I enjoyed.  I loved that the building had a very interesting and mysterious past that was discovered throughout the book.  I also like that Meg had to figure out what she really wanted in life and how to make it happen.  I adored the romance between Meg and Logan.  Logan helped Meg on her adventures and helping her to make her dreams come true.  The dress was magical, and I enjoyed the story of the dress itself.  I loved the relationship between Meg and Ellie, and how they both helped each other come to terms with their pasts. The community of the building felt like a community that cared about one another and was unique.   This book was a clean and enjoyable read.

Favorite Quotes:

“Life isn’t a fairy tale.  But sometimes, it’s still beautiful.”

“You never know what is happening behind the masks people wear.”

Overall, if you are looking for a heartwarming and sweet novel, I highly recommend The Christmas Dress.

Book Source:  Review Copy from William Morrow.  Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.