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The Wedding Dress: A Split-Time Romance with a Thread of Magical Realism

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Description

1 AMAZON BESTSELLER | NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | USA TODAY BESTSELLER | TRANSLATED INTO FIFTEEN LANGUAGES | Bestselling and award-winning author Rachel Hauck delivers a tale of faith, redemption, and timeless love involving four brides and the wedding dress that ties them all together. Perfect for fans of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and Like Water for Chocolate.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 purchases 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?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 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 beauty of finding true love.Rachel Hauck sweeps the reader away in this New York Times bestselling tale that combines a wedding dress with a mysterious history, closed-door love stories spanning different time periods, redemption and faith, strong female characters, and interwoven stories. Read more

Book 1 of 3 ‏ : ‎ The Wedding Collection


Listening Length ‏ : ‎ 10 hours and 20 minutes


Author ‏ : ‎ Rachel Hauck


Narrator ‏ : ‎ Windy Lanzl


Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 3, 2018


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thomas Nelson


Version ‏ : ‎ Unabridged


Program Type ‏ : ‎ Audiobook


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Top Amazon Reviews


  • A captivating, must-read love story that spans across time!
Format: Paperback
I truly could not put this book down. I read the entire story, which is really 4 stories woven together, in one week. It's not easy to get the historical fiction plus modern day romance mix right, but Rachel Hauck does an incredible job. The novel both transports us back in time and envelopes readers with a sense of love's timelessness. If you're like me, you love the light, easy, and meaningful read of an interesting love story with a protagonist that you can relate with. You don't want the overly flowery language or cliche phrases. "The Wedding Dress" surpasses those two extremes and has both a plot and voice that stirred laughter, tears, and reflection for me-a winning combo in my book! There's just enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat as you're traveling the worlds of Emily from the 1900s to Charlotte in modern times. I also appreciated how this wasn't just a two dimensional story (girl and guy aren't right for each other, or they are). Instead, I thought the evolution of Charlotte's and Tim's characters demonstrate how it's equally about becoming the right person as finding the right person. Finally, as a Christian woman who loves a good love story, I thought Rachel Hauck did a great job writing a powerful romance that speaks to God as the ultimate Storyteller. I will be the first to say that romances with overzealous religious tones turn me off even more than a typical shallow love story. However, I thought this book had a very genuine story of women who are still very much human and flawed, with faith that grow out of real, complex circumstances. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2013 by Amazon Customer

  • Good blend of historical and contemporary romance
Format: Paperback
This book pushes a lot of my romance-reader buttons. It has conflict, secrets, lead characters with integrity and faith, and a few characters and events that make things a bit more interesting on the way to happily ever after. Now, I'm not a huge fan of dual-timeline stories, and that might have tripped me up if the author hadn't so seamlessly woven THE dress throughout each of four brides stories. And along with the (sisterhood of the traveling) wedding dress that miraculously fits each bride without alteration, a certain odd gentleman in purple who seems to be in the right places at all the right times to give little nudges to those brides. While some of the characters (ok, mostly Tim) took me a bit to warm to, I instantly fell for Grace and her beau. There is something about encountering lively older characters in novels that just tickles me pink, and I have a definite fondness for 1930's stories. Ultimately, this is an unabashedly romantic novel. Romance that spreads across the decades and links four women in more ways than one. It is also very much a feel-good novel that also touches on prejudice, pride, grief, and faith. Having read the entire Royal Wedding series in quick succession last December, I once again enjoyed the author's writing voice in The Wedding Dress. Hauck's writing is consistent, pleasant, and inviting. I love how the faith of the characters is just out there, being lived and discussed, and I always enjoy seeing how she weaves in the supernatural element. Her characters are also consistent, unfortunately, in that they sometimes almost feel like watching the same set of actors trying to take on slightly different roles in a series of movies. An enjoyable, quick, and decidedly Southern read. 3/5 stars for sheer romance and enjoyable storylines. This review refers to a finished copy received from Thomas Nelson and Zondervan's Fiction Guild. No compensation was received. All opinions expressed are my own. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2017 by Yvette

  • Romance with a Touch of the Divine
Format: Paperback
One of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors! This book put Rachel Hauck on my list of must-read authors. It combines history and romance into a gripping story with a touch of the divine. If you enjoy wholesome, enchanting romance, this book deserves a spot on your shelf and your re-read list! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2026 by Jen

  • High Hopes
Format: Paperback
When Charlotte, the owner of a high-end bridal boutique in Birmingham, Alabama purchases an antique trunk at a charity auction, she questions her impulses. Especially when she has to tell her fiancé that she spent $1000 on the trunk. But Charlotte stows the trunk in a corner of her home while she questions her own life and engagement. In the end, the trunk presents its treasure to Charlotte - a beautiful wedding dress fashioned in a timeless style. As readers we are treated to the history of the wedding dress that somehow manages to find its way into the hands of exactly the right bride(s) over a period of over one hundred years. The magical thing about the dress is that it seems to shimmer from a light that is sewn into it while it has the capability to fit the next bride without alterations of any kind. When I picked up this book I was intrigued to find that the history of the dress spanned such a long time period. I was enthralled with the story of the dress's first owner - the woman for whom it was made initially - and how this young woman found the courage to follow her heart. To me it seemed as though this part of the story was set out in great detail and flowed easily. The stories of the next two owners of the dress seemed a bit choppy and I would have liked more detail. Charlotte's own story was sprinkled between the stories of the other dress wearers and although it was easy to follow it didn't seem to move forward; at times it felt as though I was stuck in Charlotte's mind as she waffled between her independence and her not being able to call off her own wedding. I would recommend this book for lovers of historical fiction/romance. Giving it 3 stars because there were places where the story did not hold my interest. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2013 by Marion Marchetto, author

  • A Delightful Story
Format: Paperback
The Wedding Dress was a delightful read! Sometimes when you talk about a christian writer, it is prickly to incorporate God into the story, but in this book, adding God felt totally right and was smoothly done. Maybe I have changed, but it felt right and good to me. Our heroine, Charlotte Malone, owns a bridal dress shop, is engaged to Tim Rose and is not the typical bride to be. She drives up to Red Mountain to pray about the things bothering her and her upcoming marriage. But when she arrives, it is anything but peace and quiet. There is an auction going on. So when she takes a look around, a little man, wearing a purple shirt, is the auctioneer and he picks Charlotte out of the crowd....is the trunk that is welded shut calling out to her? Well it sure must have been...she ran the bid up to one thousand dollars and took the ugly trunk home with her. Shortly thereafter, she and Tim break up. He's just not sure he's ready to marry. There's no postponing til later, Charlotte feels it is over. When the man in the purple shirt shows up at her store asking if she has opened the trunk, she is not only leary of him, but indeed curious as to what lies in wait inside the trunk. Her friend Tim, agrees to help her open the trunk. Inside is the beautiful wedding gown with a mystery history. And the search begins for the history of the gorgeous gown, sewn with golden threads, never altered....always in style...and fits to the bride it is meant for. I loved this story. Ms Hauck did a phenomenal job of building her characters, three past brides and their men, their families and the history of the beautiful dress! Her story came full circle and Charlotte and Tim did too. This book would be a good book for a book club to read and discuss. I felt as if God had spoken to me through the characters and I enjoyed the read very much. Thank you for sharing Rachel Hauck! I was not disappointed with your book one bit!!! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2012 by Beth Cutwright

  • Riveting blend of historical fiction and contemporary relationship questions
Format: Paperback
Charlotte Malone decides to take a breather from running her bridal shop one day to take a walk around a local estate sale, not intending to buy anything, just look and take her mind off her stresses. She's surprised to find herself greatly interested in an antique wooden trunk that appears to have it's lock welded shut. A mysterious man in a vibrant purple shirt appears as the auctioneer, somehow coaxing her to bid on the item though she has no use for it. Charlotte ends up winning the trunk, taking it home, and with the help of some friends manages to eventually get it open. Inside, she finds a wedding gown that clearly looks like it's from another era, though she can't quite place which one. Strangely, it also appears to not have any signs of aging, as if it was just completed only yesterday. Charlotte becomes increasingly fascinated with learning the provenance of the gown, her research leading her to the stories of three other women -- Emily from the year 1912, Mary Grace from the year 1939, and Hilary from 1968 -- who all wore this dress on their wedding day. Each woman brings a riveting piece of history to the story of the dress, stories that will come together to explain the dress's pull on Charlotte. I expected a sweet, fluffy story going in but found myself pleasantly surprised to come to the last page and realize I really loved this tale! The different points of history are all fascinating and each character is unique and life-like. There are good-hearted characters to cheer for and wicked people to cut eyes at (figuratively, of course). I can't think of one character here, good or bad, that did not hold my interest til the end! And the mystery of the dress itself -- I had to know how all these stories tied together! There's also the cute couplings to enjoy -- the back and forth struggle between Charlotte and her man (not a bad struggle though -- more of a "man, it'll be great when they come around" kind of tension), even through their rough patches they had nice banter and sweet, honest moments. I think my favorite, though, was Mary Grace and her husband as they were portrayed as the old couple in the retirement home, still looking out for each other. Having known couples like that when I worked in those kinds of homes, it definitely brought some warm-fuzzies to my heart :-) I liked that this story had the blend of sweet, mysterious and heart-tugging without getting over-the-top sappy. These characters just felt like straight-up good people you'd know or meet in your everyday life. That tiniest vein of magical realism -- with the mystery man in purple -- was a pretty cool touch to keep the pages turning as well! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2016 by EpicFehlReader

  • Four Brides One Wedding Dress
Format: Kindle
The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck is a wonderful tale about 4 brides who all wore the same dress the day they were married. The story starts in 1912 and ends in the present. The dress was beautifully made and never wore out over the years. Mysteriously it fit each bride perfectly. Never went out of style. Emily Canton wore it in 1912 when she married Daniel Ludlow. Again in 1935 Mary Grace wore the dress when she married her sweetheart Thomas Talbot. Hillary Saltonstall was next in line to wear the dress on September the 8th , 1968 when she married Joel Miller before he left for Vietnam. Then we are taken to Charlotte Malone who is last to wear the wedding dress when she marries Tim Rose. Of coarse there's a story that goes with this dress that will capture your attention as you read though each page. You'll get to spend time with all 4 brides and get to know all of them. Each one has a special part in this story . Grab yourself a nice hot cup of tea, sit back and prepare yourself to be drawn into 4 different eras in time. If you like romance and stories about brides you will love The Wedding Dress. I enjoyed reading into the lives of each young lady and loved how Rachel blended the story and bought the 4 brides together before the end. I won a giveaway on Facebook by the Author and I chose The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck as my gift. I was not asked to do a review but because I enjoyed the book I wanted to do one. If you haven't already read this book I recommend it to you ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2017 by S Chapel Reviews

  • Interesting concept ruined in the execution
Format: Kindle
The short version: interesting story, decent characters, but purple prose and historical inaccuracies weaken this book. Some readers might be offended by the heavy-handed theology and/or the way the race and gender issues are handled in the book. Full review: First off, as many other reviewers have noted, this book is not clearly advertised as a Christian book, and yet spends a lot of time talking about God and Jesus. I will address the theological aspects of the book at the end of the review, but I tried to leave those out of my star ratings, and will first address the book's relative strengths and weaknesses sans Christianity. The book centers on a magic wedding dress that makes its way to different brides over a hundred year period. The bulk of the story is focused on two women: Emily, the 1912 bride for whom the dress is made (by a black seamstress), and Charlotte, the modern-day owner of a bridal salon whose own wedding is on hold as she and her fiance try to work through their problems. The characters and stories of each bride (including the two who are talked about but not a focus on the book) are interesting, as is the general concept. The dress, of course, is meant to stand in for something more, though the "more" that the author reveals in the author's note at the end of the book seems (at best) a weak comparison, since the seeds of that connection between the dress and what it stands for were not really sewn (pun intended) throughout the book. As a result, the book really seems to be about a dress until the author's note, when the author tacks on a "oh, yeah, this is what the dress means." Even so, the book could have been an interesting read, if not for a few big problems. First is the prose; the story can go on perfectly well for a few pages, but then the author throws in a phrase or a few sentences that are awkwardly purple. It's as though the author fell in love with an image or a turn of phrase and kept it in though it sounded awkward and out of place (I kept hearing Faulkner's voice in my head: "kill your darlings!"). These regular interruptions of what is, elsewhere, decent prose are a distraction. More than the prose, though, is the problem of the characters' voices and the anachronisms (which, in my mind, are related). All of the characters sound the same. Literally, all of them. When reading a passage of dialogue, it is impossible to tell who is saying what. Not only that, despite taking place in the vivid south, I felt like this story could have taken place anywhere. There was no local flavor, in the characters' voices or in the story itself. (Once or twice, the author would throw in a semi-southernism, like having a character who otherwise talks like a back-east educated lawyer suddenly saying that he feels like a "coon up a tree." This might have worked if it didn't sound so different from the rest of the character's speech and narration.) And certain words or phrases (like "Mercy" as an exclamation) were given to too many different characters to offer any punch. Meanwhile, there were all sorts of anachronisms in Emily's story, starting with the character herself. She describes herself as not being strong or rebellious, and yet she goes against the grain of society again and again. I just don't believe that a character who lived in Birmingham in 1912, and was as religious as she was, would be so quick to rebel against her parents and fiance, much less society. (Remember that this is the time when "good Christian women" were taught that racism and sexism was biblically based, much as "good Christians" today view homosexuality.) Her big hesitation was in going back on her word, not on the outrageous rebellion of being outright argumentative with her mother and fiance. (Today, her argumentation wouldn't be seen as un-Christian, or probably even all that rebellious, but then it certainly would have.) And, as if that weren't bad enough, the anachronisms of the story itself were distracting. For example, Emily's wedding, on New Year's Eve in 1912, took place in the "First Southern Methodist Church." That's amazing, since the SMC was not formed until 1940. Details like that abound and kept taking me out of the story. So, an interesting concept was ruined in the execution. For those interested, a word on the religion and race in this book. The Christianity in this book is very, very heavy-handed, to the point where it becomes pedantic. To each their own; I know some who like that. However, there are a lot of theological issues in this book that are specialized to certain corners of Christianity. If you object to God-as-magician (who walks around wearing a purple ascot and making sure brides get a pretty wedding dress), this is not the book for you. If you do not believe in tent revival healings or speaking in tongues, you also might be put off by some of the theology of the book. In addition, it is important to note that the way race is treated in this book falls under the trope of "white person as savior to black society," a trope that many find offensive. If you fall into that category, this is not the book for you. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2017 by ncb

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