Dictatorship of the Dress (Much "I Do" About Nothing #1)

by Jessica Topper (Goodreads Author)

From Jessica Topper, author of the “beautiful and engaging” (Open Book Society) debut novel Louder than Love, comes the story of second chances, missed flights, and a woman ruled by her mother’s wedding dress.

As the dress-bearer for her mother’s wedding, comic book artist Laney Hudson has a lot more baggage than the bulky garment bag she’s lugging from New York to Hawaii. Laney is determined to prove she’s capable of doing something right, but running chores for her mom’s fairytale nuptials is proving to be a painfully constant reminder of her own lost love.

So when she’s mistaken for the bride and bumped up to first class, Laney figures some stress-free luxury is worth a harmless white lie. Until the flight crew thinks that the man sitting next to her is Laney’s groom, and her little fib turns into a hot mess.

The last thing Noah Ridgewood needs is some dress-obsessed diva landing in his first-class row. En route to his Vegas bachelor party, the straight-laced software designer knows his cold feet have nothing to do with the winter weather.

When a severe storm leaves them grounded in Chicago and they find themselves booked into the last available honeymoon suite, Laney and her in-flight neighbor have little choice but to get better acquainted. Now, as her bridal mission hangs in the balance, perhaps the thing Laney gets right is a second chance at love.

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BUY: AMAZON (KINDLE)

Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of Berkley Trade/Penguin

Genre: Adult Contemporary

Part 1 in a new series

My Dictatorship of the Dress Review...

I first read Louder than Love and liked it but didn't love it, but after reading this gem I think I need to re-read Louder than Love, as I think I will appreciate it better now. Often reading and reviewing is tough because it also depends on the mood and emotions of the reader at the time which can hinder or help the reading experience.

When I first started to read Dictatorship of the Dress I was a bit torn because I loved the witty angsty banter between these two strangers but with the flashbacks and past thoughts at times I felt it was all over the place. But once I got to the meat and potatoes of the story I WAS HOOKED!

"Your mom chose this dress. This is her dream, for herself. Not for you. You have your own dreams that you would choose. Hers don't fit you."

God! You are taken on Laney Jane's painful journey to free her heart, while at the same time we see with the help of Laney the freeing of the chains of poor Noah, where he always tries to do the right thing even though it's for the wrong reason.

Be forewarned and have tissues near by because this journey is an emotional one for Laney and the reader, while at the same time is fun spirited and quirky. Laney has had many dreams but has either fucked them up or let them go or has others made choices for her but in the end she still has big dreams for more. Unfortunately her heart is a bit crushed and possibly unrepairable but being forced to be the dresser bearer for her mothers new nuptials leads her to new refreshing journey that will help her let go and finally move on.

Having to bring this dress across the country has caused all kinds of mayhem, confusion and assumptions that cause many moments from joy to pain for Ms. Laney Jane. On her first leg of the trip she encounters a good looking tech boy who unexpectedly changes her world.

Noah is just about to get married and the last thing he wants is to sit beside another bridezilla but once he gets to know Laney he quickly finds out that there is so much more to her and he's now questioning all his recent choices.

The relationship basically blossoms over 48 hours and often when this happens the connection feels to rushed and you lose the feel of them, but for Laney and Noah you felt it right away and you got to see that this 48 hours felt like so much more with this cathartic journey for these two.