The Wardrobe Mistress

by Natalie Meg Evans

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Pub Date Jun 15 2017 | Archive Date Jul 23 2017

Description

🇺🇸 US Reviewers/Bloggers only will be accepted 🇺🇸

One day, Vanessa would return and unwrap her father's secrets. She might even remember the mysterious scarred woman's name, and push the little gold key that she'd been given at her father's graveside into a lock and hear it click…

London 1945, and as victory unfurls throughout Europe, a young war widow steps aboard a train in search of a new life. Clutching the key to an unknown inheritance, Vanessa Kingcourt can no longer ignore the pull of the threads that draw her to the old Farren Theatre; an enchanted place, seeped in memories of her actor father and of Eva, the seamstress who took a lock of her hair with a promise she would return.

Now owned by troubled ex-sea captain, Alistair, The Farren is in need of a Wardrobe Mistress and a new lease of life. With no experience and no budget for supplies, Vanessa must use her intuition to create beautiful, elaborate costumes from whatever scraps of silk and thread survived the blitz. It’s a seemingly impossible task, but a welcome distraction as she struggles to resist Alistair’s advances.

The war may be over, but for Vanessa the heart-ache has only just begun – what she discovers will unravel family secrets sewn deep into the very fabric of the London theatre scene. Will she repeat the same terrible mistakes her father made? Will she ever dare to love again?

From the Festival of Romantic Fiction's Best Historical Read and USA Today bestselling author, comes a wonderfully evocative wartime drama perfect for fans of Gill Paul and Kathleen Tessaro.

*** THIS IS AN UNCORRECTED ADVANCED REVIEW COPY ***

🇺🇸 US Reviewers/Bloggers only will be accepted 🇺🇸

One day, Vanessa would return and unwrap her father's secrets. She might even remember the mysterious scarred woman's name, and push the little gold...

Advance Praise

What readers are saying about Natalie Meg Evans’s bestselling novels:

'Natalie's books are a treasure trove of vibrant, vivid stories, memorable characters and pacy writing!’ Tracy Rees, bestselling author of Amy Snow

'Another awesome book from Natalie Meg Evans! Love, love, love this author! Cora's story is all her own and just as exciting. Can't wait for more from this author.' Nik Book Lover

'Travelling between modern day and World War II, Evans evokes the splendour and tragedy of an earlier era.’ For the Love of Books

‘The Dress Thief sweeps readers into the heart of Paris during the rise of the fashion industry… one to be savoured for its wonderfully rich descriptions and details.’ The Great Historical Fiction Review

‘An amazing look into couture Paris of the 1930's. Natalie Meg Evans has woven, like the tapestry of a beautiful fabric, amazingly diverse characters that will beguile you with their faults and their attempts at redemption.’ Ask A Bookworm

‘The Dress Thief goes way beyond a story of Parisian fashion. It is a story of mystery, romance, friendship and the everyday struggles of life. Right from the start this book will grip hold of you and draw you into Alix’s story and it won’t let you go till the very last page.’ That Thing She Reads

'A delicious treat of a novel. I loved the setting in 1930s Paris - a place of intrigue, exquisite silk frocks, and dangerous secrets. And I was utterly charmed by the story's delectable heroine, as she struggled to make her mark in this seductive but perilous world.' Margaret Leroy

'A truly accomplished and delicious debut novel.' Laurie Graham

'A fascinating evocation of a great fashion house and the knife-edge the designers live on. Natalie Meg Evans is a born storyteller.' Sara Craven

‘A charming novel that totally transported me to the Paris fashion houses of the late 1930s.’ Trip Fiction

'Rich in detail, this is a pacy and engaging read, full of cloak and dagger intrigue, beautiful clothes and romance.' Sunday Mirror

‘Fresh and exuberant and full of authentic detail.’ Rosanna Ley