A lovely book a heroine that I cheered for .Her life full of difficulty hard times as she travels to success.The perfect book to take you out of your world into hers,#netgalley#hodderstoughton

An intriguing historical novel which tells the life of Rosa from 1940s to 1990s. The writing style was great and it felt just like Rosa was speaking directly to you. I was rooting for Rosa throughout all the twists and turns of her exciting life! I laughed and cried and would recommend this book to historical fiction fans. 

One thing to note is that there are scenes of sexual assault and domestic abuse in case of any triggers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

There are so many things to appreciate about this book from the beautiful writing style and smart divisions within chapters (wheels within wheels!) to capturing the harrowing ordeals and effects of war to pondering true happiness and riches.  My emotions were all over the place whilst reading as it felt as though I was reading a true story. 

Rosa is a young teenager in Tyrol in WWII and suffers terribly under cruel Nazi occupation.  She gladly escapes...but what does she escape to?  And run from?  Her life is barraged with heartache and she unfortunately continues to make one poor choice after the other as she ages.  She does succeed, however, as a skilled dressmaker, and pursues money and fame and wearing the "right" clothes, makeup, hair styles, etc.  She moves several times and each time finds new problems and is weighed down by past events and secrets which torment her.  The story spans many years written in differing timelines and details her successes and failures, her passions and priorities.  

Though I empathized with Rosa's plight, her character and decisions were frustrating, causing me to root for her at times, yet reluctantly.  I engaged with the story, just not her.  But we are always meant to fall in love with each character we meet!  The ending was unexpected...and I love unexpected endings!

Historical Fiction readers interested in a surprising book, do read this.  It was different than I thought it would be.  Get lost in the story.

My sincere thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this enthralling book in exchange for an honest review.  Much appreciated.

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow what a stunning read!!,,,where do begin? 

Be prepared to go on a journey ma chere with Rosa as you become fully immersed into her story.
This novel is cleverly structured and because of this you won't be able to put it down! It made me feel all of the emotions and the ending had me in tears. 

A beautiful read that will tug on you heartstrings and a must read for 2021..

I love reading the occasional historical fiction and my discovery of this novel was significantly facilitated by its beautiful cover, which is why as soon as I was approved for the ARC, I moved everything on my TBR aside and dove right into it.

Rosa Kusstatscher has built a global fashion empire upon her ability to find the perfect outfit for any occasion. Tonight, as she prepares for the most important meeting of her life, her usual certainty eludes her. What brought her to this moment?

As she struggles to select her dress and choose the right shade of lipstick, Rosa begins to tell her story. The story of a poor country girl from a village high in the mountains of Italy. Of Nazi occupation and fleeing in the night. Of hope and heartbreak in Switzerland; of glamour and love in Paris. Of ambition and devastation in Rio de Janeiro, and of success in New York. A life spent running, as she sees now. But she will run no longer.

The novel spans decades and continents in this riveting account of a young woman’s journey to self-discovery. As I followed Rosa in the retelling of her story and the struggles that were part of it, I often forgot how young she was. As a teenage victim who escapes the Nazi occupation, becomes Christian Dior’s Muse, and grows to be a world famous fashion icon and businesswoman, she takes each challenge in her stride. Her encounters with love, friendship, and sisterhood, encourage her to draw strength from within and rise above the heartbreak and tragedy.

As mesmerising as this novel is, what truly brings it full circle is the way it ends. It transforms your entire reading experience, leaving you with a heart bursting with emotion that is impossible to contain.

Inspiring, soul-stirring, and hypnotic, this novel will hook you with the first line and reel you in.

This ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Hodder Books.

The Dressmaker of Paris follows Rosa through decades of her life from her childhood in the Italian alps to her illustrious career as a dressmaker and designer. 

The story is told from Rosa's perspective as she is sharing her life story. This theoretically should make the reader feel closer to Rosa, but she comes off as distant and condescending in her narration. 

I generally found Rosa deeply unlikeable. My heart went out to her when she was sexually assaulted and when she described her father's abuse, However, I found her incredibly hard to connect with as a reader. 

Rosa completely lost me when when she made an anti-Semitic comment. She said that she had never met a Jew before the professor she lives with in Switzerland and realizes that he is a human. There is certainly something to be said for realizing the similarities you have with those who are different from you, but the way it was phrased was jarring and upsetting to me. 

I really wanted to like this book. The premise intrigued me, but I found the actual novel to be a boring slog with a snooty narrator.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher.   I actually enjoyed this book, great storyline and great characters not normally the sort of book I usually read.

What a wonderful book. The story of a country girl who made a fantastic life for herself. However, the journey she travelled to get yhere was full of challenges. This book is so beautifully crafted together - all the places she travelled; all the horrors she faced, all strung together in this gripping book.

This book wasn't at all what I expected, not least because very little of the story is set in Paris.  The narrative is written by Rosa and covers some 50 years of her life.  One of the pivotal points of the tale occurs in her home village in the Italian Tyrol and this sets Rosa off on a lifelong quest for money and fulfillment.  An interesting journey through 3 continents in the mid 20th century with a clever way of splitting up the chapters.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this ebook.

I received an advance copy of, The Dressmaker of Paris, by Georgia Kaufmann. This was an ok book. A story about how a dressmaker in Paris, came to be, her life story.

Escapism is something I desperately need in my books these days and this one have it to me in bucket loads. As well as a fab story. It took me away from Covid and exporter me to beautiful sunny climits. Loved it.

I think I felt every emotion reading this book, it truly felt like a journey of discovery. 
Told directly through the memories of the main character, Rosa, as she is reflecting back on her life before a major event, you see how items of every day life transform in to memories, lessons and anecdotes from her past leading up to the present day. This book explores a young girl growing up in Europe during WW2 and how the events there influence her life in so many directions. It was gripping to read the decades influence her life, her loves, her tragedies, her heartbreaks, but also her accomplishments. 
At times it was hard to remember how young Rosa was at the beginning of her story, I mistakenly felt quite shocked and saddened by her decisions but I then realised she was traumatised and so young, and this burden was weighing her heavily throughout the main bulk of this book, it was only towards the end I felt I could see her and then I understood. I was so moved by the ending of this tale, such a wonderful story.