This OR That #Giveaway № 57 ~ Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris OR The Little French Bridal Shop by Jennifer Dupee #TheLittleFrenchBridalShop #SoldOnAMonday

 

I have sooooo many books!

The This or That Giveaway! feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to cull my collection and to share some of the many books I have. I get to clear off some of my shelves to make room for more books and give someone else the chance to enjoy these treasures.

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

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Sold on a Monday

by Kristina McMorris

Paperback ~ Pub date August 2018

From bestselling author Kristina McMorris comes another unforgettable novel inspired by a stunning piece of history.

2 CHILDREN FOR SALE

The scrawled sign, peddling young siblings on a farmhouse porch, captures the desperation sweeping the country in 1931. It’s an era of breadlines, bank runs, and impossible choices.

For struggling reporter Ellis Reed, the gut-wrenching scene evokes memories of his family’s dark past. He snaps a photograph of the children, not meant for publication. But when the image leads to his big break, the consequences are devastating in ways he never imagined.

Haunted by secrets of her own, secretary Lillian Palmer sees more in the picture than a good story and is soon drawn into the fray. Together, the two set out to right a wrongdoing and mend a fractured family, at the risk of everything they value.

Inspired by an actual newspaper photo that stunned readers across the nation, this touching novel explores the tale within the frame and behind the lens—a journey of ambition, love, and the far-reaching effects of our actions.

Read my thoughts here.

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The Little French Bridal Shop

by Jennifer Dupee

Hardcover ~ Published March 2021

Jennifer Dupee's debut novel is a delight...a story about discovering your authentic self when things get hard, and the joys you can find when you live from your heart. --Louise Miller

Is a lie of omission still a lie? Larisa Pearl didn't think so and it got her into a heap of trouble.

When Larisa Pearl returns to her small seaside hometown in Massachusetts to manage her beloved great aunt's estate, she's a bit of an emotional mess. She's just lost her job and her boyfriend and she's struggling to cope with her mother's failing health. When she passes by the window of The Little French Bridal Shop, a beautiful ivory satin wedding gown catches her eye...

Now, to the delight of everyone in town, Larisa is planning her wedding. She has her dress, made floral arrangements, and set the date. The only thing missing is the groom. How did this happen? All she did was try on a dress and let her fantasy take flight. But word about her upcoming nuptials has reached the ears of Jack Merrill. As teenagers, they spent time together on her great aunt's estate, building a friendship that could have become something more had they chosen different paths.

Lost in a web of her own lies, Larisa must first face some difficult truths, including her mother's fragile future, before she can embrace her family, straighten out her life, and open her heart to finding love.

Read my thoughts here.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

This OR That #Giveaway Week 52 ~ The Little French Bridal Shop by Jennifer Dupee OR Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica #DontYouCry #TheLittleFrenchBridalShop

I have sooooo many books!

The This or That Giveaway! feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to clear my shelves and to share some of the many books I have. It's a way for me to cull my collection and give someone else the chance to enjoy these treasures.

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

*****************

The Little French Bridal Shop

by Jennifer Dupee

Hardcover ~ Published March 2021

Jennifer Dupee's debut novel is a delight...a story about discovering your authentic self when things get hard, and the joys you can find when you live from your heart. --Louise Miller

Is a lie of omission still a lie? Larisa Pearl didn't think so and it got her into a heap of trouble.

When Larisa Pearl returns to her small seaside hometown in Massachusetts to manage her beloved great aunt's estate, she's a bit of an emotional mess. She's just lost her job and her boyfriend and she's struggling to cope with her mother's failing health. When she passes by the window of The Little French Bridal Shop, a beautiful ivory satin wedding gown catches her eye...

Now, to the delight of everyone in town, Larisa is planning her wedding. She has her dress, made floral arrangements, and set the date. The only thing missing is the groom. How did this happen? All she did was try on a dress and let her fantasy take flight. But word about her upcoming nuptials has reached the ears of Jack Merrill. As teenagers, they spent time together on her great aunt's estate, building a friendship that could have become something more had they chosen different paths.

Lost in a web of her own lies, Larisa must first face some difficult truths, including her mother's fragile future, before she can embrace her family, straighten out her life, and open her heart to finding love.

Read my thoughts here.

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Don't You Cry

by Mary Kubica

Paperback ~ Published May 2016

In downtown Chicago, Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace. A haunting letter addressed to My Dearest is found among her possessions, leaving her roommate Quinn Collins to question how well she really knew her friend. Meanwhile, in a small town an hour outside Chicago, a mysterious woman appears in the quiet coffee shop where eighteen-year-old Alex Gallo works as a dishwasher. He is immediately drawn to her, but what starts as an innocent crush quickly spirals into something far more sinister.

As Quinn searches for answers about Esther, and Alex is drawn further under the stranger's spell, master of suspense Mary Kubica takes readers on a taut and twisted thrill ride that builds to a stunning conclusion and shows that no matter how fast and far we run, the past always catches up with us.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

 

The Little French Bridal Shop by Jennifer Dupee ~ My Thoughts #TheLittleFrenchBridalShop

The Little French Bridal Shop

The Little French Bridal Shop by Jennifer Dupee

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published March 9th 2021 by St. Martin's Press

Jennifer Dupee's debut novel is a delight...a story about discovering your authentic self when things get hard, and the joys you can find when you live from your heart. --Louise Miller

Is a lie of omission still a lie? Larisa Pearl didn't think so and it got her into a heap of trouble.

When Larisa Pearl returns to her small seaside hometown in Massachusetts to manage her beloved great aunt's estate, she's a bit of an emotional mess. She's just lost her job and her boyfriend and she's struggling to cope with her mother's failing health. When she passes by the window of The Little French Bridal Shop, a beautiful ivory satin wedding gown catches her eye...

Now, to the delight of everyone in town, Larisa is planning her wedding. She has her dress, made floral arrangements, and set the date. The only thing missing is the groom. How did this happen? All she did was try on a dress and let her fantasy take flight. But word about her upcoming nuptials has reached the ears of Jack Merrill. As teenagers, they spent time together on her great aunt's estate, building a friendship that could have become something more had they chosen different paths.

Lost in a web of her own lies, Larisa must first face some difficult truths, including her mother's fragile future, before she can embrace her family, straighten out her life, and open her heart to finding love. 

My thoughts about The Little French Bridal Shop ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"The house, a stately brick Colonial, stood at the peak of a grassy hill, the slope of its great rolling lawn dotted with elms and sycamores, on the easterly side of a tiny seaside town of Kent Crossing, on the North Shore of Massachusetts."

I loved this story! I honestly did not want to put it down and totally devoured it. This is the author's debut novel and she did an amazing job. The writing was excellent and so descriptive—I felt like I was there in Kent Crossing, experiencing life as it happened. 

I have to admit, I got a little frustrated with Larisa at times, with her continual lying, but it was also a bit comical watching her dig herself into a deeper and deeper hole. Poor Larisa, she was going through a lot in her life and I guess you do what you have to do. All-in-all, a lot of life lessons were learned and she, along with most of the other characters, matured and grew as the story developed. 

This is an outstanding debut novel, so charming and beautifully written. I can't wait to see what Jennifer Dupee creates next. I thoroughly enjoyed The Little French Bridal Shop and would highly recommend it. 

I received a copy of The Little French Bridal Shop from Goodreads and this is my honest opinion.

About the author

Jennifer Dupee grew up on the North Shore of Boston near the seaside communities of Manchester-by-the-Sea and Beverly Farms. Her debut novel, The Little French Bridal Shop, was chosen as Good Housekeeping magazine’s April 2021 Book of the Month. 

Jennifer is a graduate of Brown University, where she studied under published authors Meredith Steinbach and Carole Maso, and received her honors in Creative Writing. She is an active member of the Grub Street writing community in Boston and has published in The Feminist Press. She was a semi-finalist for the 2016 James Jones First Novel Competition and a semi-finalist for the 2016 Faulkner-Wisdom competition. 

Jennifer lives just outside of Boston with her family. Her first published novel is The Little French Bridal Shop, and she is currently at work on her next novel. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Jennifer

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

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