Book Review for The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey

 The Wedding Veil by  Kristy Woodson Harvey 

Hardcover, 416 pages

Publication: March 29th 2022 by Gallery Books

Genre:  Historical Fiction, Womens Fiction

 

From Goodreads:  The New York Times bestselling author of Under the Southern Sky and the Peachtree Bluff series brings “her signature wit, charm, and heart” (Woman’s World) to this sweeping new novel following four women across generations, bound by a beautiful wedding veil and a connection to the famous Vanderbilt family.

Four women. One family heirloom. A secret connection that will change their lives—and history as they know it.

Present Day: Julia Baxter’s wedding veil, bequeathed to her great-grandmother by a mysterious woman on a train in the 1930s, has passed through generations of her family as a symbol of a happy marriage. But on the morning of her wedding day, something tells her that even the veil’s good luck isn’t enough to make her marriage last forever. Overwhelmed and panicked, she escapes to the Virgin Islands to clear her head. Meanwhile, her grandmother Babs is also feeling shaken. Still grieving the death of her beloved husband, she decides to move out of the house they once shared and into a retirement community. Though she hopes it’s a new beginning, she does not expect to run into an old flame, dredging up the same complicated emotions she felt a lifetime ago.

1914: Socialite Edith Vanderbilt is struggling to manage the luxurious Biltmore Estate after the untimely death of her cherished husband. With 250 rooms to oversee and an entire village dependent on her family to stay afloat, Edith is determined to uphold the Vanderbilt legacy—and prepare her free-spirited daughter Cornelia to inherit it—in spite of her family’s deteriorating financial situation. But Cornelia has dreams of her own. Asheville, North Carolina has always been her safe haven away from the prying eyes of the press, but as she explores more of the rapidly changing world around her, she’s torn between upholding tradition and pursuing the exciting future that lies beyond Biltmore’s gilded gates.

In the vein of Therese Anne Fowler’s A Well-Behaved Woman and Jennifer Robson’s The Gown, The Wedding Veil brings to vivid life a group of remarkable women forging their own paths—and explores the mystery of a national heirloom lost to time. 

My Thoughts:  I am a HUGE Kristy Woodson Harvey fan.  I have read all of her books and always look forward to reading her books.  This book is a historical fiction.  It is a look into the life of the Vanderbilts and their family heirlooms of the wedding veil.   Every woman has worn the veil and had a good marriage and happy life since wearing the Vanderbilt veil.   In current time Julia in the runaway bride, escaping from a cheating fiancée.  The Biltmore, which is where the Vanderbilts lived, is her favorite place to visit and study the history of the family and the architecture.   

Everything about this book is amazing.  I devoured each page, loving the dual timelines.  The characters were wonderful.  The storyline had me falling into the story and never wanting to leave.  I felt like I was invested in Julia finding her happiness. I was intrigued by the Vanderbilt family and their family dynamics.  I absolutely loved Babs, Julia’s grandmother.   She was full of wit, experience, and advice without being pushy. 

Kristy Woodson Harvey is a must-read author and I recommend all her books.   The Wedding Veil is her first steps into historical fiction and my favorite so far.

**Thank you Kristy Woodson Harvey for a print copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Meet Kristy Woodson Harvey:  (Taken from her website)  Kristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of nine novels including Under the Southern Sky, The Peachtree Bluff Series, and the forthcoming The Wedding Veil. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing, a finalist for the Southern Book Prize, her work has been optioned for film and her books have received numerous accolades including:

• Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Beach Reads
• Southern Living’s Best Spring Break Reads
• Southern Independent Bookseller Association’s Okra Pick
• Parade’s Big Fiction Reads Every Book Club Will Love
• Entertainment Weekly’s Spring Reading Picks
• Us Weekly’s Sweet Reads for Right Now
• Woman’s WorldBest Books
• PopSugar’s Ultimate Summer Reading
• USA Today Happy Ever After’s Best Women’s Fiction
• New York Live’s “Ashley’s A-List”
• Deep South Magazine’s Summer Reading List
• Raleigh News & Observer‘s “The Best Reads of Summer”
• Charlotte Observer’s “Summer’s Best Books”
• Bustle’s Books to Read and Discuss With Your Mom and Grandma
• Huffington Post’s Summer Reading: Women’s Fiction Style

She blogs with her mom Beth Woodson on Design Chic about how creating a beautiful home can be the catalyst for creating a beautiful life. Design Chic is the inaugural member of the design blogger hall of fame, sponsored by Traditional Home, and winner of Amara’s Best Luxury Blog, as chosen by Roberto Cavalli. She also loves connecting with readers on kristywoodsonharvey.com.

Harvey is a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism and holds a master’s in English from East Carolina University, with a concentration in multicultural and transnational literature. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications and websites, including Southern Living, Traditional Home, Parade, USA Today, Domino, Our State and O. Henry. She has been seen in Today.com, Women’s Health,The Washington Post, US News and World Report, The Huffington Post,Marie Claire’s The Fix, Woman’s World, Readers’ Digest, Bustle, New York Live and North Carolina Bookwatch, among others.

Kristy is a co-founder and co-host of the hit weekly webshow and podcast, Friends & Fiction, with fellow authors Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Patti Callahan Henry and Mary Alice Monroe. She is a proud member of the Tall Poppy Writers, serves on the board of The University of North Carolina’s Library Board, the Beaufort Historical Association, and is a member of the University of North Carolina’s Women’s Leadership Council. She is a frequent speaker at fundraisers, book conferences and private events. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and seven-year-old son where she is working on her next novel.

Praise for Kristy Woodson Harvey:

“The Secret to Southern Charm is a compelling, beautifully drawn tale of love, hope and small town secrets.  The richly detailed backdrop of a charming coastal town and the struggles and joys of four generations of women solidifies Kristy Woodson Harvey’s spot as a rising star of Southern Fiction.” —Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times Bestselling Author of Beach House for Rent

“A major new voice in Southern fiction.” —Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author

“Harvey pulls the reader into the hearts and souls of her characters.” —Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author

“One of the hottest new Southern writers.” —Parade.com

“Southern fiction at its best. . . . Beautifully written.” —Eileen Goudge, New York Times bestselling author

“Sweet as sweet tea on the outside and strong as steel on the in- side. . . . Kristy Harvey is a natural.” —Ann Garvin, author of On Maggie’s Watch and The Dog Year Praise for Slightly South of Simple

“Kristy Woodson Harvey really knows how to tell a southern tale. Every single time her stories unwind gently, like a soft wind in Georgia, then that wind catches you off guard and throws you into her characters’ tumultuous lives. Slightly South of Simple is the same. One gracious, old home inherited from Grandma, one mother who has so many secrets if the walls talked they would pour out like lemonade on a hot summer day, and three head- strong sisters, all working their way through the chaotic mess and joy of life, together. I loved it.” —Cathy Lamb, New York Times bestselling author

“Kristy Woodson Harvey cuts to the heart of what it means to be a born-and-bred Southerner, complete with the unique re- sponsibilities, secrets and privileges that conveys. Discover four women who are at once different yet utterly the same, and a town that you won’t ever want to leave. Interior design, family secrets, life on the coast . . . it’s easy to see why everyone is buzzing about Slightly South of Simple.” —Cassandra King, author of The Sunday Wife and The Same Sweet Girls

“Heartfelt and warm, Slightly South of Simple deftly explores the familial ties that bind us—and those that have the power to break us. Kristy Woodson Harvey’s cast of characters—and the charming beach town of Peachtree Bluff—will crawl into your soul and stay there.” —Colleen Oakley, author of Close Enough to Touch

“Fans of Nancy Thayer and Patti Callahan Henry will devour this story of the first of three sisters, the men in their lives, and the mother who bonds them all.” —Booklist

“Harvey’s devotion to realistic character development pays off by the end of the novel, which provides clear resolutions to some plots and leaves other hanging in a way that practically begs for a sequel . . . Slightly South of Simple is so warm, inviting and real . . .” —Bookpage

“My prediction is that writers come and writers go, but Kristy Woodson Harvey is here to stay. The warmth, wit, and wisdom of this novel pave her way into the exclusive sisterhood of southern writers.” —Huffington Post

“With a charming, coastal Southern setting, Slightly South of Simple is a heartfelt story about the universal themes of love, loss, forgiveness and family. I’m thrilled to hear that this book is part of a series and look forward to getting to know this cast of strong Southern women even better.” —Deep South Magazine

“Harvey, considered to be the ‘it girl’ of Southern fiction, intro- duces the first novel in the Peachtree Bluff Series this spring. Child, this book is everything! We’re hoping to see this soapy read on the Hallmark Channel.” —Jamey Giddens, Daytime Confidential

“Full of heart, emotion, and Southern charm . . .” —PopSugar

“If you’re looking for a new series to get lost into, this story of three sisters and their mother will have you flying through the pages.” —Glitter Guide