The Wedding Veil is Kristy Woodson Harvey’s lastest book and tells the story of two families and one family heirloom. Readers that enjoy stories told in dual time periods will appreciate this book. The Wedding Veil is available now.
From The Publisher:
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.
Book Review:
I enjoyed reading The Wedding Veil. The stories about each of these families and the importance of a wedding veil was entertaining. While the present day story was more interesting for this reader, the history behind the Vanderbilt family was interesting nonetheless.
In the present day story, Julia has always wanted to wear her family’s wedding veil which was thought to provide a long-lasting and happy marriage to those that wear it. On the night before her wedding, she and her entire wedding party receive and anonymous video showing the groom kissing another woman. This was enough for Julia to call off the wedding – she didn’t want to be the one that broke the magic of the wedding veil by having an unhappy marriage.
When the groom suggests she go alone on the honeymoon, Julia does just that. She knows she needs the space to figure out what’s next in her life. Little did she know she would meet Connor on this trip – a fellow architect on a solo vacation of his own. After Connor leaves the resort, Julia finds the clarity she needs to develop a plan for her future.
The Vanderbilt family was well researched by the author who wanted to write a story about a family wedding veil. The tragedy of Edith Vanderbilt being widowed at an early age, and deciding to run away from the public eye, was insightful as it was entertaining.
I enjoy stories of women making brave decisions to make change in their lives and both Julia’s and Edith’s stories reflect that. While this book is not my favourite by the author, the book held my interest. I recommend this book for readers who appreciate Women’s Fiction.
Audiobook Review:
I listened to the audiobook version of The Wedding Veil which was narrated by Janet Metzger, Rebekkah Ross and Megan Tusing. Their performances were easy to listen to and I appreciated the local accents. Those that enjoy audiobooks may wish to choose this format.
What I Liked About The Wedding Veil:
- The dual time periods
- The use of multiple narrators
- The author’s research into the Vanderbilt family evidenced in the book.
I Recommend This Book To:
Those readers that enjoy Women’s Fiction stories of famiy with dual time periods.
My Rating:
★★★★☆
Acknowledgments:
I used an Audible credit to listen to The Wedding Veil.
Similar Books I’ve Reviewed:
Feels Like Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Under The Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Sarah Collins
Great review, I like a dual time line too. Sounds like a good read
thathappyreader
Thanks for reading Sarah!
Jenny Marston
This sounds like a nice real, with the dual timelines taking you back through this families history!
thathappyreader
It is Jenny! Thanks for reading.☺️
readandreviewit
Great review! I enjoy books with dual timelines and this one sounds fascinating – I love how well researched it is as well as the importance placed on the wedding veil. Thank you so much for sharing!
thathappyreader
Thank you for reading!
Wendy Williams
Wonderful review! I just added this to my audible wishlist.
thathappyreader
I hope that you enjoy it Wendy!
Kristy Woodson Harvey
I am SO glad to hear that you enjoyed The Wedding Veil!!!! Thanks for listening!
thathappyreader
I really appreciate your comment Kristy! I look forward to reading more of your work.