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Sarah H. (Belford, NJ)
(07/13/11)
A wonderful story!
I loved this book, could not put it down! The novel is written from two points of view: Evie's, who tells most of the back story, and Toni's, who brings us to the present time. The story shows how time can truly mend all wounds and how strong the familial bond is. Throw a magical little black dress on top of that and you have got yourself a winner!
Sharon V. (Chicago, IL)
(07/12/11)
Little Black Dress
On the surface, this book incorporates all the appropriate elements of a story: family relationships, plot centered around a mysterious object, romance and a dusty old Victorian house.
Unfortunately, the premise is not compelling, the characters flat and the dialogue weak. Alternating chapters told from the perspective of two different characters only added to the difficulty in hearing the author's voice. i would not recommend this one.
Susan J. (Twain Harte, CA)
(07/10/11)
A Great Summer Read
Magic usually turns me off, but in this book it is more whimsical than paranormal. Toni's love story line is predictable: Greg seems two-dimensional all along. But the rest of the characters are well-drawn. I liked the structure of Evie's first-person chapters alternating with Toni's third-person ones. This structure can be confusing with lots of characters, but it works well with these two. Accepting the magic of the little black dress requires a leap of faith, but it does remind me that we do have epiphanies or moments of insight about the future at crossroads of our lives.
Barb W. (Mechanicsburg, PA)
(07/10/11)
A good read
I enjoyed this book: A bit of magic, family relationships, good characters, suspense and more. While a bit predictable at times, it was a perfect summer read which I will be recommending to friends and family.
PPM Lafayette, IN
(07/10/11)
A Little Magic
Each of us yearn for a little magic in our lives. Susan McBride brings us a story with a magic dress and family secrets to be discovered by the reader. This is a quick, fun, interesting read that I could not put down.
Karen D. (Dedham, MA)
(07/07/11)
Magical Dress
I enjoyed reading this book. Good thing we don't have a black dress for us to see our futures. It's like going to see a fortune teller. The characters were vivid. I could see Evie trying on the black dress. Relationships can be so intertwined and yet sometimes the outcome is so unpredictable.
This is a new author for me and I look forward to reading her other books.
Priscilla M. (Houston, TX)
(07/06/11)
Little Black Dress is Little Bit of Magic
I found this book to be an entertaining read with an interesting plot. The story is told in alternating chapters by Toni and her mother, Evie. After a confusing second chapter, I finally figured out I needed to pay attention to the chapter headings. Toni has returned home to care for Evie after she found comatose due to a stroke. Toni leaves her successful catering business and a romance she hoped would end in marriage to care for her mother.
The Little Black Dress appears early in the story. It weaves its magic through and around both main characters and also a third person in the story, Toni's Aunt Anna, who disappeared after breaking her engagement the night before her wedding. The LBD, worn first by Anna, is indeed magic, but is it good or evil?
The story was well told, but became a tad predictable as the plot unfolded. The complications between sisters and daughters are a familiar theme, but still manage to hold the reader's interest. The female characters were vivid, but the male characters came across as flat and somewhat one-dimensional. There could have been a little more tug and pull in Toni's relationship with her boyfriend to liven things up.
A good summer read, nonetheless.
Barbara N. (Franklin Lakes, NJ)
(07/06/11)
Little black dress
An easy summer read. Quick to get into..however....totally predictable! Not my kind of read.....a black dress with special powers? In my opinion this book is geared toward younger women. I do not think it is a book club book due to lack of substance... Not enough to discuss other than the relationships between the main characters.