Sophy Stevens is moving to Australia. Turning thirty has found her unexpectedly out of a job, out of a relationship, and just in need of Something Different – and Australia, where she can finally meet her grandparents and surprise them on their wedding anniversary, looks like the perfect answer . . . if she can save up the money for the plane ticket.
So when her feckless, absent dad Johnno offers her a job at his vintage clothes shop in Primrose Hill, she can’t turn it down. It’ll only be for a few months, after all. But the Vintage Dress Shop turns out to be a treasure trove of gorgeous preloved clothes, from a 1930s cocktail gown to a never-worn 50s wedding dress, and despite the disapproval of the snooty manager, Phoebe, Sophy starts to fall in love with vintage fashion.
And then there’s Charles Radley, the debonair gemstone specialist with exquisite tailoring, cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass, and enough charm to throw Sophy’s plans wildly off course. . .
I am delighted to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for Annie Darling's The Vintage Dress Shop in Primrose Hill. I am a long time fan of Annie's work and have been waiting eagerly for this release. Annie's books are just gorgeous treats for anyone who is a fan of romance novels. You get swept up in the characters from the first page and never want to put them down.
I loved many things about this book. The main character Sophy is a joy to spend time with and absolutely the kind of girl you would want to be friends with. I really enjoyed getting an insight into her world and seeing her life change after finding herself at rock bottom. I loved her interactions with her family, friends and co workers. The rest of the characters are also fab from Cress the step-sister to Johnno Sophy's slightly hopeless dad and Phoebe the manger of the dress shop and of course the very gorgeous Charles.
Another thing I loved was the romance with Charles being one of the most charming romantic heroes I have come across. He is sophisticated, charming and a real one of a kind in his dress sense and attitude towards the world which made him such a fascinating character to get to know. I loved seeing the relationship between Sophy and Charles develop across the book and was completely wrapped up in the will they won't they aspect of the story because of the time limits imposed on the relationship.
I also need to mention the vintage dress shop itself. The whole idea of such a shop and the community around it was lovely and I could almost envisage it as I was reading. I thought I'd grown out of wanting fictional places to be real but apparently not. I would love to be able to walk into the shop and spend time with all those amazing dresses.
If you love romance stories this book is definitely for you. Just make sure to clear your schedule as you wouldn't want to do anything else after starting it
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