Blog Tour: 'The Dress' by Kate Kerrigan

Lily Fitzpatrick loves vintage clothes - made all the more precious because they were once owned and loved by another woman. Thousands follow her vintage fashion blog and her daily Instagram feed. But this passion for the beautiful clothes of the past is about to have unforeseen consequences, when Lily stumbles upon the story of a 1950s New York beauty, who was not only everything Lily longs to be, but also shares Lily's surname.
Joy Fitzpatrick was a legend. But what was the famous dress which she once commissioned - said to be so original that nothing in couture would ever match it again? What happened to it - and why did Joy suddenly disappear from New York high society?
I am so excited to be part of the blog tour for quite a special read today, namely Kate Kerrigan’s exciting new novel ‘The Dress’! The book was released on the 27th of August by Head of Zeus and as soon as I first read the description of the novel I knew this was going to be a read I did not want to miss. I immediately loved the sound of the novel, especially since it deals with specific things which I love reading about such as vintage fashion, blogging and the glamorous 1940s and 50s. There was actually nothing about this book I didn’t already love, so I definitely had high hopes for it! As part of the blog tour I also have a special extract from the novel to share with all of you, so be sure not to miss that by simply scrolling down!
Twenty-something Lily Fitzpatrick always wanted to be a fashion designer. Yet her fear of being a failure led her to decide to focus on her successful vintage fashion blog instead, sharing her passion for fashion with thousands of followers each day. One day, Lily unexpectedly finds an article about an amazing dress which was worn back in the 1940s by high society woman Joy Fitzpatrick, who also happens to share Lily’s last name. Lily decides to do some research in the hopes of discovering more about Joy herself, this amazing dress, and the person who made it. As Lily finds out more and more about both the dress and Joy, she realises she has discovered quite an amazing story and won’t stop until she has gotten to the bottom of it.
This is, without a doubt, one of the best women’s fiction reads I’ve read so far this year. Kate Kerrigan is a fabulous author and I honestly already can't wait to read her next work! 'The Dress' focuses on two main points of view: a modern-day storyline told from the perspective of vintage fashion blogger Lily Fitzpatrick and a point of view that brings us back to 1940s America with at its centre married socialite Joy Fitzpatrick. Next to that, there are several chapters told from the perspective of Honor, an Irish small-town girl who is a truly gifted seamstress. Each of these three women has a distinctive voice and a thoroughly captivating and interesting story to tell; stories that are intertwined and which I couldn't get enough of.
While the story includes fun aspects such as the focus on vintage fashion and blogging, it also deals with quite a few serious topics. Kate Kerrigan is a wonderfully talented author with a great writing style. It felt like I was flying through the pages and I could easily conjure up every single detail of the story in my head thanks to all the vivid descriptions. In my opinion this is women's fiction at its best and I understand why this novel has already received numerous 5-star reviews. Overall, 'The Dress' is an amazing and well-written story filled with authentic characters and an engrossing storyline. It grabbed me from the start and I ended up falling in love with it; a book I can recommend to anyone, a truly wonderful read!

Rating:10/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Extract from 'The Dress'!

The young woman had an almost frightening beauty. Her high cheek-bones seemed carved from some exquisite alabaster and her painted red lips were shaped in a perfect, symmetrical pout. However, it was her eyes – two dark pools of immeasurable depth – that held him. She had a look of knowing that transcended her sultry beauty. Although she was a complete stranger, her fathomless gaze seemed to say that she recognized him, recognized the vein of sadness which, despite his great success, still ran through the core of Francis Fitzpatrick. Frank did not seek out an introduction, he would not have presumed, but Victor’s wife, Norah, must have noticed him staring because before he knew what was happening, he was being introduced after all. ‘This is Joy Rogerson,’ Norah said. Frank took the pale, delicate hand in his and tried his best to retain his composure. But as he looked into the girl’s deep, sad eyes, Frank knew that, despite the great distance he had travelled, despite the efforts he had made to chase away the vulnerable boy and become the strong, capable man that he was today, Frank Fitzpatrick had utterly lost himself.