Synopsis (from Goodreads):

The secret is hidden within a collection of Dior dresses...

London, 2017. There's no one Lucille adores more than her grandmother. So when her beloved Granny Sylvie asks for Lucille's assistance with a small matter, she's happy to help. The next thing she knows, Lucille is on a train to Paris, tasked with retrieving a priceless Dior dress. But not everything is as it seems, and what Lucille finds in a small Parisian apartment will have her scouring the city for answers to a question that could change her entire life.

Paris, 1952. Postwar France is full of glamour and privilege, and Alice Ainsley is in the middle of it all. As the wife to the British ambassador to France, Alice's job is to see and be seen--even if that wasn't quite what she signed up for. Her husband showers her with jewels, banquets, and couture Dior dresses, but his affection has become distressingly elusive. As the strain on her marriage grows, Alice's only comfort is her bond with her trusted lady's maid, Marianne. But when a new face appears in her drawing room, Alice finds herself yearning to follow her heart...no matter the consequences.

The City of Light comes alive in this lush, evocative tale that explores the ties that bind us together, the truths we hold that make us who we are, and the true meaning of what makes someone family.

Review:

Historical fiction is my favorite genre.  I love all the details of other eras, particularly of the clothes.  That's why I was so keen to read The Last Dress From Paris, by Jade Beer.  The story follows the wife of a British ambassador in Paris in the early 1950's.  I loved all the descriptions of that world, with the details of how each diplomatic event was planned, and the high fashion that needed to accompany it.  The story of the crumbling marriage of the ambassador and his wife, and the young man who gets in the middle of it was not very compelling.  Considering the young wife's life leading to that point it didn't make a lot of sense for her to risk everything.  With an ending that was surprisingly realistic, and not romantic in the least, I was not satisfied with the book.  This would make for a solid library read, but I wouldn't recommend buying it.

What I Liked: 

Setting/Details:

I'll never know what it's like to live in high society, or be a young bride in the 1950's, but the author's depiction of these things puts me in the center of it.  Living in Paris as the wife of an ambassador was full of social obligations to plan beautiful parties and receptions, and dress in the latest fashion.  I was particularly struck by how Alice had to weigh all her choices, right down to her choice in flowers, against any political implications.  She couldn't be seen as only favoring British things, or she would be insulting her French hosts.  But she also needed to make sure British influences were represented, as she and her husband were an extension of England.  It was a tightrope of balancing two opposing forces.

Fashion:

Alice reveled in her role as an ambassador's wife, and really loved that she had access to couture apparel by designers such as Dior.  As her husband was an ambassador, no expense was spared to dress Alice in the most exquisite gowns.  I loved the descriptions of the clothes, and how they were made.  These works of art were made to actually be worn, so the construction of each piece had many features to aid in the comfort of the woman who wore it.  We also get a glimpse behind the scene as Alice, and later Lucille, learn about the mannequins (the women who modeled the clothing).  These were hard working women who not only modeled the clothes in the showroom, they also had to endure countless hours standing stock-still as the designer draped various fabrics on them to find the perfect materials for each design.

Story:

I really enjoyed the more modern story of Lucille as she tries to solve the mystery of the eight dresses that her grandmother owned.  She travels to Paris, thinking that she only is there to retrieve one dress, but then finds that there are actually eight dresses, two of which are missing.  How could Lucille's grandmother own any Dior dresses, let alone eight?  And why can't the grandmother just tell her the story?  While I felt that these were legitimate questions, I loved the scavenger hunt this put the character on.  It was fun to unravel the mystery.  And I loved the people she met along the way.

What I Was Mixed About:

Story:

While I enjoyed Lucille's story, I was less impressed with Alice's tale.  And that's a problem, as it is the basis for Lucille looking for the dresses in the first place.  I am not going to go into too much detail, as I hate spoilers.  But, much of the story didn't make sense to me.  Given that Alice was much younger than her husband (she was 25, while he was in his 40's), I can understand that she was restless.  But she seems totally stunned that her husband is all business when he becomes ambassador.  I felt that the author gave him a personality change in order to justify that Alice was unhappy.  But she was certainly happy to wear Dior every chance she got!  The risks Alice took to find happiness seemed reckless.  I don't think a woman in such a high profile social position would have jeopardized her entire world for a budding romance.

Ending:

Again, I do not want to spoil anything.  But I thought the ending was really strange.  It was surprisingly realistic, given how romantic the novel wanted to be.  I really wanted the ending to be a lot more hopeful.  What I did enjoy was the resolution of Lucilles story, and that the mystery of the dresses was solved.  

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Release Date: June 16th, 2022

Author:  Jade Beer

Publisher:  Berkley Books

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Page Length:  384 pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format: E-Book

Recommendation:  If you love the world of Paris fashion, you may be able to get past some of the flaws in the story.  This would be a library read for me.