Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Girls in White Dresses  By  cover art

Girls in White Dresses

By: Jennifer Close
Narrated by: Emily Janice Card
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $18.00

Buy for $18.00

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Wry, hilarious, and utterly recognizable, Girls in White Dresses tells the story of three young women grappling with heartbreak and career change, family pressure and new love - all while suffering through an endless round of weddings and bridal showers.

Isabella, Mary, and Lauren are going to be bridesmaids in Kristi's wedding. On Sunday after Sunday, at bridal shower after bridal shower, they coo over toasters, eat tiny sandwiches, and drink mimosas. They're all happy for Kristi, but they do have the ups and downs of their own lives to cope with. Isabella is working at a mailing-list company, where she's extremely successful, and wildly unhappy. Mary is in love with a man who may never love any woman as much as he loves his mother. And Lauren, a waitress at a midtown bar, finds herself drawn to a man she's pretty sure she hates.

With blind dates and ski vacations, boozy lunches and family holidays, relationships lost to politics and relationships found in pet stores, Girls in White Dresses pulls us deep inside the circle of these friends, perfectly capturing the wild frustrations and soaring joys of modern life.

©2011 Jennifer Close (P)2011 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"[Close’s characters] grumble good-naturedly through their friends’ weddings and the births of their babies, supporting one another as they stumble through the minefield of rotten jobs and disastrous romances, with the pluck and gimlet eye of Carrie Bradshaw’s younger, smarter sisters." (Vanity Fair)

"This debut will ring bells. Wedding bells.... An uncanny portrait emerges of a time in life marked by too many hangovers, bad dates and bridal showers - as well as an abundance of solid friendships." (People)

"Close’s cynical humor shines.... Close captures that mix of perplexing anticipation, tedium, poor choices, dashed hopes and resilience that characterizes young adulthood." (The New York Journal of Books)

What listeners say about Girls in White Dresses

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    62
  • 4 Stars
    73
  • 3 Stars
    91
  • 2 Stars
    56
  • 1 Stars
    52
Performance
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    81
  • 4 Stars
    66
  • 3 Stars
    65
  • 2 Stars
    27
  • 1 Stars
    22
Story
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    45
  • 4 Stars
    56
  • 3 Stars
    67
  • 2 Stars
    53
  • 1 Stars
    46

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Waste of a credit

This book was unlistenable, at least by a middle-aged woman with a brain. I thought I might have accidentally purchased a young adult novel. A discerning tween or teen would agree though that the characters are one-dimensional and the story lines are as thin as dental floss. I managed to hang in through Chapter One, but only because the state law prohibits handling distracting devices while driving. Thankfully, I made it home and was able to put an end to my misery and the interminable and tasteless "so and so dates ugly guys" story line went on to disparage any other unfortunates with imperfect skin, career choices, or body types ("You kissed the 'Wildebeest'? Eeeew.".)

This book was one of three featured books on Audible's home page in mid-August 2011 as I write this; I'm sorry I trusted the recommendation.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

47 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Waste of a Credit

This book is so bad I can't even finish it. So far I wasted 2 hours listening to girls being completely bored, drunk, and stoned. Why is this book recommended by audible? Can I have my credit back?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Em
  • 08-17-11

surprisingly enjoyable!

I disagree with the other posters about this book. I'm only halfway in but I'm really enjoying it. It's definitely not your standard chick-lit. There's something almost minimalistic about the writing. It feels like a fable, which lends a sort of "everyman" feel to the narrative, which works because the vignettes that Jennifer Close is spinning are playing out all over the place in very major city where young professionals cluster. And if the characters feel a little hollow it's because they are - they are still trying to fill them selves up with experiences, and many of their early choices are bad ones, but all very familiar. So while i don't overly care for or about these girls, I want to see how they will grow up and i can relate to their distractedness. The stories, if not the people, intrigue.


I think the narrator does a great job with the different characters- she works indifference and snark into her tone when needed. And the "nice girl" of the group has a sugary sweet endearing voice. It all rings true for me. I think why some people are criticizing the reading is because of the repetitive nature of the text- every line of dialogue ends with "Isabella said" or "Ellen said". It does catch the ear strangely. And it's unnecessary really - a reader or listener could figure out who's talking in other ways. I can't tell if the author did this intentionally or because she's not yet a very sophisticated writer. Maybe it's both.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

One of the Worst

I've honestly never written such a downer review but this was just not a great listen whatsoever. It absolutely did not hold my interest; I couldn't even finish the audiobook. The reader was all right but I just think the content was seriously lacking. I truly don't like writing this review as I consider myself a writer and appreciate the sensitivity writers have about their work...but this just wasn't up to par for my standards. Very disappointed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Maybe I'm crazy...

...but I really liked "Girls in White Dresses". It was told in vignettes with the focus shifting from one girl to another. The focus came back on most of the girls later on in the book though no one more so than Isabella. She was the character I related to most and so I enjoyed popping in to see what was going on in her life as the years progressed.

I think what I loved most about it was how realistic the dialogue was. This is exactly how my friends and I talk and I often found myself laughing as I pictured one of my friends saying some of the lines. I can understand how the repetitive "she said" can get annoying. It usually bothers me too but I didn't notice it here.

I liked Emily Janice Card's narration enough. I think she sounded like a snarky 20-something, though some of the voices she did were a little irritating (especially Lauren's voice.)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Meh... not so great.

This book fell very short of the buildup. I'm not sure what I'd think if I'd read it instead of listened to it. The reader doesn't do a very good job of distinguishing between character's voices so I felt confused constantly. It wasn't a terrible book but it was boring and the ending left me wanting. I wasn't impressed. It was a waste of a credit.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Ugh -

Truly I think this one is best read with your eyes.
I couldn't get through the 2nd chapter - the narative vocals REALLY got on my nerves.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Highly entertaining

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Sure, it's not for everyone, but if you are the type of woman who loved Sex and the City, then this book is for you. I loved the different personalities of the characters and the tight friendships they shared. There were so many moments when I knew exactly what the characters were going through. The stories were so relatable and believable. It was a breath of fresh air. The narration was perfect too. I will keep my eye on this author for more books.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Quite possibly my worst pick of the year

Shallow and vapid characters and a storyline without any plot or point. I really tried to give Girls in White Dresses a chance - I listened for over 6 hours (the entire thing is 8 hours 3 minutes) before deleting it from my library. Nothing sympathetic about the snotty characters and nothing interesting about the novel. PASS.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Not worth it

I was excited to listen to this one but was disappointed. I love to read and am also always listening to an audio book. There was little to the characters and I didn't find it so funny. It paints a poor picture of us girls in our early 30s and reflects poorly on marriage. I was also bored and kept finding myself listening to the radio instead of this book. I rarely write reviews but was so bored I thought I would let everyone know before wasting credits on this one.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful