• The Dress Shop of Dreams

  • A Novel
  • By: Menna van Praag
  • Narrated by: Jennifer Carr
  • Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (203 ratings)

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The Dress Shop of Dreams  By  cover art

The Dress Shop of Dreams

By: Menna van Praag
Narrated by: Jennifer Carr
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Publisher's summary

Since her parents’ mysterious deaths many years ago, scientist Cora Sparks has spent her days in the safety of her university lab or at her grandmother Etta’s dress shop. Tucked away on a winding Cambridge street, Etta’s charming tiny store appears quite ordinary to passersby, but the colorfully vibrant racks of beaded silks, delicate laces, and jewel-toned velvets hold bewitching secrets: With just a few stitches from Etta’s needle, these gorgeous gowns have the power to free a woman’s deepest desires.

Etta’s dearest wish is to work her magic on her granddaughter. Cora’s studious, unromantic eye has overlooked Walt, the shy bookseller who has been in love with her forever. Determined not to allow Cora to miss her chance at happiness, Etta sews a tiny stitch into Walt’s collar, hoping to give him the courage to confess his feelings to Cora. But magic spells - like true love - can go awry. After Walt is spurred into action, Etta realizes she's set in motion a series of astonishing events that will transform Cora’s life in extraordinary and unexpected ways.

©2014 Menna van Praag (P)2014 Recorded Books

What listeners say about The Dress Shop of Dreams

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    93
  • 4 Stars
    58
  • 3 Stars
    38
  • 2 Stars
    13
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
    37
  • 3 Stars
    31
  • 2 Stars
    8
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Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    85
  • 4 Stars
    52
  • 3 Stars
    33
  • 2 Stars
    12
  • 1 Stars
    3

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

So charmingly British!

This book was so sweet, and well narrated. Not particularly deep, but doesn't sacrifice good writing for that charming simplicity found in so many books coming out of UK.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Charming

Lovely book. Preferred Menna's first book The House at the End of Hope St. But this was still charming. Be joyed the narrators voice.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful!

I loved the author’s imagery. I could see all the colors and I felt immersed in her world. I could listen to this narrator all day.

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

Wonderful, enchanting, highly recommend.

This story tells of fate and love by way of magical and romantic metaphor. Lovely!

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

Good Story! Great Narrator!! with a little magic

A good story!! I liked the story. I don't think it lagged anywhere. My only complaint would be that the ending was pretty transparent--I had it figured out pretty early, but I still enjoyed getting there.
The narration was awesome!!

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

It was okay, not great

It’s very hard for me to review a book that was just okay. It was a sweet romance but I wish there had been more reminiscing about the dress shop. To me the characters loved the dress shop but the reminiscing was about their past and present relationships. Etta, the grandmother to Corra, owned it.

I was expecting when she spoke about her love for a man she had to let go of a long time ago, she would have brought about her sewing and why or how she got there. I understood the relationship and the bubble-gum romance, which was an infatuation between Walt and Corra. I understood why Milly started to love him and the hardships she had in her past. I understood Etta & Sebastian, which he was always mentioned as the ‘Saint’. But it seemed like there were excessive characters that kept my head spinning. The end was wonderful, don’t get me wrong. I just wasn’t crazy about it.

As far as the narration Jennifer had the perfect British for the characters, it just wasn’t enough.

Definitely would recommend but I give it 2.8 out of 5 stars.

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

loved it!

The narrator truly brought this story to life. It was sweet, charming, and magical. I was a little sad when our book club landed on such a "fluffy" read for November, but it was perfect. I couldn't stop listening.

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

A slightly slow....<br />

....start but very nice as it moves forward. Lovely ending! And well read, for sure!

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1 person found this helpful

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

Sweet, charming story

I really enjoyed this book. I was looking for something light and was happy to hear a good performance and a story with a few layers while still being an easy listen.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A feel good book..

I love the book Garden Spells by North Carolina author: Sarah Addison Allan and I can never get enough of the magically realistic life settings. This book has those same sweet notes of life choices, destiny and the gifts we each carry within and how we share them with others. Loved it and will definitely re-listen to this one!

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