The Dressmaker's Dowry - Likewise Book Reviews

"An interesting intertwining of stories set in San Francisco - a modern day struggling author with a tightly guarded secret, and two immigrant dressmakers that may or may not have been murdered. <br/><br/>I wanted to like this book more than I did. There were a lot of great aspects to the story. I thought the historical parts to be well researched and I was drawn into 1876 San Francisco. Both Hannelore and Margaret were well written characters, and I was compelled to learn more about them. <br/><br/>I was a bit disappointed in the way the two stories combined. It felt way too coincidental...I feel the mysteries would have been just as compelling if <spoiler> a) the dressmakers had nothing to do with her husband's family. I felt like her father in law went WAAAAAAAY overboard in trying to keep the secret, and it seemed a little forced. As far as Sarah's secret...meh. I felt like it needed more meat to it. The concept would have worked had it been fleshed out a little more, but she seemed to spend the majority of the story obsessing over the car accident, and then when it came out, it was a bit anticlimactic. I the story would have held up just as well with that element removed. Or, that we were aware that that was the cause of her anxiety, instead of making it a mystery. Focusing on two mysteries seemed to water them both down a bit. </spoiler><br/><br/>An enjoyable read, and I would definitely try this author again...just looking for a bit more depth."