Five Brides

I did not know that when I began reading this book that I was going to need a score card to keep up with all of the characters.

Betty and Patrick
Joan and Robert
Inga and Axel
Magda and Barry
Evelyn and Edwin

The five girls begin as roommates and slowly settle in together into their jobs and into their combined friendships. On a rare day, they were all off work and all enjoying an afternoon together, and as they were walking downtown, they see a wedding dress in a store window. They all try it on, and decide to pitch in and buy it. It will be the dress for each of their weddings. Betty was going to be the keeper of the dress and each girl who wore it would have it cleaned after the wedding and returned to Betty. Whoever married last got to keep the dress and hand it down to her daughters or granddaughters. The story opens and closes with Evelyn's daughter telling HER daughter the story of the dress.

The only story that kept me a bit confused was Joan and Robert's story, but it cleared itself up for me in jig time. Eva Marie Everson has taken a post-war world and turned it on its side with five independent, modern women who are trying to take their world by storm. Through their work they all happen to meet the men who seem to be the men of their dreams, and except for Inga, those meetings turn into lifetime commitments. The way Eva Marie Everson has meshed all five of these couples' love stories together makes an entertaining read. In spite of the sheer number of characters, Eva Marie has been able to develop them into complex people who live real lives and have real problems that are universal to nearly all women, and yet they somehow seem to survive and thrive. Each of their episodes become a living testament to their integrity, their ingenuity, and their indomitable spirits.

I have to give this book five stars, two thumbs up, and a wedding dress to share with your four best friends.

Tyndale House is to be thanked for allowing me to read and review this book. My only obligation was to give my honest opinion.

Once again Eva Marie Everson brings her writing to life!! This is one of her finest books. I could not put the book down! This story brings five very different young women together in such a way that you become a part of each ones life . You almost hold your breath from character to character as you see how their friendships develop and their lives intertwine . I was so drawn to each woman. I could so relate to some part of each of them! And then in an unexpected twist they are forever joined together all because of an impromptu purchase of a wedding dress! They way Everson unfolds this story is remarkable . I was so captivated, that as much as I wanted to hurry up and get to the end to find out what happened, I hated for the story to come to an end!! This is a wonderful book and I can honestly say you must read it !

I loved this book! I was drawn in from the start. Eva Marie does a wonderful job of developing each individual character. I found myself up past my bedtime to see what would happen to each girl.
I heard the author speak at a writer's conference and was greatly inspired. Her book was just as compelling. Can't wait to read more of her work.

I really loved this book! It did get a little confusing at times having 5 main characters plus all of the secondary characters. But for the most part I really enjoyed this novel. I did feel that the ending was rushed and it left me with some questions about some of the characters. I would love a follow up novel to see how the characters lives turned out. But the story and the premise were great. And even better that part of it was based on a true person/story. Would recommend to those who love a good historical with some romance thrown in.

This is the first book I have read by Eva Marie Everson. I can honestly say I enjoyed it and wouldn’t mind reading more from her in the future. Everson made me really like the characters, and I was able to relate to them. She did a great job at explaining the surroundings so I could try to picture myself there. Five Brides is kinda like 5 books in one. It was a lot of fun to be able to read one book and get all the stories at the same time.

Five Brides is set in the 1950’s in Chicago, Illinois. The story follows Joan, Betty, Magda, Inga, and Evelyn. The five very different women find themselves living together in an apartment with a window to the street. All living different and busy lives they rarely have time to spend together. When they all have a day off they decide to spend it on the town. That is when they see the dress. The dress that not only fits them all, but is full of dreams for them all to find the right one someday, whether they are looking or not.

I can’t say too much without giving anything away. Everson keeps you guessing and trying to figure out who each girl will end up with. The characters in the book aren’t perfect and it just makes you love them all the more. Some look for love in the wrong places, but God has a bigger plan for their lives. You’ll just have to read the book in order to find out what that is. I received a copy of this book from Tyndale Publishers and TBCN in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

With every book I read from Eva Marie Everson, I fall just a bit deeper in love with her talent. Eva has a way of crafting a story that seems timeless and every woman who reads needs to experience at least one of her books.

"Five Brides" brings both the decade of the 1950's and Chicago to life. Five women become roommates and friends, and a day of window shopping becomes a purchase that will have meaning long after each woman passes on.

The story opens with a young girl and her mother eagerly anticipating delivery of a wedding dress. Upon receipt of the precious package, the mother keeps her word to tell her daughter the story of the dress and how it came to be hers.

Imagine, pooling your hard earned money with four young women you barely knew but felt were kindred souls, and promising that each of you would have occasion and opportunity to wear the exquisite wedding dress you'd spotted in a store window?

Yes, it IS hard to imagine, but leave it to the imagination of Eva Marie Everson and a novel destined to become a classic comes to life. Eva's story was inspired by true events, but only a gifted storyteller could breath life into such an unlikely scenario.

I was captured within the first pages, and I read slowly, savoring every page and every scene. Something else I found miraculous: the story centers around five major characters, and each young woman has a starring role in her own story within the story. I dare you to fall in love with just one character!

I'm so grateful to my friends at Tyndale Publishing for my complimentary copy of "Five Brides" in exchange for an honest review. This is a book I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to read, and one I know I'll read again and again.

In fact, I fell so deeply in love with the story that I wanted to begin reading it all over again once I'd finished! "Five Brides" is going on my shelf to keep, and Eva is securely at the top of my "must read" list of authors.

Please do not miss the glorious reading experience that is "Five Brides"! Highly, highly recommended!

A gift. Not my kind of reading. Came on time and was undamaged.

First off, I have to say I'm a sucker for a true story -- and Eva Marie Everson. I not only was drawn in by the gorgeous cover but even more by the fascinating premise. One dress -- Five girls, their lives interwoven for a time but bound by this dress. I absolutely loved that none of these girls were engaged yet but still went in together to buy their dream wedding dress. Brilliant -- and, again, a true story. It really happened, which makes it all the more fun for me. I thought Everson did a great job of telling their individual stories but overlapping them at the same time. If you liked the movie "Brooklyn" you'll love this book. This book has stayed with me long after I read it. It's a keeper!

This book has raced to the top of my favorites list! I had a chance to meet the author recently and participate in a workshop she led. She is delightful, funny, thoughtful, and wise! I am now in the process of finding every book she's written. I was thrilled to realize that she had co-authored a series that I read many, many years ago called The Potluck Club.
She is the real deal, and I will wait anxiously for every new book.

I'm not typically a romance reader but decided to give this book a try. Wow! I'm so glad that I did.

I loved so much about this story of 5 unique women who shared a flat in Chicago. Even though they didn't usually see much of each other due to their schedules, they do end up spending a Saturday together which leads to "the dress".

Getting to know these characters was easy with the author's fluent writing style that clearly shapes their personalities. They are so well developed that I could almost hear their different accents and the sounds of their voices.

It was truly impossible for me to choose a favorite character between these very likeable ladies. They all contributed so much to form this bond of friendship. On the other hand, some of the guys were not so easy to care for. I will say that I was pleased with how things turned out, for the most part, and I came to feel a closeness to these women and could relate to each of them in different ways.

If you enjoy a story of romance that goes so much deeper than most, you are in for a treat. I highly recommend this wonderfully written novel.