Reviews
Praise for THE WEDDING VEIL "Bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey will undoubtedly knock this out of the park." --Katie Couric Media "A legendary wedding veil ties several women together across the generations in Kristy Woodson Harvey's heartfelt latest, which features a runaway bride, her spirited grandmother, and a new love in the present day, interspersed with a historical storyline that follows Edith and Cornelia Vanderbilt, the mistresses of the Biltmore Estate in the early 20th century, as they struggle to keep their famed home afloat. From Asheville, N.C., to the British Virgin Islands, and from Manhattan to Raleigh, four women across the generations--all of them shaped by love and circumstance--find a way to summon their inner strength against the odds. A delightful, glamorous fairy tale--laced with a slice of history, a bit of fashion, and a lot of Harvey's signature wit and warmth--for those of us who know that 'happily ever after' only arrives after we've learned to stand on our own. A sparkling, fast-paced joy of a book that celebrates love, family and the right to shape one's own destiny." --Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Forest of Vanishing Stars "Woodson Harvey's latest is a knockout--a perfect blend of historical fiction (two generations of Vanderbilts and their iconic North Carolina mansion) and modern love (a runaway bride and her grieving grandmother). Her masterful intertwining of the storylines makes for a read that's both sweeping yet incredibly intimate, with perfect pacing and characters who surprised at every turn. I didn't want it to end." --Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace "Kristy Woodson Harvey weds history and modern day into a fascinating and astonishing marriage. With Harvey's signature charming and heartfelt prose, the Wedding Veil explores love in all its dazzling facets across four generations and two families. When Julia Baxter is ready to don the fabled family veil and walk down the aisle, she begins to question its mythological influence. Where did the veil and its power originate, and what could it possibly mean for her family and her love? Seeking answers to the extraordinary mystery of the Vanderbilt's lost heirloom, Harvey unveils the past to bring truth to the future. Including an unrivaled and elegant Biltmore setting, The Wedding Veil is enchanting, surprising and Harvey at her story-telling best." -- Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis "Kristy Woodson Harvey's entrée into historical fiction is breathtakingly charming. She skillfully blends narratives from Edith and Cornelia Vanderbilt and their struggles in the years after the passing of their beloved husband and father, George Vanderbilt together with modern-day narratives of Babs and Julia Baxter, a grandmother and granddaughter on the precipice of major life changes. While Harvey has been a major player in contemporary women's fiction for a number of years, her historical voice, her research, and her elegant prose earn her a place of respect in this new genre as well. A beautifully told story that is sure to be one of the year's best." -- Aimie K. Runyan, bestselling author of The School for German Brides, Praise for FEELS LIKE FALLING "Two women in turmoil, two lives at a crossroads. Only Kristy Woodson Harvey can make sense of the sometimes devastating, often-times delicious dilemmas faced by the protagonists of her newest perfect beach read FEELS LIKE FALLING. Readers will fall in love with entrepreneur Gray, whose husband's betrayal leaves her feeling adrift and looking for something beyond career success, while plucky down-and-out Diana will win the hearts of those of us who always root for the underdog. Buckle up, buttercups, because FEELS LIKE FALLING feels like your next summer sizzler!" --Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of Sunset Beach , The High Tide Club , and The Weekenders "Kristy Woodson Harvey has the voice of a best friend; a storyteller of the finest sort. Feels Like Falling takes us on a page-turning journey with two very different women who must somehow find their way together. Harvey asks the important question -- how do we let go of the preconceived notions of our life ? And she answers that question with lyrical prose, an uncommon wisdom and a sharp wit. This is more than a novel about friendship, it is also a story for friendship: you will find yourself sharing it with everyone you love. Dive in; the storytelling is delicious!" --Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times Bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis "Harvey creates genuine, capable, flawed protagonists and fun secondary characters, and readers will appreciate the thoughtful depiction of women supporting one another in an easy, breezy story. Fans of Mary Kay Andrews and Mary Alice Monroe should add this to their beach read lists." -- Booklist "In pitch-perfect tones, Harvey creates two Southern women doing their best to deal with everything life throws at them, and her able plotting will keep readers turning the pages...Harvey's optimistic tale just might convince readers that bouncing back can actually land a person in a better place than where they started." -- Publishers Weekly PRAISE FOR KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY "A major new voice in southern fiction." --Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author "[A] rising star of southern fiction." --Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author "Kristy Woodson Harvey really knows how to tell a southern tale." --Cathy Lamb, New York Times bestselling author "One of the hottest new southern writers." --Parade "My prediction is that writers come and writers go, but Kristy Woodson Harvey is here to stay." -- The Huffington Post
Synopsis
This "masterfully woven...literary home run" ( New York Journal of Books ) follows four women across generations, bound by a beautiful wedding veil and a connection to the famous Vanderbilt family from the New York Times bestselling author of the Peachtree Bluff series. Four women. One family heirloom. A secret connection that will change their lives--and history as they know it. Present Day: Julia Baxter's wedding veil, bequeathed to her great-grandmother by a mysterious woman on a train in the 1930s, has passed through generations of her family as a symbol of a happy marriage. But on the morning of her wedding day, something tells her that even the veil's good luck isn't enough to make her marriage last forever. Overwhelmed, she escapes to the Virgin Islands to clear her head. Meanwhile, her grandmother, Babs, is also feeling shaken. Still grieving the death of her beloved husband, she decides to move into a retirement community. Though she hopes it's a new beginning, she does not expect to run into an old flame, dredging up the same complicated emotions she felt a lifetime ago. 1914: Socialite Edith Vanderbilt is struggling to manage the luxurious Biltmore Estate after the death of her cherished husband. With 250 rooms to oversee and an entire village dependent on her family to stay afloat, Edith is determined to uphold the Vanderbilt legacy--and prepare her free-spirited daughter Cornelia to inherit it--despite her family's deteriorating financial situation. But Cornelia has dreams of her own, and as she explores more of the rapidly changing world around her, she's torn between upholding tradition and pursuing the exciting future that lies beyond Biltmore's gilded gates. In the vein of Therese Anne Fowler's A Well-Behaved Woman and Jennifer Robson's The Gown , The Wedding Veil is "a sparkling, fast-paced joy of a book that celebrates love, family, and the right to shape one's own destiny" (Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author).
