Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Perfect Dress
    The Perfect Dress
    The Perfect Dress
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Perfect Dress

    Written by Carolyn Brown

    Narrated by Karissa Vacker

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    An Amazon Charts bestseller.

    A plus-size Texas gal has designs on an old crush in New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown’s exuberant, bighearted romance.

    In the small town of Celeste, Texas, Mitzi Taylor has never quite fit inside the lines. Nearly six feet tall, flame-haired, and with a plus-size spirit to match every curve, she’s found her niche: a custom wedding-dress boutique catering to big brides-to-be with big dreams. Taking the plunge alongside her two best friends, she’s proud they’ve turned The Perfect Dress into a perfect success.

    Just when Mitzi has it all pulled together, Graham Harrison walks back into her life, looking for bridesmaid dresses for his twin daughters. A still-strapping jock whose every gorgeous, towering inch smells like aftershave, the star of all Mitzi’s high school dreams is causing quite a flush.

    For Mitzi, all it takes is a touch to feel sparks flitting around her like fireflies. She can just imagine what a kiss could do. Graham’s feeling it, too. And he’s about to make that imagination of Mitzi’s run wild. Is it just a hot summer fling, or are Mitzi’s next designs for herself and seeing her own dreams come true?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateApr 16, 2019
    ISBN9781721371570
    The Perfect Dress
    Author

    Carolyn Brown

    Carolyn Brown is a bestselling author who has received several awards for her writing. Her novels have been translated into nineteen foreign languages, and she specializes in women's fiction and cowboy romance. She currently resides with her husband in southern Oklahoma. For more information, visit carolynbrownbooks.com.

    More audiobooks from Carolyn Brown

    Related to The Perfect Dress

    Related audiobooks

    Contemporary Romance For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      One Carrot

      Jul 2, 2020

      One Carrot
      5 min read

    • Article

      Gathering The Troops

      Feb 26, 2020

      Gathering The Troops
      2 min read

    • Article

      Gathering The Troops

      Feb 26, 2020

      Gathering The Troops
      2 min read

    • Article

      Guests

      Jun 15, 2019

      The month after our mother died, our father began bringing women home. It felt like a behind-her-back kind of operation. “I’m going to have a guest over tonight,” is what he would say. David and I stayed out in the living room, turned up cartoons, bu

      11 min read

    • Article

      “No Brown Sugar in Anybody’s Milk”

      Jun 5, 2023

      Essie T-e-e-e. Essie T. Where is that girl? Essie T., hurry up and come in here and fasten the back of this dress. Honestly, girl, are you always so slow? A big clumsy-looking girl pushed herself across the room. She walked as if she were afraid that

      10 min read

    • Article

      Book Extract

      May 16, 2022

      Book Extract
      5 min read

    • Article

      HEART Of The Community

      Aug 3, 2021

      HEART Of The Community
      12 min read

    • Article

      California Lee And Me

      Feb 1, 2024

      California Lee And Me
      6 min read

    • Article

      Just Passing

      Aug 17, 2020

      Zoe cracks the curtain in the bay window and watches as he bounces from one foot to another in the cold. Tap, tap, tap, he goes at the letterbox. But she shouldn’t even let him in. He’s trouble. He throws his arms out and shouts through the glass: “S

      5 min read

    • Article

      Best Of The Best

      Oct 29, 2022

      Best Of The Best
      8 min read

    • Article

      The Shape Of A Person

      Oct 20, 2022

      The Shape Of A Person
      25 min read

    • Article

      Lech

      Feb 8, 2022

      Lech
      4 min read

    • Article

      How My I Pet Met

      Dec 24, 2019

      How My I Pet Met
      2 min read

    • Article

      Lie Of The LAND

      Aug 2, 2023

      Lie Of The LAND
      8 min read

    • Article

      Infrastructure

      Aug 10, 2022

      It was Friday, overcast and wet, the type of November day most folks found unlovely. But not Judy. For her, sunshine felt stifling, and warm weather made her grumpy. She preferred the cool crispness of the air after storms. “Rainy days match my insid

      17 min read

    • Article

      The DATING GAME

      Apr 2, 2024

      The DATING GAME
      8 min read

    • Article

      Famous People

      Mar 1, 2022

      Famous People
      15 min read

    • Article

      Grandma’s Secret Recipe

      Aug 2, 2022

      Grandma’s Secret Recipe
      3 min read

    • Article

      Manhattan, 2035

      Mar 26, 2021

      There were problems with being the daughter of a former it girl. First of all, the designation, which, as her mother grew older, warped slightly across the society pages, affecting her mood. Most people remembered her mother’s modelling stints, brush

      4 min read

    • Article

      Nostalgia, Secrets & Lies

      Aug 12, 2020

      Nostalgia, Secrets & Lies
      7 min read

    • Article

      Frost FAIR

      Jan 18, 2023

      Frost FAIR
      11 min read

    • Article

      Mothers’ Meeting

      Jan 4, 2022

      Mothers’ Meeting
      11 min read

    • Article

      Ann Beattie

      Sep 15, 2017

      I’d started to visit Olivia more often because it was obvious she was lonely. The ALS lady who’d been moved to Hopkins had been Aunt Olivia’s closest friend, leaving aside Merton Hillstead, who actually went home. Even the friendly paperboy who somet

      23 min read

    • Article

      Cricket League

      Jan 1, 2022

      It was an unusual birthday. Colorful banners blanketed the backyard. Kids chased each other through the grass. Adults talked. It all went downhill from there. My little sister was turning five. On her birthday cake, painted in frosting, was a fat, pi

      7 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Perfect Dress

    4.5/5

    83 ratings4 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      This was a great book! It made me laugh and feel the emotions of the characters. I fell in love with the three friends, and felt their ups and downs. I'd love to read more - make this a series!
    • 4/5
      Okay, so at first read...I was actually worried it was going to be one of THOSE books. You know the ones...where the he/she lead and supporting cast is SO hung up on size that quite literally EVERY other sentence has something to do with them being bigger/smaller, or the hard times they faced because of their size, or how awful the world is in general thanks to their waistline or lack thereof. Now, admittedly, there is quite a bit of talk regarding weight/size here, but it's done in such a way that it's not overbearing to the story...it's in addition to it...and at some points THE actual story itself, like the bullying the girls faced, both past AND present...so readers like myself don't feel bogged down in the details.

      Then we have the characters, and what a cast it is! Okay, can I just say that I love Fanny Lou's character? I mean seriously...she is a hoot! Moving forward, I was really loving these girls, individually and as a fearsome threesome! Paula is so strong and self-assured, and in the face of what's in store for her, she's gonna need that strength, but also the ability to lean on others. Joy...OMG...what Lyle did is UNFORVGIVEABLE...and let's just say if we met face to face, someone would have a new pair of earrings, while the other would be in A LOT of pain! Mad props to the twins for their "performance" ...BRILLIANT! Mitzi has definitely got some good juju coming her way, as long as she doesn't let herself second guess it to a halt before it even gets started. I was definitely ready to see the sparks fly between her and Graham.

      All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this one in many ways. From the story slant to the drama, the powerful friendships to the relationships, the characters to the memorable moments, there's something around every page turn to watch for, follow, or belly laugh it out with. If you're a fan of Contemporary Romance, you'll certainly want to make room on your summer reading list for this one!

      **eARC received for review; opinions are my own
    • 4/5
      The Perfect Dress by Carolyn BrownSource: NetGalley and Montlake RomanceMy Rating: 4/5 stars“Folks up north start off a fairy tale by sayin’, ‘Once upon a time’. And us southerners start one off by sayin’, ‘You ain’t goin’ to believe this shit’.”Mitzi, Jody, and Paula have spent the past year building their new business, The Perfect Dress. With an emphasis on plus-size custom made dresses, the ladies spend their days making the wedding dress dreams of larger ladies become an absolute reality. With originality, flair, and a desire to see every client happy and beautiful, the woman have little time for anything other than their work. For Mitzi, the work is everything and though she wouldn’t mind having a man in her life, there isn’t much time for such distractions. In truth, Mitzi hasn’t had much time or energy for thoughts about her non-existent love life until the day she runs into Graham Harrison, her high school crush and newly divorced dad of two who has just moved back into town. Oh boy! With Graham back in town, Mitzi is suddenly faced with many, many new possibilities and those possibilities are taking up brain space normally reserved for design and sewing. As if encouraging her thoughts on possibilities, Graham’s twin daughters work their way into Mitizi’s life and heart in short order. With fire, sass, intelligence, humor, and a very real interest in learning Mitzi’s craft, the girls are always at the shop and that means Graham is always in Mitizi’s orbit. In short order, Mitzi, Graham, the girls, Mitzi’s family, and her partners become a tight social circle which is a welcome for Graham and his girls as they settle back into town. Being together on a regular basis creates all kinds of wonderful and welcome feelings for both Graham and Mitzi and with literally everyone in their respective lives encouraging the match, it’s hard for both to ignore the obvious. As with so many other things in life, the path to happiness isn’t always easy and for Graham and Mitzi, there are considerations beyond their own desires that must be taken into account before they can commit to one another. The Bottom Line: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Carolyn Brown is my go-to girl in this genre!! Once again, I fell in love with Brown’s version of small-town life, endearing characters, and a plot that is just right for the genre. While this story is meant to be Mitzi and Graham’s love story, there’s so much more going on with the other characters including Mitzin’s partners, Jody and Paula, and Graham’s twin daughters. The multiple sub-plots work beautifully with the main plot line and really come together to create a more complete book full of love, friendship, and community. It’s the spirit of love, friendship, loyalty, and community that keeps bringing me back to Brown’s books. I always know I’m going to get a solid, emotionally wrought read with real problems and real issues that are dealt with by real people. This particular read has a great number of issues and problems across a variety of characters and every one of them is blended perfectly with Mitzi and Graham. Once again, an excellent read from an author who perfectly understands small town life, creating real characters, and helping each of them reach a lovely and well-deserved HEA.
    • 5/5
      Fantastic story of friendship, love, and being yourself. Mitzi, Jody, and Paula were three women who have been friends since they were in school. Though they went their separate ways for a while, they always stayed in touch. When each of them needed a change in her life, they opened a custom bridal shop for women like themselves - plus-sized women with dreams to match. The shop is the backdrop as all three women experienced unexpected changes, both good and bad, in their lives.Mitzi is a tall, red-haired, curvy woman. She's had a few bad relationships and is a bit on the cautious side when it comes to men. She is fairly comfortable with who she is thanks to the support of her friends and family. Some of her happiest moments have been seeing the joy her designs bring to the women who wear them. Her life took an unexpected turn when her high school crush, Graham Harrison, showed up in her shop, wanting bridesmaid dresses for his daughters.I loved the development of Mitzi and Graham's relationship. Neither one was looking for love, but there were sparks between them from the start. The progression was slow, but steady and sweet, with some hilarious encouragement from Graham's daughters, Mitzi's friends, and her outspoken grandmother along the way. Things became complicated when Graham's ex-wife showed up, determined to reclaim Graham. I loved that he didn't even nibble at the bait she threw out there, and he earned major points from me when he told Mitzi about each of the encounters. Mitzi had some doubts about the relationship, first, that the connection between them was more about his daughters than about them, and second that Graham could want her when he could have the petite and skinny Rita. I liked that she and Graham spoke honestly about her doubts and that he gave her the space she wanted while she worked through them. I loved the kick in the pants they each got that finally brought them back together.Mitzi's friends Paula and Jody also had some significant changes going on in their lives. Jody's fifteen-year relationship with her man came to an abrupt and unexpected end. I ached for Jody but also wanted to shake her for the way she had buried her true self under his expectations of who she should be. I loved the support she received from her friends, old and new. I laughed out loud at the encounter at the bridal show, especially Tabby's brilliantly over-the-top method of revenge. The last thing Jody was looking for was a new relationship, but one found her anyway. I loved Quincy's complete acceptance of her just as she is, and his good-humored reactions to her sass. He did have a couple of moments of foot-in-mouth disease, but his persistence paid off, even though Jody fought hard against her feelings.Paula's breakup with the man she had been seeing turned out to be the catalyst that brought The Perfect Dress bridal boutique into existence. I ached for her but wasn't too surprised at the cause of the breakup. I liked the way that she took charge of her life, especially after she shared her secret with her friends. Their love and support were crucial, especially given the lack of support from her family. There were a couple of scenes with her ex that I thought were fantastic and showed how strong Paula was.I loved Graham's daughters, Dixie and Tabby. They had a terrific relationship with their dad, who loved and supported them. Their self-confidence is a direct result of that love. Their enthusiasm was contagious, and I loved how they connected with Mitzi. It was so much fun to see their excitement over working at the shop. I enjoyed their conversations with Graham, as they tried to encourage his relationship with Mitzi. I ached for them in their dealings with their mother, who was a real piece of work.The humor in this book was fantastic and typical of Carolyn Brown's books. The Southern/Texas attitudes had me laughing out loud frequently, with everything from the response "ain't that nice?" instead of "Screw you" to Mitzi's protectiveness of Dixie and Tabby when it came to their mother. None of the women could be accused of being shrinking violets when it came to standing up for themselves or their friends. I also love the small town atmosphere and the challenges of everyone knowing your business. The epilogue was terrific with its updates on the characters' lives. Loved the twist at the fireworks show.