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eden_ainsley's review against another edition
Five chapters in and it’s like nails on chalk board boring. Maybe it gets better later?
tonyriver's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this as much as the Dressmaker. While lots of fun in parts I found I was constantly confused and often dis engaged from the craziness great characters, all larger than life.
reachant's review against another edition
1.0
I rarely give such low ratings but I found this book just awful. It was poorly written with far too many characters, and basically just had no story. I didn’t love The Dressmaker when I read it, but I loved the movie, and perhaps I was just hoping for too much for this book.
thebookroost's review against another edition
3.0
I was excited to read this but found it a little dull and lacking the excitement of the first book. I thoroughly enjoyed the fashion talk, so much so that I will be going out to buy a sewing machine in the next couple of months. I have big plans so watch this space.
Other than that I found the story had so many working parts it was often difficult to figure out whose story I was reading. This was a book that I had to force myself to keep picking up to read and think ‘let’s try finish this today’. It wasn’t one that I wanted to read and while I was reading it I couldn't help but think about what my next read would be after I'd finish, if I ever did! I think the book was much longer than it needed to be, 384 pages isn't a whole lot but when this story had so many working parts, so many social issues all intermingled it just got too much and for me, confusing.
I have rated this book 3 stars which I think is generous and I think only in part because I enjoyed the first book. If you've read the Dressmaker, which if you haven't, I urge you to, definitely give this one a go after. Maybe it'll read better straight away instead of there being an almost 10 year gap between reads.
I’d still like to give Rosalie Ham’s books another go and try another one but I might wait a while until I’ve read a few more exciting books that’s grabbed my attention first so I’m excited to read one of her books again.
Other than that I found the story had so many working parts it was often difficult to figure out whose story I was reading. This was a book that I had to force myself to keep picking up to read and think ‘let’s try finish this today’. It wasn’t one that I wanted to read and while I was reading it I couldn't help but think about what my next read would be after I'd finish, if I ever did! I think the book was much longer than it needed to be, 384 pages isn't a whole lot but when this story had so many working parts, so many social issues all intermingled it just got too much and for me, confusing.
I have rated this book 3 stars which I think is generous and I think only in part because I enjoyed the first book. If you've read the Dressmaker, which if you haven't, I urge you to, definitely give this one a go after. Maybe it'll read better straight away instead of there being an almost 10 year gap between reads.
I’d still like to give Rosalie Ham’s books another go and try another one but I might wait a while until I’ve read a few more exciting books that’s grabbed my attention first so I’m excited to read one of her books again.
twistinthetale's review against another edition
3.0
This book left me a little torn. It is a sequel to The Dressmaker which I struggled with. Surprisingly, I preferred this book. The characters are better developed with decidedly more depth. They are quirky and awful and awful things befall them. Definitely dark humour and, for me, perhaps too dark.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
‘Now here she was, the sad mess of her life enduring and another past from which to flee.’
In this sequel to the wonderfully quirky ‘The Dressmaker’, we find Tilly Dunnage in Melbourne. It is 1953, and Melbourne society is looking forward to several events around the coronation of the young princess who is about to become Queen Elizabeth II. And appropriate dresses will be required. Tilly is working in a pretentious, second-rate salon in Collins Street where she is underpaid and unappreciated. Why? Because Tilly is keen to remain anonymous as she tries to escape from the past.
But the past is not quite so keen to let go of Tilly. Sergeant Farrat and the McSwiney clan have been looking for her, as are the residents of Dungatar. While the former might have Tilley’s best interests at heart, the residents want revenge. Well, some of them would just like some new frocks.
I loved ‘The Dressmaker’ (novel and film) and this novel is a worthy (albeit darker) sequel. Can Tilly succeed, despite the odds stacked against her? How many of her secrets will she be able to keep? There are some delightful laugh-out-loud moments (where would we be without Horatio Farrat?), some beautiful creations to admire and some very tricky moments to negotiate.
While I did not enjoy this quite as much as ‘The Dressmaker’, I am longing for it to be turned into a film so I can admire the dresses Tilly creates.
I strongly recommend reading ‘The Dressmaker’ first.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In this sequel to the wonderfully quirky ‘The Dressmaker’, we find Tilly Dunnage in Melbourne. It is 1953, and Melbourne society is looking forward to several events around the coronation of the young princess who is about to become Queen Elizabeth II. And appropriate dresses will be required. Tilly is working in a pretentious, second-rate salon in Collins Street where she is underpaid and unappreciated. Why? Because Tilly is keen to remain anonymous as she tries to escape from the past.
But the past is not quite so keen to let go of Tilly. Sergeant Farrat and the McSwiney clan have been looking for her, as are the residents of Dungatar. While the former might have Tilley’s best interests at heart, the residents want revenge. Well, some of them would just like some new frocks.
I loved ‘The Dressmaker’ (novel and film) and this novel is a worthy (albeit darker) sequel. Can Tilly succeed, despite the odds stacked against her? How many of her secrets will she be able to keep? There are some delightful laugh-out-loud moments (where would we be without Horatio Farrat?), some beautiful creations to admire and some very tricky moments to negotiate.
While I did not enjoy this quite as much as ‘The Dressmaker’, I am longing for it to be turned into a film so I can admire the dresses Tilly creates.
I strongly recommend reading ‘The Dressmaker’ first.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
‘Now here she was, the sad mess of her life enduring and another past from which to flee.’
In this sequel to the wonderfully quirky ‘The Dressmaker’, we find Tilly Dunnage in Melbourne. It is 1953, and Melbourne society is looking forward to several events around the coronation of the young princess who is about to become Queen Elizabeth II. And appropriate dresses will be required. Tilly is working in a pretentious, second-rate salon in Collins Street where she is underpaid and unappreciated. Why? Because Tilly is keen to remain anonymous as she tries to escape from the past.
But the past is not quite so keen to let go of Tilly. Sergeant Farrat and the McSwiney clan have been looking for her, as are the residents of Dungatar. While the former might have Tilley’s best interests at heart, the residents want revenge. Well, some of them would just like some new frocks.
I loved ‘The Dressmaker’ (novel and film) and this novel is a worthy (albeit darker) sequel. Can Tilly succeed, despite the odds stacked against her? How many of her secrets will she be able to keep? There are some delightful laugh-out-loud moments (where would we be without Horatio Farrat?), some beautiful creations to admire and some very tricky moments to negotiate.
While I did not enjoy this quite as much as ‘The Dressmaker’, I am longing for it to be turned into a film so I can admire the dresses Tilly creates.
I strongly recommend reading ‘The Dressmaker’ first.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In this sequel to the wonderfully quirky ‘The Dressmaker’, we find Tilly Dunnage in Melbourne. It is 1953, and Melbourne society is looking forward to several events around the coronation of the young princess who is about to become Queen Elizabeth II. And appropriate dresses will be required. Tilly is working in a pretentious, second-rate salon in Collins Street where she is underpaid and unappreciated. Why? Because Tilly is keen to remain anonymous as she tries to escape from the past.
But the past is not quite so keen to let go of Tilly. Sergeant Farrat and the McSwiney clan have been looking for her, as are the residents of Dungatar. While the former might have Tilley’s best interests at heart, the residents want revenge. Well, some of them would just like some new frocks.
I loved ‘The Dressmaker’ (novel and film) and this novel is a worthy (albeit darker) sequel. Can Tilly succeed, despite the odds stacked against her? How many of her secrets will she be able to keep? There are some delightful laugh-out-loud moments (where would we be without Horatio Farrat?), some beautiful creations to admire and some very tricky moments to negotiate.
While I did not enjoy this quite as much as ‘The Dressmaker’, I am longing for it to be turned into a film so I can admire the dresses Tilly creates.
I strongly recommend reading ‘The Dressmaker’ first.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith