Get our Best Book Club Books of 2025 eBook!

Read advance reader review of Little Black Dress by Susan McBride

Summary | Reviews | More Information | More Books

Little Black Dress by Susan McBride

Little Black Dress

A Novel

by Susan McBride

  • Critics' Consensus (0):
  • Published:
  • Aug 2011, 320 pages
  • Rate this book

About this book

Reviews


Page 1 of 4
There are currently 25 member reviews
for Little Black Dress
Order Reviews by:
  • Renee K. (Salem, UT)
    Little Black Dress
    Loved this book..it was difficult for me to get into, having not read anything by Susan McBride, but as soon as I understood her writing pattern of going back and forth between Evie and Toni, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author was able to weave the life stories of two very different sisters in such a way that I was able to relate to both; then, when I was feeling comfortable about who Evie and Anna were, there was a twist, an unexpected turn, and a surprise to keep me wanting to just finish "this page" and then "this chapter" until I finished the book. Susan's use of descriptive words made it impossible to miss seeing such details as the dimly lit shop of the Parisian gypsy, the spiders actually spinning the golden silk of the little black (once golden) dress, the clarity of the frosty, starlit night in the vineyard, or Evie, sinking deeper while treading harder in the abyss of the Mississippi river. The one person I had trouble envisioning was Toni. I had a difficult time seeing her as a forty-six year old business woman. In my mind's eye, she was always about thirty. I will be anxious to read something else written by Susan.
  • Laura S. (west friendship, md)
    Little Black Dress
    I'm not too demanding when deciding if I like a book. All I ask is that the book not become a chore to read, that I look forward to picking it up and that I regret putting it down. That said, for me, such books are often few and far between. I'm happy to report that with Susan McBride's "Little Black Dress" I've found one! Like the characters in the book, I was drawn into the mystery of the little black dress and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The magic of the dress mixed with the good and the bad in the characters along with the satisfying ending reminds me of a modern day fairy tale. If you like reading a good story that calls you back when you put it down, I highly recommend "Little Black Dress".
  • Kelley K. (Lancaster, PA)
    Gotta Love a LBD (Little Black Dress)!!!
    I enjoyed the Little Black Dress! It was a light, quick read. The story was not predictable (in the beginning!) and proved to be a page turner until the end. The characters were believable even with the magical story line!
  • Mary Jo K. (Rochester, MN)
    little black dress
    I enjoyed the book and thought the characters were well developed and there was even a bit of mystery to it.
    There were clues but I didn't really figure it all out until the last couple of chapters. Interesting going back/forth in generations by chapter.
    The title is correct for the subject but at first I thought it might be a more "fluffy" book but it had some depth.
  • Chris W. (Temple City, CA)
    Magic dress
    I really enjoyed this book and thought the characters were mostly well developed. The plot was a bit predictable at times. The viewpoint of the chapters alternates between Evie in the past and her daughter Toni in the present, and this flowed well. I think it would be an interesting book to discuss at a book club because most people can relate to family dysfunction to some degree. This quote will stay with me: "Sometimes you just have to accept the magic that comes into your life and leave it be."
  • Sharon C. (Newton, IA)
    Dysfunctional family at its finest
    Relationships between mothers and daughters can sometimes be intense, but when you put a magical little black dress into the mix, it's extremely life changing.

    The story carries you through the tempestuous relationship between Evie (mother) and Antonia (daughter) and the little black dress that brings them together.

    I literally could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting. Every other chapter is written in either Evie's voice or Antonia's voice and the author does a fine job in the transition.

    A great summer read!
  • Sarah H. (Belford, NJ)
    A wonderful story!
    I loved this book, could not put it down! The novel is written from two points of view: Evie's, who tells most of the back story, and Toni's, who brings us to the present time. The story shows how time can truly mend all wounds and how strong the familial bond is. Throw a magical little black dress on top of that and you have got yourself a winner!

More Information

Read-Alikes

BookBrowse Book Club

  • Book Jacket
    Lessons in Chemistry
    by Bonnie Garmus
    Praised by Parade and The New York Times Book Review, this debut features a 1960s scientist turned TV cooking star.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Ginseng Roots
    by Craig Thompson

    A new graphic memoir from the author of Blankets and Habibi about class, childhood labor, and Wisconsin’s ginseng industry.

  • Book Jacket

    The Fairbanks Four
    by Brian Patrick O’Donoghue

    One murder, four guilty convictions, and a community determined to find justice.

  • Book Jacket

    The Seven O'Clock Club
    by Amelia Ireland

    Four strangers join an experimental treatment to heal broken hearts in Amelia Ireland's heartfelt debut novel.

  • Book Jacket

    Happy Land
    by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

    From the New York Times bestselling author, a novel about a family's secret ties to a vanished American Kingdom.

  • Book Jacket

    Serial Killer Games
    by Kate Posey

    A morbidly funny and emotionally resonant novel about the ways life—and love—can sneak up on us (no matter how much pepper spray we carry).

  • Book Jacket

    One Death at a Time
    by Abbi Waxman

    A cranky ex-actress and her Gen Z sobriety sponsor team up to solve a murder that could send her back to prison in this dazzling mystery.

Who Said...

Music is the pleasure the human mind experiences from counting without being aware that it is counting

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

A C on H S

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.