The Book:
A Lowcountry Bride by Preslaysa Williams
Published June 1st 2021 by Avon
Date read: July 5, 2021
The Characters:
Maya, Derek
Buy it on Bookshop.org | Amazon
The Plot (from Goodreads):
Maya Jackson has worked for Laura Whitcomb, Inc, a renowned New York City bridal gown brand, for years and dreams of becoming Head Designer. She has the talent; she just needs a chance to showcase her unique style. Due to an illness, she’s always prioritized her career over her personal life until her father fractures his hip and Maya returns to Charleston, South Carolina. While home for only a few months, she’s thrilled to find an opportunity at the local bridal gown boutique, never expecting sparks to fly with its owner…
A military veteran and widowed father, Derek Sullivan hopes to save Always a Bride from bankruptcy in order to preserve the legacy of his mother. He also wants to reconnect with his estranged, twelve-year-old daughter, who is still recovering from the loss of her mother. The last thing he needs is a relationship with a beautiful, smart, complicated woman who will be leaving soon.
When Derek begins to fall for the lovely Maya, he knows there’s no future. But destiny has its own plans, and these two lonely people with big hearts discover that coming home to love is the best gift life can give.
The Review:
Thank you to the publisher and BiblioLifestyle for this free copy provided for the tour.
I loved this Charleston romance. It wasn’t on my radar prior to receiving the book for a book tour, but I’m so glad I found it!
From the cover I expected a light rom-com, but A Lowcountry Bride ended up being way more. There’s a certain amount of grief to the story, as both characters are dealing with some heavy backstory. This book tackles some important themes including racial inequality, gentrification, loss of a loved one, and a racially charged mass shooting. Maya also has sickle cell anemia, and has often had to make personal and professional sacrifices in order to manage her illness.
I thought the author did a great job of presenting complicated themes in a relatable way. It was filtered through the lens of the importance of the bridal shop to the local Black community. There’s so much history to be learned from in Charleston, and I really enjoyed the way this information was presented. It certainly made me feel like my own knowledge is inadequate, and made me want to learn more about Charleston’s racially charged history.
Both MCs were incredible, but I especially loved single-father Derek. The father-daughter storyline here was adorable and heartwarming.
The details of Maya’s bridal gown design was one of my favorite parts. She put meticulous care into weaving her background into the dresses, including traditional elements from both sides of her West African/Filipino culture. I loved learning about these traditions and how important they were to the characters.
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