Book Review: ‘The Wedding Veil: A Novel’ By Kristy Woodson Harvey

I love the previous novels from Kristy (Peachtree Bluff and Under The Southern Sky) and now she’s back with another well-written character driven novel, that looks at two families and how one wedding veil forever links them. In North Carolina Julia Baxter is about to marry the man of her dreams Hayes. Everything is set and she has on her wedding veil (one that looks just like the famed Vanderbelt veil). It’s been passed down for generations and usually is a sign of a strong love. But this wedding is not to be as Julia gets a text video showing her boyfriend cheating on her. She flees and goes on her honeymoon alone to the British Virgin Islands, where she meets Conner. We learn the history of the veil via flashbacks with Cornelia Vanderbilt in the 20’s and 30’s and her marriage and inherits the Biltmore estate. We follow these two women along with Julia’s Grandmother Babs, who reunites with an old flame at 80 years old (her husband died over a year ago). We learn the secret of the veil and how it came to be in Julia’s family and what they decide they should do with it now knowing the truth. A deeply moving story about love and finding yourself and starting over. The secret of the veil adds to the story. Another great novel from Kristy Woodson Harvey.

You can pick up The Wedding Veil in stores on Tuesday, March 29th from Gallery Books.