Girls in White Dresses

Written by Jennifer Close

Narrated by Emily Janice Card

Ever feel like everyone but you has their life under control?

Isabella, Mary and Lauren feel like everyone they know has a plan, a good job, and a nice boyfriend.

Isabella, on the other hand, thinks she might hate her own boyfriend, Mary is working so hard she's hoping to get hit by a car just so she can have some time off work and Lauren is dating a man who can't spell her first name.

All three of them have been friends since college, and now - more than ever - they need each other, as they struggle through those thrilling, bewildering, what-on-earth-am-I-doing years when everyone else is getting married and they're just getting drunk.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House UK Audio
• Release date: Jan 8, 2015
• ISBN: 9781473522435

Reviews for Girls in White Dresses

[mhanover10 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is about several friends from college who are now living in New York. It flashes in and out of the different women's lives and shows little snippets of their lives over the years. Usually I'm not fond of that unless it is very clear who is being talked about and that the narrator voice has changed and that happens in this book. It is very easy to follow along and very easy to know what is going on with the women. They have a relationship like sisters and can pretty much say anything to each other and not have hurt feelings. It's a great summer read. I do believe I have read it twice not but didn't realize it until I was almost done.

[thursbest · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For a woman in her mid twenties, this was such a fresh take and unique POV from different perspectives of just what goes through my mind. I love the way each girl's story was realistic enough for me to be like 'okay, this isn't so bad...' or be like 'It wouldn't be the end of the world for me if this happened right now.' The aftermath of these girl's experiences is just relatable, and it was a breath of fresh air for me to read.

[lmjenkins · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a quickly-readable, entertaining book about a wide circle of girlfriends and their dating escapades. I liked it and laughed out loud quite a bit.

[bookczuk · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Vignettes centering on a group of friends, the telling of which tie into a novel. Amusing, insightful, and occasionally annoying, (but only because it's so far removed from my world and experience.) I needed a diversionary read from a somewhat pedantic nonfiction book I am reading for review. The title is a definite ear worm, though.

[moonshineandrosefire · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Isabella, Mary, and Lauren have been best friends for most of their lives. They had initially met in college and later discovered that they had quite a bit more in common with each other than they had expected. As their friendship has gone on through the years, they have watched as everyone else around them has gotten married, started families, and found success in their chosen careers. However, the three college friends have consistently noticed that they are 'always the bridesmaid, never the bride' as they struggle through young adulthood together.As the women gather together to celebrate the good fortune of bride after bride, they find themselves evaluating their own lives and hoping for more in the future. As regularly as clockwork, they get together to ooh and ahh over the most inane bridal gifts; spend time reminiscing about events they would much rather forget; and drink champagne toasts by the case. They collect party favors by the dozens; eat endless trays of hors d'oeuvre; and cheerfully wear the most garish pastel dresses ever designed.Meanwhile, these women are grappling with some major issues within their own lives that seem to transcend all the congratulatory celebrations that they attend each week. Isabella is stuck working in a dead-end job, Mary is dating a really nice guy whose mother is a stubborn perfectionist, and Lauren is waitressing at a mid-town bar and wondering why she finds the sleazy bartender so attractive. Amid various booze-filled family holidays, on-the-job flirtations, hungover bridal showers, and disastrous ski vacations, the women share the wild frustrations and soaring joys of modern life with each other.To be perfectly honest, I wasn't quite sure how enjoyable this book would actually be for me. Mareena's friend had initially recommended Jennifer Close as an author to me - after having read and thoroughly enjoyed this particular book for herself. Since our tastes in reading are usually so different, I filed Jennifer Close in my 'Eh...Maybe' category. Mareena put this book on our wishlist about three years ago, and it literally just became available to request approximately a month ago.Since this book arrived at a moment when I was wondering what to read next, I started it immediately. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book. The story was well-written and remarkably easy reading for me. I would definitely give this book an A+!

[nyiper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was easy to become attached to this group of women---my only regret was that I wanted the stories about each of them to continue----a sequel? I had to laugh about the numbers!!! Who could afford so many wedding and shower presents??? Hopefully that is not any kind of true-to-life picture for anyone!

[froxgirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Here's a perfect winter snuggle-into-the-blankets chick lit saga, featuring a bunch of post-college girlfriends who flounder around in NYC, dating losers and working crappy jobs until the marriages, kids, and suburban exiles begin. The stories of the five or six, plus their sisters and various Bridezilla friends, are all amusing examples of white privilege (parents' support is always lurking in the background), and for me, a guilty pleasure. There are real dilemmas here, but none that money or marriage can't seem to cure. The writing is crisp and focused.

[walkthemoon89 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A group of friends grow up after going through a series of seemingly unrelated events. Their life happens, despite their fears that somehow it wouldn't and despite not knowing what exactly they did to, make it happen.

[kelsey1c-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Though funny at parts, and definitely honest and insightful, I would not recommend unless you feel like you can really relate to the characters - otherwise it was rather boring. The good news is, it's a pretty quick read, so even if you don't like it it'll be over quickly.

[meeniereads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Basically this book was an ongoing,interconnected story about basically very nice,normal for our timesgirls. Roughly about 9 years is covered from out of college a bit to turning thirty.As the mom to two young woman,college and grad school graduates in their 20's making their way in thebig city I got a huge kick out of it!!!!Some of their antics and retelling of things were laugh out loud funny. Quite a contrast to the mental,self absorbed,screwed up young woman portrayed on HBO's "Girls"!!!As a woman who did not get married and become a mom until her 30's I can tell you that many ofthe thoughts and feelings these "girls" have are quite identical to my own thirty five years ago. 1979 was the year it seemed to me that lots of people in my circle and even my own younger brother got married and me not aprospect on the horizon!I so remember sharing some sneaky,snarky jokes at various showers I had to go to over the yearsjust like the characters in this book.I got the biggest kick out of the turning thirty reunion when one character buys 5 bottles of wine for each girl and the others say it is way too much. By the second night when half was gone nobody said a thing. Thisreminds me of annual reunion I have with three other friends in Cape May and we each bring like 4 bottles of wineand it goes fast!

[kimmeyer-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This reads like a collection of short stories. I never quite figured out who the three women are as I listened to the whole book. As in, couldn't tell you their names or describe them in any way really. The stories are fairly entertaining and sometimes humorous though.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While there were some funny parts, a lot of the book left me feeling sorry for these girls who had so little sense of who they were. Instead they just seemed to drift in the wind, into and out of relationships and jobs. And I had a hard time keeping track of which character did what - there wasn't a lot to distinguish between the three friends.

[mlake_22 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I didn't love this book.

[cygnet81 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was almost like reading a collection of short stories where the characters were united. It was well written and compelling but also fun to read. I would highly recommend it!

[melissarochelle_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Read on July 31, 2011Sometimes I'm really happy to not have a lot of friends because I can't afford gifts for all the showers, weddings, and babies. This was a great pool day book...smart chick lit. A little Sex & the City, a little Bridget Jones, and a perfect snapshot of life in your twenties.

[cantinera · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this. It's told in quite a punctuated style, not really delving into the characters, but revealing what they are like through anecdotes and moments in their lives. I can see how many wouldn't like it as it doesn't really get to the heart of anything, but I liked the way we saw the flaws and insecurities that molded these women, as well as the social pressure and family history that played a part in it all. All of these made me enjoy this book, where as I can see it would put others off.

[bibliophilelibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm enjoying this novel of three young women grappling with heartbreak, career change, family pressure and young love, while suffering through an endless round of endless weddings and bridal showers!

[scote23 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book has many interconnecting stories that loosely follow a group of friends through their mid to late twenties and focuses mostly on relationships, although a few also look at jobs. I guess I didn't really like the sort of "happily-ever-after" every character got at the end. It's not really that every character is happy, but every character is with someone and seems to be somewhat happy. It's probably a realistic ending, but for some reason, I was kind of hoping one of the characters would end up alone and realizing that was okay for the moment.

[megan_trennett · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's not a story in the traditional sense, and I'm not even entirely sure I could say what it was about. But, it was still good, and still a page turner. I would have liked it more if there was more of a conclusion to the storylines.

[nomadreader_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The backstory: When Girls in White Dresses started showing up on several Best of 2012 lists, I was surprised. I had dismissed it as chick lit based on the cover. As Rachel Fershleiser (are you following her tumblr? You should) said best, Girls in White Dresses is a great women-processing-their-shit book.The basics: Girls in White Dresses is the story of three young women and close friends: Isabella, Mary and Lauren. Together and separately, they navigate the years following college, while some friends are getting married and having babies, while others are losing jobs or single or lacking direction.My thoughts: From the moment I started reading this novel, I was in love with both Close's writing and these beautifully developed characters:"New York in September was busy, like everyone was in a hurry to get back to real life after the lazy summer. Isabella liked the feeling of it, the rushing around, and she let herself get swept along the sidewalks. She walked quickly, trotting beside the crowds of people, like she had somewhere important to be, too, like she was part of the productivity of the city, when really she was just going to Bed Bath & Beyond to get a shower curtain." (page 6)Close immediately took me back to my early twenties. She captures the joys, fears and hope of those years perfectly. There are quiet moments and loud moments. The duality of being happy for your friends and yet scared or sad for yourself is beautifully rendered here:"Kristi’s third shower was thrown by her fiance’s groomsmen. It was a couples’ shower to stock the bar, and everyone was supposed to bring a bottle of liquor and glasses. “What kind of groomsmen throw a shower?” Lauren asked. “Are they gay? I’ve never heard of such a thing. And you know what? I’m not going. I’m not in a couple, and I need the liquor more than she does.” Lauren ended up going to the party and drinking almost the whole bottle of liquor she’d brought. “I need it more,” she kept saying."Ultimately, what makes this book amazing are the flaws of the characters. In this way, Girls in White Dresses reminded me of These Days Are Ours (my favorite read of 2012.) Both feature young women fresh from college navigating the world of adulthood, but more importantly, both feature flawed young women I can relate to. They have problems and insecurities, yet Haimoff and Close write them with a rawness and honesty that is brave and refreshing.Favorite passage: "She could feel herself getting sentimental, which she always was. Sometimes she missed people before they even left her, got depressed about a vacation being over before it started."The verdict: Girls in White Dresses was one of my favorite reads of 2012 and one of the most surprising, largely because the cover, while charming, misrepresents the novel. This novel is a moving tale of young adulthood, the beautiful complexities of friendships, and the uncertainties of forging your own path in life, love, work and time. Thinking Girls in White Dresses is about weddings was as foolish as thinking Sex and the City is a show only about sex. Both find their groove by combining realistic and easy-to-relate-to tales of friendship with humor and without shying away from the parts of ourselves we'd rather hide or forget. Jennifer Close made a fan out of me, and I'm now eagerly awaiting the release of her second novel, The Smart One, in April.

[sunnydrk · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting collection of characters. Who really put things into perspective for me and made me think about just how loony we can all be when we are so caught up in our own lives. Some of the storylines are well developed and others aren't, but overall the book was a good read.

[delphica · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I did not get this at all. Related short stories about a group of women after college who are worried about getting fat and finding husbands, and also confused about why their careers aren't satisfying. I had a hard time keeping them straight because most of them seemed like the same person. Maybe I am the wrong age, or perhaps just lucky, but I don't know anyone like this.Grade: C. After all that, I should add that I didn't hate the writing style.Recommended: I think you can skip, unless you are angling to catch a husband and feel like you need pointers in what not to do.

[coolmama_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this debut novel.The chapters were all about about 4 friends from college to present day - as the young women move on from college parties, boyfriends, interpersonal relationships, to life in NYC, their jobs, serious relationships, having children, and marriage (hence the title). The chapters were so well written, they could stand on their own as short stories. I really felt connected to the main characters: Isabella, Lauren and Mary. Look forward from more from this author.

[scoutlee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When I first started reading Girls in White Dresses, I didn't know what to expect. It took a few chapters for me to adjust to the author's writing style. When I began to look at each chapter as a short story with recurring characters, I was able to delve deeper into the novel.I'm no longer in my 20s, however I thought Close painted an accurate portrait of the anxieties, insecurities, and doubts I felt when I graduated from college. As my friends were getting engaged and married, I was pursuing my Master's degree. I wondered if I would ever find myself on the path of marriage and children.Girls in White Dresses is a a perfect companion to a lazy summer afternoon. If you find yourself feeling frustrated at the beginning, I would advise you to keep reading, it's worth it. If you are like me and not twenty-something anymore, it's also a walk down memory lane. Recommended.

[michellereads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Overrated. Original writing style but not all that enjoyable. Reads like a bunch of short stories because there are so many characters and the perpective and events change in each chapter. I couldn't keep it all straight. Heard it was funny, but not so much. Solid three stars.

[agentnica · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

While I enjoyed some aspects of the author's writing style--the short chapters, the funny dialogue, the quick pace--overall, I didn't think the quality of her writing was anything great or original. The characters are somewhat fleshed-out, but you don't know which ones you're really supposed to care about or why you should really care about them. There were some good laughs, but overall, I was disappointed. I thought the book had a lot of potential, but it just fell flat for me.

[smileydq · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I don't have much positive to say about this novel ... in fact my experience of the book was so different from that of so many other reviewers that I almost wonder if we didn't read the same book?! These girls, immersed as they are in the murky and bizarre period of life known as one's twenties, should have been funny, interesting and at the very least memorable. As it was, the individual characters were so bland that at times I had a hard time remembering which was which or whose story was whose. They had such low self-esteem and such stereotypical and offensive prejudices against friends and strangers alike that I just felt sorry for them, and for myself for bothering to continue to read. Where are the intelligent stories about strong, funny, realistic women? Why does so much 'chick-lit' have to be stupid? Argh. Don't waste your time on this one - I give it 1 star.

[catheolson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel trails three young women from college into their 30's . . . as they watch their friends one by one get married and pregnant, while they just can't seem to find the right guy.I loved the first half of the book--the short snippets of scenes, the characters and their weird friendships and relationships . . . but then the second half just got kind of repetitive and I found myself just wanting to get through it.

[bookchickdi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The characters in Girls in White Dresses are women on the verge of marriage. We meet Lauren, Mary and Isabella at college, and follow them through various vignettes as they meet and date guys- some good, some bad- on their way to adulthood and eventually, marriage and motherhood.Their stories are told in alternating chapters, snapshots of their lives. Mary is a serious law student who, for some reason unbeknownst to her friends, only dates ugly guys. She graduates and works many hours at her job, crushing on her boss. Isabella is the baby of her family, looking for a job in publishing and a good guy to love. She has several semiserious relationships, but none that seem to give her what she wants. Is it her?Lauren graduates from college, moves to New York, and ends up waitressing at a lousy restaurant, dating a scuzzy bartender. "This is not what Lauren went to college for. This was not where she was supposed to be. These were not the kind of people she was supposed to be around."This book can be a bit of a downer. We see all of these women at their most vulnerable, emotional time in their 20s, when they are out in the cold world, trying to find a career, trying to find love. They work at lousy jobs, have tiny city apartments, and kiss a lot of frogs looking for a prince. They see their friends getting married, (one hilarious chapter deals with the many, many bridal showers they have to attend as bridesmaids for one of their friend's weddings) getting great jobs, moving to the suburbs, having children, and their journey to the same life seems fraught with trouble. One thing that sustains them is their friendship with each other.At times there seemed to be too many extraneous characters, but when the author focused on her main characters, I felt compelled to keep turning the pages. Close really nails the confusion of young women, and most women who read this will identify with their lives, even if their 20s are in the rear view mirror.

[bachaney · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I was really looking forward to this book because it seemed like it would be a smart and witty portrayal of young adults in modern America. However, after reading the first few chapters of this book, I can't get past the style. I feel like this book is written in a very direct voice, like a screenplay or script, rather than as a descriptive novel. As a result, the book felt flat and emotionless to me. As a result, I ended up putting this book aside. If you are looking for typical chiclit, full of emotion and descriptions, this may not be the book for you. It is a very different style, which made it hard for me to connect with.