The Little French Bridal Shop

Dupee’s uneven debut features two protagonists drawn together by their love for a seaside Massachusetts house and shared ambivalence about marriage. As teenagers, Larisa Pearl and Jack Merrill met at Larisa’s Aunt Ursula’s home, Elmhurst, where Jack worked as caretaker. Now nearing 40, Larisa returns to prepare the house for sale following her aunt’s death. Her personal life is in shambles: she recently lost her job and provoked a dramatic breakup with her boyfriend. Upon arriving in town, she impulsively buys a wedding dress from the eponymous shop—despite having no intention to marry. Her purchase inevitably sparks small-town gossip, which snowballs until Larisa is planning a wedding without a groom. Jack, meanwhile, has grown into “a bad husband, a mediocre father.” After getting the boot from his wife, Holly, he moves into Elmhurst and offers to help Larisa with renovations. The story begins with the feel of a romantic comedy, but becomes increasingly heavy in tone and subject matter—with subplots about Larisa coming to terms with her mother’s dementia and Jack’s half-hearted efforts to save his marriage despite his attraction to Larisa—as Dupee expands on the theme that “everyone is hard to live with... even oneself.” This will appeal to readers looking for more sober romance. [em](Mar.) [/em]