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Four Ways to Wear a Dress
“Could not put this down! A relevant, sexy read!” —ABBY JIMENEZ, New York Times bestselling author
Gillian Libby brings you a bright, sexy, and hopeful story about friendship, self-discovery and acceptance, and fighting for your own happiness, even if it looks a little different than everyone else’s.
Millie Ward has been fired. Again. She’s tired of feeling like a failure, and she refuses to blame her ADHD the way her parents do every time she hits one of life’s speed bumps. This time, she’s going to let that speed bump actually slow her down, and jumps at the chance to visit her best friend―and Instagram influencer―Quincy in California. And she wouldn’t mind if that invitation also involved getting closer with Quincy’s brother, Pete.
Millie’s best friends Kate and Bree send her to Peacock Bay with the little black dress they share, giving her the confidence she needs to make the move. But Peacock Bay is full of mega influencers who have perfected the look of the surf lifestyle, and a minor misunderstanding has Millie joining their ranks. Can Millie and her magical dress convince Pete to face the Bay with her, or will Millie’s time in California be another misstep on her way to figuring out exactly who she is?
“Millie’s voice bursts off the page in this sparkling debut… You won’t want to put it down.” —Suzanne Park, author of So We Meet Again
“A smartly written story of friendship and self-discovery paired with a hefty dose of wit and charm. The perfect reminder to take risks and follow your heart.” —Ann Marie Walker, author of Lucky Leap Day
336 pages, Paperback
Published June 7, 2022
69 people are currently reading
10244 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 298 reviews
June 29, 2022
fantastic summer read ❤️❤️❤️ loved all the surfing, and the candid way it depicted influencer culture, loved Pete who the perfect love interest, and above all LOVED THE SEX SCENES 😊😊
June 13, 2022
In a Nutshell: For those who love Instagram and Instagrammers. Not my cup of tea. Irritating and contradictory mc. Meh plot except when it comes to steam and Instagram.
Story Synopsis:
Where the book worked for me:
😍 I learnt a lot (theoretically) about surfing. I love the beach but haven’t ever traversed the waves on a surfboard (nor am I likely to!) So seeing the surfer lifestyle vicariously was great fun.
😍 I liked the fictional Peacock Bay. The story uses its location very well. If it were an actual place, it would have been on my must-visit destinations list.
😍 There are a few interesting characters I would have loved to know more. Pete especially was a fabulous character. (His only flaw was that he fell for Millie.) Quincy, Amelia and Sage had great potential too, but they are underutilised. And I can’t forget baby Claire!
😍 There are some important topics raised – sustainable living, eco-friendly activities, buying local. All of these could have been better developed but yeah, at least they were present in the narrative.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
😔 Right from the start, I could see that the writing isn’t to my taste. Even other than the extraneous and abundant f bombs (I’ve gotten used to them now and treat them as a necessary hazard of contemporary fiction), Millie’s thoughts seem to be restricted to just a few topics. I didn’t get some of the humour. Like when Millie mentions in an inner monologue having made “penis-shaped pretzels”, what was the point of revealing that titbit? The attempt at humour felt so forced.
😔 Millie is a study of contradictions. If anyone has a research assignment on an oxymoronic character, please consider Millie as a prime subject. Here are some examples of her polar thinking:
1. She claims that she can’t reschedule a job interview as it is unprofessional. A few pages later, she drops an email just a little before the scheduled interview time declaring her lack of interest in that position anymore.
2. When Pete asks her not to go surfing alone, she blasts him with “feminist independence” ideologies and how she was a grown woman who didn’t need a man for protection. A few paras later, she claims she knows that Pete only meant that surfing alone was dangerous regardless of gender.
3. Millie has ADHD and every time there’s an upheaval in her emotional situation, she blames it on the disorder At the same time, if anyone makes any reference to her disorder, she sees red. (Actually, even if people weren’t talking about her disorder, she assumed that they did and saw red!)
4. Millie hates it when men objectify her based on her anatomical virtues. Guess what Millie does when she sees men? Nothing like pseudo-feminists to set the cause of gender equality veering on the wrong path.
5. Quincy is supposed to be Millie’s best friend and they’ve stayed in touch all the years after college. Yet Millie doesn’t even know the gender of Quincy’s two children, let alone their names. A couple of pages later, Millie knows every single detail of Alana’s kids, including their date of birth, though she has just seen Alana online. Weird!
😔 ADHD and (possible – yet to be diagnosed) autism are two disorders covered in the book, and both have been handled badly. The character who is possibly autistic serves only as a lever to take a minor arc ahead. It feels like a half-baked idea has been incorporated to justify some moral purpose. ADHD does somewhat better in terms of the attention it gets. But as most of this is from Millie who assumes everyone is judging her for her ADHD (whether they are or not), it gets very repetitive and irritating.
😔 The title doesn’t match the story at all. The ‘little black dress” is supposedly used by the four friends as a lucky charm. We only see Millie using it for almost the entire story. (Don’t know if the author has plans to write a series with one friend each.) So I haven’t figured out what are the “Four Ways to Wear a Dress” if only one friend was wearing it throughout. The plot reminded me strongly of “Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants”, where the four friends share a pair of pants that magically fits all of them and is their lucky charm. But SotTP made better use of the idea; this book is a pale shadow of the original. (Also, Millie, OMG! Could you please launder that dress before packing it and mailing it off to your friend??!?!)
😔 The writing is very repetitive. The characters other than the ones I mentioned are either not developed at all or developed inconsistently.
😔 As some of my friends know, I am not into Instagram. I dislike the filtered lifestyle it promotes. This book reminded me of all the reasons I hate the app. (People actually spray-paint leaves for autumn-based pics? Don’t they ever think about the planet? And this is in a supposedly eco-friendly location!) At the same time, the story takes the Insta influence too far. Getting 75k followers even if you are piggy-backing on some other influencer isn’t an easy task. Millie’s Insta journey seems very farfetched.
⚠ The word “spaz” is used in the book four times, all with the meaning of incompetence or clumsiness. However, “spaz” is derived from “spastic”, and the usage of “spaz” is considered highly offensive in many places. It might be an acceptable lexicon as per the urban dictionary (and from what I could gather online, it is an acceptable word in the US) but I found it insensitive, especially when Millie herself doesn’t like to be labelled as an ADHD sufferer.
I might have enjoyed this book more had Millie’s character been more sensible or likeable, preferably both. But I just couldn’t connect with her and because she was the narrator, the entire experience fell flat for me. This is a debut work, so I hate to be so dismissive of it, but the book hardly clicked for me. It might work better for you if you like Instagram, like almost-insta romance, and like live-in-the-moment-without-using-your-brain characters. Those looking for steamy scenes will be mighty happy with the spice levels in this story.
2 stars.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the “Read Now” option on this DRC of “Four Ways to Wear a Dress”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Story Synopsis:
Millie has been fired from her marketing job and to get a break, she decides to go to Peacock Bay, a remote surfer’s paradise in California where her college bestie Quincy lives with her family and works as a successful influencer on Instagram. The fact that Quincy’s hot brother, Pete, is also there running his family hotel is an added bonus. Before she moves, Millie finds a little black dress that she shared with her three college friends (including Quincy.) The girls consider this dress lucky, so Millie hopes some of the luck will come her way in California.
Peacock Bay is full of influencers, so Millie has to do whatever she can to gain more followers. When this involves telling the world that Pete is her Instagram Husband, things begin changing faster than she can handle.
The story is written in the first person perspective of Millie.
Where the book worked for me:
😍 I learnt a lot (theoretically) about surfing. I love the beach but haven’t ever traversed the waves on a surfboard (nor am I likely to!) So seeing the surfer lifestyle vicariously was great fun.
😍 I liked the fictional Peacock Bay. The story uses its location very well. If it were an actual place, it would have been on my must-visit destinations list.
😍 There are a few interesting characters I would have loved to know more. Pete especially was a fabulous character. (His only flaw was that he fell for Millie.) Quincy, Amelia and Sage had great potential too, but they are underutilised. And I can’t forget baby Claire!
😍 There are some important topics raised – sustainable living, eco-friendly activities, buying local. All of these could have been better developed but yeah, at least they were present in the narrative.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
😔 Right from the start, I could see that the writing isn’t to my taste. Even other than the extraneous and abundant f bombs (I’ve gotten used to them now and treat them as a necessary hazard of contemporary fiction), Millie’s thoughts seem to be restricted to just a few topics. I didn’t get some of the humour. Like when Millie mentions in an inner monologue having made “penis-shaped pretzels”, what was the point of revealing that titbit? The attempt at humour felt so forced.
😔 Millie is a study of contradictions. If anyone has a research assignment on an oxymoronic character, please consider Millie as a prime subject. Here are some examples of her polar thinking:
1. She claims that she can’t reschedule a job interview as it is unprofessional. A few pages later, she drops an email just a little before the scheduled interview time declaring her lack of interest in that position anymore.
2. When Pete asks her not to go surfing alone, she blasts him with “feminist independence” ideologies and how she was a grown woman who didn’t need a man for protection. A few paras later, she claims she knows that Pete only meant that surfing alone was dangerous regardless of gender.
3. Millie has ADHD and every time there’s an upheaval in her emotional situation, she blames it on the disorder At the same time, if anyone makes any reference to her disorder, she sees red. (Actually, even if people weren’t talking about her disorder, she assumed that they did and saw red!)
4. Millie hates it when men objectify her based on her anatomical virtues. Guess what Millie does when she sees men? Nothing like pseudo-feminists to set the cause of gender equality veering on the wrong path.
5. Quincy is supposed to be Millie’s best friend and they’ve stayed in touch all the years after college. Yet Millie doesn’t even know the gender of Quincy’s two children, let alone their names. A couple of pages later, Millie knows every single detail of Alana’s kids, including their date of birth, though she has just seen Alana online. Weird!
😔 ADHD and (possible – yet to be diagnosed) autism are two disorders covered in the book, and both have been handled badly. The character who is possibly autistic serves only as a lever to take a minor arc ahead. It feels like a half-baked idea has been incorporated to justify some moral purpose. ADHD does somewhat better in terms of the attention it gets. But as most of this is from Millie who assumes everyone is judging her for her ADHD (whether they are or not), it gets very repetitive and irritating.
😔 The title doesn’t match the story at all. The ‘little black dress” is supposedly used by the four friends as a lucky charm. We only see Millie using it for almost the entire story. (Don’t know if the author has plans to write a series with one friend each.) So I haven’t figured out what are the “Four Ways to Wear a Dress” if only one friend was wearing it throughout. The plot reminded me strongly of “Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants”, where the four friends share a pair of pants that magically fits all of them and is their lucky charm. But SotTP made better use of the idea; this book is a pale shadow of the original. (Also, Millie, OMG! Could you please launder that dress before packing it and mailing it off to your friend??!?!)
😔 The writing is very repetitive. The characters other than the ones I mentioned are either not developed at all or developed inconsistently.
😔 As some of my friends know, I am not into Instagram. I dislike the filtered lifestyle it promotes. This book reminded me of all the reasons I hate the app. (People actually spray-paint leaves for autumn-based pics? Don’t they ever think about the planet? And this is in a supposedly eco-friendly location!) At the same time, the story takes the Insta influence too far. Getting 75k followers even if you are piggy-backing on some other influencer isn’t an easy task. Millie’s Insta journey seems very farfetched.
⚠ The word “spaz” is used in the book four times, all with the meaning of incompetence or clumsiness. However, “spaz” is derived from “spastic”, and the usage of “spaz” is considered highly offensive in many places. It might be an acceptable lexicon as per the urban dictionary (and from what I could gather online, it is an acceptable word in the US) but I found it insensitive, especially when Millie herself doesn’t like to be labelled as an ADHD sufferer.
I might have enjoyed this book more had Millie’s character been more sensible or likeable, preferably both. But I just couldn’t connect with her and because she was the narrator, the entire experience fell flat for me. This is a debut work, so I hate to be so dismissive of it, but the book hardly clicked for me. It might work better for you if you like Instagram, like almost-insta romance, and like live-in-the-moment-without-using-your-brain characters. Those looking for steamy scenes will be mighty happy with the spice levels in this story.
2 stars.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the “Read Now” option on this DRC of “Four Ways to Wear a Dress”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
December 30, 2021
I got super lucky to read an advanced copy of this. Author perks lol.
Millie Ward gets laid off from her job as a marketing agent for a New York start-up and decides to go to California to see her college roommate, Quincy (and her hot brother/ family legacy hotel owner/ Millie's college crush, Pete Santana) and surf—the one thing she feels really good at. It's another disappointment to her parents, who think Millie's ADHD is the cause of all of her failures. She starts an Instagram page to document her adventures and heads West, saying goodbye to her best friends, but not before finding their mutual dress, a black slipdress with magical Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants properties. It's been buried in a box and almost gets thrown away, but the other three girls have success and happiness, so Millie puts it on and gets on the plane. When she arrives, she ends up making a mutually beneficial deal with Pete where they agree to fake date for a month. It benefits her new Instagram page and his struggling business. Fun times ensue, and well, you just need to read it. Trust me. It's adorable.
I loved this book and all the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants vibes. Pete and Millie are HOT, the sex scenes are plentiful and spicy, and the theme of Instagram versus reality is relevant, showing that a platform can be a powerful resource for doing good, but it's most effective when truly authentic and real.
Definitely add this to your TBR!
Millie Ward gets laid off from her job as a marketing agent for a New York start-up and decides to go to California to see her college roommate, Quincy (and her hot brother/ family legacy hotel owner/ Millie's college crush, Pete Santana) and surf—the one thing she feels really good at. It's another disappointment to her parents, who think Millie's ADHD is the cause of all of her failures. She starts an Instagram page to document her adventures and heads West, saying goodbye to her best friends, but not before finding their mutual dress, a black slipdress with magical Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants properties. It's been buried in a box and almost gets thrown away, but the other three girls have success and happiness, so Millie puts it on and gets on the plane. When she arrives, she ends up making a mutually beneficial deal with Pete where they agree to fake date for a month. It benefits her new Instagram page and his struggling business. Fun times ensue, and well, you just need to read it. Trust me. It's adorable.
I loved this book and all the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants vibes. Pete and Millie are HOT, the sex scenes are plentiful and spicy, and the theme of Instagram versus reality is relevant, showing that a platform can be a powerful resource for doing good, but it's most effective when truly authentic and real.
Definitely add this to your TBR!
June 13, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks Casablanca for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Yup, my first 1-star read is an ARC (of a book that came out a week ago but that’s beside the point).
To start, I'm not entirely sure why Four Ways to Wear a Dress is titled the way it is. I think it's supposed to be a reference to the storyline where Millie, our main character, and her three friends from college (Bree, Kate, and Quincy) have all shared the same black dress that have brought them all luck in big events during their lives-first dates, important job interviews, and other major life events-but since Millie is the focus of the story, we don't really get to hear about the other "ways" the dress has helped Millie's other friends aside from the big events I mentioned above.
The entire storyline revolves around Millie attempting to make a living out of social media during a visit to her friend Quincy's town of Peacock Bay, California after getting fired from her previous job. I absolutely COULD NOT stand the idea of the book revolving around California/LA influencers, specifically mommy bloggers/influencers who like to document their babies' and childrens' lives for millions of people to see. I will never understand how people think it's okay to hyper-document their child(ren)'s lives on the Internet for millions of people to see. They're CHILDREN. They don't 100% know what's going on when their parents are shoving cameras in their faces all the time. I fully stand by the idea of letting kids be kids and live a life off of social media without their parents exploiting them for money and brand sponsorships.
I hate how the people Millie becomes friends with in Peacock Bay live, eat, breathe, and sleep social media, making sure they have the most perfect lives, and how Millie can't mess everything up for them and ruin their "brand" and the town's reputation as a rising destination for spring breakers and surfers since Millie's "brand" is broadcasting her mishaps and other screw-ups on Instagram for her followers to see. The one thing I will say I enjoyed about this book was how Millie embraced her ADHD and made a brand for herself through it and how she's inspired her followers by letting them know that not everything you see on social media is reality; it's okay to mess up because we're all human. When Millie's other Peacock Bay friends start to follow in her footsteps and get real with their followers about their day-to-day struggles and one of the other influencers gets upset that they're "rUiNiNg ThE bRaNd" and the reputation they've built for Peacock Bay online, I wanted to bang my head against my desk because there's absolutely no way anyone could be that dense and self-absorbed but I was wrong.
Also, I get that this is a rom-com and spicy scenes are expected but I swear Millie is like the female equivalent of Ethan from The Unhoneymooners when it comes to her love interest, Quincy's brother, Pete. I really could've gone without reading about how horny she was, how attractive his body is, and how much she wanted to have sex with Pete on what felt like every. Single. Page. Like, there's more to a person than just how physically attractive they are.
(This is totally unrelated but I couldn't stand the babies' names in the story. I'm sorry, but who would name their child Monrow? I know there are another 3 names I can't think of right now but they were equally ridiculous.)
Overall, I think if you like the idea of a book about social media and Instagrammers then you might enjoy Four Ways to Wear a Dress way more than I did. I just couldn't stand reading about people obsessing over how they need to lead the "perfect, Instagrammable lives" and exploiting their infant/toddler children for likes on social media.
—
1 star
Yup, my first 1-star read is an ARC (of a book that came out a week ago but that’s beside the point).
To start, I'm not entirely sure why Four Ways to Wear a Dress is titled the way it is. I think it's supposed to be a reference to the storyline where Millie, our main character, and her three friends from college (Bree, Kate, and Quincy) have all shared the same black dress that have brought them all luck in big events during their lives-first dates, important job interviews, and other major life events-but since Millie is the focus of the story, we don't really get to hear about the other "ways" the dress has helped Millie's other friends aside from the big events I mentioned above.
The entire storyline revolves around Millie attempting to make a living out of social media during a visit to her friend Quincy's town of Peacock Bay, California after getting fired from her previous job. I absolutely COULD NOT stand the idea of the book revolving around California/LA influencers, specifically mommy bloggers/influencers who like to document their babies' and childrens' lives for millions of people to see. I will never understand how people think it's okay to hyper-document their child(ren)'s lives on the Internet for millions of people to see. They're CHILDREN. They don't 100% know what's going on when their parents are shoving cameras in their faces all the time. I fully stand by the idea of letting kids be kids and live a life off of social media without their parents exploiting them for money and brand sponsorships.
I hate how the people Millie becomes friends with in Peacock Bay live, eat, breathe, and sleep social media, making sure they have the most perfect lives, and how Millie can't mess everything up for them and ruin their "brand" and the town's reputation as a rising destination for spring breakers and surfers since Millie's "brand" is broadcasting her mishaps and other screw-ups on Instagram for her followers to see. The one thing I will say I enjoyed about this book was how Millie embraced her ADHD and made a brand for herself through it and how she's inspired her followers by letting them know that not everything you see on social media is reality; it's okay to mess up because we're all human. When Millie's other Peacock Bay friends start to follow in her footsteps and get real with their followers about their day-to-day struggles and one of the other influencers gets upset that they're "rUiNiNg ThE bRaNd" and the reputation they've built for Peacock Bay online, I wanted to bang my head against my desk because there's absolutely no way anyone could be that dense and self-absorbed but I was wrong.
Also, I get that this is a rom-com and spicy scenes are expected but I swear Millie is like the female equivalent of Ethan from The Unhoneymooners when it comes to her love interest, Quincy's brother, Pete. I really could've gone without reading about how horny she was, how attractive his body is, and how much she wanted to have sex with Pete on what felt like every. Single. Page. Like, there's more to a person than just how physically attractive they are.
(This is totally unrelated but I couldn't stand the babies' names in the story. I'm sorry, but who would name their child Monrow? I know there are another 3 names I can't think of right now but they were equally ridiculous.)
Overall, I think if you like the idea of a book about social media and Instagrammers then you might enjoy Four Ways to Wear a Dress way more than I did. I just couldn't stand reading about people obsessing over how they need to lead the "perfect, Instagrammable lives" and exploiting their infant/toddler children for likes on social media.
—
1 star
June 5, 2022
Publication Date: 07th June 2022
2.8 Stars
One Liner: More misses than hits!
Mille Ward has been laid off from her PR job. She feels like a failure, not able to hold on to a job and settle down in life (according to her parents). Her parents blame it on her ADHD, but Millie knows that’s not the reason. She decides to visit her best friend Quincy in a small Bay town in California.
Quincy and her folk of influencers work overtime to promote the laidback town, and Millie decides she could try a hand at becoming an influencer herself. Not to mention, she also gets to crush on Pete, Quincy’s brother, from close quarters.
Her other two besties, Kate and Bree, help her with the move and encourage her to wear their magical black dress. It never failed them before, after all. Millie is doubtful she would fail the dress but wears it.
When Millie has to convince Pete to be her Instagram Husband to promote her profile and his hotel business, things get a little complicated for them. Can their fake relationship lead to something real? Can the influencers save the town? Can Millie get her career back on track?
The story is written in Mille’s first-person POV.
What I Like:
Millie is a decent character when she doesn’t go overboard (which happens more often during the second half).
The setting was beautiful. I liked the scenes about surfing. Got to learn something from it, so that’s always a plus. Not that I intend to surf or anything.
Pete is a really cool character (it also helps that he is super handsome). I feel bad for him, thanks to Millie’s stupidity. Not that he was faultless, but still.
We see different types of working women, and each of them goes through ups and downs. I don't like Alana’s idea of perfection, but I can understand her fear of losing followers and risking everything they built from scratch. That doesn’t excuse her interference in others’ lives.
The story has potential and made me chuckle a few times. I also didn’t have to stress my grey cells, which is another plus. But it could have been so much better.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
This is a case where the reader can see that Pete is in love with Millie, but she doesn’t see it (she is the narrator). She is determined to remind him that their relationship is fake at every possible opportunity. I started checking how many pages were left each time this happened.
While the title makes the black dress a prominent part of the book, the storyline somehow loses track of it. There’s a scene towards the end that feels patchy and unnecessary (only to somehow do justice to the title). The book could’ve been the same even without that dress. Not to mention that the same dress fits four different women.
Since when did an invitation to an interview imply a job? If that was the case, the unemployment rate around the world would never shoot up. Getting a job isn’t that easy. Millie getting kicked out of hers on the first page of the book is enough indication of the market conditions.
A major part of the book is about the life of social media influencers. It sure is damn hard to create an Instagram-worthy perfect life and hide the rest from the world. But that shouldn’t come at the cost of personal, especially kids’ future.
Alana’s character is a contradiction throughout. I still don’t know who she really is.
Millie is almost an instant success on Instagram. She has like 75K followers in around a month. How does that happen to non-celebs or people without no previous accounts or recognition on social media? (I’m a content writer, and digital marketing is one of my niches.)
ADHD and autism are both a part of the book, but neither gets justice. And no, Millie can’t blame her stupidity on ADHD. I disliked how the kid (Quincy’s son) hardly got any space in the book. Nope. He deserved better.
To sum up, Four Ways to Wear a Dress is a lighthearted book with some laughs and annoying moments if you don’t mind an overload of the influencer stuff. Oh, a generous amount of the F-word.
Thank you, NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley
*****
P.S: The book has steam (level 3-ish, I suppose). Readers, be warned. ;)
*****
P.P.S: I think I’m officially entering the black list of the publishers, lol. My acceptance rate is almost zero as it is. (Got this book and The Summer of Christmas when these were Read Now on NG).
2.8 Stars
One Liner: More misses than hits!
Mille Ward has been laid off from her PR job. She feels like a failure, not able to hold on to a job and settle down in life (according to her parents). Her parents blame it on her ADHD, but Millie knows that’s not the reason. She decides to visit her best friend Quincy in a small Bay town in California.
Quincy and her folk of influencers work overtime to promote the laidback town, and Millie decides she could try a hand at becoming an influencer herself. Not to mention, she also gets to crush on Pete, Quincy’s brother, from close quarters.
Her other two besties, Kate and Bree, help her with the move and encourage her to wear their magical black dress. It never failed them before, after all. Millie is doubtful she would fail the dress but wears it.
When Millie has to convince Pete to be her Instagram Husband to promote her profile and his hotel business, things get a little complicated for them. Can their fake relationship lead to something real? Can the influencers save the town? Can Millie get her career back on track?
The story is written in Mille’s first-person POV.
What I Like:
Millie is a decent character when she doesn’t go overboard (which happens more often during the second half).
The setting was beautiful. I liked the scenes about surfing. Got to learn something from it, so that’s always a plus. Not that I intend to surf or anything.
Pete is a really cool character (it also helps that he is super handsome). I feel bad for him, thanks to Millie’s stupidity. Not that he was faultless, but still.
We see different types of working women, and each of them goes through ups and downs. I don't like Alana’s idea of perfection, but I can understand her fear of losing followers and risking everything they built from scratch. That doesn’t excuse her interference in others’ lives.
The story has potential and made me chuckle a few times. I also didn’t have to stress my grey cells, which is another plus. But it could have been so much better.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
This is a case where the reader can see that Pete is in love with Millie, but she doesn’t see it (she is the narrator). She is determined to remind him that their relationship is fake at every possible opportunity. I started checking how many pages were left each time this happened.
While the title makes the black dress a prominent part of the book, the storyline somehow loses track of it. There’s a scene towards the end that feels patchy and unnecessary (only to somehow do justice to the title). The book could’ve been the same even without that dress. Not to mention that the same dress fits four different women.
Since when did an invitation to an interview imply a job? If that was the case, the unemployment rate around the world would never shoot up. Getting a job isn’t that easy. Millie getting kicked out of hers on the first page of the book is enough indication of the market conditions.
A major part of the book is about the life of social media influencers. It sure is damn hard to create an Instagram-worthy perfect life and hide the rest from the world. But that shouldn’t come at the cost of personal, especially kids’ future.
Alana’s character is a contradiction throughout. I still don’t know who she really is.
Millie is almost an instant success on Instagram. She has like 75K followers in around a month. How does that happen to non-celebs or people without no previous accounts or recognition on social media? (I’m a content writer, and digital marketing is one of my niches.)
ADHD and autism are both a part of the book, but neither gets justice. And no, Millie can’t blame her stupidity on ADHD. I disliked how the kid (Quincy’s son) hardly got any space in the book. Nope. He deserved better.
To sum up, Four Ways to Wear a Dress is a lighthearted book with some laughs and annoying moments if you don’t mind an overload of the influencer stuff. Oh, a generous amount of the F-word.
Thank you, NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley
*****
P.S: The book has steam (level 3-ish, I suppose). Readers, be warned. ;)
*****
P.P.S: I think I’m officially entering the black list of the publishers, lol. My acceptance rate is almost zero as it is. (Got this book and The Summer of Christmas when these were Read Now on NG).
September 27, 2022
After losing her job, Millie decides to make a change...a big one and for once lean into who she is and what feels right. Dealing with her ADHD can make things challenging, but she is so relatable and real that you can't help but want to be Millie's friend and root for her. This book is a wild surf ride with friends who are more like family and the love that comes with it. Reading this is like catching the perfect wave and riding it all the way to the shore.
~ Jen K.
Find a copy at Scottsdale Public Library
~ Jen K.
Find a copy at Scottsdale Public Library
May 26, 2022
✨Is that your surfboard I feel or are you just happy to see me?🏄♀️✨
I think the weirdest part of this weird book is that they chose “four ways to wear a dress” as the title.
I think this would make a good beach read. There’s a mix of social media influencer and surfing and I kinda just tuned out the influencer stuff because it was unbelievable and odd. Faking him being her husband was just a No and you can’t tell me it wouldn’t have caused a larger scandal. She was literally dating him for likes and views! As a user I’d be so offended. As a reader I just expected more to come from it? Also I feel like the Alana chick needed some more exploration because her character is so unique and strange. And also annoying. So annoying. But then kinda nice? Idk.
I enjoyed the first half more than the second, but it was still a solid summer read. I’m all for the endless pining and Pete served it up on a silver platter. However, the name Pete does absolutely nothing for me. It’s not a name I would have given to a surfer dude (or anyone…I just think of Pistol Pete from Parks and Rec). Some of the writing was repetitive, but it was probably more noticeable via the audiobook. Speaking of which, I liked the narrator, but her guy voice kinda weirded me out. If you’ve listened to the Princess Diaries series, Pete sounded like a mix of Lily and Michael….
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶🌶.75*/5
*What does the author have against climaxing on the page like his dick was just in your MOUTH we clearly know we’re reading about sex no need to get SHY. The steam was more than I would have expected, but it did leave some things to be desired. Each scene just needed a little bit more and boom the full enchilada. He did say this one sexy thing though and I was like okay king go off.
I think the weirdest part of this weird book is that they chose “four ways to wear a dress” as the title.
I think this would make a good beach read. There’s a mix of social media influencer and surfing and I kinda just tuned out the influencer stuff because it was unbelievable and odd. Faking him being her husband was just a No and you can’t tell me it wouldn’t have caused a larger scandal. She was literally dating him for likes and views! As a user I’d be so offended. As a reader I just expected more to come from it? Also I feel like the Alana chick needed some more exploration because her character is so unique and strange. And also annoying. So annoying. But then kinda nice? Idk.
I enjoyed the first half more than the second, but it was still a solid summer read. I’m all for the endless pining and Pete served it up on a silver platter. However, the name Pete does absolutely nothing for me. It’s not a name I would have given to a surfer dude (or anyone…I just think of Pistol Pete from Parks and Rec). Some of the writing was repetitive, but it was probably more noticeable via the audiobook. Speaking of which, I liked the narrator, but her guy voice kinda weirded me out. If you’ve listened to the Princess Diaries series, Pete sounded like a mix of Lily and Michael….
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶🌶.75*/5
*What does the author have against climaxing on the page like his dick was just in your MOUTH we clearly know we’re reading about sex no need to get SHY. The steam was more than I would have expected, but it did leave some things to be desired. Each scene just needed a little bit more and boom the full enchilada. He did say this one sexy thing though and I was like okay king go off.
May 16, 2022
Millie just lost her job at sustainable toy company, Butterfly Bridge. They’ve axed the hardworking marketing team. Millie is now at a crossroads. She doesn’t want to disappoint her parents or have them think her ADHD is making her not be able to be independent, lest they pressure her to do real estate back in Nantucket.
Her best friend Quincy, an influencer, lives in California and Millie has an open invitation to stay at Quincy’s family’s hotel. Maybe this is the right time to take them up on their generosity. It would be nice to reconnect with her best friend. Quincy’s brother Pete is Millie’s longtime crush so she’s excited to see him since he doesn’t have a social media presence. She decides she will go and document the experience online.
Her NYC besties are helping her pack and as a box almost gets thrown away, they discover their lucky little black dress. They’ve shared it over the years and worn it on dates and interviews. They suggest Millie take it for luck and post online mostly wearing it.
The dress starts putting in work immediately when Pete picks her up at the airport and takes her to a lovely secret cove where he surfs. Millie starts to fit in with the Peacock Bay crowd. It seems like they need a marketing expert after Covid has ravaged their small businesses and the town’s entrepreneurial spirit.
She finds she has a lot to add and give to the community but Alana, a bigger influencer in town, seems to bully people to bend to her will. She thinks a fake marriage between Millie and Pete will help town revenue. I think Pete mostly needs someone to assure him he doesn’t need to blow out payroll in an overheated economy but who am I to judge?!
With things getting more complicated and feelings getting involved, will Millie make the right choices and find a home there or will she be running back to the concrete jungle?
This was a lot of fun. It was a fake dating/grumpy-sunshine romance with a heart. I appreciated the attention to detail and the discussion of women in surfing, learning difficulties, and being considerate of what you share about your kids online because someday it could follow them and become embarrassing. People don't talk about that enough.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen and review. The narration was fabulous.
Her best friend Quincy, an influencer, lives in California and Millie has an open invitation to stay at Quincy’s family’s hotel. Maybe this is the right time to take them up on their generosity. It would be nice to reconnect with her best friend. Quincy’s brother Pete is Millie’s longtime crush so she’s excited to see him since he doesn’t have a social media presence. She decides she will go and document the experience online.
Her NYC besties are helping her pack and as a box almost gets thrown away, they discover their lucky little black dress. They’ve shared it over the years and worn it on dates and interviews. They suggest Millie take it for luck and post online mostly wearing it.
The dress starts putting in work immediately when Pete picks her up at the airport and takes her to a lovely secret cove where he surfs. Millie starts to fit in with the Peacock Bay crowd. It seems like they need a marketing expert after Covid has ravaged their small businesses and the town’s entrepreneurial spirit.
She finds she has a lot to add and give to the community but Alana, a bigger influencer in town, seems to bully people to bend to her will. She thinks a fake marriage between Millie and Pete will help town revenue. I think Pete mostly needs someone to assure him he doesn’t need to blow out payroll in an overheated economy but who am I to judge?!
With things getting more complicated and feelings getting involved, will Millie make the right choices and find a home there or will she be running back to the concrete jungle?
This was a lot of fun. It was a fake dating/grumpy-sunshine romance with a heart. I appreciated the attention to detail and the discussion of women in surfing, learning difficulties, and being considerate of what you share about your kids online because someday it could follow them and become embarrassing. People don't talk about that enough.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen and review. The narration was fabulous.
April 9, 2022
I honestly don’t even know how to rate this. I wanted to love it. The romance was great, steamy and the location was fun to dream and think about with all the surfing and sun.
I can’t stop thinking about little 4 year old Monrow. He is possible autistic. The mom sort of takes a stand with it and talks about her feelings and experiences. Alana though. She is disgusted that her friend would want to have her son “evaluated for special needs”. That phrase got me. Quincy (the mom) finally says something about the troubles of labels and evals (which as a mom of an autistic son I get this POV, not autisitc so I can’t speak for the autisitc community as a whole) and how she just wants to do what will help him. It’s about him. Not Alana’s influencer best life image she wants everyone to have. Also she essentially tells Quincy to not bring him to her party, but she can bring her other child and no one cares?????????? That is HORRIBLE. Do not exclude this 4 year old that has a potential diagnosis he can’t help, to isolate him already??!
And everyone keeps talking about baby Claire and how wonderful and perfect she is, everyone knows who she is. I felt this part of the story almost just rubbed it in about how mistreated Monrow was.
Honestly I want to love the book, but Alana being so disrespectful to her friend instead of supportive killed it for me. Quincy does kind of finally do something, but I’m still just disappointed she stayed friends with her. And everyone else stayed friends with her too.
I can’t stop thinking about little 4 year old Monrow. He is possible autistic. The mom sort of takes a stand with it and talks about her feelings and experiences. Alana though. She is disgusted that her friend would want to have her son “evaluated for special needs”. That phrase got me. Quincy (the mom) finally says something about the troubles of labels and evals (which as a mom of an autistic son I get this POV, not autisitc so I can’t speak for the autisitc community as a whole) and how she just wants to do what will help him. It’s about him. Not Alana’s influencer best life image she wants everyone to have. Also she essentially tells Quincy to not bring him to her party, but she can bring her other child and no one cares?????????? That is HORRIBLE. Do not exclude this 4 year old that has a potential diagnosis he can’t help, to isolate him already??!
And everyone keeps talking about baby Claire and how wonderful and perfect she is, everyone knows who she is. I felt this part of the story almost just rubbed it in about how mistreated Monrow was.
Honestly I want to love the book, but Alana being so disrespectful to her friend instead of supportive killed it for me. Quincy does kind of finally do something, but I’m still just disappointed she stayed friends with her. And everyone else stayed friends with her too.
July 7, 2022
I REALLY, really enjoyed this steamy summer romance set in a small beach town. Millie is a social media influencer whose lost her way (and her following). When a friend asks her to come home and help her out for a month she agrees easily, especially when she finds her lucky dress - the one that has brought luck to all her friends (think Sisterhood of the travelling pants!). Trying to help her friends, Millie ends up in a fake dating situation with her best friend's brother - the man she's happened to have a huge crush on since college.
Full of heart, humor and lots of relatable moments. I loved the mental health rep (Millie has ADHD and is constantly battling feelings of being a screw up) and also enjoyed that Millie was a bad-ass surfer chick (think Blue Crush). The exhaustion of being tied to a social media grid and constantly chasing followers is also very well done in this book.
Definitely add it to your summer #tbr if you like:
- women surfers
- neurodivergent MCs
- best friend's brother trope
- fake dating
- open door romance with TONS of chemistry
- small town setting
- great female friendships
This was honestly a surprise delight and I'm so grateful to have gotten an advance review copy thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks!! Great on audio narrated by
Erika Schindele and highly recommended, especially for fans of In the weeds or When in Rome!!
Full of heart, humor and lots of relatable moments. I loved the mental health rep (Millie has ADHD and is constantly battling feelings of being a screw up) and also enjoyed that Millie was a bad-ass surfer chick (think Blue Crush). The exhaustion of being tied to a social media grid and constantly chasing followers is also very well done in this book.
Definitely add it to your summer #tbr if you like:
- women surfers
- neurodivergent MCs
- best friend's brother trope
- fake dating
- open door romance with TONS of chemistry
- small town setting
- great female friendships
This was honestly a surprise delight and I'm so grateful to have gotten an advance review copy thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks!! Great on audio narrated by
Erika Schindele and highly recommended, especially for fans of In the weeds or When in Rome!!
June 20, 2022
This was an okay summer read. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either.
July 18, 2022
This is just fine. I didn't love it, nothing I think was really bad or dragged either. Shows an interesting side of influencer culture where it's fake, but it kind of needs to be fake to work. An entire town needs to have an appealing image so tourists go there and businesses stay afloat. It also raises the question of how genuine can anyone be when they show only what they want on the internet? Even the "embarrassing real" stuff is curated.
Millie is a fun protag as all these questions come up for her. I like that she knew all her mistakes and was trying something to see if it sticks. The romance element is only okay, Pete seemed pretty #perf and I got annoyed at reading how hot and perfect he was. I like the kids little subplot too, what is a "good" child and how much to show on the internet. I don't love all these moms shoving cameras in these kids face, but I can't deny that it's totally reality.
Millie is a fun protag as all these questions come up for her. I like that she knew all her mistakes and was trying something to see if it sticks. The romance element is only okay, Pete seemed pretty #perf and I got annoyed at reading how hot and perfect he was. I like the kids little subplot too, what is a "good" child and how much to show on the internet. I don't love all these moms shoving cameras in these kids face, but I can't deny that it's totally reality.
June 10, 2022
I'm at a 3 ⭐ for this debut.
This story follows Millie as she moves to California to figure her life out after being fired from her marketing job due to downsizing. She has always been interested in surfing, so she embarks on an adventure of her true calling. And lucky for her that her bff's hot brother who she's always crushed on, Pete, lives there
The story was easy to follow along, but it was very slow going for me. I didn't find myself overly invested in the story really.
It's heavy on being an influencer and having a lot of social media followers, which leads Millie and Pete to begin fake dating to drum up business. Fake turns into some steaminess rather quickly. Spoiler alert, but not really ~ they really secretly like each other.
9 hour and 40 minute listen and Erika Schindele did a fine job narrating, easy listen at 2x.
If you like books about fake dating, surfing, going after what you want and/or having many followers than this story might be for you.
*Thanks to Dreamscape Media LLC, Gillian Libby and NetGalley for the advance audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
This story follows Millie as she moves to California to figure her life out after being fired from her marketing job due to downsizing. She has always been interested in surfing, so she embarks on an adventure of her true calling. And lucky for her that her bff's hot brother who she's always crushed on, Pete, lives there
The story was easy to follow along, but it was very slow going for me. I didn't find myself overly invested in the story really.
It's heavy on being an influencer and having a lot of social media followers, which leads Millie and Pete to begin fake dating to drum up business. Fake turns into some steaminess rather quickly. Spoiler alert, but not really ~ they really secretly like each other.
9 hour and 40 minute listen and Erika Schindele did a fine job narrating, easy listen at 2x.
If you like books about fake dating, surfing, going after what you want and/or having many followers than this story might be for you.
*Thanks to Dreamscape Media LLC, Gillian Libby and NetGalley for the advance audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
September 17, 2022
Four Ways to Wear a Dress Gillian Libby
If you like surfing or Instagram this will be a book for you. If you want to read about a 20something with ADHD who doesn't want to run back to Mommy and Daddy after being fired (again), but wants to stand on her own two feet, this book is for you.
If you like fake romances again this book is for you.
I enjoyed this first book in a series, it was a good "beach read" style of book.
I liked how Millie helped her friends out once she moved back to surf and do instagram.
I did not like Millie's constant complaining or whining about the ADHD situation.
The fake romance took awhile to grow on me.
that said I would recommend it to readers who want a quick read with some funny parts and a nice wrapped up with a bow type ending that led into book 2.
Thank you Netgalley
4******
If you like surfing or Instagram this will be a book for you. If you want to read about a 20something with ADHD who doesn't want to run back to Mommy and Daddy after being fired (again), but wants to stand on her own two feet, this book is for you.
If you like fake romances again this book is for you.
I enjoyed this first book in a series, it was a good "beach read" style of book.
I liked how Millie helped her friends out once she moved back to surf and do instagram.
I did not like Millie's constant complaining or whining about the ADHD situation.
The fake romance took awhile to grow on me.
that said I would recommend it to readers who want a quick read with some funny parts and a nice wrapped up with a bow type ending that led into book 2.
Thank you Netgalley
4******
April 12, 2022
"We all know this dress really isn't magic. It's just a connection to our collective histories and friendships. But there's magic in that. Something to remind use we're never really going it alone when we reach our lower points."
Take navigating-yours-20s, "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" with one narrator, city along the coast, Instagram influencer antics, surfing, and influencer blog moms and you get this beach town read.
Millie just lost her marketing job in New York and escapes to the beach town of Peacock Bay to visit her college best friend, Quincy. She also gets to see her longtime crush, who just so happens to be her best friend's older brother/local hotel owner, Pete.
While starting anew in Peacock Bay, Millie decides to start a new Instagram account to try her hand in becoming someone that can make a living online. That plan takes a quick turn with a rising follower account when local mom-influencer, Alana, posts a photo of Millie and Pete with a misleading caption about them being together, lighting the rumor mill on fire. One thing leads to another, and Millie's dreams have finally come true: she's dating Pete. The only catch is that it's for a month and is only meant to bring attention to the tourism scene of Peacock Bay, but will their feelings get in the way of their monthlong plan?
I had a tough time fully immersing myself in this one. I was enjoying it, but I didn't feel fully invested until about halfway through the book. Once Pete and Millie started to interact more, I felt more invested in their dating master plan.
Something I didn't enjoy about the book was Alana. She felt a little too inauthentic to me. (I felt this sense of false authenticity was definitely done on purpose, as to show that not everything online is posted with 100% authenticity, but just a stretched out version of the truth. What a person is presented on social media is a sliver of a moment.) She's an Instagram mom that does everything she wants and needs with exact purpose to benefit her branding in order to benefit the town. Her intentions were there, but I didn't enjoy how she treated other characters.
Overall, a cute read. I enjoyed the relationship between Millie and Peter growing overtime as they spent more and more time together.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Sourcebooks Casablanca for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Take navigating-yours-20s, "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" with one narrator, city along the coast, Instagram influencer antics, surfing, and influencer blog moms and you get this beach town read.
Millie just lost her marketing job in New York and escapes to the beach town of Peacock Bay to visit her college best friend, Quincy. She also gets to see her longtime crush, who just so happens to be her best friend's older brother/local hotel owner, Pete.
While starting anew in Peacock Bay, Millie decides to start a new Instagram account to try her hand in becoming someone that can make a living online. That plan takes a quick turn with a rising follower account when local mom-influencer, Alana, posts a photo of Millie and Pete with a misleading caption about them being together, lighting the rumor mill on fire. One thing leads to another, and Millie's dreams have finally come true: she's dating Pete. The only catch is that it's for a month and is only meant to bring attention to the tourism scene of Peacock Bay, but will their feelings get in the way of their monthlong plan?
I had a tough time fully immersing myself in this one. I was enjoying it, but I didn't feel fully invested until about halfway through the book. Once Pete and Millie started to interact more, I felt more invested in their dating master plan.
Something I didn't enjoy about the book was Alana. She felt a little too inauthentic to me. (I felt this sense of false authenticity was definitely done on purpose, as to show that not everything online is posted with 100% authenticity, but just a stretched out version of the truth. What a person is presented on social media is a sliver of a moment.) She's an Instagram mom that does everything she wants and needs with exact purpose to benefit her branding in order to benefit the town. Her intentions were there, but I didn't enjoy how she treated other characters.
Overall, a cute read. I enjoyed the relationship between Millie and Peter growing overtime as they spent more and more time together.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Sourcebooks Casablanca for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 6, 2022
https://www.howdidthatbookend.com/gil...
Thank you to Dreamscape Media for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Four Ways to Wear A Dress was the perfect dive into summer reading. The premise starts off like a single POV version of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and I would love to see spinoffs of the other friends when they are in possession of it!
Millie was a really fun MC. Recently laid off from her marketing job, she goes to visit some college friends in their beachside surfer town and decides to try her hand at influencing while she’s there. She gets reacquainted with her best friend’s hot brother, and they begin a fake relationship to boost their follower counts.
Millie and Pete had great chemistry. I love the friends-to-lovers trope, and their scenes were really fun to read. There was the perfect amount of steam.
The setting was probably my favorite part of this book. I adore little beachside towns and got excited for my own summer vacation plans while listening to this story.
There were a couple of things I didn’t love–most were minor, like the fact that the storyline turned away from the dress despite it being in the title. As someone who clearly spends a lot of time on Instagram, it felt extremely unrealistic that a social media nobody would gain 75k+ followers in just a month. I also felt like Millie took the “fake dating” bit too far, but constantly insisting how fake it was when Pete clearly was interested in her too.
I really disliked how Quincy’s story was dismissed. Alana was terrible to Quincy as she tried to navigate her son’s possible diagnosis, telling her to hide it for the sake of social media likes and follows. I wish there was some justice for Quincy and her son, and he deserved better than to be excluded by the moms and likely the other children. I do hope that he gets a happier ending if this is turned into a series.
Overall, this debut was a fun, summery hit. I’m looking forward to reading more from Gillian Libby!
Audio Review: Erika Schindele was a great fit for Millie’s character. Her voice is young and energetic, and felt like the perfect fit for a mid-20s surfer girl.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Four Ways to Wear A Dress was the perfect dive into summer reading. The premise starts off like a single POV version of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and I would love to see spinoffs of the other friends when they are in possession of it!
Millie was a really fun MC. Recently laid off from her marketing job, she goes to visit some college friends in their beachside surfer town and decides to try her hand at influencing while she’s there. She gets reacquainted with her best friend’s hot brother, and they begin a fake relationship to boost their follower counts.
Millie and Pete had great chemistry. I love the friends-to-lovers trope, and their scenes were really fun to read. There was the perfect amount of steam.
The setting was probably my favorite part of this book. I adore little beachside towns and got excited for my own summer vacation plans while listening to this story.
There were a couple of things I didn’t love–most were minor, like the fact that the storyline turned away from the dress despite it being in the title. As someone who clearly spends a lot of time on Instagram, it felt extremely unrealistic that a social media nobody would gain 75k+ followers in just a month. I also felt like Millie took the “fake dating” bit too far, but constantly insisting how fake it was when Pete clearly was interested in her too.
I really disliked how Quincy’s story was dismissed. Alana was terrible to Quincy as she tried to navigate her son’s possible diagnosis, telling her to hide it for the sake of social media likes and follows. I wish there was some justice for Quincy and her son, and he deserved better than to be excluded by the moms and likely the other children. I do hope that he gets a happier ending if this is turned into a series.
Overall, this debut was a fun, summery hit. I’m looking forward to reading more from Gillian Libby!
Audio Review: Erika Schindele was a great fit for Millie’s character. Her voice is young and energetic, and felt like the perfect fit for a mid-20s surfer girl.
June 2, 2022
This is very much a grown up Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants if it was only focused on one of the friends. Considering, I would expect this to be the jumping off point for a fun series revolving around the LBD.
Millie can't seem to hold a job and when the most recent one goes up in flames, she throws caution to the wind and leaves for an extended visit to her best friend's hometown. It doesn't hurt that said best friend has a hunky brother, Pete, who is the one who got away. It also doesn't hurt that she finds some joy in her hot mess express social media platform she's created.
I don't mind steam and language if it pushes the story forward. There was a lot of unnecessary cursing (at times it was the only adjective) and it pulled me out of the story, which is rather unfortunate, because it's quirky and fun.
The narration by Erika Schindele is an easy listen. Her voice is fitting for a twenty-something and brought Millie to life.
Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the advanced copy and Dreamscape Media for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Millie can't seem to hold a job and when the most recent one goes up in flames, she throws caution to the wind and leaves for an extended visit to her best friend's hometown. It doesn't hurt that said best friend has a hunky brother, Pete, who is the one who got away. It also doesn't hurt that she finds some joy in her hot mess express social media platform she's created.
I don't mind steam and language if it pushes the story forward. There was a lot of unnecessary cursing (at times it was the only adjective) and it pulled me out of the story, which is rather unfortunate, because it's quirky and fun.
The narration by Erika Schindele is an easy listen. Her voice is fitting for a twenty-something and brought Millie to life.
Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the advanced copy and Dreamscape Media for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.
May 17, 2022
Wow! I didn’t go into this book thinking I wouldn’t like it but I definitely wasn’t expecting to be absolutely SWOONING! This was just such a cute story!
I absolutely loved Millie. She was quirky and adorable and a solid rep for mental disorder with her ADHD. Following along with her as she tried to get her life back in order was so enjoyable. I also loved the “sisterhood of the traveling pants”-esque plot line with the little black dress. That was SO fun! Not to mention I also loved all the surfing in the book. I don’t know much about surfing but this book made me really want to hit a beach and try it out. BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE! I can’t forget the romance! Phew - it was a real treat. Pete was a SOLID book boyfriend, even they were fake dating. 😋
I truly can’t say enough good things about this book. I am so happy I requested this through Netgalley on a total whim. Big thanks to them and Dreamscape Media for the ALC. Four Ways to Wear a Dress drops June 7!
I absolutely loved Millie. She was quirky and adorable and a solid rep for mental disorder with her ADHD. Following along with her as she tried to get her life back in order was so enjoyable. I also loved the “sisterhood of the traveling pants”-esque plot line with the little black dress. That was SO fun! Not to mention I also loved all the surfing in the book. I don’t know much about surfing but this book made me really want to hit a beach and try it out. BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE! I can’t forget the romance! Phew - it was a real treat. Pete was a SOLID book boyfriend, even they were fake dating. 😋
I truly can’t say enough good things about this book. I am so happy I requested this through Netgalley on a total whim. Big thanks to them and Dreamscape Media for the ALC. Four Ways to Wear a Dress drops June 7!
April 25, 2022
I was so lucky to get this as an advance copy! Thank you very much, Goodreads Giveaway Gods!!!
This was such a good summer read. Seriously. It felt like I was on those beaches with the characters out in California, listening to waves crashing the whole time. Totally immersive. Very fun. Very sexy. Run, don't walk towards the love interest kind of vibes.
Also, I think this has good re-readability potential. I imagine this might end up being a quick read I'll pick up again next summer or take with me on a sunny beachy type of vacation, and for that it gets an extra star.
This was such a good summer read. Seriously. It felt like I was on those beaches with the characters out in California, listening to waves crashing the whole time. Totally immersive. Very fun. Very sexy. Run, don't walk towards the love interest kind of vibes.
Also, I think this has good re-readability potential. I imagine this might end up being a quick read I'll pick up again next summer or take with me on a sunny beachy type of vacation, and for that it gets an extra star.
May 9, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up
June 25, 2022
I won't say I am super heavy into social media, but I still enjoyed rooting for Millie as she tried to get her life on track. I was instantly charmed by Peacock Bay and the way everyone's lives became intertwined. Millie's influence may not have been that great on Instagram, but she made a big impression on her friends there in the Bay. The fauxmance was a good one and had me constantly smiling. Surfing, sun, and fun abound in this book, along with a heaping dose of friendship. The idea of the dress is similar to that of "the pants", and I am hoping there are sequels so I can see this dress in action.
January 3, 2022
I can't think of a better book to start the year off with. I seriously LOVED this book. Not only is there a swoon-worthy romance (I'm talking MAJOR swoon!) it touches on some really relevant topics like mental health and the importance of authenticity in social media. And did I mention the swoon? And the surfing?
This book doesn't come out until June 7, 2022—but trust me. You'll want to put this on your TBR list and pre-order it so you won't have to wait to fall in love with Millie and Pete.
This book doesn't come out until June 7, 2022—but trust me. You'll want to put this on your TBR list and pre-order it so you won't have to wait to fall in love with Millie and Pete.
July 31, 2022
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants for the grown-ups: has anyone else missed the dynamic of Tibby, Carmen, Bridget, & Lena?! To be clear, this is not the same characters, but it is the exact same premise filled with that love between bffs. Although, not gonna lie, I struggled to get into a book that took me through the gory details of Instagram influencing. But then the characters and their honesty about their insecurities fully got me past it, and I stayed up until 2am last night finishing the book. Plus, the details on surfing took me into that world, and now I want to learn more!
January 2, 2023
i had to go back and change my rating because i thought about this book more and i just simply hated it and there really were no redeeming parts of it at all. i feel like the author had like a couple of good ideas with this book and then tried to shape the whole book around them but just completely failed. the beach setting and the little romance in the book were nice, if a bit flat, but everything else about this book sucked. literally all of the characters are unlikeable, especially ALANA and the main character, millie. also, the entire book revolves around the idea of instagram influencers/mommy bloggers, which made this book literally painful to read. i will never understand why people think it is okay to post everything about their children's lives in a very public place. one of the moms even posts about her son's struggles with a possible diagnosis of autism and even acknowledges that he may not want those posts up when he is older, but just brushes it off by saying she can take down the posts later, which basically just sweeps the problem under the rug. i also just felt like this author had never used instagram before, because this felt like a boomer's idea of how millenial instagrammers act and how social media works. first of all, "hits" is never a term used to describe anything on instagram. second of all, millie posted about four stupid-ass photos and got like 75 thousand followers in a month which was just entirely unbelievable.
okay. now onto my biggest problem in this book. alana. she is a side character who is like the biggest influencer-slash-mommy-blogger in the small town where millie is, and she is quite literally the worst person to ever exist, and it is never acknowledged. she continuously tells the people she supposedly friends with that they can't do anything that will "ruin their brand," which includes her telling her friends that one of them has to keep her divorce a secret and telling another of her friends that she shouldn't get her son evaluated for autism. she also forces her children to pose for photos every single second and even continues having children just for her instagram. she is such a god-awful person and no one ever brings it up which is just so confusing.
millie is also such an unlikeable character. the entire book is just her complaining about everything in her life and talking about how much of a hot mess she is and making every situation worse because she just randomly assumes everyone is constantly thinking about her. she's is also super hypocritical because she's mad at pete (the love interest) because he was only fake dating her as a means to get publicity for the hotel he runs, but she was literally doing the same thing???? also, millie has adhd, and it is brought up all. the. time. i was somewhat happy to have some adhd rep in this book, but honestly, it kind of felt like all of the stereotypes of adhd and it really painted adhd in a wholly negative light. millie's whole thing is that she is always messing up and can't focus on anything and is a total screwup, and this is basically the extent of her adhd. it just icked me out.
the last thing about this book that i just found really strange was the title, because it just seems like such a weird thing to name this book. i think it's a reference to the dress that millie and her three best friends pass around as a sort of good luck charm (which is just such a blatant plagiarization of the sisterhood of the traveling pants, but ok). however, while the dress is kind of important to the story, it isn't THAT important, so it's just such a weird title. anyway, hated it.
okay. now onto my biggest problem in this book. alana. she is a side character who is like the biggest influencer-slash-mommy-blogger in the small town where millie is, and she is quite literally the worst person to ever exist, and it is never acknowledged. she continuously tells the people she supposedly friends with that they can't do anything that will "ruin their brand," which includes her telling her friends that one of them has to keep her divorce a secret and telling another of her friends that she shouldn't get her son evaluated for autism. she also forces her children to pose for photos every single second and even continues having children just for her instagram. she is such a god-awful person and no one ever brings it up which is just so confusing.
millie is also such an unlikeable character. the entire book is just her complaining about everything in her life and talking about how much of a hot mess she is and making every situation worse because she just randomly assumes everyone is constantly thinking about her. she's is also super hypocritical because she's mad at pete (the love interest) because he was only fake dating her as a means to get publicity for the hotel he runs, but she was literally doing the same thing???? also, millie has adhd, and it is brought up all. the. time. i was somewhat happy to have some adhd rep in this book, but honestly, it kind of felt like all of the stereotypes of adhd and it really painted adhd in a wholly negative light. millie's whole thing is that she is always messing up and can't focus on anything and is a total screwup, and this is basically the extent of her adhd. it just icked me out.
the last thing about this book that i just found really strange was the title, because it just seems like such a weird thing to name this book. i think it's a reference to the dress that millie and her three best friends pass around as a sort of good luck charm (which is just such a blatant plagiarization of the sisterhood of the traveling pants, but ok). however, while the dress is kind of important to the story, it isn't THAT important, so it's just such a weird title. anyway, hated it.
July 10, 2022
This little gem is a perfect summer read! Talking about reinventing oneself, fresh start, great friendships, sunshine, sand, beach, waves, surfing and of course life of an instagram influencer. If you love the now considered classic-Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, this quick read is for you!
Though the story was fun, it lacked depth for me. There is way too many things going that everything seem to be shallow. Millie has ADHD, she got laid-off from her marketing job in NYC and she flew to California to be with her college best friend hoping to make a good start and change for the better. I can already tell how the story will come together about 30% into the book. The fake relationship with Pete was good but I would have wanted more. Some deeper and more heartbreaking conflict when they broke up because well….. the more dramatic break up leads to a sweeter kiss and make-up scene. Overall, it is a quick read, perfect for the sunny, laid back summer weekends!
Special thank you to Sourcebook Publishing @bookmarked @sourcebookscasa and Netgalley for the copy.
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#fourwaystowearadress #bookreview #bookstagram #book #advancereaderscopy #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreviewer #bookworms
Though the story was fun, it lacked depth for me. There is way too many things going that everything seem to be shallow. Millie has ADHD, she got laid-off from her marketing job in NYC and she flew to California to be with her college best friend hoping to make a good start and change for the better. I can already tell how the story will come together about 30% into the book. The fake relationship with Pete was good but I would have wanted more. Some deeper and more heartbreaking conflict when they broke up because well….. the more dramatic break up leads to a sweeter kiss and make-up scene. Overall, it is a quick read, perfect for the sunny, laid back summer weekends!
Special thank you to Sourcebook Publishing @bookmarked @sourcebookscasa and Netgalley for the copy.
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#fourwaystowearadress #bookreview #bookstagram #book #advancereaderscopy #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreviewer #bookworms
March 27, 2025
Four Ways to Wear a Dress is an adult Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. It was spicy and so sweet. Best friends brother, fake dating, and friends to lovers are some of my favorite tropes. The influencer parts of the book stressed me out and gave me a better understanding of what they go through. I just felt for them. Millie swears that a dress cannot give her luck or miracles but her best friends tell her otherwise. That is until things start going right in her life after wearing it. Millie loses her job and heads to Peacock Bay to stay with one of her best friends and his brother. She is trying to find her place by trying her hand at being an influencer and sees first hand how hard it is. Her and Pete, her besties brother, decide to fake date to help her IG account and his hotel. Fake dating someone you have real feelings for is probably not going to end well. I loved this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read the arc in exchange for my honest review.
June 17, 2022
This was such a cute, summery read!!
I really enjoyed listening to it, and I had a lot of fun getting into the story.
Millie gets fired from her marketing job and ends up going to a cute small town where one of her best friends, Quincy, lives…as well as her long time crush, Pete (aka Her bestfriends brother). This story follows Millie as she works to find herself, as he tries not to let her ADHD, or any negativity get her down. She tried to pick up on instagramming and find a whole new world among it.
OH. And let’s not forget the black dress that she happened to have stumbled upon back from college; the dress that all four of her closest friends shared to gain luck. It gave me sisterhood of the traveling pants vibes, but more adulty!
Definitely one to read if you’re trying to get in the summer mood, and can appreciate a small-town romance!
Tropes:
Fake dating
Best friends brother
Small town romance
I really enjoyed listening to it, and I had a lot of fun getting into the story.
Millie gets fired from her marketing job and ends up going to a cute small town where one of her best friends, Quincy, lives…as well as her long time crush, Pete (aka Her bestfriends brother). This story follows Millie as she works to find herself, as he tries not to let her ADHD, or any negativity get her down. She tried to pick up on instagramming and find a whole new world among it.
OH. And let’s not forget the black dress that she happened to have stumbled upon back from college; the dress that all four of her closest friends shared to gain luck. It gave me sisterhood of the traveling pants vibes, but more adulty!
Definitely one to read if you’re trying to get in the summer mood, and can appreciate a small-town romance!
Tropes:
Fake dating
Best friends brother
Small town romance
July 30, 2022
A perfect summer read and one I finished on the beach! Four Ways to Wear a Dress was an escapist read that took me away from the grind of New York City to Peacock Bay, a small "utopia" of a beach town. Yet it was also a lesson that what we see on social media doesn't always (or usually) reflect real life and gave us the behind-the-scenes look into influencers whose businesses depend on appearing perfect when their personal lives are often anything but. I really respected our MC for pretty much remaining true to herself the entire time, even when it didn't always paint her in the best light. Her struggles with ADHD were so honestly portrayed. I always love the "best friend's brother" trope and in this case, the romance was deliciously spicey. Loved the grand gesture at the end! Finally, I would not be surprised if more women sign up for surf lessons after reading this.
March 22, 2024
This is a good book about a young woman, Millie Ward, who is trying to find her way after her job disappears. She goes to California to see her friend Quincy and try to see if she can get herself put back together, especially through blogging and imitating her influencer friend as well as Quincy's friends. They have successful blogs that show their town as a perfect place to live, but when Millie tries to blog, she finds herself showing off her mistakes and errors instead. When she develops some followers, she and her friend's brother work together to try to influence things positively for his hotel.
They discover that their feelings are deeper than they are pretending, but Millie doesn't think things will work out in the long run. This is an interesting novel about the fakery vs. reality that exists online as well as about a woman trying to find her authentic self.
They discover that their feelings are deeper than they are pretending, but Millie doesn't think things will work out in the long run. This is an interesting novel about the fakery vs. reality that exists online as well as about a woman trying to find her authentic self.
April 18, 2022
I received this as an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
This book was super cute. Growing up can be pain and when you're in your mid twenties, your life can pretty much head in any direction.
The lifestyle in this seemed super lavish, but as you get a closer look, it's actually much more modest. This book describes exactly what living your life on social media is like. While you may think everyone is living these perfect lives, no one actually has anything figured out.
Millie and Pete's relationship is super sweet. I love the fake dating trope, and they seem to have real chemistry. I also love the whole "we've loved each other for a long time, but we were too scared to admit it" type.
The only gripe I had about this entire book was that the relationship between Millie and Pete, at least for the first 80% of the book, seemed to be unrealistically to good to be true. They were very much happy to be together in this fake dating scene, but there was no troubles between them. It was mainly spicy scenes, and very little true emotional connections. Only when Millie heads to LA do they start to have the emotional connection part, but it still seemed a little unrealistic to me.
All in all, I throughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what other projects this author comes out with!
This book was super cute. Growing up can be pain and when you're in your mid twenties, your life can pretty much head in any direction.
The lifestyle in this seemed super lavish, but as you get a closer look, it's actually much more modest. This book describes exactly what living your life on social media is like. While you may think everyone is living these perfect lives, no one actually has anything figured out.
Millie and Pete's relationship is super sweet. I love the fake dating trope, and they seem to have real chemistry. I also love the whole "we've loved each other for a long time, but we were too scared to admit it" type.
The only gripe I had about this entire book was that the relationship between Millie and Pete, at least for the first 80% of the book, seemed to be unrealistically to good to be true. They were very much happy to be together in this fake dating scene, but there was no troubles between them. It was mainly spicy scenes, and very little true emotional connections. Only when Millie heads to LA do they start to have the emotional connection part, but it still seemed a little unrealistic to me.
All in all, I throughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what other projects this author comes out with!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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