Review: Red Dress

By Sara Steven

Katy is a career mum in her 40s who's stressed out, time-starved, and disenchanted with her successful life. She has a handsome husband, a house in London, and two teenage children. Her therapy practice in Harley Street is thriving, but she feels empty and lost. She's forgotten who she is and what makes her tick. An impulsive decision sets in motion a domino effect that changes her life. A series of events, a meeting with someone from the past, and a sequence of numbers, send her on a rollercoaster ride to finding herself. With some trepidation, Katy embarks on a path of spiritual awakening and embraces a new way of thinking. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

Red Dress provided an interesting blend of spirituality, metaphysics, and mystical aspects combined with the realistic experiences one woman goes through while navigating her modern world. Katy appears to “have it all” with her husband, Richard, yet as with most things in life, looks can be deceiving. Behind closed doors, she feels as though she’s an accessory for her loved ones; someone who is around to tend to their needs, yet no one tends to hers. It’s a big reason she branches out and looks into other ways to gain more fulfillment, and that’s where the mystical aspects come into play. 

I felt like I was getting a refresher course in various subjects I’d been interested in decades ago. When Katy learns from something she refers to as “the Voice,” I absorbed the information right along with her! Over time, she starts to see changes in her outlook and the way she perceives her situation in life, but even with that, she fights against it. It was obvious how torn she was between her duty and responsibility to her family, and the newfound respect she’s found for herself–and Richard’s personality and his own secrets made it more than easy as a reader to encourage Katy to stand up for herself and maybe even walk away. 

The introduction of someone from Katy’s past was really surprising. Even with the massive green light in allowing the past back in, something kept niggling at my brain, like it was a red flag showcasing major caution. Even though the relationship is described as a “twin flame,” I kept encouraging Katy to slow everything down and be careful. Which I know sounds strange, considering Katy is a character within the pages of Red Dress, but that’s how engrossing it got for me. I wanted to reach right in and grab her by the shoulders, and tell her to tone it down a couple of notches!

My only complaint with Red Dress was the abrupt ending. I wanted more. It felt like there were some unresolved scenarios and the story might have done well with another chapter or two. But other than that, I appreciated the unique perspectives from Katy and the other characters in the book, which led to her spiritual awakening. 

Thanks to John Hunt Publishing for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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