A Vintage Affair: A Novel (Random House Reader's Circle) Paperback – April 5, 2011

I was won over by the cover of this book and the description. So i bought it through kindle after a sample. The story of Mrs Bell was heartbreaking and i felt that that story was what made the book, really.I thought the book flowed very well and i thought the descriptions of the clothes were great. I also loved the fact that she didn't OVER describe things like some authers do.Also, like another reviewer has put, this book has still got me thinking about it (a day later).One of the things that slightly irked me and puzzled me are the 3 love interests. She seemed to love Guy the most and she was so in love with him to marry him AND to put her so called amazing "friendship" on hold for, yet when something happens to her best friend, she breaks it off with him and never speaks to him ever again AND blames him for it all (wrongly!)?! Also, the same for Miles, I really liked his character and she seemed to have lots of chemistry together and he was very loving...and then what goes wrong there ? What was with Dan?? I really didn't understand that whole story line. A lot of the way through iw as thinking "please don't get them together" , there was NO chemistry and i felt that she actually didn't like him. Also, off and on throughout the book, i thought he might be gay!Pheobe just seemed to be interested in him when he had money...or maybe that was how the character was supposed to be. I did not like the ending, there was no lead up of any romance between her and Dan, and what was that bit at the end when he calls her "sweetheart" randomly?? Oh and then they walk off hand in hand?? They had had no romance up to that point!! I also thought the mother and father would get back together. I also thought the reason for her blaming Guy and herself for a death that no one could have prevented, was really ridiculous and when Guy confronted her, i felt a huge dislike for the main character (Phoebe)...All this said, i found the book really special. The story of Mrs Bell was the core. I loved the vintage store...i want one now! I would recommend this book even though there were a few things that i personally found annoying.

I bought this as a vacation read--didn't want anything too serious. I love vintage fashion, and this sounded like a nice fluffy tale about vintage fashion in a fashionable neighborhood in London, with girl talk and a romance to round it out. It was all of those things, but it was also about the depth in a variety of relationships- family, romantic, friendship...how they begin, how they end. Our regrets over relationships that have ended. How to forgive and move on. The necessity of forgiving so that we can move on. The necessity of accepting the truth so that we can move on. The sadness when it is obvious that even with forgiveness the relationship cannot be repaired--the tragic parts will always be hanging in the background, casting a spell of gloom over all potential happiness. The acceptance that sometimes it is impossible to gain forgiveness because the other party is gone, and so you must figure out how to make it right and forgive yourself. I thought about this book a lot after I read it. And realized that there was a lot more to the book than the title and the dresses on the cover. I think this book deserved a different title. Although it becomes more clear what the title means as the book progresses, a glance at the book would lead a person to believe that the book was merely a romance. And it is much more than that.

This is a wonderful story about love, life and repentance. Phoebe's struggle with her past touched my heart. I felt badly for her and wished for her to find happiness all the way through the novel. When she meets Mrs. Bell I was moved by their budding relationship and Phoebe's search to bring her peace. The characters were so well formed that I was angry, for most of the novel, with Miles and Roxy. I fell deeply in love with Dan and was angry at Phoebe for not seeing what was right under her nose. There was a single point that bothered me. It's when the man wanted to try on corsets and Phoebe says that of course she didn't let him. It took up two lines. Why even bother to put that in? If this was a character flaw it needed to be expanded on more, because put this way it just appears as if the author is prejudiced against transgender individuals. It made me angry because I don't understand why he couldn't try on the corset and why Ms. Wolff felt the need to throw that in our faces? However despite this malicious and prejudicial remark I did enjoy this book. I laughed, I loved and I cried. A Vintage Affair is a wonderful read.[...]

I loved this book so much I gave it to my best friend to read. For those of us who have lost a loved one too young it will have special meaning. The guilt, the need to make sense of tragedy and to find someone to blame which are often associated with loss may not truly make sense, but that doesn't make us any less susceptible to experiencing these feelings. These issues and human truths are at the heart of this beautifully written book. I laughed. I cried. I felt ennobled. When one experiences these emotions reading a book, one knows that what she holds in her hand is more than a summer read; more than the simple pleasures of escape reading--it is literature. And what more can one ask from literature than to feel one's own life has somehow been enhanced from having read it? Like the Greeks, the author reveals the protagonist's foibles and flaws as well as her goodness. We can relate to her. We find great personal meaning within her struggle to heal and to forgive. That it is all under the guise of vintage clothing makes the book even more special; more readable--and more fun! I highly recommend this wonderful novel to all who look to literature to enhance our lives. Within its pages a basic human truth is revealed: saying goodbye is a process and not an event. We may not ever truly get over the loss of a loved one--but we can get through it. Hope lies between the covers of this wonderful novel.

I just finished this marvellous book. It is such a lovely story of grief mixed with forgiveness and resolve! The characters are beautifully developed and the story weaves through generations drawing you deep!

I was so looking forward to reading this book, particularly after having recently read `The Dress' which explores a similar premise of romance and vintage clothing. Personally, I found this book infinitely better than that one- it is beautifully written and has a lot more substance about it than I'd initially anticipated. The characters are very well drawn and the settings are very vividly depicted- from London to Provence. By the time I'd finished this book I really felt like I knew Phoebe and her life very well indeed.Phoebe Swift hasn't had the best of times recently. She decides to quit her job at Southerby's and live her dream- that of running a vintage dress shop. As Phoebe gets swept up in the drama of her shop, it comes with a few unexpected dramas of its own...If this summary makes this book sound a little bit frothy, then I apologise, because it genuinely isn't. The pretty girlie cover makes it out to be typical chicklit when in actuality the book interweaves a couple of serious plot lines- including that of the Holocaust. I was really surprised to find myself blubbing on the train at a couple of points in this book as the storyline veered off into that territory actually- this is the first `chicklit' that has ever made me cry!I feel like I have had to deduct half a star, merely because there was a bit of a jump forwards at the end, and everything felt tied up perhaps a little bit too quickly when it came to Phoebe's love life. I for one would have liked to have had a little bit of explanation as to how such things came about- for me that is the best bit of a romance novel! Despite this little niggle at the ending being a bit too quick though, I genuinely loved this book. It was a wonderful read and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it if you like contemporary romances with a little bit of a difference.

Isabel Wolff reliably delivers books that are a cut above most of the other books on the shelf. Her characters are complex, very real. But,even when addressing series issues, her characters are never grim. No exception with A Vintage Affair. As a bit of a fashion nut, I loved the descriptions of all the clothes that Phoebe has in her vintage shop - but I can easily see that may not be a draw for some. Not to fear, Phoebe stands alone without the detailed descriptions of vintage clothing. It's very difficult for me to describe how satisfying this book is, weaving together different stories of loss, guilt and love. And even though the book doesn't end with the stereotypical "heavens opening up, angels singing, sunlight bursting forth" romantic ending, I felt uplifted at the end of the book - I felt like I'd read a real novel.

This is a captivating story from the past and present. It includes unending love and sad regrets that will make you smile and cry. It is cleverly written to keep you wanting to know more. Thank you I really enjoyed reading this.

good and reasonable condition for a second hand copy.One of my new fave books. A typical chick flick/romance telling a cute story with a surprisingly dark twist. Ideal for any lover of vintage fashion or desires to open up a shop. Also has lots of references of vintage designers/pieces through out.Loved it! highly recommendedfast delivery

An excellent, engaging read. It was the cover that initially appealed to me. I found that once I started reading I couldn't out this story down. The characters are great and the descriptions of the vintage finery sucked me in. Overall a great read.