Divine Vintage by Sandra L. Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tess has risked everything she has to open her vintage clothing store called Divine Vintage. She has always had a love for fine clothing from past eras and chooses to put her love for vintage clothing into something that she can pursue full time as more than a hobby. With the opening of her boutique, she is introduced to Trey and his elderly aunt when they come into the store during Divine Vintage’s grand opening. Trey’s Aunt offers Tess the opportunity to attend a fashion show wearing a beautiful gown from the Edwardian era that had once belonged to one of her ancestors. During the fashion show Tess is overcome with visions of the young girl Phoebe who had last worn the gown. Tess is struck with visions of the young girl’s murder and is determined to solve the crime that occurred centuries ago. Seeing the murder through Phoebe’s eyes makes Tess realize that there was maybe more to the old stories about Phoebe’s husband who was accused of committing the murder.

Trey is a descendant of the young bride Phoebe who was murdered a century or so ago. The brutal murder of Phoebe by her new husband has tainted the family’s legacy. Trey does not necessarily believe in visions or the spirit world but with a little bit of coaching from his mother and his aunt, Trey reluctantly agrees to help young Tess. He too wants to clear up his family’s legacy. Tess and Trey start reading Phoebe’s diary in the hopes that they can find clues as to who her true murderer could possibly be. As they read through the diary, they find several people that could be suspects. With their growing time together Tess and Trey start to feel their own connection to one another but become confused by this connection. They do not know if it is because of their connection to the couple whose lives they’ve been able to see through visions, or if it’s their own feelings for each other.

I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed this book. I read it from cover to cover and found it impossible to put down. I was immediately drawn in by Tess’s love of vintage clothing. I was even more drawn in by the diary entries and by Tess being able to see through the eyes of Phoebe as though she were there herself. I loved the feelings and the brief visions that Tess was able to pick up from the vintage clothing when she touched them. I was fascinated by how she was able to get a sense of who each person was that had previously worn the clothing. I love history and I’ve always loved old buildings and wondered what the story was of the people that live there. Naturally, I found the concept of Tess seeing past lives of those who had worn the clothing very intriguing. I would love to be able to do the same by touching an old building or an old piece of clothing. What a unique and special ability to have.

I’m really hoping that they author has plans to pursue the adventures of Tess and her bond to the vintage clothing. I would love to read more stories where Tess is presented with visions of the past owners of the clothing, and she is able to solve past mysteries. I think if Trey were to come along for the ride it wouldn’t be so bad either. Trey was a likable character and despite his wealth was a down-to-earth guy with a good heart and good values. Perhaps the two of them could team up and see what new adventures the spirit guides of the vintage clothing take them on. A must read for anyone who loves history, vintage clothing, and a good old-fashioned murder mystery.

View all my reviews @Tara Johnson Barnes