The Love Letter

The Love Letter
Rachel Hauck
(Thomas Nelson)
ISBN: 978-0310351009
June 2018/352 pages/$15.99
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress comes a story of long-lost love and its redemption in future generations.

Romance has never been actress Chloe Daschle’s forte—in life or on screen. But everyone knows who to call for a convincing death scene . . . and it might be killing her career.

When Chloe is given a peek at the script for an epic love story, she decides to take her destiny into her own hands and request an audition for the lead female role, Esther Kingsley. The compelling tale, inspired by family lore and a one-page letter from the colonial ancestor of scriptwriter Jesse Gates, just might break her out of this career-crippling rut. Jesse would rather write about romance than live through it after his past relationship ended in disaster. But once on-set together, the chemistry between Jesse and his leading lady is hard to deny.

Centuries earlier, in the heart of the Revolutionary War, Hamilton Lightfoot and Esther Longfellow wrote their saga off the silver screen. Esther’s Loyalist father opposes any relationship with Hamilton, but Esther must face her beloved father’s disapproval and the dangers of war in order to convince Hamilton of their future together. Hamilton has loved Esther for years, and on the eve of battle pens the love letter she’s always wanted—something straight from the heart.

Set in stunning upcountry South Carolina, The Love Letter is a beautifully crafted story of the courage it takes to face down fear and chase after love, even in the darkest of times. And just maybe, all these generations later, love can come home in a way not even Hollywood could imagine.


Read an excerpt.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel Hauck is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA TODAY bestselling author of The Wedding Dress, which was also named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times and was a RITA finalist. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and pet and writes from her ivory tower. Visit her online at RachelHauck.com; Facebook: RachelHauck; Twitter: @RachelHauck; Instagram: @rachelhauck.


MY THOUGHTS

It takes a gifted author to seamlessly weave a historical tale with a modern-day story and Rachel Hauck more than proves her proficiency in this stirring novel. Hauck cleverly uses the making of a movie to intertwine the historic with the contemporary. I was captivated by this novel as it alternated perfectly between past and present. My heart ached for Hamilton and Esther and the obstructions their love faced. And though I am usually not a fan of Hollywood, Hauck managed to make me care about Chloe and Jesse as well. The Love Letter generated a plethora of emotions as I read and the unexpected ending induced a satisfied sigh and a smile that lingered long after the final page was turned. Don't miss this remarkable novel.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson Publishing and The Fiction Guild. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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The Wedding Shop

The Wedding Shop
Rachel Hauck
(Harper Collins/Zondervan)
ISBN: 978-0310341543
August 2016/384 pages/$15.99
From New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress comes The Wedding Shop.

Two women separated by decades. Both set out to help others find their dreams when their own have crumbled.

It's the early 1930s, but Cora Scott is walking in stride as a career woman ​after having inherited her great aunt's wedding shop in Heart’s Bend, Tennessee, where brides come from as far away as Birmingham to experience her famed bridal treatment. Meanwhile, Cora is counting down the days until her own true love returns from the river to make her his bride. But days turn into months and months to years. All the while, Birch Good continues to woo Cora and try to show her that while he is solid and dependable, he can sweep her off her feet.

​More than eighty years later, former ​Air Force Captain Haley Morgan has returned home to Heart's Bend after finishing her commitment to military service. After the devastating death of her best friend, Tammy, and discovering the truth about the man she loved, Haley is searching for her place in life.

When Haley decides to reopen the romantic but abandoned wedding shop where she and Tammy played and dreamed as children, she begins a journey of courage, mystery, and love.

As Cora’s and ​Haley's stories intertwine through time in the shadow of the beloved wedding shop, they both discover the power of their own dreams and the magic of everyday love.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel Hauck is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA TODAY bestselling author of The Wedding Dress, which was also named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times and was a RITA finalist. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and two pets and writes from her ivory tower. Visit her online at rachelhauck.com Facebook: rachelhauck Twitter: @RachelHauck

MY THOUGHTS

I love Rachel Hauck's books, but this one might be my favorite. As she did with The Wedding Chapel, Hauck weaves together the past and present into a touching and powerful story. Haley's determination and devotion to restoring the shop to its former splendor and significance in Heart's Bend, Tennessee endeared her to me, and I caught her vision for the shop. But Cora embodies much of the heart and soul of this novel as she builds her one-of-a-kind store and thrilling brides-to-be, all while battling her own issues. Hauck's authentic setting and gift for storytelling drew me deep into this tale and Cora's and Haley's journeys resonated with me, evoking within me many of the emotions they experienced. Hauck tucked in some sweet surprises that only enhanced my enjoyment of this novel. Don't miss The Wedding Shop!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a digital copy of this book free from Harper Collins/Zondervan. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”



PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED

The Wedding Chapel (2015 - HarperCollins/Zondervan)
The Wedding Dress (2012 - HarperCollins/Thomas Nelson)

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2016 Christy Award Winners!

The Christy Awards Advisory Board announced the 2016 Christy Award Winners today. This award honors excellence in Christian fiction. What a great group of winners! Click on the linked titles for my reviews.

BOOK OF THE YEAR

The Five Times I Met Myself
by James L. Rubart
(Thomas Nelson, a division of
HarperCollins Christian Publishing)

CONTEMPORARY

The Sea Keeper’s Daughters
by Lisa Wingate
(Tyndale House Publishers)


CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE/SUSPENSE

The Wedding Chapel
by Rachel Hauck
(Zondervan, a division of
HarperCollins Christian Publishing)

CONTEMPORARY SERIES

Crazy Little Thing Called Love
by Beth K. Vogt
(Howard Books)

FIRST NOVEL

Irish Meadows
by Susan Anne Mason
(Bethany House Publishers, a division of
Baker Publishing Group)

HISTORICAL

Secrets She Kept
by Cathy Gohlke
(Tyndale House Publishers)

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

Luther and Katharina
by Jody Hedlund
(WaterBrook Press)

SUSPENSE

Twisted Innocence
by Terri Blackstock
(Zondervan, a division of
HarperCollins Christian Publishing)

VISIONARY

The Five Times I Met Myself
by James L. Rubart
(Thomas Nelson, a division of
HarperCollins Christian Publishing)

YOUNG ADULT

The Choosing
by Rachelle Dekker
(Tyndale House Publishers)

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Christy Award Finalists Announced!

The Christy Awards Advisory Board announced the finalists for the 2016 Christy Awards yesterday. This award honors excellence in Christian fiction.

What a great group of finalists! I would be hard-pressed to choose the winner in several of these categories, or if I did, it would be a narrow win! I'm thrilled with the list of finalists as they are some of my personal favorite books from 2015. Click on the linked titles to read my reviews. I think this is a record-setting year for the number of finalist books I have read and reviewed. This is a great resource to use to build your personal summer reading list!

The 2016 Christy Awards finalists are:

CONTEMPORARY

The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert (WaterBrook Press)
As Waters Gone By by Cynthia Ruchti (Abingdon Press)
The Sea Keeper’s Daughters by Lisa Wingate (Tyndale House Publishers)


CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE/SUSPENSE

Falling Like Snowflakes by Denise Hunter (Thomas Nelson, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
Sabotaged by Dani Pettrey (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck (Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)


CONTEMPORARY SERIES

Anna’s Healing by Vannetta Chapman (Harvest House Publishers)
Come Rain or Come Shine by Jan Karon (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt (Howard Books)

FIRST NOVEL

The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker (Tyndale House Publishers)
Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group) (I can't believe I missed reviewing this one. It intrigued me so I bought a copy and LOVED. IT.)


HISTORICAL

The Girl from the Train by Irma Joubert (Thomas Nelson, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke (Tyndale House Publishers)
The Wood’s Edge by Lori Benton (WaterBrook Press)

HISTORICAL ROMANCE
(Four finalists due to a tie)


Beyond All Dreams by Elizabeth Camden (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
The Lost Heiress by Roseanna M. White (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group) (Another book that I stumbled across, bought a copy, and loved so much that I begged the author to let me be on her influencer team for her next release!)
Luther and Katharina by Jody Hedlund (WaterBrook Press)
To Win Her Favor by Tamera Alexander (Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)


SUSPENSE

The Bones Will Speak by Carrie Stuart Parks (Thomas Nelson, a division of Harper Collins Christian Publishing)
Twisted Innocence by Terri Blackstock (Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
Vendetta by Lisa Harris (Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group)


VISIONARY

The Five Times I Met Myself by James L. Rubart (Thomas Nelson, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
A Time to Speak by Nadine Brandes (Enclave Publishing)
Waking Beauty by Sarah E. Morin (Enclave Publishing)


YOUNG ADULT

The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker (Tyndale House Publishers)
Rebel by R.J. Anderson (Enclave Publishing)
To Get to You by Joanne Bischof (Independently Published)


Award winners will be announced via an online event at www.christyawards.com at 4 p.m. (EDT), Mon., June 27, 2016.

“For sixteen years we have hosted the awards at a dinner held in conjunction with the International Christian Retail Show,” said Donna Kehoe, executive director of the Christy Awards. “We value memories of the synergy among authors, agents, media, and all those in the publishing industry; the challenges given by outstanding keynoters; and the legacy of honoring those who write powerful, faith-infused stories. Due to the changing nature of the industry, however, we are transitioning to new ways of acknowledging the winners while remaining committed to awarding and promoting excellence in Christian fiction.”



It's a shame that they aren't having the big ceremony this year. I was blessed to have the opportunity to attend several years and it was an incredible event. I do wish they were having the online event in the evening so that it would be more accessible to working folks. But I will be eagerly watching for news of the winners!

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A Season to Wed

A Season to Wed
Rachel Hauck, Cindy Kirk, Cheryl Wyatt
(Harper Collins/Zondervan)
ISBN: 978-0310395881
Novermber 2015/336 pages/$12.99
They've helped orchestrate the perfect day for countless couples. Now twelve new couples will find themselves in the wedding spotlight in the second Year of Weddings novella collection.

Love at Mistletoe Inn by Cindy Kirk

Sometimes the road to happiness is paved with youthful mistakes.

Ten years after what she thought was her almost-wedding, Hope Prentiss discovers that the ceremony counted-and, as fate would have it, the jilted John Burke has just ridden back into town. After spending some time with John and helping plan a Christmas wedding for a mystery couple, Hope begins to wonder if she really wants a divorce . . . or a real wedding of her own.

A Brush with Love by Rachel Hauck

Revealing the beauty in other women might be Ginger Winters's specialty-but it will take an unexpected kind of love to help Ginger see the beauty in herself.

Ginger Winters will be the "beauty-maker" for the Alabama society wedding of the decade.

But when high-school crush Tom Wells shows up looking for a haircut, Ginger's thinly veiled insecurities threaten to keep her from love once again . . . despite Tom's best efforts.

Serving Up a Sweetheart by Cheryl Wyatt

Meadow knows how to serve delicious food to match any wedding theme. But can she accept love when it's served up on a silver platter?

Meadow Larson is having the mother of all Mondays when her roof caves in during a blizzard, right before the most important wedding contract of her career.

Renovation contractor Colin McGrath offers to fix Meadow's roof, even though he knows he is the last person she would accept help from.

But the more Meadow gets to know the new Colin, the more she realizes God may have something more permanent in store than a new catering kitchen.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

RITA Finalist and Carol Award winner Rachel Hauck, named by Family Fiction readers as one of the top five romance authors in CBA, is the author of more than seventeen novels, including the acclaimed Songbird novels with multi-platinum country singer Sara Evans and the EPCA/CBA best-selling novel The Wedding Dress. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and writes from her ivory tower (really, a tower, and it's painted ivory!).

Cindy Kirk learned the value of having an active imagination at an early age. If she didn’t like the ending of a television show or movie, she simply thought of a different one. Or if she had difficulty falling asleep, instead of counting sheep, she made up a story. When she was sixteen she penned these words in her diary: "I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t be a writer." But it would be several decades before her dream would become a reality. Now a wife and mother, Cindy is a writer of contemporary sensual romance.

Multi-award-winning author Cheryl Wyatt writes romance with virtue for the Christian market. A busy mom, wife, humanitarian RN and orphan advocate, joyful chaos rules her home and she delights in the stealth moments God gives her to write. She stays active in her church and in her laundry room.

MY THOUGHTS

If you are looking for a fun read for the waning holidays, look no further than A Season to Wed. Although set around Christmas, these stories are perfect for any time of the year. While each of the novellas and writing styles differ, they all share a commonality: faith, love, and romance! Available for your e-reader or as a print book, A Season to Wed will lift you up and put a smile on your face! Grab your copy today.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a digital copy of this book free from Harper Collins Christian Publishing/Zondervan. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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