THE LOVE LETTER by Rachel Hauck. Thomas Nelson Publisher
A letter that cover centuries of two couples, the choices they had to make. It was filled with frustration, unrequited love, that she has intertwined to give us a story from the past to the present. Characters were very well done, you got caught in their emotions, of fear, and yet hope. Readers will once again be caught in a page turner story, as Rachel does so well. Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.

BE. STILL. MY. HEART.

I have been waiting for another book from Rachel Hauck and was thrilled when I saw this one was available on Netgalley. Then to be approved? I swooned!

Another dual time story, Rachel Hauck has shown again how adept she is at telling these kinds of stories. It follows Hamilton and Esther in Revolutionary War times. In love, but unable to act upon it. In today's time, we follow Jesse and Chloe. Jesse is a distant grandchild of Hamilton's and has written a screenplay that's about to be made into a movie - a screenplay based on a long passed down love letter that Hamilton wrote to Esther.

I cried so much through out this book. In the elementary school drop off line, on my lunch break, while I waited in line. I was crying everywhere. Every time I read a new Rachel Hauck book, I always say A) her and I should be best friends and B) that this one is my favorite. This was no different.

Go pick this up.....as fast as you can, just be sure to have a box of Kleenex nearby.


I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2366567635

Another beautiful, romantic novel by Rachel Hauck. An inspiring read.

I really enjoyed this book. There are two timelines. The past, which is revolutionary war in South Carolina and the Present day Hollywood. Chloe is and actress. Born of a famous director and famous actress she just couldn't imagine not being one herself! Only she is the Queen of the Death Scene in all her roles. She thinks she is cursed on screen and in love. Jesse has been on the screen before but is more of a techie. When he finds himself running away from his past to LA he writes a screen play based off of his six greats grandfather's letter that was found by his Aunt Pat. Chloe gets the part. She meets Jesse. The have chemistry. .. and as your loving on their love story it takes you to the past. To Jesse's ancestor and you get his love story with Ester. It was a crazy ride but I loved where it took me. I liked that the four main characters found Jesus and how he changed their lives. Wonderful story! I would recommend!

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.

There was really two stories in one in this book. Chloe and Jesse and Hamilton and Esther. At first it was a little confusing. Chloe reads the script for the play that Jesse wrote and immediately sees herself as playing the lead. She also sees it as a way to break the mold Hollywood has her in as the one who always dies in the end. Chloe is no saint and is a new Christian. She has to overcome some of her bad choices she has previously made. Hamilton and Esther are caught on different sides of the Revolutionary War. Overall it was a real enjoyable book and I would recommend it to everyone.

I was given this book by the NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

True love, war, forgiveness, commitment, salvation... big themes in an amazing book by Rachel Hauck. I've really enjoyed previous books I've read by Hauck, but The Love Letter really grabbed me. I had a very hard time putting it down when it was time to go to bed! Her split-time romances have all been good, but I think this one is the best yet. An added plus for those who have read other of her books is the appearance of characters from some of those.

Although the stories are different, The Love Letter has the same “flavor” to me as Davis Bunn's My Soul to Keep (published in 2007).

I highly recommend The Love Letter!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Love Letter is a dual timeline story with Hamilton Lightfoot and Esther Longfellow in the Revolutionary era time period and Chloe Dashle and Jesse Gates in the modern time period. Chloe is an actress who somehow gets parts where she dies. She hopes the movie written by Jesse Gates will break the pattern. The movie is loosely based on Jesse's ancestor Hamilton Gates from a letter. The letter reveals very little about Ester and Hamilton. We learn of all what we know when the story switches the the narration of Hamilton and Esther. At first I had a hard time getting into the story but by 40 percent of the book it picked up speed and I was hooked. Bothe Esther and Chloe trusted in Jesus. My favorite statement taken from the book: She hadn't known it then, but God was pursing her. Her choices had led her straight to Him. Both Hamilton and Jesse strugged with what God was doing in their life. It was so rewarding to see how God finally brought both this men around. All through the book I was wondering how these two stories were going to connect. It was not until the end that you find out and that ending was so satisfying.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This book is due to be released on June 12, 2018.

From the time her dad cast her as a cancer victim, actress Chloe has been “Queen of the Death Scene.” When a script comes her way that stirs her heart, she is eager to try something different and live. Jesse wrote the screenplay based on a love letter he found. Both Jesse and Chloe have big regrets but they’ll have to work together to finish this love story and to find hope again. The closing scene of the movie was so vivid, I could picture it clearly in my mind. I liked that.
This is a story of the power of God’s love to bring healing to bitter hearts and old wounds. Sometimes there seems to be a little supernatural help to show them the way. This story goes back and forth between Hamilton and Esther in the late 1700s and Chloe and Jesse in the present. Both parts of the story were interesting which I think is hard to do.
This is my first book by this author so I’m not sure if there are other books with the same characters. I would love to read more about Chloe’s parents and see if they respond to her challenge to them. Having some closure there would have made this book even better for me.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. I was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I tried so hard to get into this one, but I just couldn't seem to swing it. Though I did enjoy some moments between Esther and Hamilton and Chloe and Jesse--to me, the plot felt rather disjointed, going from current day to the War of Independence, switching mid-scene or mid-action. It left me staggering and thinking "what is going on?" at times.
All the Hollywood-isms got on my nerves. Seemingly every character had a soap opera name (I cannot remember when something as simple as character names got my goad--even when mentioning a sideline character in passing), for some reason, it rubbed me the wrong way. Some things felt overplayed, like once when a character said, "You know he's got the hots for you." to which another character replies something about how "It's 2018, no one says 'got the hots anymore, get with the times'".
And Chloe's obsession with getting cast in role's where she dies. I completely get that it meant something to her and was something she clearly wanted to change, but it didn't feel like it rang true after it was mentioned a few dozen times--at one point leaving her screeching at a director that she would not, under any circumstances, be dying in yet another role.
Overall, it felt like Jesse & Chloe were rather surface-y characters. I felt like at times they tried going a bit deeper, but then, just when something raw and intense might happen, they snapped back into superficial mode.

That being said, if you don't mind a slower plot and some ping-ponging from time period to time period--and some (in my estimation) more surface-level characters, The Love Letter may be a good fit for you.
For me, one-too-many seemingly far-fetched Hollywood-isms, characters I just couldn't seem to connect with, and the slower plot, just made this one a no go for me.

But I have read other books by Rachel Hauck & LOVED them, so I guess this one was just not a good fit for me.

Another wonderful, moving story by Rachel Hauck. I loved how the stories went back and forth between the past and the present. Rachel Hauck is my go to author for well written christian fiction.

Chloe Daschle is pretty sure she is cursed. All the characters she has portrayed until then have died. She's ready for an upgrade; she wouldn't cry for a minor role if she just stays alive in the movie. When she reads a manuscript about the love story of Hamilton Lightfoot and Esther Longfellow, she's pretty sure this is her chance.

Hamilton Lightfoot is certain he is cursed. His loved ones have a propensity of being cruelly killed by Loyalist. At first, he is set against fighting for revolution on the battlefield. But then the ache in his heart makes it impossible to stand still, to do nothing while his family's murderers continue on the lose oppressing innocent and hard working people.

In the beginning, I thought these two would have something to teach one another. But their similarities end at "being cursed". As I got to know Chloe and Jesse, Hamilton and Esther, I figured this was a story about two men who were wearing grief, revenge, and shame as a breastplate, and the women who chose to believe in true love despite their stubbornness, despite how much it might hurt.

How difficult can it be to believe we are unconditionally loved? When we love at our despicable actions, we might believe its impossible. But what if we found out healing doesn't come with regret, through the darkness, only by letting light in, only by embracing love? Would we take a chance?
These are the questions the characters are faced with while their worlds are turned upside down. And their choice will dictate their happiness.

The main players:

Present Day:
Chloe--the actress who was born to die from her very first movie

Jesse Gates--the man who has written his first screenplay and is watching it being made into a movie.

1780s
Esther Longfellow Hobart--an ancestor of Chloe's and the subject of the movie Jesse wrote

Hamilton Lightfoot--an ancestor of Jesse's and the writer of the love letter that is the key to the movie.

Chloe is known as the actress who dies well. She has died in every movie she's acted in. She wants one movie where she lives at the end of it. She also believes in romance and finding "The One" perfect mate for her.

Her world falls apart when a new studio owner comes in and orders the director to either finish the movie in two weeks with some hard edits or hand it over to another director. Jesse refuses to do the edits and walks off the set and goes home.

Rachel Hauck's technique of moving between the history of the movie characters and her present day characters keep the readers on their toes. In some places the changes are pretty tight, but in other places, the switch between history and present day are just too abrupt to follow easily. All in all, this is a solid four-star book, entirely entertaining, and worth the time to read.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing for providing the book through NetGalley.com, for me to read and review.

I struggled with this review because (1) I hate giving under 4-stars to ARCs and (2) the writing/story of half the book was enjoyable - a 3.5 at least which if it had just stayed in that vein and expanded the actual love story could have been even greater.

This book had every element of something I would love...and yet, it missed the mark. I love duel told stories, especially when one part is historical. Sadly, this story was more like two books pushed together. The breaks didn't feel fluid, the jumps didn't echo, shadow, or foreshadow one another. It was like she wanted to tell two stories and didn't know how to make them work together.

I also, sadly found the historical section as more historical fiction than romance and felt the steady drag of it. And, in fact, it wasn't a romance - there is no HEA for the main characters together. I felt so annoyed to be given a "Romance" with two stories where one isn't. The language and story jumps were far too jarring. Unlike the stories in this style that work, there doesn't seem to be a bridge or reasoning to the jumps.

I'm also not a fan of The Big Coincidence unless you really sell me on it, and as this books finale hinges on one, and I was already skimming one section as it wasn't a romance, TBC was really just one more thing that brought this book down.

Like I said, 1/2 the book was enjoyable and well written. If this is her typical style of writing, I would try Ms. Hauck again.

This book was such a beautiful weaving of the past and the present. Hamilton and Esther’s love story was woven with present-day Jesse and Chloe’s just perfectly. I was drawn in to the story right away and didn’t want to put it down. It is my favorite Rachel Hauck book so far and I highly recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rachel consistently pulls her reader into her story. We become invested because she brings us into the characters world. We become entrenched in their world into their life.

This is actually two love stories set at different times. There is the story of Hamilton and Esther who have fallen in love during a time of war. Esther's father is against the union. Esther is an independent young woman who fights for the man she loves even when he tries to push her away.
Then there is the story of Chloe and Jesse in present day. Jesse is a descendant of Hamilton and has found an old love letter from Hamilton. He writes a script based on this letter and Chloe auditions to play the role of Esther
Now, I loved the premise of this story and when I saw all the wonderful reviews
I started to read this book with high expectations. But, while I think it is an okay novel, I didn't really love it.. So I am rating it 3.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are, however, completely my own.

I have read a majority of Rachel Hauck's books. Majority of them I have liked, but a few of them have not hit the mark for me. I LOVED The Writing Desk and The Wedding Shop but didn't like The Wedding Chapel. With The Love Letter, I knew I was getting a time slip novel like the previous three books, so I knew what I was getting into when I read the book. But unfortunately, The Love Letter did not really work for me.

Hauck's writing is great. I have no problem jumping into the character's skin and seeing and feeling their emotions as they move through the story. She does a great job at inviting into the setting and making me feel like I'm right there with the characters. Her story is definitely told between the quotation marks.

But as for the plot, I wasn't really drawn into the novel. The past story appeared to be more interesting than the modern day story. I enjoyed watching Esther and Hamilton's story, but it felt way too soap opera for me. Do they love each other or not? They both claim to be, but there were moments when Hamilton would push Esther away. Their romance was forbidden, so I believe that was its only appeal. In the present story, I didn't really like it at all. It bored me to tears. I kept flipping through the plot, hoping something wonderful would happen, but the story dragged on and on. The ending did surprise me, but it felt a little jarring. I didn't see it coming, so I don't know what to make of it.

In conclusion, The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck did not have the wow factor that The Wedding Shop and The Writing Desk had. I wished for more to the plot and the romances.

I received a complimentary copy of The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Chloe Daschel has grown up in Hollywood—but for the first time in long career she’s fallen in love with a character and she’s willing to call in a few favors to get the part. Something about the character of Esther Longfellow pulls at her like no other character has done before. The script, a freshman effort by the unknown Jesse Gates tells the epic story of a Loyalist girl and the Revolutionary neighbor who has gone from childhood friend to something more. Maybe Chloe loves the character because Esther is everything she wants to become—strong, passionate, committed, and confident.

Chloe’s life seems more like a modern-day reality show with her disastrous mistake playing out on social media. She’s recently found faith and wants to turn her life around when her friend Smitty gives her a copy of the script.

Jesse Gates has been running for years, ever since he lost Loxley. A love letter from his seventh-great grandpa, Hamilton Lightfoot, forms the kernel of a timeless love story that looks like it will provide the break in Hollywood that Jesse’s been looking for. When he meets Chloe at a wedding, life seems brighter. But can two wounded souls have any hope of falling in love?

It depends.

Hauck expertly weaves the threads of Hamilton, Ester, Chloe, and Jesse’s stories together across the centuries.

Chloe and Jesse’s story was beautiful. I loved the belief in marriage as a covenant and that Chloe, even after so many failed relationships and living in the Hollywood environment she still wanted and chased after true love. Jesse made a great complement to her and their quick attraction was believable.
Esther and Hamilton’s story was a little less interesting to me. Perhaps because I didn’t get to watch the romance unfold but instead watch it unravel and become a casualty to War. It was an interesting counterpoint to Chloe and Jesse’s story and the resolution was lovely.
The religious aspects of this story were a healing element somewhat unexpected but welcome. They were important to the story without being too preachy or too much.
I admit it took me a little while to get into the story but once I did it was hard to put down.

Another winner from Miss Hauck. Love the story within the story. Excellent read!