Opening line:
"He must finish."
This was an interesting romance story, jumping from current day to the War of Independence, between two couples who want a love to last through all their days and who have to fight for that love.
Chloe was tired of dying...literally. She is an actress who is typecast as the dying, well, everything. But one script she is determined to be the leading lady who does not die. The script is based on the screen writer's greats grandparents and a single-paged letter. When Chloe lands the role she meets the screenwriter and they seemingly fall in love on the first night they met.
Esther is back from London and her season but she still loves the boy next door. Because of the war, her father forbids her from ever seeing her Hamilton again. Of course, true love is rebellious and the two love will not be kept from each other, even in the middle of war.
This was a dialogue driven story, which was very unrealistic as the characters hashed out everything they thought and felt through dialogue. There wasn't much of 'showing' how they felt.
I liked the historical parts and the love.
This is a sweet, clean, Christian read that I would feel comfortable recommending to any reader.

Thanks to netgalley for the early read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This is a great read for lovers of historical fiction. The backstory is interwoven with the present day storyline so beautifully and tied in with the real love story of Jesus Christ. Wonderfully written.

With the technology of today, there are things dying out which are precious. One of those things is the art of letter writing. I remember when receiving a hand-written letter in the mail was a very special thing. It was always exciting and often very dear. One of the hardest things about letter writing and receiving was the wait time from sending a letter to receiving a response. Now we have texting and instant messaging. Yet, when we actually receive a letter in the mail it is still something of value.
In this book by Rachel Hauck, she weaves a tale using a letter which had been lost and then found many years later. Hamilton Lightfoot wasn’t one to write his words down, but he feels he must. He needs to let Esther know how he feels after they had been kept apart for all these years. Jesse is the great, great, great…plus many more, grandson of the one who wrote this letter. He is intrigued by the letter, wanting to know what really happened, and why it was never delivered. So, he makes a screenplay writing his own ending. In doing so, Jesse comes to grips with his own issues. Chole is an actor whose life has gone through many rough spots. She gets cast to play the part of Esther, who is the one the letter was written to. As she gets into the film, she meets Jesse and they instantly feel chemistry, but they fight it because of both their pasts. During the filming, something happens which change both their lives. Will they ever be able to work things out and get together? You’ll only know if you read this book. I know you won’t be disappointed.
Rachel Hauck does a fantastic job as a storyteller. I love how these two stories, generations apart, are woven together in such an endearing love story.
I was given this book by the publisher for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

The Love Letter Is an extraordinary story that takes you to two time periods. The beginning starts with a big Bang and goes on from there. The book is about forgiveness - forgiving of one self and of those who have hurt you - you'd do this with the help of CHRIST. HE is the way to do this period the book follows two couples during those 2 time periods. The story has a life of its own. I love how the story just flows It was astonishing. The characters are big hearted and full of Faith. The author celebrated the lives of the characters and it shows in the story and that is what makes this author so good - it is why I love her books.

I'm not sure what in the world is wrong with me compared to other reviews of this novel, but it just didn't do much for me! I loved the historical fiction and the different stories during different time periods. Although the characters were realistic and I was drawn into their lives and journeys, this novel was slow for me and at times, tedious to get through. Hauck's premise and ideas for the novel are overall beautiful, this just wasn't for me.

What a wonderful story! This was my first book by Rachel Hauck but it definitely won't be the last! It's a dual timeline with Hamilton and Esther turning the colonial/revolutionary war period, and Chloe and Jesse in present day. Both are wonderful stories of love and forgiveness. I was not quite as invested in the present day story, but it didn't take away from the story, and Chloe and Jesse's story really was a good read too. I certainly wasn't skipping their section and going back to the historical time period.

This is the first book by Rachel Hauck that I have read. It is a Christian story but without wielding a sledgehammer that may turn some people off.

The story is that of two couples, one in the present and one in the past. The present day couple are involved in making a film about the earlier couple.

There are forces that work together and against both couples. They have to find their own ways and, more importantly, look for salvation through the only way. By following Jesus Christ. That is a connecting tie between not only these four individuals but also all Christians.

The book is quite dramatic and while an event could be presented in low key, the author has made the choice to make everyday occurrences have deeper meaning. Such as writing a letter. While we don’t generally write many letters today, a letter a few hundred years ago was something to be prized and kept.

I liked the formal language of the past as it contrasted with the informal language and situations of the present. It made for a good break between the chapters of each time period.

I will certainly read more by this author in the future. She has a way with words and situations that is quite beautiful.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

This is a beautiful love story in a time slip novel, shifting from modern day to the revolutionary war. The plot revolves around a love letter written in revolutionary times and passed down through generations to current day. We see the story surrounding the writing of the letter and then in modern day, we see the ancestor of the letter's writer creating a screenplay to tell the love story of the letter. It was very interesting to see the past meet the present and to see what all is lost of one's story over time. In both timelines, we see the characters grow as they learn about themselves, learn about forgiveness and love. There is a surprising twist at the end that ties both story lines together and brings about a beautiful conclusion. This is a great story of redemption - of moving on from one's past to find what they were always looking for and never thought they would deserve. It's a perfect demonstration of God's grace. If you enjoy a good romance, historicals, time slips, and well developed characters who grow in character exponentially throughout the book, then this is one I'd strongly recommend!

Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for offering me an ecopy of this novel. I was under no compulsion to write a review and the thoughts and opinions found here are my own.

Loved Rachel Hauck's book, "The Love Letter"! I really enjoy going between the past and the present, a time-slip book I believe they are called. Slipping between the past that takes place during the Revolutionary War and present day Hollywood. In the past, Ester loves Hamilton but they are on different sides of the war. Hamilton in the ancestor of Jesse an MIT graduate who has an old love letter from his families past. He decides to write a screenplay surrounding the letter after a tragedy in his life. Chloe, an actress trying to get out of recurring death roles, wants the lead part in his screenplay. The weaving of the stories together is beautiful. When you are in the past you don't want to leave it. As well as when you are in the present. A wonderful book!

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

I read this book thinking it was a Historical Romance book. I was really amazed to find out it was a Religious Fiction book. It was a great story and now I am ready to read more of this author and this genre.

I so wish I could give this book TEN stars because it deserves it!

Now that I've finished ugly crying after finishing this book I think I can write a review.

The Love Letter takes us from the battlefields of the Revolutionary War to stage of the Hollywood of today.

As with previous historical time slip novels by Rachel Hauck her research is impeccable and her timing in switching from past to present day is done smoothly. I was so completely engaged in the story that I only noticed the time change because the characters changed.

I thoroughly enjoy time slip novels, especially historical ones and Rachel Hauck does them so well. This is now my favorite novel of Ms. Hauck's and I will most likely be cuddling up with it again sometime this summer.

My Bottom Line:

The Love Letter is a deeply moving story with themes that focuses on guilt, the power of love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. You will want to stock up on tissues because you will need them.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck is an amazing dual timeline not to be missed!

Dual timelines seem to be quite popular and Rachel Hauck has done a superb job of blending two time periods together in The Love Letter. Typically I'm not drawn to "Hollywood" types of stories or characters, but Rachel made me want to know everything there was to discover about actress Chloe and screenwriter Jesse. The screenplay Jesse has written featuring his grandfather Hamilton and his one true love Esther is equally compelling.
I loved the way the two stories overlapped and were tied together, a tribute to Rachel's excellence as a storyteller. Both the historical and the spiritual threads carried a lot of impact and gave The Love Letter extra depth and feeling. The ending was a perfect sigh-worthy moment. I was especially touched by Rachel's dedication to her husband, her living "love letter", what a blessing to read that.

I am already looking forward to Rachel's next book with great anticipation. What an Amazing book. I appreciate Thomas Nelson making a copy of The Love letter available for review.

I enjoyed The Writing Desk, also by Rachel Hauck, and looked forward to reading The Love Letter, another time split novel. I really enjoyed the story of Hamilton Lightfoot and Esther Longfellow set in the Revolutionary War era. The contemporary story being carried out between Chloe Daschle and Jesse Gates was something I read through waiting to get back to Hamilton and Esther, that is until chapter twenty-two. At that point Jesse did something that totally grabbed my interest, and then, in my mind, the stories of the two couples truly began to merge.
The Love Letter is a heart warming love story, and Rachel Hauck demonstrates through her story crafting the impact the love of and for Christ has on our earthly relationships. It is through His love that we receive the gift of grace freeing us to love well.
Jesse Gates' screenplay based on his ancestor Hamilton's love letter ha been placed under contract to be made into a movie. Chloe Daschle, who had been typecast as “the queen of dying,” was thrilled to be cast as Ester, a role in which she would be allowed to live. Neither Jesse or Chloe's past had them looking for a relationship, but there was undeniable chemistry from the moment they met. Which of these couples, if either, would be destined to have a love that went the distance? Hauck's readers have some surprises in store.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I do recommend this book to fans of romantic fiction. The time split stories run smoothly together, and the dialogue reads well.

Rachel Hauck does it again with her latest release. I love time slip novels, and Rachel does am amazing job of blending the past with the present. One storyline is set during the American Revolution and the modern story is set in modern day Hollywood revolving around a love letter that has survived that had survived over 200 years. I highly recommend this novel.

Like some of Rachel’s other books, this one has a dual timeline: Revolutionary War-era South Carolina and modern-day Hollywood.
The way they are connected is via a love letter written by a patriot to his love, daughter of a Loyalist who disapproves of the relationship. The story is (in modern day) being made into a movie, and the leading lady and screenwriter have a love story of their own.

Very well told and enjoyable to read. Rachel Hauck is good at writing romances!

Such a great read!!! I am a fan of Rachel Hauck but I haven't read too much from her, however everything I've read so far I loved and this was no exception. I loved the back and forth in time, it was done in a seamless and compelling way that added to the story in my opinion. Chloe and Jesse, Hamilton and Esther. Even though I may have found myself routing for these couples in different ways at the beginning of the book I felt peace with the various endings whether they ended the way I wanted them to or not.
Speaking of beginning I just LOVED the meeting and first interactions of Chloe and Jesse I could read those particular chapters again and again. It was effortless, intriguing, playful, and intimate all without smut.
The journey these two couples made kept me turning the pages just to find out what would, hoping for one thing then changing my mind then thinking "no don't do this to me" then "yes". So many emotions . Loved it.

The first thing that drew me to this book was the setting and the history side of the story. I’ve visited the historic Cowpens battlefield, walked the dirt paths and imagined what it may have been like. When we visited the honeysuckle’s were thick and fragrant.

The characters are realistic and face real struggles. With an over-arching question of what is real love and what does it look like, readers are invited into the dialogue and challenged to possibly rethink their own ideas.

For me, the Historical time period in the story was my favorite. However, I did enjoy all the characters and I thought how Rachel wove the two time periods together was fabulous. There were a couple of spots in the story that I found a bit slow, but all in all, it was an enjoyable read!

This is the first book I’ve read by Rachel Hauck and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future. I give this story 3.5 stars and would encourage anyone who enjoyed reading time-slip stories to pick this one up!

(I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)

The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck is an amazing story. A love letter was originally written by Hamilton Lightfoot to his girlfriend, Esther Longfellow, during the early days of the Revolutionary War. Hamilton would prefer not to fight. His parents and sister were killed by the British when he was a young boy and now the uncle that has raised him is also killed by the British Loyalists. Fate has determined where his loyalties lie. Esther's father, however, is a Loyalist. Meanwhile, Jesse Gates, a descendant of Hamilton Lightfoot has come into possession of the love letter and has written a screenplay about it. Chole Daschle, an actress from a Hollywood family wants to overcome her reputation as the Death Queen in movies. Chole is given a tip from a friend about the movie and thinks she would be great as Esther. Chole reads for the movie and gets the part. Filming starts and like many Hollywood scenarios, everything is changed mid-movie. The Love Letter gives us a love story within a love story with a surprise ending.

I was given an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Love Letter is another delightful read by Rachel Hauck. Ms. Hauck has the wonderful talent of the making the character completely relatable and as if you could run into them at the local coffee shop/bookstore/boutique.
Actress Chloe seeks to read for the role of Esther to break free of her typecast. Jesse writes the story for the Love Letter based on a family tale of Esther and Hamilton set in the backdrop of South Carolina in 1781.
For fans of Ms. Hauck's Royal Wedding Series, there are several nods.
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Authors probably cringe when a review starts with something like ‘I am really not a fan of ‘such and such genre ‘ when I see that myself my first thought is why are you even reading it then? So here so, I am not a big fan of romance novels, but I am a big fan of historical and dual time period stories. Ever since reading Rachel Hauck's books The Wedding Dress and The Writing Desk I have become a fan. Both those books grabbed me with the unique stories and characters.

The Love Letter follows along with its dual time period but this time it was a bit softer, quieter almost in the plots. I wasn't totally absorbed in the present day story there were times it was a little too neat and tidy. The historical aspects is usually what draws me right in and I found the letter interesting as well as the connection to Jesse. I would have loved more of that time flushed out.

Faith played a big part in both story lines. The characters are flawed, carrying around a load of guilt. Ultimately The Love Letter is a story of discovering oneself, letting go of baggage and of course love. I can't say I enjoyed this as much as her 2 pervious books but she is still an author I will continue to read more of.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson (via Netgalley) for an advanced copy in exchange for honest review. The Love Letter can be found on at your favorite bookstores starting tomorrow (June 12th).