The Love Letter

What a charming and intriguing story that expertly wove together the last and present! I was drawn in from the very beginning—loved the characters and their enduring faith despite the hardships they endured.

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.

The Love Letter is the latest novel by Rachel Hauck. Chloe Daschle is auditioning for a role that could change her career. She has become stereotyped into roles where she dies, and it is time to change her fate. She gets the role of Esther Longfellow in Bound by Love written by Jesse Gates. The other thing Chloe longs for is her one true love. After several disastrous romances, she wonders if the right man is out there for her. Then Chloe meets screenwriter and actor, Jesse Gates at a friend’s wedding. Based on a letter from an ancestor, Jesse wrote Bound by Love. When Jesse meets Chloe, he wonders if she is the woman for him. He is not sure that he deserves a happily ever after because of what happened eight years prior. Esther Longfellow has been in love with Hamilton Lightfoot for many years. She has returned from two years in London with the hopes of marrying him. However, war is breaking out and their families are on opposite sides. Esther’s father, Sir Michael is a loyalist who will not allow his daughter to marry someone unworthy of her much less a patriot. After a devastating death, Hamilton goes off to war and sees many horrors. One night before a big battle, he pens a love letter to Esther. Four people, two stories, one letter. The Love Letter is a novel about finding someone who will love you, complement you, be there for you during the good times and the bad times. Finding someone to love can be easy but finding your soul mate is a different matter. I thought the story was nicely written and the author takes readers on a journey. The Love Letter is a dual storyline novel that is told from four point-of-views. I did find it jarring with the four POV’s in the beginning (trying to keep the characters and their stories straight). It became easier as I progressed through the book. I found Esther and Hamilton’s storylines more compelling. The author did a wonderful job at capturing the time-period (starts in 1781) with the descriptions of the area, the clothing, the various Revolutionary War battles and attitudes. It was clever how the author connects the four people together (I do not want to spoil it for you). The Christian elements are light but present throughout. Having faith is the main theme. You need to have faith that God has the best plan for your life. I appreciate that the author did not make the characters perfect. She made them realistic with their own flaws and struggles. My rating for The Love Letter is 4 out of 5 stars. It is a lovely story, but I did find the pacing to be slow and the transitions were not smooth (as we switched from character to character). The Love Letter is a satisfying romantic Christian story with an unpredictable, heartfelt ending.

The characters in this novel are so well developed that I felt I could sit down for a cup of tea and visit with them. I was especially captivated by all four of the main characters. It was like I could get right inside their heads at any moment. The way the story flowed between the two time periods was wonderful. I don’t read very many duel-time-period books so it did take me a couple of switches to get used to it. The historical portion really brought to life for me what the conflict between Tories and Patriots was like during the Revolutionary War. I had never really considered that they would be living in close proximity with each other. The fact that Esther and Hamilton had grown up as close friends and then found themselves on opposite sides was heartbreaking for me. All four of the main characters had personal journeys to grow closer to God and mature. There was past baggage that they had to sort out and move on from. I love it when the characters grown throughout the story. That is what life is all about. I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and NetGalley. I have chosen to write this review to express my personal opinions. Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions 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.*

I haven’t read a Rachel Hauck book I haven’t loved and this one is no different. The story is beautifully written and easy to read. The struggles the characters go through are relatable and the plot makes sense. I will be recommending this one for our book club in the near future!!