I absolutely loved Rachel Hauck's Once Upon a Prince series. I think it's because I'm a hopeless romantic who LOVES Hallmark Christmas movies. I was excited to read another book of Rachel Hauck's as I've only read the first three in the Once Upon a Prince series. Unfortunately, for me, this one fell pretty flat. I didn't love the writing, but I could get past it--there were just some cheesy lines that I read out loud and cringed (now, I'm reminding myself how much I love Hallmark movies so I shouldn't get caught up in cheesy issues.) I could get past the flat writing, but the plot just did not draw me in! I'm a fast reader: this book should have taken me about a day or two, and it took me about 5 days. I just wasn't pulled into the story like I hoped I'd be. I also can't blame it on the structure of jumping back and forth from the Revolutionary War to today--I've read plenty of similarly structured texts and flew through them. I probably would have been more drawn in if the characters were more fleshed out. I didn't feel connected to Esther or Chloe. The character I felt I knew best and liked the most was Jesse, which is interesting as I normally connect with the female characters more. I really wanted to like this, and I think many people will find this an enjoyable read, it just didn't do it for me.

I have never read a book by Rachel Hauck, those I have heard of her a great deal previously. This book was really, really good. Almost bordered on being a historical Christian fiction. Sometimes I find that Christian fiction can be campy and hard to read, but this was so well written and makes you think it is based on fact but also how the moments that these individuals came to Christ was just mind blowing for me personally. Beautifully written.

I have been hearing fabulous things about Rachel Hauck for several years now, but I never had the chance to read one of her books until this past week. I was very excited to receive an ARC of her new release The Love Letter, and I'm equally excited to share about it! I really enjoyed this book! In fact, I had a very hard time putting it down because I was so invested in both stories. The only saving grace for me was that I finally found I was able to put it down when it switched stories; otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten any sleep at all this week!

I really enjoy the way Mrs. Hauck writes. Her characters are loveable yet very believable. I really enjoyed the complexity of this plot and how she wove the two stories together. I wondered at times if she could possibly tie up all the loose ends in a way that would satisfy me, and she actually succeeded quite well, leaving only a few that I wished she had tied up a little better, all of which were in the historical story rather than the contemporary one.

The best thing about this book for me though was the spiritual component. I loved how she portrayed her characters seeking God and striving to live their lives in a manner pleasing to Him. It wasn't just a cursory nod toward religion but had some real depth, and I really appreciated that. I also loved how she showed real spiritual transformations in some of the characters!

I highly recommend this author. I enjoyed this book so much that as soon as I finished it, I went hunting through my Kindle library to see if I had anything else she'd written. Happily, I did, and I've already finished that one too! Next time we go to the library, I'll definitely be checking out the H section to see if they have any of her books.

Title: The Love Letter
Author: Rachel Hauck
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Chloe Daschle is known in Hollywood for being the actress to play a convincing death scene. But she’s tired of dying. She wants to live. When she hears about the role of Esther Kingsley in a historical film, she decides to go for it.

The script is based on a one-page love letter written by screenwriter Jesse Gates’ ancestor, Hamilton Lightfoot, but Jesse would far rather write about romance than try his hand at it…again. When Jesse and Chloe meet, they both must re-think their views on love—and their pasts.

During the Revolutionary War, Esther longs to be with Hamilton, her friend from childhood, but Hamilton is torn between his love of peace, and his desire to fight for the land he calls home. He’s afraid his thirst for revenge over the death of his father will motivate him—not the cause he wishes to fight for. And Esther must choose between her beloved father, a British Loyalist, and the rebel Hamilton, the man she loves.

I expected a light romance in The Love Letter but got so much more than that. Chloe is an intriguing character: she grew up in Hollywood and has a past as one of those behaving-badly starlets caught on tape to live down. She’s changed, and now she wants so much more out of life, but Hollywood has her in a tidy box she’s not sure she can escape. Until she meets Jesse, who does things his way, not buckling to threats or even friendly advice. With Esther and Hamilton’s story woven throughout, The Love Letter was an engrossing, lovely read.

Rachel Hauck is an award-winning and best-selling author. Her newest novel is The Love Letter.

(Galley provided by Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.)

Rachel Hauck has another winner on her hands with her latest novel, The Love Letter. She expertly flipped back and forth between modern-day Chloe Daschle and Jesse Gates and the story between Esther Longfellow and Hamilton Lightfoot from centuries ago. I tell you, I kept wondering in my mind which couple I loved best, I did make a choice in the end, but I don't want to give away the ending ;-)

The historical part of this story was beautifully written, I felt like I was in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War. The current-day part was emotional, thought-provoking, and almost envy-inducing as Chloe lives in Hollywood with her director father and actress mother, which means money, influence, abundant opportunities, mansions, pools, and servants.

The Love Letter held a deep spiritual message, it also kept me flipping the pages, the word choices were unique yet not over the top, and the plot moved swiftly. Pick up your copy today!

A lovely story of family, forgiveness and faith. Two strong storylines - one contemporary and one from the American Revolution. I preferred the contemporary story, although both are strong. I enjoyed the faith pieces that focused on redemption and surrender and unconditional love. There are some "mystical" spiritual pieces that, for me, didn't fit the tone of the rest of the story.

This is an author I really enjoy and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Hauck treats readers to a delightful journey of faith and love with authentic, complex characters and cleverly entwined storylines. This book is an exceptional reading experience… emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually engaging and satisfying.

The Love Letter balances the stark hot and cold contrasts of tension and conflict with warm friendship, attraction, and budding faith. The characters are relatable and the story flows smoothly throughout the point of view transitions and time period shifts. I love the way both Chloe and Jesse refer to themselves as old souls. I think the world needs more old souls with traditional values, honor, and integrity.

This exquisite story fully captured my heart within the first seventy pages and I eagerly indulged in blissful reader decadence to the end (then proceeded to wipe away tears of reader joy). I highly recommend this story it is without a doubt one of my favorite books of the year and all-time.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Story Line: 4 Stars
Depth: 4 Stars
Faith: 4 Stars
Love Story: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars



Author Rachel Hauck delivers yet another split-time romance that tells the tell of a long lost love from centuries ago, and a modern love story waiting to happen! Back in the time of the Revolutionary War, Hamilton Lightfoot and Esther Longfellow are from different sides of the battle, but love each other deeply. Hamilton writes a letter proposing marriage - but it apparently never gets to Esther. When this letter is passed down through family centuries later to Jesse Gates, a Hollywood screenwriter, it inspires him to write a love story of what may have happened between the star crossed lovers. Meanwhile Chloe Daschle, daughter of two mega Hollywood stars and talented actress in her own right, is tired of playing the damsel in distress who always dies. Determined to find her destiny in the role of Esther and to find true love in real life, she presses forward through tension and doubt to make this her best role ever - all the while in her personal life, gathering the courage to open her heart to Jesse.

These two chicks really enjoyed reading The Love Letter with its dual storylines - one historical and one contemporary. The love stories between our main characters were realistic and relatable, yet charming! Also shining brightly in this novel is the faith aspect - Jesus is close to all characters who believe in Him, gently guiding and directing those who are willing to follow Him. Rachel Hauck is mastering both historical and contemporary fiction, and her books always draw us in for an intriguing escape. This was no exception and we eagerly look forward to her next one!

I loved how the author’s mind worked as she wrote this story, a love story that spans centuries, and six times greats.
We are spending time in the fight for America’s Independence the 1700’s and then we are in modern day Hollywood and making movies.
We are shown that love can have its problems, especially if is a one-way affair, but we are also shown God’s hand in the lives of these individuals and forgiveness.
Wait until you see how it is possible for a love of 1780 to come to a conclusion in 2018, Rachel Hauk has successfully melded these two-time periods into a tale that will stay with you long after the last page is turned.

I received this book through Celebrate Lit, and was not required to give a positive review.

I was prepared to not like this story. I don't generally like modern themes. And this was not just modern, but Hollywood too. The initial appeal of this story for a historical fiction lover like me is that the core of the story is a letter written at the beginning of the Revolutionary war. As I read I found that the author made it personal, both in old and new eras, and it grew on me. The modern characters became just people and meshed with the old. Their stories wove back and forth, over and under, like ribbons, then did a mobius flip. Wow what a journey. And when completed, how smooth it actually was. Esther and Hamilton, Chloe and Jesse - each on their own journey, yet bound together - with a path to Jesus meant for each, illustrating the mountains, valleys and triumphs only He brings to lives.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Thomas Nelson--FICTION - Netgalley book review bloggers program. 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”.

What could two romances, one set in modern-day Hollywood and the other in the rural South during the Amercian Revolution, possibly have in common? That’s the set-up for Rachel Hauck’s newest dual timeline romance, The Love Letter. A page-turner for sure, this novel kept me up way too late! But it was worth the lost sleep as I fell into Esther and Hamilton and Chloe and Jesse’s stories. This one earns a highly recommended rating from me.

It can’t be easy writing not just one, but two storylines and making them not only credible but ones that the reader comes to care about. Hauck does a wonderful job of making both story worlds real. As her research into everyday life in the South Carolina colony brought Esther and Hamilton’s lives to life, so did her research into film-making and the Hollywood lifestyle produce a real and relatable couple in actor and screenwriter, Chloe and Jesse. The Love Letter is told in alternate points of view of the four main characters allowing the reader to get a complete look into their feelings, doubts, struggles, and hopes. And what great love stories these two couples have! For fans of romance set in any time, this novel certainly satisfies. But the most satisfying part of this book is the revelation of the love God has for people. I loved how God’s love and plan played out across the centuries separating the two couples. The love between a man and woman, of a parent for a child, and of a God who by nature is love is expressed throughout the book — Love broke chains. Unlocked doors. Healed wounds. (p.345) The Love Letter is a declaration of the power of love in times when war and political strife divided and in times when love is cheaply expressed.

Because The Love Letter is a romance, a happily-ever-after is expected, but delivered in a most unexpected way! You’re also going to want to talk about this book once you are done, so grab some friends or your book club and dig in and enjoy!

Highly recommended.

Great for book clubs.

Audience: adults.

The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck is a wonderful dual time story--a tale of two couples in love, generations apart. The author has expertly woven their stories together and had this reader enchanted by both. From present time to the Revolutionary War and from Hollywood to South Carolina, readers are taken on two journeys of faith and love that are each stymied by a number of circumstances, war, family, guilt, the past. The author has realistically brought growth and maturity to the characters and enabled them to go forward with their lives despite the difficulties. The characters are strong and vibrant, arousing a variety of emotions as the story unfolds. The scenes capture the imagination and the author has done a fantastic job of portraying the historical aspect of the book. There are a few twists and turns to the story and a couple 'wow, I didn't see that coming' moments that keep interest high. The Love Letter is a poignant story of faith and forgiveness and the legacy of love throughout the ages. "Truth is, we never know the how or why of our ancestors' decisions. We only know our present reality."Another excellent historical romance from a talented author.

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

COWPENS caught my eye! I live just a couple of hours away from the Cowpens battlefield, so I remember visiting it a few times as a kid and I just took my boys to visit it a few weeks ago. Usually when South Carolina is the setting for a book or movie, it’s down in Charleston, so it was refreshing to see an author write about the Upcountry.

What I liked:

The plot weaves together the story of a modern-day couple in LA and a Revolutionary War-era couple in Ninety Six, SC. The shifts between time periods and among characters’ viewpoints don’t follow a specific cycle; they flow with the events of the story. Hauck does well with this balance — it kept me reading because I was caught up in not one, but two love stories, but it wasn’t so much shifting back-and-forth that it became confusing or frustrating for me.
The premise of the family heirloom letter is realistic and compelling. I wish I had a family treasure like that!
What I didn’t love:

I was reading a preview ebook version, so I know it wasn’t the final polished product, but there were quite a few editorial issues that I hope were corrected before final release. Same for some layout issues, but I’m guessing those were cleaned up to make the flow between character shifts more effective.
Minor plot holes! There is a character who could be an angel (magical realism in a Revolutionary War Christian romance novel?), but this isn’t really clarified. It’s not a primary plot point, though, so it doesn’t disrupt the big picture, but it is a little awkward. There are some other loose ends that could’ve been wrapped up or edited out more effectively, but they didn’t stop me from enjoying the trajectory of the novel overall.
Bottom line: If you like Christian romance novels and/or historical fiction, it’s a good light read for you. If you’re like my mom and love the Christian romance but don’t like historical stuff very much, you’ll probably still like this book because it’s a good blend of both.

Rachel Hauck is one of my favorite dual timeline authors. She is able to write compelling stories set in different time periods and combine them into quick, easy, can't-put-them-down reads. However, The Love Letter seemed to be missing something. Exactly what was missing I can't put my finger on. I just know it wasn't there.

For me, the story started off a bit slow. I found myself more drawn to Chloe and Jesse than Esther and Hamilton. I liked the instant connection between Chloe and Jesse but then became a bit disappointed in them. Jesse has a secret from his past and readers are also clued into an embarrassing video of Chloe that's on the internet. I didn't like the way Jesse and Chloe told each other their secrets at the same time. Were they even listening to each other? I've been in conversations such as theirs and just gave up trying to tell my story but these two characters kept going on and on until they had finished. Also, I think the phrase "hot and heavy" was a bit overused. It seems like within a few pages I read this phrase several times. (Does anyone even say that anymore?)

As for Esther and Hamilton the more I read about them the more I enjoyed their story. I'm not a big fan of the Revolutionary War and thought the all the fight scene details slowed down the flow of the story, which was slow enough on its own. I did enjoy the aspect of the story as far as them being on different sides of the war but still maintaining their friendship.

All in all, this isn't a bad story and once I got into it I found it was a fairly quick read. I will admit towards the end I was ready for it to wrap up. While this isn't one of my favorite stories from this author she is still on my must-read list.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions are mine.

Welcome to the world of screenplays, romance, and actors. A compelling faith based story by Rachel Hauck fascinated me. Not only did I enjoy the main characters who were well rounded, but their ancestors as well. See, this particular story revolves around a screenplay Jesse made about his ancestors and an unrequited love. The main actress is Chloe, who is the Sean Bean of actresses - never living to the end.

The novel is broken into basically three parts - the here and now, the past love story of Ester and Hamilton, and the screenplay itself. I wish I could say the flow between the three was smooth sailing, but the screenplay inserts between the two love stories I think could have been done differently, such as making it part of the here and now and what it was like to be on set. As a filmmaker and writer, I appreciated the behind the curtain aspects of the story, most of which was pretty accurate.

Chloe is "born again" and believes after all the heart ache she has been through it's time to just let her faith guide her. When this script is given to her by Smitty (who may be an angel or someone who appears in several of the characters' lives), she runs over to a family friend to audition for the role of the lead actress. This is a chance for her not to die. In the meantime, she meets the screenwriter and the friendship/romance begins.

The hardest pieces for me was at the very end. I felt it was a bit rushed and then not. A letter sent to him disappears for months (which I thought was just bull) and Smitty kept appearing over and over which I had a hard time with - though Smitty is an interesting character, I thought he was a bit overused.

All in all, this is a sweet romance and appealing to read.

This book was given for me from Netgalleys for an honest and unbiased review.

A really good historical fiction. I loved the different stories and the mix of past and present.
The plot is fascinating and the mix of romance, history and religion works wonderfully.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for this ARC

Can I give this book 10 stars? It was hands down the best book I've read in the last few years. It's the first book by Rachel Hauck that I've read and definitely will NOT be the last. It is such a well crafted story. It's a time hop story that jumps between Revolutionary War time and the present. The two stories fit so well together. Hauck has this way of leaving the reader wanting more when she jumps from past to present. I couldn't stop reading. Loved the scene where Jesse & Chloe's stories are intertwining. It was brilliant. The story isn't one where you can guess the ending. It's one where you can see the potential ending and your rooting for that! Wanting it to happen so bad. And there are surprises all the way to the end. One that I guessed earlier in the story but wasn't quite sure that's what was actually being said. It's a clean romance with deep moving characters. Christian elements are subtle and natural but play a big part in the lives of the characters. It's a story of forgiveness, redemption, love, faith, death, and life. You don't want to miss this story. I was so pleasantly surprised by it and quickly came to love the story. It exceeded my expectations on so many levels. Definitely a book you can reread time and time again!
I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher. I was in no way obligated to write a review. All opinions are my own.

The Love Letter is a historical romance about two couples in two different centuries: Esther and Hamilton are a couple split by familial conflicts during the Revolutionary War, and Hamilton’s modern-day descendant is a young man named Jesse who is inspired to write a screenplay about Hamilton’s forbidden love, and ends up falling in love with Chloe, the dazzling young actress who has been picked to play Esther. The novel touches on themes of destiny, faith, and true love.

Let me start by saying that I absolutely loved the concept of this book: leaps back and forth between the modern world and the 18th century, seeing Jesse’s interpretation of the romance between Hamilton and Esther, and the reality of their romance and conflict. And on this front, the book did marvelously well. There were quite a few places where that contrast was really tangible. In one chapter, Jesse and Chloe are standing on an old battlefield in the modern day, and Jesse notices that the road curves down so that the attackers likely could not have seen the defendants until the came up on them. Jesse comments that it probably would have affected the outcome of the battle, and he wonders whether Hamilton would have noticed. We then have a change of scene, and Hamilton does notice the curve of the path – not during the battle, but instead, during an encounter with Esther.

There was so much potential in the worldbuilding and the concept of the plot that I was really disappointed by the lack of overall plot realism. When I picked up the book I had not realised that this was Christian fiction, and while I am not opposed to Christian fiction as a genre, some of the religious premises sometimes struggle with realism. That was definitely a problem in The Love Letter. This book makes a strong argument that God can handle everything, and if we place our fates in God’s hands, he will solve our problems for us. I do like this as a religious belief, but it is a little lacking as a plot device. There were a number of times in the book when the characters basically give up on their goals, and their problems are solved for them. There just wasn’t enough of a connection between their actions and their results, and I found myself getting frustrated by characters that came across as not as believers, but as people that aren’t willing to work for results. There also were a handful of moments where Jesus actually appeared in a vision to the characters. This might not be abnormal for this genre, I’m genuinely not sure, but that really took me out of the narrative. I feel like there has to be a better way of showing a character’s spiritual progression than literally having Jesus show up. This is admittedly not my typical genre, so others might feel differently.

I feel so conflicted about the character development, because there are some fantastic developmental moments, especially for Chloe and Jesse, and then there are moments where huge changes are instated with little transition. Chloe in particular has a thorough background and some real, meaningful character changes through the novel. At the start of The Love Letter, Chloe is a few years out of a bad relationship with a rough, public break-up that was posted online. She wants to believe in true love and the institution of marriage, but feels that she is unlucky in love. She has learned the wrong lessons from her experiences – rather than learning how to be independently strong, she has instead learned to distance herself from others. Through The Love Letter, Chloe learns to trust the right people in her life rather than the wrong people, and she learns how to be happy with herself and to have strength in her faith. I really like this progression for her. However, towards the end of the novel she suddenly decides to trust God to solve her relationship problems for her, and she starts acting in a manner that might be best described as erratic – rather than consistently backing off of romance or changing her approach to romance, she instead just acts on opportunities that appear in front of her. To be frank, this sudden change seemed out of place for me, and really disrupted the character development that had been so strong until that moment. There are similar moments for Jesse, Esther, and Hamilton – they each have a moment of realization when they realize they need to trust God to do what is best for them, and then suddenly their behavior becomes rather erratic. To be clear, this did not feel like a difference in beliefs to me – I feel like there could still have been a change in beliefs without the characters’ behaviors seeming so random. That being said, this moment did pass in the book, consistency was resumed, and I was happy with the ending. So take that how you will.

In all, I will give The Love Letter a 6 out of 10. As a Christian romance, it was engaging enough to keep me invested through the end, but I just wanted more from the character development and plot realism.

I enjoy reading duel time line stories, multiple POVs, and Rachel Hauck’s writing, but I toiled with the choppiness of The Love Letter from time to time. A letter written by Hamilton Lightfoot to Ester Longfellow in 1802, but never mailed, brings the two generations together. Jesse Gates, Hamilton’s 6 times great grandson, writes a screenplay for a movie based on the letter which stars Chloe Daschle as Ester. There is much to tell about Chloe and Ester, however, my lips are sealed, as not to give away the ending. You will have to read this stirring story for yourself and trust me you will not be disheartened.

What drew me to this story was the historical side as little is written about the southern states involvement in the War of Independence. Here Rachel did not disappoint with her research and attention to detail. Picking the Cowpens battle a turning point in the American reconquest of South Carolina from the British was genius. I felt the animosity and conflict between Hamilton Lightfoot, Ester Longfellow’s father, Sir Michael Longfellow, and Lieutenant Twimball at each and every meeting, and Ester’s dilemma loving both Hamilton and her father who were on opposite sides of more than just the war.

Rachel Hauck’s stories are always filled with messages of wisdom. One such message in The Love Letter is: “Marriage is the only place where two lovers can exist in a world all their own”. This is such a divine sentiment and one every couple should always remember.

I received a complimentary ARC ebook of The Lost Letter from Thomas Nelson/HarperCollins Christian Publishing via NetGalley as part of the Celebrate Lit book tour. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck is about four lives intersecting over centuries. Esther and Hamilton grew up together in the South Carolina colony, but the prospect of independence inserts a wedge between them. Present day, Chloe and Jesse are both working on a movie based on a love letter by Hamilton to Esther. Written from all four perspectives, it delves into themes of love, fate, faith, and new beginnings.

This was a pleasant read and I found the story interesting. I found I preferred the present day sections over the past, which is rare as I am a huge fan of historical fiction. The subject of faith was presented as part of the characters and done very well.