Rachel Hauck is a brilliant author. I haven’t read anything by her in a while and I ask myself: why? Her stories pull the reader in with her true to life dialogue and real situations and human brokenness.

Chloe has this romantic idea of romance and nothing in her life has lived up to it, who can relate??

I honestly think I enjoyed the historical romance more then the contemporary one. Hamilton and Ester’s romance and tension was high. The struggle they are both going through so real.

I love the surprise encounters with what seems like Heavenly Beings. That is something Rachel is so good at, writing a romance but taking the reader deeper into their own spiritual journey.

Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com or your favorite retailer.

A copy of this book was given to me through the Celebrate Lit Team. All opinions are my own.

This is actually two stories. One is present day and the other deals with the screenwriter's 6 greats grandfather during the war for independence from England. It's a love story and a sad story all in one.

The present day deals with the relationship between the screenwriter and an actress who had only ever died in all her films. Her one big hope is to live to the end of the film.

I absolutely loved this book. I did guess Chloe's part in the history, but still that didn't stop me from really liking this book. I even shed a tear or two at the end.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Wow, wow, wow!! I dropped right into this story and all of the historical elements of Esther and Hamilton’s love, and truly felt a connection to Jesse & Chloe. There was just the right amount of back & forth, and I’m so glad the mystery was solved in the end. Without giving away too much, I was really powerfully moved by the visitation that Esther & Hamilton each experienced. I love family history, and would love to someday find out that we have a letter like Jesse’s that could inspire an amazing journey. One of my top 3 for 2018!!

The story of three loves, one 300 years ago, one today, and one since the beginning of time. Faith plays a huge role in this multidimensional romance, which has you rooting for the characters throughout. Well written with an interesting plot what switches point of view and time period, yet all comes together quite beautifully at the end.

The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck

My rating is 4.5 Stars


Chloe’s dream of a forever marriage was born in her early childhood, despite the fact that her parents had never made that commitment themselves. They loved each other deeply and were still living together after 35 years, but never made the covenant to remain together – and that really bothered Chloe.

The Love Letter is a deeply moving story of four people, two who live in the present day, Chloe and Jessie, and two who lived during the Revolutionary War, Hamilton and Esther. Author Rachel Hauck intertwines their stories in such a beautiful way. The characters are rich and relatable, and their stories reached deeply into my heart.

I loved the way that reasons for some of the colonists joining the rebellion were brought to light beyond the one that I’ve always heard – taxation without representation. The added drama of friends and neighbors ending up with opposing views on the political issues and the way it ripped lives apart added a very rich dimension.

The spiritual journeys of each of these four were different, and yet they had a common element that was not revealed until the very end. Each of these people had hurts that were just too significant to be ignored, they had to be healed before anyone was able to sustain a relationship.

There were so many surprises throughout. While some things were hinted at enough that I knew how they were going to pan out, I was not expecting others.


This review was originally posted on AmongTheReads.net.

Get a preview of The Love Letter at amongTheReads.net


I would like to thank Celebrate Lit for giving me this copy of the book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.

I enjoyed this Christian romance that alternated between a couple in the 1780s and one in a contemporary setting. There is a good Christian emphasis on the contemporary couple with a clear portrayal of forgiveness and character change. We learn a little about Revolutionary War battles in South Carolina and the tension between rebels and those loyal to the crown in the historical setting. We learn about the cutthroat business of making movies in the contemporary one. The two stories are told in the third person narrative style but through the viewpoints of five characters. Three of them are in the historical setting and two in the contemporary one. This has the potential to be confusing but I found it only mildly so.

There are several issues addressed in this novel. The major one, I think, is unrequited love. What do we do when we feel God has that one person for us yet we are prevented from fulfilling that love? Can we love another? Another issue was forgiveness for past deeds, forgiveness from God, others, and self. There was also the appearance of Jesus or an angel giving direction a few times. That is such a rare experience for Christians I thought it a bit much in this novel. A somewhat side issue that really bothered me was the character Smitty. He is a Christian who brought one of the characters to faith yet swindled another in a real estate deal. That was a real distraction for me with respect to the Christian witness of the novel.

I do recommend this novel to readers who enjoy an historical romance along with a contemporary one. Do have your tissues handy when you near the surprising and rewarding end to the novel.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Modern-day Hollywood connected to the Revolutionary War by a letter.

When Chloe Daschle reads the script for a movie, she wants the role. It’s the ancestors of screenwriter/actor Jesse Gates who penned the letter. The dialogue between Chloe and Jesse as they share their dreams and their failures (perceived or real), was one of my favorite parts of this book.

Esther and Hamilton’s story takes a backseat to that of the other couple, but it provides a strong comparison to Jesse and Chloe’s tale.

Rachel Hauck has a unique and special ability to make characters memorable. Whether one of the four main characters or some of the supporting cast like Smitty or Chloe’s family, each character has a place in the story.

Another thing Hauck excels at is writing memorable conversations and lines. I rarely highlight a book more than I do with those Hauck has written. There are always so many great words and insights into relationships, human nature, and God; I have difficulty choosing one or two (that’s why you’ll find all of them in the quotes section on Goodreads).

In the end, The Love Letter reminds us that while sometimes Hollywood creates the happily ever after, other times, life is so much more than can be imagined. And while our dreams are sometimes unrealized, God remains steadfast in replacing the death of one dream with the promise and joy of another.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Rachel Hauck is becoming one of my favorite authors. I didn't quite get into her book "The Wedding Chapel" as much as I loved her "Royal Weddings" series so I wasn't quite sure what to make of this one. But I was not disappointed.

Hauck weaves a interesting tale set in both the War for Independence and modern day Hollywood. Normally I don't like novels with two storylines because it tends to confuse me but this one I found easy to read.

In modern day Hollywood, Chloe is queen. The queen of the death scene. Typecast as the woman who never leaves in the end of the movie, Chloe wants a new start with a role where she lives to see the end.

This is Jesse's big break. Making a movie script out of an old letter his great great great grandfather sent to the woman that he loved is now being made into a blockbuster. And none other than Chloe Daschle is set to play the part of Esther.

Back during the War for Independence, Esther and Hamilton try to navigator their relationship through war torn America. Hamilton wants to fight for the Americans with Esther's father a loyalist and Esther caught right in the middle.

I highly recommend this book. It is appropriate for ages 13 and up for some violence.

I spent a few days pushing myself through this book. I wanted to like it, and there were some parts of it that I enjoyed. But for a lot of it I just couldn't get into it. It dragged. I wanted to skip pages to get to the more exciting parts of the story, but alas, there really weren't that many.

I didn't love the dual story, mainly because it killed any momentum the opposing story was building when it would change over. I think I probably preferred the story of Esther and Hamilton more than the present day relationship of Jesse and Chloe. I didn't like Chloe as a character. And the insta-love aspect between her and Jesse was a turn-off.

Perhaps the biggest annoyance I found was that the conversations between the characters would have each character telling their own story in an alternating fashion without really listening to the other, or engaging with them. Who talks like that? Even thinking about it now is making my head hurt.

All in all, it just wasn't for me.

*I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A love letter from Jesse's ancestor Hamilton inspires the script for a film portraying the romance between Hamilton and Esther - though Jesse's family history shows that the two never married. Chloe has been involved with Hollywood for many years, but has come to be the character who always dies. When she reads Jesse's script, the character of Esther resonates with her so strongly that she has to have the part - and break the curse that means her character always dies. As Jesse and Chloe work together on the film, the attraction between them grows - but nothing is that simple. Can Jesse overcome his past and open himself up to love again? And when things go pear-shaped with the film, will Chloe be able to deal with the possibility of her character dying yet again? Four people with two love stories, separated by many years - can the past be redeemed?

I enjoyed the story (stories), but not quite as much as previous books I've read by the author - I think having the four characters meant that each story was just that bit slower. Having said that, the two threads were tied together beautifully, especially at the end. The switches between characters were very clear and well managed, but I did feel a bit lost at times in the older storyline. All in all, a good book, but it didn't quite hit my list of top favourites.

Characters: Well developed, possibly more the 'current' characters than the past.
Storyline: A neat tying together of two stories from two different times. Well managed overall, but a bit disruptive at times.
Content and language: Clean and well written. No issues.
Message: Forgiveness of self and others, and the need to open oneself up to love.

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

There are pros and cons to a novel with a split story line. The pros are that you practically get two novels in one, with two sets of characters, and in this case, two different time periods. Rachel Hauck takes these two complex romances and weaves them together to make one complete novel. Both were interesting and kept my attention, but I tended to drift towards the story of Chloe and Jesse. There was more closure with their story. I also enjoyed the romantic tension and plot line more with these two characters. Another pro is that the switch between time periods keeps the plot moving at a great pace.
The cons of a split story line are that you don't get as much information and detail that you would in a singular novel. You get basically half the amount dedicated to each aspect of the story. The two do somewhat converge, but I would've loved to know more, especially about Esther and Hamilton.
Considering these pros and cons, I would still highly recommend this novel! It was quite enjoyable and I had a hard time putting it down : ). The personal journey that Chloe took in this novel was especially inspiring.
Personal takeaway: Courage takes on many forms, even ways that we could not expect. To love takes courage, and it is worth facing our fears for.
**I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in order to share my honest opinions, which I did.**

So, while we were reading this book Kristin and I had very different takes on how this book should end. There was a ton of temptation to flip to the back and find out (I didn't! I can't answer for her however.) She felt that if the story didn't end a certain way she was going to be mad. Very mad. Like rating affecting mad. (No accounting for cray-cray people!) I on the other hand felt the opposite and that if it did end that way I would be disappointed, and Rachel had up this point never disappointed me. I felt like the ending Kristin wanted just didn't ring true for the story, the characters, or even common sense. I mean I get, sorta, why she wanted that ending but it just didn't mesh for me. Needless to say, without giving spoilers, only one of us got our way. And the one that didn't? Sucked up that disappointment and was content with the ending that was given. The one that did get her way? Still not disappointed in a Rachel book. Just sayin'. However, it brings to the forefront the idea that two people that read many of the same books will have very different ideas about those books. Different personalities, different expectations, and different approaches to books and life. We don't have to be the same to love a book. Heck, sometimes we don't have the same outcome from the same book. I loved it she didn't, or swaparoo. You can learn a lot about a person by their take on a book.

All that to build up to the letdown of my rambling attempt to review this book. Seriously, I loved this book (even the cover . . .it's WAY prettier in person than you can begin to imagine from a photo and I'm not even a cover person!). I loved basically everything about this book. Well, there was a bit where it tended to drag with some self-pity wallowing on both Chloe and Jesse. I get ahead of myself. Just as Kristin and I's desired outcome for this book was not the same nor were the central characters of this book. Chloe and Jesse were common day, Hollywood types, her just looking for her forever after and him just looking for forgiveness. Meanwhile Hamilton and Esther were smack dab in the middle of the Revolutionary War, on opposite sides of the conflict. Growing up together, in love with each other, and torn apart by politics. He, looking for revenge while she was just looking for him, and trying to please her very English father. They were very different people who risked a lot, a LOT, for love. Relationships were lost, relationships were found, and everyone eventually discovered there are more than one way to love another.

Hamilton sacrificed his relationship with Esther in order to protect her from the harsh realities of life. She wasn't ready for them and was a bit too naive to understand. That is love. Jesse walked away from his movie, his script partly because of what they wanted to do with Chloe's character. I mean she was the Queen of the Death Scene and she was supposed to live! He walked away instead of doing the rewrite for her not to live. That is love. Chloe embraced her role as Esther in the movie and died valiantly. That is love. Chloe set aside her fear of rejection and wrote a letter to Jesse on faith that he felt the same. That is love. Jesse gave up his new old life and went back to Hollywood on the idea of a letter. That is love. Hamilton never sent his last letter to Esther despite their adult life friendship after both had lost their spouses. That was also love. Love comes in many forms. Love presents itself in many ways. But there's just something special about a generations old love letter. Sometimes just a handwritten letter can tell more of any story. . .

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley, Thomas Nelson. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

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.