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.
.

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).

The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck is a dual romance story set in the past and the present day. The story took me a little while to draw me in but once it got me it wouldn’t let me put it down. (Also, be sure to have some Kleenex ready as the book progresses).
The first story is set in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War and centers on Esther and Hamilton. They have known each other from childhood and now are discovering love. Their problems are they are on opposite sides of the war and status.
The other story is set in modern day Hollywood between Chloe and Jesse. Chloe is Hollywood royalty born into a family of stars. She thinks she is cursed because she has always choses the wrong man in life and always dies onscreen. Jesse is a former techie who has fallen into a new career as a screenwriter and actor. He is also running from guilt from a past relationship.
These four people are all intertwined because a love letter from the past that has repercussions on the present. This story makes you believe in love, faith and forgiveness. I really enjoyed the book and believe you will too.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through Net Galley. Opinions expressed are my own.

I am a fan of Rachel Hauck’s books but I struggled to get into this one. I appreciate the story and the message of love and marriage but just never felt connected to the characters. I enjoyed the story of Esther and Hamilton more than the current day. I felt their story was more authentic. Thank you for the opportunity for an advanced reader copy.

Oh how I love dual time-period stories—when the past connects to present day—two stories in one! The Love Letter transitions between the two time-periods seamlessly. I can’t even choose which story I enjoy best. They are so well balanced, and I cared deeply for each of the main characters. Rachel Hauck never disappoints!

Hamilton and Esther, the main characters during the Revolutionary War era) are so interesting, as is their unconventional romance. Their story has a deep, yet innocent love, with numerous, weighty obstacles.

Jesse and Chloe, from present day Hollywood, are so believable. I love how their relationship connects to the story of Hamilton and Esther. They are so easy to sympathize with, and I rooted for them to overcome their pasts.

The Love Letter is an enjoyable love story with a strong element of faith and a substantial ending. Beautiful fiction.


4.5 Stars

Cover: Love
Title: Love
Pages: 352
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
First Line: You see, love stories never worked for her. She never got the guy. In life or on the screen. Instead, she died. In nearly every major role she landed.
I was blessed to receive a complimentary copy from BookLook and NetGalley.

I loved Chloe and Jesse they were wonderful characters and I loved how Rachel brought them together and how their story wrapped into Hamilton Lightfoot and Esther Longfellow's story. It was amazing how the past and present blended together to create such a wonderful story.
I could not put this book down and just when I thought I knew what would happened next something else happened.
I found myself drawn to Chloe and how she was determined not to let her past shape her future all while clinging onto true love and her views of marriage (and love) despite society telling her otherwise.
The other characters we really well portrayed as well and I loved seeing how their stories played out on the pages in front of me.
It's a book that will have you trying to read it as slowly as possible to absorb all the whole story and not miss any key details.

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

Take a star-crossed couple from 1780 and the Revolutionary War and juxtapose them against a screenwriter/actor and actress in present-day Hollywood and you have a fascinating plot. Add to that a 5-star ending and the result is a book with compelling characters that keeps you up at night -- or distracts you from your "To Do" list during the day. The covenant of marriage is held in great regard as is God's providence and the peace of the gospel. Susan Meissner fans will enjoy this book as well. Highly recommended.

The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck is a dual time era story. One story takes place in the Revolutionary War and the other story takes place in present day. This was my first Rachel Hauck book so I had no pre-conceived notions about her writing style. She has excellent character development. As a reader you really get to know the characters. You feel like they are people you know. You find yourself rooting for them and hoping for their happy ending. The settings are well done. You can feel the homes, the surroundings, the atmosphere and environment.

Rachel Hauck did a wonderful job of switching back and forth between the time eras. It was not confusing at all. The movement was seamless between the dual eras and this helps create the building tension throughout the novel. The historical Revolutionary War tale drives the modern-day tale. What makes this story shine is that it isn't what readers will be expecting, but it will be what readers need. The themes of love, sacrifice and loyalty resonate throughout. Job well done.

I would like to thank Rachel Hauck, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW! What a book. This was an amazing story that grabbed me from the beginning. I loved the realness of the characters and how they dealt with life. Chloe had a strength about her that came from her faith in God. I loved how she was able to keep a peace about her as she struggled with her chosen profession. Jesse held on to a lot of guilt that crippled him from becoming the man he was meant to be. I loved how together they were able to learn from one another and grow in the faith-walk. The intertwining story took me a little bit to get into, but once I was in it, I had to keep reading to find out what happened. Hamilton and Esther learned what true love was. I loved their determination, yet they still listened to that voice that said, "Come follow me." I still get chills as I recall how the story meshes together. God has a plan and His plan is the best. That concept was clearly seen in this book. I highly recommend to those that love romance, faith in God, and learning how to overcome fears and guilt. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

A story of four people told across time. Rachel’s stories always make me feel so much. And this one is no different. After I stopped crying it took me a day before I could write a review even!

Dual timelines across generations linking real life with the movies. From the Revolutionary War that divided many families and loves, to the big screen following the story of Esther and Hamilton.

Esther is in love with Hamilton and Hamilton is in love with Esther. But living in upper South Carolina, her father is working for the British. Will Esther have to choose between love and family?

In another time, Chloe is trying to change the direction of her acting career by accepting a role in a Revolutionary War movie being made by Jesse, who has moved to LA to try some acting and screen writing. When he finds a love letter left behind by an ancestor, he writes a screenplay based on the lost love. When Jesse and Chloe meet as she is cast in the role of Esther things begin to happen. That love letter may have a lot more power than one would think.

Rachel is such a wonderful story-teller. She is the only Christian Romance writer that I read. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

Netgalley/ June 12, 2018 Thomas Nelson

The Love Letter is a dual time story that is about a love letter that inspired a screenplay written by Jesse Gates. There is a letter passed down through the generations of his family that was written by his great times six grandfather, Hamilton Lightfoot, who was brought up by aunt and uncle, a Presbyterian minister in Colonial South Carolina. The family was friends with another family in Ninety Six, South Carolina, the Longfellow family, an Aristocratic family. Esther Longfellow and Hamilton Lightfoot grew up together from a young age and grew to love each other. But their love was not to be. He was a Patriot for the young Colonial America and Esther's family's loyalty lie with the Crown. The love letter in Jesse's family was a letter written by Hamilton to Esther but never delivered apparently. This inspired Jesse to write a screenplay that was his thoughts of what may have transpired between them, with hopes to sell it for a movie. He had moved to California several years before and had gotten some acting parts when he sold the screenplay.
Chloe Daschle grew up in the acting world with both of her parents involved in the industry. She had been acting from a young age but was still waiting for a role that would change her career from one where her character always died to one of a happy ending. She saw the screenplay for Jesse's play, fell in love with it, tried out for it and got the part of Esther. As luck or something else would have it, Chloe met Jesse at the wedding of a friend and hit it off, becoming fast friends about this time.
Ms. Hauck's story moves back and forth from the Revolutionary War to modern day and the making of the movie, Bound By Love. Hamilton and Esther love each other but their love doesn't seem to be able to work out. They are from different sides of the war and are personally touched as important battles take place in South Carolina. Jesse is a MIT Engineering grad but something happened in his life to make him leave Boston. Chloe is a new Christian who has grown up in a life where faith was not common. Her parents had been together for thirty five years but never married. She wants a true love happily ever after that means marriage between one man and one woman. This is a winding journey that takes the reader on some emotional ups and downs. The movie production encounters some unexpected trials that are very disappointing but this is a Rachel Hauck story and we know that she has some surprises up her sleeve. The Love Letter has an interesting ending and is a very lovely story that includes romance, trials and personal issues to overcome with faith intertwined! I really enjoyed the historical parts of the story. On a personal side note, there is a plaque on the monument where the battle at King's Mountain took place that has the name of one of my husband's ancestors who was killed in the battle, a Private David Duff. My husband was given the middle name of Duff, named after his ancestor.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.