Such a sweet, clean romance, complete with great, imperfectly relatable characters.

If you're me, and you passionately dislike Romeo and Juliet, The Letter Tree does an exceptional job of using the trope intelligently. First, it allows the characters to have more depth than just being attracted to each other, despite their family's feud. Secondly, they are friends first-and-foremost, also slightly more mature. They put aside their feelings and focus on trying to heal the rift between their families.
To all Romeo and Juliet fans out there: I know it's supposed to be one of the greatest love stories of all time, but to me, they will forever be immature kids who knew practically nothing about each other and who end up dead, painted as victims of their families not being able to make peace. Not at all my idea of a romantic ending.

Laura and Isaac are also caught in a 1924 family feud. They were close growing up, but a secret puts a wedge in their dads' friendship and splits their shared shoe factory into two competing separate companies. As collateral damage of this, Laura's mom dies and Isaac's parents become overprotective of him. Both kids are taught to hate each other as part of their new family dynamics, but they find a way to keep their souls connected through the letters they exchange in the nook of a tree.

Their love story is a tale of friendship, mutual support and respect. Laura is smart, kind and forgiving. Her most inspiring trait is her compassion towards her father, even when he hurts her, although her independence and love of animals and a simple life is also in the top 3. She trusts that happiness and the good in people can endure and push away the pent-up anger and pain.

Isaac longs to be seen as more than a care-free, untrustworthy youngster who should make sure he makes the best out of his youth. With Laura's help, he eventually grows up into an independent man, deserving of respect and the love he spent years yearning for.

Reading this book was like a drink of hot cocoa on a rainy day.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson--FICTION for the ARC.

This book is well-written and kept me highly engaged from about the 1/3 mark on. It is somewhat a retelling of the “You’ve Got Mail” premise, but set in the 1920s with some fun variations, twists, and turns. It is a sweet romance with nothing inappropriate (although I did question the ethical ramifications of one character breaking & entering another’s hotel room to secretly gather information).

I liked how Laura didn’t fit in with the cultural norms of the day and eventually grew unafraid to be her authentic self. The supporting characters were great, especially Mrs. Gunskin.

It is worth noting that unlike Fordham’s earlier books published by Revell, this one by Harper Collins is not Christian fiction, nor is it being marketed as such. The underlying worldview is broadly Christian with some overtones of believing in yourself / following your dreams/ you’re stronger than you know. The main characters have strong arcs of becoming braver and choosing the life that they want. The message of forgiveness and reconciliation is truly beautiful and presented believably and gently.

Recommend for anyone who loves a good, clean enemies to lovers story and especially 1920s fans.

The setting is the 1920s in Buffalo, NY. The author does an excellent job of writing a book that breathes the atmosphere of the 1920s through and through. It gives an insight into the lives of the privileged (and their struggles) at that time. The Letter Tree is a novel idea and well used in the story. Ms. Fordham patterns different activities, schemes, incidents and situations after true events, which makes it an enjoyable novel. The integration of real life events into the lives of the main characters, reminds me of Downton Abbey, but in book form. Very pleasant main characters. Pure entertainment of the wholesome kind. Wonderful vacation read that offers more than just romance. I wasn’t familiar with this author, but will definitely check out more of her books.

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy. I was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I was hooked from the start of the book when Laura and her mother were talking about books. I start to smile when the remainder of the plot is revealed since this book reminds me of Romeo and Juliet with its retelling of You've Got Mail. I like how the story evolved into something meaningful and unexpected. I've enjoyed several of this author's books, including this one.

When an author makes it plain in her writing what is fact and what is fiction, I enjoy the story even more. The author does that in her note to readers. The Buffalo Zoo itself serves as the setting for her story. It was fun to virtually visit those places in the book. It was interesting to find that the rivalry between the Bradshaw and Campbell families was based on a real family feud. As I read it, I found it impossible to put this endearing, compelling story down. I wondered about how Laura and Isaac's plan for learning about their family's dark secrets would work.

Reading this book is a wonderful way to unwind, as the author transports you back to 1924. Your book club will love it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher. 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.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

What a sweet, endearing love story set in Buffalo in the 1920s! It gave Romeo and Juliet vibes mixed with “You’ve Got Mail.”

Synopsis: The book starts with two strangers exchanging notes in a tree at the zoo – except the “strangers” aren’t as foreign to each other as they might think. Isaac and Laura were close friends as children, but they were forced apart when their fathers, both owners of the Campbell and Bradshaw shoe companies, started a family feud. It’s been years since the two have spoken, and they’ve changed so much. Laura is a bit of a recluse, finding solace in books, her bird, and her housemaid Mrs. Duskin. Isaac is more popular, an attractive guy with a woman always on his arm, but deep down, he feels unfulfilled in work and love. They couldn’t seem further apart, but once they get to writing letters for the tree, they find they are alike – and that the love the two have been searching for has been there all along. Can they find the strength and bravery to be together despite their fathers being enemies?

It was a sweet romance between these two, as I said. You could tell they were young and in love – a bit elementary, but very much aligned with the Romeo and Juliet theme. Isaac and Laura were both charming in their own way – as were the surrounding characters. The love story was made exciting by a few subplots that involved some mystery and crime with feuds, secrets, and familial history to decode and get to the bottom of. I was engrossed the whole time – such a good read from start to finish!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Thomas Nelson for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Isaac Campbell and Laura Bradshaw were destined to be lifelong enemies when the Campbell/Bradshaw Shoe Company split into two separate businesses. The friendship they enjoyed as youngsters was doomed. Or was it?

The use of a maple tree with a spot to hide letters leads Isaac and Laura to inadvertently carry on a written correspondence that will get each of them through some trying times. When they join forces to thwart a land swindle that will affect both their families, each finds the inner courage to say "no" to the feud and work to make things right.

Rachel Fordham has developed a charming and satisfying story that makes use of all the good that is in people including the physical and emotional need to forgive and to move on.

The Letter Tree will be one of my recommendations for those book lovers looking for an interesting spin on stories they are already familiar with: In this case, Romeo and Juliet meets You've Got Mail!

The Letter Tree was such a lovely read. If a 1920s spin on Romeo and Juliet and a letter tree at a zoo sound up your alley, then TLT is the perfect read!

I so appreciated the themes of reconciliation, breaking generational cycles of conflict and bitterness, and complicated family relationships were explored in this story. There were also a lot of moments of witty banter and scenes that were really touching.

My only complaint is that the climax wasn’t as climaxy (yes, I know that’s not a real word, but I’m using it any way lol) as I’d hoped. But otherwise, this was a lovely read!

“We can put more books on the shelves. We can fix what’s broken.”

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an eARC of The Letter Tree. A positive review was not required, only my honest opinion. All thoughts are expressly my own.

I loved this book. Just everything about it. I especially loved the idea of two strangers exchanging notes, using a hole in a tree as a mailbox. Issac and Laura knew each other as children, but after Laura's mother passed away and a family feud ensued between the Campbells and the Bradshaws, their friendship ended. It was all about loyalty to family.

It started when Laura hid some poetry in the tree. She didn't want anybody to see it. Then Issac, still a rapscallion of a kid, found it and left a note in its place. He didn't know who had written the poem and when he left his note, he didn't sign his name. When Laura went back to the tree to retrieve her work, she found the note instead. This started a campaign of writing notes and letters between them that revealed their hopes, dreams, and what was in the hearts to another person they did not know. But their words mattered. What was said carried each of them through some difficult times as well as some happy times. They got to see what was in the heart of the other without something like physical attraction muting the importance of that. What isn't to love about that?

Laura Bradshaw is a bit of a recluse, mostly because her father doesn't want her going out with the wrong people and putting a mark on the family name. Her mother is gone and her best friend is the housekeeper, Mrs. Guskin, and Laura's pet macaw, who has a colorful vocabulary. She loves books and animals and spends a lot of time at the zoo, mostly to drop letters in the tree to pick them up. She doesn't tell anyone, but Mrs. Guskin knows something is up and lays money aside to help Laura pay for admittance to the zoo. Laura is caught up in fairy tales and longs for a prince to save her, but it seems her prince is Abel, rather than the letter writer. She wants to please her father and he likes Abel... you get where this is going.

Issac, on the other hand, is a socialite. He's seen with the right girls at the right time and gets noticed. He knows his father wants him to take over the shoe factory someday and plans for that, but he discovers he has other talents. His father doesn't give him a whole lot of responsibility and it drives him nuts. He wants to do something and be his own man.

It's been a long time since I've wanted two characters to get their happily-ever-after like I wanted Issac and Laura to get theirs. The family feud was their biggest obstacle, but there were other things that were holding them back, too, that made the two of them turn into amateur detectives, another element of the book that I enjoyed.

Ultimately, this is a book packed with emotion, revelations for everyone that I didn't expect, and a true love wins ending. The epilogue was fantastic and had me laughing out loud.

Great read!

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Rachel Fordham has penned another pleasurable novel which was hard to put down once I started reading it. I loved Laura and Isac; their fragmented friendship was heartbreaking. All because of a feud between their families that caused such unnecessary pain and sadness for everyone involved.

I was rooting for this friendship to be rekindled and loved the way Ms. Fordham wrote this story was sweet and very touching. I loved the both the setting and the time period. Highly recommend.

I received a copy through the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham is an exquisitely crafted Christian historical romance by talented wordsmith, Rachel Fordham. Set in the early 1920’s, this captivating story takes place in New York. I was immediately invested in the characters and their stories.

This is the tale of two families, Bradshaws and Campbells. They began as business partners in manufacturing of shoes and were close family friends for a time. What happens to dissolve both the partnership and friendship is a mystery for most of the book. Laura Bradshaw and Isaac Campbell, children of the feuding parents, each lose someone they love which dramatically changes their world. Laura pours out her heart into a prose that no one will read. She tucks it into her favorite tree and leaves it. Days later she goes back to retrieve it and to her surprise it has been replaced with a letter from an unknown person.

I loved this beautiful story. There were twists and turns, a mystery, romance, history, and a Christian message. The story was fascinating, and I could not put the book down until I had finished it. This is a page-turning delight!

The characters are artfully designed. Laura stole my heart. I rejoiced and cried with her. All of them are believable and very realistic. I loved the way the setting was vividly described. The homes and restaurants sounded amazing.

I highly recommend this delightful story. It would make a fabulous reading group choice. There is so much to discuss. I give this award worthy novel a 5 out of 5 stars rating. A copy was provided by NetGalley, but these are my honest thoughts.

This wasn’t my favorite read but I was still invested in it. I still loved the characters. I just felt like something was missing from the plot.

I have come to rely on Rachel Fordham for a great story with real history thrown in! I enjoyed every minute of reading her newest book, The Letter Tree.

Laura Bradshaw and Isaac Campbell used to be friends as children. But their feuding fathers snuffed out any hope of friendship or romance between them. Lonely Laura left a letter in a hollow of a tree at the Buffalo Zoo and has been communicating with a secret friend for years. She feels like this man knows her inside and out. Isaac Campbell is the unsuspecting writer on the other end. He loves the woman behind the letters and compares other woman to her. When the two find out their respective identities, can Laura and Isaac overcome their own prejudices and discover what drove their fathers apart?

I loved all the characters in this book, even the elephant at the zoo. The descriptions of life in the 1920's are top notch. My favorite part was when Isaac first discovers Laura's identity. It is very reminiscent of the first meeting in You've Got Mail. You won't be disappointed in reading The Letter Tree!

Once again, Rachel Fordham provides the reader with an original, clever and wholesome story about two people who have to take a risk to find their true destiny in life, including love and healing among family members. Laura and Isaac are friends, then split apart by a feud between their families. Both of them seek solace at the zoo and with reading letters from a mysterious pen pal that secretly leaves letters in a tree. This story is lovely, fun and original. I like the fact that the plot keeps evolving, twisting, turning and so much fun! There are villains and unsung heroes too! My favorite part is how Laura deals with the precious items that her father sells (no spoilers here) and how she deals with it. Just lovely! Also, the character Tybalt brings a few good chuckles too! Enjoy!

I loved this read and kept page turning for answers.

Friends whom in the end teach their families to hate one another, to the point that they disown their own spouse in their minds, very sad.

The author does a great job of bringing the story alive, and there are actually two main stories here!

My mind could put together who was leaving the notes for one another, but the way the story was woven together was awesome! I didn't see some of the answers coming the way they did, great job!

This was a page turner read, and when I finished I wanted more! Be sure to read the author's notes!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

This book was so good!
The plot was very different from other books I’ve read- really interesting and intriguing.
Just like the description it was a mix of Romeo and Juliet and You’ve Got Mail- so much fun to read.
I loved the mystery aspect of this romance it really held my interest. I also loved that this book was clean and sweet without being cheesy.
This may be my new favorite by this author.

According to Rachel Fordham, author, the idea for The Letter Tree arose when she thought about the movie You've Got Mail and the Shakespearean novel Romeo and Juliet. I definitely got those vibes.

Laura Bradshaw and Isaac Campbell are caught in the middle of their fathers' feud over business. Once partners, their fathers now are independent, successful businessmen. Over the years following the company breakup, Laura has been writing anonymously and placing letters in the knot of a maple tree. She immediately began receiving a response. Isaac accidentally found the anonymous first letter and began corresponding, also anonymously.

Will the once childhood friends ever learn who is on the other end of the letters? Will the truth of the business breakup ever be fully known? Will forgiveness be in the future for the families?

Full of exciting adventures, The Letter Tree is definitely a five-star read.

A copy was provided for my review. All opinions are my own.

The Campbells and the Bradshaws are two feuding families, each with an heir involved in forbidden love.

When Laura Bradshaw’s mother dies in a tragic accident, her father becomes overbearing and much too controlling of Laura’s time. His only care in the world is bringing down his competitor. Laura spends much of her time writing letters to a stranger that she hides in a tree, and she receives letters in return. Her father knows nothing of this. Once the mystery letter writer is revealed, Laura and Isaac must solve the mystery of the family feud before they can be truly happy.

This is a delightful story of love, family dynamics and family feuds. It has many beautiful moments and is a sweet love story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a really enjoyable story. There is a mixture of intrigue and mystery, enough to whet the interest of amateur detectives and of course, tender romance that obviously involves letters posted in an unusual letter box. An added delight are the pops of humor.

I appreciated this good, clean work of historical fiction that is set in a 1924 timeframe with all the debut of women "coming out" from under Victorian restrictions and a reference or two to God, although I'm not exactly sure it could be considered a faith-based book. It was a very satisfying read for me, which kept my attention well throughout the narrative.

A 4-Star rating from me.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

July 2023

Disclaimer: "I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Rachel Fordham delights readers with her heartwarming novel "The Letter Tree". Estranged through no fault of their own, childhood friends Laura Bradshaw and Isaac Campbell unwittingly continue their friendship, unaware of the other's identity. Their unique method of communication is whimsical, emotional, and sweet.

With her exceptional talent, Rachel Fordham crafts a beautiful story with endearing characters and an engaging plot. Animal lover Laura is a delight, and her pet bird Tybalt has his own distinct personality. Isaac is steadfast and true, an ideal hero. Secondary characters are interesting as well, especially Abel Fredricks. The author brings the 20s to life with details of speakeasies, flagpole sitting, and going over Niagara Falls in a barrel.

Forgiveness is an important theme here, as two feuding families make peace. They're both victims of assumptions and misunderstandings. In hindsight one thinks "how did this even happen?" Yet, people react due to their feelings, not facts, all the time.

After reading Fordham's stellar debut novel, "The Hope of Azure Springs", I've been a dedicated fan of her work, and I've read all of her books. This author's prose is lovely, and she never disappoints.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for an ARC of this outstanding read.

The Letter Tree is a great and wonderfully written historical novel looking at friendship, love and family in a post war world.

Rachel Fordham excelled at writing characters which is what I love in books: characters that feel realistic. Both Laura and Isaac feel real and act like real people as well as the supporting cast acting and feeling like those you would see in that era.

I really enjoyed The Letter Tree and I am excited to see what is next from Fordham!