The Wedding Chapel

The story of "The Wedding Chapel" is told from six points of view. There is the modern Collette and Jimmy, two star crossed lovers. They had once been in love but circumstances beyond their control separated them. The circumstance were like orchestrated by a vicious jealous person who could not stand to see them happy. There is the Collette and Jimmy from the late 40s and 50, young and in love. In the current day there is Taylor Branson and Jack Forrester/Gillingham. They married in a whirlwind and after six months are struggling. Jack loves his wife but does not know how to communicate to his wife. Part of his problems stems from his tumultuous childhood being shifted from one foster home to another. To have the story told from so many points of view may be confusing to some readers but the author did an excellent job of blending it all together so you did not get confused one bit. First half of story started out slow but the pace picked up in the middle of the book. There were elements of mystery in the book that kept me reading like the mention of a box left to her by her granny. Taylor must find the box to discover the contents. From reading the story you get an idea of where it is going and it does go there but there are some unexpected surprises in the novel that you do not expect. Good surprises that make you smile. When you think that this is it on the surprises the author drops another bombshell on the reader. I don't give many books a five star rating but this one certainly deserves it. The only other book I have read by this author is "The Wedding Dress" but I certainly do plan on reading more.

The Wedding Chapel is due to be released on November 17, 2015. Thanks to Netgalley and Zondervan for allowing me to preview this book.

I have read all of Rachel's books and this one is another winner!! Very realistic and I enjoyed the interweaving of all the characters. Looking forward to her next book!!

The Wedding Chapel is a story about sharing secrets from the past. Like Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke, Hauck’s latest story reminded me how hidden secrets can destroy a person because of the festering and boiling before the story. The Wedding Chapel is an interesting addition to the contemporary romance genre. First, the different timelines. Hauck plots the novel featuring events that have occurred in 1948, 1951, and 1954 mixed in with the present. By doing this, Hauck allows the readers to watch what actually took place in the past when affects the present. In similar fashion, Hauck uses different characters that are affected by these secrets. At the beginning of the novel, I was really confused on what these four characters had to do with one another. But as the story wore on, I really got to know and understand each of them. I really liked Hauck’s use of description. Even through the numerous time jumps, I felt the setting. I smelt the crisp fall air and the cold winter as the snow fell on Jimmy and Collette in the wedding chapel. I knew what the wedding chapel looked like even though there was no image on the front cover. Surprisingly, the character I related to the most was Jack Forester. I believe I related to him because of hiding his emotions. I do that really well. Don’t believe me, ask my husband. I grew up in a dysfunctional family where I hid all my emotions and act like nothing bothered me, but this has affected my married life, and I keep praying for God to help me overcome this. It is on the top of my prayer list. Anyways, when Jack figured out that he needed to have God teach him how to love Taylor, I started to mist up. It struck a deep chord in me. As for the conflict, it boils down to secrets. Like I already stated, secrets can harm a family and hurt a number of future generations, not just the ones doing the lying. I enjoy watching how the four main characters sought forgiveness and learned to lean on God and learn to love again. Fans of Hauck’s previous book The Wedding Dress will totally engage themselves in The Wedding Chapel. I also believe fans of Becky Wade, Becky K. Vogt, Melissa Tagg, and other writers of contemporary romance will love this book. Would I change anything? Maybe draw the connections between the characters earlier in the book, but other than that, no, I enjoyed it. Not as much as my suspense books, but it was a good, tug at my heart read. In conclusion, Rachel Hauck’s The Wedding Chapel was an emotional journey that hit me smack down in the chest. I enjoyed taking the journey of forgiveness with the characters and can’t wait to see what else Hauck plans to write. I received a complimentary copy of The Wedding Chapel from Zondervan Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own.

Hauck does a fabulous job weaving together multiple viewpoints and story lines to tell the story of one family as they struggle to fight for love.

Review of The Wedding Chapel, by Rachel Hauck

Rachel Hauck has a new book coming out that I think will be on the bestseller list. The Wedding Chapel will release mid November. You are going to want to pre-order this one now. This book has it all: betrayal,selfishness, despair, loyalty,forgiveness, second chances and restoration.
I have been eagerly awaiting Rachael's latest book. I am a member of her Rachael Hauck Tribe and she has been gracing us with little tidbits of information for months now. I could not imagine how a wedding chapel could sit unused for sixty years. No scenario I could come up with made sense. So I waited and waited.
Well, it was worth the wait. The story takes place in Heart's Bend, Tennessee.(Don't you just love the town's name?) It starts in 1948 with Jimmy Westbrook meeting Collette Greer. He knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is the girl for him. As a special gift to Collette, Jimmy begins building a chapel where he intends for them to get married. It wouldn't be much of a story if they got married in this chapel and lived happily ever after, now would it? It would be a romantic gesture, but not a full length novel.
Enter the drama queen, Peg, Collette's sister. Peg has plans of her own for Jimmy and wants Collette out of the picture. Jimmy is called to war. He returns home and becomes the hall of fame football coach for Heart's Bend. All this time the wedding chapel has been locked up and unused.
The story flashes forward to a modern day photographer, Taylor Branson, who does a photo shoot for a soap opera's final episode. She meets Collette who is the star of the show. They have never met even though Taylor's grandmother Peg, is Colette's sister.
Taylor is assigned to shoot pictures of the wedding chapel for an architectural magazine. While at the wedding chapel, Taylor feels something she can't explain. She hears Jimmy talking to a real estate agent about selling the wedding chapel. She tries to talk him out of selling. She feels this place is special and shouldn't be sold.
One of my favorite quotes from the book: "But he had thrown away the key to his heart. While the physical key to the chapel remained, Jimmy kept the letter of the law but not the grace."
This book is wonderful. I fell in love with the setting, I just love small towns. I could imagine all of the characters vividly, just like they were friends and acquaintances of mine. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it to you. I am very grateful to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of The Wedding Chapel in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished reading The Wedding Chapel, and I loved it! I loved the intermingling story lines between past and present and the theme of forgiveness and loving well. This story shows that no matter how much time has passed, God can make a way for forgiveness, healing, and redemption. I highly recommend this book. This is why Rachel Hauck continues to be one of my favorite authors.

I have read many of Rachel Hauck's book and enjoyed every single one of them including this one. This book is another winner in my book for Rachel Hauck. The chapel is hidden in the woods of Tennessee. The mystery behind the chapel is that is was built for a bride-to-be who never returned. This is a story of deception, love, and redemption. Faith also plays a huge part in this book. I loved the faith part of the book. That is one thing I love about Hauck's book. She also does a wonderful job weaving the past and the present. The cover fits the book perfectly. It is gorgeous! Way to go Rachel Hauck!!!!!

One of the trends that I have noticed in some fiction is to have characters that are married or mature as the main characters. I am loving this! I am not sure if that is my age showing, but it is wonderful to have characters that we can relate to. Ms. Hauck weaves a tale of the past mingled with the future. When the past and the future meet, the lessons they all learn are ones that will touch you in your walk with the Lord.

It is easy to say "It is just a fiction story." With this story, you will be called upon to dig deeper. You will be asking questions about your marriage, relationships and devotion to the Lord. "Do I hear the heartbeat of God?" and "Does He hear when I cry?"

The Wedding Chapel is a wonderful story, wrought with secrets and imperfect characters, but pure by the redemption of the One who saves us.

This was a beautiful story. Made me want to visit the chapel and the lovely town it was set in. The characters had their flaws and Ms. Hauck did a very nice job growing and changing them. I would definitely recommend this book.

A multi-generational story of healing and restoration.

The intricate tapestry of The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck creates a complex picture of interwoven lives. Each character thread is specifically placed. No one thread can shape the image by itself, but together they weave a tale that speaks of the power of healing and restoration.

The story of Taylor Branson and her new husband Jack is juxtaposed to an older tale of aging high school football coach, Jimmy Westbrook and his estranged love, Collette Greer. Battling miscommunication and the damaging toll that keeping secrets can take, these four lives are forever changed through the course of the story and their encounter with the wedding chapel Jimmy built for his true love.

I enjoyed this dual-time story set in past and present day New York and Hearts Bend Tennessee. Of course, the fact that Taylor was a photographer appealed to me as well, seeing as how I am also one. As I've come to expect with Rachel's books, her descriptions painted a vivid image for me and the depth of each character was strong. Emotions came off the page, affecting me in a personal way. I also enjoyed the ending and the strong themes that were wrapped together cementing the importance of restoration.

One thing I did want to see more of was Taylor and Jack's story. I felt like--at a certain point which I won't say so as not to spoil anything--I wanted to see more of why they changed not just how, but maybe I'm being nitpicky ;)

I'd definitely recommend this to fans of Rachel Hauck as well as those who enjoy romance, historical romance, and dual-time novels.

Originally posted on my blog: http://eahendryx.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-wedding-chapel-by-rachel-hauck.html _______________ I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, but was under no obligation to read the book or post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own.

A bittersweet story spanning 3 generations that speaks of redemption, second chances and how God gave back 'the years the locusts have eaten'. The story built very nicely and characters were well developed, yet the ending felt a bit rushed in some places. Otherwise a lovely read.

Everything about this book was sweet. The characters were written in a way that charms you from the start. As each page unfolds, the story pulls your heart and you find yourself completely invested in their story. It is a book filled with love, hope, hurt, forgiveness, redemption and faith. A perfect read for this season!

This book was a refreshing change of pace. The multi generational story lines were intricately interwined in a way that kept my interest and I couldn't put the book down. It was also nice to see that Rachel incorporated a subject that is sorely lacking addressing, finding your way back to God when life has taken you away from Him.

Loved this beautiful story of restoration! It spans over several generations, and was such a heartwarming (and at times, heartbreaking) story. There were four POVs: Taylor, Jack, Colette and Jimmy. And while normally, multiple POVs can be confusing, this one flowed seamlessly. The story was set in the present time, with flashbacks along the way. I loved the way the story was woven. It reminded me of her book, "The Wedding Dress," which I also really enjoyed. This was a beautiful story of life, love, choices, forgiveness, and how it's never too late to make things right. At times, my heart hurt from how much time was missed out on between some of the characters. I felt myself thinking about the story even when I wasn't reading it (a mark of a great book for me).
I don't want to say anything that would give away any part of the story...but rest assured if you are looking for a book with so much more than your typical romance, this book is for you. It's a story that will stay with me for a long time. Well done, Ms. Hauck!

I fell in love with all of the characters in this story, mainly because we were able to get a glimpse into each of their points of view. I feel Jimmy was too perfect in a lot of ways, but I can't fault him for it. Family secrets all around and a terrible villain who never pays for what they did makes this a story that will hold you until the very end. Well done!

Rachel Hauck writes another beautiful story that takes the reader on a journey complete with charming characters, obstacles to be overcome, and opportunities for love to bloom. It was a great read!

A multi generational story that makes your heart sing. Unexpected twists and turns give you several sweet love stories with mature couples. These characters learn valuable lessons when they listen to God. This is such a good book I am ordering hard copies as Christmas gifts

The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck is an intricate web of history and present. Taylor and Jack, recently married are going through a period of their marriage where they are deciding if it is going to work out or not. Both are in love but both don't communicate well. Taylor and Jack stumble across a confession that relates to Jack's football coach from high school, Jimmy Westbrook, and Taylor's great aunt, Collette.

This is a very well developed book. With the flashbacks of the history throughout the book it is a truly captivating and heartwarming book. Hauck lets you connect with all the characters through sixty some years so you get to grow up, grow in love and experience heartbreak with them. Wonderful book!!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book!

I received an ARC copy in exchanged for an honest review. The Author Rachel Hauck creates a complex picture of interwoven lives. Each character thread is specifically placed.

The story of Taylor Branson and her new husband Jack is juxtaposed to an older tale of aging high school football coach, Jimmy Westbrook and his estranged love, Collette Greer. Battling miscommunication and the damaging toll that keeping secrets can take, these four lives are forever changed through the course of the story and their encounter with the wedding chapel Jimmy built for his true love. I enjoyed this dual-time story set in past and present day New York and Hearts Bend Tennessee. Of course, the fact that Taylor was a photographer appealed to me as well, seeing as how I am also one. As I've come to expect with Rachel's books, her descriptions painted a vivid image for me and the depth of each character was strong. Emotions came off the page, affecting me in a personal way. I also enjoyed the ending and the strong themes that were wrapped together cementing the importance of restoration. I'd definitely recommend this to fans of Rachel Hauck as well as those who enjoy romance, historical romance, and dual-time novels. A very great read.

Incredible! A wedding chapel built for a bride but never used. A couple in love who never married. A secret long kept. A jealousy so strong that it destroyed people's lives.

Rachel wrote a beautiful love story that spans generations and involves two couples whose lives are intertwined. This story is about love, forgiveness, healing and redemption

I really loved this touching Christian romance novel by Rachel Hauck. I can't believe I haven't run across her books before - she is going on my list of favorite authors now. This is a stunning book. Fair warning, though - I cried my way through it. This is the kind of book that grabs at your heart and doesn't want to let go. There are many surprising plot twists and turns, way up to the end, that made this a real page-turner. It follows two romances spanning as many generations entwined together by blood, secrets and a hidden wedding chapel built for a love wrought apart by a past deceit. When a for-sale sign goes up on the chapel, can it bring forgiveness and healing of old hurts? God works in great ways. You will love to see what happens! I highly recommend this book. 5 of 5 stars. I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

An intricately woven historical/contemporary romance!

The cast of characters in this wonderful novel are extremely well developed and presented. There is an amazing variety of past hurts and hang-ups that define their personalities.

Early in the story I struggled a little trying to keep the different people straight and understand their relationships. As the tale unfolded and I learned more of the layers, the pieces started to fit together. By the end of the book I truly understood what a masterpiece of storytelling had been done by Rachel Hauck.

This novel is a very moving tale of reconciliation, redemption, and forgiveness. At times it is heart-wrenching. At other times it is sweet and heart-warming.

I received a free eBook copy of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

An enjoyable Christian romance that spans about 60 years. There is love, but there are also secrets that cause problems in the relationships. Each character has his/her own demons to battle but as they mature in life the problems aren't quite so insurmountable, especially if you believe in God and his calling for each of us.

There are a few characters that you don't like but they are crucial to the storyline and the progression of all of the characters.

When I started this book, I didn't think I would enjoy it. It just did not seem to capture me like the description did. After reading a few POV switches, I became curious about what happened. The characters grew on me, especially Colette and Jimmy. It took a while for it all to come together so that you could see the true connection of all the characters. And BOY, was it a doozy of a secret....or two! I liked the pacing of the book and the author's writing style. I think the multiple POVs worked well for this tale. I thought the story was believable and worth the roller coaster ride that it took you on. The intimacy is done tastefully. There are elements of Christianity thrown in, but it really doesn't show until the end. I think this book could be the center of some very soul digging book studies. Many of us are impacted by the topics touched on in The Wedding Chapel. The question is, are we going to fight for what we want, or will we bail! 4.5 Stars ( I would have given 5 if there would have been a confrontation (you will understand when you read the book), but oh well)!!

Wow, Rachel Hauck did an amazing job. Of course, I have enjoyed every book of Hauck’s that I have read. The Wedding Chapel was different than most of her stories, but it was amazing. It follows four main people, and flashes back in time for two of them. It was so interesting to hear about the lives they thought they would be living, and the lives they are living now. It’s a story with jealousy, regret, fear, hope, and love. After reading this book, it made me think about how short life is, and how one thing can change the course forever.

This book takes you on an amazing journey of first loves and second chances. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys any type of fiction. It has a great blend of the past mixed with the future. The past helps us learn more about the characters which is great. I received a copy of this book from Zondervan Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

I've enjoyed every one of Rachel's books. She writes with passion and hope, presenting flawed characters in every day circumstances. Sometimes her hero is a prince, and sometimes he's a football coach. Sometimes her heroine is an every day kind of woman, and sometimes she's an accidental royal.

In The Wedding Chapel, the building is the focus, and the lives of the characters are tied to the handcrafted chapel. Secrets abound, and love does not come easy. Rachel perfectly illustrates the struggle to surrender to love, and how difficult overcoming the past can be.

Memorable characters, an engaging story spanning generations, and hearing the heartbeat of God all come together to make a highly recommended book.

The Wedding Chapel has two storylines; you follow the story of Jimmy and Colette in the 1950s and present day, and the story of Jack and his wife, Taylor in the current time. It's a very emotional book. The characters are real and they're dealing with their mistakes. I love the fact that Colette was a famous soap opera star. I was envisioning a lady that my mom used to watch on a soap opera. I'm not usually a fan of the missed opportunity stories. But you just can't help but love and root for Jimmy/coach and want him to finally get his happy ending. At times I was sad for all the missed opportunities between Jimmy and Colette. The storyline between Jack and his wife was very realistic. It was interesting to watch them try to work out their differences. And how their past would influence the decisions they made and how they interacted with one another. I recommend the book but just go into it realizing it's not a happy feel good book. It's more of a real-life drama.

Beautiful homecoming story, true love reunited, all of it. Uplifting and heartwarming.

There were so many layers to this story. We follow a few characters and experience their stories as they intertwine.I liked that we could explore a few generations and their love stories.

As with Rachel’s other work, I love the supernatural aspect. The chapel became a character in its own right in this story. An interesting, almost living locale.

Along with her strong prose, Rachel threw in some wise phrases throughout. I can’t quote from the ARC, but here is the gist of one of them: that nothing tastes as bitter as regret. So good. There were several places I highlighted in my e-book, ARC version as I read.

Each of the characters must overcome some aspect, some ghost, from their pasts in order to experience the future they hadn’t even been brave enough to hope for. Looking forward to Rachel's next book.

Awesome read and hard to put down. So happy for the great ending. Very well written and really held my interest. Perfect ending. Will look for other books by this author

This book has secret after secret, a sister who is so jealous of her other sister she is determined to ruin her life. As I read this book I realized these characters could be members of my family, that is how real they are. In some way each of them have a tie to The Wedding Chapel. While this book has secrets, it also has healing, and forgiveness. This is a beautiful and tender book about family and forgiveness. It will be on my top list for the year! Highly recommended!

A powerful story of love, betrayal and forgiveness. Two sisters who are tied together by World War II and the death of their parents, seek a new life in America. It is there that they find they have fallen in love with the same man. Instead of allowing fate to choose who he should love, it is one-act of cruelty that leads to years of unhappiness and loneliness.

The book is written both in the present and past tense, which gives us an interesting picture into the main characters lives. Each character is given a chance to tell their part of the story and we don’t truly appreciate the depth of the secrets that were held on to until closer to the end of the novel. These even caught me off guard! The end was sweet and left me in tears hoping for a better tomorrow for all of the characters in the novel.

Loved loved this book. Had me crying all the way through. I thoroughly enjoy reading Rachel Hauck's books.

Loved it! Gritty, real and poignant. Fans of Hauck will not be disappointed.

Loved this book. At first it was hard to get into but once I did it was hard to put down. It was heartaching to have so many secrets in a family for such a long time. As the secrets are revealed, a much needed healing takes place. For a Christian novel, I thought spirituality should have been emphasized more.

This latest novel from Rachel Hauck is in my top ten favorite books that I have read this year. Seriously, it is very well-written and with two stories woven together I was completely wrapped up in all of the characters' lives and their stories spanning across generations and years. The chapel that Jimmy lovingly built with his hands has set empty and has been a secret for so many years and this amazing piece of architecture brings Taylor back home. This story just immediately tugged at my heart and really pulled me in beginning with a photograph in 1948 and the devastation of war and then in the next chapter jumping ahead to present day. I loved how the chapters flowed seamlessly back and forth among decades; I never felt confused or lost. I cannot even say enough about this book, just that it is not to miss. It is such a sweet story filled with emotions and the characters all dealing with individual things in their lives and also relationship issues as well creating such a great read.

“The Wedding Chapel” is just another confirmation of why Rachel Hauck has remained among my top ten favorite authors for several years. There is no such thing as missing one of her books. In fact I usually have them on my Amazon wish list far in advance of publication. I am often offered a review copy but if not, I never hesitate to buy a copy as soon as it is released.

This particular novel contains two romances and moves back and forth between four primary characters and also between past and present times. Despite the frequent changes I had no problems keeping up with what was happening. In fact certain facts related in one person’s background helped me to understand a few things about another of the characters. All-in-all, this is a poignant story that involves unrequited love, betrayal, and marriage problems due to inability to communicate.

In her true fashion, Rachel has once again penned a captivating story filled with forgiveness and redemption. I particularly loved the “heartbeat of God” scenes and can well imagine how frightening yet faith building that such supernatural events could be. There were a few surprises along the way and I found the ending to be very satisfying. I can’t wait for Rachel’s next book!

This is a book that stays with you for a long time. Life lessons abound, but the story keeps you so enthralled it's hard to put down. I love all of Hauck's writing, but she's really taken it to a new level here with this full length modern novel.

The Wedding Chapel is very special. Those with hearts to hear sense something unique and otherworldly within it.
Yet their broken hearts have not found the wholeness of self-sacrificing love. The kind of love that requires full abandonment of self for another.
I found that this novel slowly reeled me in until I hit a point halfway through that I simply didn’t want to put it down. I’d reached the point of connection with each of the stories that I had to know how they were going to play out to resolution. The elderly couple is so sweet. I could easily imagine my Grandma and Grandpa in the roles. And the younger couple will resonate with so many who have been bruised and battered by love that failed them as children. The risks of opening your heart to another when you’ve never had a safe place to fall is heart-wrecking.
The Wedding Chapel gives you the hope to take that step and reach out to the heartbeat of Love.

THE WEDDING CHAPEL sits on my keeper shelf, and is my best read of this year. I will recommend it to everyone. Five stars to you, Rachel Hauck. I am a forever fan!