The Love Letter

The Love Letter is the latest novel by Rachel Hauck. Chloe Daschle is auditioning for a role that could change her career. She has become stereotyped into roles where she dies, and it is time to change her fate. She gets the role of Esther Longfellow in Bound by Love written by Jesse Gates. The other thing Chloe longs for is her one true love. After several disastrous romances, she wonders if the right man is out there for her. Then Chloe meets screenwriter and actor, Jesse Gates at a friend’s wedding. Based on a letter from an ancestor, Jesse wrote Bound by Love. When Jesse meets Chloe, he wonders if she is the woman for him. He is not sure that he deserves a happily ever after because of what happened eight years prior. Esther Longfellow has been in love with Hamilton Lightfoot for many years. She has returned from two years in London with the hopes of marrying him. However, war is breaking out and their families are on opposite sides. Esther’s father, Sir Michael is a loyalist who will not allow his daughter to marry someone unworthy of her much less a patriot. After a devastating death, Hamilton goes off to war and sees many horrors. One night before a big battle, he pens a love letter to Esther. Four people, two stories, one letter. The Love Letter is a novel about finding someone who will love you, complement you, be there for you during the good times and the bad times. Finding someone to love can be easy but finding your soul mate is a different matter. I thought the story was nicely written and the author takes readers on a journey. The Love Letter is a dual storyline novel that is told from four point-of-views. I did find it jarring with the four POV’s in the beginning (trying to keep the characters and their stories straight). It became easier as I progressed through the book. I found Esther and Hamilton’s storylines more compelling. The author did a wonderful job at capturing the time-period (starts in 1781) with the descriptions of the area, the clothing, the various Revolutionary War battles and attitudes. It was clever how the author connects the four people together (I do not want to spoil it for you). The Christian elements are light but present throughout. Having faith is the main theme. You need to have faith that God has the best plan for your life. I appreciate that the author did not make the characters perfect. She made them realistic with their own flaws and struggles. My rating for The Love Letter is 4 out of 5 stars. It is a lovely story, but I did find the pacing to be slow and the transitions were not smooth (as we switched from character to character). The Love Letter is a satisfying romantic Christian story with an unpredictable, heartfelt ending.

Rachel Hauck is the queen of intertwining contemporary and historical settings in such a flawless way. Her latest novel The Love Letter is no exception. Many times with novels like this, you are drawn to the historical story and not so much to the present day. Or if you are not a history lover, it is the opposite and you like the present day version better. Rachel does a wonderful job of blending and tying in the characters, that the transition from one to the other is flawless. There are four main characters or two different couples and their love stories that make up this novel. Chloe and Jesse from present day and the historical couple from 240 years ago Esther and Hamilton. Both couples are so adorable you can't help but fall in love with them. From the twist and turns I never knew what would happen next. I found myself on the end of my seat until the very last page of this book. I tried the audio version but kept getting lost. I would miss something and have to go back and listen again. I enjoyed the book and didn't want to miss a thing, so I put the audio away and read it instead. One of my favorite quotes from this book “ She laughed, bold and free. Love broke chains, Unlocked doors, Healed wounds.” I loved reading this book and would recommend it.

The Love Letter By Rachel Hauck Chloe Daschle has been typecast almost from the moment she began acting at six years old. She's known for her dying roles - she always dies. And unfortunately for her, her real-life romances seem to be going the same route always dying. Which for Chloe is awful as her dream is to find her one-true-love, her soul-mate, get married and have a family that lasts and to not die in a film. Her happily ever after isn't going too well but she may have found the perfect role in which she would live... Jesse Gates a screenwriting newbie has created Bound by Love based on an old family heirloom - a letter written in the late 1700's but never sent - a love letter that was never finished. Jesse's screenplay is his answer to this letter and chance at love lost and rediscovered. And his female lead Esther Kingsley is Chloe's role she knows it and she's determined to convince the director that she is Esther! But who are Esther Kingsley and the man who has captured her heart, Hamilton Lightfoot? Esther and Hamilton grew up as neighbors and friends and though they seem perfect for one another their path to marriage is one that may never occur. Caught on opposing sides of the revolution that is sweeping the American colonies their unspoken love seems doomed from the moment the reader is introduced to them. Esther's father is a Loyalist and a peer of the nobility. Hamilton is a farmer, the nephew of a Presbyterian minister, and friend to those seeking representation. With war on their very doorstep, their loyalties to each other and to those they hold dear will be tested. Can love stay true or will it be yet another casualty of war? The Love Letter is a story that told from the viewpoint of two times centuries apart and from the varying perspectives of four people who are most affected by this letter. I like the back-and-forth between both characters and time as the story progresses. There isn't a jarring change as the scene changes and actually helps the story flow. The book opens with Hamilton on the field of battle and it doesn't look good for him. Then we are taken further back and Esther and Hamilton's backstory unfolds. Could Jesse's story be true or was the path of love destroyed by a Revolution and family loyalties? I've read several of Rachel Hauck's books in the past and I can honestly say I believe this is my favorite. For once I like all the main characters and am invested in their stories. I enjoyed the path of the letter and how it ties everything together and the final outcome - well you'll just have to read the book to know if anyone finds the love they seek. You won't be sorry and there may be a surprise or two just off stage. I was provided a review copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations of a positive review - all opinions expressed are my own.