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A review by meezcarrie
The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck
5.0
4.5 stars
Buckle in - this is gonna be a long review! lol
Y’all. This book did not go at all the way I thought it would. And I’m giddy about that. Giddy at the power of story. Giddy at well-woven plot lines. Giddy at redemption and restoration and stories that don’t turn out the way we plan but are all the better for it.
From word one, I was captivated by Hamilton and Esther’s story. How could I not be? Star-crossed loves whose families are on opposite sides of the War for Independence, both hoping to avoid the conflict altogether and both failing to do so. Both are strong characters, though I dare say that Esther is the stronger of two. (Sorry, Hamilton!)
Fast forward a couple hundred years and we meet Chloe and Jesse as they prepare to tell Hamilton and Esther’s story the way Jesse – Hamilton’s descendant – imagines it to be. I loved watching their instant heated attraction mature into a deep and heartfelt friendship even as they tried to put their growing feelings on the back burner. And perhaps most compelling to me in this present day timeline is Chloe’s redemption story – its newness to her yet its absolute rightness in her spirit, the way I can see it shining in her eyes even though she’s “just” a character on a page.
These characters – all 4 of them – will lodge firmly in your heart as you read their stories. Each timeline in this dual-timeline (aka time slip) story is poignant – the present as well as the past. And in one way or the other, figuratively or literally or metaphorically, Chloe and Jesse and Esther and Hamilton are all on the verge of being in bondage to death. Yet in the middle of whatever battles they each face, there is a Savior.
Great plot and swoony kisses notwithstanding, the message in The Love Letter is really, in itself, a love letter from our Savior to remind us in this crazy world that “Love broke chains. Unlocked doors. Healed wounds.”
Not to mention a couple of surprising plot twists that I’m still gushing about (quietly so I don’t give away any spoilers lol). It was also fun to see a nod to Hauck’s Royal Weddings series tucked away for faithful fans. Which brings me to how much I love love love Rachel Hauck’s stories for the way she seamlessly weaves in divine nudges and supernatural winks throughout the plot.
Bottom Line: The Love Letter is incredibly poignant, hopeful, redemptive and yes, entertaining. The cast of memorable characters (even the supporting ones) will linger with me for a while, and their stories certainly will. This is a great story, a sweet romance, and an intriguing dual timeline plot. But what makes this a must-read is the message that “Death has lost and love has won!” Not only in the physical realm or the figurative realm but in the spiritual – where the battle of all battles was fought for our freedom.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
Buckle in - this is gonna be a long review! lol
Y’all. This book did not go at all the way I thought it would. And I’m giddy about that. Giddy at the power of story. Giddy at well-woven plot lines. Giddy at redemption and restoration and stories that don’t turn out the way we plan but are all the better for it.
From word one, I was captivated by Hamilton and Esther’s story. How could I not be? Star-crossed loves whose families are on opposite sides of the War for Independence, both hoping to avoid the conflict altogether and both failing to do so. Both are strong characters, though I dare say that Esther is the stronger of two. (Sorry, Hamilton!)
Fast forward a couple hundred years and we meet Chloe and Jesse as they prepare to tell Hamilton and Esther’s story the way Jesse – Hamilton’s descendant – imagines it to be. I loved watching their instant heated attraction mature into a deep and heartfelt friendship even as they tried to put their growing feelings on the back burner. And perhaps most compelling to me in this present day timeline is Chloe’s redemption story – its newness to her yet its absolute rightness in her spirit, the way I can see it shining in her eyes even though she’s “just” a character on a page.
These characters – all 4 of them – will lodge firmly in your heart as you read their stories. Each timeline in this dual-timeline (aka time slip) story is poignant – the present as well as the past. And in one way or the other, figuratively or literally or metaphorically, Chloe and Jesse and Esther and Hamilton are all on the verge of being in bondage to death. Yet in the middle of whatever battles they each face, there is a Savior.
Great plot and swoony kisses notwithstanding, the message in The Love Letter is really, in itself, a love letter from our Savior to remind us in this crazy world that “Love broke chains. Unlocked doors. Healed wounds.”
Not to mention a couple of surprising plot twists that I’m still gushing about (quietly so I don’t give away any spoilers lol). It was also fun to see a nod to Hauck’s Royal Weddings series tucked away for faithful fans. Which brings me to how much I love love love Rachel Hauck’s stories for the way she seamlessly weaves in divine nudges and supernatural winks throughout the plot.
Bottom Line: The Love Letter is incredibly poignant, hopeful, redemptive and yes, entertaining. The cast of memorable characters (even the supporting ones) will linger with me for a while, and their stories certainly will. This is a great story, a sweet romance, and an intriguing dual timeline plot. But what makes this a must-read is the message that “Death has lost and love has won!” Not only in the physical realm or the figurative realm but in the spiritual – where the battle of all battles was fought for our freedom.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower