The Love Letter

GIVEAWAY

HAUCK, RACHEL
THE LOVE LETTER

Romance has never been actress Chloe Daschle's forte -- in life or on screen. But everyone knows who to call for a convincing death scene...and it might be killing her career.

When Chloe is given a peek at the script for an epic love story, she decides to take her destiny into her own hands and request an audition for the lead female role, Esther Kingsley. The compelling tale, inspired by family lore and a one page letter from the colonial ancestor of scriptwriter Jesse Gates, just might break her out of this career crippling rut. Jesse would rather write about romance than live through it after his past relationship ended in disaster. But once on set together, the chemistry between Jesse and his leading lady is hard to deny.

Centuries earlier, in the heart of the Revolutionary War, Hamilton Lightfoot and Esther Longfellow wrote their saga off the silver screen. Esther's Loyalist father opposes and relationship with Hamilton, but Esther must face her beloved father's disapproval and the dangers of war in order to convince Hamilton of their future together. Hamilton has loved Esther for years, and on the eve of battle pens the love letter she's always wanted -- something straight from the heart.

Set in stunning upcountry South Carolina, The Love Letter is a beautifully crafted story of the courage it takes to face down fear and chase after love, even in the darkest of times. And just maybe, all these generations later, love can come home in a way not even Hollywood could imagine.

My Review:

A moment of silence for the sheer brilliance of this stunning dual timeline story. What an emotional roller-coaster of a read! I was firmly entrenched in in the 1700s with Hamilton and Esther only to be yanked away kicking and screaming into present day with Chloe and Jesse where I'd quickly become enthralled only to be flung back in time and...oy...see what I mean about the roller-coaster ride?!

Both timelines are equal in depth and emotion and inspiration. And that's saying something since a) my least favourite historical fiction theme is the Revolutionary War (hellooo -- I'm Canadian, and the Loyalists that fled the states settled up here in Nova Scotia and Ontario so I'm kinda partial to them) and b) I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in Hollywood based stories. None. Nada. Zilch. So what are the chances of my two least favourite literary settings being found in the same book? And me actually picking up said book and reading it? Well, apparently pretty high if Rachel Hauck is the author!

I had a love/hate relationship with some aspects of the story which I can't discuss without spoilers but they still have me ruffled and indignant and woebegonish. Sigh. Such are the perils of losing oneself in a book -- reading comes without guarantees and there are times when that is just plain hard. This would make an awesome book club selection because there is so much to talk about! (but not in a review!)

So there's romance x 2, angst and drama aplenty, not to mention two fast-paced plots with lots of twists and turns that keep a reader in a tizzy. But you want to know what really stole my breath away and made this such a compelling read for me? The powerful redemptive thread that weaves the past and present together with a timeless message of hope and salvation. Truly incredible!

GIVEAWAY OPPROTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Love Letter, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday December 2 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!