For sixty years, a wedding chapel sat silent, waiting for love. But times have changed and the hour has come when it just might be too late.
Retired hall-of-fame football coach Jimmy “Coach” Westbrook never imagined anything would come of his labor of love—the wedding chapel he built for Collette Greer, the woman he fell for back in ‘49. But now an offer has come to turn the chapel into what it was meant to be—a place for love—and Jimmy sees no reason to hang onto his dream any longer.
Photographer Taylor Branson is trying to make a life for herself in New York. Leaving her hometown of Heart’s Bend, Tennessee, she put a lot of things behind her, including her family’s abysmal marriage rate. But love surprises her when she falls head-over-heels for Jack Forester, a top ad man. Their whirlwind romance results in an elopement, and a mountain of doubt. Jack, while genuine in his love for Taylor, can never seem to overcome his own demons to find the words of his heart.
When Taylor takes an assignment in Heart’s Bend, the job does more than send her back to her hometown, but into a world of family secrets buried beneath the sands of time.
When Taylor’s journey intersects with Coach’s, they rediscover the heartbeat of their dreams and that the love they long to hold is right in front of them. And worth every waiting moment.
Rachel Hauck is an award-winning, best selling author of critically acclaimed novels such as The Wedding Dress, Love Starts with Elle, and Once Upon A Prince. She also penned the Songbird Novels with multi-platinum recording artist, Sara Evans. Booklist named their novel, Softly and Tenderly, one of 2011 Top Ten Inspirationals. She serves on the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers and is a mentor and book therapist at My Book Therapy, and conference speaker. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and pets.
Find out more about Rachel at http://www.rachelhauck.com/.
My Impressions:
If you are looking for a romance novel with heart and soul, look no further than The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck. Hauck is one of the best writers of contemporary romance around, but she really outdid herself with this novel. This book is definitely a must read!
The Wedding Chapel spans 60 years and revolves around the love stories of two couples. Told from the perspectives of Jimmy and Colette, high school sweethearts who lost their first love, and Taylor and Jack, newlyweds who are already wondering if their marriage will survive, the book looks at how fragile relationships are damaged without trust and openness. Secrets deceive and destroy and hidden emotions keep real intimacy at arms length. Although the faith message is faint as a heartbeat during most of the novel, it finishes strong at the end — and isn’t that how it often is in our walk with God. God is always there if we take the time to listen for His voice, to sense His heartbeat in our lives. The Wedding Chapel is definitely character driven, and the four main characters are strongly written with relatable motives, actions and emotions. However, Hauck also uses two minor characters in big ways. Peg is at the heart of both discord and reconciliation and is seen only through the perspective of the other characters. Sam appears in only a few pages, but points the characters and readers to tremendous truths.
More than just a romance, The Wedding Chapel will get you thinking about the twists and turns of life and the importance of faithfulness, forgiveness and grace. It is a highly recommended read!
Highly Recommended.
Audience: adults.
Great for Book Clubs.
To purchase this book, click HERE.
(Thanks to LitFuse and Zondervan for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Join Rachel Hauck in celebrating the release of The Wedding Chapel by entering to win a copy and a $100 cash card—perfect for finishing up your Christmas gift shopping!
One grand prize winner will receive:
A copy of The Wedding Chapel
A $100 cash card
Enter today by clicking HERE. But hurry, the giveaway ends on December 31st. The winner will be announced January 4th on Rachel’s blog.
oh i love this line – “Although the faith message is faint as a heartbeat during most of the novel, it finishes strong at the end — and isn’t that how it often is in our walk with God.” // Wonderful review!!
Thanks so much Carrie. I loved this book!
me too!!
Quite liked this one despite a rough beginning. In particular I was impressed with Taylor and Jack’s stories/portions of the book. Either way, this one has me eager to see what Rachel writes next. 🙂
Have you seen the cover of the next book? Rachel just released the image on FB.