Rachel Hauck: The Love Letter

By Kelly Bridgewater

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 any 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.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

I have read a majority of Rachel Hauck's books. Majority of them I have liked, but a few of them have not hit the mark for me. I LOVED The Writing Desk and The Wedding Shop but didn't like The Wedding Chapel. With The Love Letter, I knew I was getting a time slip novel like the previous three books, so I knew what I was getting into when I read the book. But unfortunately, The Love Letter did not really work for me.

Hauck's writing is great. I have no problem jumping into the character's skin and seeing and feeling their emotions as they move through the story. She does a great job at inviting into the setting and making me feel like I'm right there with the characters. Her story is definitely told between the quotation marks.

But as for the plot, I wasn't really drawn into the novel. The past story appeared to be more interesting than the modern day story. I enjoyed watching Esther and Hamilton's story, but it felt way too soap opera for me. Do they love each other or not? They both claim to be, but there were moments when Hamilton would push Esther away. Their romance was forbidden, so I believe that was its only appeal. In the present story, I didn't really like it at all. It bored me to tears. I kept flipping through the plot, hoping something wonderful would happen, but the story dragged on and on. The ending did surprise me, but it felt a little jarring. I didn't see it coming, so I don't know what to make of it.

In conclusion, The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck did not have the wow factor that The Wedding Shop and The Writing Desk had. I wished for more to the plot and the romances.

I received a complimentary copy of The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Lindsay Franklin: The Story Peddler

By Kelly Bridgewater

Selling stories is a deadly business

Tanwen doesn't just tell stories--she weaves them into crystallized sculptures that sell for more than a few bits. But the only way to escape the control of her cruel mentor and claw her way from poverty is to set her sights on something grander: becoming Royal Storyteller to the king.


During her final story peddling tour, a tale of treason spills from her hands, threatening the king himself. Tanwen goes from peddler to prey as the king's guard hunts her down...and they're not known for their mercy. As Tanwen flees for her life, she unearths long-buried secrets and discovers she's not the only outlaw in the empire. There's a rebel group of weavers...and they're after her too.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

The Story Peddler by Lindsay Franklin is her debut fiction novel. And what a gem of a story it is. The plot read like nothing I have ever seen before. It was different, yet in a marvelous way. The characters and the plot intertwined just like the story weaves coming from Tanwen's fingers. I got lost in this imaginary world and couldn't wait to see where Franklin was taking me. Franklin does a good job at describing this world and allowing me to travel around without allowing to stop and fill me with every detail. She explains just what I need to see when I need to see it. Her unique voice stands out, allowing me to experience the story in all its brilliance. The story caught my attention, and I really can't wait for the next installment coming out summer 2019. If you are a fan of C. S. Lewis or S. D. Grimm, then this book might be the right one for you.

I received a complimentary copy of The Story Peddler by Lindsay Franklin from Enclave Publishing through the Just Read Tours, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Timeless Love

By Kelly Bridgewater

Enjoy seven romances through the ages in this Timeless Love limited time ebook. An open invitation to fall in love with the writing styles of a few new-to-you multi-published authors of your favorite Christian romance eras.

Give Me Thine Heart 1812 ~ Andrea Boeshaar
Moira loathes the man her uncle, Baron Tyrus Kinsley, wishes her to marry. But when she meets Sam Stryker, she soon guesses he’s from the American Colonies. After she stumbles onto a deep secret, Sam must make an impossible decision. Ultimately, he whisks Moira from England. However, it’s the on the 6-weeks long voyage to the U.S. that Moira learns about herself, her family…and the man who is both her kidnapper and rescuer.

This Freedom Journey 1833 ~ Misty M. Beller
Adrien Lockman left France to finally live life on his own terms, but when he discovers a half-starved and half-frozen woman in the treacherous Canadian mountains, the truth soon becomes clear—the only way they’ll survive is together.

The Heart of Home~ 1865 Stephenia H. McGee
Opal Martin aspires to scrub the remnants of the War Between the States from her tattered life. When a nearly drowned soldier appears and asks if he can die on her porch, she must guard against the sudden revival of her heart’s hope for love. Tristan Stuart wants to escape the pain of war. He wakes up at a house that’s too much like home, with a woman determined to mend him he may discover a life worth fighting for. To save the last of what Opal holds dear, will he become the man she needs or let the troubled waters carry him away?

Enchanting Nicholette 1893 ~ Dawn Crandall
Young, widowed, and newly out of mourning, Nicholette Everstone is an heiress yearning to be loved. Her parents had arranged for her to marry her loving late husband, but the marriage ended tragically on her wedding day. Returning to Boston after being away, she finds there’s someone new to her set of friends and family she can’t help but fall for. But when she learns of the danger and 

sacrifices this man takes on, will her heart be strong enough to keep her fears at bay?

Teach Me To Love 1899 ~ Kari Trumbo
Izzy Lawson has taken her last abuse. When her husband dies, she rushes to Belle Fourche to stay with the only friend she has. The wall she’s worked so hard to build crumbles in the arms of a man so different from her husband. Conrad Oleson can’t read and it’s shamed him for longer than he can remember. As Izzy reveals her painful past, he can’t stay away. He’ll do about anything, to get closer. Including, teach her how to love.

Façade 1942 ~ Pepper D. Basham
Olivia Rakes has excellent observations skills for facts and details, but stumbles through matters of the heart. When her brother goes missing in German-occupied France, Livy enlists her services with a group of search-and-rescue spies, who not only thrust her toward espionage, but…romance. Agent Christopher Dawson has avoided Livy since she broke his heart. When the search for his best friend brings them together, the heart takes on a mind of its own. In a world where war changes the rules of life and love, can they work together to complete their rescue mission before the enemy catches them?

Bookishly Ever After 2018 ~ Sarah Monzon
It all started with a bet and a book.
Emory Blake would take curling up with a novel over a night on the town any day. But then her best friend, Tate Woodby, accuses her of living between the pages of her paperbacks instead of the real world, and he makes a bet that will force her to experience the adventures of her fictional friends. Emory must confront the pain of the past. But is it also her perfect opportunity to her own happily ever after?

https://reviewsbyvandaniker.wordpress.com/category/kari-trumbo/

My Thoughts:

Timeless Love. What an interesting concept. Seven authors decided to combine their writing talents and their chosen genres to create a completely unique, in my opinion, series of novellas to offer for a good cause. Starting with Andrea Boeshaar in "Give Me Thine Heart"  in 1814 and ending in the contemporary time period with Sarah Monzon's "Bookishly Ever After," the stories feature a strong heroine and hero. Each of the authors are published in their time periods with other books. Some of the novellas give more to a current series or to introduce a new series or completely different than anything they have ever written. When I heard about the series I couldn't wait to read Pepper Basham's World War II novella "Facade' or Dawn Crandall's novella, "Enchanting Nicholette" because I have read all of Crandall's previous novels and have enjoyed them. If you enjoy historical romance, then this might be right up your alley. I got to taste some new authors I have heard of but have never experienced before. It was a great sample of a number of different styles of writing. I recommend buying this series before you can't buy it anymore. 

I received a complimentary copy of Timeless Love, but the opinions stated are all my own. 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Patricia Bradley: Justice Betrayed

By Kelly Bridgewater

It's Elvis Week in Memphis, and homicide Detective Rachel Sloan isn't sure her day could get any stranger when aging Elvis impersonator Vic Vegas asks to see her. But when he produces a photo of her murdered mother with four Elvis impersonators--one of whom had also been murdered soon after the photo was taken--she's forced to reevaluate. Is there some connection between the two unsolved cases? And could the recent break-in at Vic's home be tied to his obsession with finding his friend's killer?

When yet another person in the photo is murdered, Rachel suddenly has her hands full investigating three cases. Lieutenant Boone Callahan offers his help, but their checkered romantic past threatens to get in the way. Can they solve the cases before the murderer makes Rachel victim number four?

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

I have read all of Patricia Bradley's romantic suspense novel, so I am pretty familiar with how she handles a story. She tends to favor the suspense over the romance, which is my preference too. In her latest and, I believe, final installment in her Memphis Cold Case series, Justice Betrayed, she does exactly that. I had a good time following the mystery and wanting to know who killed Rachel's mom and some Elvis tribute artists. The discovery of the bad guy was solved pretty early on for me. The romance wasn't really that important, but the story, of course, ends in a happily-ever-after. I liked Rachel as a heroine. She knew what she wanted and was willing to seek after clues that could hurt her in the long run.

As for the character of Erin, I really didn't see much about her that showed she was a young child stuck in an older's womans body. Having a sister-in-law who is 32 with a mind of two-year-old, I have a pretty good idea how they act. Erin for the most part acted like a regular adult. Her speech wasn't different. Maybe she acted a little different with the things she says, but there was no slur to her speech, which happens with most of them. It is really hard to understand a lot of them.

Even though this bothered me reading the story, it didn't take away from the hunt for the Elvis tribute artist killers. I just glided over the concept of Erin and kept focused on the mystery.

Overall,  Justice Betrayed by Patricia Bradley was an okay mystery. It didn't really wow me like I want a mystery too. I enjoyed spending time with Rachel because she was the most interesting character.  I think fans of Colleen Coble, Irene Hannon, and Brandilyn Collins would enjoy this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of Justice Betrayed by Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

My TBR Pile Dilemma Summary

By Kelly Bridgewater

The last couple of weeks, I have talked about how a physical, Kindle, and reviewing dilemma. If you have followed the pasts, they talk about this cycle I'm in where I keep buying physical books even though I have plenty on my shelf that need to be read.

I also keep adding Kindle books to my Kindle Paperwhite even though I have tons of Kindle books not read.

I keep picking books to read and review, even though I have other books I can't wait to get to.

This explains why my TBR (To Be Read) pile probably will never end. I keep adding more and more books to read.

As an avid bookworm, this is a good feeling. I can't imagine if I didn't have another book in line to read. Sometimes I have the problem of not knowing what book to read next. I look at my TBR pile and have a hard time picking what book am I in the mood to read next.

Thank you for taking this journey with me! I hope you feel a Kindred spirit with all the struggles of an avid bookworm.