The Memory House by Rachel Hauck

THE MEMORY HOUSE: When Beck Holiday lost her father in the North Tower on 9/11, she also lost her memories of him. Eighteen years later, she’s a tough New York City cop burdened with a damaging secret, suspended for misconduct, and struggling to get her life in order. Meanwhile a mysterious letter arrives informing her she’s inherited a house along Florida’s northern coast, and what she discovers there will change her life forever. Matters of the heart only become more complicated when she runs into handsome Bruno Endicott, a driven sports agent who fondly recalls the connection they shared as teenagers. But Beck doesn’t remember that either.

Decades earlier, widow Everleigh Applegate lives a steady, uneventful life with her widowed mother after a tornado ripped through Waco, Texas, and destroyed her new, young married life. When she runs into old high school friend Don Callahan, she begins to yearn for change. Yet no matter how much she longs to love again, she is hindered by a secret she can never share.

Fifty years separate the women but through the power of love and miracle of faith, they each find healing in a beautiful Victorian known affectionately as The Memory House.  

Heidi here. THE MEMORY HOUSE is my personal favorite of Rachel Hauck's novels to date. Wounded yet likable characters, snappy dialogue, and the plot ~ oh the plot. This novel was nearly impossible to put down as the author expertly wove secrets and truths throughout, creating a mega page-turner. I loved the theme of second-chances.

Snap up your copy of THE MEMORY HOUSE by Rachel Hauck today!

Please note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck

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 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.

Heidi here. Rachel Hauck has another winner on her hands with her latest novel, The Love Letter. She expertly flipped back and forth between modern-day Chloe Daschle and Jesse Gates and the story between Esther Longfellow and Hamilton Lightfoot from centuries ago. I tell you, I kept wondering in my mind which couple I loved best, I did make a choice in the end, but I don't want to give away the ending ;-)

The historical part of this story was beautifully written, I felt like I was in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War. The current-day part was emotional, thought-provoking, and almost envy-inducing as Chloe lives in Hollywood with her director father and actress mother, which means money, influence, abundant opportunities, mansions, pools, and servants.

The Love Letter held a deep spiritual message, it also kept me flipping the pages, the word choices were unique yet not over the top, and the plot moved swiftly. Pick up your copy today!   

The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck

The Writing Desk: Tenley Roth’s first book was a runaway bestseller. Now that her second book is due, she’s locked in fear. Can she repeat her earlier success or is she a fraud who has run out of inspiration?

With pressure mounting from her publisher, Tenley is weighted with writer’s block. But when her estranged mother calls asking Tenley to help her through chemotherapy, she packs up for Florida where she meets handsome furniture designer Jonas Sullivan and discovers the story her heart’s been missing.

A century earlier, another woman wrote at the same desk with hopes and fears of her own. Born during the Gilded Age, Birdie Shehorn is the daughter of the old money Knickerbockers. Under the strict control of her mother, her every move is decided ahead of time, even whom she’ll marry. But Birdie has dreams she doesn’t know how to realize. She wants to tell stories, write novels, make an impact on the world. When she discovers her mother has taken extreme measures to manipulate her future, she must choose between submission and security or forging a brand new way all on her own.

Tenley and Birdie are from two very different worlds, but fate has bound them together in a way time cannot erase.

Heidi here. Rachel Hauck is one of my favorite authors, and The Writing Desk doesn't disappoint! Rachel is such a wordsmith, she strings together the most beautiful sentences; but it isn't ostentatious in the very least, it fits the mood of the moment. Also, she uses words I'm not familiar with, but they are used in such a context that I immediately understood the meaning. For me, it was refreshing to read a novel without the same old words used over and over again.

Tenley and Birdie are such strong women, I just loved their characters. Some backstory was needed as the author wove several stories together, but it was inserted seamlessly into dialog. The internal monologue was beautiful, a work of art. I loved how everything tied together in the end, even when I wasn't sure how the stories interconnected.

Awesome read, grab your copy today!