Book Review, Celebrate Lit Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Wedding Dress Christmas by Rachel Hauck

 About the Book

Book:  The Wedding Dress Christmas
Author: Rachel Hauck
Genre: Romance, Christmas
Release Date: October 22, 2019

December covers quaint Heart’s Bend, Tennessee with a blanket of white and the glitter of Christmas lights.

For JoJo Castle there’s no place like home. It’s her safe place. Her one-time love of adventure ended when life in the big city shattered her hopes and dreams. Now that she’s returned to Hearts Bend, she never wants to leave again.

Buck Mathews, the biggest country singing sensation in decades, has the world on a string – his guitar strings, to be exact. However, when news of his mother’s illness sends him back to Hearts Bend for the holiday season, he remembers how good it can be to live among family and friends.

Working with her cousin Haley in The Wedding Shop, JoJo has no aspirations of love. Leaving home, surrendering her heart again, is just too risky.

When she runs into her friend and high school crush Buck Mathews, she discovers Love might have other plans for her .

Buck’s career is on the verge of an momentous leap. But seeing JoJo awakens feelings he’d buried long ago. Falling in love is easy, but winning her heart will take more than one of his melodic tunes and clever lyrics.

JoJo and Buck want opposite things for their lives, leaving no room for compromise. Can love, especially the kind that touches hearts at Christmastime, overcome her fears andhis quest for greatness?

When a very special gown – the wedding dress – begins to make its presence known, JoJo and Buck’s hearts bend in a way neither ever thought possible.

Click here to get your copy.

About the Author

Rachel Hauck is an award winning, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times Book Reviews. She is a double RITA finalist, and a Christy and Carol Award Winner.

Her book, Once Upon A Prince, first in the Royal Wedding Series, was filmed for an Original Hallmark movie.

Rachel has been awarded the prestigious Career Achievement Award for her body of original work by Romantic Times Book Reviews.

A member of the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers, she teaches workshops and leads worship at the annual conference. She is a past Mentor of The Year.

At home, she’s a wife, writer, worship leader and works out at the gym semi-enthusiastically.

A graduate of Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) with a degree in Journalism, she’s a former sorority girl and a devoted Ohio State football fan. Her bucket list is to stand on the sidelines with Ryan Day.She lives in sunny central Florida with her husband and ornery cat.

My Review

The Wedding Dress Christmas
by Rachel Hauck
A Novella in the Wedding Dress Collection
Rating: 4/5

This story was a quick read and so perfect for the holidays. I am a huge fan of Rachel Hauck and couldn’t wait to read this continuation of her Wedding Dress series. This book can definitely be read as a standalone novella, but I recommend reading the others if you enjoy this one. 

JoJo has been back in her hometown for a few years and has been supporting her friend, Haley, in the local wedding dress shop. She uses her PR background to help out the store especially this Black Friday. Shadows of the past haunt her but she feels safe back home in the small town where she knows everyone. She loves her town and has volunteered to help with many different events and activities. 

Buck is ready for a break. After all the touring and living on the road, he is excited to go back home and rest. He is even more enthusiastic about going home when he learns that JoJo is back in town. He hopes they can catch up while he’s back. They were inseparable back in high school despite the fact that she was a few years younger than him. Music had been good to him but he was ready for a change – perhaps to settle down?

When JoJo and Buck get roped into helping out with the Children’s Christmas performance which includes an original song, the sparks fly and JoJo must learn to open up her heart for her old crush if she wants to find happiness. Can she be honest about her past and her current feelings? Will Buck’s career and touring get in the way of their relationship?

Honestly, this story reads like a great Hallmark movie. I loved it. The ending seemed a bit rushed to me but it’s a novella so that’s par for the course. Whenever you bring together two characters with shared history, it’s a bit more believable to move the story forward quickly. The songwriting aspect was a lot of fun (this is coming from a fellow singer-songwriter). The characters do get some time to develop and grow. Rachel Hauck is a beautiful writer who can seamlessly weave in a story of God’s love and the faith that sustains us even in the darkest and most confusing places. 

I highly recommend for those that enjoy Hallmark movies and inspirational romance. 

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and CelebrateLit for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

☆꧁GIVEAWAY꧂☆

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a print copy of the book and a Visa gift card for $25. Swag!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

***Giveaway is now closed!

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