Love By Chance: Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie by Kacy Cross Rating: 4/5
When I saw that this story was available for review, I jumped at the chance. I am a huge fan of Hallmark Channel Original Movies that just make you cry and feel good inside. I knew I would enjoy the book version of the movie, Love By Chance, because I’d get to read and understand the characters better. It did not disappoint.
What do you do when your mother likes to control everything about you and is obsessed with your love life? Claire is a pastry chef who co-owns a struggling bistro but is determined to make it work. Her mother is determined to find her a husband at any cost. Claire’s mom, Helen, has a sixth sense about these things and considers herself a successful matchmaker. When Helen takes things a tad too far, she meets someone new who she insists is perfect for Claire – Eric, a pediatrician. Helen somehow convinces Eric to go to an art gallery event that Claire is catering. When the two meet, sparks fly and now Eric has a problem. He is quickly falling for Claire but hates lying to her. Meanwhile, Helen is still trying to control everything with Claire while neglecting her own husband and their plans for retirement. What happens when the truth comes out?
I loved reading this version of the original movie because I was able to be inside the head of the different characters and really understand their motivations and thoughts for their actions. Helen still frustrates me to no end but I know her heart’s in the right place. I loved the Epilogue because that wasn’t in the original movie. There’s also a recipe in the back of the book which I definitely want to try out.
The book is basically the movie in written form but with a more filled out story which I enjoyed reading. I highly recommend this book for lovers of Hallmark Channel Original Movies and clean, sweet romance.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.
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.
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.
More From Rachel
Hello Royal Rockstar Readers!
I’m thrilled to share The Wedding Dress Christmas with you. I’ve heard from so many how much The Wedding Dress has touched them, and as I noodled over new story ideas, my thoughts drifted toward the wedding dress and Christmas. What’s more romantic than a Christmas wedding?
This novella is set in Hearts Bend, Tennessee, the fictional town ofThe Wedding Chapel and The Wedding Shop. Even if you’ve never read one of books inThe Wedding Collection, you’ll enjoy this story, the mystery of the dress, and the women whose lives it changed.
I love weddings. They remind us of the purity and the hope of love, the power of commitment. Something powerful is released when two people pledge to spend their lives together, loving and serving one another in both good and bad times. Every wedding I attend reminds me of the vows I made to my husband and I sign up all over again.
Stories are a powerful reflection of life. Yes, fictional stories are often told with wild hyperbole, but that’s what makes them fun to read.
I also love wedding stories because they remind us of God’s love for us, and that one day there will be the grandest wedding of them all. Isn’t it wonderful that God planned a wedding before He created the earth?
In The Wedding Dress Christmas, JoJo and Buck have their issues, but love proves strong enough to conquer them all.
Thanks for going on this little tour with me and The Wedding Dress Christmas.
Hello. This blog is all mine and I will do my best to post what interests me and what books I read with honest reviews. I am a lover of good Christian fiction with a touch of romance, mystery, intrigue, humor, fun, etc. I invite you to join me as I read my way through books and life. I am currently pursuing my residency training as a family medicine physician!!! I have to carefully choose what I want to read for fun. My name is Kim and you are entering the Wong Mind.
