The Wedding Shop

I hope all of you are having a delightful Monday.  It is a nice sunny day in my area (and hot).  I spent the majority of my afternoon going through emails.  I had over 300 emails (just ridiculous). They are all gone now (thank goodness).  If you are looking for a Christian historical romance (what a mouthful) novel to read, check out The Artisan's Wife by Judith Miller and The Meeting Place by Janette Oke and T. Davis Bunn (first book in a good series).

The Wedding Shop by Rachel Hauck tells the story of Haley Morgan and Cora Beth Scott.  Haley Morgan has returned to Heart’s Bend, Tennessee where she grew up.  Haley has resigned from the Air Force and needs to decide what to do next.  When Haley finds out that The Wedding Shop is going to be torn down for a parking lot, Haley decides it is time to make an old dream come true.  When Haley was younger, she dreamed of reopening this shop with her friend, Tammy.  Tammy, unfortunately, passed away recently.  Haley decides this is a way to save the building and honor her friend.  Cole Danner was Tammy’s fiancé (she died before their wedding).  Cole runs Danner Construction and is just the right person to help Haley.  Haley has to convince the city to let her have the building (instead of selling it to the developers).  But that is just the beginning!

Cora Beth Scott ran The Wedding Shop after the death of her Aunt Jane.  Cora was in her element at the shop.  But Cora had a weak spot named Rufus St. Claire, a riverboat captain.  Cora was convinced he loved her and was waiting for Rufus to earn enough money so they could settle down.  Birch Good was in love with Cora, and he was waiting for her to realize the Rufus was a no good scoundrel.  What will it take to open Cora’s eyes?  Join Haley as she remodels The Wedding Shop, discovers the shops history as well as Cora’s, and starts a new chapter in her life.

The Wedding Shop was a very good book.  It is well-written and captured my attention right away.  I liked how the author tied everything together.  It is such a charming story that is easy to read.  The Wedding Shop had a nice small town setting (Heart’s Bend, Tennessee), good characters that a reader can relate too, and an interesting tale.  I enjoyed the descriptions of the shop and the beautiful clothes (especially the vintage wedding dresses).  Rachel Hauck put some great lessons or messages into The Wedding Shop.  The importance of listening to God, the power of prayer, and knowing that God has a plan for your life (it may not be what you have in mind).  I give The Wedding Shop 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it).  I did find Cora to be a little too naïve (very gullible).  Cora seemed to view Rufus through rose colored glasses, but it did fit into the storyline.  I like Rachel Hauck’s writing, and I will definitely read her novels in the future. A Royal  Christmas Wedding (Rachel Hauck's next book) will be out in October.

Rachel Hauck has also written The Wedding Dress (very good) and The Wedding Chapel (I enjoyed it). You can follow Rachel Hauck on Amazon and they will notify you when she has a new book release.  I received a complimentary copy of The Wedding Shop in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

I hope all of you have a good evening.  Make sure to take time for yourself!  I am currently reading Death of a Pumpkin Carver by Lee Hollis.  I am off to cook dinner and then write more reviews (they do not write themselves).  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader