The Wedding Shop by Rachel Hauck

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Product Details

So it's no secret I'm a bookworm, but this book, oh this book, it dragged me in and held me. Even with an energetic 18 month old, I read this book in 3.5 days. This morning when I should have been doing other things, more profitable and uplifting things I was glued to my book.  Rachel does an amazing job.  I had this mental image of a 50's something author and then I saw her bio picture and she doesn't look even as old as I am. How do people churn out books like this?

This is the second book I've read by Rachel and I will be totally on the lookout for any new ones I see of hers. I'm not sure how to describe her style, but it grabs me and pulls me in.

Just a brief story line. A girl, Haley, held by a pinky promise, comes back home after going to college, being a captain in the army, getting tangled up with the wrong man, a married man and decides to reopen The Wedding Shop. The second part of the story, tangled throughout the book is the story of Cora, from back in the 1930's and her own journey of going through the Great Depression when her dad walked away, the man she loved also turned out to be married with kids, and then nearly losing the man that was right for her.

For those who like a linear story where it flows from one to the next, you may not like it, because it does hop from character to character and from decade to decade, but to me I think that added to the intrigue. I don't always like this in a book, but Rachel did a really good job of making the story flow.

The other thing that was well portrayed in this book is the story of redemption and forgiveness. God is willing to take our broken pasts with all its junk and filth and he's willing to restore us white as snow. He loves us and wants us to come back to Him and let Him work His way in our lives. He's willing to give us second chances. The other theme of forgiveness goes down the line of forgiving ourselves for our past mistakes and opening our hearts to love again and also to forgiving those in our lives who have let us down. Cole, Haley's "friend" and then husband, had to forgive his dad and let go of the bitterness and hurt that had built up as a result of his dad going to jail for fraud. Cora had to forgive her dad for walking out on them in the middle of the Great Depression.

As I think I made pretty clear, I really, really enjoyed this book. And for those of you who are fiction lovers, but still read my blog, bear with me. I have one more fiction book coming up and then there will be a string of nonfiction, some pretty amazing nonfiction.

This book was given me by Book Look Bloggers for the purpose of reading and writing a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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