Book Review: The Wedding Shop

Book Review: The Wedding Shop

Author: Rachel Hauck
Reviewed by: Alexis A. Goring

Between my paperback copies and my Kindle, I own hundreds of books. So when Fiction Guild sent this book to me, I thought I'd simply read it first then give it away because space is limited on my bookshelves. But as I turned the pages of The Wedding Shop by Rachel Hauck, I grew attached to the main characters as the author drew me as a reader into the story. By the time I reached the final page, I knew that I wanted to keep this book.

The Wedding Shop is a story about love lost/regained and restoration. It is told on a dual timeline with characters from the early 1900s and the late ‘90’s. Cora is the heroine of the past. Haley is the heroine of the present.

As the reader journeys with the characters, they get to know the hopes, dreams and deepest desires of these heroines. The reader may love the way that the hero and heroine—past and present—meet and fall in love. The reader may also be surprised by the plot twists positioned perfectly throughout this story. The author writes in a way that’s solid, engaging and keeps the reader guessing and turning the page to see what happens next.

As a reader, I was surprised by the way Cora’s true love was discovered. There were moments when I was happy for Cora, sad for Cora and filled with joy for her own love story as it unfolded. I liked Haley from the start. She’s spunky, wise, sweet, loyal, and very much a person who believes in working hard for your dreams to come true. I was delighted to see how the author handled Haley’s heart when it came to finding her own happily ever after.

The heroes—past and present—were strong, reliable, romantic and hardworking not just in their career, but in their pursuit of their love interest’s heart. The author carefully thought out and described their motivation and upped the ante on the conflict throughout this story.

The Wedding Shop is a story that’s timeless because of the universal themes of faith, love, hope and disappointment that are so carefully and brilliantly woven throughout this book.

This book deserves a five-star rating and the author deserves an award! I’d recommend this book to women and men who need encouragement to follow their dreams, trust God with their heart and never give up on finding—and keeping—true love.

*Fiction Guild sent a complimentary copy of this book to Alexis A. Goring, in exchange for an honest review.

A Prelude to Christmas: Susan's story about marrying a Texan

Welcome Susan Page Davis to the blog today! She's the author of "For Love or Money", which is part of the Seven Brides for Seven Texans Romance Collection. Susan joins us today to talk about her novella and give away a copy too! Here's the cover of Susan's book:

Here's the blurb for "For Love or Money": Burned out of their house, Jane and her family move into a cave, where she discovers some hidden money. Crockett Hart comes to help them rebuild, and she asks for his help. When he learns where the money came from, he hopes it won’t keep their two families apart, because he’s falling for Jane. 

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Fill out the book giveaway contest entry form on this Rafflecopter widget for your chance to WIN a copy of Susan's book: 

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Enjoy my interview with Susan!

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Interview with Susan Page Davis, author of "For Love or Money"story within the Seven Brides for Seven Texans Romance Collection:

Alexis: Congrats on your writing a story for the collection of stories titled, “Seven Brides for Seven Texans Romance Collection: The Hart Brothers Must Marry or Lose Their Inheritance in 7 Historical Novellas”! Let’s talk about it. How were you selected to write for this historical novella collection? What were your first thoughts when selected? Did dreaming up your story for this collection come easy? Explain.

Susan: I was invited by the author who spearheaded the project. I was very pleased that she had asked me. We already had the basic premise for the stories, and it wasn’t hard at all to come up with a ranching story. Mine opens with the hero spotting smoke from his neighbors’ burning house.

Alexis: Your story’s title “For Love or Money” is intriguing! What can you tell us about the plot?

Susan: The heroine’s family’s house burns, and they take refuge in a cave on their property, where she discovers a cache of money. She doesn’t want to ask her ne’er-do-well father about it, so she asks the hero, whose brother is a Texas Ranger. From there, things just escalate.

Alexis: Who is the hero in your story? Describe his looks, personality and heart.

Susan: Davy Crockett Hart, known as “Crockett,” is fifth of the seven brothers. At age 28, he’s a good rancher but also a bit at loose ends. He’s six feet tall, a bit lanky, and has the Hart dark hair and brown eyes. He feels a bit overshadowed by his older brothers and the heroes they all represent. He’s not sure he can ever meet his father’s expectations. He wants to stand out somehow and to make his pa proud. Though he doesn’t think about it much, his desire to stand out leads him to choose bright clothing and a flashy tobiano pinto horse. His drive to excel pushes him and makes him very competitive. 

Alexis: Who is the heroine in your story? Describe her passion, hopes and role.

Susan: Jane Haymaker is three years younger than Crockett. She’s from a very poor family, thanks to her father’s shiftlessness and drinking habit. She’s not married because no man in the county would want to be Boyd Haymaker’s son-in-law. She’s an extremely hard worker on the ranch and looks out for her young brother, Ben, and their widowed father. She wishes she and Ben could escape their father and all the trouble he causes, but she doesn’t know how they could make it away from the ranch. In an ideal world, her brother would go off to college and Jane would marry a nice, diligent young man. But Jane’s world is far from ideal.

Alexis: What is it about the heroine that makes the hero fall in love with her?

Susan: He remembers Jane as a schoolgirl and knows she was smart and likable back then, before her mother died and her father became a drunk. He sees how hard she works and how she holds what’s left of her family together, and he admires her fierce loyalty and determination.

Alexis: What is it about the hero that makes the heroine’s heart skip beats?

Susan: She is surprised that he takes so much trouble to help her and her family. She likes his sincerity, his hard work, and his dependability. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he’s nice looking and treats her better than anyone ever has before!

Alexis: The hero in your story loves his freedom and independence. How does that affect his love life?

Susan: Crockett doesn’t like it when his father tells him and his brothers they must marry by Christmas to inherit their shares of the ranch. He even considers ignoring his father’s wishes and striking out on his own. Then he rushes to Jane Haymaker’s aid, and everything changes. More than anything, Crockett wants Jane to have a secure, safe home. Maybe providing that will also please his father.

Alexis: What is the core conflict in your story, “For Love or Money”?

Susan: That turns out to be Jane’s father, and his attitude and drinking problem. When he attacks Jane’s brother and Crockett comes to Ben’s aid, everything changes.

Alexis: Describe the role of the hero’s father, patriarch of the Hart family, George Washington Hart. How does his strong will affect his son?

Susan: George is a very strong, opinionated, dominating figure. His sons love him, but they don’t always agree with his decisions. All of them at one time or another chafe against his authority, but they’ve stuck around. George has also taught them an exacting work ethic and a sense of justice.

Alexis: Describe the setting for your story. Why did you choose it?

Susan: The novellas are all set on or near a ranch in a fictional Texas town, in keeping with the theme of the collection, Seven Brides for Seven Texans.

Alexis: What is it about this book that you want your readers to remember the most?

Susan: This story is about trust and compassion. Crockett leads his community in showing compassion to a family that has been shunned, and Jane learns to trust in the people who have ignored her for a long time. That’s a model all of us should follow.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview! Would you like to share any closing thoughts?

Susan: Merry Christmas to everyone! Enjoy your family.

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Author bio: Susan Page Davis is the author of more than 60 novels and novellas in the historical romance, mystery, and suspense genres.

She is the mother of six and grandmother of ten. A Maine native, she now lives in western Kentucky with her husband Jim.

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Connect with Susan:

Website - www.susanpagedavis.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/susanpagedavis
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/susanpagedavisauthor

25 Days of Christmas Stories: The Reliable Cowboy

Susan Page Davis, author of award-winning romance, visits the blog today to share details on her book, The Reliable Cowboy.

She's giving away not one but two copies for your Kindle! All you have to do is enter the book giveaway contest by filling out the form on the Rafflecopter widget below:

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Here's a review of The Reliable Cowboy: Isabella has lost her husband in a tragic accident at sea. Edwin has prospects of a promotion on a Wyoming ranch, but no home to offer – just his heart. When Isabella hears the call for mail-order brides, she answers with a “yes,” but wonders if she will ever love again. After all, she had married her sweetheart only to lose him. Can she risk her heart again for someone she’s never met? For someone who lives in the wilds of Wyoming Territory? It’s not even a state! 

Edwin wants a family of his own, someone to keep him company in the lonely territory. Will Isabella be the one, or will she soon tire of waiting and move on? Susan Page Davis writes eloquently of the West, and of the pioneers that tamed that land. From the storm-tossed seashore of Maine to the vastness of the rolling prairie, she paints a picture that puts you there, experiencing what her characters experience, feeling what they feel. 

As with all of Susan’s writing, this is highly recommended, and is a wonderful addition to the “Christmas Mail-Order Angels” collection. 

~Review written by Regina Merrick on Amazon

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Enjoy this excerpt from The Reliable Cowboy:

“Maggie! Where are you?”

“Out here.”

Isabella Johnston followed her friend’s voice around to the back of the small house the Crain family rented. Maggie struggled with a wet linen sheet, draping it over the clothesline behind the cottage. A sharp wind blew in off the bay. Summer was on its way, but it never put down roots in Merville.

“Let me help you. Your hands must be freezing.” Isabella dropped her handbag on the back step and hurried to Maggie’s side.

“No sense two of us getting our hands chilled. Go in and fill the teapot. I’ll be along soon.”

“Hush!” Isabella grabbed a wet shirt from the wicker basket and pinned it tails up to the line. “Your men certainly make a lot of wash.”

Maggie smiled at her putting a husband and boys, aged five and seven, in a pigeon hole marked, ‘her men.’ “That’s right, they do. I suppose you’re here to tell me all about the Ladies’ Aid meeting I missed.”

“Oh, Maggie, you won’t believe it.” Isabella had started to shake out a linen pillowcase, but she stopped and stared at her friend in dismay. “I may have done the most foolish thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Maggie paused with a clothes peg in midair. “What on earth did you do?”

Isabella gulped. “Becky Patterson read a letter asking for women to go to Wyoming for brides, and I—I told her I was interested.”

“What?” Maggie stared at her. “Brides? For men?”

“Of course for men. They have a mining town, it seems, where there aren’t many decent women. But there are some decent men, and they want wives.”

“Where did you say this is?”

“Wyoming.”

For a long moment, silence hung between them as the two young women gazed at each other over the clothesline.

At last, Maggie said, “I’m not even sure where that is.”

Isabella started to laugh. She couldn’t help it. Gales of mirth exploded from her throat. She doubled over, pressing her hands against her waist.

Maggie ducked under the line and came to her side. She put her arms around Isabella. “Here, now. Calm down. This is a pile of nonsense.”

“No,” Isabella gasped, straightening. “It’s true. Becky had the letter, and they’ve got a whole group of men who are willing to pay for the women’s train tickets. They’re offering holy matrimony.”

“But, dear Isabella, you—you’ve only just lost your Henry. Surely you don’t want to marry again so soon. And to a complete stranger!”

“I haven’t said for sure I’d go.” Isabella squared her shoulders. “They’ll write to us, so we can know more about them first.”

“But—”

“I need to get away from here,” Isabella blurted, and her friend stared at her. “Away from the sea. I can’t look at it every day, knowing it took Henry away from me. And Pa too. Every night, I lie awake, and I hear it, Maggie. The waves breaking on the rocks. And I dream about the boat going down, and them trying to get to shore and—and drowning. It’s awful. When I wake, I lie there shaking, and I can’t stop thinking about it. Maybe if I go away from the ocean …”

Maggie took her arm and turned her toward the house, abandoning the clothes basket. “Let’s go in and have that tea.”

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Author bio:

Susan Page Davis is the author of more than sixty published novels. A Maine native, she now lives in Kentucky. 

She’s a two-time winner of the Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award, and also a winner of the Carol Award and the Will Rogers Medallion, and a finalist in the WILLA Awards and the More Than Magic Contest. 

Visit her website at: www.susanpagedavis.com.