Book Review: The Sands of Sea Blue Beach by Rachel Hauck

About the Book:

Can anything rekindle the summer love between former sweethearts facing old wounds and a divided town?

Emery Quinn finds herself at a crossroads between her career and complex family dynamics. Struggling to connect with her blended family and ready for a fresh start, Emery accepts the position of editor-in-chief at the Sea Blue Beach Gazette. Upon her return to the Sands Motor Motel, she is flooded with bittersweet memories of her late mother and past regrets from a long-ago summer.

Architect Caleb Ransom has returned home to Sea Blue Beach, a place filled with cherished memories and potential opportunities. He means to make a difference for his family and his hometown by caring for his troubled sister's son and preserving the history of the town as the leader of the new Main Street initiative. He certainly never expected to run into Emery Quinn, the girl who captured his heart sixteen summers ago.

As Emery and Caleb revive their friendship, they find themselves facing a bitterly divided town. Together, they navigate family challenges, professional setbacks, and a high-stakes royal visit to discover how forgiveness and love can reshape their hearts and their destiny.

Read an excerpt from The Sands of Sea Blue Beach on the publisher's website.

---

My Thoughts:

In The Sands of Sea Blue Beach, author Rachel Hauck wove small town charm and drama with sunshine, sand, and a second-chance romance. This combination created a lovely, summertime beach read. I particularly enjoyed Emery and Caleb’s romance because of the support and long-standing friendship they shared. Both main characters came from families with difficult relational issues that required love, forgiveness, and healing to set things right (or at least on the right path). Their common experiences drew them together and created an abiding affection between them.

Other aspects I enjoyed in The Sands of Sea Blue Beach included:

• The citizen preservation efforts and cherishing of local history (by some of the characters).
• Family love as an important source of strength and support was a key theme.
• A faith element that somehow felt both subtle and poignant as both Caleb and Emery were open to the idea and presence of Immanuel, God With Us.
• I enjoyed both of the timelines (though most of it is present day) because the dual-timeline showed the past events instead of summarizing what had occurred.

Readers who enjoyed Meet Me at the Starlight by Rachel Hauck will recognize name dropping in The Sands of Sea Blue Beach, but it reads as a full stand-alone novel with no requirement to read the previous book. Four Stars!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from the author or publisher. My review reflects my honest opinion.

Book Review & Giveaway: The Memory House by Rachel Hauck

About the Book:

When Beck Holiday lost her father in the North Tower on 9/11, she also lost her memories of him. Eighteen years later, she’s a tough New York City cop burdened with a damaging secret, suspended for misconduct, and struggling to get her life in order. 

Meanwhile a mysterious letter arrives informing her she’s inherited a house along Florida’s northern coast, and what she discovers there will change her life forever. Matters of the heart only become more complicated when she runs into handsome Bruno Endicott, a driven sports agent who fondly recalls the connection they shared as teenagers. But Beck doesn’t remember that, either.

Decades earlier, widow Everleigh Applegate lives a steady, uneventful life with her widowed mother after a tornado ripped through Waco, Texas, and destroyed her new, young married life. When she runs into old high school friend Don Callahan, she begins to yearn for change. Yet no matter how much she longs to love again, she is hindered by a secret she can never share.

Fifty years separate the women but through the power of love and miracle of faith, they each find healing in a beautiful Victorian known affectionately as The Memory House.


My Thoughts:

The Memory House is the first book I've read by Rachel Hauck in a long, long time. Once I started reading, I did not want to put it down! It captured my attention immediately and held my interest until the end. There were little mysteries embedded throughout the story that kept me wanting more and more.

The Memory House has a fairly large cast of main characters as it is a time slip novel. It was well-written and I had no confusion with the time jumps and multiple points of view. My favorite character was Everleigh, not just because of her lovely name. I could identify with the way she gave up on living in some ways, but I admired how she made a healthy choice to change and started embracing life again.

I loved that Don and Bruno love their women so well. They affirm the women as they are, yet encourage them to embrace both past and future. Readers see that theme play out in two very different ways with Beck and Everleigh.

The Memory House takes on some weighty topics and at times I teared up, especially near the end. There's the amnesia, of course, and I feel I must say that there is the chance of being triggered/uncomfortable if you are someone who has had repressed memories of difficult circumstances. The author gently works in reminders about the power and necessity of prayer. We see forgiveness play out in a some hard situations.

There are so many good things to say about this book, but I'll stop here. I highly recommend The Memory House by Rachel Hauck to readers looking for a novel with a compelling storyline, romantic tension, and inspirational themes! Five stars!

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.

For more information, visit www.rachelhauck.com, Facebook (@rachelhauck), Twitter (@RachelHauck) and Instagram (@rachelhauck). 

Giveaway:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary arc copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

First Line Fridays: The Memory House by Rachel Hauck

Happy Friday!

First Line Fridays is hosted by Hoarding Books and participants share the first line from a nearby
book.

Today I'm sharing the first line from The Memory House by Rachel Hauck:

"She was never afraid of the dark. But the light? Now that terrified her."

Have you read this book? What are you reading this weekend?

Have a great weekend! Happy reading!


About the Book:

Embracing the future means remembering the past . . .

When Beck Holiday lost her father in the North Tower on 9/11, she also lost her memories of him. Eighteen years later, she’s a tough New York City cop burdened with a damaging secret, suspended for misconduct, and struggling to get her life in order. Meanwhile a mysterious letter arrives informing her she’s inherited a house along Florida’s northern coast, and what she discovers there will change her life forever. Matters of the heart only become more complicated when she runs into handsome Bruno Endicott, a driven sports agent who fondly recalls the connection they shared as teenagers. But Beck doesn’t remember that, either.

Decades earlier, widow Everleigh Applegate lives a steady, uneventful life with her widowed mother after a tornado ripped through Waco, Texas, and destroyed her new, young married life. When she runs into old high school friend Don Callahan, she begins to yearn for change. Yet no matter how much she longs to love again, she is hindered by a secret she can never share.

Fifty years separate the women but through the power of love and miracle of faith, they each find healing in a beautiful Victorian known affectionately as The Memory House.

Once Upon A Prince by Rachel Hauck

After the end of a twelve year engagement, Susanna Truitt's future has never been more uncertain. Nate Kenneth, heir to the throne of Brighton, has never had a more certain future. When a flat tire brings Nate and Susanna together under the fabled Lover's Oak of St. Simon's Island, a friendship forms that could progress into more if it weren't for Brighton law. Before Nate returns to Brighton, his royal status is revealed, but Susanna receives no further communication from him except an invitation to his coronation. Accepting the invitation, she travels to Brighton with her sister. While her external choices are publicly dissected, she finds her internal choices are muddled and confused by this blossoming, but impossible love. Has God brought Nate and Susanna together for a lesson in surrender that will later be told as a tale of unfulfilled love or is there more for their future than either of them could have planned? Read more in Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck.

Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck is the first novel in the Royal Wedding Series. The book's prominent theme of surrendering one's will and plans for the future to God even if it requires giving up a dream, a love or one's pride was an outstanding choice by the author. Most the characters were enjoyable, though I think the book would have benefited from Lady Genevieve's character having more depth. Her motives are foreshadowed in such a way that her admission later in the story seems surprisingly shallow and lacks the deviousness promised by the foreshadowing.

Regarding the plot of Once Upon a Prince, I was disappointed. To me, the first half dragged and the second half borrowed heavily from The Princess Diaries movies. The storyline was a mesh of The Princess Diaries with Christianity and the American South. It sounds like an appealing combination, but too many of the scenes, relationships and situations were such close replicas to the movie, that I just couldn't enjoy it. Considering that Hauck has also written a book (which I haven't read) that is supposed to play off of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie, I think this lack of originality was actually intentional.

Unfortunately for me, the positive aspects of Once Upon a Prince were overshadowed by the lack of originality. I've no doubt there will be readers that aren't bothered by the lack of originality and are just looking for a sweet read. However, for the aforementioned reasons, I recommend renting from the library before buying.

I'm participating in a blog tour for Once Upon a Prince and there is a great giveaway going on right now:

Enter Today - 5/6 - 5/27!
Also, don't forget to visit other blogs on the tour to read what they say! Click on the "Blog Tour Schedule" button to see the list.

And now the book trailer:

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook free from the publisher via Litfuse Publicity. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

@RachelHauck’s “Royal Wedding” Giveaway and Facebook Chat Party! {5/28}

Rachel Hauck is celebrating the release of Once Upon a Prince with a fun "Royal Wedding" Giveaway and connecting with readers at her May 28th Facebook Party.

One "royal" winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 27th. Winner will be announced at the "Once Upon a Prince" Facebook Author Chat Party on May 28th. Connect with Rachel for an evening of book chat, wedding trivia, laughter, and more! Rachel will also be sharing a sneak peek at the next book in the series and giving away books and fun gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of Once Upon a Prince and join Rachel on the evening of May 28th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 28th!

Book Blogger Hop Time!

Every week Crazy-for-Books hosts the Book Blogger Hop. Participants answer a question and then visit other blogs of fellow participants. This week's question is:

"If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?"

My answer: I absolutely hunt down other books by the same author!  I recently did this with Rachel Hauck's books. I read Dining with Joy and loved it. Then I asked my husband to buy me the other two books in the series, Love Starts with Elle and Sweet Caroline, for Christmas.

What about you?

Dining with Joy by Rachel Hauck

Joy Ballard didn't grow up dreaming of being on television or cooking for a living. To fulfill her father's dying wish, Joy took over his televised cooking show. The only problem is that she can't cook. Through careful editing and the help of co-workers, Joy has successfully hosted the popular cooking show for several years. However, her nemesis, Wenda Devine, knows Joy's secret and is determined to bring her down. When Luke Redmond enters the picture, Joy thinks she may have found her way out of the deception. Luke is her handsome, new co-host and best of all, he can cook! If he took over all the cooking, she could just do the hosting. Unfortunately, Joy's secret is outed on national television before she can put her plan into place. With her career in shambles and Luke gone, Joy slowly realizes that her tragedy has the potential to be a blessing.

I loved Dining with Joy by Rachel Hauck. The book was filled with humor and romance, but also a spiritual lesson about trusting God and finding one's worth in Him. Joy's character was authentic, savvy, and well-written. She was a mixture of mischief, delight, and charm. The author's use of unique situations, various characters, and humor made the book irresistible. In fact, I read it in under three days. I really have nothing negative to say about this book and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an inspirational, romantic read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from BookSneeze as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."