The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck

The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck

I enjoy reading Rachel’s books.

Let’s begin with the summary:

A lonely wedding chapel built as a tribute to lost love just might hold the long-awaited secret to hope and reconciliation.

For sixty years, the wedding chapel has stood silent and empty. Retired football hall-of-famer Jimmy “Coach” Westbrook built the chapel by hand, stone by stone, for his beautiful and beloved Collette Greer, whom he lost so many years ago. The chapel is a sanctuary for his memories, a monument to true love, and a testament to his survival of the deepest pain and loss.

Photographer Taylor Branson left her hometown of Heart’s Bend, Tennessee, to make a new life for herself in New York. She had lots to run away from, not least of all a family history of broken promises and broken dreams. Love catches Taylor off guard when she falls for Jack Forester, a successful advertising executive, and their whirlwind romance leads to an elopement—then to second guesses. Jack, in spite of his very real love for Taylor, is battling his own demons and struggles to show her his true self and the depths of his love for her.

Taking a photography assignment in Heart’s Bend, Taylor is thrown back into a past of family secrets buried deep beneath the sands of time. When Taylor and Coach’s journeys collide, they each rediscover the heartbeat of their own dreams as they learn that the love they long to hold is well worth the wait.

And now, my review:

There were so many layers to this story. We follow a few characters and experience their stories as they intertwine.I liked that we could explore a few generations and their love stories.

As with Rachel’s other work, I love the supernatural aspect. The chapel became a character in its own right in this story. An interesting, almost living locale.

Along with her strong prose, Rachel threw in some wise phrases throughout. I can’t quote from the ARC, but here is the gist of one of them: that nothing tastes as bitter as regret. So good. There were several places I highlighted in my e-book, ARC version as I read.

Each of the characters must overcome some aspect, some ghost, from their pasts in order to experience the future they hadn’t even been brave enough to hope for. Looking forward to Rachel's next book.