Book description from Goodreads:
“With the colonies at war and his country divided, Hamilton Lightfoot must choose sides: Fight for the British Crown or for the Independence of America. But after witnessing the death of his family at the hands of redcoats, he fears he’ll fight for revenge instead of honor. On the verge of a great battle, he pens a letter to Esther, the woman he loves.
Esther Longfellow is in love with Hamilton, but her father is a loyalist, living in upcountry South Carolina and working for a wealthy British lord. When the Revolutionary War comes to her doorstep she is forced to choose between devotion to her father and her love for Hamilton.
Chloe Daschle is the daughter of Hollywood royalty—a great director and an Oscar-winning actress. Yet her career has taken an unexpected turn: She’s the queen of death scenes. Trying to break out, she accepts a supporting role in a revolutionary war film. But she longs for the perfect role and the perfect real-life romance. Does happily ever after only exist in the movies?
After a life-changing tragedy, MIT graduate Jesse Gates decides to leave his life behind and move to LA to try his hand at acting and screenwriting. When he finds a page from one of his ancestor’s letters, he becomes consumed with the love he finds there. Determined to help his grandfather find happiness at the end of his life, Jesse writes and sells a screenplay based on the events surrounding the lost love of previous generations.
When Jesse meets the woman he has cast to play Esther Longfellow—his grandfather’s one true love—the stories of all four collide across time and space. The love letter from the past might have more power to affect the future than any of them could have imagined.”
My Review:
Rachel Hauck is an outstanding author and this book is evidence of that. It takes amazing talent to write a “split time” romance that’s told from the viewpoint of four characters—two in the past and two in the present day —and allow the reader to easily keep track and engaged in the story.
I thought the story flowed very smoothly between the two time periods. I loved both storylines, but the present day story was my favorite. Each of the four main characters were interesting. The guys were ok. I honestly didn’t have much sympathy for Hamilton, and I wanted Jesse to just move on with his life. The most interesting guy in this story was Smitty. There’s a mystery about him.
The “strength of character” award in this book goes to both the main leading ladies. The character that appealed to me most was Chloe. Her vulnerability about the mistakes of her past and her unwavering trust in God sets the stage for tying both storylines together. I’d love it if this book turned into a series. (A note to the author here: I think there needs to be a book about Chloe’s parents. I kind of felt that their story was unfinished, and that it could be a quite interesting one.) There’s a surprise twist at the end that adds a perfect touch to Jesse and Chloe’s story.
It’s a pleasure to read such a touching love story that has no bad language or embarrassing scenes. Don’t miss this one. I’ve enjoyed many of Rachel Hauck’s books, and this one has its place as one of my favorites.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review.