Book Review (and a Giveaway!): The Wedding Dress Christmas by Rachel Hauck

THE WEDDING DRESS CHRISTMAS
SERIES: The Wedding Collection #3.5
GENRE: Inspirational Contemporary Romance, Novella
PUBLISHER: Hauck House
RELEASE DATE: October 22, 2019
PAGES: 150

December comes to quaint Hearts Bend, Tennessee, with a blanket of white and the glitter of Christmas lights.

For JoJo Castle there is no place like home. Her onetime love of adventure ended when her life in the big city came crashing down. Now that she’s home, she never wants to leave again.

Country music sensation Buck Mathews has charmed the world with his smile and his music. However, news of his mother’s illness brought him home to Hearts Bend for the holiday season.

Working with her cousin Haley in The Wedding Shop, JoJo has no aspirations of love. But when her high school crush returns to town, her buried feelings surface.

Busy with his career, Buck hasn’t had time for family and friends, much less love. Seeing JoJo in The Wedding Shop reminds him there are things more important than his career.

But JoJo and Buck have opposing life goals, and there’s no middle ground. Can love, especially the kind that touches hearts at Christmas, overcome her fears and his quest for greatness?

With the help of a very special wedding dress, there just might a Christmas miracle.

Other Books In This Series

Now let’s talk about The Wedding Shop & Hearts Bend – two of my favorite places in fiction. I love small town Tennessee. I was born in small town Tennessee, so stories set there always have a special place in my reader heart. This particular setting of Hearts Bend is all the more delightful because it seems like the presence of God stirs a little stronger here. And that leaves room for Hauck to work her Christmas magic with some divine twists.

I loved reuniting on the page with Haley & Cole from The Wedding Shop and just Hearts Bend in general, as I’ve already established. But if you haven’t yet read a book in this series, you should still be able to enjoy The Wedding Dress Christmas – you’ll just enjoy it on a whole other level if you’ve at least read The Wedding Shop … and even more so if you’ve read them all. I will say that I missed the dual timeline that weaves so beautifully through the rest of the books – so often what touches me the most from this loosely-tied-together series is how the past & present parallel each other in the story. Still, a novella length means some elements have to go, so I understand why this is solely a contemporary timeline.

There are some funny moments in this story – such as JoJo and the veil – which help break up the tension between JoJo and Buck, as well as the emotional baggage each of them bring to the table. Country music star Buck will have you swooning from the get-go… and hold on to your Stetson when he falls in love & turns on his heart full force! JoJo is relatable and quick to like, her struggles and her flaws both easily relatable to a lot of women. I especially loved her friendship with Haley and their scenes together at The Wedding Shop.

Bottom Line: The Wedding Dress Christmas is a lovely return visit to a fan favorite setting – the quaint Hearts Bend, Tennessee – and (except for the dual timeline that’s such a big part of the previous books) delivers all the elements that readers love so much in The Wedding Collection novels. The hint of the divine. The sweet and swoony romance. The layered and likable characters. Add in the magic of the Christmas season & a gorgeous cover and you’ve got a must-read addition to your holiday TBR pile.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received via Celebrate Lit Tours. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / loved it

KissingBook Level: 3 / may forget to breathe on occasion

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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.

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To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a print copy of the book and a Visa gift card for $25 plus Swag!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

This giveaway is hosted by Celebrate Lit, not RimSP
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What about you? What interests you most about The Wedding Dress Christmas?