Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Call number
F HAU
Publication
Zondervan
Description
From New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress comes The Wedding Chapel. 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.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member kaykwilts
The story of "The Wedding Chapel" is told from six points of view. There is the modern Collette and Jimmy, two star crossed lovers. They had once been in love but circumstances beyond their control separated them. The circumstance were like orchestrated by a vicious jealous person who could not
First half of story started out slow but the pace picked up in the middle of the book. There were elements of mystery in the book that kept me reading like the mention of a box left to her by her granny. Taylor must find the box to discover the contents. From reading the story you get an idea of where it is going and it does go there but there are some unexpected surprises in the novel that you do not expect. Good surprises that make you smile. When you think that this is it on the surprises the author drops another bombshell on the reader. I don't give many books a five star rating but this one certainly deserves it. The only other book I have read by this author is "The Wedding Dress" but I certainly do plan on reading more.
The Wedding Chapel is due to be released on November 17, 2015. Thanks to Netgalley and Zondervan for allowing me to preview this book.
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stand to see them happy. There is the Collette and Jimmy from the late 40s and 50, young and in love. In the current day there is Taylor Branson and Jack Forrester/Gillingham. They married in a whirlwind and after six months are struggling. Jack loves his wife but does not know how to communicate to his wife. Part of his problems stems from his tumultuous childhood being shifted from one foster home to another. To have the story told from so many points of view may be confusing to some readers but the author did an excellent job of blending it all together so you did not get confused one bit.First half of story started out slow but the pace picked up in the middle of the book. There were elements of mystery in the book that kept me reading like the mention of a box left to her by her granny. Taylor must find the box to discover the contents. From reading the story you get an idea of where it is going and it does go there but there are some unexpected surprises in the novel that you do not expect. Good surprises that make you smile. When you think that this is it on the surprises the author drops another bombshell on the reader. I don't give many books a five star rating but this one certainly deserves it. The only other book I have read by this author is "The Wedding Dress" but I certainly do plan on reading more.
The Wedding Chapel is due to be released on November 17, 2015. Thanks to Netgalley and Zondervan for allowing me to preview this book.
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LibraryThing member Kris_Anderson
The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauch is a heartwarming Christian romance novel. Jimmy (James) Westbrook built a lovely stone and wood chapel for the woman he loved in Heart’s Bend, Tennessee. Unfortunately, he and the love of his life never used the chapel. Jimmy is now retired (football coach) and
Taylor Branson has moved to New York (from Heart’s Bend, Tennessee) to become a commercial photographer. One day she ran into Jack Forester (also from Heart’s Bend) who is an ad man. They had a whirlwind courtship and then eloped. Six months later things are not going well on their relationship. No one in Taylor’s family has ever had a happily ever after in their marriage (everyone is divorced). Can Taylor and Jack make it work? Taylor gets a job photographing Jimmy’s chapel for Agricultural Digest. It will also give her a chance to decide what to do with her grandmother’s home (she inherited it). Taylor discovers a letter from her grandmother to Taylor about a secret. What secret was her grandmother hiding and how it will impact her family?
The Wedding Chapel goes back and forth from the present to the past to tell the story of Jimmy, Colette, Taylor, and Jack (and Taylor’s grandmother). I found The Wedding Chapel a little hard to get into, but once I did I enjoyed the story immensely. I give The Wedding Chapel 4.25 out of 5 stars. In The Wedding Chapel we see how destructive secrets are to a family and how they can keep people apart. Also, how a lack of communication can be hurtful to a marriage. The Wedding Chapel is well-written, with a lovely setting (Heart’s Bend), and characters that are very relatable. Once you get all the characters in the book straight, it is easier to read.
I received a complimentary copy of The Wedding Chapel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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he sees no reason to hang onto the chapel. A local realtor convinces Jimmy to put the chapel up for sale. Will Jimmy really be able to sell the chapel when the time comes? Colette Greer is a famous actress (soap opera) who lived for a few years in Heart’s Bend. She has not been back since she was nineteen years old (she is now 82). But then she hears that the chapel is up for sale and she needs to go see it. What has kept Colette away for all these years?Taylor Branson has moved to New York (from Heart’s Bend, Tennessee) to become a commercial photographer. One day she ran into Jack Forester (also from Heart’s Bend) who is an ad man. They had a whirlwind courtship and then eloped. Six months later things are not going well on their relationship. No one in Taylor’s family has ever had a happily ever after in their marriage (everyone is divorced). Can Taylor and Jack make it work? Taylor gets a job photographing Jimmy’s chapel for Agricultural Digest. It will also give her a chance to decide what to do with her grandmother’s home (she inherited it). Taylor discovers a letter from her grandmother to Taylor about a secret. What secret was her grandmother hiding and how it will impact her family?
The Wedding Chapel goes back and forth from the present to the past to tell the story of Jimmy, Colette, Taylor, and Jack (and Taylor’s grandmother). I found The Wedding Chapel a little hard to get into, but once I did I enjoyed the story immensely. I give The Wedding Chapel 4.25 out of 5 stars. In The Wedding Chapel we see how destructive secrets are to a family and how they can keep people apart. Also, how a lack of communication can be hurtful to a marriage. The Wedding Chapel is well-written, with a lovely setting (Heart’s Bend), and characters that are very relatable. Once you get all the characters in the book straight, it is easier to read.
I received a complimentary copy of The Wedding Chapel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member vintagebeckie
If you are looking for a romance novel with heart and soul, look no further than The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck. Hauck is one of the best writers of contemporary romance around, but she really outdid herself with this novel. This book is definitely a must read!
The Wedding Chapel spans 60 years
More than just a romance, The Wedding Chapel will get you thinking about the twists and turns of life and the importance of faithfulness, forgiveness and grace. It is a highly recommended read!
Highly Recommended.
Audience: adults.
Great for Book Clubs.
(Thanks to LitFuse and Zondervan for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
The Wedding Chapel spans 60 years
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and revolves around the love stories of two couples. Told from the perspectives of Jimmy and Colette, high school sweethearts who lost their first love, and Taylor and Jack, newlyweds who are already wondering if their marriage will survive, the book looks at how fragile relationships are damaged without trust and openness. Secrets deceive and destroy and hidden emotions keep real intimacy at arms length. Although the faith message is faint as a heartbeat during most of the novel, it finishes strong at the end — and isn’t that how it often is in our walk with God. God is always there if we take the time to listen for His voice, to sense His heartbeat in our lives. The Wedding Chapel is definitely character driven, and the four main characters are strongly written with relatable motives, actions and emotions. However, Hauck also uses two minor characters in big ways. Peg is at the heart of both discord and reconciliation and is seen only through the perspective of the other characters. Sam appears in only a few pages, but points the characters and readers to tremendous truths.More than just a romance, The Wedding Chapel will get you thinking about the twists and turns of life and the importance of faithfulness, forgiveness and grace. It is a highly recommended read!
Highly Recommended.
Audience: adults.
Great for Book Clubs.
(Thanks to LitFuse and Zondervan for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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LibraryThing member lamb521
Title: The Wedding Chapel
Author: Rachel Hauck
Pages: 384
Year: 2015
Publisher: Zondervan
My rating is 4 stars.
The Wedding Chapel novel is a very honest, impressive and transparent story of how secrets can be very disruptive to a family for years. However, that isn’t the whole story as readers will
At first, the novel started slow for me. It was hard to understand why so many thought it was wonderful. Yet, there was a sense for me that I was missing something or I had yet to discover what made the book enjoyed by others. So I continued to read how two sisters weren’t close because one let her past consume her with so much pain from her life growing up that it turned into disillusioned memories. Those memories kept her living only for herself and competing with her sister for a man’s love at all costs.
Part of the story was how a young man was rejected by his birth father after losing his mother and then finding himself in the foster care system. This male character had both good and bad memories that he lived by. When he got married, his assumptions were staring him in the face. It was at that moment he had to choose which fork in the road he was going to travel down.
I haven’t named which of the fictional characters did what because that is part of the novel which draws reader’s attention. When I reached the conclusion, the author didn’t just put a pretty bow on it and wrap up the tale all nice and neat. There was rawness in the story to remind us that redemption, forgiveness, and restoration are work and take time. Also, some of the closure from the past that was negative wasn’t able to happen, and readers will understand why as they read. There is truth in that some people live without being able to confront a person about the actions or words they said, so how does one move forward without the baggage of the past?
All I can say is I enjoyed reading The Wedding Chapel and becoming familiar with the characters, their lives, hearts, tears, joy and faith. This is a well-written, thought-provoking, and enjoyable with short chapters to help the story move at a fast clip sometimes alternating the current events with flashbacks into the past.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 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.”
Author: Rachel Hauck
Pages: 384
Year: 2015
Publisher: Zondervan
My rating is 4 stars.
The Wedding Chapel novel is a very honest, impressive and transparent story of how secrets can be very disruptive to a family for years. However, that isn’t the whole story as readers will
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enjoy how the characters realize that to move forward from their brokenness to wholeness can happen only when they surrender everything to the Lord. The characters have to be willing to let go of pain, lies, anger, false beliefs and more in order to be fully embraced by God’s truth.At first, the novel started slow for me. It was hard to understand why so many thought it was wonderful. Yet, there was a sense for me that I was missing something or I had yet to discover what made the book enjoyed by others. So I continued to read how two sisters weren’t close because one let her past consume her with so much pain from her life growing up that it turned into disillusioned memories. Those memories kept her living only for herself and competing with her sister for a man’s love at all costs.
Part of the story was how a young man was rejected by his birth father after losing his mother and then finding himself in the foster care system. This male character had both good and bad memories that he lived by. When he got married, his assumptions were staring him in the face. It was at that moment he had to choose which fork in the road he was going to travel down.
I haven’t named which of the fictional characters did what because that is part of the novel which draws reader’s attention. When I reached the conclusion, the author didn’t just put a pretty bow on it and wrap up the tale all nice and neat. There was rawness in the story to remind us that redemption, forgiveness, and restoration are work and take time. Also, some of the closure from the past that was negative wasn’t able to happen, and readers will understand why as they read. There is truth in that some people live without being able to confront a person about the actions or words they said, so how does one move forward without the baggage of the past?
All I can say is I enjoyed reading The Wedding Chapel and becoming familiar with the characters, their lives, hearts, tears, joy and faith. This is a well-written, thought-provoking, and enjoyable with short chapters to help the story move at a fast clip sometimes alternating the current events with flashbacks into the past.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 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.”
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LibraryThing member Harley0326
What a beautiful story THE WEDDING CHAPEL is. It is about two generations as story flows like delicate flowers nestled in a vase. The story starts during post-World War and continues to the present day. The author takes readers on a journey where families will make tough decisions and the hope of
Jack and Taylor are as different as night and day, but they eloped one day because of love. I loved when he said he, "Wanted to be her hero." He wanted her not to regret taking a leap with him." As many couples do, they have disagreements. But when Jack tells Taylor he has a photography job for her you say see her face lightup. Will this job be a stepping stone in her career? What mystery will the building she is photographing unveil?
Collette is in town for a cast picture for the show "Always Tomorrow." She has been the matriarch of the show for six decades and the era has come to an end. I loved reading about Collette. She reminds me of several actors from soap operas that have recently gone off the air. The grace and elegance Collette presents on screen will be missed by her many fans. The photographer for the shoot is Taylor, Collette's niece which I was excited to read. I could see the story start to entertwine and the drama that was about to unfold.
There is one more person to add to the mix and his name is Jimmy. Now Jimmy , also known as Coach has just been notified that "Architecuture Quarterly" wanted to send a photographer to take a picture of The Wedding CHAPEL on his property. The chapel is a very private and enduring but sad memory for him. Why did he build it? What long forgotten love will it expose?
The author does a great job of going back and forth between eras while telling a beautiful story of long lost love, new love and a love that spans a lifetime. It's intricate details make the story special and cast a picture of a beautiful chapel nestled away just waiting to be discovered. It's time to join the characters and explore a story that will have you shedding tears, laughing and discovering long forgotten dreams. THE WEDDING CHAPEL is a master piece of words that paint a priceless picture of love.
I received a copy of THE WEDDING CHAPEL from the Fiction Guild for an honest review.
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finding love that will last forever. I loved how the characters were portrayed and the realism the author wrote as they experience secrets , betrayals and a misunderstanding that could stand in the way of love.Jack and Taylor are as different as night and day, but they eloped one day because of love. I loved when he said he, "Wanted to be her hero." He wanted her not to regret taking a leap with him." As many couples do, they have disagreements. But when Jack tells Taylor he has a photography job for her you say see her face lightup. Will this job be a stepping stone in her career? What mystery will the building she is photographing unveil?
Collette is in town for a cast picture for the show "Always Tomorrow." She has been the matriarch of the show for six decades and the era has come to an end. I loved reading about Collette. She reminds me of several actors from soap operas that have recently gone off the air. The grace and elegance Collette presents on screen will be missed by her many fans. The photographer for the shoot is Taylor, Collette's niece which I was excited to read. I could see the story start to entertwine and the drama that was about to unfold.
There is one more person to add to the mix and his name is Jimmy. Now Jimmy , also known as Coach has just been notified that "Architecuture Quarterly" wanted to send a photographer to take a picture of The Wedding CHAPEL on his property. The chapel is a very private and enduring but sad memory for him. Why did he build it? What long forgotten love will it expose?
The author does a great job of going back and forth between eras while telling a beautiful story of long lost love, new love and a love that spans a lifetime. It's intricate details make the story special and cast a picture of a beautiful chapel nestled away just waiting to be discovered. It's time to join the characters and explore a story that will have you shedding tears, laughing and discovering long forgotten dreams. THE WEDDING CHAPEL is a master piece of words that paint a priceless picture of love.
I received a copy of THE WEDDING CHAPEL from the Fiction Guild for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member AuthorMarion
Heart’s Bend, Tennessee is the setting for The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck. Let the town’s name give you a clue as to the message contained within this story – the love story of Jimmy and Colette. Their tale begins in 1948 when Colette and her sister Peg arrive in town to live with their
A second love story set in the present is also interwoven throughout, that of Taylor and Jack. They too are natives of Heart’s Bend who left the country to find fame and fortune and is so doing find each other. But each has a boatload of baggage that they’ve brought with them. In spite of that they both want desperately to make their marriage work but fear the unknown. Will the wedding chapel back in Heart’s Bend bring these two closer or finalize their split?
A tale of love and lost love, secrets and lies, and healing of wounds is the central theme of this wonderful story. Interwoven with an unshakable faith in God, you’ll find yourself rooting for the characters in this charming tale.
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aunt and uncle. The girls are war orphans who lost both parents as a result of World War II. When Jimmy sees a picture of the two girls before they arrive in town, he loses his heart to the younger of the girls, Colette. But due to his shyness around girls and her overbearing sister, the two have a hard time getting to know each other and end up merely looking at one another from afar. Jimmy overcomes his shyness enough to make the first move and the two fall in love. Fast forward to the current day and we find Jimmy and Colette in their early eighties, living lives much different from what they first imagined. Jimmy is now the retired coach of the local high school football team. Colette is living a life of luxury in a Manhattan penthouse overlooking Central Park; she is adored by her fans after having played Vivica Spenser on a soap opera for 60+ years. What has split these two young lovers apart? What secrets does each hold close to their heart? And how does a never used wedding chapel back in Heart’s Bend figure into their love story?A second love story set in the present is also interwoven throughout, that of Taylor and Jack. They too are natives of Heart’s Bend who left the country to find fame and fortune and is so doing find each other. But each has a boatload of baggage that they’ve brought with them. In spite of that they both want desperately to make their marriage work but fear the unknown. Will the wedding chapel back in Heart’s Bend bring these two closer or finalize their split?
A tale of love and lost love, secrets and lies, and healing of wounds is the central theme of this wonderful story. Interwoven with an unshakable faith in God, you’ll find yourself rooting for the characters in this charming tale.
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LibraryThing member flipper_ace
After reading "The Wedding Dress," I was excited to read the second book in Rachel Hauck's Wedding Series. It was very similar to the first book as it was written in multiple characters' perspectives from different generations. The way that Hauck shares the stories of the characters is easy to
As I was reading, I was able to piece together the details that intertwined the characters together and thought that I had the ending figured out before I got there, but that didn't stop me from reading. And boy was I wrong about the ending. There was a plot twist that had me on the edge of my seat with my jaw dropped. After that point in the story, I did not want to put this book down.
One of my favorite things about discovering Hauck and her writing style is how she weaves a spiritual element into the story. I find myself searching for how she's going to introduce that element when the story begins. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a romantic story with a spiritual influence.
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follow even when she's flipping from one point of view to the other.As I was reading, I was able to piece together the details that intertwined the characters together and thought that I had the ending figured out before I got there, but that didn't stop me from reading. And boy was I wrong about the ending. There was a plot twist that had me on the edge of my seat with my jaw dropped. After that point in the story, I did not want to put this book down.
One of my favorite things about discovering Hauck and her writing style is how she weaves a spiritual element into the story. I find myself searching for how she's going to introduce that element when the story begins. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a romantic story with a spiritual influence.
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Awards
Christy Awards (Nominee — 2016)
ISBN
9780310341529
Series
Wedding Collection (2)