The Wedding Shop by Rachel Hauck

Two women separated by decades. Both set out to help others find their dreams when their own have crumbled.

It's the early 1930s, but Cora Scott is walking in stride as a career woman ​after having inherited her great aunt's wedding shop in Heart’s Bend, Tennessee, where brides come from as far away as Birmingham to experience her famed bridal treatment. Meanwhile, Cora is counting down the days until her own true love returns from the river to make her his bride. But days turn into months and months to years. All the while, Birch Good continues to woo Cora and try to show her that while he is solid and dependable, he can sweep her off her feet.

​More than eighty years later, former ​Air Force Captain Haley Morgan has returned home to Heart's Bend after finishing her commitment to military service. After the devastating death of her best friend, Tammy, and discovering the truth about the man she loved, Haley is searching for her place in life.

When Haley decides to reopen the romantic but abandoned wedding shop where she and Tammy played and dreamed as children, she begins a journey of courage, mystery, and love.

As Cora’s and ​Haley's stories intertwine through time in the shadow of the beloved wedding shop, they both discover the power of their own dreams and the magic of everyday love. (publisher)

My Review: The story is told from the viewpoint of several main characters and across several generations. Yet the stories weave together to create a fascinating connection between all and how some basic emotions remain the same. Haley discovers that she and Cora experienced many of the same things and the knowledge that Cora recovered and moved on helps Haley in her own healing process. I loved the various avenues of life experiences explored, and that you get a sense that Haley and Cora, despite distractions, both found happiness in finding themselves in God's plans for their lives. Admittedly, since it is the only worldview I know, I always prefer books with a Christian worldview. Watching the faith walk of these characters was a great part of the story.

There was a little confusion for me as I tried to remember all of the characters and where they belonged, but not enough to lessen my enjoyment...and I did get them sorted out. And, sometimes the pace was a bit uneven, but that probably had much more to do with my interest level than the author, simply because some characters interested me more than others. But, all-in-all, the book was very well-written and a fascinating read. It was difficult to put down, and I did stay up later than planned a couple of night to read 'just one more chapter'---or 2 (or 3)! I look forward to reading more books by Rachel Hauck.

 I received a copy of this Zondervan book from BookLook Bloggers at no cost to myself for a fair and honest review. I was not required to write a positive review.