"The Wedding Dress" Book Review & Giveaway

I know, it seems like all I am doing lately is book reviews, but let's face it. Life is crazy. Our oldest turned 19 last week and our 'middle' child will be 14 tomorrow - on Easter. They keep me running with volleyball and dance lessons and everything imaginable with six kids - not to mention trying to adjust to being a two parent household again and maybe getting to spend some time with the Soldier... 

As much as I miss all of you in the virtual world, real life comes before blogging. I know I will be back again in full force someday and I appreciate those of you who stick around. I would love to have you drop by my facebook page and say hello sometime!

About the book:

One dress. Four women. An amazing destiny.

Charlotte Malone is getting married. Yet all is not settled in the heart of Birmingham's chic bridal boutique owner. Charlotte can dress any bride to perfection-except herself. When she discovers a vintage mint-condition wedding gown in a battered old trunk, Charlotte embarks on a passionate journey to discover the women who wore the gown before her.

Emily in 1912. Mary in 1939. And Hillary in 1968. Each woman teaches Charlotte something about love in her own unique way. Woven within the threads of the beautiful hundred-year-old gown is the truth about Charlotte's heritage, the power of faith, and the beauty of finding true love.

My thoughts:

Complete honesty here:  I signed up for The Wedding Dress blog tour without reading the teaser. I took one look at the cover and knew I had to have it!

I don't often read books set in 'modern' times. I grew up with a history buff for a father, majored in history in college and I am the type of person who knows lots of total random (ie. useless unless you are a history major) facts. So my usual genre is historical fiction - mostly so I can try and pick out anything the author has gotten wrong...

It take a very special author to be able to jump from present day to days gone by in one novel and make it work. Rachel Hauck does this wonderfully. (And no, I didn't find any fault in her historical facts!) The transitions and connections between the women was flawless and I enjoyed every minute of it!

If I lived in 1912, I like to think I would have been like Emily. My parents raised me to to strong and to believe that I could be anything I sent my mind to. Call me a bit of a Christian feminist... Standing up for others, womens' suffrage - I felt a connection to her story and couldn't wait to find out how it ended. 

Charlotte's story kept me a bit on edge - like any great book should do! Will she find the perfect dress in time? Does she ever feel like she belongs to someone? Can she find the story behind the dress? Will she and Tim find 'happy ever after'?

The Wedding Dress was a wonderful read and is the kind of book I will pass on to my teenagers and my sister. Heartwarming, great story, history and love. What more can you ask for?

About the author:

Rachel Hauck is the bestselling author of Carol Award winner Sweet Caroline, and RITA Finalist Love Starts With Elle, and of the critically acclaimed fiction collaboration with multi-platinum country artist Sara Evans, The Songbird Novels.

She lives in sunny, though sometimes hurricane plagued, central Florida with her husband and their ornery pets.

Rachel earned a degree in Journalism form Ohio State University and is a huge Buckeyes football fan. She is the past President of American Christian Fiction Writers and now sits on the board as an adviser. Visit her web site at www.rachelhauck.com to reader her blog and to follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

The Extras:

Read what others are saying about The Wedding Dress on the blog tour.

What is "true" beauty? Join the conversation at Rachel's Author Chat Party Event Page. On the evening of 4/19, we'll gather to talk about inner and outer beauty and share moments of beauty in our lives.

In the meantime, celebrate with Rachel by entering her
True Beauty Giveaway!

One "beautiful" winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa Cash Card (Treat yourself to a spa day or weekend get-away!)
• The Wedding Dress (by Rachel Hauck)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 4/18/12. Winner will be announced at Rachel's "True Beauty" Facebook Party on  4/19. Rachel will be hosting an evening of beauty (inner/outer) chat, fun trivia, laughter, and encouragement - bring your friends! She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, and a Book Club Prize Pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club and a live chat with Rachel via Skype.)

So grab a few of your friends and your copy of The Wedding Dress and join Rachel on the evening of April 19th for an evening of fun.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP TODAY and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.
Hope to see you on the 19!

And now, my giveaway!

How to enter:

1. Main entry -Leave a comment answering the following question: What heirloom do you have (or would you like to have) that has been passed down by previous generations?

Bonus entries - You must leave a separate comment for each in order for it to count!

2. Like "Our Crazy Life" on Facebook (or if you already do, leave a comment letting me know!)

3. Share this post on Facebook - or any other social networking site using the "Share the Love" buttons below the post. One Bonus entry per 'share', make sure to leave a comment for each entry! (P.S. You can share 1x a day for each site!)

4. Follow me on Google Friend Connect (or if you already do, leave a comment letting me know!)

5. Add my button to your blog (worth two entries, leave two comments!)

Please make sure to leave your email address (mama2six {at} bresnan {dot} net) or another way to contact you (i.e. your own blog) in your comments!

Contest will end Wednesday, 4/18/2012, at 10:00 pm CST and the winner will be chosen by a random number generator.

The winner will be mailed a copy of Rachel Hauck's The Wedding Dress via media mail.

*Fine Print: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. The opinions expressed are all mine and I was not required to give a positive review.

I hope you win! ;)

Love,