The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck

The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck
(Songbird #1)
313 pages / 8 hrs, 34 mins

"Jade Fitzgerald left the pain of her past in the dust when she headed out for college a decade ago. Now she's thriving in her career and glowing in the light of Max Benson's love.

"But then Jade's hippie mother, Beryl Hill, arrives in Whisper Hollow, Tennessee, for Jade's wedding along with Willow, her wild younger sister. Their arrival forces Jade to throw open the dark closets of her past--the insecurity of living with a restless, wandering mother, the silence of her absent father, and the heart-ripping pain of first-love's rejection.

"Turns out Beryl has a secret of her own. She needs reconciliation with her oldest daughter before illness takes her life. In the final days leading to the wedding, Jade meets the One who shows her that the past has no hold on her future. With a little grace, they'll meet in the middle, maybe even before that sweet by and by."  --from the publisher

I thought this was a good story with interesting characters, but the ending was wrapped up a little too neatly (imho).  Still, I'll probably try the next one in the series.  I gave it three out of five stars.

The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck

The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck - 343 pages

Charlotte owns a chic Birmingham bridal boutique. Dressing brides for their big day is her gift . . . and her passion. But with her own wedding day approaching, why can’t she find the perfect dress…or feel certain she should marry Tim?

Then Charlotte discovers a vintage dress in a battered trunk at an estate sale. It looks brand-new―shimmering with pearls and satin, hand-stitched and  timeless in its design. But where did it come from? Who wore it? Who welded the lock shut and tucked the dog tags in that little sachet? Who left it in the basement for a ten-year-old girl? And what about the mysterious man in the purple vest who insists the dress had been “redeemed.”

Charlotte’s search for the gown’s history―and its new bride―begins as a distraction from her sputtering love life. But it takes on a life of its own as she comes to know the women who have worn the dress. Emily from 1912. Mary Grace from 1939. Hillary from 1968. Each with her own story of promise, pain, and destiny. And each with something unique to share. For woven within the threads of the beautiful hundred-year-old gown is the truth about Charlotte’s heritage, the power of courage and faith, and the timeless beauty of finding true love.

Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck

Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck - 358 pages

In this story that picks up where Once Upon a Prince left off, the long lost Princess of Hessenberg has been found and Tanner Burkhardt, Minister of Culture, has been dispatched to inform the heiress, Regina Beswick.  Regina, a classic car restorer, is at first reluctant to the idea she is the heir and that her great-grandmother was the princess forced to flee during World War I.  But with Tanner's help, she gradually warms to the idea and goes to Hessenberg.  While there, political turmoil erupts; their are factions supporting the reinstatement of the royal house after the 100 year entail to neighboring Brighton and faction opposed to it.  The latter group is led by the Governor of Hessenberg.  During all of this, Tanner provides a guiding hand to Regina and they begin to fall in love.

The story was cute, but not as good as the first book.  I liked how Regina was portrayed with a lot of spunk.  She held her ground and never lost her personality during the whole ordeal.  In fact, her Southern (Tallahassee-born) manners helped endear her to Tanner and the people.