Tuesday, December 30, 2014

A Brush With Love by Rachel Hauck

About the novella:
Ginger Winters is a gifted hairstylist with scars no one can see. The last thing she expects from the New Year is a new chance at love.

Overcoming a childhood tragedy, Ginger emerges from the pain and trauma with a gift of bringing out the beauty in others. Her success as personal stylist to a country music sensation was almost enough to make Ginger forget she would never be one of the beautiful people.

Now she is back in Rosebud, Alabama, running her own salon. But she knows she is still the girl forever on the outside looking in, even as she is the acclaimed “beauty maker” for the Alabama society wedding of the decade.

When high school crush Tom Wells Jr. returns to town, Ginger's thinly veiled insecurities threaten to keep her locked away from love. Despite Tom's efforts, Ginger can't forget how he disappeared twelve years ago and broke her heart. When Tom challenges her to see her own beauty, Ginger must decide if she will remain chained to the past or enter an exciting future.

My review:
Wow, Hauck has crafted an amazing novella. The physical scars Ginger hides with long sleeves and neck scarves have become such a part of her being that she believes no one could ever love her. Tom's encouragement for her to see her beauty within is a wonderful message to those who cannot recognize their own beauty.

The theme of forgiveness is strong. There is past hurt in both Tom and Ginger's lives that needs to be dealt with.

The most heart warming aspect of the novella for me was Ginger recognizing the need for Christ in her life. There is a strong Christian theme in this novella that fits right into the story as an essential part of it.

The romance in novellas usually seems rushed to me but that is not the case here. Since Tom and Ginger liked each other in high school, they already have a foundation upon which to build a relationship in a short amount of time.

Hauck has taken the time to create some memorable scenes, such as being stuck in the mud (literally)! It all adds up to a wonderful story with laughter and tears. I highly recommend it.

I am taking part in a blog tour of this book and you can read other reviews here.

Rachel Hauck is an award-winning, best selling author of several novels. She is a graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in journalism. She worked in the corporate software world before turning to writing full time in 2004. She and her husband live in central Florida. You can find out more at http://www.rachelhauck.com/.

Zondervan, 114 pages. You can buy the book here.

I received a complimentary egalley of this novella through Litfuse for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

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