The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck: Book Review

About the Book

Book: The Fifth Avenue Story Society

Author: Rachel Hauck

Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Women’s Fiction

Release Date: February 4, 2020

An invitation to join The Fifth Avenue Story Society gives five New York strangers a chance to rewrite their own stories.

Executive assistant Lexa is eager for a much-deserved promotion, but her boss is determined to keep her underemployed.

Literature professor Jett is dealing with a broken heart, as well as a nagging suspicion his literary idol, Gordon Phipps Roth, might be a fraud.

Uber driver Chuck just wants a second chance with his kids.

Aging widower Ed is eager to write the true story of his incredible marriage.

Coral, queen of the cosmetics industry, has broken her engagement and is on the verge of losing her great grandmother’s multimillion-dollar empire.

When all five New Yorkers receive an anonymous, mysterious invitation to the Fifth Avenue Story Society, they suspect they’re victims of a practical joke. No one knows who sent the invitations or why. No one has heard of the literary society. And no one is prepared to bear their deepest secrets to a roomful of strangers.

Yet curiosity and loneliness bring them back week after week to the old library. And it’s there they discover the stories of their hearts, and the kind of friendship and love that heals their souls.

Get your copy of the book here.

Book Review:

Rachel Hauck is definitely one of my go-to authors for any occasion. She has a way of twisting fantasy and reality into a chord so strong it’s impossible to separate. The Fifth Avenue Story Society is no different. When five seemingly random strangers receive an invitation to the story society, none of them know what to expect.

Stepping into the lives of each character reveals a level of hurt that none of them are ready to face, and yet, through their weekly meetings, they each discover a strength they didn’t know they possessed.

The ending completely blew me away. The twists and turns of the stories, how they merged together to create something greater, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. We don’t always know what another person is going through, and their past plays a major role in their actions and behavior. But if we don’t know what they’ve been through, we can often project our own hurts on top of theirs and create a toxic situation.

We all need someone who will stay by our side through any situation. Sometimes, it’s hard to remember God has promised to do exactly that. The Christian aspect in this novel is present but not pushy. I see it more as a single golden thread weaving through the pages of each character’s story.

I loved all the characters, but I think Ed was my favorite. I just wanted to pack him up and bring him home with me, just like his daughter, Holly. He’s such a sweet and loving man, the perfect grandfather figure.

I requested a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

Rachel Hauck is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA TODAY bestselling author of The Wedding Dress, which was also named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times and was a RITA finalist. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and pet and writes from her ivory tower. Visit her online at RachelHauck.com; Facebook: RachelHauck; Twitter: @RachelHauck; Instagram: @rachelhauck.