About the Book
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.
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My thoughts
The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck is a moving story that goes on my “best of the best” list. The bookstore setting is atmospheric and charming, the characters rich and endearing, and every word of the prose is to be treasured. It’s a story of friendship, renewal and second chances, with a few heartwarming moments that moved me to tears.
The anonymous story society invitation goes out to five characters from various backgrounds and social status, all anchored to something in their pasts that kept them from moving on and living life to the fullest. The story is like a piece of fabric, with threads of each character’s past, present and future woven together and interconnected.
As with any good book, it’s easy to care about the characters. This story, however, took me to a new level of caring. Hauck not only knows people, but she is able to project their innermost hearts and desires through her characters, desires that are common to all of us. I came to know Lexa, Jett, Chuck, Coral and Ed well through their raw honesty and humanness – their fears, insecurities, needs, and hopes. There’s a little mystery and supernatural element, but the real story is in what happens through these Monday night meetings. The librarian, Gilda, is an interesting character and I’d love to see what’s on the other side of her door that’s marked “private.”
The spiritual thread is gentle and subtle, culminating in a beautiful way toward the end. The image of Christ knocking at the door instantly came to mind and these closing words speak to all …
The invitation is always waiting.
All you have to do
is say yes.
I received a copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely 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.
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