Welcome to my tour stop! Read an excerpt here, and my review below...
By Rachel Hauck
Christian Contemporary Romance
Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 400 Pages
February 4th 2020 by Thomas Nelson
Summary
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 reveal 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.
Praise for the Book
"Hauck inspires and uplifts with this mix of tales." - Publishers Weekly
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My Review
THE FIFTH AVENUE STORY SOCIETY is a story that will pull on the reader's interest from the beginning as each character's life is unveiled and their stories intertwine. Hauck's trademark writing style, with a character on the sidelines who gives nudges here and there, a bit of faith woven throughout, difficult histories and decisions to work through, friendship, and romance will delight readers.
I loved diving into this story. Hauck always writes in such a way that you can't help falling in love with her characters, and this is definitely the case here. It was interesting getting to know each one of them and see them interact with each other. I did, of course, wonder why they were each chosen for the society, but it definitely was an intriguing concept from the start. I couldn't help wanting happily-ever-afters for these characters, particularly Jett and Lexa. I also really wanted Coral to get justice and cheered her on as she fixes things with her company and finds her own surprising romance. I enjoyed just about every minute, even the difficult ones where these characters had to wade through disappointment and poor decisions to forge their own paths to happiness.
I have very few complaints about this story. One would be that there is one part that is a bit too detailed as to Ed's wife with drugs and what was going on at a park. It could have been alluded to without all the details. The other was that I felt the ending was a bit too perfectly tied up and I would have liked the beginning of some things without every piece being resolved (not in regards to Coral, Chuck, Lexa, and Jett for the most part, but the other things).
In the end, was it what I wished for? This was a story full of complex characters who were easy to connect with and cheer on. It's definitely a character-driven story, but one full of struggle, friendship, faith, and romance. Definitely recommended to fans of the author, Christian fiction and women's fiction.
Content: Some references to marital relations and drug use.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Celebrate Lit, which did not require a positive review. All opinions 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.
Tour Schedule
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 10
The Avid Reader, February 10
Livin’ Lit, February 10
Genesis 5020, February 10
Locks, Hooks and Books, February 10
The Power of Words, February 11
A Baker’s Perspective, February 11
Rebecca Tews, February 11
All-of-a-kind Mom, February 11
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 11
Older & Smarter?, February 12
Seasons of Opportunities, February 12
Texas Book-aholic, February 12
Inklings and notions, February 12
deb’s Book Review, February 12
My Devotional Thoughts, February 13
Just the Write Escape, February 13
For Him and My Family, February 13
The Meanderings of a Bookworm, February 13
CarpeDiem, February 13
Remembrancy, February 14
Christian Bookaholic, February 14
Connect in Fiction, February 14
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 14
April Hayman, Author, February 14
Robin’s Nest, February 15
Mypreciousbitsandmusings, February 15
Britt Reads Fiction, February 15
Just Your Average reviews, February 15
Blogging With Carol, February 15
Batya’s Bits, February 16
Bigreadersite, February 16
A Reader’s Brain, February 16
Worthy2Read, February 16
Stories By Gina, February 16
Back Porch Reads, February 17
janicesbookreviews, February 17
Literary Reflections Book Blog, February 17
Inside the Wong Mind, February 17
Mary Hake, February 17
Through the fire blogs, February 18
Mia Reads, February 18
Baker Kella, February 18
EmpowerMoms, February 18
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, February 18
Maureen’s Musings, February 19
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, February 19
Coast and Anchor, February 19
Spoken from the Heart, February 19
SPLASHES of Joy, February 19
She Lives to Read, February 20
By The Book, February 20
Wishful Endings, February 20
Moments, February 20
Simple Harvest Reads, February 20 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)
Andrea Christenson, February 21
Tell Tale Book Reviews, February 21
Pause for Tales, February 21
For The Love of Books, February 21
Lis Loves Reading, February 21
Reader’s Cozy Corner, February 22
Hallie Reads, February 22
Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, February 22
A Good Book and Cup of Tea, February 22
To Everything There Is A Season, February 22
Godly Book Reviews, February 23
Daysong Reflections, February 23
SusanLovesBooks, February 23
Lights in a Dark World, February 23
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