I really enjoyed this book! I love her writing and this was no exception! The story was woven from the heart and included characters that, although flawed, were realistic and charming. It was a story that I had me entranced from the beginning!

This book alternates between two story lines. Tenley is living now, and Birdie lived a century ago. Even though they lived in different times, they seem to be connected through a writing desk and their desire to write. I liked this story, but the stories seemed separate until the end of the book. I would have liked to see the characters connected a little earlier in the story. Both story lines are great, and I liked the ending. Recommend for historical fiction fans!

Rachel Hauck never disappoints me and The Writing Desk was no exception. Every time I thought I had figured out what was going to happen something totally off the mark happened instead. I couldn't put it down. I loved the back and forth between the past and present and how they ended up meeting together at the end. The characters were very relatable and I loved the quirkiness of Tenley. I could not wait to read more about her and Jonas. I loved that Birdie was not afraid to stand up for what she wanted and that it all worked out for her in the end.

The only negative comment I would make is that Jonas and Tenley were romantic before she had broken off her relationship with Holt. Then Holt did the same type of thing(only worse) and Jonas and Tenley condemned them without even acknowledging that they had done the same type of thing.

All in all, this book was great and I recommend it to everyone!

I received a copy of this book from netgalley for an honest review.

Rachel Hauck truly is my favorite author. The Writing Desk is another great book weaving events from the past with current day events. Birdie, a Knickerbocker heiress controlled by her mother, must live and marry as her parents dictate. Her heart is breaking for the true love of her life, Eli, a future marquess. Birdie also wants to write. She sends a manuscript to a publisher that gets lost and never returned.

Tenley Roth is a decedent of a famous writer. Just having received an award for her first book by his foundation, she is expected to continue to write with the same success of her great-grandfather. As her almost fiance goes to Paris, Tenley goes to Florida to take care of her mother during her mother’s chemo treatments. There she meets and disappoints the love of her life, Jonas.

Tenley’s connection to the old bathrobe she refuses to stop wearing and her lack of common cleanliness become a laughable secondary character all by itself. In a similar style, Birdie’s glitter and trying to be true to herself far out weigh the determined strength of her mother to marry Birdie to wealth.

Both of these women have a beautiful love story that keeps you turning the pages to see how their lives connect. You know it has to do with the desk, but how? Rachel’s characters are human and flawed and searching for love. They find faith along the way. As you read their stories, as you follow Birdie’s love for Eli and Tenley’s love for Jonas and her mother, you can feel their angst in the events surrounding their lives. It does not matter that you know both women will find their HEA, the story is in the way they get there. Their pain becomes your pain as you hope they find love without too much of that pain coming through the pages to you.

Pick The Writing Desk of or download it to your kindle. It is a great, weekend read you will not want to put down.

In this book the author tells a story of a woman striving to prove herself to others and to her own self.
I loved how Rachel Hauck gave us a glimpse of life in the 1900s and the struggles it was to be a young girl wanting to be and do what she felt called to do, not what society or family told her she should do. Within this story Rachel Hauck also wove the life of a young girl in the 21st century who has connections to the past.
Both girls were striving to find out who they were and what their life should be like.
It’s a wonderful story of acceptance, and love.
This book flowed with beautiful word pictures and captivating conversations.
I received this book from the publisher to read. All opinions are my own.

I loved Rachel Hauck's story that intertwines a modern day setting with the historical Regency setting. This book is a great literary romance that kept me turnin the page late into the night.

An intriguing story, set on a dual timeline, featuring two fledgling writers a hundred years apart. A stand alone novel with characters whose stories seem unconnected, except by an old desk.

The past story begins in 1902-3 New York, among the social elites, the old "Knickerbockers". In a time when American heiresses were been matched up with English Lords who had titles and estates in need of cash flow, Birdie is under a lot of family pressure to marry according to her family's wishes. All she really wants to do however is be free to write her stories. The present day tale is centered on another young writer who is under a deadline to produce her next novel. Coming from a family of successful writers adds even more pressure, then a call from her absentee mother to come help her through a health crisis seems to be the final straw.

I love how this author adds a twist or two along the way, with a bit of mystery and romance, tying both stories together in surprising ways. It took me awhile to engage with these characters, but it became more interesting as it went. Giving both stories a divine thread through a song resonating in the character's soul, reassuring them of a divine presence, was a lovely way to connect them, as they hear, "Do not be dismayed, you don't have to worry or be afraid." I love the thought of God singing over his people, like it says in the book of Zephaniah.

I liked the fun dialogue between Tenley and Jonas, and how accepting he and his family were of her quirky ways, helping her with her mom, and showing her a lot of grace. Birdie was an interesting character too, trying to please her parents, but not give up her dream of being a writer. I wasn't sure how either story would end or how they would connect. The mystery kept me reading on, hoping they'd both have happy endings. It was a satisfying conclusion and worth the wait.

Recommend to readers who enjoy Christian fiction with some romance and a redemptive theme. (Some mature themes may make this a better fit for adult readers.) 4.5 stars

The Writing Desk is another must read by Rachel Hauck. Tenley Roth debut novel was a great success and a best seller. However, she is having a hard time coming up with another successful book to follow up with. And the publisher is not helping her at all putting pressure on her with a deadline. She unexpectedly receives a call from her mother who is sick and needs help. Tenley packs up and goes to Florida to be with her. This is where she meets several people from the present and the past that may change everything she thought possible.
The Writing Desk has got to be my favorite book by Rachel Hauck to date. I love these time slip novels and I was definitely not disappointed with this one. It was quite intriguing how Tenley and Birdie’s lives intertwined and connected to one another, even though they lived over 100 years apart. I did not want to put the book down and was sad to see it end.
I would give the book 100 stars if I could.
Highly recommended.
I received this book from the publisher but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

A well written book for a romance novel. I was hoping this was going to be a good non-romance story I was wrong. However what was neat about this book was that it had story about the writing desk in the present with its current owner and one in the early 1900's from the person who would own it then. Most of the romance story I could see what was going to happen but there was still one sweet twist in it. I still recommend this book even though it is purely a romance novel so if you are not into that then not for you.

The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck reminded me a lot of her previous series with The Wedding Chapel, The Wedding Dress, and The Wedding Shop. This story is a time slip novel from 1903 - 1960's with a present timeline. The present time line features Tenley, a writer, who is on a deadline to finish her second book, but she has a major writing block stopping her from writing her story. Like her previous stories, the present story mixes with the past, but you have to read the complete novel to find out how they mix and depend on each other. As for the romance between Tenley and her "fiancé" Holt, I figured out pretty early on what was happening with him while Tenley helped her mother with her chemo treatments in Florida. But the romance with Jonas was sweet and showed Tenley what it was like to be in a loving family who cared and cherished her. On the other hand, the pace of the novel moved a long at a nice clip. I didn't feel that it dragged at all. I hated having to put it down to make dinner for my family. I enjoyed the story idea. I can totally relate to an author who has a number of doubts and cannot come up with a story idea to put down on the paper. Tenley does transform and understand the significance of God in her life by the end. Fans of Hauck's previous novels will enjoy this novel like I did. I recommend it and can't wait to see what else Hauck comes up with.
I received a complimentary copy of The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck from Zondervan Publishing, and the opinions stated are all my own.

Tenley Roth needs to meet a book deadline when she is called by her mother to come help her out. Blanche has cancer and wants Tenley to be with her through the chemo and other treatments. While Tenley goes to Florida, her fiance goes to Paris to work on a screenplay with an A-list starlet. When Tenley gets to Blanche's house, she finds an antique desk that she thinks will be her muse. Day after day Tenley sits at the desk and writes nothing.

Rachel Hauck has written one of those books that goes back and forth through history where she describes Tenley's life and then bounces back to one of Tenley's ancestors and she brings up an ethical dilemma that not only affects Tenley, but also affects her ancestor, Birdie. Both love to write, but Birdie got her first novel stolen from her and Tenley finds a manuscript that she appropriates as her own.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the Writing Desk. I read it in one day and stayed up until the wee hours of this morning to finish the book. My husband often asks me how long it will be till I turn out my reading light. Last night he asked several times, and I only said, "Soon." I couldn't put it down. From the Gilded Age in New York City, to London, to Florida, the settings only add to the aura of the book and the characters are exactly that--real characters.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and that novel you've been saying you'll write.

My thanks to Zondervan for allowing me to read and review this book.

This book had the promise of being a delightful read but for me it personally fell flat. The writing wasn't very engaging and the characters were not very believable nor engaging.

This book has a promising story - I enjoyed all the characters, but the plot was just ho-hum...nothing original or very exciting. I don't really enjoy romances and that's what this book seemed to be.

I absolutely love Rachel Hauck. I always seen to disappear into her stories. The Writing Desk is so lovely and well written. I loved every minute of the book and was so sad to see it end. I have read almost everyone of Rachel's books and always keep coming back for more.

I fell in love with Tenley and Jonas as well as Birdie and Eli. I was rooting for them all through the whole book. I can't wait for Rachel's next book. I love her writing and how she intertwines two stories into one.

Brilliant book. Excellent main characters and plot. I would recommend this book.

Tenley Roth should be flying high; she's just won a coveted award for her debut novel that has sold very well, and her boyfriend has just proposed. However, the award was one named after her great-great-grandfather, so she doubts the integrity of having received it, and now she's under deadline for a second book, for which she has zero inspiration. On top of that, the mother who left Tenley when she was a child has now called imploring her estranged daughter for help through chemotherapy, just as her fiance wants them to fly to Paris. Should Tenley take the chance to get to know her mother? Can she find the seeds of a successful second novel in the hidden corners of an old mansion in Florida? Or will she find something even better?

There are several intertwined stories within this book, alternating between the Guilded Age and Tenley's contemporary life. It always feels a little jarring to bounce between such disparate scenes, but I was intrigued and curious to find out how the stories would tie together. I appreciated Birdie's determination in an era where women were seemingly content to be married off to the men their fathers agreed upon. I didn't quite get Tenley's fascination with a robe and slippers that belonged to someone she hadn't known, but her struggles to find whether she was more than her family's legacy kept me rooting for her. While I felt that the book contained too many character and scene shifts to really get invested in the characters lives, the link between the families and generations kept me guessing.

I give this book 3 stars; I think I could have been fully engaged in either Birdie's story, or Tenley's story, but the jumping back and forth just left me feeling disconnected from either of them a bit too much. Maybe if their generations could have been written close enough that they could have actually met at the end, that might have helped solidify the relationship. I have, however, enjoyed all of the previous works of Rachel Hauck's that I've read, and I will continue to look forward to any future novels!


I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

What a beautiful story! Rachel Hauck crafted such an emotional and raw story. This is by far my favorite from her so far!
Tenley and Birdie are strong characters. Tenley is a just-turned best selling author. An unexpected event that she is still learning how to cope with. This accomplishment has brought many expectations upon her and also some harmful negative comments that she gives more credit to rather than believing in her own competence.
Tenley was absolutely my favorite character. She's feisty, quirky, funny, somewhat struggling to find her place in the world. Among the many surprises showing up her life - an award winning book, a fincee that hasn't properly proposed, a trip to Paris - one surprise is about to turn her world upside down, her estrange mother's cancer and request that Tanley move to Florida during the treatment. But the biggest surprise will be Tanley's answer: yes.
And so her journey to find, purpose, mercy, hope and love begins. Through this journey she becomes acquainted with the story of Birdy Shehorn, a woman that wasn't afraid to face society in order to fulfill her dreams.
This book had me laughing, crying and cheering loudly for these characters! It was almost impossible to put it down.