Five New Yorkers receive an invitation to join The Fifth Avenue Story Society, seemingly at random, and it gives them all a change to rewrite their own stories. No one knows who sent the invitations or why so they suspect that someone is playing a joke on them. They feel awkward sharing their secrets with total strangers. As they share their stories with each other they bond and find themselves taking steps forward in achieving their goals and righting wrongs in their lives and finding the kind of friendship that can heal their hearts. Rachel Hauck has a knack for writing truly likeable characters and each of the characters in this story are unique and well rounded. I loved the cameo from Birdie and really want to see more stories with her in them. I loved that it featured the mystery from The Writing Desk and its impact on the literary world. This book had me thoroughly enthralled from page one and really enjoyed getting to know how each character learned the lesson they needed. That Hauck says that God led her in what to write and how, makes it even better to me.

You know something interesting and exciting will happen when a diverse group of people receive a mysterious invitation to a story society. And that’s exactly what happened. There’s a college professor and his ex-wife, an Uber driver, the owner of a big cosmetics company, and an older man who just wants to write about his love story. But they all have something in common-broken lives and painful pasts, all carrying deep secrets.

I do have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was unsure of it in the beginning, but the more I got into it, the more I was interested in it. The unknown of the characters’ past is what kept me reading and not wanting to stop.
The book deals with death, betrayal, broken marriages, and heartbreak. But it is also filled with love and hope. It’s not always easy, as Rachel Hauck so bluntly presents, but the end result is worth it all. You just have to have patience and trust in God.

I had received a copy of this book as part of the Celebrate Lit Blogging Team and was required to give an honest review.

I'm not sure how I got into reading this, as I usually only read historical books. But start reading I did, and I was hooked. Lost sleep nights when I couldn't put it down. Interesting story of five people who came together by receiving an invitation from an unknown source. Five people in the New York City life and felt comfortable on Fifth Avenue for one reason or another. They met once a week, and became friends. Each had a deep secret that pulled out gradually. One was new to Jesus and the Christian faith, but she spread her faith and profession to the others. As the story progresses, they work out their own problems and help the others with theirs. Friends of the best kind. Excellent read.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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The Fifth avenue Story Society was hard to follow. There were Five different storylines going and it switched back and forth between them all. It sounded like a wonderful story but had way too many moving pieces to work for me. That being said, I recommend you give this book a chance.
I did not finish this story.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

This book is bound to be a movie at some point. The characters (and there are several) each have their own spunky personalities that need to be shared with the world. I love the contrast between them, from their backgrounds to their livelihoods. There are many mentions of food, and that always makes me feel hungry.

Rachel Hauck is one of my favorite romance authors because she always builds such a terrific plot. The romantic sideline tends to be part of the background instead of the major story line. I love her books!

Loved this weaving of stories!

I've been a fan of Rachel Hauck's for a LONG time - since her very first books. I was excited to get this book as a review copy and then life happened...so I ended up purchasing it as an audiobook as well and WOW I loved the audio version!

The way that Hauck weaves in the lives and stories of the different members of the Story Society is awesome. They are linked in ways you wouldn't expect and it all comes together so well. I especially loved the way she drew out some of the secrets of the group, bringing us along until I thought I'd burst from not knowing, and then finding out at just the right time.

I'd recommend this to fans of her previous books but also to those who enjoy a romance but with the added touch of a multi-layered story approach. It's not all romance like some of her other books, but I thought that worked in its favor in this case.

I definitely recommend it!

My review: 4.5*

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Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early review copy. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. I had no idea it was a Christian novel until about 75 percent into it (not that it matters, I just didn't know). I really liked all the characters and their journeys.

Five strangers are all invited to a meeting. They all showed up to attend the Fifth Avenue Story Society, but what is it? Why were they invited? As they keep coming, we learn about their lives, get to know them, and watch them get to know each other. After all, everyone has a story and as I became involved in their stories, the book got even more interesting. These characters are real, they have real-life pain and issues to overcome, wounds that need healing, hearts that need mending, lives that God is working on molding and changing.

The five different points of view were nice. I liked that a lot. God does give us new chances and this book showed that quite nicely. I found this book to be uplifting and encouraging.

My copy came from Celebrate Lit. This review is mine and contains my thoughts and opinions about this book

What a fun story of unusual group of people gathering together and sharing their weekly lives. I found myself laughing and wishing I could be part of a group like this. A place where truths come out and people support without judging. A place where healing begins.

A lighthearted and easy read about 5 People with troubles. When they are all meet at the Fifth Avenue Literary Story Society Library, they end up connecting with each other and talking about their problems. An extremely enjoyable read that brings people together and allows them to rewrite their story. The characters are likable and each story line is unique and the entire book was heartwarming. A very different read from Hauck..

I was so absorbed in the story that while reading it my husband was talking to me and I didn’t hear a word he said...no seriously! I will buy a hard copy of this story if I can to have on my shelf and go back to. LOVED it.

Loved the characters in The Fifth Avenue Story Society. Rachel Hauck gets it right yet again. Hope and friendship; just the things we all need - especially now.

I have enjoyed Rachel Hauck’s style of writing enchanting, modern-day fairytales with the slightest hints of supernatural threads. She balances believable situations and characters living out a fateful God-orchestrated situation. I particularly liked The Fifth Avenue Story Society for its unique faith thread which lends to a general market appeal outside of the inspirational genre.

This is one of those rare types of books where I became less aware I was reading a novel and instead fell headlong into the story, especially its vivid depiction of NYC. The multiple points of view tie together wonderfully and always transition cleanly, never feeling confusing or too much. While I enjoyed all of them, I really liked the main romantic couple and their arc of redemption.

While I expected The Fifth Avenue Story Society to be a literature-centric story in some ways, I was pleasantly surprised to see the story society concept taken much deeper. I LOVED this novel and will be counting it as one of my favorites by Hauck — and best of the year!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy. This is my honest review.

I enjoyed the fact that we got to look at the lives of five different characters who are so different from each other but have one thing in common. However, I found that while the book was well written there's something about Rachel Hauck's writing style that doesn't click with me. But is some readers cup of tea.

I enjoy reading all of Rachel Hauck's books and The Fifth Avenue Society did not disappoint. Five different characters are drawn together with what seems to be no connection and friendships ,romance and a bit of mystery develop. An enjoyable read,
Thanks to NetGAlley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Classic Rachel Hauck. Beautifully written by a gifted storyteller. Believable characters. Wonderful story line. This novel will capture your attention from the first page and will not let go until the last. Five stars.

This book was everything I needed and wanted and didn’t know it until I read it. I would read while doing nighttime feedings with my baby and realize that over an hour had passed—I’d reluctantly fall asleep and dive right back in at the next opportunity.
Drama, relationships: romantic, friends, mentor/mentee, and more, an air of mystery, a touch of suspense, and characters you can’t help rooting for—this book has it all in spades.
You can’t help loving these characters. They’re deeply flawed, don’t always make the right choices, but they are TRYING to get along as best they can, and going after their dreams. It’s beautiful and wonderful, and you’ll want to yell at them and hug them at the same time.

DEFINITELY worth the read.

I have been a huge fan of Rachel Hauck’s books for many years. This story is yet another excellent example of her talents and gift for the written word.
This story drew me in from the very beginning, with its beautifully storyline and characters. This book touched my heart—keeping it in my thoughts long after I finished it.
The five characters received invitations from an anonymous author to gather at a library. They are about to learn many things about themselves. It is an amazing story about trust, honesty and forgiveness.
I feel that her expert writing made these characters come alive as the story continued, and I did not want it to end.
I highly recommend this book to everyone.
This review is my honest opinion.

I enjoy Rachel Hauck's work. She incorporates her Christianity without beating the reader over the head. Religion IS a significant part of many lives, so it is refreshing to see it be naturally a part of characters' lives.

I also enjoy that her work is not too demanding. I can generally read one of her books in about 5 hours, and this one was no exception.

This is the story of a group of people who are, for many reasons, broken. All are mysteriously invited to the "story society." All come, out of curiosity. All stay, although they can't really explain why. They become a family, although they have disagreements and struggles. They encourage each other to face their demons and all come out the other side stronger and better.

There is nothing terrifically surprising here. It's a pleasant read. There are a couple of twists, but by and large, the plot is predictable.

But sometimes, especially in the world we're currently in, that's exactly what you need.

I have read many of Hauck’s books and I have found that there are some that I love and can’t put down and then others that do not connect as well with me and didn’t keep my attention. This one fell more in the middle for me. It’s a little different from her other books that focus mainly on one couple or one female, as she shifts between characters every chapter. Personally, that kind of writing is not my favorite style and it makes the story move too slow for me. It took a while for me to be interested in the story but I kept going.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to review this book in exchange for my review.