You have five very different individuals that receive an invitation to an old New York Library.
Lexa’s story was interesting in that she could remain friends with her boss after the way he treated her.
Jett was a professor and tortured by the loss of his brother. He is also a writer with a very serious dilemma on his hands. It was also interesting
I enjoyed how we met Jett and Chuck in the beginning. Chuck had a difficult family situation. I found it interesting everything he could learn as a Uber driver.
Ed was the grandfather of the group wanting to write his love story.
And finally, Coral who may have been my favorite. She was the owner of her own cosmetic company that was having trouble. She had a great balance of business sense and a relationship with her dad. I think I related to her more than the others. Her claim to infamy was that she had left her fiancé at the alter.
Each of the individuals finally reveal their stories to each other. It is both heartbreaking and heart warming.
Some fans of Rachel’s may be surprised at the limited Christian themes in the book. However I felt Rachel was able to make her drive her point home very well.
Sexual content - wife cheats on her husband
Violence - a fist fight at a wedding

I received this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.

I love a good story. That's probably why I set really high reading goals for the year, read in any free time I can find, and enjoy reviewing books so I can tell you about the stories. So, when I saw the title, The Fifth Avenue Story Society I decided I needed to read this book by Rachel Hauck. If I had actually looked at the description instead of just the title, I'm not sure I would have actually read the book. But I am so glad I actually did read the book. The story of how the story society is formed is told from the perspective of five people, each with their own problems and hardships. Even though they are very different people who don't seem to have anything in common, they form friendships and are able to help each other with their problems. The way the story was told was a very unique idea, or at least a new idea to me. I don't think I've ever read a book quite like this one. There was some romance but the romance didn't seem to be the focus of the story. Although there were a couple things such as alcoholic drinks, that I wish had been left out, overall it was a very enjoyable story.  I would recommend this book for someone who enjoys contemporary fiction. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Would you ever accept an invitation that you didn’t know who sent it? Thank goodness these 5 people did. The stories you will read are very touching as they find out about themselves. Are these folks who would normally hang with each other, probably not in my opinion. Sometimes it takes that person or incident that is not your norm, that can really turn your life around. I loved getting to know Jett, Lexa, Ed, Coral and Chuck. I think you will enjoy learning their stories. I hope you feel the same emotions that I did while I was reading. I would really like to hang with these folks again and see what the next chapter is in their lives. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

What an intriguing book! The premise of five strangers coming together by an anonymous invitation was enough to hook me.

The Fifth avenue Story Society brings these five very unique people together. No one can figure out who sent the invitations, but they end up meeting week after week anyway. Chuck, Ed, Jett, Coral, and Lexa are each dealing with traumas and I cared about them, their gatherings, and the way they dealt with their ordeals. I connected with each character and found their stories quite captivating.

As always, Rachel Hauck’s character development is spot on. She created a world filled with believable characters and a story with a beautiful, spiritual thread. Wonderful storytelling.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

"Precious. Timeless. Capsules of life and history. But the Fifth Avenue Literary Society Library was not about closed books. It was about open lives."

When we meet Jett at the opening of The Fifth Avenue Story Society, the New York literature professor is in jail. He had too much to drink at a friend’s wedding reception (he has issues with weddings which we’ll learn about) and stepped in to defend a bridesmaid from unwanted advances from a groomsman. He spends the night in jail with a man named Chuck, who also stepped into the fight. The two don’t exactly become friends that night, but their lives again intersect when they both receive a mysterious anonymous invitation to The Fifth Avenue Story Society.

At the first Society meeting, Jett and Uber/limo driver Chuck come face to face with a widower named Ed, cosmestics CEO and high-society woman Coral, and Jett’s ex-wife, Lexa who is consumed by her job and her ambition. Though no one knows why they’ve been invited or by whom, the group decides to continue meeting on Monday nights over a shared meal. The very different group of individuals share enough of their lives that they begin to have genuine relationship.

Ultimately, The Fifth Avenue Story Society is a tale of community and trust. It’s about healing from past hurts by having the courage and faith to walk through the pain with honesty. The characters find and forge connections with each other but each also learns about himself/herself and finds a second chance at happiness.

I enjoyed watching these people from different walks of life and different life experiences interact and begin to care about one another. The novel does a good job of showing the characters’ progressions as they learn to be vulnerable and share their difficult stories and life secrets with one another. I liked that there was a decent amount of complexity to their lives and their identities, each being uniquely believeable.

One of the characters has a story of coming to faith. I appreciated that although this is a Christian novel, for the majority of the work only one of the characters really discusses faith. It took some suspension of disbelief to buy into these disparate New Yorkers being willing to keep meeting with one another, so I liked that believability wasn’t further stretched by making them all Christians. However (*spoiler warning*), by the novel’s end, all five have begun to reach out to God and advance in their own faith journeys. I found this kind of ending a bit too pat and happily-ever-after. Still, the novel was a pleasure to read and is well-suited for TV film adaptation (think Hallmark Channel).

Verdict: 4 of 5 Hearts. Five Lonely New Yorkers Find Community and Hope Through Shared Personal Stories.

The Fifth Avenue Story Society
by Rachel Hauck

This was a curious book. I felt it started out slow but when I felt like the characters were developing the ending was quickly pieced together nice and tidy. The religious awakening of this book was at the end and left a lot of wanting. There was no depth to any of the character's heart change but one.

I did find some wisdom from this quote, “If we love when it’s easy, it’s of no credit to us. Anyone can love when it’s easy. But if we love when it’s hard, then we are all the better. We gain what we cannot see.”

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Fifth Avenue Story Society is the latest novel by Rachel Hauck. Five very different people, all in a depressing period of their lives, receive unusual formal invitations to come to a meeting of this mysterious society which meets at the quaint Fifth Avenue Literary Society Library. This library was established in golden age millionaire Joseph Winthrop’s mansion and is overseen by a wizened elfin lady who is there when their meetings are set to occur.

Jett Wilder is an associate professor at New York College. He is divorced, at a critical point in completing his dissertation, and still reeling with grief at the loss of his brother. Chuck Mays is a struggling Uber driver. Also divorced, Chuck has been banned from contact with his young twins. Ed Marshall is a retired widower but still working as the superintendent in his coop. His solitary life revolves around illusions of his late wife. Coral Winthrop, the panicked princess, is the president of CCW Cosmetics. After the scandal last year she has returned to a company in the red with much conflict within the company. Lexa Wilder, ex-wife of Jett, has long been used by her boss who would rather keep her as his lowly assistant than allow her the title for which she has worked so hard and already been doing the job.

Each person is in crisis mode of some sort. This story weaves a verbal tapestry of the relationships built, the deceit overcome, and the truth each one comes to know. This was a very different and interesting story. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!

The Fifth Avenue Story Society has all the feels. And a few more. Before I expand, it’s worth noting that Rachel Hauck wields story like none other.

The Fifth Avenue Story Society is an intriguing premise for any reader. Five seemingly random strangers all receive an invitation to an historic library on Fifth Avenue. We have Coral the socialite businesswoman, with the reputation of a runaway princesses. Then there’s the angry, divorced taxi driver Chuck. Mac, a sweet widower who’s living somewhere between the past and his dreams is the third member. Jett Wilder an English professor haunted by the memory of his dead brother is delighted with time in the library. He’s less excited when his ex-wife shows up as the fifth attendee.

What transpires is a delicate intertwining of five lives battered by tragedy or disappointment. The characters all have obstacles to overcome in order to find happiness. Some journeys require bravery, or involve betrayal. Others need to work out anger issues or a lack of self esteem. Each character stands alone in their journey but the way their stories overlap is both masterful and surprising at times.

The themes of honesty and bravery shine through as each life improves only when steps are taken to reclaim lost happiness, professional integrity and, ultimately, love. If you like a beautiful, unpredictable story, with not one but five happy endings, I suspect you’d love this book.

NEXT STEPS…

As I mentioned earlier, Hauck is a master storyteller and this latest offering doesn’t disappoint. If you end up reading and enjoying this book as much as I did, I’d highly recommend getting ahold of the Wedding Collection.

The Fifth Avenue Story Society is one of my most anticipated reads for 2020, to see the others, click here…

If you’d like to read an excerpt or buy the book, click here…

To visit Rachel Hauck’s website, click here…

Mysterious invitations bring together five quite different people from a range of backgrounds and positions to form a 'story society' - whatever that might turn out to be. Meeting for the first time in the Fifth Avenue Library, none of them knows what it's about, but they become tentative friends and agree to continue meeting weekly. Over time, each tells his or her story, hard though it is for them to do so. As each member admits their deepest secrets, it is shown once again that 'the truth will set you free'. Those mysterious invitations, if allowed to do so, can change lives forever...

Though quite a different storyline, this book reminded me a bit of Nancy Moser's 'The Invitation', which I loved. There was a similar sense of God working in our lives, of strangers becoming friends in a way that benefits all, and ultimately of choices to be made. The book is expertly written, with the five different points of view being woven together seamlessly but clearly. My one quibble was that, as I've found with other books that have to start off by introducing a bunch of unrelated characters, it felt quite disconnected for the first few chapters, before things started to come together. However, it was done as well as such things can be done and I really enjoyed the way that these strangers formed almost a family by the end. Each grew over the course of the story, some in predictable ways, others less so, but it was all well worth the read. Some may object to the hints of God working in our lives in ways that we might not normally think of, but I found it a helpful reminder. All in all, it's definitely not your typical romance, but it's a great book however you classify it. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Jett and Chuck wind up in jail after trying to defend a bridesmaid. Released after the night, Chuck asks a couple questions and they go on their way. Upon returning home he discovers an invitation to the Fifth Avenue Story Society in with his belongings. Lexa is after a CEO position, and is already her boss’s right hand, or neck. She also gets an invitation. Chuck keeps trying to get glimpses of his kids, without violating his restraining order. Heading to his car to start his Uber work, he sees the invitation. Coral has been a recluse after she broke her engagement and is among the elite families in New York. Ed just wants to write a story about the love of his life. 5 people whom all become dear as the story progresses and they try and figure out why they were all brought together via these invitations. The pieces come together slowly, but are told in a way to keep the pages turning until the end. Another beautiful story by this author.
A complimentary copy was provided by Thomas Nelson through Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have always enjoyed Rachel Hauck's books and this one is no exception. The book starts by introducing each of the five characters who receive an anonymous invitation to a meeting at the Fifth Avenue Story Society. None of them knows who sent the invitation or the reason why they were invited. They meet once a week and each begins a journey working out some issues and problems they have, all the while getting to know and learn from each other. There is some romance as well as healing in each of their stories. There is a spiritual element to this book showing God's hand in bringing them together and working in their lives. As with all her other books I've read I enjoyed this one just as much.

In this book by Christian author Rachel Hauck, five seemingly unconnected individuals each receive an invitation to a story society no one has ever heard of in a library few visit. As they meet and ponder why they are there and the purpose of the society, their lives begin to intertwine (or reconnect, in some cases).

Thank you to Thomas Nelson publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy for my review. All opinions are my own.

Let me start the "official" portion of my review by saying this was one of the roughest advanced review copies I've read to date as far as editing and formatting issues. I tried to not let it affect my reading pleasure and therefore my review, hoping that a lot of it gets cleaned up in the final version. However, truth be told, some of the discrepancies and such did impact my reading. There were a couple of different points I was confused or lost because of inconsistencies or things coming out of left field.

That being said, I did like the story overall. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions. I appreciated the tie in to Hauck's previous book (although if you haven't read The Writing Desk, you can still read this one). The characters had real issues and hangups and real life and tragedy to work through, which they did.

I did feel like the Christian element was a bit heavy handed and hard-hitting when coming all at the end. That could be personal preference, though, liking that to be sprinkled throughout.

A good read full of likeable characters and relationship building/growth achieving plots.

For more of my reviews, visit https://mommyreadsbooks.blogspot.com/

Hauck's books are ones that usually leave the reader with some very real truths to ponder, and "The Fifth Avenue Story Society" is no exception. As in most of her books, Hauck has characters that are at once broken, imperfect people but also ones you'd root for if you really knew them.

Jett, Chuck, Lexa, Coral, and Ed have nothing in common, with the exception of one thing: they each receive an invitation to the Fifth Avenue Story Society. Why would someone invite them to an old library? Who is behind these invitations? The characters waffle between accepting this invite or ignoring it due to their complicated lives, but find themselves drawn to this group.

Each of the characters has their own backstory; some intertwined and some who are not. However, by the end of the book they have journeyed together, learned about each other and created a strong friendship. Love, life, work...all of it is discussed over makeshift dinners in the library.

The Christian fiction portion of the story was interwoven with small references until you reach the end portion. All the characters are facing struggles of their own, and I think Hauck does a masterful job of giving each character their own vignette in order for the reader to see each perspective. I appreciate the details that went into writing the people and the city, allowing the reader to feel as though they were in New York, too. It was charming and quite captivating.

If you prefer no kissing or mention of sexual intimacy, this book was a bit more open and honest with marital relationships than some of Hauck's earlier works, but to be honest, it was not off-putting for me. in fact, I felt it was respectful and honoring. That being said, "The Fifth Avenue Story Society" is probably not appropriate for a teen audience, but Hauck has many other books that would fit that mold. Nothing wrong with writing for a more mature audience, and these characters fit that description, too.

I enjoyed this book and its well developed characters and setting. Hauck is one of my all time favorites and "The Fifth Avenue Story Society" did not disappoint.

I was an early reader, thanks to #NetGalley, the author and the publisher, Thomas Nelson. All opinions are my own.

The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck is a most delightful Christian contemporary novel that will warm your heart and soul.
Five invitations, five people in need of friendship, all with God-shaped holes that need filling. Monday nights became the highlight of the week as they each grasped hope. “Hope was a powerful salve.”
Each person needed to let go of the past in order to move into the future. They each need love and encouragement to face the truth of their pasts. The truth will set each one free from the prison of their past. Only when we open ourselves up being truthful and making ourselves vulnerable will the healing process begin.
The characters are all wonderfully drawn. Rachel Hauck has produced realistic, flawed characters who are easy to identify with. At times emotions dictate actions. We need to surrender our emotions to God and rest in His love. We all need God. It is beautiful to witness the birth of a new Christian, to see “the power of her new faith, of her prayers.”
Prayer is our lifeline to God. I love this description of it. “From your lips to God’s ears.”
The Fifth Avenue Story Society was another totally charming read from Rachel Hauck. The characters warmed my heart as friendships blossomed and hope was restored. I always love Rachel Hauck’s books, they make me smile and feel good.
I will leave you with this most powerful quote:
“He lived with the breath of God in his lungs.”
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

A romantic story blending characters, strangers from different walks-of -life brought together with almost nothing in common at first appearance. But they meet weekly in a library trying to solve the mystery of why they were given invitations to meet together. Each one with a secret, and a brokenness that is slowly revealed to the others. Strangers become friends and two that had a sad history together in their past begin to understand each other and how they had failed and been driven apart. It is a story of healing that comes with transparency and honesty. I enjoyed this lighter romantic read, even though it did not fit my favorite genre of historical fiction.
I received a copy courtesy of Net Galley, no review required.

Sweet romance will a little mystery. Charming characters and good writing. A little heavy on the God/Christian angle for me.

The Fifth Avenue Story Society is about 3 strangers and 2 ex-spouses who receive the same invitation and draws you in with more questions than answers. Like what does an Uber driver, an aspiring business executive, a retired grandfather and aspiring author, a professor and an almost princess/CEO have in common? Who sent the invitations to this story society? Why these people? What is a story society? And what is with the mysterious librarian at the Fifth Avenue Literary Society Library?

The pace starts out in a leisurely and thoughtful fashion as you hear from each story society member’s point of view. However, it ramps up as this character driven story unfolds and the lives of the characters begin to intertwine as you learn answers to your questions. Then it was hard for me to put it down!

This is a great book for readers and lovers of Christian contemporary fiction or gentle romance. It has a lot to offer a wide range of readers with fallible characters that feel like real people who struggle with real stuff, who face heartbreak and trials, explore issues of ethics and faith, includes unlikely friendships, people falling hard and finding redemption, and has a little mystery and intrigue thrown in for good measure. It kept me on the edge of my seat once it got rolling and, although I had glimmers of some of the plot twists, it was also delightfully surprising throughout. I really enjoyed this story and I’m looking forward to reading more books by Rachel Hauck!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me with an ARC for a free and honest review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

Very light, with a small dose of something mysterious. This is the first I’ve read by this author, as her books are not the genre I usually read, but this caught my attention. Overall it was perhaps a bit too “light” for my personal reading taste (it didn’t feel quite realistic enough for me how easily the group just moved on from the initial mystery of why they were brought together and by whom) but I did enjoy the bookish charm of the Society meetings. This will be a good read for those who like cozy uplifting stories, just not the right fit for me.


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have usually loved anything written by Rachel Hauck (The Wedding Dress being my favorite). I liked this book well enough but I didn’t love it. Other reviewers have told enough of the plot, and it was well-written. Guess it just didn’t grab me.

Just delightful. Yes, I figured out one or two of the plot lines, but that didn’t detract from me really enjoying this novel about five people who are invited to a society about stories in an old New York Fifth Avenue library. The lives of these strangers weave together in interesting and redemptive ways. I particularly appreciate how the author includes the message of the Christian faith without it feeling earnest or in-your-face.
Four and a half stars! (And yes, modern romance is my favorite)