The Fifth Avenue Story Society (By: Rachel Hauck)

The Fifth Avenue Story Society
By: Rachel Hauck

Story Line: 5 Stars
Depth: 5 Stars
Faith: 5 Stars
Love Story: 4 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars

One of our favorites authors, Rachel Hauck, has delivered a home run in her newest book! Not only does the charming cover make you want to get cozy with this read right away, but the very first page draws in its readers from the first line.  
Five seemingly random people in New York City - Jett, Lexa, Chuck, Coral and Ed - are sent mysterious invitations to join the Fifth Avenue Story Society at a little known, out of the way library. Each of them are skeptical, but due to their own personal reasons decide to join: Jett, a professor who may have stumbled on evidence that his literary idol was a fraud; Lexa, an overworked executive assistant who is continually overlooked; Chuck, an Uber driver, desperate to see his kids again; Coral, president of a cosmetics company who recently left her famous groom at the altar; and Ed, a widower trying to write the story of his loving marriage. 

Each person shows up to the society meeting with broken hearts, broken lives and a desperate need for peace. Each continually comes back to the weekly society meeting for reasons even they cannot understand; except that an invisible force continues to draw them into relationship, community and healing with one another. Who sent these invitations, and why? What is the higher power at work here, and how will each character find answers to their questions and desires? 

Reminiscent of movies that follow multiple, seemingly disconnected storylines which all eventually come together, Rachel absolutely blew us away with her expert weaving of these storylines! The entire book was easy to get swept away in and the pace at which she revealed stories kept us eager for more. There were even a couple of twists at the end we did not see coming that helped us finish this ride with a bang! 

The characters in this book were just the right mixture of real, flawed and lovable. Their realistic traits kept us as readers believing we could also be sitting in that library; really flawed, yet worthy of friendship and love, and most importantly, never too far gone for God's gentle grace. His loving kindness pursues all of us, often in quiet ways, meeting us exactly where we are, and inspiring others to see what it's all about. We recommend this book to anyone looking for an enticing read and maybe some inspiration and heart to go with it!.

Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review.  

The Way of the Brave (By: Susan May Warren)

The Way of the Brave (Global Search and Rescue Book #1)
By:Susan May Warren

Story Line: 5 Stars
Depth: 5 Stars
Faith: 5 Stars
Love Story: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars

Can you keep a secret? We confess Susan May Warren is one of our favorite authors; in fact, we refer to her as the master! We highly anticipate each new release of her books and are rarely disappointed. She captures our attention from the first page, her stories sweep us away, and her writing is flawless. Susan's newest book, The Way of the Brave, was no exception. We thoroughly enjoyed it and eagerly anticipate book 2 already! 

Orion Starr, former pararescue jumper is living - or should we say hiding? - in Alaska after a rescue gone terribly wrong in Afghanistan. As he lives with the pain of the past he can't help but wonder what went wrong, and why it ended with not only losing friends but also a woman he was falling hard for. Will he ever get answers? 

When a former Navy Seal, Hamilton Jones, asks Orion to join his elite global rescue team, Orion claims his rescue days are over. But when a group of mountain climbers - including the girl from his past - becomes stranded on Denali, Orion can't help himself. 

Former CIA profiler and psychiatrist Jenny Calhoun lives each day trying to push the past away, and can't seem to escape the guilt of what went wrong in Afghanistan. As she decides to climb Denali with two friends on their annual adventure together, little does she know her past is about to catch up with her. 

Susan does a phenomenal job capturing our hearts with these new characters. The amount of depth and "realness" she adds to her stories always leave us impressed. Get ready for a fast paced, adventure filled, redemptive story on the highest mountain in America. Why not 5 stars? Susan adds in a lot of climbing lingo, leaving us a bit lost at times - but still an excellent story and a joy getting to know the people filling the pages.

Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review.