by Rachel Hauck
This is a book about five people who get an anonymous invitation to attend a Story Society meeting at a library in New York. The group includes a university prof who is being pressured to publish his dissertation about a famous/popular American author as it will bring his university a major donation. The other four people include the man's ex-wife who is working as an Exec Assistant for the owner of a fast growing fast food chain. She is trying to convince the owner to reward her commitment and hard work by making her CEO. Others include a uber limo driver whose exec has a restraining order against him so he cannot see his kids, a woman who is head of a women's cosmetics company who is infamous because she left her prince at the altar. Last but not least an elderly man who wants to write a book about his dead wife, the love of his life.
The five people meet and over the weeks they start to divulge slices of their lives but not quite all the truth. The prof and his ex-wife find being together awkward and snipe at each other at times. Then the ex-wife trips when leaving a gala and is injured. She reluctantly agrees to go live with her ex as she needs someone to help her.
As the book progresses the people reveal more about themselves. Affection develops between the cosmetics person and the uber driver and the exec's start to talk more. We find out why the cosmetics woman fled from her prince. The elderly man eventually admits that the love of his life was a drug addict who committed suicide. His desire to write a book is based on his wish for an ideal love relationship.
The female ex is shocked to find that when she returns to work another woman has been hired. She is furious at being used by her boss and quits. She accepts a job as CEO of a company in Seattle.
While in the little library room the prof had discovered a manuscript and some letters that might confirm the rumours that the author he has written his dissertation about actually stole someone else's work. He is reluctant to address this but eventually does reveal this information which causes his university to lose the big donation and him to lose his job.
The book ends "happily" ever after as the cosmetics woman and the uber driver fall in love and it appears the man will have hope of getting access to his kids, the old man decides to leave his past behind and pursue a lady in the building and the author and his ex re-marry after her Seattle job falls through. The uber driver becomes a published author of story ideas he used with his kids. The prof had written a sci-fi book which gets renewed interest plus there is interest in his new book about the author who used a ghost writer. The Admin Assistant/CEO is offered the CEO job with the cosmetics firm.
It was a feel good story but the story development was good so as not to make it too light.
At these times it is good to read a book where things work out for people.
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