Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for the ARC of Meet Me at the Starlight by Rachel Hauck. All opinions are my own. 

Meet Me at the Starlight is a historical fiction story that spans decades and weaves together the stories of Tuesday Knight and her grandson Matt. 

From a young age, The Starlight, a roller-skating rink that is the heart of Sea Blue Beach, has been Tuesday’s entire world. Now that the roller-skating craze is coming to an end, the town wants to tear down the rink in the name of progress. Matt, a famous actor who’s gotten himself in trouble, has decided to come home and help save The Starlight with the help of washed-up model Harlow Hayes. 

This story contains dual timelines that start in the 1930s and end in the 1980s. There are multiple points of view throughout the book including Tuesday (past and present), Matt, Harlow, and even some chapters from the view of the town. This book really tells the story of family, community, and learning to love yourself. 

I overall enjoyed this book. As a romantic at heart, I preferred the chapters that took place in the 1980s because I liked reading more about Matt and Harlow’s friendship and eventual relationship. The chapters set in the past for Tuesday weren’t bad, but they were also quite depressing considering all of the hardships she faced. 

The character growth was beautiful to see throughout the story. I especially liked how Harlow learned to accept herself the way she was not who she was in the past or who her mother wanted her to be. 

There were some moments (like Matt on TV) that seemed really weird to me. I also thought the way the author included Immanuel was very strange. It was like she was trying to secretly include Jesus in a way that made Him seem weird and not at all how Jesus really is. Also, the fact that Tuesday was obsessed with The Starlight to the point that it became her idol, really took away from the storyline with Immanuel. 

Overall, I liked this story and how it was multi-generational. It was beautiful at times, but I would’ve liked it better had there not been weird moments that pulled me out of the story. I would recommend it though!