Book Review: Ruby by Lauraine Snelling

Title: Ruby
Author: Lauraine Snelling
Paperback: 285 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (Aug. 01st 2003)
Genre: Historical Romance
Read: eBook
Stars: ****/5
Summary: (GoodReads)
Kate has no time for meaningless romantic charades, and definitely no time for hot college professors who are full of themselves and smitten with her. Constantly battling eviction notices, tuition she can’t afford, and a sick, dependent mother, the last thing she needs is to be distracted with someone else’s complicated baggage.

When she stumbles into Ryan Campbell’s creative writing class, he is only “Mr. Campbell” to her, until Ryan finds himself captivated by her writing and she is forced to face their mutual attraction. His cocky know-it-all syndrome is enough to send her running in the other direction, and his posse of female admirers and playboy reputation are enough to squander any odds in her favor.

But underneath Ryan’s abrasive facade is something to behold, and she can’t stay away for long. Ryan and Kate must decide who they’re willing to become and fight against their former selves if they want to make things work. That’s if academia, vicious vixens, old skeletons, and their own mastery at self-destruction don’t pummel their efforts first.

My Review:

Thanks to Lauraine Snelling for giving away this book free for the Kindle on Amazon.

This book came as surprise. Like all romances I expected a happily-ever-after and its not there!

The story is about Ruby who leaves New York in a hurry to meet her dying father and claim her inheritance along with her sister Opal. Ruby arrives in Little Missouri and learns soon that life is very different here. Her father has left her a brothel that she decides to convert reputable hotel. The book goes on into her challenges and successes that are heart warming.

The girls who worked in the brothel before choose to stay on and stop selling themselves. Snelling deals with the troubles and pain faced by these girls well and I could feel for them. Very subtly but strongly Snelling makes points about why prostitutes are not bad woman, its bad situations that get them down to selling themselves. She make clear distinctions between prostitution and rape and just what a rape victim goes through even though she may have been a prostitute. Oops… That’s a bit of the story given away but hell, I liked the job Snelling did with the issue.

There are two strong heroes in the story. Captain McHenry - stationed in Little Missouri gets friendly with Opal and Rudy. Ruby and the McHenry get close and Ruby starts having feelings for him but he is transferred to Arizona. Rand Harrison is a cattle rancher, excellent horseman, loved by all person and a cool dude, not to mention good-looking. But he messes up big time with his courtship and proposal. Who will win Ruby? I kept looking at the percentage of the book left as I read because I could seen the end of the book coming but I couldn’t see the happily-ever-after coming!
‘Ruby’ is the 1st part of the Dakotah Treasures 4 book series so I guess this question will be answered in the rest.

So did I enjoy the book. Oh yes I did! An excellent Historical Romance of the Mid-West with emphasis on the woman’s day-to-day life and not just romance. I picked up some baking tips too!

I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Pearl (Dakotah Treasures, #2)
Opal (Dakotah Treasures, #3)
Amethyst (Dakotah Treasures, #4)