Ruth by author H.B. Moore is a beautiful and inspiring story that readers will enjoy. From page one Moore brings to life the story of her Naomi, Ruth and Boaz, off the page and into the minds and imagination of readers.

I did not enjoy this book. I had pictured Boaz and Ruth quite different, based on my studies of various Biblical commentaries. I would have been fine with that, because what do any of us really know?

However, the book itself wasn't that good. The characters where two-dimensional--Ruth was loyal and kind and hardworking and beautiful and completely without flaws. Boaz was young and handsome and wealthy and also without flaws. The plot was thin. It felt like the author really stretched beyond what was reasonable to come up with a plot that contained drama and excitement and backstory. What is the problem with telling a simple story? I've read other historical novels by this author and really enjoyed them, which made this one even more disappointing.

Author H. B. Moore brings to life the biblical account of Ruth as never before in this vivid retelling of her courageous and faithful life. I love the book of Ruth and readers will enjoy what this author has written.

I loved this book. It gives you a different view of who Ruth was and her story is so beautiful and hopeful it's a wonderful mix of fact and fiction. I would tell the reader not to read this book as the gospel truth since there is some fictional elements, but it really brings to life a character who is a favorite from the O.T. for many people. I personally love the story of Ruth and Naomi and this book gave me a wonderful story to play in my mind where the bible leaves many of those details blank. I would definitely read this book again, great story!

Ruth lives a happy life with her husband and her mother-in-law. Her happy life is shattered when a group of thieves tries to steal their sheep and her husband is injured. Her husband later dies from his injury. Ruth has to make a tough decision to go back home or stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi. She decides to go with Naomi to Bethlehem. There, she works the fields in order to make a living. She meets Boaz and falls in love with him. She wants nothing more than to be Boaz’s wife.

Ruth is one of my favorite books in the bible. Her story is a test of faith, courage, and love. Mrs. Moore’s Ruth is not only a faithful retelling, but she also fills in the missing pieces. We learn more about the backstory of Ruth. The story shows Ruth’s happiness and hard times in her marriage. She believes that she cannot produce children because after eight years of marriage, she has miscarried twice. Ruth also knows how to shoot and defend herself. The author shows that Ruth’s family has fallen on hard times. Thus, Ruth was not immune to hard work when she worked in the fields.

Boaz is also a full fleshed character. His wife, Hannah, has left for to serve a pagan god. Because of this, he feels insecure. He is not ready to take another wife. Ruth proves him wrong. Ruth’s virtues shows him that there are strong believers out there. It is through Ruth’s goodness, selflessness, and faith that he is able to be healed and feel love again. Both Ruth and Boaz have lost their beloved spouses, but through common faith they are able to help and love each other.

Overall, Ruth is a novel about loyalty, humility, and perseverance. The message of the book is that God works in mysterious ways. I found all the characters to be very realistic. There are some original characters and fictional subplots that are not mentioned in the Bible. Still, I thought they were creative and helped flesh out Ruth and Boaz’s characters. The setting of ancient Israel is vividly detailed. Ruth is also a sweet and simple love story. Ruth is Christian fiction at its best! It proves why biblical fiction should be read. It reminds us that even though these people lived long ago, they still overcame challenges just as people do today. Ruth is perfect for fans of Angela Hunt, Jill Eileen Smith, and Joan Wolf.

This is a Christian historical novel based loosely on the book of Ruth in the Bible. The author stays true to the facts as recorded in the Bible, but uses her imagination and adds many elements to develop Ruth’s story for this novel. Her portrayal of Ruth’s love for her mother-in-law and her compassion and faithfulness is lovely.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. This is my honest opinion about this book.

I know these stories can be hard to stay true, because of they’re historical nature.... but they are truly a joy to read!!
This made Ruth and Naomi come alive! I love being able to relate to and empathize with them!
Wonderful read!!!

HB Moore brings the story of Ruth to today's generation. Experience it. Well written. Believable. Five stars.

Ruth has lost almost everything that mattered to her. Her husband and brother-in-law have died, her sister-in-law has returned to live with her Moabite family, she is losing her home, and only her mother-in-law Naomi is left. Despite Naomi's suggestion that Ruth return to her family as well, Ruth decides to accompany her mother-in-law to Bethlehem. Naomi's God will become hers, and she will accompany Naomi to whatever fate awaits her. Little does Ruth know that the God of Israel has a plan full of hope and promise for her.

Ruth is a loose retelling of the Biblical book by the same name. A lot of fictional details have been added, such as Boaz having an adulterous wife who is living as a Baal priestess. I found this to be unnecessary for two reasons. I don't appreciate authors taking significant liberties with Biblical history. Aside from that, there is more than enough interesting information supplied in the historical account to make for a gripping story in itself. I also found that some of the characters in the story behaved in ways that did not seem to fit with the time period.

Ruth was an interesting read, but I would not recommend it nor be too inclined to read it again. I would rate it a two out of five stars. I received a complimentary copy from Covenant Communications in order to write an unbiased review.

"Ruth" was a quick, easy read that had me rooting for Ruth and Boaz like I would if I were watching a rom-com ("Just kiss her already, Boaz! You're going to lose her to Gideon!  Hurry!  Stop the wedding!"). 

If I had to complain about anything, I would say that the story was a little vanilla.  The author didn't stretch very far beyond the Biblical tale.  She provided a few details and filled in a few blanks, but that was about it.  With that being said, the factual parts of the story seem in-line with the Biblical tale, and accuracy is so important when dealing with these types of stories.  I re-read through the Book of Ruth this morning, and the details provided in the Bible were included in H.B. Moore's version of the story.  The only area that might be a slight overstep was Boaz's love for Ruth.  The Bible doesn't discuss whether Boaz had feelings for Ruth or whether he was just fulfilling his duties as kinsmen-redeemer.  The Bible DOES note the interest Boaz showed in Ruth when she was working the fields, so I don't think weaving a love story out of the Biblical account is outside the realm of creative license.  I also liked how H.B. Moore took Biblical Boaz's promise of protection from other men and used it to create a protagonist in Dan.  It added a suspenseful side to the story.

Overall, the story of Ruth is a beautiful tale of love, loyalty, and faith that God will provide.  It serves as a great reminder that God's plans are greater than our own, and sometimes we can't see how He is working in our lives to bring us something greater than we could ever imagine.  I’d rate this book 3.5/5 stars.

This is a biblical story telling of the life of Ruth, her marriage, and then death of her husband. She stays with and continues to support and devote her life to Naomi, her mother in law even traveling back to Bethlehem with her. It was very interesting to read about the trials and tribulations women endured during this time era. The research done on the customs, including the council decisions, was very well done. Always amazing to see how the good of neighbors and land owners provided for the less fortunate, and then also to see how some of the council leaders were not as kind and generous when it did not meet their needs. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and it was a very quick read.
I thank Net Galley and Covenant Communications for allowing the opportunity to read this advanced copy for my review.

Ruth is a beautiful retelling of the Biblical figure. I enjoyed how the author had imagined how she was during those times. I give this book four and a half stars.

Very nicely done telling the story of a Biblical character. It is interesting and done as a story. This is an extension of the Bible story with dialog and everything. Lovely story of Ruth and her life.

This is a fictional take on the book of Ruth from the Bible. It stays well within the Biblical story while adding to it as "it may have been". The author has some really new ideas of how Ruth may have lost her first husband and what her relationship with Naomi was really like. I have read one other fictionalized version of Ruth. That was an interesting book also, but this book went more into depth at the beginning.

It did seem that the author lost steam as the book went on and the ending felt a bit rushed. It wasn't to the point that I would not recommend the book, just slightly disappointing.

Ruth and Naomi were well-developed characters. Boaz not quite so much and the others were more like bit players. The story flowed well and was well organized. One other thing I noticed was that there were a few grammar errors and a few punctuation errors also. The biggest thing was not starting new paragraphs when the speaker changed. That can throw you off sometimes.

I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more from this author. I do not think you will be disappointed.

Ruth is such a wonderful, incredible, historical, amazingly fun and GODly book. How can you talk about the intensely enjoyably blessed Ruth. Ruth, what a woman of God. The author not only talks about Ruth but her family too and that is just as informative and enjoyable as the story of Ruth. I just can't praise this book enough. The author has such an incredibly enjoyable way to bring Ruth to life. Do not miss your chance in getting this book. I hope the author does another one of these.

3.5 Stars
I love the biblical story of Ruth. This is a fictional version taken from her basic storyline and embellished. As long as you go into reading it with that reminder, you will like it.
Ruth really loves her husband, I loved seeing that relationship. He is injured by sheep rustlers and dies from an infection in his foot. We know from the Bible, Oprah and Naomi’s husband dies as well and because of the times, without a male provider they are left destitute. Naomi of course decides to return to her homeland and Ruth of course feels the need to go with her and take care of her. She meets Boaz as she is gleaning from his fields with other widows. The story flips back and forth between Boaz’ and Ruth’s POV and I enjoyed reading Boaz’s fictional background and heartache. They both have healing to do, but fall in love with each other. When she finds out the she needs to marry the next of kin, she goes to Boaz and begs him to marry her instead. He desires the marriage as well and after talking with the council and his cousin, all is well.
It made me ponder more about Ruth. Why did she not have any children until after she marries Boaz? What really was his full story?
I liked this version and would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction. Even though it is considered Christian, I think all would enjoy the story. It is not preachy at all.

**I received a digital copy from the publisher through Net Gallery for my honest review.

Once I got into this book I didn't want to stop reading it. I knew the story of Ruth--her husband dies and she takes responsibility for her mother-in-law, Naomi. When they move to Bethlehem from Moab she goes to glean in Boaz's (one of Naomi's kinsmen) wheat fields with the other handmaidens so she and Naomi can survive.
Boaz's wife left him, their young daughter, and her religion to worship the Moabite God, Baal. Boaz meets Ruth when she comes to glean in his fields, and he notices her goodness and how she takes care of Naomi.
I loved this story and how Heather B. Moore makes the characters come to life. She makes it easy to picture everything in my head as I read. She is one of my favorite authors, but this is only the second historical fiction I've read by her. She's written several others and has another one coming out that I plan to read.

I am so stinkin' in love with this book!!

The Book of Ruth is one of my very favorite books in the Old Testament. I love the heart of Naomi, the strength of Ruth and the kindness of Boaz. (Seriously, who needs Disney when you have Ruth and Boaz?) But H.B. Moore takes this Old Testament story and fleshes it out. She brought Naomi, Ruth and Boaz to life right in front of me. Ruth went from being a beloved woman from the Bible to a new and lifelong friend. The author does justice to these three amazing people from the Bible, and sticks to the authenticity of the Bible story itself. An absolute recommend!

This was an awesome book and did justice to one of my favorite stories from the Bible. Ruth was an incredible character and the author did a wonderful job of fleshing out her character, making her relatable, while still the admirable person I have read about. Sweet, clean, I'd rate it PG, maybe G.

In preparation for reading this book I read the book of Ruth in the bible and was surprised at how little is actually there. I loved getting to read this version of Ruth story that gives depth and personality to the characters as well as plausible scenarios as to what happened and why. I loved this story and thought it was a lovely portrayal of this very famous story. Moore kept the character of Ruth very honorable and true to the spirit of loyalty and faith in which she is portrayed in the Bible.