The story is odd from the start. Eleanor and Orlando play happy couple one minute then argue about silly things the next. Her meekness is her weakness, his dominance is over the top. The whole thing just isn´t believable. Many surreal moments follow and I feel like I´m in a parallel universe. Nothing in Ruby Falls makes sense.

The fast paced writing is what kept me going, but the conclusion is too lame to make this book memorable.

Thank you Netgalley and Post Hill Press for the ARC.

thanks netgalley for providing me with the e-arc.

this was an enjoyable psychological thriller set in a historical gothic setting. it was different than what i usually read but i enjoyed it. the writing was okay but nothing special.

This was an engrossing book in the “unreliable narrator” genre, made even more special and entertaining by the Hollywood setting. It was a quick, fun twisty read that I really enjoyed. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved, loved, LOVED this book! He wonderfully messed up main character supported by a cast of colorful, rich supporting characters drive this fun, twisted tale! Perfectly st in the late 1980’s, we follow Ruby on a journey to discover the truth about her father abandoning her when she was just 6 years old at a tourist attraction. This would make an awesome Hallmark mystery! A modern day Rebecca!

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This delicious story has one of my favorite plot devices - the “unreliable narrator “. I love trying to figure out what is REALLY happening.
Ruby’s trauma is rooted in an incident when she was 6- her father disappeared while she and he were on a tour of caverns in Ruby Falls Tennessee. Grown up, she find a career as a soap opera actress who gets so into her bad girl character that she had a nervous breakdown and flees to Europe to recover.

As the book begins she is happy to escape New York for Hollywood and start her acting career anew with her handsome new English husband. The story is a modern take on classic movies Rebecca, Gaslight, etc-a young woman marries an older man after a whirlwind courtship. Of course, his personality immediately changes, caring becomes controlling, passionate becomes possessive and oh is he ever secretive. But our heroine has a secret of her own, and the tale becomes more twisted. She realizes that she MAY be imagining things and at first complies, apologizing for making her husband angry. Frankly, this pissed me off- nothing I hate more than simpering. Soon enough she realizes how her life is mimicking a movie plot, she gets more grit and does some investigating on her own, risking everything, all the while realizing she may only be the victim of an overactive imagination.
I wont spoil the ending, but suffice to say I couldn't put it down.

Thank you to Net Galley for this advance copy. I have to first admit that I have not read Rebecca so I'm rating this book on the story alone without knowing how it may or may not tie into Rebecca. Overall, I really enjoyed this book but in order to do so you really have to be able to suspend your disbelief. If you don't then this story will probably drive you a little nuts with some pretty big incongruent leaps of imagination. Once I started reading, the story grabbed me immediately and i could not wait to read more. The author did a nice job building suspense and it was tough to put down. But then something happened. The main character's inner-chatter started to become a bit grating and tiresome. The story started making some leaps that were a bit disconnected. Fortunately It did not make me want to stop turning the pages but it was just slightly less fun to do so. Since I am a person who is pretty willing to suspend disbelief I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others.

Lured in by the cover and the promise of a chilling psychological thriller I eagerly settled down to read. It's a strange fever dream of a book as Ellie/Ruby narrates her marriage to Orlando, subsequent move to LA and work as an actress on a horror film. The non-linear narrative cleverly tangles events so that it is unclear whether we are reading about a memory, a storyline stolen from a Hollywood film, or Ellie/Ruby's dreams and desires. The characters relationships with Ellie/Ruby are just as tangled and interactions are sometimes repeated slightly differently, suggesting all is not well in Ellie/Ruby's life. This creates an almost hallucinatory effect that is compounded by the immersive descriptions of the LA heat and heady scent from the roses in the garden.

However, rather than a psychological thriller, the somewhat rushed denouement is, seems almost pedestrian for what has gone before. I would typically feel satisfied with the threads neatly tied up and answers to the mystery provided. Instead I felt somewhat flat and the magic of the book disappeared in a flash. Even so, I think that I will re-read the book, now that I know the outcome, and enjoy picking up all the clues.

I would like to thank the publishers and Net Galley for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

While this was a good quick read, the book's ending didn't work for me.

Ruby's father left her in a unique way - during a tour of a cave when she was 6 1/2, he let go of her hand and disappeared. This profoundly upset her and made her into a person who could be described as fragile and not entirely in touch with reality.

After the incident, she decided to go by her other name, Eleanor. Now she is a famous soap opera star, and, after a whirlwind marriage to a man she met on a plane, is poised to star in a remake of Rebecca. She and her new husband are living in a beautiful cottage in Los Angeles. But now he has changed and she isn't sure whether she made the right decision marrying him and coming to LA.

There are a lot of twists in this book, some of which you'll see coming, and others you will not. The last big twist is so improbable that it really spoiled the book for me. Overall, the book was enjoyable, but not a must-read.

Thanks to Netgalley for my advance copy for my unbiased review!

When Ruby is six years old, she’s left by her father in a cave. As a grown up, she is now the TV actor, Eleanor Russel who is fired under mysterious circumstances. So suspect in fact, that she escapes to Europe and meets an intriguing character named Orlando, whom she is not ready to share her past with. Orlando and Eleanor return to L.A. and she is cast in her comeback roll as the lead in a remake of Rebecca, which I happened to recently read. Immersive, atmospheric, psychologic and suspenseful, Ruby Falls takes the gothic trope and spins it on its head making for a gripping read with twists and surprises. A modern take on a gothic masterpiece. A timely and entertaining ride. Thank you to Post Hill Press and NetGalley for the advanced review copy.

The cover is stunning, the author is talented, the concept was great, but I still didn't like this book. The beginning certainly draws you in and compels you to keep reading. The middle is intriguing because you are trying to figure out what the mystery really is. But then things start to spiral as Eleanor begins this sort of stream of consciousness dialogue with herself while you are trying to figure out what is real and why is she so disturbed. But then in a few pages all is revealed and it is difficult to tie together the explanation with what you have already read - was her husband in the house with her, was the cat in the "cave", who the heck was Dottie, not to mention Eddie. The authors ability to write in such a way that conveys the disturbed mind was impressive but ultimately I felt a little betrayed at the ending. And it is almost impossible to write a true review without including spoilers. I am sure this book has an audience, but it just wasn't for me. I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had never read Deborah Goodrich Royce's work before. The story follows Eleanor Ruby Russell, a young actress who's just moved from NYC to Hollywood. She's just got married to the man of her dreams, whom she met on a trip to Rome a few weeks ago. Love at first sight. Everything sounds perfect but Ellie is actually not telling the whole story. When she was 6 years old, she went to visit a cave in TN, Ruby Falls, with her father when he suddenly disappeared. She was holding his hand one minute in the dark and the next one, he was gone. She never wanted to use her middle name again and started a new life as a young adult in NYC. She had a job on a famous soap opera but now wants to star in Hollywood movies. Her husband, English, wants to open an art gallery. Everything seems perfect but the noisy neighbor, Dottie, calls her Ruby and knows about her secret. Things start to unravel.. This book, it's hard to speak about it without giving out spoilers. So I'll try to keep it quiet. First of all, I was afraid when I started to read that it was actually a chick-lit, a romance between Ellie and her husband Orlando Montague, and their pink house ! My concern was also the writing, but it works with that genre. Then Ellie starts to hear voices and I was totally hooked. I couldn't put the damn book down, and read it within 24 hours. I thought I had found out the ending at 86% of the story but I was totally wrong. If I still think the ending was treated a little bit too fast, I still liked it. And I really enjoyed the dark twist the book took at 40% of the story.

This book grabbed me and I literally sat and read it until I finished! Little Ruby Russell is abandoned in a cave by her father while visiting Ruby Falls when she is 6 years old. This obviously traumatic incident affects her for the rest of her life. She grows up, becomes an actress and remakes herself as Eleanor Russell, dropping the name Ruby. She works as a soap opera actress until something happens and she is forced to leave. On an escape trip to Europe, she meets Orlando Montague, an English gentleman who whisks her away in a whirlwind romance which ends with them married after just six weeks. The happy couple move to Hollywood, where Eleanor lands a part in a movie remake of Rebecca. It’s not long before problems arise. Neither partner has been completely honest with each other. It seems they both have secrets in this marriage. Clues are dropped and the reader begins to realize that Eleanor, our narrator, may not be totally reliable. There are many plot twists and surprises along the way. The author developed the characters so well, that you really care about them in this psychological thriller. I definitely recommend this book, but make sure you have time to read. You won’t want to put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read "homage to 'Rebecca'" and immediately knew I had to read this book. And I wasn't disappointed: "Ruby Falls" is a clever, complex psychological thriller with an intriguing protagonist. The mystery of Ruby's vanished father, the husband that starts to act all weird and suspicious and the unreliable narration that constantly blurs the lines between reality and imagination kept me up almost an entire night because I couldn't put this book down.

It is very well written. Deborah Goodrich Royce has a descriptive, lush, sometimes even dream-like writing style that fits the gothic vibes of the story perfectly. The twists aren't entirely new nor surprising but that didn't have any impact on my reading enjoyment. It's a gripping and fast-paced tale, and Eleanor - once called Ruby but she banned this name once her father left her - is a fascinating protagonist, too. She is clearly traumatized by what happened in her childhood when her father left her in a dark cave and disappeared from her life, and her trauma is portrayed very empathetically. She is an unreliable narrator due to this trauma, can at times barely differentiate between what is real and what is only her imagination or nightmare. This keeps the reader on their toes, never quite sure if what seems to be going on is really going on.

This is definitely the kind of book that you should just dive in without knowing too much about it. It's a great homage to 'Rebecca', and not just because our Elearnor, an actress, stars in a movie based on the novel.

Many many thanks to Post Hill Press and Netgalley for this arc!

A compelling premise, vivid imagery but ultimately lacks a clear conclusion and falls victim to tiresome thriller tropes.

Eleanor Russel was abandoned by her father as a child at Ruby falls in an underground cave. Traumatized by her past, she lives her life wondering what happened to her father. At age 26, she is happily married to Orlando, only knowing him a few weeks before they got married. We are told the story from Eleanor’s perspective, and we quickly learn things are not quite what they seem.

First off, I found the writing a bit distracting. It was choppy and jumped around a lot. It was also hard to decipher who was speaking in some parts. It seemed like it needed to be further edited. The descriptions however, are very clear and it was easy to visualize Eleanor’s cottage in Hollywood Hills.

The pacing is very slow. It is not an action packed thriller by any means, more of a character study. Eleanor is an intriguing narrator which kept my interest, but nothing really happens in the first 3/4. Still though, I wanted to know what was going on.

The final twist was so unsatisfying and left me with more questions than answers. It seemed like such a cheap way to tie up any loose ends, and resulted in the whole story not making any sense.

This book started off with a lot of promise, but the plot dragged and the ending was so disappointing.

I’m curious to see what others think when this book is released on May 4th, but it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Post Hill Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ruby Falls by Deborah Goodrich Royce was a book that was marketed to be something that it was not. The book was said to be homage to Rebecca, and aside from Ellie playing Rebecca in a movie it was nothing like it. This book wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t what I was expecting when I saw it had been compared to the Silent Patient.

This book explored the life of Eleanor Ruby Russell, a girl who was left in a cave by her father as a child. She predictably has trauma from that and a recurring plot line is her memories of that event. In the beginning of the book, Ellie seemed like a standard dumb blonde who had the luck to be a soap star. I put the book down because I couldn’t stomach such a flat character and it was not what I wanted to read. A few days later I picked it back up, and managed to finish. The ending has a twist that I saw coming from miles away.

I am ambivalent about this book. There were no plot holes or glaring errors, but the story failed to grab me and make me want to know what happened next. It was a solid book, but nothing outstanding. I do not feel like this book deserved to be compared to the Silent Patient, and other works of that stature.

This book did have enjoyable side characters. The author created well written, and well plotted side characters that were ultimately the reason why I picked the book back up.

This book was well plotted and although the ending was predictable I appreciate how hard the author tried.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Post Hill Press in exchange for my honest review from Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

I really loved this book. I'm not familiar with Rebecca, so I cannot compare the two. My heart was absolutely racing from 70% on. I had no idea about the twist and was pleasantly surprised as I usually guess twists (I expected something completely different!). Thank you for giving me one of the best books I've read so far this year. Cannot wait for this to hit stands!

First of all let's take a moment to really appreciate this stunning cover. Gorgeous! 😍

1968

Eleanor Ruby Russell was only 6 years old when her father abandoned her inside a cave called Ruby Falls. This has haunted her her entire life leaving her with two questions. Why didn't her father love her? Why is she so unlovable?

1989

Ruby, now Ellie, has become a soap opera actress. Unfortunately her character gets written off the show but not all is lost. She flies out to Zurich and meets Orlando Montague and after only 6 months finds herself married to this charismatic man. How lucky she is! They decide to move to the Hollywood Hills where Ellie lands herself a movie role in an upcoming adaptation of Rebecca.

A six month relationship that leads to marriage is a whirlwind to be sure but is it possible that she doesn't really know her husband? You better believe it!

What a well written and immersive book this is. The atmosphere and tone Royce set is just beautiful. I adored Ruby / Ellie as a character. Was she naïve? Sure, but she was so relatable and likable that I didn't think of her as weak. I was just as confused as her trying to figure things out. The ending did surprise me as a couple of revelations caught me completely by surprise. My one complaint was what happened to her father. That part seemed a bit of a stretch in believability terms but to say more would spoil things so I'll zip my lips. All in all I really enjoyed this gothic tale and I look forward to more work by this author. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Post Hill Press for my digital ARC.

Utterly predictable, this book offers not much new. A glaring error: when Ruby is abandoned by her father at Ruby Falls and her mother is asked to identify her, she describes exactly what she is wearing; however, later in the book, Ruby recalls that her mother was sleeping when she left with her father and she dressed herself. I didn't find the book at all compelling.

I think this could be the next Gone Girl! It really enjoyed how the author played with my mind, I read in 2 days. There was a little unevenness in the storytelling and a few things were confusing, but the ending redeemed it all.

3.3 Stars

The premise was exciting at its best, and I was delighted to get an ARC of the book. Ruby Falls is the story of Ruby/ Eleanor, a 26yo actress. It deals with her past where her father leaves her alone at Ruby Falls and leaves, never to come back.
Twenty years later, Eleanor is happily married to a stranger, Orlando Montague, and they move to LA for a fresh start. The story is narrated by Eleanor or Ellie, and we see how things are not what they seem.
What has happened? What is happening? Who is the victim? Who is the culprit? These questions need answers, and the book tries to work them out.
The descriptions are vivid. The setting is clear, and it was easy to visualize the scenes unfold as I read. Trying to get into Ellie’s mind was a fun exercise until towards the end. The book, as such, held a lot of promise.
Ellie grows up with psychological problems due to her father’s actions. It makes her a highly intriguing narrator if we can ignore the constant rambling (I confess I did find it hard to not roll my eyes at some of her ramblings).
Still, the plot keeps us hooked. It makes us want to know what had happened. We do get answers, but then, the ending just falls flat on the face. Literally. I should’ve guessed when the book was compared to The Silent Patient.
What could have been a wow moment turned into a ‘duh’ moment as the twist resulted in more questions that had no proper explanation in the story. There sure are subtle references to justify the twist, but the overall storyline doesn’t add up.
Considering that the book just ended without proper closure, the explanation in the previous pages seems more like an easy way out of a complex story rather than offering any real solution. What started as a 4+ story ended up with less than 3.5 stars because of this.
Overall, the book deals with some important topics of parental abandonment and lack of love from family, but that’s it. Readers who love to read stories with ‘punch in your face’ or ‘pull the rug’ twists are going to enjoy this one. It just isn’t for me.
Thank you, NetGalley and Post Hill Press, for the ARC copy. I am voluntarily leaving a review.
#NetGalley