RUBY FALLS
BY DEBORAH GOODRICH ROYCE

This was a very intriguing and interesting idea for a novel. I do have to say that this has to be hands down the most unreliable narrator that I have ever come across in all of the many books that I have read over the years. I had to go back and reread the explosive ending twice to make sure that I understood the story and the way it ended I just never could have imagined how it tied up and ripped the curtain down that for the entire book was built on such false pretenses. I thought that I had been reading the narrative carefully but what makes this story so flawless is that the final reveal had me fooled throughout the entire novel. Nothing prepared me for such an explosive ending and nothing about most of the book was really evident that I was supposed to question the narrator as being completely unreliable.

All I can really say is that childhood trauma can leave more of a mark on some than others. That sometimes things that happen to us as children can leave life long affects when we are triggered with a shock even as an adult. Everybody is different. I really loved this book and it was enjoyable to read from start to finish. I think that I am going to say as little as possible so as not to spoil it for any future reader. I loved this novel and I thought that the author has left me feeling grateful for having this wonderful reading experience that I won't soon forget. I really can't recommend this novel high enough. It is a gem that is unforgettable. One of my favorites of all time for sure.

Publication Date: May 4, 2021

Thank you to Net Galley, Deborah Goodrich Royce and Post Hill Press for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#RubyFalls #DeborahGoodrichRoyce #PostHillPress #NetGalley

3 stars

A dreamlike read with prose that paints vivid imagery, Ruby Falls has moments of brilliant storytelling, but ultimately underwhelming; trapping itself with conventional thriller tropes, instead of heading down a bolder, more original direction.

Comparing Ruby Falls to The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides and Rebecca in its marketing copy is a little pompous, and ultimately not doing itself any favor. In my opinion, the 'final twist' is the novel's weakest link, and even though Rebecca has a constant presence throughout (The protagonist is playing the lead in a new film adaptation), its presence is superficial at best, offering little substantial juxtaposition or correlation to Royce's story. (Same goes with naming each chapter after a movie, when there's no clear association to the happening in the plot.)

If we have to compare Ruby Falls to existing materials, David Lynch's Mulholland Drive and Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper comes to mind (Alice in Wonderland is another contender).

Ruby Falls is at its best when it embraces its hallucinatory quality, painting an alternate, rose-tinted Los Angeles, where the protagonist transverses between a house with kooky cat lady, an antique store in the middle of Hollywood, and the blurring boundary between her shuttered memory, Hollywood make-believe, and an unreliable present.

The plot ultimately leads to a reveal that should be no surprise to domestic thriller enthusiasts, however, such a defining resolution with objective details put all the surrealist build-ups in jeopardy; instead of being satisfied with this book as a metaphoric fever dream of a troubling mind (where things are symbolic and not grounded to common sense), we are forced to re-analyze the preceding events through a new, logic-focused lens, and unfortunately many elements starting to fall apart under such scrutiny.

Ruby Falls should've been a literary fiction with a touch of magic realism, instead of the sleight of hand pivoting to a thriller in its last act, because the only player that got played, is itself.

***This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!***

Soap actress Eleanor Montague knows about reinvention . At age six, Eleanor - known then as Ruby Russell - is left abandoned by her father while on a cave tour in a place called Ruby Falls. Left with only a confusing whispered message, Eleanor spends her childhood and early adult years imagining the reasons her father left and never returned.

As the story begins, we find Eleanor moving to LA with her new husband - a man she married after a whirlwind European romance. They purchase her dream home, she adopts a kitten, and is cast in a reimagining of du Maurier's Rebecca. Soon, though, Eleanor learns that get husband isn't exactly who she thought. As their marriage unravels and the danger grows, Eleanor becomes less and less sure of what's happening and who she can trust.

Overall this is a good read. At times Eleanor's mental dialogue is so frenetic and frantic that it's hard to read, but her fear and confusion are obvious. The twist at the end is surprising, but rushed. So much time is spent building the suspense that when the answers are revealed they are just dumped in your lap and the book ends. Other than that, it's a satisfying story for those who enjoy domestic mysteries.

Ruby Falls, by Deborah Goodrich Royce is a fun psychological thriller, intentionally in the vein of Daphne du Maurier or a Hitchcock film. In fact the chapter names are after movies of the genre. Ruby is a child who left by her father in the dark caves and the waterfall of Ruby Falls. His disappearance has scarred her. As an adult, she becomes an actress who marries quickly and moves into a rose covered cottage with her English husband. Life is but a dream, right? Well, not so fast..
This book is a very quick read and quite enjoyable with the twists and questions constantly popping up. The ending, however felt like a rushed jumble to me. It was not laid our with the same wit and thought as the rest of the book. By then, I felt the author had shown her hand and the ride was all but over.

My thanks to NetGalley and Post Hill Press for the ARC of Ruby Falls in exchange for my honest review.

The ending was great. I had no idea the author was moving in that direction. I read it in 3 days because I would not put it down. I would love to see this author write a sequel to this book.

Ruby Falls is the story of a little girl who was abandoned as a child in the recesses of Ruby Ralls and grows up to become an actress. I’ve been to the falls, and knew exactly of where she speaks; it can be quite claustrophobic in the cavern where the falls are located. Lights out, falls light up beautifully. Lights on, she’s alone and frightened. The trauma affects her so deeply that she functions - somewhat - as an adult, but holding in the trauma for so long has encouraged a descent into madness. Good story, vague due to the nature of the circumstances. It slowly unfolds in a backward way. Very well written. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Being a huge fan of Rebecca, I knew this novel would be great. There are twists and turns around every corner. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Post Hill Press for the ARC.
I was initially attracted to the book because the premise was so intriguing. The narrative is very twisty and unreliable, and it was the question of what happened to Eleanor's father that kept me reading. The connection to Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier was also interesting, and the setting, but I was disappointed by the ending. A lot of the central plot wraps up very quickly towards the end, with a twist that's surprising but unsatisfying, and the actual ending is very abrupt. I feel like there were a lot of elements to deal with that got jumbled and not fully explored.

The haunting of Hill house meets Rebecca with gothic, mysterious vibes, distorted reality theme with unreliable heroine who barely differentiate between reality and nightmares! Yes, bring it on!

High tension, gripping, intriguing, fast paced story line with deliciously well- written, captivating characterization and lots of twists which blow your mind, increasing your excitement levels. This is definitely one sit, unputdownable story, making you question your own reality and giving you a great chance for brain exercise! ( most of my cells are overcooked, smoking right now! But it’s absolutely worth it! )

Here it’s a brief introduction without giving so much away:

Dear six years old Ruby Falls has been abandoned by her own father, trapped in a cave. When her childhood trauma starts affecting her entire future, she decides to reinvent herself by burying her past.

She turns into a soap opera star named Eleanor Russell, marries with a perfect stranger Orlando Montague in Europe, living in a storybook cottage located in Hollywood Hills. And now she has a big chance to play the leading part at the remake of Rebecca (somebody should warn her: Lily James already took the part and had the best one night stand with Chris Evans. Yes, what a lucky cow, isn’t she?)

She seems like finally she has it all. Nope, think again! Because as soon as she mentally immerses herself into her role, she realizes her life turns into exact same movie story as her husband’s manners start to change. It’s too late for her to find our she’s not the only one keeping secrets in this marriage.

I’m zipping my lips and recommending you to take this thrilling, WTH I just read kind of truly surprising ride as I’m giving my four heart throbbing, nail biting, soul crushing stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Post Hill Press for sharing this reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Sweet Dreams are made of this...

Ruby Falls is a novel like no other. Ruby is a little girl who has to grapple with her past to try and protect her future. When she grows up, she reinvents herself into Ellie, an actress with a wonderful new life and the perfect English cottage in Los Angeles. So what could go wrong?

Everything! There are so many secrets and twists in this novel. It is a true horror book that is on the same level of Shirley Jackson’s, The House on Haunted Hill (in my opinion). It’s a great read that leaves you wanting to find out what is going on and what’s the next truth bomb you’re going to find out. All I can say, without spoiling the book, is to just enjoy the ride!

4.5 stars! The reference to Rebecca by du Maurier had me excited and This did not disappoint.
This psychological suspense story kept me trying to figure it out, to no avail. After meeting Miss Ruby, I was trying so hard to help her as she was such a sweet, if not a bit naive character. Her trauma of having her father abandon her as a child seemed so mysterious and trying to piece it together with her unravelling present equally mysterious.
The writing was lovely and kept you in Ruby's steps, though not fully in her person which was perfect. And that last sentence will make perfect sense when you read it, which you should!

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced digital copy.

I didn't finish this particular book because I don't care for steamy scenes in the books that I read (although this was not especially graphic). I think I would have finished it otherwise. I wasn't sure I would like it at first, but I found the plot intriguing and wanted to see what was truly going on in the main character's mind. Was she just a flake, mentally off, or was it something much deeper? The cover is also quite stunning, and eye catching. This book was not my cup of tea, but it might be for other readers!

I really enjoyed this book! Even though a great thriller, it is laced with some humour. It kept me turning the pages right up until the end and I would definitely recommend this book. A good balance of suspense, creepiness and a touch of humour.

Title: Ruby Falls
Author: Deborah Goodrich Royce
Genre: Suspense
Year: 2020
Rating: 4.8/5 stars

I have just finished Deborah Royce's latest work and I can only escribe it in one word...OMG!! It was so so good!!
First If I talk about the writing style, it is absolutely brilliant. Author Royce has done an amazing job presenting the story in the most beautiful way possible. She has successfully created an air of suspense throughout the narrative with the mastery of her art. Another thing I loved the most was the author's eye for detail. The story was amazing and the use of exact words and emotions and the setting together provides an ultimate reading experience.

Overall, I have enjoyed going through it. I highly recommend this work to everyone. Happy Reading

Great page turner that keeps you constantly guessing and wondering what is true, what is reality and what is imagined. Ruby’s fragile character is well done and I loved her mother’s strong and supportive character. The cats were fun, too. Start this when you have lots of time to read because you will want to read until you find answers!

Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

Thriller that really confused me even though the end seemed really obvious looking back!

It’s the story of a woman who’s father leaves her as a child. Then in adulthood she marries and things start to go very weird. Really enjoyed this one and would recommend.

Read through netgalley

#RubyFalls#NetGalley
Review By: I Love to Read (Librarian)
This well written thriller held my interest from the first when a tragic childhood trauma sets the course of a woman's life. Despite many successes in areas of her life, the old haunting experience rears its demanding head blending the lines between reality and fantasy. What is real? What is not? Secrets abound. The most damaging secrets, the ones the heroine keeps from herself. I highly recommend this book. Deborah Goodrich Royce is an author to watch.
I received this advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.