Ruth is a widow who has been made redundant and spends her days babysitting other people’s small children.
She is set in her ways and does not like anything to change her routine.
When her estranged younger sister reaches out for her help Ruth is not happy and feels that she is being used but she decides to go along with it anyway.
I really enjoyed this book and though Ruth was a great character
A feel good story about second chances.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my e- copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth, a 70-something retiree who cares for young children, is set in her life. It’s a bit stagnant with grief, and the adherence to a strict schedule. But life keeps moving and this showcases Ruth’s evolution.

Character development is strong but the final quarter of the book didn’t come together in a way that made sense to me, and this affected my overall enjoyment of the story.


**I also really want to know where on earth a grocery store is priced so that you can purchase Pull-Ups, yogurt cups, and juice boxes for $11.21?!?!



Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC

The Autumn of Ruth Winters by Marshall Fine

Ruth Winters is retired, widowed and set in her ways, preferring the company of the young children she babysits for than adults. But Ruth's life is about to change in light of a request from her estranged sister Veronica, an announcement from her niece Chloe and a high school reunion.

What a fabulous book, I loved it! Really loved Ruth - the perfect mix of acerbic and vulnerable - and her relationship with Ronnie and Chloe. You're never too old and it's not too late! Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

For the past few months, me and my husband have had several moments that made us stop and realise exactly how old we are. My husband observed to a worker at the local recycling centre that it’s really changed these days, the workers are knowledgable and actually want to help. She asked when it was he’d last visited and he said around the millennium. She then destroyed him by explaining she wasn’t even born then. I then had a moment of horror when my stepdaughter asked when I first saw Blur in concert and I realised it was thirty years ago! We’re not decrepit, we’ve got a few adventures left in us but we did realise that those adventures might be a little more sedate and that the idea of the patter of tiny feet will now be grandchildren. With these feelings in mind, I was quite drawn to the idea of a Bildungsroman featuring a woman in her sixties.I firmly believe that life has seasons and if this is autumn, I guessed we’d be looking at someone surveying their life and taking stock. Yet this is so much more.

Ruth Winters is retired, widowed and set in her ways. I rather like eccentric or curmudgeonly characters and Ruth is certainly quirky. She has a suburban life with a set routine that she follows obsessively. She often keeps her distance from others, using her routine as a barrier against getting to know them. She’s sharp tongued too, especially when it comes to Marvel movies and her sister. We take a journey with Ruth here and the catalyst isn’t just one thing; her niece makes a huge announcement, an unexpected old flame gets in touch, and her estranged sister’s news is life altering. This means Ruth must reconnect with people she’d accepted she would never see again and now she has to rethink what she thought her life would be. One thing is for sure, Ruth’s routine has gone to pot! It reminded me of the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where instead of throwing a broken vase out, gold is used in glue to to put it back together and make it even more beautiful. In fact the whole message of this art is that just because something is broken, it doesn’t mean it isn’t beautiful. It was amazing to think that Ruth might be able to adventure and change her life.

I loved going through Ruth’s memories and seeing the person she used to be. She’s witty and clearly still has those attributes, despite developing a barrier between herself and others. All of those layers - avoidance, grumpiness, sticking to routine - are there to prevent more pain and sadness. I wanted her to be more open and invite people in. We become old when we opt out of life, because learning new things, meeting new people and adopting new skills are all things that keep us connected to others and the world. They also keep us invested in the here and now. If she becomes open to people and new experience, she might just see life blossom. This author understands that in the minutiae of someone’s existence we can find the extraordinary within what seem to be perfectly ordinary lives.

3.5 stars

This was an enjoyable read, but considering the subject matter, I felt there was an absence of real emotion - and as such there was a disconnect for me. The ending was not satisfying for this reader but instead felt rather hurried and abrupt.

Otherwise, it was an entertaining read.

4.5 stars rounded up. Ruth Winters is a change-averse, no-nonsense retiree and widow who finds herself reconnecting with people she thought she’d never welcome in her life again.

I’m a millennial, but I felt like I connected to Ruth very quickly, in a “my kind of people” kind of way (minus her ageism against her new doctor). I found her soft spot for children endearing, and I loved that she treats them with patience and respect. Before I knew it, was fully immersed in Ruth’s journey of navigating all the unexpected changes in her life and finding happiness. Her reconciliation with her estranged sister was touching, and I was glad they got to spend what was left of their time together. I was also pleasantly surprised by the romance! The letters exchanged between Ruth and her high school sweetheart were a joy to read (well, ok, they are emails but they read like letters - in a good way)! I would definitely be interested in reading other works by this author. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

(3.5 stars!)

Reminiscent of reads like A Man Called Ove, The Autumn of Ruth Winters follows a no nonsense retiree who finds in grief and second chances a new lease on life.

This was a fine read. I enjoyed Ruth and the premise overall. Although it's unfortunate how long it took, I'm glad Ruth could move past old hurts and begin truly enjoying herself and her life.

I will say I struggled with some parts of this read. It felt pretty obvious this was written by a man. It also lacked a level of emotion and nuance I expected given the premise and concepts presented. With a doubt, I rooted for Ruth, but there was a disconnect. The ending was also a bit abrupt. Felt like we focused more on the past when I would've preferred a more elongated ending as a trade off.

Overall, a nice quick contemporary fiction read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

When I first realized Marshall Fine, a male, had written "The Autumn of Ruth Winters" from a female point of view and third person omniscient at that, I knew I was in for a ride. Not since I had read the short story, "The First Day" by Edward P. Jones did I experience such a feat done as smoothly and seamlessly.

On top of that, Fine tackles two themes about siblings: 1. Being free to let other people clean up your messes doesn't necessarily make you free, and 2. If two sparing siblings work out their grudges, they're more likely to move forward.

Through one of two reunions in this book, sisters trying to work out their differences before it's too late, and a fiftieth class reunion, Ruth Winters is able to face the world with anticipation instead of forgone conclusions and tired expectations.

I was afraid that this story would be entirely about Ruth meeting her Prince Charming. Instead, the story was about Ruth doing some heavy lifting in order to be able to recognize Prince Charming should he appear.

A decided departure from Marshall Fine's previous work.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Press for this advance copy.

A lovely heartwarming story about an older woman learning that it's never too late to change and grow. While the story felt fairly predictable at points, it a comforting story that I would recommend to any readers looking for an impactful read.

In a style. Similar to Elizabeth Strout, Marshall Fine tells the story of Ruth Winter. What seems to be her mid-Western pragmatism is really old hurts cloaked in a sense of just settling. A series of events, both good and bad, change all that for her. The characters are beautifully developed and I kept wanting to cheer for all of them.

I am French so I am sorry if my English is not good enough.

I have just finished this book and it was nice. I appreciated Ruth personality and her kindness. But I don’t like the flashbacks. They were boring.

This b00k is a wonderful reminder that it is never to late in life to choose joy and find peace. I loved how the character expressed how they saw each other only to find it was not how the others thought they were seen. I would have liked the ending to lead further down the road to happiness.

This was not one of the genres I would usually read, but I found it to be a satisfying story. Good character development, and I liked that the main character was rather quirky and seemed possibly neurodivergent. It seemed like a character and story arc that many older women could relate to. I enjoyed it!

Ruth is a 70-ish widow (The timelines are fluid and you can drive yourself crazy trying to figure out exactly what year it was or what songs were popular when or when cellphones became part of you so don't even try.). She baby sits to earn some extra money, is estranged from her sister and has had a self-sacrificing and difficult life.

The moral, if there is one, is that it's never too late to discover (or re-discover) who you are and that as long as you are alive, almost anything is possible. And even a Cinderella story can be in your future. That is the drawback of this very fine novel. Can a happy ending really result from a painful, boring and introverted life? ; Marshall Fine says yes and can maybe convince you that it is. The scenes with Veronica, Ruth's sister's illness and death are heartbreaking and real. The 5th high school class reunion not so much. Still, The Autumn of Ruth Winters is worth a read.

Thanks to Net Galley and Lake Union Press for a chance to read this ARC copy.

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book.
I was hooked into Ruths's story from the beginning but then something happened and what was a totally believable plot became a bit, well, unbelievable and then I turned the page and the story ended so abruptly that 3had to check I hadn't made a mistake.
A promising start turned into a bit of a disappointment.
Thanks to Netgalley.

While this book isn't something I would necessarily read, I enjoyed the transformation of lonely (though she didn't realize it) Ruth Winters into someone who became compassionate and collected a few friends/relatives along the way. I can't say I loved the book and I felt the ending was abrupt, but if you're looking for a read similar to A Man Called Ove, then give this one a try.

I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A witty, enduring, sweet story about an quirky, aging widow facing the second part of her life. Ruth Winters is forced to confront past regrets, complicated familial relationships and paths she didn’t take in this charming book by Marshall Fine.

Admittedly this novel is out of my genre but I was throughly entertained. Fine has managed to create one of the most lovable curmudgeons.

Easy read, good paced plot, relatable characters with depth and emotion in a story with an important message about Life. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Union Lake Publishing for letting me read this advanced readers copy.

Ruth was an unique FMC and reading her story was exceptional. I liked the adversity she faced. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Well done!

I was hooked in the beginning of the book but felt it got a little slower and did more telling than showing throughout the rest of it.

When I started book I didn’t look at authors name so was surprised when I got to the authors photo at the end, it was a man.
Book had good female characters and was well written, quite an easy read and I enjoyed it.