Brunch At Ruby's

Brunch At Ruby's by D.L. White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SYNOPSIS
Ruby's Soul Food Cafe has been the neighborhood hot spot their whole lives, so it's only fitting that Ruby's is where Debra, Maxine and Renee meet monthly to do what girlfriends do-- eat, drink and offer unsolicited advice on life and love. 

Debra Macklin has it all: a successful career, a long marriage and a happy 12 year old daughter. But she’s hiding a secret that could not only shatter her perfect image, but destroy her marriage and career. When her secret is spilled, Debra is poised to lose everything she holds dear.

Maxine Donovan is a self made woman but despite all she earns and owns, she’s on a constant quest for Mr. Right. Handsome, aloof Malcolm Brooks might just be The One, but when Malcolm's attention turns toward her friend instead, Maxine is ready to risk a strong bond to fight for him.

Renee Gladwell left a lucrative job and a handsome boyfriend to nurse her father and Gladwell Books back to health. A temporary stay has turned into four years of struggling with Alzheimer’s and a family owned bookstore that is in no shape to sell. Renee is in limbo, caring for a man who is slowly forgetting his past—including her. When she meets Malcolm Brooks, her life brightens, but is love worth risking a friendship?

Brunch at Ruby’s is a funny, inspiring, soulful look into lifelong bonds that bend but never break.

BOOK REVIEW

This was a tale of three lifelong friends who were faced with some very relatable challenges. While they (Maxine, Debra & Renee) were immature in their way of thinking and it came across in their actions and reactions in adult situations, the situations were relatable to me. The author did such an excellent job of creating and developing the characters that she elicited some very strong reactions from this reader. For example, I was appalled at Maxine's severe reaction to seeing Renee and Malcolm on a date while she was on a date herself. It was so over the top and ridiculous for an adult woman that it expertly displayed her narcissistic behavior. Debra didn't take responsibility for her actions and seemed shocked that her husband was bitter. Yes, He was at fault as well and didn't own up to it, but her denial game was strong. I liked that this storyline was a different take on adultery and had the woman at fault instead of the usual.

This was a relatable and entertaining listening. The characters, while not likable per se, were interesting. The story flowed very well. The author placed the characters, a narcissist, an adulterer in denial and weakling, real-life situations. The audio production was well done. The narrator did a great job of giving voice to the characters.


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