I love a good story about lifelong friends experiencing the ups and downs of life. Brunch at Ruby’s is no exception. The book centers three thirty-something year old women who’ve experienced myriad ups and downs of life, and share it over a meal at one of Atlanta’s beloved diners.
Renee left the nest but came back to care for an ailing father. Debra is a married mother who finds herself embroiled in a scandal at her school. And Maxine is an upwardly mobile real estate mogul who just wants to find her match.
Brunch at Ruby’s stands out to me because as much as this book is a romance, it’s about so much more. The complexities of life, love, and career all play out in different ways for the three women. Even their friendship is complex. There’s an honesty here about the unspoken challenges of adulthood and it plays out differently for each of the three women.
I had such conflicted feelings about the main characters while reading this book. So often books are written to make the reader root for the main characters simply because they’re the focus. With this book, however, you see the good, bad, and ugly with Renee, Debra, and Maxine. It was clear that they all held some culpability in their circumstances, even when they weren’t willing to take responsibility. White’s ability to craft characters with depth and realism was central to making this book so compelling.
Aside from how they were portrayed, the story itself was hard to put down. The drama was high, as was the anxiety about how each woman’s situation would unfold. There was even angst about whether their friendship would be able to withstand the issues they all faced. While I couldn’t personally relate to every aspect of their situations, I could take out bits and pieces of experiences I had or those close to me had endured. And for that reason, it was easy to become invested in Renee, Debra, and Maxine as they worked to figure things out.
To say I recommend this book is obvious. I couldn’t put it down. It’s clear that White sets the stage for future books in this series, so I look forward to seeing what comes next.
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Reviews with images
Emotional & wonderful
Gah! What a wonderful and emotional ride. This spans a year in the life of three friends in their late 30s.I think the realism comes from how imperfect each of these women are. They are in difficult situations, at times from their own poor or misguided decisions, sometimes from the normal trials of life. Debra having an affair and Maxine’s self centeredness were particularly laborious to sympathize with. However, I liked the way White helped them grow and move beyond themselves. Renee is balancing her father’s Alzheimer’s with creating a new and unexpected life.While there are satisfying love stories for each of these women – this is really about their own personal identity and friendship. Terrific mix of grief, joy, anger, laughs, defeat, and triumph.Narration:Overall, I enjoyed Sharell Palmer’s narration. I would have liked more distinction between the various character’s voices. That said, I did like her performance of the banter and emotions.
Top reviews from other countries
Amazon Customer
Loved everything about this book!
Reviewed in Canada on August 7, 2019Murrow Mulberry.
A Worthwhile Read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 23, 2020