I thought Ruby Lang’s Uptown series first, novella Playing House, pleasant, but slight. Nevertheless, I love Lang’s elegantly irreverent voice and looked forward to a more substantial treatment in Uptown #2, Open House, and got exactly what I was looking for: a layered, sophisticated romance, with likeable, realistic, engaging characters, and depths of feelings like a sinker going at the end of a fishing line. You never know where this light, humourous ethos will take you, but it’ll plump interesting depths along the way. Open House is the story of debt-ridden real-estate associate Magda Ferrer and accountant Tyson Yang. Magda and Tyson find themselves on opposites sides of the garden-fence when he becomes the defender of a geriatrically-occupied, spontaneous (ahem, not exactly legally-sanctioned) Harlem-set community garden as Magda is the agent set to sell it to the highest bidder, or as she puts it “She was going to have to kick a bunch of aunties out of their fucking fairy-tale meadow.”

Spade-in-hand knight-in-chinos-and-t-shirt of grannies and gardens Tyson will go head to head with Magda, except he finds her mesmerizingly beautiful at first sight: “Ty felt himself go very still inside. Maybe he’d stay kneeling and gaze at her forever. That would be nice. The garden needed a statue.” With a sampling of these two pithy quotations, you can see why I think Lang’s writing is the cat’s ass (though I’ll have to wait till #3, Playing House, for a bonafide cat-character).

Lang is a meandering kind of writer: her narrative doesn’t take romance’s straight-and-narrow (meet, conflict, come together, darkest pit of conflict, avowal/clarity/reconciliation, HEA) and that can be both engaging and disappointing if the S-&-N is what you’re looking for. But I like it, though I like the straight-and-narrow too. One of the compellingly original aspects to Lang’s ethos is that every romance is worked out within the context of the hero and heroine’s families.

Oh, the conflicts aren’t huge and dramatic, but they’re painful, real, and long-standing; they stand as authentic, organic impediments to love. In Magda’s case, her status as the baby in her successful, stiflingly overprotective family (two older sisters and a doctor-mother) makes her hyper-conscious of her less-than-successful life at 29: grad-school-dropp-out, culinary academy dropout, shored up debt in the process, now trying desperately to prove herself by selling a) the lot-cum-community-garden b) her widowed uncle’s town-house on Strivers Row. Madga is frazzled, run off her feet, and puts up one of the bravest of fronts. In Tyson’s case, his mother’s death has left him running scared of loss, of attachment because of the loss that might ensue. And yet, Tyson is no alpha-HP-hero, but a soft-hearted, affectionate, caring person. He’s drawn to caring for the aunties; he’s drawn to caring for Magda. He can’t resist taking care of others, shoring them up, empowering them. He’s really really lovely.

Open House may take the enemies-to-lovers trope as its starting-point, but it doesn’t let it define the journey. Magda and Tyson run into each other, but neither fools the other for a moment that he/she isn’t attracted to the other, or that there isn’t genuine respect and liking there. It was refreshing and welcome as a romance ethos. Not all romance can be devil’s food cake, we need a good dose of one of my faves, carrot cake, and frankly, Lang’s writing is the cream-cheese frosting. She sure can set and execute a scene: one typical summer NYC blackout, one chance encounter, one bed … ’nuff said. Tyson and Magda’s revelations are as attractively gentle and yet quietly important as they are: a resolution to be stronger, to stand her ground, to confess her love, to see herself as worthy; a resolution to allow himself to love, to risk his heart, to stay and take a chance on loss. Oh, it’s also sexy as heck and Tyson and Magda are sexy and tender. In this age of lockdown, romance has stood as a good friend and companion to me and Miss Austen. I am very glad we spent a few hours in Lang’s Open House‘s company because therein is “a mind lively and at ease,” Emma.

Ruby Lang’s Open House is published by Carina Press. It was released in November 2019 and may be found at your preferred vendor. I am grateful to Carina Press for an e-galley, via Netgalley.

I really enjoyed this new novella by Ruby Lang. It’s no secret I adore Lang’s voice and her writing style. And the characters definitely drew me in. I liked their chemistry and their constant push and pull, and how conflict and arguments brought them closer while also making them both open up more to each other. And I’m not going to lie, one part I loved especially hard was how community based this romance was. I am a sucker for this kind of romance and the community garden was a highlight of my reading experience in this book.


In general, Open house was a sweet and steamy romance, but with some very serious and current topics mixed in. Out of all the books I’ve read this year that featured different kinds of impacts gentrification has, this one might have been the most focused on individuals as well as communities as a whole. It was a great mixture, and it worked perfectly for me. I am definitely looking forward to reading more in this series and I cannot wait to get Ruby’s books as audiobooks, narrated by the amazing Emily Woo Zeller.

I just finished this cute novella, the second one in the Uptown series. I really enjoyed this story and I devoured it in two sittings because I needed a snack. I really enjoyed the setting and the community feel the story gave as well as the importance of family. Let me tell you, this short novella packs in a lot of themes, such as: community involvement, figuring life out and romance with a dash of steam!⁣

Magda and Ty are great relatable characters. They find themselves on opposite sides of a community garden debacle in Harlem. Ty finds himself as part of the community garden that was created on an abandoned lot. Now the owner wants to sell it and Magda is the realtor that has to disclose the news to the community. Tensions are high, but the chemistry and attraction between Ty and Magda is even greater.⁣

**FULL REVIEW**

Meh.

While I can appreciate the attempt at something original and different, I felt this book lacked something. A spark. Something that captivates the reader...this story just kinda went along without much more than a few punches of a love story and silly family members.

Ending how it did was disappointing too, I was hoping for more of definitive HEA, instead of how it ended...I have questions.

Good points, it’s an easy read. Cute content by way of originality...I will say, I never once pictured it taking place in New York even though the author clearly states as such. It felt nondescript for the location chosen, more like a page from Mary Poppins instead of an actual here-and-now place. (I love Mary Poppins)

Lastly, I enjoyed reading about other cultures and ethnicities in this book. I feel they were well represented and held true to who and how they are, both the community and families. That is what saved the rating, because it was heartwarming. Endearing. Well thought out and executed.

I don’t know if I’ll read another book by this author, but it wasn’t a waste of time to check her out, nor enjoy this quick and light read.

**3 Ain’t No Quitter, Stars**

It was a nice, somewhat subdued city romance. I loved the focus on community, coupled with some interesting and very real family dynamics. I liked how none of the characters are perfect, they have their strengths and weakness and makes mistakes but learn from them. It's not some preachy story, rather, it's about kindness and supporting, uplifting each other.

It's very much focused on unlikely friendships and love connections. all about building, something, creating. I liked seeing the heroine acting like an adult, dealing with very real issues of dealing with dept, struggling professionally. While I loved seeing her as a newbie in her job, I never felt like she settled properly in her job. It never read to me like being a real estate agent was her dream job and despite being good at it, it never felt properly satisfactory to her. I have mixed feelings about this to be honest. Lots of people do a job that they are good at without loving it, but still I would have preferred to see her happier/more optimistic about her career choice.

It's a true enemies-to-lovers, they were literally at the opposite sides of the fence. There was no real hate though, both understood the position of the other. Lots of angst there and a feel-good, working resolution of the conflict.

While I liked the overall writing, I wanted more character development, stronger connection between the MCs, more focus on their romantic relationship. I didn’t really buy the whole plot line with her uncle and his neighbour/classmate. It seemed far-fetched and at odds with the very real, down-to-earth feel of the rest of the book.

This book made me smile, which is hard to do when reading. I loved the characters and their interactions and the swoony romance, it was so sweet.

I really enjoyed this one! The story was captivating as were all the characters besides the main ones. I loved the development between Ty and Magda. 4/5

Ty and Magda were so cute together, I loved their romance and how much they grew and really came into their own — they were wonderful. Open House tugged on my heartstrings, put a smile on my face, and gave me the warm-fuzzies. It was sweet and excellent. A good novella length.

The second book in Lang’s Uptown series really touched me and it made me really love this entire world that she’s created. Magda is a real estate agent with a ton of student debt and self-doubt, which makes me immediately relate to her. She doesn’t really know what she wants in life, but she does know that she wants to prove to her family that she can do this real estate thing. Magda is entrusted to sell her Uncle’s townhouse and it’s not going the greatest. The problem arrives in the form of Tyson, who is trying to block everything about the sale in an effort to save the community garden.
I just loved the emotion in this book, which seems so dry when you put the plot on paper! How is the gentrification of New York City sexy in any way? I have no idea! But Ruby Lang manages it deftly with Tyson and Magda having this delicious tension between them. There is this scene on a roof that is simply…FIRE. This is a longer novella and it’s really the perfect length for this story and it had everything I wanted.

I read Playing House last month and I liked it, so when I was thinking about what to read next, I decided that Open House would be a good option and I was not wrong! It was even better than Playing House and I enjoyed it a lot! Ty and Magda were so cute together, I loved their romance and how much they grew and really came into their own — they were wonderful. Open House tugged on my heartstrings, put a smile on my face, and gave me the warm-fuzzies. It was sweet and excellent — I loved it so much!

~ Sonja, 4.5 Stars

I started this but did not finish it. It wasn't the book for me to read at the time, and I wasn't interested in continuing with the story.

The second book in Lang's new novella series, OPEN HOUSE's enemies to lovers romance is my favorite so far. Quite long for a novella and with a meaty plot, readers who found PLAYING HOUSE a bit brief for their tastes should certainly give this one a try.

2.5 stars
Magda is a realtor in charge of finding a buyer for her (not by blood) Uncle's townhouse. In the midst of it, she's also tasked with finding a buyer for an empty lot. Except it isn't empty. The community has turned it into a garden. She butts heads with Tyson almost immediately and has to deal with him and the other gardeners.
This book is cute and I liked the story overall but I honestly didn't feel a particular connection with any of the characters. It felt sort of paint by the numbers and a safe romance with nothing jumping out at me as being unique. Magda and Tyson may butt heads in the beginning but the passion behind the hate at first sight is missing. There's also not enough build-up from them hating each other to tolerating each other to getting together. It felt out of place for me. The love scenes (multiple) are fine but could use more finessing and sensuality. I felt like I was just reading to just finish the book at one point. The whole story wraps up in a perfect bow and the readers gets their HEA so it works out in the end. It's a quick read that you can get through in one sitting so I'll give it that. I don't think I liked the book enough to give Ruby Lang another chance.

A realistic heartwarming romance. the author does a fantastic job a creating a story that highlights diverse cultures and features real life issues people face. oh and that roof scene was sooo hot!

The two protagonists in Open House by Ruby Lang approach each other from opposite sides of an illegal community garden in Harlem — she is the real estate agent tasked with selling the land, and he is the organizer of the garden. This book is all about “community” — finding your own, creating your own, and appreciating what you have.

Lang writes with warmth and affection — affection for the story and affection for her characters. They are good, dedicated people, who are deciding what is important in life for themselves. I really liked that even at thirty, her characters are discovering who they are. Life is an enquiry no matter your age. If you are in a continual state of evaluation of what your priorities are at each point in your life, you make for yourself a life worth living and enjoying. This is what draws Ty and Magda together in addition to the attraction and other qualities — the ability to identify what is important in life and to ask for it. If you do not make yourself vulnerable and put yourself out there, happiness may never find you. That scene where they open up to each other is worth reading the entire book for.

This was my first book by Lang, and I am already anticipating her February book House Rules, the third book in her Uptown series.

https://frolic.media/book-of-the-week-open-house-by-ruby-lang/

Cute, quick romance. Magda is a woman looking to find who she is - the youngest child in her family, she's gone through several schools/careers but never found her place. Tyson is shy about relationships & trying to start over after losing his mom. When Magda is tasked with selling the plot of land Ty's community garden is on things get complicated & steamy! Nothing too surprising here, just a light romance...nothing wrong with that!

BOOK REVIEW⠀
BOOK: Open House
AUTHOR: Ruby Lang
@ruby.lang⠀

I have previously read and reviewed the first book in this series, Playing House. There is actually a reference to the couple (and scene) from the first book in the beginning of this one. You can definitely read this one as a standalone though.

I was a little disappointed that the characters from the first book didn’t carry through to this one but I enjoyed it anyway. It is definitely a romance novel and pretty straight forward in that genre. The setting is also unique in that it takes place in a community garden. For readers of romance and rom coms.

Short Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Tyson Yang never imagined that one day he’d be the de facto spokesperson for an illegal community garden. But when the once-rat-infested-but-now-thriving Harlem lot goes up for sale, Ty can’t just let all their hard work get plowed under.

Even if he is irresistibly drawn to the lovely but infuriatingly stubborn real estate associate.

Magda Ferrer’s family is already convinced this new job will be yet another flop in her small but growing list of career path failures. But her student debt isn’t going anywhere, and selling her uncle’s historic town house and the lot nearby means a chance to get some breathing room.

Ty is her charming rival, her incorrigible nemesis, the handsome roadblock to her success.

I received this book for review purposes from NetGalley. ⠀

** I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.”
A romance set in a community garden is definitely not something I’ve ever read before. Both characters are adamant that love is not for them because of past experiences.
This book was a quick, easy read with plenty of steam. The characters are interesting and relatable. I really enjoyed the chemistry and plan to go back and read the first book.

<em>Open House</em> is the second book in <a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ruby Lang's</a> <a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Uptown</a> series but it is the first book that I've read by Lang and it won't be the last. She's got a charming writing style that I liked and I enjoyed the romance that blossomed between Ty and Magda. I also liked seeing Ty grow to really love the community garden and see the old ladies in the neighborhood take him under their wing at the same time that he took them all under his protection. I even enjoyed Ty's sister and the relationship that they had between them. Magda's family was a lot harder to like at first but they really did come around and when Magda finally stands up for herself and demands that they treat her like the adult she is, I cheered for her.

Magda was really trying to find herself over the course of this book and even though there were times when I wanted to smack some sense into her, I respected the hell out of her because she was trying. I liked that she understood why her family treated her the way that they did and I really liked how she was putting in the work to make something of herself without any influence from anyone. She was just a normal woman with normal problems that I related to and I connected with her character. Ruby Lang did a great job with Magda's character and I appreciated her efforts.

Ty was another interesting character and even though there were times when I didn't understand his thought processes, I never once hated him. Like Magda, Ty was a normal guy with normal problems and it was easy to relate to the stuff he was dealing with. I enjoyed seeing him come into his own and deal with the issues that have ruled his life so far. It was a nice perk to see him fall in love in a realistic way.

Magda and Ty had great chemistry and they were awesome on their own but better together. I enjoyed seeing them grow closer, and then battle to figure out how to be together with the different things in their lives that were pulling them apart. It wasn't always easy for them because he was trying to save a garden that was on a lot that she was trying to sell. There's some push and pull and while that was bothersome, they figure it out and all is well that ends well so even though I spent some time in this book rolling my eyes around the room, Ruby Lang still wrote a fun romance and I was still invested in what happened to everyone so all in all, this was a solid read. I recommend.

3.5 out of 5

Thank you @NetGalley and #carinapress for sending me this Advance Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. (Release Date | 11 November 2019)

SYNOPSIS | Magda Ferrer is a real estate agent who has been put in charge of selling her uncles multi-million dollar townhouse in Harlem, NY. Whilst doing this, she has also been tasked with selling an open lot which has been illegally taken over by a group of locals to create an urban garden. One of the locals is Tyson Yang who although is handsome & charming is also her nemesis to securing the sale.

MY THOUGHTS | I requested this ARC from Netgalley not realizing that it was the 2nd in a series, so obviously I had to purchase the first book too (Playing House). Now that I've read them both I can confidently say that you don't need to read the 1st to enjoy the 2nd (although you will understand the cameo in the first chapter a lot better if you do). I will start by saying that I much preferred this to the 1st book in the series. While the attraction was still very insta-love, I felt like as a reader we got to witness the two main characters falling in love a bit more and this helped me to understand their motivations and drivers. However, I still didn't root for the romance and did not feel invested in the relationship, if they managed to keep the garden or if the town house was actually sold.