Ruby Falls by Deborah Goodrich Royce was a book that was marketed to be something that it was not. The book was said to be homage to Rebecca, and aside from Ellie playing Rebecca in a movie it was nothing like it. This book wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t what I was expecting when I saw it had been compared to the Silent Patient. 

This book explored the life of Eleanor Ruby Russell, a girl who was left in a cave by her father as a child. She predictably has trauma from that and a recurring plot line is her memories of that event. In the beginning of the book, Ellie seemed like a standard dumb blonde who had the luck to be a soap star. I put the book down because I couldn’t stomach such a flat character and it was not what I wanted to read. A few days later I picked it back up, and managed to finish. The ending has a twist that I saw coming from miles away.

 I am ambivalent about this book. There were no plot holes or glaring errors,  but the story failed to grab me and make me want to know what happened next. It was a solid book, but nothing outstanding. I do not feel like this book deserved to be compared to the Silent Patient, and other works of that stature. 

This book did have enjoyable side characters. The author created well written, and well plotted side characters that were ultimately the reason why I picked the book back up. 

This book was well plotted and although the ending was predictable I appreciate how hard the author tried. 

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Post Hill Press in exchange for my honest review from Net Galley.  The opinions shared in this review are my own.

I really loved this book. I'm not familiar with Rebecca, so I cannot compare the two. My heart was absolutely racing from 70% on. I had no idea about the twist and was pleasantly surprised as I usually guess twists (I expected something completely different!). Thank you for giving me one of the best books I've read so far this year. Cannot wait for this to hit stands!

First of all let's take a moment to really appreciate this stunning cover. Gorgeous! 😍

1968

Eleanor Ruby Russell was only 6 years old when her father abandoned her inside a cave called Ruby Falls. This has haunted her her entire life leaving her with two questions. Why didn't her father love her? Why is she so unlovable?

1989

Ruby, now Ellie, has become a soap opera actress. Unfortunately her character gets written off the show but not all is lost. She flies out to Zurich and meets Orlando Montague and after only 6 months finds herself married to this charismatic man. How lucky she is! They decide to move to the Hollywood Hills where Ellie lands herself a movie role in an upcoming adaptation of Rebecca.

A six month relationship that leads to marriage is a whirlwind to be sure but is it possible that she doesn't really know her husband? You better believe it!

What a well written and immersive book this is. The atmosphere and tone Royce set is just beautiful. I adored Ruby / Ellie as a character. Was she naïve? Sure, but she was so relatable and likable that I didn't think of her as weak. I was just as confused as her trying to figure things out. The ending did surprise me as a couple of revelations caught me completely by surprise. My one complaint was what happened to her father. That part seemed a bit of a stretch in believability terms but to say more would spoil things so I'll zip my lips. All in all I really enjoyed this gothic tale and I look forward to more work by this author. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Post Hill Press for my digital ARC.

Utterly predictable, this book offers not much new.  A glaring error:  when Ruby is abandoned by her father at Ruby Falls and her mother is asked to identify her, she describes exactly what she is wearing; however, later in the book, Ruby recalls that her mother was sleeping when she left with her father and she dressed herself.  I didn't find the book at all compelling.

I think this could be the next Gone Girl! It really enjoyed how the author played with my mind, I read in 2 days. There was a little unevenness in the storytelling and a few things were confusing, but the ending redeemed it all.

3.3 Stars 

The premise was exciting at its best, and I was delighted to get an ARC of the book. Ruby Falls is the story of Ruby/ Eleanor, a 26yo actress. It deals with her past where her father leaves her alone at Ruby Falls and leaves, never to come back. 
Twenty years later, Eleanor is happily married to a stranger, Orlando Montague, and they move to LA for a fresh start. The story is narrated by Eleanor or Ellie, and we see how things are not what they seem. 
What has happened? What is happening? Who is the victim? Who is the culprit? These questions need answers, and the book tries to work them out. 
The descriptions are vivid. The setting is clear, and it was easy to visualize the scenes unfold as I read. Trying to get into Ellie’s mind was a fun exercise until towards the end. The book, as such, held a lot of promise. 
Ellie grows up with psychological problems due to her father’s actions. It makes her a highly intriguing narrator if we can ignore the constant rambling (I confess I did find it hard to not roll my eyes at some of her ramblings). 
Still, the plot keeps us hooked. It makes us want to know what had happened. We do get answers, but then, the ending just falls flat on the face. Literally. I should’ve guessed when the book was compared to The Silent Patient. 
What could have been a wow moment turned into a ‘duh’ moment as the twist resulted in more questions that had no proper explanation in the story. There sure are subtle references to justify the twist, but the overall storyline doesn’t add up. 
Considering that the book just ended without proper closure, the explanation in the previous pages seems more like an easy way out of a complex story rather than offering any real solution. What started as a 4+ story ended up with less than 3.5 stars because of this. 
Overall, the book deals with some important topics of parental abandonment and lack of love from family, but that’s it. Readers who love to read stories with ‘punch in your face’ or ‘pull the rug’ twists are going to enjoy this one. It just isn’t for me. 
Thank you, NetGalley and Post Hill Press, for the ARC copy. I am voluntarily leaving a review. 
#NetGalley

Ruby Falls by Deborah Goodrich Royce is promoted as a psychological thriller. I enjoy reading thrillers and especially when the plot proves nothing is as it seems. In Ruby Falls, Eleanor 'Ruby' Russell is abandoned by her father at age six as they are watching the falls in an underground cave. When the lights are turned off a few seconds for drama inside the cave at beautiful Ruby Falls, Tennessee, Ruby's father lets go of her hand and disappears. She lives her life wondering what happened to her father. Little Ruby is traumatized by this and refuses to talk for six months. One of her first spoken commands is that she no longer wants to be called Ruby, she will only answer to the name of Elleanor.
The story picks up twenty years later and is narrated by Elleanor while she is on her honeymoon. I do not want to post spoilers, but I will say I was disappointed when I finished the book. While reading the book, I would need to go back and check if I had missed something. The reader is never given the true facts of Ellie's memories, life, and events in the correct sequence. The only villain or the reason for the psychological element is Ellie herself. I felt incredibly sad when I had finished reading the book. 
Publication Date: May 4, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed this. The 2 storylines made for compelling reading. An unreliable yet glamorous young woman tells her story of how she was abandoned as a child and of her new marriage to her whirlwind romance. As Ruby descended into chaos, I only felt more for her. She stayed with me long after the book was finished. A brilliant mystery and thriller with a satisfying but devastating ending.

This book was a quick read for me, but I felt unsettled the whole time. Which actually, I think, means that it was successful, as that was the same way the protagonist throughout the book. I really enjoyed it, and couldn't put it down because I was so anxious to see what would happen next, but was disappointed by the ending. I felt that it was somewhat predictable and a bit sloppy- I was expecting something along these lines, but I felt it could have been done with more finesse. I must also admit to the fact that I've never read Rebecca, which may have helped with my appreciation of this book. 

*I was provided with an advance copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review*

It was a good read which captivates the reader. I read it in one sitting. The ending was predictable I guess but it still was good

A well written novel that will captivate many readers. 

I was engaged from the very beginning and could not stop until I was finished. Although some reviewers thought the ending was predictable, I for one did not see it coming. 
This was a great snowy day read that will keep you thinking during the entire novel with its complex characters, twists, and fast paced story.

Ruby Falls was a well-intentioned thriller, written with such vivid imagery it was easy to get lost in the story. Eleanor Ruby Russell was an easy character to relate to; her trauma and anxiety all the way to her hopes and dreams are so human and humbling. I did find the story a tad confusing at times, the skipping between present  and past could have been more obviously transitioned and smoother. The relationship between the characters was clunky as well and genuinely didn't make sense until the last 5 pages. The felt like the first and last couple chapters of the book were spectacular compared to the middle, which could have used some more work rounding it out. Overall, I enjoyed this read and thought the story was compelling.

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

The premise of this book is interesting and the story quite original. I just found both the writing style and the charters somewhat difficult to relate to. The pace was meandering, and I felt that the story structure could have been tightened up a bit.

This is a slow moving novel. The description drew me in and the European settings are always a draw. The embedded foreign language sprinkled here and there however I found distracting, and off-putting, and this is coming from a bilingual individual. The tone of speech is also too polished and urbane to be believable between a married couple, even newly married.  Sort of an annoying pseudo-intellectual vibe in the dialogue that is a hard sell for my literary tastes.

I could not get into this one at all, unfortunately. I would possibly consider returning to it after reading Rebecca.

My first 2 day read of 2021 and it was a great one! 
When I started reading, I got confused a couple times as the POV switches up and I had to stop and say wait - is this now or previous time - but I got the hang of the flow and once I did I couldn't stop! 
Meet Ruby, she was left by her dad in a cave when young and never really recovered from the abandonment. She changed her identity, and tried to carry on, but as the reader finds out, that was quite challenging. 
The twists and turns in this one are unreal - and I daresay i did not see most coming which is always good. 
This is one that will stay with you after you get through it and a great way to start my year! 
Thankful for the ARC!

Cleverly constructed mystery about a young actress haunted by the disappearance of her father who vanished when she was just a child. Clues left for the reader in the chapter titles which give them the chance to be a detective. Tribute to Hollywood movies with a taste of Gothic tropes. Absorbing and atmospheric with a twist in its tale.

Readers have compared this novel to bestsellers like The Silent Patient; I'm afraid I have to disagree. The writing style was riveting, no doubt. But the plot definitely needed more than it offered. In the end, I felt like all the running around the infinite maze was for nothing. 
The author did successfully keep my attention till the end through her creative writing style. It was easy to understand. The pace of the writing was leisurely. She kept the reader guessing as to what might be the truth and what might not be. Whom to trust and whom not to. 
Eleanor Rusell, the central character, was portrayed very well. She evoked pity, sympathy, and tinge of sadness in the readers. Orlando was despicable, right from the start when he decided about canceling Thanksgiving with Ellie’s mom. Howard, Ellie’s agent, was just too sweet to be believable, and Mindy, hmm, I can’t really decide about her. She had that insignificant role to play, although she later turned out to be pivotal in the story. 
Frankly, I feel like I have to re-read the book to fit in all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. But I won't because it's worth only one read. It’s too simple an ending for a well-spun tale. I expected something more, in terms of a final twist or maybe something about the secret code or even something other than pure madness. So I guess I have mixed feelings for the novel.
I feel a little dazed and discontent after finishing this book. I have some unanswered questions after having finished the book, and so I will rate it only three stars. You may read it just for a different take on the classic Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier. But there’s really no comparison. 
Thrillers fans may give it a try. A forgettable book.

I just could not connect with this story... The premise intrigued me, and the opening held promise - but I very quickly found Eleanor/Ruby irritating rather than interesting, and I realized after a while that I just honestly didn't care what was going to happen to her or what had happened to her father, at which point I knew this just wasn't the book for me... 

There was nothing I could point to as wrong with it, it just didn't resonate for me  Other readers seem to like it though, so definitely read several reviews and give it your own look before deciding whether to pick this one up... But for me, it just wasn't a good fit.