Ruby Devereaux is an elderly author who owes another book on her contract. It is the difficult task of Marina Keeve, her agent, to convince her to produce just one more work and, finally, she agrees to tell the story of her life. Jude Dempsey is employed, to help her with the typing and cooking and the pair settle down so Ruby can begin.

In this fictional memoir, Ruby tells the story through her relationships with twelve men. She begins in 1947 with her relationship with art student, Michael, and then each man takes her through a stage of her life and of the history of the twentieth century. From New York, to Saigon, through London and Venice and Budapest, Ruby tells of the Cold War, Vietnam, the Swinging Sixties and much more.

This is a very enjoyable read and a clever way of making history personal. Ruby is a lovely character and, what is more, both she – and the author – are, like me, Beatles fans. This would be a good choice for a reading group, as it has so much to discuss. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

When 90-year old Ruby Devereaux is told by her publisher she must write one more book to fulfill her contract obligation or potentially face the legal consequences, Ruby sets out to tell the long-awaited memoir of her mostly illustrious, sometimes sketchy, always entertaining life. As her arthritic fingers are beyond their capacity to type such a long manuscript, Jude, a young student, is hired for the job. As Jude and Ruby begin to form an unlikely, if not unusual bond, Ruby pours out the story of the twelve men who have shaped her life. From the cousin she shouldn’t have known ‘in that way,’ to the loss of the love her life, to the spy, and her son, Ruby divulges all while secretly hoping to save her young scribe from himself. When the last chapter is all that is left, Ruby is dumbstruck by her publisher’s revelation that no one (including this reader) saw coming.

This book is one of those I feel I need to break my comments into two parts: The book and the writing.

The book is good, beyond good, very good, better than most good. Ruby is a hoot. She’s fresh, feisty, independent, witty, carefree (read doesn’t give a *bleep* about what anyone things), and is looked at as much more of a writer than she gives herself credit for. As for it being scandalous, the only thing truly scandalous is that some may think her 12 men are nearly a dozen too many. I for one, thought it refreshing to see someone write about a woman’s escapades rather than keeping the female boxed into a moral one or two lovers.

As for the writing - have your dictionary or your Google close at hand while reading this one. I absolutely LOVE that Mandy Robotham did not dumb down her prose for the reader. I guaranty, there will be more than one word or turn of phrase you will learn from this one; why don’t more authors write this way? The flow of the sentences, the clever descriptions, again, the broad usage of language took what may otherwise have been a more average book to another level. Well done, Mandy Robotham. I will look for more of your work.

Thank you to NetGalley, Head of Zeus and Aria & Aries for this advanced reader copy. All views are my own and unpaid.

I really enjoyed reading this and Ruby's character is instantly warming. Overall a great quick read.

What a lovely read! We read along as famous author Ruby Deveraux finally writes her memoir and her life is every bit as exciting as you would want. While most of the chapters are about Ruby's adventerous past, some are in the present and follow both her publisher Marina and Ruby herself in her nineties.

The characters in this book are so easy to love and the stories that Ruby tells are absolutely charming and thrilling at times. At many points in the book, I wished that I either knew someone with stories as fun as Ruby's or that I could have a life half as interesting!

Will be recommending this one to purchase for my library!

FROM THE COVER📖

Everyone knows Ruby Devereaux’s books. But no one knows her story… until now.
From wartime England to modern day London, via New York, Berlin and Vietnam, moving between parties, scandals and conflict zones, and of course, meeting many men along the way, Ruby Devereaux has lived one hell of a life. And in a writing career spanning seven decades, she’s poured it all into her work.
But now in her 80s, Ruby’s life has slowed down, and her typewriter has been put away. Until a call from her publisher persuades Ruby she has one more book in her. Her agent Marina is under no illusion that Ruby is writing her memoirs for the money… but even now, Ruby has the power to surprise – and whatever Ruby does, she does on her own terms.
But is Ruby really about to reveal the secrets of her infamous life?
Taking the reader on a rollercoaster ride through the latter half of the 20th Century, Ruby Devereaux is a mesmerising story of one unforgettable woman’s place in an ever-changing world.


REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you for allowing me to review this wonderful book it was like sunshine on a cloudy day.

This is wonderful book spanning decades of history told though the many man that have impacted and shaped the marvellous Ruby. Told as if you were reading Ruby’s memoir in the first person POV and a few chapters told the 3rd the book takes you a journey though the ages told with quick wit humour and a tender heart. Great story reflecting on how we age, what makes us and the secrets we keep.

Reminded me of the Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo but not as deep or well written but much more fun

Fabulous, uplifting, smart with loads sentiment, tears and most of all laughs.

A book that will make you smile

Wow, Ruby.......what a character and what a life!!
Ruby, an author, is in her nineties and has reluctantly agreed to write her memoirs with some help from a young man called Jude.
Ruby's life story is told through twelve men who have featured in her life.......and what a life she has lived! As a writer, Ruby was present during some of the biggest historic events including the Vietnam War, the Cold War and the swinging sixties.
I loved Ruby. . What a character- determined, free-thinking but also vulnerable. She really came to life on the page and the tales she tells are truly captivating. I liked the way the author has written the book- as Ruby has her memoir- where each chapter is dedicated to Ruby's story with one of the men in her life.
By the end of the book I grew to love Ruby, as if she was someone I had actually met in real life. A fab read!

This book was heart-warming and a delightful view on aging. Ruby is a lovable, interesting character who has a very entertaining life story! This story takes you through her life based around the significant men in her story. It was touching and emotional, as well as funny and not what you would expect from when you are first introduced to her! I found at times it moved slightly too fast, but that also helped to build the character of Ruby as the narrator. It was reminiscent of the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - if you liked that, you will enjoy this!
Thank you Net Galley and Aria & Aries for this ARC.

Can I just start this review by saying this book is perfect. Absolutely, all-consuming, 100% perfection. Just everything about it. It was enticing and had me hooked from the very start to the very end.

It is a book within a book and Mandy has managed it so well that it just feels right, like it couldn't have been written in any other way.

I adore Ruby. I adored her from the very first moment. She is 90, her own woman with her own voice, and she's unapologetic about it. She felt like a ruder - maybe not ruder....blunter version of everyone's beloved nan, and I am here for it!

For a woman who grew up throughout the 20th Century, especially in decades where women were meant to be subservient to men, Ruby stands up for herself. She knows what she likes and what she wants, and isn't going to answer to any man. Which I know sounds a bit contradictory, considering that she often writes about the men from her past. But that's okay too. Men are often applauded (throughout history) of having many notches on their bedpost, but women, even today, are often judged for the same. And this was just one reason why I loved her so passionately.

I know we are technically reading Ruby's words, not Mandy's, but whosever they are, they read like poetry, like silk off the page. It's lyrical and poetic and beautiful.

It is like reading a memoir, but of a real person, and now I want to find out more about her, just like if Ruby was a real person and not just fictional, and I'm sad that I won't get any more from her.

it was a lot more moving than I thought it would be. I don't know what I was expecting, but Ruby Devereaux ha been through some things, let me tell you. I often found myself tearing up, but not only at the sadder moments. I found it emotional in all ways, and I celebrated Ruby's joys and mourned Ruby's losses.

It's really inspirational. Okay, so Ruby is this prolific, successful author with many books under he belt, whereas I have approximately zero under mine. But there was just something about Ruby and her passion for words and the way Mandy has created her, that has inspired me to get my notebook out again and start making sense of my scribbles.

I'm so sad I've finished it. It's one of the most joyous reads I've had the pleasure to read. I'm not ready to leave Ruby, and whilst I rarely reread books nowadays, I could easily read this again and again, back to back. It is definitely going to be one of my most recommended books of 2024.

I was drawn into this book by the description of the protagonist, Ruby, and I'm so glad I was! We're taken through a journey of Ruby's life through her relationships with twelve different men spanning over seventy years and it is quite a ride from start to finish.


I loved Ruby's personality, her self-confidence and her ability to tell it like it is. The different men we meet are all painted vividly and fully and while it seems far fetched for one woman to have gone through all of this, it never felt like fantasy - if it was going to happen to anyone it was going to be Ruby Devereaux. The historical landscapes of the book are always well painted and I learnt lots about time periods I know very little about.


There are some highs and lows in the book and one part in particular may be very upsetting for some people.


If you're a fan of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Lessons in Chemistry then I think you'll enjoy this book.


Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

Thank you to @netgalley and @AriaAndAries for this ARC. Ruby, an accomplish author is under contract to finish one more book. At the age of 90, she thought it best, with help of a typist, to write a memoir of her scandalous life with twelve different men. Each chapter she loving writes about the love and loss she has had during her 90 years. I love this book. I couldn't put it down and it left me wanting to read about the next man. I have read 5 other books by Mandy Robotham and they just keep getting better and better. Do yourself a favor and pre-order this one for just $2.99 #TheScandoulousLifeofRubyDevereaux #MandyRobotham #Jan2024 #AriaAndAries

A Delight..
Quite apart from the glorious cover, this book is an absolute reading joy. Meet Ruby Devereaux, nonagenarian
author extraordinaire. Ruby is eccentric, delicious and, most of all, Ruby is determined to live life on her own terms. When her agent advises that her publisher is demanding one more book as per her contract, Ruby eventually agrees to write her long awaited memoir. This will be a memoir like no other. In a slap to the publisher and to her agents utter delight, Ruby’s memoir will be her life in men. Beautifully done, bubbling over with wonderful characters - not least the delightfully straight talking Ruby- and wholly immersive.

The word that comes to my mind when describing Ruby is enchanting. The way that the author portrays her makes one feel that she is a real person of whom you would like to know and experience life with. Whether it be encountering the VC in the jungles of Vietnam, acting the part of a spy in Berlin or posing as a muse, she experienced all situations with gusto. Told through her experiences in time with the twelve men, all had a story which came through in her feverish typing that led to her novels. She became the characters that she created in these books. I liked the ending that led to Jude especially as her child profoundly affected her and her life thereafter. Like one states as the best song ever written, I think she lived her best life that should not have been changed for a minute.

Ruby Devereaux, a 90-year-old author, is asked to chronicle her life. She does this by sharing her experiences with 12 different men who shaped and influenced her life. The book begins in 1947 and takes us on a journey to different countries and historical events until her death in 2021.

I chose this book because the cover and description looked interesting. I expected a straight-up fictional book. What I got was a fictional book written like a memoir. Memoirs are not normally on my reading list. The author made this story extremely interesting in the way she broke each chapter into the 12 men. She even provided an unexpected twist with the 12th man.

I would recommend this book.

Ruby Devereaux, a 90-year-old author, is asked to chronicle her life. She does this by sharing her experiences with 12 different men who shaped and influenced her life. The book begins in 1947 and takes us on a journey to different countries and historical events until her death in 2021.

I chose this book because the cover and description looked interesting. I expected a straight-up fictional book. What I got was a fictional book written like a memoir. Memoirs are not normally on my reading list. The author made this story extremely interesting in the way she broke each chapter into the 12 men. She even provided an unexpected twist with the 12th man.

I would recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Aria and Aries for the ARC.

A charming little book about an elderly author writing her final book, a memoir of the men in her life. The book takes us through decades of her relationships and has the men wrapped in a very interesting social history of tge decades.

Of course, today, Ruby’s life seems hardly scandalous. It is certainly interesting and the author has added a twist at the end which puts an interesting closure to Ruby’s story.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

I am so glad I took a chance on this book! The title and cover looked enticing, and the book ended up being excellent! The story is about Ruby, a 90 year old (in)famous author who goes about writing her memoir; each chapter focuses on a man who has made a difference in her life. The story is told with the backdrop of historical context and within lots of settings as Ruby travels! Ruby is such a fun, entertaining character, she gets into all sorts of trouble and intriguing situations over the course of her long life. I think this book is going to make a splash when it is released in January 2024…I’d recommend it!

Thank you very much to NetGalley, and Aria and Aries for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.