[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?
[My Review]
Brunch at Ruby’s by DL White is a fun, entertaining story which could definitely be classed as ‘chick lit’, but with a little more of a kick to it!
The main 4 characters are a mix of women with varying personalities. Debra has just been caught having an affair with a PE teacher at the school she works at, Renee is looking after her sick father and Maxine is on a quest to find the perfect, rich man to be her future husband. Each have their own very different lives but they are best friends and meet once a month at Ruby’s Soul Food Cafe.
The characters in this novel are all really well developed and seemed like they could be real people. I didnt really warm to Maxine- I thought she was an annoying, shallow snob- and I’m sure most readers would feel the same… I think that’s what readers are probably supposed to think, to be honest. She was the challenging, moody character who the other two often had to try and appease. Renee was my favourite character; she was kind and considerate but not a complete push over. Debra seemed to me to be, on the whole, a good character but I really did wonder what on earth she was thinking with regards to some of her decisions!
The novel was just the right legnth and kept me interested throuhout. Apologies for the cliché but I enjoyed reading about the journey the characters went on! I felt that Brunch at Ruby’s was full of humour, fun and is well worth a read!
[Rating: 4/5]
Many thanks to the author for providing a copy of this novel in return for an honest review.