Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enchanting tale, 1 Dec 2007
This is a dark, fairytale fantasy romance that tells the story of a young girl called Ruby, who has a sixth sense gift that enables her to know her own destiny. Ruby and her sister, Opal, have both suffered an abusive past at the hands of their father, whilst their mother seemingly overlooked what was happening to them. Ruby wants to try and forget it and start afresh. She leaves her hometown and travels to LA where she gets a job as a Nanny. Whilst there she discovers an actor called Orion, who she is sure she is destined to fall in love with. Ruby decides to travel to England where he lives and track him down. She obtains employment in an herbs and potions shop, which turns out to be owned by Orion's mother. Here she learns to sharpen up her magical abilities and then she hears that Orion is desperately ill. His mother asks Ruby if she will help to nurse him. Ruby uses her knowledge of magical potions to nurse him back to health. But Ruby's demons come back to haunt her, and her happy ever after ending is threatened.
At times this is a gritty read, but her story has been written with such sensitivity by the author that the reader will be enchanted by it.
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2.0 out of 5 stars
Thinly veiled ode to Orlando Bloom, 28 Nov 2008
I read this a little under a year ago, yet the faintly ridiculous premise is still fresh in my mind. As a huge fan of Francesca Lia Block, I award it 2 stars as in some parts, her lyrical prose and rich descriptive style did win me over. However, it's an awkward book and the less talented second author sticks out uncomfortably. The character of Ruby is criminally one dimensional and under developed considering that the novel is named after her; despite being set in England, the real sense of the country is never truly felt, and some descriptions are cliched (yet not as bad as in some other books by American writers, so I will let this one slide) and finally, the love interest is quite obviously based on Orlando Bloom.
Had the parallels between the character and teen heart throb been a little more subtle, I could have just about tolerated this book, as it turns out, it just reminded me of a 15 year old teeny bopper's mawkish, clumsy fantasies.
Therefore, if you are a 15 year old fan of the Lord of the Rings cutie, I wholeheartedly recommend this book. If you are a Francesca Lia Block devotee, don't bother with this, and if you are new to Francesca Lia Block, please do not judge the immensely gifted woman on this mistake, stick to the Dangerous Angels series.
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