Brunch at Ruby's

"Comfort, though, can make a person lazy. It can make someone take things and people and promises like 'till death do us part' for granted. Comfort makes people passive." ~ 6%

First of all, let's take a moment to admire the cover. How appropriate to the title! Every month, three friends meet for brunch at a local spot named Ruby's Soul Food Café. The usual orders are shrimp and grits for Renee, chicken and waffles for Maxine and an omelet for Debra. Brunch is like a support group; they share current happenings in their lives, ask and offer advice and go on about their day. Like true friends, they understand each other yet work each other's nerve.

The group of women are very much like the every day black woman in today's world. They are strong, dependable, successful and loyal to friendship. Renee runs the family-owned bookstore and takes care of her father, who was recently diagnosed with dementia. Love is the last thing on her mind. Maxine owns a real estate firm that caters to the high class. But she has yet to meet Mr. Rich Right. And Debra is a school principal, married for 14 years and raising a daughter; a big secret can ruin both her family and career.

"As long as I am making mistakes, I may as well make some that give me pleasure." ~ 20%

I guarantee readers will find similarities between these characters and yourselves. I sure did! Did a couple actions of one particular character annoy me? Of course. But I still cared about the outcome of her story. Did any passages make me nod or shake my head? Yup. I must admit that I hold a higher standard for debut novels. The author needs to draw me in or I am forever gone, very seldom giving a second chance. Kudos to D.L. White for developing relatable characters and pacing the story in Brunch at Ruby's. It is not what I deem a page-turner but more of a "settle in with a drink and take my time reading" kind of book. Now that's good writing!

Brunch at Ruby's is one of the many books that I downloaded onto my Kindle over a year ago and just got around to reading. Who knew this group of mature ladies with real life issues was sitting in my eLibrary just waiting to be read? I recommend it to bookhearts looking for a book about girlfriends with a strong bond. Brunch at Ruby's is especially ideal for a women's book club selection.

I am looking forward to reading the follow-up novel, Dinner at Sam's. If you scurry over to Amazon, you can buy both books for less than $4. Small price for good stories!

Title: Brunch at Ruby's
Author: D.L. White
Published: March 2015
Pages: 292
Edition: eBook
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤