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186th out of 558 books
—
445 voters
Ruby (Dakotah Treasures #1)
First in a heartwarming new frontier series by Lauraine Snelling! Ruby is new to the Dakotah Territory - and the unexpected new boss! Managing her new "Inheritance" is going to require far more than she bargained for...
285 pages
Published
(first published August 1st 2003)
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** This is just a QUICK REVIEW of my thoughts on the book **
I read this several years ago now, but I remember I wasn't impressed with it. It was fairly preachy, largely boring and the main character was sanctimonious and un-interesting. (I'd actually forgotten I'd read it until I brought it home from the library and read the blurb and skimmed through it.)
I'm not saying you shouldn't read it; just that I've ready MANY Christian Fiction books which are a lot more enjoyable than this one.
Is there a...more
I read this several years ago now, but I remember I wasn't impressed with it. It was fairly preachy, largely boring and the main character was sanctimonious and un-interesting. (I'd actually forgotten I'd read it until I brought it home from the library and read the blurb and skimmed through it.)
I'm not saying you shouldn't read it; just that I've ready MANY Christian Fiction books which are a lot more enjoyable than this one.
Is there a...more
I really enjoyed this great story. It seemed to give a great glance into the life of a single woman who had to survive on her own in the late 1800s. It also did a good job of showing the ups and downs of the sisterhood that a group of women could have when the join together to complement the talents of one another.
In this story Ruby and her sister Opal were already surviving in a difficult situation after losing their grandmother. The two sisters had found a wonderful home in which Ruby could wo...more
In this story Ruby and her sister Opal were already surviving in a difficult situation after losing their grandmother. The two sisters had found a wonderful home in which Ruby could wo...more
Lauraine Snelling is the author of the book, Ruby. It is the first book in the Dakota Treasures Series. The book mainly takes place in a town called Dakota and in New York in the 1880’s. The main characters are Ruby and her sister Opal.
Ruby and Opal's mom died while giving birth to Opal. After her death their dad left them in New York to live with their grandmother and he went to live in and a town called Dakota. The two girls never heard from their dad until Ruby was 20 years old and their gr...more
Ruby and Opal's mom died while giving birth to Opal. After her death their dad left them in New York to live with their grandmother and he went to live in and a town called Dakota. The two girls never heard from their dad until Ruby was 20 years old and their gr...more
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I happened to see this book on the shelf in our local Swedish shop and it caught my attention. I always loved pioneer books as a young girl and teeneager, growing up with Little House on the Prairie and Laural Ingalls Wilder shaped me in some ways, I think. I wish I had been alive during that time. Anyway, this book caught my eye and it was just exactly what I needed for a stress free read. Now I'm hooked and am working on Opal, which is book 3 in this series. I love Amazon.com - I paid full pri...more
I don't think there is a need to summerize the plot; others have already done so. When I first picked this book to read I didn't realize this was a Christian writer. I usually don't choose to read "Christian" novels. At first it wasn't preachy. Ruby struggled with finding answers to why life was so hard for her. I just found the author's answer rather simplistic...God loves us all and a quote of John 3:16. No meat here. If I had been struggling with wanting to know why there is suffering I certa...more
Book 1 of Dakotah Treasures. Author Lauraine Snelling once again takes readers west to the untamed land of Dakota Territory, introducing new characters both unique and appealing. Ruby Torvald and her young sister, Opal, have received an inheritance from their long-lost father who left home years ago to seek his fortune in the Black Hills. When they leave their comfortable situation in Chicago and arrive at the mining town of Medora to claim their inheritance, the sisters discover that rather tha...more
" My dearest daughters,
I must beg your forgiveness for the long time between letters, I am sure youmust have thought I passed on from this world, but life here in the West has been a myriad of experiences, and not all of them good. I attempted gold mining, with some small success, and finally parlayed that into a legacy that I can pass on to my two treasures. While I had hoped to be able to send for you before now, the sad news is that I am dying. I have enclosed tickets for the two of you to...more
I must beg your forgiveness for the long time between letters, I am sure youmust have thought I passed on from this world, but life here in the West has been a myriad of experiences, and not all of them good. I attempted gold mining, with some small success, and finally parlayed that into a legacy that I can pass on to my two treasures. While I had hoped to be able to send for you before now, the sad news is that I am dying. I have enclosed tickets for the two of you to...more
From descriptions I'd read, I was expecting this to be a Christian Frontier romance story.
It wasn't. I was pleasantly surprised.
The main focus of the story is on Ruby trying to keep the Dove House running. The rest of the book is spent describing the differences between the "civilized" world back east, and the frontier. There's very little Christian message being shoved down your throat...just a bit at the ending, really. And even then, it's not laid on as thick as some other books I've read.
Com...more
It wasn't. I was pleasantly surprised.
The main focus of the story is on Ruby trying to keep the Dove House running. The rest of the book is spent describing the differences between the "civilized" world back east, and the frontier. There's very little Christian message being shoved down your throat...just a bit at the ending, really. And even then, it's not laid on as thick as some other books I've read.
Com...more
I liked the book in general, but there were bits that bothered me.
- The plot was too predictable.
- The pacing was fine in most places, but some bits I felt just dragged on and on. I think it's because some parts were very repetitive and it slowed the narrative down. Yes, I already got it that Rand Harrison is thinking of getting married. No need to tell me five more times. Same goes for Ruby wondering when the last time was when she read the Bible.
- Some of the characters were a bit two-dimensio...more
- The plot was too predictable.
- The pacing was fine in most places, but some bits I felt just dragged on and on. I think it's because some parts were very repetitive and it slowed the narrative down. Yes, I already got it that Rand Harrison is thinking of getting married. No need to tell me five more times. Same goes for Ruby wondering when the last time was when she read the Bible.
- Some of the characters were a bit two-dimensio...more
Ruby Torvald recieves a letter from her father begging her to come west and see him before he dies. Unable to refuse his request she obeys his request and comes west with her sister Opal.
But when she arrives she discovers that nothing is what she expected it to be. Her father ran a questionalbe buisness called the Dove House with "spoiled doves."
She promised to take care of the girls before her father's death, but it's turning out to be nearly impossible.
Rand is not happy with Ruby's plan of cha...more
But when she arrives she discovers that nothing is what she expected it to be. Her father ran a questionalbe buisness called the Dove House with "spoiled doves."
She promised to take care of the girls before her father's death, but it's turning out to be nearly impossible.
Rand is not happy with Ruby's plan of cha...more
Ruby gets a letter from her absentee father asking them to come to the Dakota Territory and claim an inheritance. Ruby packs her little sister and herself on to a train, not knowing she is walking into a 'can of worms', so to speak.
Her father has chosen to make money the easy way out west. He opened a brothel. As he lays dying, he suddenly gains a conscience and wants his daughters to come out to own Dove House.
Ruby clings to God and rails against Him as she learns to live in conditions that she...more
Her father has chosen to make money the easy way out west. He opened a brothel. As he lays dying, he suddenly gains a conscience and wants his daughters to come out to own Dove House.
Ruby clings to God and rails against Him as she learns to live in conditions that she...more
One of the reasons I enjoyed this book is because it's set in the Dakotah Territory, near Dickinson, North Dakota, and it's fun to read about areas with which I'm familiar. Another reason is because you get a feel for what it was like to live in pioneer days. It's an interesting premise, managing an unusual "inheritance". This is a Christian novel. It kept my interest, and I was turning pages to find out what happened near the end. However, the ending felt like her publisher had just called and...more
This is the first of a series of books by Lauraine Snelling. I really enjoyed reading about Ruby and Opal. Their trip from New York to North Dakota is full of adventures. They finally get to Little Missouri, that's the town where their father is. Their inheritance is a building called Dove House. It's a saloon and Ruby soon turns it into a hotel. But she has to find the money box or she will loose everything. Ruby wants to give up but she stays because she made her father a promise. Does Ruby ke...more
Loved it! I love that I know I can pick up a book by Laraine Snelling and know it will be clean. She sucks you into the emotions of Ruby and I felt the struggles along with her. Although a christian author, she doesn't bog you down with rhetorical messages. I myself am a christian and enjoy reading books with faith in the message but get a little aggravated when it overwhelms the story line. This was not the case. Ruby was an innocent brought into the harsh world by her father but still kept her...more
AUTHOR: LORRAINE SNELLING is a Romance, Historical, Fiction author
SETTING: 19th century, American west settlement
CENTRAL FEMALE CHARACTERS: Her mother had died. She and her sister were left in the hands of a caring well to do family. Now after many years her father, whom she never knew was alive or dead, has sent for she and her sister to leave New York and to go to a Western settlement to collect their inheritance.
CENTRAL MALE CHARACTER: No central male character. However, a host of supporting...more
SETTING: 19th century, American west settlement
CENTRAL FEMALE CHARACTERS: Her mother had died. She and her sister were left in the hands of a caring well to do family. Now after many years her father, whom she never knew was alive or dead, has sent for she and her sister to leave New York and to go to a Western settlement to collect their inheritance.
CENTRAL MALE CHARACTER: No central male character. However, a host of supporting...more
I wanted so bad to like this. But in the end, I couldn't even finish it. I felt like some exposition was greatly needed in the beginning of the novel. Perhaps I'm just dense and can't read, but I had no idea that Ruby and her sister had Norwegian ties. They kept using words like far and mor, and when I first read them, I thought they were typos. If it was presented in the book, I missed it until well into the story. I found some of the language to be confusing. There were awkward sentences for e...more
I thought I would really like this book but I didn't. The idea of the story is really creative and overall I wanted to know what happens next. However, much of the writing seems awkward and forced. There are Christian beliefs which are part of the story, but much of the time they seem like an afterthought that was superimposed on the story- whether things seemed to fit or not. I realize this book is the first of a series but even though I have some questions, I don't feel compelled to read the n...more
I really enjoyed this story! It is about a young woman, Ruby, who moves out to the west in a barely settled, tumbleweed town to see their dieing father one last time. She came from New York, so this was an extreme change for her and her 9 year old sister. They get an inheritance, but totally not what any two young women would normally have, especially two ' proper ' young ladies. The book is a part of a series and the way it ends, you just have to go get the next one. IT's an ending without an e...more
An older sister and her younger sister go out west where they have never been to their father and their inheritance~ they had no idea what they would be getting into!
The Dove House isn't at all what Ruby expects and when her father dies within the first night or two of the girls being there she is lost and confused and scared for their future and 'the girls' at Dove House as she promised to her father that she would take care of.
Ruby goes through tests and trials of her faith and standing on the...more
The Dove House isn't at all what Ruby expects and when her father dies within the first night or two of the girls being there she is lost and confused and scared for their future and 'the girls' at Dove House as she promised to her father that she would take care of.
Ruby goes through tests and trials of her faith and standing on the...more
I thought I would try this book as I wanted to read a historical romance. This book was okay, but nothing great. I must admit I did skim over some of the less exciting parts. It is a story about a girl that is given an inheritance from her father. The problem is it is a brothel in South Dakota badlands in 1883. She turns the brothel into a hotel and tries to make money, but the folks in town don't like the changes. I like Lynn Austin's writing style better.
I have read many of Lauraine Snelling's books, I am never disappointed. This was no exception. The story of a young lady, taking care of her little sister, headed out to the Dakota territory to receive their inheritance. Her father left her a "hotel" of soiled doves. There is some romance, but it is just a passing thing in her quest to make the hotel a success. I loved the story, can't wait to read the next in the series.
At one time (sadly no longer) this was a free nook book. I've been clearing out my nook and decided to finally give this one a go. I'm not much of a romance gal, but neither is this book. It suprised me about how much I felt of the characters (loved Charlie and Captain) and is a good opener for what looks like a series (Finally I read one in order!!!!) A true fish out of water story, setting the scene for more to come. I had to buy the second story after I purchased this one. Well written.
This definitely was a good read! It' was filled with the twists and turns of life that are never expected. Getting a letter from a dying father, having to leave a loving home, finding out her great inheritance is a brothel that's run by some one who has nothing but hate for her! Yet, through it all, Ruby holds her own and grows steadily confident in herself and her abilities to hold her crumbling life together.
Sometimes when you're overseas and have lots of hours in transport ahead of you, you just need to read something. anything. I picked this up because my Aunt had it with her, and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It wasn't terribly classy and had a definite corny factor to it, but it was perfect for some light, carefree reading. I enjoyed it enough to pick it up every time I had a little free time.
Didn't realize it was a "Christian" story till much later in the book. Characters were casually drawn, and the heroine, Ruby, was a fussy dishpan of a woman. Yes, she worked hard to save Dove House but she was sanctimonious, boring and oh so dull. I liked her little sister Opal much better. I don't plan on reading the rest of the books in the series, even if the author left the plot very unfinished at the end.
An interesting and well written 'fun' novel. Ruby and her sister go West to claim their inheritance from their dying father--and have to decide what to do with a whorehouse instead. My only criticism is how abruptly the book end, with multiple plot point unresolved. However on goodreads, this book is listed as the first in a series, so I guess it is time for the second book, to find out what occurs next.
I found this book as a free offer. It was an okay book. It seemed very "preach-like" to me. There were parts in the bok that could have been left out. Certain character's stories were not necessary to the progression of the story. They might help later in the series, but this book does not make me want to buy the rest of the series. Maybe if it becomes a free book offer, I might read the rest.
Annoying book with long passages of description that do nothing to further the plot or develop the characters. The heroine is unbelievably naive and unbearably proper to the point of being unlikable. Why the lead male character was in the book at all is unclear. Issues are left unresolved yet not in a way that leaves me feeling any interest whatever in reading the next in the series.
This book has me hooked on a new author in my world of reading... I couldn't seem to put any of the books in this series down once I started them. At times there were slow moments, but Ms. Snelling does a spectacular job (in my opinion) of depicting day to day life, hardships, and simple fun for the time period, without shoving history in your face, and still telling a wonderful story.
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Lauraine Snelling has been writing since 1980, with a total of 56 books published, both fiction and non-fiction, historical and contemporary, for adults and young readers. Lauraine's books consistently appear on CBA bestseller lists and are frequently featured in the Crossings Book Club. Lauraine and her husband, Wayne, live in California and have two grown sons.
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Jan 05, 2012 04:07pm