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Winning Ruby Heart
It's a race to their beginning…
Exposing world-class athlete Ruby Heart's cheating scandal five years ago made reporter Micah Blackwell's career. Falling in love with her now could end it. Yet watching her determination to return to the top, he can't resist the woman she has become.
Working with Ruby to tell America her story, Micah falls deeper under her spell. But at a crucial moment, his feelings for her conflict with his job—the very thing that once saved him. Now he must choose between his skyrocketing career and the unlikely love of a good woman….
Exposing world-class athlete Ruby Heart's cheating scandal five years ago made reporter Micah Blackwell's career. Falling in love with her now could end it. Yet watching her determination to return to the top, he can't resist the woman she has become.
Working with Ruby to tell America her story, Micah falls deeper under her spell. But at a crucial moment, his feelings for her conflict with his job—the very thing that once saved him. Now he must choose between his skyrocketing career and the unlikely love of a good woman….
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
13 people are currently reading
406 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Lohmann
25 books81 followersJennifer Lohmann is a Rocky Mountain girl at heart, having grown up in southern Idaho and Salt Lake City. When she’s not writing or working as a public librarian, she wrangles two cats and several backyard chickens; the dog is better behaved. She lives in Durham, North Carolina
Her favorite non-romance books are Wolf Hall and A Country Called Home. She'll read anything Mary Roach writes. Her favorite romance authors are Carla Kelly, Madeline Hunter, Sherry Thomas, Courtney Milan, and Elizabeth Hoyt.
Her favorite non-romance books are Wolf Hall and A Country Called Home. She'll read anything Mary Roach writes. Her favorite romance authors are Carla Kelly, Madeline Hunter, Sherry Thomas, Courtney Milan, and Elizabeth Hoyt.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 8, 2014
Winning Ruby's Heart, Jennifer Lohmann's newest romance, explores what happens when we fall in love with the very last person we expect. Setting her story in the world of sports broadcasting and ultra-marathoning, Lohmann has deftly paired a hero who has built an new life after a freak accident and a former Olympic heroine who can't figure out how to rejoin the world after a disaster of her own making. If you are looking for a smart, sexy, edgy romance about what second chances and rebirth mean in today's world, Winning Ruby Heart is a great pick.
June 18, 2015
I really liked this story a lot. The hero's disability isn't used as a cheap conflict crutch. The heroine did wrong, knows she did wrong, and the author doesn't let her off the hook by making excuses for her. Complicated leads, compelling conflict, and let me tell you how nice it was to read an athlete heroine for a change! Felt the ending was a bit rushed and the use of a villain to wrap things up at the end felt a little tacked on, but otherwise a very solid read. Thumbs up.
September 13, 2014
In Winning Ruby Heart Jennifer Lohmann has provided me with a first. Our hero, Micah Blackwell, is a paraplegic due to a football injury in college. This is the first romance that I've read where the hero is in a wheelchair and well adapted to it. I can't speak to the accuracy, but it seemed well done.
Ruby Heart is a mid-distance runner. She had been in the Olympics and pretty much had trained to be a runner her whole life. She was caught "blood-doping" which I understood to be like a transfusion. It wasn't entirely clear what blood doping was other than Ruby allowed for her coach to pump someone else's blood into her so she'd have a better chance at winning. It was also clear that this violated the rules as it cost her, the gold medal she had won and turned her from "America's Darling" into chum for the media to feed on. Micah was the one person her father had let interview her at the time underestimating Micah, who torn her apart on the National Sports Network (NSN).
It has been 5 years since that happened. Ruby's been in a self-inflicted prison of her parent's dysfunctional home. She's 29 years old and allowed to compete in running events again. Micah spots her at her first event, which he was there to film following a different runner.
The first section of the book, it about Ruby coming to terms with what she wants and how to get it. She wants to run. She wants to break free. We see her come to the point where she wants to move forward despite having the world against her. Micah sees in her a story so huge it would push his career forward to becoming an anchor at the station. Initially, Ruby refuses to do the story, but due to various influences, she decides she's best off with Micah, if only because he's always honest with her. She recognizes his selfish interest in the story, but needs his help as well.
Once that turning point is reached, Ruby starts to take action and grow. She gets a dog who clearly needs her. She moves out of her parent's house and has to figure out adult life. She has a few people on her side, a cousin and a brother, and she gains a few, a fellow runner and Micah. All the while, she is training hard to do some serious competition in a 50 mile race. (Yes, mile is the right unit. I can't even run a block.)
We also get to see into Micah's thoughts. He's attracted to Ruby's thighs. She's attracted to his arms. Not the classic body parts. Anyway, they both have the lusts for each other, but this is a professional arrangement and Micah knows it would compromise his professional credentials and integrity were he to act on his feelings. (Of course, he does and that sets up the climax conflict.) While in his head, we also see a fair bit of thought into his disability. How he copes and what he dislikes about how people treat him since he can't move his legs. This is treated matter-of-fact like and through interactions with people who are well adjusted and not-so well adjusted. Micah has adapted well to his situation and that is shown often, but it wasn't easy and that is shared as well.
The romance built up slowly. The sex scene was quite different as you might anticipate. It is clear that these two need to talk more, but they also seem to understand a core part of each other that enables me to believe that they will enjoy their happily ever after.
I liked the book. I appreciated the built in commentary on people with disabilities, media treatment of individuals who rise to fame and fall from grace, how the trolls of the internet fail to see these fallen stars as people, and how that person can overcome. I would recommend this book to others.
Ruby Heart is a mid-distance runner. She had been in the Olympics and pretty much had trained to be a runner her whole life. She was caught "blood-doping" which I understood to be like a transfusion. It wasn't entirely clear what blood doping was other than Ruby allowed for her coach to pump someone else's blood into her so she'd have a better chance at winning. It was also clear that this violated the rules as it cost her, the gold medal she had won and turned her from "America's Darling" into chum for the media to feed on. Micah was the one person her father had let interview her at the time underestimating Micah, who torn her apart on the National Sports Network (NSN).
It has been 5 years since that happened. Ruby's been in a self-inflicted prison of her parent's dysfunctional home. She's 29 years old and allowed to compete in running events again. Micah spots her at her first event, which he was there to film following a different runner.
The first section of the book, it about Ruby coming to terms with what she wants and how to get it. She wants to run. She wants to break free. We see her come to the point where she wants to move forward despite having the world against her. Micah sees in her a story so huge it would push his career forward to becoming an anchor at the station. Initially, Ruby refuses to do the story, but due to various influences, she decides she's best off with Micah, if only because he's always honest with her. She recognizes his selfish interest in the story, but needs his help as well.
Once that turning point is reached, Ruby starts to take action and grow. She gets a dog who clearly needs her. She moves out of her parent's house and has to figure out adult life. She has a few people on her side, a cousin and a brother, and she gains a few, a fellow runner and Micah. All the while, she is training hard to do some serious competition in a 50 mile race. (Yes, mile is the right unit. I can't even run a block.)
We also get to see into Micah's thoughts. He's attracted to Ruby's thighs. She's attracted to his arms. Not the classic body parts. Anyway, they both have the lusts for each other, but this is a professional arrangement and Micah knows it would compromise his professional credentials and integrity were he to act on his feelings. (Of course, he does and that sets up the climax conflict.) While in his head, we also see a fair bit of thought into his disability. How he copes and what he dislikes about how people treat him since he can't move his legs. This is treated matter-of-fact like and through interactions with people who are well adjusted and not-so well adjusted. Micah has adapted well to his situation and that is shown often, but it wasn't easy and that is shared as well.
The romance built up slowly. The sex scene was quite different as you might anticipate. It is clear that these two need to talk more, but they also seem to understand a core part of each other that enables me to believe that they will enjoy their happily ever after.
I liked the book. I appreciated the built in commentary on people with disabilities, media treatment of individuals who rise to fame and fall from grace, how the trolls of the internet fail to see these fallen stars as people, and how that person can overcome. I would recommend this book to others.
June 3, 2020
This was really interesting and attention-grabbing with the two leads diverging from the over-used stereotype of "wealthy and powerful playboy with a broken heart meets naive young beauty with a heart full of hidden, unlocked passion" and instead showcases two really interesting, unlikely romantic leads who are fully-realised protagonists that are quite different from almost all others in the genre. Ruby Heart is an isolated recluse who was once the nation's darling, an elite athlete, but her drive to win was her downfall and she's been in hiding for years after being cast out of official competition. Micah Blackwell was a top footballer, but due to an accident is paralyzed from the chest down, and gets by as a sports reporter, a position he's clawed together in the face of unwanted pity, rejection and discrimination.
Unavoidably attracted to each other, they're both very strong personalities driven to succeed, sometimes clashing with their history or precepts, sometimes with each other. This was handled really well, and felt totally appropriate, both Micah and Ruby each got equal time and demonstrated why they felt they had to do what they did. Naturally they drove each other wild (on more than one level) but that only made the conclusion even sweeter and satisfying.
I'm not into sport nor am I disabled, but I think I got a much greater insight into those worlds thanks to this work. It appeared to be quite well researched, and even if I couldn't quite empathise with either character, I think I understood them at the end.
I'm not sure how much research Lohmann had to put into how making love with a paraplegic works, the mind boggles. I have to admit that my own prejudice was too much to overcome, so I didn't really enjoy the conclusion scenes, but at least I was able to face it and recognise that just because someone is different, it doesn't make them any less of a person for it.
A lot is made of the interactions a disabled person has to put up with, and better ways of dealing with it. Here's my favourite section, asides for the scene where Micah races Ruby:
Similarly, we learn a lot about Ruby, and her absolute drive to win, drummed into her by her parents, but tempered in the end by her starting to think about other people and what she can do for them instead of just herself. Here's Ruby helping someone in her own competitive way:
I really liked this book, I think I learned a lot from the hard work Lohmann has obviously put into it, and the romance between Ruby and Micah feels very real and emotionally touching.
Unavoidably attracted to each other, they're both very strong personalities driven to succeed, sometimes clashing with their history or precepts, sometimes with each other. This was handled really well, and felt totally appropriate, both Micah and Ruby each got equal time and demonstrated why they felt they had to do what they did. Naturally they drove each other wild (on more than one level) but that only made the conclusion even sweeter and satisfying.
I'm not into sport nor am I disabled, but I think I got a much greater insight into those worlds thanks to this work. It appeared to be quite well researched, and even if I couldn't quite empathise with either character, I think I understood them at the end.
I'm not sure how much research Lohmann had to put into how making love with a paraplegic works, the mind boggles. I have to admit that my own prejudice was too much to overcome, so I didn't really enjoy the conclusion scenes, but at least I was able to face it and recognise that just because someone is different, it doesn't make them any less of a person for it.
A lot is made of the interactions a disabled person has to put up with, and better ways of dealing with it. Here's my favourite section, asides for the scene where Micah races Ruby:
Similarly, we learn a lot about Ruby, and her absolute drive to win, drummed into her by her parents, but tempered in the end by her starting to think about other people and what she can do for them instead of just herself. Here's Ruby helping someone in her own competitive way:
I really liked this book, I think I learned a lot from the hard work Lohmann has obviously put into it, and the romance between Ruby and Micah feels very real and emotionally touching.
October 1, 2014
Ruby's career went down the drain when she was caught cheating using drugs to up her game. It's been five years since then and has decided she must stop hiding and go back to what she loves. While doing a harmless run she was caught by the sports guy, Micah who dragged her in the mud that ruins her years back. Now Micah wants to make a deal with Ruby to help his career and come up with a coming out redemption story for Ruby. Things start to get complicated the more they spend time.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters. I loved watching Ruby take a stand for herself and putting herself out there rather then hiding like her parents want her to do. I enjoyed Micahs character as well he didn't let things get himself down. I loved watching the connection between Ruby and Micah and the chemistry was great. I loved there was the dual POV which helped me enjoy each character and learn more about them. I thought that this book had a great storyline. There was bits of drama to keep the book interesting and I loved the twist towards the end. Overall this is a really enjoyable book and I highly recommend you lovely readers to check it out.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters. I loved watching Ruby take a stand for herself and putting herself out there rather then hiding like her parents want her to do. I enjoyed Micahs character as well he didn't let things get himself down. I loved watching the connection between Ruby and Micah and the chemistry was great. I loved there was the dual POV which helped me enjoy each character and learn more about them. I thought that this book had a great storyline. There was bits of drama to keep the book interesting and I loved the twist towards the end. Overall this is a really enjoyable book and I highly recommend you lovely readers to check it out.
November 27, 2014
One of the things I loved in this book was how it held my attention and interest and I think that’s due to the author’s skilled writing. I’m not into sports and I found the heroine too self absorbed to empathize with her but I praise Jennifer Lohmann for creating two complex and dense characters (and a cast of also round secondary characters) and a overall solid plot. These were characters that were believable and that I could ‘see’ in my mind – the heroine’s determination, the hero’s quiet courage and dignity (and, of course, the seductive ‘dimples’ factor).
The way the story deals with issues such as top level sport, disability and journalism suggests a prior research and, generally, there is a good incorporation of these matters in the plot.
I think the end is abrupt and I would like more romance and less in the running and competition department, but it was a wonderful read.
The way the story deals with issues such as top level sport, disability and journalism suggests a prior research and, generally, there is a good incorporation of these matters in the plot.
I think the end is abrupt and I would like more romance and less in the running and competition department, but it was a wonderful read.
August 31, 2014
I had high hopes for this story about a disgraced Olympic runner banned from the sport for five years because she cheated and Micah Blackwell, a top-notch reporter paralyzed during his NFL career. How each of them deals with their own special disabilities was intriguing and made me cheer them on--both in his chosen career and in her attempt at a comeback in ultra-distance races.
What disappointed me was in how it all ends--a kind of deus machina way, too sketchily provided and not fully explicated to suit me.
However, if you've ever considered reading about paralysis and how it affects a body (and the mind attached), you might enjoy this story.
What disappointed me was in how it all ends--a kind of deus machina way, too sketchily provided and not fully explicated to suit me.
However, if you've ever considered reading about paralysis and how it affects a body (and the mind attached), you might enjoy this story.
Read
January 12, 2016"Lohmann offers a fascinating look into the world of long-distance running. The running sequences seem quite realistic, as does Ruby’s motivation and love of the sport. Additionally, the author creates, in Micah, a character with challenges who never seems weak. If anything, Ruby has more weaknesses. Great job!" (RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 stars TOP PICK!)
September 19, 2014
3 stars
the characters just didn't click with me, and the plot didn't always hold my attention. Ruby is so convinced of her running abilities, I still don't understand why she let her coach convince her to cheat. Everybody does it doesn't cut it for me, and it shouldn't have cut it for her.
the characters just didn't click with me, and the plot didn't always hold my attention. Ruby is so convinced of her running abilities, I still don't understand why she let her coach convince her to cheat. Everybody does it doesn't cut it for me, and it shouldn't have cut it for her.
June 22, 2015
So many refreshing differences in this book: a flawed female athlete, an interesting hero with a disability, ultramarathons and a game of Carcassone! The ending wrapped up a little too neatly for me, but otherwise the writing was very good and the conflicts complex and thought-provoking.
November 29, 2016
The cheating ban in this felt weirdly long to me (I realize sports CAN hand down life time bans, but they so rarely do that this felt totally out of touch with reality), but the concept behind it was fascinating.
Read
November 10, 2014i wanted to like it more. i wanted to like ruby more. but i didn't and alas, the book wasn't for me. also, was Micah's boss named Dexter, Derek, or Derrick? because i saw all 3. ugh.
September 2, 2018
The heroine is a former Olympic runner who was suspended for doping (which she did) and the hero is the reporter who caught her - who also happens to be paraplegic. Both Micah's paraplegia and Ruby's cheating and path to redemption are handled sensitively and, as best I can tell, realistically. Ruby's competitiveness and athleticism play major roles and it was such a pleasure to read a book where a heroine is competitive and athletic, makes no apologies for either, and both are among the reasons the hero is attracted to her. The ending was more than a little abrupt but other than that, this was a fantastic book.
June 30, 2022
Great read. Michah's character needed a bit more development.
February 26, 2015
I received this book free from the Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the plot because it was very timely. The idea of blood doping is very interesting and reminds me of the Lance Armstrong fiasco. I also found it very interesting when the hero, who is a paraplegic, explained how he has sex. I have read a lot of novels that include paraplegic, but this is the first one that went into so much detail. At first I was very confused about what was happening. However, eventually I was able to figure it out, and the author seemed to write more clearly as I read further in the book. However, I had problems with the character development., I don't think there was much chemistry between the characters to begin with. But the hero and heroine were hard to like. Micah was mean to Ruby years ago when he interviewed her and disclosed her blood doping. He admits he hated her then. Ruby admits to the doping, but reveals that she didn't realize it was a bad thing. She hates Micah and has spent the intervening years hiding out and being depressed. Then all of a sudden, they are attracted to each other and have sex. Then they fall in love, again out of nowhere. I found it hard to read the book, although I kept hoping I would be able to feel some chemistry.
I have never read this author before, but I hope her other books seem to flow more naturally. I would still read another book of hers.
I loved the plot because it was very timely. The idea of blood doping is very interesting and reminds me of the Lance Armstrong fiasco. I also found it very interesting when the hero, who is a paraplegic, explained how he has sex. I have read a lot of novels that include paraplegic, but this is the first one that went into so much detail. At first I was very confused about what was happening. However, eventually I was able to figure it out, and the author seemed to write more clearly as I read further in the book. However, I had problems with the character development., I don't think there was much chemistry between the characters to begin with. But the hero and heroine were hard to like. Micah was mean to Ruby years ago when he interviewed her and disclosed her blood doping. He admits he hated her then. Ruby admits to the doping, but reveals that she didn't realize it was a bad thing. She hates Micah and has spent the intervening years hiding out and being depressed. Then all of a sudden, they are attracted to each other and have sex. Then they fall in love, again out of nowhere. I found it hard to read the book, although I kept hoping I would be able to feel some chemistry.
I have never read this author before, but I hope her other books seem to flow more naturally. I would still read another book of hers.
January 21, 2015
Micah is a paraplegic reporter. He was the one who interviewed Ruby just before her doping was exposed. Ruby is a professional runner and has been in the Olympic. Being a runner is her life. However, when her doping was exposed, not only she lost her gold medal, it has turned her from America Darling into most hated people overnight. This happened 5 years ago and now Ruby is back on the marathon under a different name. Micah caught her when he was covering the marathon event. He want interview her again and giving her a chance to tell her side of story. Being together constantly have make them aware of each other and soon, they realised that they have fall for each other but there are too many things that they need to overcome to find the happiness that they deserve.
It was a sweet read for me with an unconventional hero and a strong willed character in Ruby who persistent in her ambition. It amazed me to see how both of them found a way to be with each other despite their disabilities. I teared up reading about what Micah has done towards the end of the story. It was really a huge sacrifice by him for Ruby.
It was a sweet read for me with an unconventional hero and a strong willed character in Ruby who persistent in her ambition. It amazed me to see how both of them found a way to be with each other despite their disabilities. I teared up reading about what Micah has done towards the end of the story. It was really a huge sacrifice by him for Ruby.
November 26, 2015
Alright- this book was a much longer romance than is typical and I really enjoyed it. I would give it an overall 3.5 stars, but that was lowered because I was disappointed with the ending. It was so abrupt! I know that romances usually end with the happily ever after, but not everything was tied up! What about the threats to Ruby? What about the man who pushed her? WHAT ABOUT GETTING MARRIED (as is typical in a romance)?!? This does a good job of really getting into the head of the characters and really giving emotional depth. I did feel like things jumped around a bit and some of the romantic build up was rushed, but good overall.
From a writing standpoint, one small thing was a bit confusing. There is a lot of dialogue at points with very few dialogue tags. The two characters sounded very similar to me, so without the tags, I would sometimes have to read passages a few times to know who was saying what.
Definitely a good read!
From a writing standpoint, one small thing was a bit confusing. There is a lot of dialogue at points with very few dialogue tags. The two characters sounded very similar to me, so without the tags, I would sometimes have to read passages a few times to know who was saying what.
Definitely a good read!
June 28, 2015
Wow! This is the most different Harlequin Romance I have ever read, but in a very good way! This is the story of Ruby Heart and Micah Blackwell. Ruby is a former Olympic runner, who was barred because of doping, which is receiving another person's blood that is full of steroids or whatever is needed to let her be an ultra performer. Micah is the reporter from the mega sports station assigned to cover her story as she tries to make a comeback in the running world. Micah was a quarterback for a big football team who was severely injured during a tackle, and is now a paraplegic. Their story is so action packed and full of emotion, it kept me turning the pages. I highly recommend this book, it is definitely not your typical romance, it keeps you totally interested, you will be wanting to know what happens next.
September 21, 2015
I have a confession. Despite being a practitioner of reader's advisory and certainly not a book snob, this is the first romance genre novel I've read. Award-winning librarian/author Jennifer Lohmann seemed a good place to start. Not having anything to compare this to, I was pleasantly surprised to find strong character development, an interesting plot, and a rather intriguing world of competitive running. True, the "will they or won't they" plot arc lasted longer than my interest, but this is probably a necessary element in the genre. If even some of the romance genre matches this quality, then there are certainly worthwhile novels to be found among those pink labels on the library shelves.
September 11, 2014
Wonderful story with great character twists. As a runner I enjoyed the heroine, but was surprised by the unconventional hero Ms. Lohmann developed. The only negative I took away was that the ending felt rushed after the build up of romance between the main characters. Overall it was a pleasant read, and definitely challenged tried and true romance rules.
July 9, 2020
Winning Ruby Heart is fascinating and complex. I really enjoyed the story and the romance between Ruby and Mack. I liked how both were selfish, narcissistic, and realized that about themselves and each other. It’s the flipside of being focused on being the best athlete possible and winning, winning, winning. I liked the multiple meanings in the title.
October 31, 2014
Good characters. Good plot. Very well written. I only wish the romance between Ruby and Micah didn't seen so hurried there at the end. I loved Dotty the Dalmatian.
I received this book free through Goodreads First Reads.
I received this book free through Goodreads First Reads.
January 6, 2015
Intresting concept. Written by a collegue and purchased on Kindle. Although I didn't finish the book, I am sure I will return to it one day.
May 29, 2015
disability -- physical and emotion
Redemption
Redemption
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