Ruby in the Rough

The Ruby Series #1

by Emily Shore

In the Ghetto, girls are the new currency. For four years, Ruby has escaped the gangs and sweepers hunting her. Until now… For the past four years, Ruby has lived in what was once a sprawling city of business and commerce. Now, it is the Ghetto; its main commerce exists in the form of females. Whether breeders, laborers, gang girls, or sex slaves, the Ghetto features any and every service with the Hotel as its central area of business. Thanks to her roof-topping skills and street smarts, which have made her impossible to catch, Ruby has made the Ghetto’s most-wanted list. Fortunately, she has one a young man named Ink, the one man determined not to sell her. Unlike Ruby, Ink has no desire to leave the Ghetto, but she owes him a life debt and is trapped as much by her honor as by the soldiers patrolling the only exits out of the city. Whether scavenging for food or holing up in an abandoned clock tower, Ruby and Ink remain unlikely partners until their home in an abandoned train yard is discovered. While Ink escapes, Ruby is captured by the roughest gang in the Ghetto. All too soon, Ruby learns she is bound for the Hotel where she will be used up piece by piece until there is nothing left. Unless she can escape and get the target off her back once and for all. A haunting tale with themes of modern day slavery, Ruby in the Rough is certain to keep readers turning pages and ready to rise up with its call to action.

104 pages, Paperback

Published February 21, 2017

About the author

Emily used to be the good little church-going girl who snuck peeks of smutty romance at the bookstore. Now, she proudly writes smut and has forsaken the religious cult of her past. Emily includes a trauma-healing theme loosely based on her own experiences in all her work.

In 2020, Emily found her voice while writing dark fantasy romance. In 2021, she rebranded on Kindle Vella and has been a Vella bestseller for two years. Her writing always features enemies to lovers with heroines who don't need a sword to be strong, monsters and villains with "burn the world for her" vibes, and trauma healing.

Emily's bestselling books on Kindle Vella include: The Sacrifice, Bride of Lucifer, Bride of the Corpse King, Courting Death and Destruction, and Grymm Beauty. Learn more at “Emily’s Vella Verse” on FB or connect with her on social media to learn how you can become a super fan and get super fan treats!

An abuse survivor and trained advocate, Emily has worked as an awareness speaker all over Minnesota. Identifying as bisexual and feminist, she loves to showcase sex and kink positivity and normalized LGBTQIA+ inclusivity.

When not writing enemies to lovers, Emily is addicted to the Enneagram, rewatching Schitts Creek, cuddling with her kitty, and spending time with her online sisterhood where she can exercise her big empath heart. She lives in Saint Paul with her husband and two daughters—one is a budding author.

Please subscribe to Emily’s newsletter at - www.emilybethshore.com - to keep up with her series projects, author promos, and prize contests. Or follow her on Tiktok at @authoremilybshore.

FUN FACTS ABOUT EMILY:
This list gives you a little peek into the crazy brain of this author. If you find yourself relating to any of these, reach out to me on any of my pages and we shall go forth and bond!

1. I am an extrovert with unlimited psychological energy. (I also stockpile Pinterest memes!)
2. HUGE Enneagram fan, so if you want to connect more, prepare to be asked to take the test so I can better understand you and speak your love language . (My tritype is 847 - which makes me Deadpool's female twin!)
3. My favorite authors on the YA side are Laini Taylor and Susan Dennard. My favorite authors on the adult side include: Amelia Hutchins *Queen*, Pam Godwin *Goddess*, and Elayna Gallea.
4. Up until 2020, I used to write strictly YA. I had a major identity transformation, wrote three books in three months (back to back), found my true VOICE, processed my identity, healed from past trauma, and came out as bisexual. Now, I love writing spicy fantasy romance and bridging the gap between the heterosexual and queer audience by offering them badass heroines taking on the dark alphas and literally *everyone* in my books is queer and polyamorous because #whychoose? It's normalized, it's respected, and it's beautiful!
5. My favorite film is The Princess Bride.
6. I am Disney-obsessed, especially Marvel and the Princess movement.
7. I started writing The Aviary over twelve years ago after a visit to Germany and learning about the Red-Light District. These books were evidence of my sexuality screaming to be let out.
8. My favorite Broadway is The Phantom of the Opera followed closely by The Scarlet Pimpernel.
9. Songs to describe me: Unbreakable by Fireflight, Warrior by Demi Lovato, Ready or Not by Brit Nicole and Lecrae, Speechless by Naomi Scott (Aladdin), Show Yourself by Idina Mendel (Frozen 2), This Is Me from The Greatest Showman, and The Sound of Silence.
10. I’m a mom to two little girls. I fight for a better world for them and for myself.

Reviews

[Ellie Lieberman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruby in the Rough is one of the books we carry at Pipe & Thimble. As the owner of the indie bookstore, I want to be familiar with the books I carry and I chose this as my most recent read.
First, what I loved about this book was the writing. It's the type of book where I wind up wanting to underline every sentence because they are just incredible quotes. The imagery is incredible. The descriptions are amazing. It hooked me right from the beginning.
I adored the characters. Ink is probably my favorite. I appreciated Ruby's strength and stubbornness. Even characters like Chastity are authentic and real.
I was not fond of the hints of romance. I felt like it detracted from the story a little. It was minor, though, so I could ignore it if I wanted.
The reason I gave this book four stars, however, was the ending. I felt the last couple of pages were unnecessary and because of continuing the story into a cliff hanger, it left the book incomplete and me unsatisfied. It would have felt more complete as a book, as well as making me want to continue with the series, if it ended just a little before the cliffhanger.
That being said, it was an amazing book. I appreciated the reality and grit behind the story and characters. To take such an important issue in today's world, and make it so personal while reading, on top of setting it in a dystopian future takes real skill. I applaud Emily Shore for bringing awareness to such an important topic, as well as supporting victims of an invasive problem.

[Ashley Urquhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like independently published books are always a bit hit or miss when it comes to the quality of the writing (mostly a miss if I’m being honest), so I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the writing in this book. It read well, the language flowed, and I didn’t find myself noting errors every couple of pages. In addition to the great writing, I thought the overall message of the novella was great. The author is really trying to bring awareness to sex trafficking and to help readers to understand how people get caught up in it and why they might stay. Even though she’s created a world that is pretty different from the world we live in, I don’t feel like the topics she touches on are foreign.

I thought the characters were alright, but sometimes fell a little flat. The most developed characters were Ruby, Ink, and Angel which makes sense because they were the main characters, but I do wish there had been some kind of development of Big Sister and the other gang boss. Or even Ruby’s brother. I recognize that it’s a novella, so there’s only time for so much, but maybe that just indicates that this shouldn’t have been a novella–it should have been a full-length novel.

Some other areas where I feel like more time would have been beneficial is with world building and the plot. I didn’t really feel like the world was built all that thoroughly. The Ghetto was described to be really dirty and undesirable, but I needed more. I wanted more than just visual descriptions. I just wanted the world to have more depth overall. Then for the plot, there were some things that happened really suddenly–I didn’t feel like I’d gotten enough build-up to the events that happened. There were times when I would have questions regarding the plot. Some of those questions got answered eventually, but I feel like an author should anticipate what questions the reader will have and answer them before the reader even forms them. In this case, it was more like the author’s thoughts were developing at the same time as my own and all of the sudden she’d come up with a question and then answer it. The ending also took me by surprise and I’ve found myself questioning why the author chose to end the book that way, again, instead of just making her book longer.

My main issue, I think, is that I didn’t always feel like Ruby’s actions always made sense given the situation. There were times when she was really rude to the gang bosses and I just wanted to be like, “Girl, SHUT UP. They will KILL you. Aren’t you supposed to be a survivor? This is not surviving!” I also wondered a few times why Ruby didn’t cut her hair short? If it’s so dangerous to be a girl in this city, I’m doing everything that I can to pass for a boy.

Overall, I felt like there were some minor things that didn’t make the most sense to me, and I think the story could have benefited from being about a hundred pages longer. With that being said, I again want to say how important the cause is that this author is bringing awareness to.

Overall Rating: 3
Language: Moderate
Violence: Moderate
Smoking/Drinking Moderate
Sexual Content: Heavy

Note: I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. If you purchase this book, 50% of proceeds go back to Women At Risk, International – www.warinternational.org

[J. Lynn Else · Rating 4 out of 5]

Purchase this book, and 50% of proceeds go back to Women At Risk, International – www.warinternational.org.

I met this author in person and got to hear about her hard work as an advocate for rescuing women from sex trafficking situations. This book helps to bring to life, in fictional form, the demeaning circumstances and heart-breaking situations these women are forced into. I appreciate the way she used her novella to portray and educate readers about this real-life problem.

Shore's writing is very fluid. She had beautiful metaphors used to describe actions and feelings. Shore is a talented author, and I think this is an interesting start.

That being said, I believe some of the world building is a miss. Many characters come across as very superficial and seem to fit into precise little stereotypical boxes. I also didn't feel Ruby made the best choices in certain situations. Additionally, at times, Ruby's 'toughness' felt forced.

I wanted more relationship building between characters. I think Ink's backstory was the most compelling, if also a bit frightening, and I wanted him to also have a chance at narrating. He definitely had the most growth from his origin to the story's present day. With Ruby, I didn't quite get behind her. I understood her family origins, but I didn't get much emotional range from the character other than her love of climbing. The connection as to why she wears a cape was a start, but it lost momentum too quickly.

This book would benefit from an expansion into a full-length novel. The world and various characters would be more relatable. As it was, most of the time, I felt uncomfortable reading the story. You want your readers to find something to latch onto and enjoy, and this novel was a bit too short to feel it.

Thank you to Emily Shore for her work campaigning against sex trafficking. I hope others will explore her work and donate. She's a talented author, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

[J.M. Robison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book became a chore to read. At first I was enraptured by the writing style, but I lost that when I noticed that every slip of dialogue came with a tag and it made reading it soooo heeaaavvyyyy........Dialogue would have been more engaging without most of the tags. The tags slowed everything down and I skimmed them anyway because they were not neccessary. And they came either before, during, or after EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF DIALOGUE. I had an issue too when Ruby caught a man unaware and threatened him with a gun and that was a problem because that man was a fighter and she was not and he could have easily overpowered her even with the gun because he knew how to use one and she did not, but instead he cowed around as if she was a real threat and that was just cringy because it wasn't realistic to him being a fighter. She also managed to tie him to a bed even though he was awake and aware and it was just overall pathetic.

Not interested in reading book 2. Not if I have to sludge through more dialogue tags and endure cringy unrealstic scenes where she overpowers people stronger and with more skill than her.

[Herman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A urban Dystopian society somewhat Oliver Twist-like but with Gangs and soldiers and an economic system of barter based on women slavery. The heroine is a sixteen year old girl name of Ruby (the fox) who hides and steals and manage to survive in the heart of the Ghetto with the help of her friend "Ink". It reads as a YA novel at times but alludes to the subject of sex slavery which moves it more tows the dark fiction except all the dark abusive stuff is very understated, and non-exploitative, which is actually fine by me, still I was confused by the Hotel it's purpose and character, as I was by the female gang as well. Not enough time was spend explaining either for me because I still have questions as to what they do and why, which may be explained more fully in the next book I hope. The plot gets a bit confusing as well not sure why Ruby is asked to steal what it is they as her to steal, ends a bit abruptly but is a obvious set up for the next book. Worth the time to read this it was better than I expected.

[Kierstin Marquet~Author · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for Ruby in the Rough

All I can say is WOW! There were so many things about this book that I just loved. Where to start?? This author has an amazing ability with words and a flare for description! I loved the author's personification of the Ghetto. Strong female characters are always a win-win with me and Ruby was fantastic! I loved the resolution and then the sudden cliff-hanger ending! I wanted to click purchase for the next book then and there! This book was also written with a desire to bring awareness to the despicable problem of human trafficking, and the proceeds go to help the victims.

That being said, there are some scenes that some sensitive readers might find disturbing, but the book is well-worth the read.
I'd give it an R-rating for language--one F-bomb. There were other curse words which fit in well with the characters and storyline so weren't problematic for me. I'm looking forward to the next book, Ruby in the Ruins.

[Brittany Goodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yikes

Now that is a cliffhanger. This story is very well done demonstrating the horrors of sex trafficking and horrwndous living conditions, but tastefully. I love Ruby and Ink although we don't get to know Ink as well as Ruby. He's still a good character. I look forward to the next story

[Amy Bartelloni · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most gritty, realistic descriptions of a dystopian/post apoc society I've ever read. Vivid, believable characters, both heros, villians, and in-between, and a world that's not easily forgotten.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Dystopian
Rating 5/5

Ruby has been living in the ghetto for four years - she has learned to avoid the gangs and sweepers who would jump at the chance to capture her and sell her. Known to her enemies as the "Ghetto Fox," she has evaded capture for years and longs to escape the hellhole she is living in. During the events that transpire in this book, Ruby confronts gang leaders and other ghetto leaders and she is faced with tough decisions about who she can trust.

This book was exciting and interesting! Ruby is a strong character who was easy to root for. She had been through some hard times in her life and I really just wanted her to have peace. I was glad that she had a friend, Ink, who she could trust and depend on.
It was never mentioned exactly which city they were in but it was written in such a way that it could have been almost anywhere in the US if there was a catastrophe or some major social upheaval. I think that is what makes this book compelling - this type of situation and societal structure (gang rule) could happen almost anywhere (even my own town!) if the circumstances were right. The way that people were treated, especially women, was heartbreaking. And I understand that it really IS like this in some parts of the world. Although this is a work of fiction, it opens your eyes to the fact that things like this do happen in real life. Human trafficking is a real thing. I LOVE that the author donates a portion of the proceeds of this book to organizations that fight human trafficking.

I would highly recommend this book - it is quite short (something you could read in one sitting). And I hear that there is another book in the series coming out soon ;-)

Grammar/Editing: Very good - The grammar and editing was really very good. There were not a lot of noticeable issues that were distracting. Always nice!

Violence: Medium- Since the ghetto is ruled by gangs, there is a lot of implied violence as well as some images that could be disturbing to some people. A decapitated head on a pike is mentioned. The violence is mostly implied though, rather than explicitly described. A few people get shot with guns. And then of course, there is the issue of human trafficking - women being sold for sexual and other purposes. Again, this is mostly just implied rather than described in detail.

Profanity: Mild- The language in this book is very mild. A few curse words here and there but nothing excessive.

Sexuality: Medium- Despite the fact that this book is largely about women being sold for sexual purposes, there are no explicit sex scenes. It is heavily implied that women ARE in fact basically prostituted at the hotel and in the gangs. There is a section of the book that talks about a man posing for pictures with a naked passed out woman and other scenes where sexual things are happening. (Hence, the medium rating).