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Ruby's Story
How Ruby returned to Sullivan, opening the supper club that became the stuff of Christmas Eve legends.
On Christmas Eve, Ruby Westbrook finds herself alone in an empty train car, no longer the wide-eyed, ready-to-take-on-the-big-city dancer she’d once been. On a whim, she arrives back in her girlhood hometown of tiny Sullivan, Missouri. Against the backdrop of a city navigating mid-century social and technological upheavals, Ruby begins to relive her past and the love she lost there. Will memory drive her to make a leap of faith, changing the course of her life, and that of the entire town of Sullivan forever?
Ruby’s Story is the prequel to the Ruby’s Place Christmas Collection:
Christmas at Ruby's
I Remember You
Sentimental Journey
The Gift That Is Ruby's Place
On Christmas Eve, Ruby Westbrook finds herself alone in an empty train car, no longer the wide-eyed, ready-to-take-on-the-big-city dancer she’d once been. On a whim, she arrives back in her girlhood hometown of tiny Sullivan, Missouri. Against the backdrop of a city navigating mid-century social and technological upheavals, Ruby begins to relive her past and the love she lost there. Will memory drive her to make a leap of faith, changing the course of her life, and that of the entire town of Sullivan forever?
Ruby’s Story is the prequel to the Ruby’s Place Christmas Collection:
Christmas at Ruby's
I Remember You
Sentimental Journey
The Gift That Is Ruby's Place
- GenresChristmas
153 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 25, 2021
135 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Holly Schindler
51 books312 followersHolly Schindler’s work has received starred reviews in Booklist and Publishers Weekly, has won silver and gold medals in ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year and the IPPY Awards, respectively, has been featured on Booklist’s Best First Novels for Youth and School Library Journal’s What’s Hot in YA, and has been a PW Pick of the Week. She can usually be found consuming large quantities of coffee and working on her next book. She can also be found at hollyschindler.com.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 3, 2024
Yes! Eindelijk deel 1 uit de serie Ruby’s regulars gelezen (it is the season…. soort van….). Heerlijke serie. Op naar deel 2. En op naar de ‘originele’ serie Ruby’s Place natuurlijk. Gelukkig is het herfstseizoen net pas begonnen!
November 23, 2021
Ruby is coming back home to her childhood town of Sullivan, Missouri, after thirty years. I like that she takes a train, traveling alone on Christmas eve. She has no family left and people only remember her as the girl who left to become a famous ballet dancer. It takes a while for the town to warm up to her. There is a sad story of why Ruby left in the first place and it resonates all through the book. When she tries to open a business across the street from the misogynistic owner of the local electronics store, she makes an enemy. She uses an old family saying to get rid of your enemies by making them into friends. It would be interesting to see how things go in her future in this little town. There are four more books, each seeming to be also Christmas-related. Ruby's Story is a short prequel to them, only about a hundred pages long.
November 23, 2021
What A Sweet Story About Coming Home!
Ruby returned home after years of being a professional dancer, a ballerina. Her train car was empty when she arrived. She found similar conditions as she returned to the street running past the pond where she had spent hours learning to spin around and around. It was no wonder she had chosen a career as a ballerina. She looked in the window of the coffee shop in front of the pond where she had gone after skating. The coffee shop was closing. Could Ruby purchase the shop? Read this book to find out.
I enjoyed this book. It made want to read more. I hope you enjoy this book also.
Ruby returned home after years of being a professional dancer, a ballerina. Her train car was empty when she arrived. She found similar conditions as she returned to the street running past the pond where she had spent hours learning to spin around and around. It was no wonder she had chosen a career as a ballerina. She looked in the window of the coffee shop in front of the pond where she had gone after skating. The coffee shop was closing. Could Ruby purchase the shop? Read this book to find out.
I enjoyed this book. It made want to read more. I hope you enjoy this book also.
December 17, 2022
5 🌟 all the way for this beautiful heartfelt story that ends with a little Christmas magic.
September 2, 2021
If you all have read The Ruby's Place Christmas stories then you have got to read Ruby's Story! Y'all! I absolutely loved it! This is the first in the Ruby's Regulars series and I can tell you right now that I am looking forward to this series! I fell in love with Ruby's Place and that love is just continuing in this new series! I am totally invested in this story and the characters for sure!
Here are a couple of favorite quotes:
"Each time they planned to meet at Frankie's, Timothy would come early, leaving behind that card. A small white tent right in front of the chair he always pulled out for her, with "Ruby's Place" written in perfect, elegant cursive." I cannot tell you how romantic that was to me when I read it! I mean total sigh worthy! I was loving the story to begin with, but this is where I totally fell in love with the characters!
"I lose my enemies each time I make them my friends." I can't even tell you about this because I don't want to give spoilers away, but trust me, it is significant and it is truth!
"Miracles---even tiny ones---were built for Christmas. And so the tradition of the Christmas Eve celebration at Ruby's Place begins. I absolutely love how the author tied in Ruby's story with the Ruby's Place series.
"She'd never quit believing that Ruby's Place was utter magic" And neither will I dear reader!
If you are looking for some excellent Christmas reads then I am telling you look no further! Grab the Ruby's Place series which is now a collection entitled RUBY'S PLACE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION
Here are a couple of favorite quotes:
"Each time they planned to meet at Frankie's, Timothy would come early, leaving behind that card. A small white tent right in front of the chair he always pulled out for her, with "Ruby's Place" written in perfect, elegant cursive." I cannot tell you how romantic that was to me when I read it! I mean total sigh worthy! I was loving the story to begin with, but this is where I totally fell in love with the characters!
"I lose my enemies each time I make them my friends." I can't even tell you about this because I don't want to give spoilers away, but trust me, it is significant and it is truth!
"Miracles---even tiny ones---were built for Christmas. And so the tradition of the Christmas Eve celebration at Ruby's Place begins. I absolutely love how the author tied in Ruby's story with the Ruby's Place series.
"She'd never quit believing that Ruby's Place was utter magic" And neither will I dear reader!
If you are looking for some excellent Christmas reads then I am telling you look no further! Grab the Ruby's Place series which is now a collection entitled RUBY'S PLACE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION
September 20, 2023
RUBY’S REGULARS, the first of three books in Holly Schindler’s “Ruby’s Place” Spinoff Series, is heart-felt, polished, and fun. A difficult combination to achieve, it was exactly what I wanted.
“Ruby Westbrook finds herself alone in an empty train car, no longer the wide-eyed, ready-to-take-on-the-big-city (ballet) dancer she’d once been. … Against the backdrop of a city navigating mid-century social and technological upheavals, Ruby begins to relive her past and the love she lost there.”
Engaging any time of year, this is the perfect pre-pre-Holiday Read. Highly recommended.
“Ruby Westbrook finds herself alone in an empty train car, no longer the wide-eyed, ready-to-take-on-the-big-city (ballet) dancer she’d once been. … Against the backdrop of a city navigating mid-century social and technological upheavals, Ruby begins to relive her past and the love she lost there.”
Engaging any time of year, this is the perfect pre-pre-Holiday Read. Highly recommended.
February 10, 2023
Sweet and heartwarming
Ruby returned to Sullivan, her hometown, one lonely Christmas Eve.
No-one recognised her. She had left many years before, to become a ballet dancer. Her feet were sore. She was not sure why she returned.
A tragedy had caused her to leave, but something called her back, but a new life was waiting there for her. It was not without strong opposition.
Read it if you are in the mood for a light fanciful,feel-good, well-edited story.
Ruby returned to Sullivan, her hometown, one lonely Christmas Eve.
No-one recognised her. She had left many years before, to become a ballet dancer. Her feet were sore. She was not sure why she returned.
A tragedy had caused her to leave, but something called her back, but a new life was waiting there for her. It was not without strong opposition.
Read it if you are in the mood for a light fanciful,feel-good, well-edited story.
November 27, 2022
Such a delightful story with a terrific protagonist. Very short and sweet novel. Ruby is an inspirational woman who finds challenges coming home to a small town after professional dancing around the world. Any reader will be thrilled with Holly Schindler's detail and beautiful portrayal of Ruby.
Highly recommend.
Highly recommend.
November 22, 2023
Exiting her dancing career at the pinnacle of her success, Ruby Westbrook returns to her old hometown of Sullivan with the hopes of finding purpose and a new sense of direction. With new challenges come old memories as she attempts to turn an old diner into something more magical.
This was a beautiful and haunting (in all senses of the word) story. Very enjoyable.
This was a beautiful and haunting (in all senses of the word) story. Very enjoyable.
July 24, 2023
True Love
Making friends with your enemies is the final reward. Ruby returns to her hometown to find that in kindness and just meanness can be overcome with concern and helpfulness. A good story for the Christmas season.
Making friends with your enemies is the final reward. Ruby returns to her hometown to find that in kindness and just meanness can be overcome with concern and helpfulness. A good story for the Christmas season.
September 26, 2023
A short novel about a ballet dancer returning to her hometown after she can no longer dance. Starts and ends on Christmas Eve nights several years apart as Ruby remembers her past and struggles to establish her future.
Read
December 1, 2023Beautiful
Sometimes we don't realize we have experienced the best kind of LOVE until many years have gone by. Ruby had lived a full life but something was always missing. So she went back home and then the true love story begins.
Sometimes we don't realize we have experienced the best kind of LOVE until many years have gone by. Ruby had lived a full life but something was always missing. So she went back home and then the true love story begins.
January 11, 2024
Sweet
A never forgotten first love of your life. A small, feel good, home town. A women of determination all wrapped up during the holidays. Sweet read. Nice happy ending. Kept me interested and turning pages. Thumbs up.
A never forgotten first love of your life. A small, feel good, home town. A women of determination all wrapped up during the holidays. Sweet read. Nice happy ending. Kept me interested and turning pages. Thumbs up.
December 3, 2024
A never forgotten first love of your life. A small, feel good, home town. A women of determination all wrapped up during the holidays. Sweet read. Nice happy ending. Kept me interested and turning pages. Thumbs up.
December 11, 2021
Loved this entire series!!! It could go on and on as far as I'm concerned!!!😁
December 13, 2021
Magical and Christmasy
February 26, 2022
Hope and magic
I read this prequel after reading the Ruby's series and it made me want to go back and read them again. Eloquently written, this is a heartwarming book to savor.
I read this prequel after reading the Ruby's series and it made me want to go back and read them again. Eloquently written, this is a heartwarming book to savor.
November 7, 2022
An Affirmation
There is, or should be, some Ruby in all of us and Ms Schindler helps us find her in grand style with tears and smiles. I needed that, thank you.
There is, or should be, some Ruby in all of us and Ms Schindler helps us find her in grand style with tears and smiles. I needed that, thank you.
Read
November 27, 2022I loved this book a great read when you feel down in the dumps. I need to read this author more often. Thank you!
December 7, 2022
Magical❣
December 27, 2022
Perseverance is one of my power words. Good advice about one's enemies.
December 29, 2022
This is not a typical guys book
Even though this is not a typical guy book, I loved it. This is a story worth reading this winter.
Even though this is not a typical guy book, I loved it. This is a story worth reading this winter.
January 2, 2023
Beautiful
This was an absolutely beautiful story. It made me laugh and cry. I loved both Rubys. What beautiful hearts they had.
This was an absolutely beautiful story. It made me laugh and cry. I loved both Rubys. What beautiful hearts they had.
Read
December 11, 2023Cute Christmas story
March 29, 2024
sweetest story
Just a bit magical — but that is just what love is, magical and lasting forever. I truly enjoyed Ruby’s Story and can’t wait to start the next one.
Just a bit magical — but that is just what love is, magical and lasting forever. I truly enjoyed Ruby’s Story and can’t wait to start the next one.
December 30, 2024
A wonderful heartfelt Christmas story!
I loved this story. It gave me the perfect mix of emotions like the feel of a rainy gloomy day to a burst of warm sunshine!
Returning to her girlhood hometown, Ruby is a little nervous reliving her past. She was a professional ballet dancer, but no longer. Will she reconnect to those who once knew her?
The author, Holly Schindler is a talented author. And I am happy this is the prequel to “Ruby’s Place Christmas Collection” of the Ruby Regulars Series.
A perfect Christmas story with a happy ending! Highly recommend getting your holiday season off to a good start!
-This book was given to me in a giveaway in exchange for a fair and honest review.-
I loved this story. It gave me the perfect mix of emotions like the feel of a rainy gloomy day to a burst of warm sunshine!
Returning to her girlhood hometown, Ruby is a little nervous reliving her past. She was a professional ballet dancer, but no longer. Will she reconnect to those who once knew her?
The author, Holly Schindler is a talented author. And I am happy this is the prequel to “Ruby’s Place Christmas Collection” of the Ruby Regulars Series.
A perfect Christmas story with a happy ending! Highly recommend getting your holiday season off to a good start!
-This book was given to me in a giveaway in exchange for a fair and honest review.-
September 8, 2022
Holly Schindler has made me very happy with the prequel to her Ruby’s Place series and the promise of Ruby’s Regulars series. This book reminded me of the joy I felt while reading the original four books.
Ruby’s Place takes us back to the 1950’s when Ruby, a retired ballerina, returns to her home town. Her decision to open a Supper Club is met with obstacles at every turn. How she overcame those and flourished is nothing short of magic. And that is what this sweet novella is - magic.
After turning the last page, I found myself looking forward to re-reading the Ruby’s Place books. I hadn’t realized how much I missed my old friends.
Ruby’s Place takes us back to the 1950’s when Ruby, a retired ballerina, returns to her home town. Her decision to open a Supper Club is met with obstacles at every turn. How she overcame those and flourished is nothing short of magic. And that is what this sweet novella is - magic.
After turning the last page, I found myself looking forward to re-reading the Ruby’s Place books. I hadn’t realized how much I missed my old friends.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews