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thekindredreader 's review for:
Ruby Spencer's Whisky Year
by Rochelle Bilow
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
[3.5 Stars😊] Ruby Spencer's Whisky Year by Rochelle Bilow was a pleasant surprise, and I'm glad that I picked this up from my local bookstore! While I went into this book thinking it was a romance book, I was happy that it read more like contemporary fiction with a splash of romance because I loved Ruby's self-discovery journey just as much as the romance between Ruby and Brochan.
The underlying theme of "it's never too late to start over or pursue a passion" helped make Ruby a relatable character, and I emotionally connected to her story and the food (LOL)! During the pandemic, I watched the Bon Appetit YouTube channel to help calm anxious thoughts, so, in a way, this book was comforting and uplifting.
I loved the "found family" element and the pseudo-mother/daughter relationship between Ruby and Grace so much! In my opinion, Grace's wisdom helped ground the novel (like the rowan tree metaphor when Ruby and Brochan are apart ). As for the romance between Ruby and Brochan...his quiet and calm nature balanced out Ruby's flighty (is that the right word?) and spiral-y tendencies, and I enjoyed the development from friends to lovers. I swooned over the rowan wood necklace and Brochan's sweet and encouraging words to Ruby .
However, I am not a fan of the "third act break up," and in Ruby Spencer's Whisky Year, I thought Ruby's confrontation with Brochan was a missed opportunity to display her growth and maturity. But, when I look back at it, she also made a decision that was true to her due to her past relationships and their emotional baggage. I also thought, at times, the dialogue felt a little stilted and unnatural.
Reading this book also made me itch to look up flight plans to Scotland and to see if I can transfer my job there because the setting of Ruby Spencer's Whisky Year was its own character in Rochelle Bilow's novel and it gave me a major case of wanderlust. Overall, I enjoyed reading Rochelle Bilow's DEBUT(!!!) story, and I hope she continues to write books with this combination because I will want to read them.
____________________________________
Details:
💘Contemporary romance
✈️Travel
Tropes:
🐟Fish out of water
🧩Found family
🤐Secrets
🧨Slow burn
🏡Small town
Spice:
💥Sex, but not explicit (medium)
____________________________________
Emoji Ranking System:
🤩Fantastic (4.75-5.00)
😍Great (4.25-4.75)
😊Good, but not great (3.50-4.25)
😒Just OK (2.75-3.50)
😑It's A No (1.00-2.75)
🚫DNF
The underlying theme of "it's never too late to start over or pursue a passion" helped make Ruby a relatable character, and I emotionally connected to her story and the food (LOL)! During the pandemic, I watched the Bon Appetit YouTube channel to help calm anxious thoughts, so, in a way, this book was comforting and uplifting.
I loved the "found family" element and the pseudo-mother/daughter relationship between Ruby and Grace so much! In my opinion, Grace's wisdom helped ground the novel (
However, I am not a fan of the "third act break up," and in Ruby Spencer's Whisky Year, I thought Ruby's confrontation with Brochan was a missed opportunity to display her growth and maturity. But, when I look back at it, she also made a decision that was true to her due to her past relationships and their emotional baggage. I also thought, at times, the dialogue felt a little stilted and unnatural.
Reading this book also made me itch to look up flight plans to Scotland and to see if I can transfer my job there because the setting of Ruby Spencer's Whisky Year was its own character in Rochelle Bilow's novel and it gave me a major case of wanderlust. Overall, I enjoyed reading Rochelle Bilow's DEBUT(!!!) story, and I hope she continues to write books with this combination because I will want to read them.
____________________________________
Details:
💘Contemporary romance
✈️Travel
Tropes:
🐟Fish out of water
🧩Found family
🤐Secrets
🧨Slow burn
🏡Small town
Spice:
💥Sex, but not explicit (medium)
____________________________________
Emoji Ranking System:
🤩Fantastic (4.75-5.00)
😍Great (4.25-4.75)
😊Good, but not great (3.50-4.25)
😒Just OK (2.75-3.50)
😑It's A No (1.00-2.75)
🚫DNF