The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux; a novel not to be missed

I love fierce, strong female characters, and there is none better than ninety year old Ruby Devereaux.

The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux took the book world by storm when it was released in hardback earlier this year, and now this fun and moving faux-memoir is out in paperback. Candidly told though her relationships with twelve very different men, this is a story that made me laugh and made me cry. I loved it, and I especially loved Ruby for her straight talking attitude, her wanderlust, her bravery and her passion.

As readers, we are initially introduced to the legend that is Ruby Devereaux via her agent Marina. Ruby is a bestselling writer, with a career spanning seven decades. A very eclectic writer, everyone knows the books of Ruby D. Now over the age of ninety, with her eyesight failing and her arthritic hands cramping, Ruby’s energy is waning. Yet her publisher is demanding one more book from her, setting her an ultimatum. And so, we as readers embark on the scandalous life of Ruby Devereaux, but strictly on her terms.

As this feisty protagonist reveals to the world the secrets of her infamous life, we are taken into very different worlds through the decades, from society living in 1950s New York, to Cold War espionage right in the heart of Berlin, to hobnobbing with The Beatles. Ruby’s life is one of many men, glamour, parties and scandal. But it is also one of secret lives, heartbreak, conflict zones and unbelievable talent, resilience and survival.

When I first started reading this evocative novel by M.J. Robotham I was in such a reading slump. No book had ignited my passion for reading for some weeks – I just couldn’t maintain my usual concentration! But I am happy to say Ruby D saved me from that horrible reading slump. I will always be so grateful to Ruby for that. Ruby is a true literary heroine.

Thank you Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to the blog tour of The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux. To follow the tour, please see below.

The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux was released in paperback on 7 November 2024.