Review: Interesting Idea But Falls Flat
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 12 19, 2013
After reading the blurb, I thought this book sounded really interesting.  However, it was a bit disappointing.  While it is listed as being in the horror genre, I felt that there wasn't much horror in it except for one quick scene.  Luckily, it was just a short read.The title is a little bit intriguing although it sounds more like a woman's name than a paranormal book.  I think it would've sounded better if it had the word asylum in it.The cover looks a bit spooky, but the romantic couple on the cover make it feel like it's going to be an erotica (which it's not).  I should've judged this book by its cover, and not bothered with reading it as it's painfully obvious there will be romance in it.The world building seemed okay although I was wondering what kind of police department would waste their time trying to prove or disprove supernatural theories.  The romance between Ashley and Corbin did seem a bit forced.  Although it is explained a little bit how Corbin's brother died, I never really did get Corbin's reasoning for blaming Ashley.  At first, I though Ashley was Corbin's brother's girlfriend.  Then, I thought Ashley and Corbin's brother were having an affair, but both were wrong.  Apparently, Corbin blames Ashley because she encouraged him to explore the asylum.  Perhaps I'm just being dense, but it seemed like a crazy reason to end a relationship.The pacing started out slow, but then it went the opposite way.  It became too fast, and I was left wondering what had happened.  There's not really a decent pace in this book.The plot line was a good idea, but I just felt like it was poorly executed.  The awkward romance overshadows what is supposed to be the spooky factor.  Everything just felt rushed and predictable.  I believe if this book was a little bit longer, it could've been a better read.  There's not any plot twists either.I couldn't really connect with either Corbin or Ashley.  I think this was because the book just felt rushed.  A little bit more back story on the characters (as well as the asylum) would've been much appreciated.I thought the dialogue was actually alright.  Although the book felt rushed, the dialogue actually flowed smoothly.Overall, Ruby Hill sounds like an interesting book but just falls flat.  I felt, after reading the book, like the author just rushed to put a story together quickly.  While it wasn't a horrible read, it's not a great read either.  I probably won't be recommending this book to anyone.  However, if the author decides to add more detail to the book, I'd consider reading it again.(I received an ecopy of this title from a tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review.  This review is also on my blog).