Hotel Ruby by Suzanne Young

Published: November 2015

Publisher: SimonPulse

Pages: 288

Copy Provided by: Bought

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

Stay tonight. Stay forever.

When Audrey Casella arrives for an unplanned stay at the grand Hotel Ruby, she’s grateful for the detour. Just months after their mother’s death, Audrey and her brother, Daniel, are on their way to live with their grandmother, dumped on the doorstep of a DNA-matched stranger because their father is drowning in his grief.

Audrey and her family only plan to stay the night, but life in the Ruby can be intoxicating, extending their stay as it provides endless distractions—including handsome guest Elias Lange, who sends Audrey’s pulse racing. However, the hotel proves to be as strange as it is beautiful. Nightly fancy affairs in the ballroom are invitation only, and Audrey seems to be the one guest who doesn’t have an invite. Instead, she joins the hotel staff on the rooftop, catching whispers about the hotel’s dark past.

The more Audrey learns about the new people she’s met, the more her curiosity grows. She’s torn in different directions—the pull of her past with its overwhelming loss, the promise of a future that holds little joy, and an in-between life in a place that is so much more than it seems…

Review:

First off, I love the cover of this book. It is so beautiful with just a little hint of intrigue as the girl in the red dress peeks through the closing/opening elevator doors.  A great cover for the theme of this book.  Is she staying or is she leaving?   Although it was only 288 pages, it was hard to slog through the first part.  Very slow moving in the first half of the book but it picked up after 2/3.  I had so many questions racing through my head while reading - What's up with the hotel? Why is Kenneth so odd and outwardly friendly but seemingly menacing? Why does time seem to be hard to track?  How are the staff and guests separated?  Why can't the staff go to the party? And why do some people receive an invitation and others do not?

After the history of the Ruby was explained, the book began to slowly gain momentum.  I was making guesses about the characters in the story and most of them were correct but still, I enjoyed the interplay and watching it all unfold.  

The way the novel ended was exactly how I wished it to be but somehow the story was lacking in magic for me. Have you ever baked a cake using all of the ingredients, following directions to a T but yet it just lacks something magical?  I felt that way about this book. I wanted to LOVE it but instead I only LIKED it.  The idea for this novel was fascinating and such a departure from what I normally read.  I like how the storyline was unusual yet there seemed to be so many factors that didn't mesh together quite right.  Would I recommend this read? Definitely. It was enjoyable but it didn't dazzle me like I wanted it to.