Between Wild and Ruin by Jennifer G. Edelson

Release: September 28th 2019
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Bad Apple Books
Source: Xpresso Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads , Amazon

Truth, like love, isn’t always obvious.

Seventeen-year-old Ruby Brooks has never had a boyfriend. After moving to small-town La Luna, New Mexico following her mother’s untimely death, boys aren’t even on her radar. But, Ruby just wants to forget the last horrible year and blend in. But when she discovers an ancient pueblo ruin hidden in the forest behind her house, and meets Ezra, a bitter recluse whose once-perfect face was destroyed in an accident he won’t talk about.

Angel, the town’s handsome sheriff’s deputy, and Leo, a stranger who only appears in the forest, Ruby finds herself caught between love, mystery, and other worlds. What happened to Ezra’s face? And why is she so attracted to the one boy in town everyone despises? As Ruby unravels her own powerful connections to both Ezra and the pueblo ruin, she’ll learn surfaces are deceiving. Especially in the heart of New Mexico, where ghosts and legends aren’t always just campfire stories.

About the Author:

Jennifer G. Edelson is a writer, trained artist, former attorney, pizza lover, and hard-core Bollywood fan. She has a BFA in Sculpture and a J.D. in law, and has taught both creative writing and legal research and writing at several fine institutions, including the University of Minnesota. Originally a California native, she currently resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her husband, kids, and dog, Hubble after surviving twenty-plus years in the Minnesota tundra (but still considers Los Angeles, the Twin Cities, and Santa Fe all home). Also, other than writing, Jennifer loves hiking, traveling, Albert Camus, Dr. Seuss, dark chocolate, drinking copious amounts of coffee, exploring mysterious places, and meeting new people–if you’re human (or otherwise), odds are she’ll probably love you.

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Between Wild and Ruin Review:

Between Wild and Ruin was an intriguing, coming of age, supernatural romance and I really liked it.

The author developed the characters in a nice and fluid manner. I liked Ruby in the lead and how she tries to adjust to her new life with Libby. Moreover, I enjoyed Ruby and Ezra’s relationship. The two of them share a very nice chemistry that is filled with angst and romance. The dialogues they share with each other is memorable, where they talk about beauty, her mother, the history of La Luna and the mountains. Moreover, Ezra is a complex character and progresses in a wonderful manner. He is arrogant and snobbish at first, but you see him tear down his walls as he spends time to with Ruby. Also, I disliked Angel and thought he tried too hard to make people like him.

The author also does a wonderful job of describing the various folklore of New Mexico. I learned numerous terms like Ottomundo, Land of the Ancients, and the Shiankya Clan. The author also adds a few twists and turns where you don’t know how the story will turn out. I was shocked when we find out the history of Leo, and did not see it coming. There are a few sub plots like the mystery of the mountain lion and secrets about Ruby’s mother, that all come together towards the climax.

However, the story felt repetitive and lagged in certain areas. Also, at times, I felt like the story did not balance the plot with the character development equally. The story would be perfect if the pacing was consistent. Overall, “Between Wild and Ruin” is a very nice contemporary, paranormal romance set in the beautiful backdrop of New Mexico.