Sometimes the person you most need to forgive is yourself....

Review of Ruby’s Secret by Heather B. Moore,

part of the Newport Ladies Book Club Novel Series

While this book is part of a series that includes authors Josi Kilpack, Julie Wright and Annette Lyon, it definitely is a stand alone story that may whet your appetite to seek out the other novels that have characters attending Ruby’s book club.

You can always recognize a good story because you have a moment of sadness when it is over. In Ruby’s Secret you become part of Ruby’s inner circle, you learn of her secret addiction to regency romance books, how she takes guilty pleasure in watering her hibiscus and you learn Ruby’s secret.

The book club consists of Paige, Daisy, Athena, Ilana, Olivia, Victoria and Shannon. They are bonded together over a love of books, caring for each other and book club desserts.

At the insistence of Ruby’s daughter-in-law Kara, Ruby accepts the challenge to meet new people and finds herself drawn into the lives of the seniors at Oasis Senior Citizen Center. Before long she is burying old memories in Greece. So follow Ruby on her adventure as she finds hope (and romance) as she learns to let go of the past. True healing for Ruby begins when she can forgive herself.

And another great thing about this series, there are little teasers about the books they are enjoying in book club. That might spark you interest to find another good read as well.

And on a personal note the story did remind me that the past is the past and we often dredge things into our present that have no business being there. The single most important person that we can ever forgive is ourselves. Instead of looking for a way to rewrite the mistakes we may have made in the past it would be better to put our energy into our present and future. Rarely have I found another to be as hard on me as I am on myself. So go out and enjoy a good read and look for clues on how to let go of the past in order to have an excellent future.