The first 90% of Ruby Falls is almost perfect. Eleanor and her whirlwind romance are completely believable. Abandoned by her father, she clings to the hope that this mysterious foreign man loves her. Even when he shows signs of not being the man she believes him to be, she forges ahead and tries to make things work. In another character this would be frustrating and I’d want to shake her and tell her to wake up, but Eleanor seems fragile and entirely dependent on this story she’s telling herself. She’s an actor playing a role that she’s written for herself and giving up the role, admitting that her husband isn’t who he says he is and their romance may be a lie, would destroy her.

The stakes get higher as the lies pile up and the deception can no longer be ignored. I was 100% on board, totally hooked, and could not stop reading. But then, one chapter later, it all fell flat. Any credibility the plot had was lost, and I was left feeling disappointed.