by Susan Wilson
Publisher: St Martin's Press
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Buy the Book: Amazon
Goodreads: Ruby Heartwood has always lived a life on the move. As a traveling psychic, she makes her living working at carnivals and festivals and circuses around New England. It's a life Ruby has made peace with--settling in one place has never been for her. She needs no one, and no one needs her.
Until one night, when she is camped by the side of the road in her trusty Volkswagon Westie van, a fierce thunder and lightning storm erupts. In the middle of the downpour, she hears a distinct voice telling her to let me in. In jumps a little black and white dog, and to Ruby's astonishment, she can hear the dog's thoughts. Has she been struck by lightning? Did the storm do this? Is she losing her mind?
It turns out, Ruby can hear many dogs' thoughts. She decides to set up semi-permanent residency in the town of Harmony Farms, until she can sort out what is going on, and who the little dog, Hitch, belongs to. But some people in Harmony Farms don't want her there. And it seems that events keep preventing Ruby from leaving. What secrets is this town keeping? Why was she meant to find this dog? And what has Ruby really been running from, all these years?
Kritters Thoughts: Ruby Heartwood is a gypsy in that she doesn't lay down roots anywhere and prides herself in her ability to move from place to place with ease until one small town gets into her system and a dog finds her and needs her. Ruby has that ability to see into people's future, but a new skill comes her way when the dog comes into her life and she can communicate with animals and tell their owners what they need and want.
While I don't tend to love the art of psychics and mediums, I did love reading as Ruby communicated with the animals and helping their owners know what the animals wanted and needed. I may have talked to my dogs a little differently both while and after reading this book!
I loved reading about Ruby's pursuit for the details of her past and trying to find out really where she came from beyond the convent where she was surrendered. Watching this part of the book unfold was so entertaining and I enjoyed Ruby and her sleuthing as she gathered clues and got some answers. The one part of the plot that made me shake my head or roll my eyes was the continual things that kept Ruby in the small town, some seemed ridiculous and I wish she had come to her senses earlier in the book and admitted that she was finding joy in staying.
This was my first Susan Wilson read and while I have coveted her covers with all the dogs for a long time, I was ready to try her out and experience her writing and characters. I am hopeful to read more of her books with these great dogs on the cover and finding out how she incorporates the dog into each book.
Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row
Ebook 2021 Challenge: 75 out of 100
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one copy of this book free of charge from St Martin's Press. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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