Posts Tagged: Above Rubies

Above Rubies 
Rockland Ranch #2
by Jaclyn M. Hawkes
Paperback 
400 pages
Published April 20, 2013
by Spirit Dance Books
ISBN-10: 0985164824
Book Source: LDSBA
Adult Fiction
LDS, Romance
4 stars

His chivalry was strangling her.

He thought he was helping her—and in truth, he was. She was in desperate straits. But as honorable as he was, he was also breaking her heart.

Her attraction was drowning him.

When World Champion rodeo cowboy Rossen Rockland and his friends rescue a young runaway who has been abused by her foster father and take her home to his parents’ ranch, he expects her to turn out to be a pain in the neck. And sometimes she is.

It doesn’t take him long to figure out that she has way more than her allotment of troubles—and far more than her share of gifts. Lovely, talented, and ravingly brilliant, Kit Star is too young, unbelievably humble, and oh, so loveable. Knowing that she needs his protection and time to grow into her potential, Rossen also figures out that what she really is, is a pain in the heart.

Watch for more of the Rockland Ranch Series!

Review: Rodeo champion Rossen Rockland is on his way home from a world rodeo championship in Las Vegas with his adopted brother when he becomes witness to an attack on a young woman walking alone with her guitar. He is in the right place at the right time to rescue Kit and bring her home to Rockland Ranch where she will have a chance to heal and experience what family, love and loyalty really are. How can he help but become attached when he is there every step of the way through hospital visits, surgery, recovery and nurturing the child that is on it’s way?

Kit is 17 and though young in years, has grown up fast from her experiences in the world. She’s smart, gorgeous and talented in more ways than one. But is she ready to be a mother? How can she experience college life and “growing up” when there are so many complications that stand in her way…including Rossen?

I enjoyed book two in the Rockland Ranch series.  It openly explores a woman’s virtue as the victim of abuse: that Kit is worth more than rubies, pure and innocent. Despite what others may think, or find to gossip about, her worth is constant, and it is seen by her new family and Christ. There are messages about the atonement, prayer and hope in God when life seems to be leading away from what you want. At times the story dragged a little bit with a lot of “telling instead of showing”, but when rock star Nick Satori steps in about halfway through, things really pick up speed. He is the prefect addition and the catalyst that was needed to get this fairy tale ending moving in the right direction.

I had a bit of trouble with suspension of disbelief at how perfectly Kit’s life turns out and all the opportunities she is handed. There is also some codependency with she and Rossen which I wish would have been addressed. But overall, I truly enjoyed Above Rubies. I liked that the author teaches justice for the abuser and mercy for the victim. It’s a feel good book with a great message about agency and love. I recommend the series and have already breezed through book 3 🙂

Highlight with cursor to see content: teen pregnancy from abuse, drinking at a party, mention of a meth lab, mild violence from kicking to punching, kissing

                   

Jaclyn M. Hawkes Photo copyright Heather Zahn Gardner

About the Author: Jaclyn M. Hawkes grew up in Utah with 6 sisters, 4 brothers and any number of pets. (It was never boring!) She got a bachelor’s degree, had a career and traveled extensively before settling down to her life’s work of being the mother of four magnificent and sometimes challenging children. She loves shellfish, the out of doors, the youth and hearing her children laugh. She and her fine husband, their family, and their sometimes very large pets, now live in a mountain valley in northern Utah, where it smells like heaven and kids still move sprinkler pipe.

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