Romance Readers Retreat: Review: Ruin by Clarissa Wild

*****4.5 Stars*****

I'm a long time Clarissa Wild fan and am always excited when she has a new book out. When I first read the blurb for Ruin I was instantly intrigued. This is one of those books that is emotional, gripping and very hard to rate and review. It is very different from what we're used to from Wild as this is based in part on the author's actual life. It is also quite different from what I was expecting going in based purely on the blurb.

Maybell is a young woman with Asperger who faces constant bullying from classmates because she is different. She manages to keep a smile on her face and finds an outlet through her passion for writing, dancing and video games. Despite her parents not being supportive of her dreams, she sets out to become a professional dancer. After news of an unsuccessful audition she gets into a car accident which changes the course of her life.

After the accident Maybell is faced with a long hospital stay and the possibility of never being able to dance again. A spot of light in her current turbulent day to day is Alexander, a hospital volunteer who she befriends. Alex is instantly drawn to Maybell (we find out they actually share a connection not apparent at first and that he has secretly had feelings for her for some time). Alex has not led a perfect life and is a high school drop out. He doesn't think he is deserving of this amazing young woman and feels like he may be her ruin. He is so sweet and genuine with Maybell. I just loved their scenes together. Alex thinks its best for her if he isn't in her life, but Maybell isn't about to let one of her first friends and someone she cares so much about slip out of her life.

I really loved both Maybell and Alex. They were interesting characters and I wanted both to have happy lives so badly. I'm not entirely sure how old they are, but I'm assuming their in their very late teens or early twenties. This is definitely more of a sweet love story than a steamy one. It's very much about two people, trying to live their life despite to the best of their abilities and overcome the obstacles that life can throw at them. I am always a sucker for stories about love overcoming obstacles and adversity so that aspect definitely appealed to me. This was an interesting and heartfelt romance based on a true story. I'm not sure it will appeal to all fans of Clarissa Wild's normal stories, but in mu opinion, it is definitely worth a read if you enjoy a sweet love story were two people find their soulmates in a realistic and touching way.

Reviewed by Rosemary Feil

Maybell Fairweather was the girl of my dreams.

Always smiling brightly, she kept going, despite the names her classmates called her behind her back.

She was full of curiosity and independence, the extent of which I could only be jealous of. Even though she had all odds stacked against her, she knew what she wanted from life and pursued it, no matter the cost.

She was completely my opposite in every way.

Perfect, even though she couldn’t see it.

Perfect … until me.

Because this is the story of how I ruined her.

Based on a true story. Standalone Romance. No cliffhanger.