Rescuing Hearts by Ruby Scott is an age-gap romance about finding the softest hearts behind the highest walls.
Life hasn’t been easy for Kristi Ivers, a 44-year-old flight attendant who has experienced a lot of pain. She keeps herself busy with work, travel, and volunteering at a dog shelter in Costa Rica, but she has never allowed herself to be loved. Fenna Vargas, a pediatric surgeon, believes in love and has the world at her feet. Can Fenna’s optimism break down the barriers that Kristi has built around her heart? Find out in this sapphic novel of lesbian romance, which also celebrates the love of animals and the wisdom of Nicaraguan grandmothers.
Writing
Ruby Scott weaves in heartache, longing, grief, and hope all in a wonderful bundle of exquisite writing. It was told in first person from both main characters’ points of view. I found that this was a highly effective technique because it allowed me to learn exactly what was going on in each woman’s head and made the book that much more emotional. About halfway through the book, a third character, Yaya’s first-person point of view, was included. I was simply delighted when the author shifted to Yaya’s point of view because she was such an integral part of helping Kristi and Fenna make their fledgling relationship work. This was the first time I encountered a book told from three characters’ points of view!
Narration
Talk about the accent, speed, level of acting when you review an audiobook. Is it something you will listen to again?
Pros And My Favourite Parts
Rescuing Hearts was so much more than I initially thought it was going to be, and I honestly loved every second. I was hooked from the first chapter when Kristi was forced to hold her seatmate’s hair back as the woman vomited her way to Costa Rica. This levity ensnared me, and I couldn’t put the book down.
Kristi spent most of her waking hours working as a flight attendant. She kept busy so, she had no time to think or feel. She’d kept people a safe distance away. Her only connections were the ones she’s formed with the workers and dogs at a rescue in Costa Rica. Her dedication and adoration for this place were incredible. I loved witnessing the sheer joy she felt each time she was there. I found Kristi’s character arc to be compelling. Her growth throughout the story showed that leaning into vulnerability and allowing someone in can change the course of your life forever. It’s these types of things that make my heart happy.
Fenna’s brilliance, dedication, and compassion shine in all she does. Her family is a driving force for her, and her relationships with family members are pivotal to her character (especially the relationship she has with her spitfire grandmother, Yaya). It’s these relationships that have shaped her understanding and caring nature, facilitating her success as a pediatric surgeon as well as being the perfect partner for the guarded Kristi.
Kristi and Fenna were clearly meant to be together. Fenna stated, “I don’t want tonight to end. Just being in her company, laughing together is right.” This quote sums up what a perfect match the two were. Their connection was instantaneous, and while their journey was emotional, it was truly heartwarming.
Heads Up
Loss and grief are two major topics in this book.
The Conclusion
Rescuing Hearts, while a perfect sapphic romance with multidimensional characters, is also about courage, change, and vulnerability. It proves that you are never too old to chase your dreams. Grief, while crippling, doesn’t get better, it gets different. Fear can be replaced by hope. Dogs are incredible. Love conquers all. What a fantastic story!
Excerpt from Rescuing Hearts by Ruby Scott
My gaze lands on the woman in 25C. There is something about her that’s—I don’t know… Strangely familiar.
When I passed her on my way down, she’d been poring over papers and a laptop, just as she is now. But now, as though she senses me watching her, she lifts her head a little, and a pair of eyes, so dark they almost look black, meet mine. It’s just for a moment, and then she looks back down at whatever she was reading before. I barely even get a good look at her, but there’s something about her. I can’t help but feel this isn’t the first time our paths have crossed.
Maybe I’ve seen her on a flight before, just like this one. Most of my routes send me south of the equator, so if she’s a frequent flyer to San Jose, San Paolo or maybe even Quito, there’s every chance I’ve served her a drink. Although, right now, unlike most passengers, all she has in front of her is water.
The high pitched rattle of glass tells me the drinks trolley is about to rumble up the aisle so I grab one of those tiny cans of soda and head back to my seat, passing the beautiful occupant of seat 25C, and move on towards the percussion section, which is Ali. I doubt she’ll wake before we land. I lean into the aisle to see what drink my mystery woman orders from Tamara, hoping it might jog my memory.
Tamara hasn’t reached her yet, and 25C is still flicking through papers. She takes the tip of her forefinger and touches it against her bottom lip, using the traction from the moisture to separate the sheets. I’ve seen her before. I’ve seen her make that exact same movement, feverishly flicking through sheets of paper as if she’s looking for something she can’t quite find. It’s such a small thing, but oddly it’s the small nuances and quirks about people I remember, never the big things. The way she moistens her finger and then flicks the paper has a sensual quality to it. I laugh at myself. Of course this would be what I remember.
Get It Online
When you use the links in this review and buy within 24 hours of clicking then we get a small commission that helps us run the site and it costs you nothing extra
Series: The Healing Hearts Series
Rescuing Hearts
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 979-8352023891
Publisher: Indie Author
If you enjoyed Rescuing Hearts by Ruby Scott then you should also look at
Note: I received a free review copy of Rescuing Hearts by Ruby Scott. No money was exchanged for this review. When you use our links to buy we get a small commission which supports the running of this site
