Ruth: A Modern Tale of Love and Loyalty

by Kayla Lowe

After the sudden loss of her husband, Ruth is left with nothing but her mother-in-law Naomi and a broken heart. With no future in the city they once called home, Naomi decides to return to her small hometown, hoping to find solace in familiar faces. Ruth, refusing to leave the only family she has left, makes a bold she will leave everything behind to follow Naomi and start anew.

As Ruth struggles to rebuild her life in a tight-knit community, she crosses paths with Boaz, a successful and respected business owner. Ruth is drawn to his quiet strength, while Boaz can’t help but admire Ruth’s resilience and kindness. But as they grow closer, Ruth faces the harsh realities of small-town gossip and personal insecurities. Both she and Boaz must navigate their pasts, the expectations of those around them, and their growing feelings for one another.

A Modern Story of Love and Loyalty is a heartwarming retelling of the Biblical tale of Ruth, set in a contemporary world where love, loss, and the power of community shape the lives of two people destined to find healing—and each other—when they least expect it.

60 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 24, 2024

About the author

Award-winning author Kayla Lowe writes women's fiction that explores complex themes with sensitivity and depth. Kayla’s books delve into the intricacies of relationships, self-discovery, and resilience. From cozy love stories interspersed with a bit of faith to heartwarming tales of friendship and suspenseful novels of empowerment and heartbreak, her books illustrate the struggles specific to women.

When she’s not churning out her next novel, you can find her with her feet in the sand and a book in her hand or curled up on the couch with her dogs.

Go to www.authorkaylalowe.com for a free book!

Reviews

[Jasmine (Jazzie) [Jesus Loves You!!] · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Ruth has always been one of my favorite Bible stories, and I believe that this modern-day retelling of it captured the essence of the original story.

Of course, there were some things in the Bible story of Ruth that I wish had been added in here, but I know it probably would have been a bit more difficult to somehow add them into a modern day tale.

Another thing that I found.... interesting was that a son of Boaz's was mentioned once and then never again, almost as if he had never existed even though we were told he did.

But overall, this was a good modern-day retelling of Ruth, and I can't wait to read more of Kayla Lowes' retellings of Bible stories!

*I received a free copy of this book from the author for my honest review. A positive review was not required. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[HAL · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3.5 stars

Lowe presents an interesting concept of what a Bible story might look or read like in current times. God and all His wisdom and skill is very hard to draw inspiration from because the comparison between His original telling of Ruth's story and Lowe's contemporary Ruth is always in the reader's mind. I found Lowe to often rely on familiar phrases like "the crucible of adversity" to explain where the character was emotionally rather that showing what the character when through. The last three chapters were much of this instead of the reader being a witness to events that proved the characters were happy.
As a retelling of biblical stories, the story is clean, inspiring and can be read by any age. It is a fresh perspective that puts forth God's goodness that may appeal to young women who love a sweet romance.

[Ambri Hutchins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick and easy read.
I gave it 4 stars for 2 reasons. I took off half a point due to the young son never being mentioned again after the first time he's mentioned. Like wouldn't he be just as important? He was Boaz's son. It irked me that they didn't include him more in the story. I know it's supposed to align with the story in the Bible someway but I felt with the story being more modern, we would see the blending of the family more.
I also took off another half of a star because I felt like the last few pages were super repetitive. Some of the paragraphs were not needed in the end.

Overall it's a nice retelling but I would of loved to see those 2 particular annoyances be fixed.

[Jayne Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi relocated from the city to a small town after Ruth’s husband died. It was a time of heartache, hope and healing. She met Boaz through a volunteer at the community center and they bonded over their personal losses and their desire to help their community. Together they weathered self-doubt, business needs, family demands, rumors, disapproval and gossip, to forge a bond of unconditional love. This story feels like it takes place a long time ago, but they have cars and laptops which brings it into the 21st Century. This is a story of reflection, hope and faith.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I knew the story of Ruth from reading it in the bible, I found this adaptation of it to be a fresh breath of the story. It kept all the parts from the original story, but set it in modern times. The language used was beautiful and flowed smoothly. It was a perfect blend of history and modern times infused with all the love that flowed between the relationships in this story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great retelling of the story of Ruth and Naomi. It made both Ruth and Naomi seem more human and real. To hear their possible thoughts and feelings throughout the story made the whole story become more real and touch my heart.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short and sweet retelling of the Bible story about Ruth and Boaz. For the most part, it was well-written, although more details in some areas would have been nice. Overall, I would gladly recommend as a modern version of the Bible story.

[Jessica Hembree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but sweet

I really enjoyed this story. Ruth is one of my favorite books of The Bible and this retelling was wonderful. I just wish it had been longer.