Ruby Red

Hidden Hearts #1

by D.L. Croisette

Sometimes you find love only after you lose everything else.

One night stands only need apply.
Ali Stinson is having a bad day. Her afternoon tryst has been interrupted (before they got to the good part) to discover her investment manager has run away with all her money. Now she has to keep up appearances with her high society friends, find a dress for an upcoming charity event and not fall in love with Sam, the cute bartender, who insists on helping her. Thing is she's 90% sure she doesn’t want help. Adulting is hard.

Looking for work, not love.
Sam Freemont is having a strange day. He was in the middle of the best kiss of his life when his boss walked in and halted the fun. Not helping with the low profile he's trying to maintain. Now he can't get Ali off his mind or out of his dreams. Good thing she's a regular at the swanky resort he just started working at. Gives him time to find a way back to her lips. Or better yet, into her heart.

Ruby Red is an opposites attract, riches-to-rags, fake dating, contemporary romance book written in alternating point of view and contains steamy open-door scenes, a feisty heroine freshly out of a disastrous marriage, a cinnamon roll hero who is hiding a secret, side character's you wish you were friends with, and a twist you won't see coming. Packed with emotions and page turning drama, this HFN has no love triangles, no cheating, and no cliffhangers.

Author's note about reading order:
Ruby Red is the first book in the Hidden Hearts romances series and features the beginning of Ali and Sam's romance. It is recommended to this series in order.

Genres: Contemporary

315 pages, Paperback

Published March 14, 2025

About the author

DL Croisette is a storyteller. The characters in her head demanded their tales to be told. Not one to back down from a challenge, she now spins them into romantic adventures full of drama, emotions, and courageous characters who rediscover their strengths. Collector of international friends, avid traveller and always up for a new experience, she snaps photos to remember each escapade, and peppers the best into her stories. She’s probably at an outdoor café right now, dreaming up a bold new heroine to stir up trouble. (Fun!)

Stay in touch with her on Instagram and Facebook at @dlcroisette or sign up for her newsletter over at dlcroisette.com.

Reviews

[E. N. Crane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So the gist that sold me on adding this to my TBR was that it was a riches to rags trope. I love when rich people have to learn to be normal.

Ali didn’t actually really have to do that. But overcoming trauma and learning to love and trust again is a beautiful story. There is blissfully no absurd last minute misunderstanding wedging them apart (thank dog). Instead there are elements of mystery and thriller and kick butt girl power. The romance was sweet (with a sprinkle of spice). Sam is NOT an alpha-hole. Never once did I want to punch him in the face (a recurring problem for me at times).

In the critical column: no dogs. Also still kinda disappointed she didn’t have to learn to be poor like the rest of us. I can picture her being the star of Target.

[Estelle Pettersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an undiscovered gem, a quality romance, the type that reminds us of why we fall in love. Meet Ali, a beautiful woman who may have lost a scoundrel ex-husband, but she's still got her dignity and confidence, and that red lipstick. Who doesn't love red lipstick?

Well, what do you do when you start afresh? You flirt with a sexy, blond pool boy, of course! New in town, Sam is also looking for a new start from a painful past. The last thing he expected to do was fall in love.

However, the fates have their own plan for Ali and Sam - what started out as fun and flirty ends up being more serious than either of them thought. Will Ali and Sam let go of their past and let love take its course? Find out in Ruby Red, a spicy romance novel so good that you'll want to read it twice.

[Latty Tesoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruby Red tells the saga of two young individuals, Sam and Ali, who demonstrates that a man isn't weak if he supports his woman in her ambitions and decisions, while Ali proved that admitting weakness and vulnerability is actually the strength she needed after years of emotional abuse. It also shows how power not only corrupts but it also eats away at the soul and taking a stand into using it for good is also a win. Overall, Ruby Red is a sweet, easy, and recommendable story that is totally worth the read.

[D.L. Croisette]

Check out the trailer for Ruby Red - A Romance on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/WI5wVJP3fnQ

[BookishBarbie (Annette) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a sweet romance with a HEA, this is the book for you!! Ali got all she asked for after her divorce with Jack. Trying to change back into the Ali before marriage, she did what she wanted and with whom she wanted it with, until Sam. The energy between them was from the moment their eyes met and they could feel it. Ali is very strong willed and enjoyed the finer things in life until she woke up one day and all her money was gone. Sam had no problem helping her get things she needed until her money troubles were resolved. Their secrets almost kept them apart, but they worked through it, fighting fire with fire. Great read!!

[Lisa Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this steamy romance!
Ali is from a wealthy family and married to an equally wealthy man! Until he leaves and divorces her.Sam is a bartender with a secret.
Their story is full of ups and downs and secrets to be told. I adore how Ali grows throughout the book into a confident and no nonsense heroine who’s only wish is to help those in need!
Even when it seemed that Ali had lost it all she still found love and it was the kind of love we all hope for!!
A complete page turner that I highly recommend you pick up. Will definitely be reading more from this author.

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional! I could not put this book down. Such a great reminder that love is always out there, you just have to be open to it. My heart was ripped apart and put back together. Ali finds herself in an unexpected situation and has to figure out how to make the best of it while Sam wants nothing more than to start over fresh and leave his past behind him. I love their instant chemistry and their love for each other. Thank you so much to the author for sending me this book. 10/10!

[Fleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4.5

This played out like every other typical romance book except…… the typical storyline climax I was visualising from a mile away was fast approaching, and we weren’t even at 50%. It worried me that this simplistic plot was coming to an end so quickly. Was there a second book in here? A part II? Had I made a mistake when buying it? What was going on?

No. There was no mistake.

Croisette flipped my expectations sideways and slapped me on the face with new developments. I went from being mildly interested to fully engaged.

I ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ to know what was happening next.

Firstly, excellent villain. He was awful. The thing that sold me most about him was 𝘩𝘦𝘳 reaction to him. That spoke volumes to me. She shook. She vomited. She went rigid. Her walls came up. There was deep trauma there, and it unravelled to us in a well-paced way.

Secondly, Sam was the best. He loved her so much. So so much. I really liked the pov of his, seeing his insecurities. Feeling his feelings as he watched her, mooned over her. But most of all, his heartbreak was my heartbreak. When she walked away from him and he couldn’t handle it? Man that pulled at my feelings.
Then again after their morning together when he thought she was going to leave? I just wanted to cry for him.
He was kind. He was thoughtful. He was considerate. He was perfect for her, and I love reading about characters who 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 a happy ending. You want a good person to have a good ending, and the bad a bad one.

Now Ali. I liked her a lot.
Probably the biggest thing with her is I liked seeing her journey, from the beginning of the book with her walls up and lipstick as armour, to the end, carefree and loved. Don’t we all want that? To be loved so wholeheartedly. To be cherished.

There were 2 distinct instances that 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 this book for me which, now that I think on it, can kind of be rolled into one long 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.
The dance from hell, through the moment in the side room, then onto the most gorgeous intimacy showing how precious she was, to the decisions she made at the end of it.
The tension just gripped me and never let go!
You 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 she was going to capitulate. You 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 she was going to make the worst decision ever, all in the name of love. You ᴋɴᴇᴡ! And it was awful to see it coming. All through the beautiful scenes, despite them admitting in their hearts they loved each other, you knew the author was going to screw it up and do what everyone else does, and have the heroine go off alone to do what she thought was best for her loved one…..until she didn’t.

Bam, now I love the book.

Thank you Croisette for having such a stellar hero, who loved the heroine enough to help her see, who because of his love at just the right time, helped her to make the best decisions.

Excellent work.

[Eliza Solares of Read That Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love the honest realism in this story. The two hurt leads with pasts they don’t want to share and present problems that flow so naturally from those past wounds really got me in the feels. I fell in love with Ali and Sam. 

I loved how well Ali was portrayed – a strong woman who had overcompensated from the wound her ex husband left on her. I also loved how authentically Sam struggled with telling Ali his secrets and the reason he got distracted from achieving it. I’m not going to spoil it, I’m just going to say once you get there, you’ll understand. 

I felt the conflicts were realistic, interesting, and wrapped up nicely in the end. I was definitely excited to see these two get their happy ending. 

The only thing I struggled with in this book is the timing and emotional impact of the two main twists in the conflict. I really felt like the midpoint conflict had more emotional impact than the conflict nearer the end because it was the one that had the most direct impact on their relationship.

Ultimately, I thought the story was engaging, lighthearted, and fun. These two had chemistry, emotional attachment, love and care for each other, and more than enough drama to keep me thoroughly entertained. I really loved this story, and would definitely recommend Ruby Red to lovers or romance, and especially to lovers of riches to rags, hidden identity or slow burn stories. I’m definitely looking forward to more from D. L. Croisette. 

I received an advance review copy of this title in order to facilitate my honest, voluntary review. 

[Viktoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC through NetGalley. Thank you for the early read.

4 out of 5 stars. This book was right up the romance alley I have been stewing in. Two people who end up as your main characters learn to deal with their pasts to move forward. The main character Ali was well written as a strong survivor who overcompensated for her past with her ex-husband. The male main character Sam struggled to be open and honest with Ali. The conflicts were very much real-life issues. It was lovely to see the end of the book. The story was very uplifting and proved that love can conquer all. The main characters had amazing chemistry.

[Verbivore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend recommended this story to me and I am so happy. It's a fun, frothy tale with two characters that you easily connect with through all the drama of their relationship. I especially liked the "journey" you go on with Ali, peeling back layers to her personality. And Sam...well lets just say I want one.

[Alisha Abernethy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruby Red is the story of young Ali and the mystery guy she meets at the club Sam. Ali is a typical socialite fresh from her divorce who is looking at starting to put together her life plans, while Sam is the new hire trying to keep a roof over his head. Romeo and Juliet style, they are from different worlds, so of course it works.
Ali finds herself in many situations throughout the book where she must redefine her book. Some reviews depict this as rags to riches, or riches to rags, but I think it’s more about self-discovery. Ali finds out ways to support herself and stand tall with and without friends and boys, she develops her own voice in a very loud crowd and sets herself up for happiness.

Reading this book, I loved how it was straight into the action, there was a spilt POV which I feel just makes a story fly through so much quicker and allows us readers to develop a bond with all characters. This for me makes me enjoy the text so much more and allows an opportunity to present itself where I can’t put it down. The world development of this text, was done through the story, not stacked upon itself at the beginning making it more relevant and easier for the reader to pick up what was happening. The plot wasn’t that hard to comprehend, and it was easy to pick up on some of the information regarding what was going to happen etc in advance, but for once this didn’t really bother me. I was still intrigued.

I loved the community that Ali and Sam had throughout this book and think we should all have some Brenda’s and Johnathon’s in our bubble. Sam was a complete gentleman and I loved how we meet a very powerful family in this book, and they were so nice. It didn’t fall in the clique that you are nasty and only look out for yourself if you are powerful and rich. I would happily eat pie with this family… and the dog.

Tropes in this book:

Miscommunication
Hidden identity
Self-discovery
Love at first sight

[Karen Antonaitis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet romance. The title attracted me as my granddaughters middle name is Ruby and Red is my favorite color. This is about Sam and Ali. Sam is not a jerk or seems superior to his woman like some of the romances are. He supports Al's ambitions and they seem to be a team. He has a soft vulnerability aspect that seems apparent. Ali had years of emotional abuse and she needs someone like Sam to make her believe again. He ex-husband was such an a-hole and caused her such pain but she still has dignity and hence her red lipstick (title of book).

She flirts with the pool boy, Sam, who is new in town and also starting fresh. He is very sexy, LOL. He does not expect to find love as he also comes from a painful past.

Fate has a way of changing your mind. Do you think the two of these could possibly give into this fate? It's difficult and this seems like a realistic romance novel. Has some lovely and steamy moments. You'll just have to read this gem to see if they end up together. This is a quick read and one I really enjoyed, may read it again. This was definitely one of my favorite romance ones.

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is sublime ,it’s very essence is awesomely delicious and so not what I expected. No it’s more ,it’s amazingly well written and I’m happy to say I was smitten with everything in this book ,leaving me wanting more of this bliss and knowing that it’s in the horizon ,ain’t no surprising how happy I was because reading this book gave me a buzz and I was immersed quite easily into the storytelling that was mightily compelling . A great plot it’s got and the story,is well thought and executed . Rags and riches rogues and bitches ? Well sorta except that the bitch is on heat and wants to repeat with barman Sam Freemont . Ali Stinson is just getting to the good bit when she’s interrupted by his boss ,and then she finds out that she’s been swindled and she’s as poor as Sam now but she’s got to keep appearances somehow . The tables turned she’s still yearning and he’s learning to give and take . He wants her to take his money for goodness sake… I’m not gonna spoil it ,just know that this ok is exquisite ,it really is . Now where’s he champers I need some fizz. To celebrate a book well penned . Awesome job DL Croisette ,this book is heaven sent good .

[Lorraine Tramain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable vacay read

After reading this story's spin off, Blackhearted, first, I wanted to give the original story a try as well. It didn't disappoint. Ali is a well-crafted strong female lead surviving in a world ruled by money and men. She takes a stand and let's her own voice be heard after getting out of an abusive marriage where she was merely the pretty girl on the rich guy's arm. Her new relation with Sam - who I somehow imagine with an English accent, don't ask me why - may be formed from the idea of a fling first, but grows into something genuine over the course of the plot.
I'm not a romance girlie, so the lovey dovey stuff couldn't really entice me that much when we came to that point, but the other elements of the story stand strong. We have a little bit of mystery revolving Sam, an antagonist in Jack, and a lead we want to cheer for in Ali.

[Kat Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Money, power, corruption, abusive ex-husbands, and a family who wants more than their child can give. Sam and Ali deal with trauma from their pasts and learn that truthful communication, and being there for each other while outside forces try to tear them down gives them the strength they need to face a new life together.

A man can be strong while supporting a woman, a woman can heal from that support and become a kick-ass force to deal with people from her past. A woman can help to heal a man from family trauma while listening to him and helping him overcome the past to become the person he needs to be to survive in this world.

Loving to please your partner while making love leads to awesome hot sex.

This is a first-time author. I look forward to more stories from this author.

[Char A · Rating 3 out of 5]

*book provided through Netgalley*

3.5/5 stars overall and 1.5/5 stars when it comes to spice. 3rd person pov.

They are both trying to find themselves in the new start to life that they both have. She's visiting the resort he's started working at and only one look made her realise she wanted him!

The tension between the two main characters was there from the minute they met which I loved, how he tries to be more for her from the start was so cute. I just wish it was in 1st person dual pov so you would know his feelings from the minute they met as he seemed to keep a lot back because of who he actually was.

Did not expect the twist with her ex and how much the mmc did everything in his power to help her.

[LSL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruby Red is a contemporary, slow-burn romance that is an addicting read which doesn't disappoint. Well-defined characters blaze across the pages as they deal with past wrongs to allow them to move forward in their lives. Ali's bold and sassy behavior is a mask for her vulnerabilities, and Sam's unconditional support is delicious, but when he realizes it applies to his own life is powerful. Ultimately, Ali and Sam must learn that their pasts don't define them if they want to build a future together.
I'm looking forward to reading more books from this author.

[Christina Bowling · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried to like the book, but I just couldn't. I didn't like Ali or Sam, and the plot just didn't click for me. Then when I got to the sad, depressing part about Thomas being dead, I stopped reading. Not only was it depressing, it's the same thing that every author is doing with adding in some sad back story of a dead loved one, and it's getting pretty old.

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

[Melissa Roche · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done! I’m always on the hunt for solid characters with a good balance of sexy and complex, and Ali and Sam hit the mark. I appreciate the way the story peeled back the layers from their immediate attraction (which isn’t usually my thing, more of a slow-burn fan) and explored the complexities of their personalities and relationship.