Becoming Ruby

Soul Twins Series #1

by Brandi Bell

Imagine sharing everything with your sister, even your body. That’s my whole life. My name is Jade and during the day I am in charge of what happens, but when the sun goes down I become Ruby. Let’s just say she’s the wild one, and I have no idea where we will end up. Oh, and the only real way to tell us apart is our eyes.
Ruby does what she wants, when she wants to. Imagine waking up on a moving bus, with four hot guys. We soon learned we were all in for a crazy ride.

Genres: Reverse Harem

148 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 15, 2018

About the author

This author also writes under the pen name Rose Alexander.

Reviews

[★Me Myshelf and I★]

This Bingo is weak at best but I made it through the whole thing just for it so I deserve to claim it

"coffee is life " ✔

3% I made it to the kitchen and made coffee, my one true love. I would be lost if someone took it away from me"
I'm counting that!

I loved the idea behind this, 2 souls in one body. A introverted witch awake during the day, and a wild-child vampire awake during the night (no they don't need to sleep - its magic duhh)
This should be a set up for an original story with some body swapping entertainment and identity confusion.
What we really get is only one side of the story - in book 1, Jade the introvert witch and in book 2 the confident bitchy Ruby. It ended up being disjointed and a let down every time one woke up and we didn't know what had happened during the night.

I wanted both stories together - it needed it and with both books only 150 pages long they could be merged easily. it would have balanced out the boring jade and over-the-top Ruby

By the time I made it to the end of this one I was slightly interested in where it was going but then it ended and I had to read the same series of events again through Ruby's eyes. I already knew the outcome so how was this entertaining?

In order not to discourage a new author I'm leaving this unrated. This must be what benevolence feels like huh that's weird

Ultimately the idea here is original and has potential but it wasn't for me

[Lisa Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The concept behind this book is truly unique: two souls sharing one body. Jade is around during the daytime, Ruby becomes alive at night. A modern twist on Jekyll and Hyde, if you will.

The book is written from Jade’s point of view. It seems as though, despite sharing a body, Jade and her sister Ruby don’t communicate an awful lot. Jade wakes one day to find herself immersed in an aspect of Ruby’s life that she knew absolutely nothing about.

Jade’s life alters drastically thanks to Ruby’s actions, and it’s not all bad. However, jeopardy isn’t far away and both sisters are soon under threat.

The writing style can seem a little hurried at times, but underneath it all is the makings of a very good series with a great set of characters. It spans a lot of themes: Paranormal, Reverse Harem, Rock Star, Suspense. I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes next.

[Jocelyn LeDonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome start to a series. Hopefully we will find out more stories about Ruby's night life with her guys. I really liked the notes between Ruby and Jade, but would like to know more about what Ruby gets into. Also I want to see what happens with Jade and her guys! I can't wait for the next book to read what happens with Jade and Ruby!
UPDATE: I love the combined version(Becoming Ruby and Being Ruby) of this story and also it being present tense. I love Jade and Ruby although Ruby can be really rude sometimes but her cold hearted wall seems to be breaking down well at least where her guys are concerned. I have to read Precious Stones again now and I can't wait to see where Jade and Ruby's story goes after that!

[Andrew Folsom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The concept of this book, where two very different people live in one body, is a very interesting one. I was excited to read it from the description. I love Jade as a character, and I think I would love Ruby too if there was more of her point-of-view in the story. There were parts of the story that were little predictable, and other parts I didn't see coming, which are exciting in a book.
Overall, I liked it and I'll definitely read the next book in the series to see what happens to Jade and Ruby.

[Rebekah Folsom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The concept of this book, two completely different people living in one body, is an interesting one. I was excited to read it when I got the book description. I love Jade as a character, and I think I would love Ruby too if there was more of her point-of-view. I didn't like that some of the story was missing because we got only a bit, here and there, of Ruby's version of what was happening. But, the story line was good and I really liked the secondary characters. Overall, it was a really good story, and I'll definitely read the next book in the series.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I will admit to being skeptical. i mean, how would this be pulled off and not come across as chaotic? Well, it is chaotic. But in the BEST way! The way this was written keeps you going and going. There's a new twist on reverse harem that kept me intrigued. The book is a slow burn but with an incredibly balanced buildup. I love the balance between Jade and Ruby and how things work between the sisters. I can't wait to see how this story progresses in book 2!

[Chelsea Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book was a really cool story. The whole sharing body thing really funny at times also seemed like it might get old and you might want to figure out a way to give ur other half their own body but whatever works you know. But jade and ruby are cool. All the guys seem super chill as well. This is definitely worth reading trust me I read a lot and I liked this book alot. Very creative story

[SJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great idea for a story and it was executed really well. Jade is a witch, with a difference, she is only conscious during the day, by night she is Ruby, her sister, a vampire!

A well written story with a fresh storyline, unusual and interesting. Full of excitement and action, romance and some steam, this is such a great read I really enjoyed it and look forward to the next one!

[Becky Pepper-Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read!

So I am surprised to say that I enjoyed this book. I don’t like reading about bands, buses, or body sharing souls, they just aren’t my usual thing. But I like Brandi Bell’s voice and her characters were great! I’m glad that I branched out and found a new author to follow. Looking forward to the next in the series!

[Courtney Borgstedt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting start to a new series. I enjoyed the banter between Ruby and Jade. I can’t wait to see the relationship between Jade and her guy(s) develop more!

[Ashley Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book i read so many paranormal romance or Harem so when someone add or does a spin on it i freaking love it ruby and jade situation is crazy unique and it looks like each girl get her own harem i totally didn’t see that coming. I love how jade came out of her shell a little and i think it’s intersting that even tho there sisters they dnt really get along sometimes they aren’t very considerate of each other given their situation lol dnt wanna five to many spoilers I’m interested to see more of ruby and jade and this first book has me really refreshed. No cliches or typical ending in this one. Should be on your to read list

[Kayla Pipkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this book was interesting.
Two people sharing one body without the other knowing what goes on when it's not their turn to be awake.

However, I'm not a huge fan of the writing style.
I'm not sure what it is about it, but to me it just felt like a lot of chaotic thoughts.

I had a really hard time getting into in the beginning.
About halfway through though, it got better.

It's weird only seeing one side of the story.
I think this would have been really cool to have dual POV.
Seeing both Jade and Ruby's points of view.

I was surprised to learn about the harems.
I won't give away anything about that, but it just didn't turn out how I thought it was.

Overall, it was an interesting book.
I'm not sure if it is something I would recommend.
However, I do like how unique it is.
Not like anything I have seen.

[Kassi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, it's different so it piqued my interest. Two different people, two completely different personalities and attitudes, the yin to my (or rather her) yang, annoying yet annoyingly lovable; that describes what Ruby is to Jade.
This is Jade's side of the story, her POV, her reactions; it's like a one sided convo. While worthwhile to hear (well, read) and experience Jade's side of things, readers are left wondering what Ruby's reaction would be, but we are left wondering until book two for Ruby's side.
Two minor problems I had with the book are 1) albeit chaotic at times because this book is about Jade and 2) the editing, although not bad, there were a few typos, added words, and minus one word i.e. Ihad I, Iand I, etc. Nonetheless, I'd recommend this series.
(I received an ARC, so I could review this although late in posting, but still)

[J.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

No spoilers of any kind included except this and that is there is a wicked cliffhanger waiting at the end of this story.
But other than that I absolutely loved this book especially since it’s been rewritten ( even though before it was rewritten it was awesome ) and it showed more of Jade and Ruby’s POVs along with a couple of their men’s.
And that’s all I’m going to say about this book because if I say anymore I’ll be giving away all the surprises that’s hidden within this story!
So if you are looking for my advice about this book, well my advice would be get it because I can honestly guarantee you won’t be disappointed in making that choice because this book is fantastic!

[Alimac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book!
I especially liked the concept of two sisters living in one body. Jade the witch with green who owns the body during the day and Ruby the vampire with red eyes who owns the body during the night. Not only are both sisters a different kind of supernatural, they also have different personalities. Even if the story is solely written from Jade‘s perspective we get little glimpses into Ruby‘s personality and side of the story through notes that she leaves her sister Jade. I really hope that we get to read parts of the story from Ruby‘s perspective in the next installment!
The story starts off with Jade being „kidnapped“ by Ruby and waking up on a tour bus with Ruby‘s four band members. The members know of their special situation sharing one body and seem to be fine with it.
I also liked the twist on the RH genre: the two sisters having their own harem is a really interesting concept! Ruby already having a harem that consist of three of her band members, and Jade slowly getting her own.
There were twists in the story where the outcome was pretty much obvious for me, and others that I did not see coming!

I can wholeheartedly recommend this book especially because of the two sisters sharing one body concept and the twist on RH!

I can’t wait for the next installment!!

[Duffette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the premise of this story to be very interesting - two sisters sharing one body. This story is told from Jade's POV and is a slow burn RH romance. I immediately loved Grady and he seems to be perfectly matched for Jade.

I loved how the sisters would leave each other notes, and Ruby's form of communication was super amusing. I found myself falling a little in lady crush with her.

I figured out the 'baddie' pretty quick, but it didn't make it any less entertaining to watch the story unfold.

These sisters are like night and day - quite literally; witch and a vampire.

The one thing I would have liked to have seen was some of Ruby's POV in the story, but as this is the start of the series, I'm hoping we get that chance. Especially since Ruby already has her own harem and I really want to meet Felix.

And then there's the polite little Scottish fuck, Seamus... I like him.

Pros:
- Fresh new story line (2 souls, 1 body)
- Humor
- Good writing flow

Cons:
- I want to see more Ruby - I like bad girls and boys
- Felix needs to make a non comatose appearance in the series :)
- Mild cliffy - but I'm down to wait.

Overall:
I enjoyed the book, I wasn't bored or anything. Can't wait to see what book 2 has in store...

[Nicole Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED the way this author wrote this book ! Have we seen this before .... wellll Kinda but not really! The way it is written is so amazing and leaves you wondering what the hell the other sister was thinking as this adventure was unfolding! The characters and the world building is amazing ! I really love the fact that even though Jade is in love with Just Grady all the rest of the band member vow to protect her no matter what ! The tension that is built though out this book leaves you aching for more! I leaves you wanting to get to know more about each one and makes you want to strangle a few of the characters but in the end it makes you LOVE them ! I just can not wait for the next book to come out ! Then we get to see the side of the story from Ruby's view!!!

[Missy Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this different take on the main characters are actually sisters sharing one body. Becoming Ruby is told in Jade's point of view. I would really like to see Ruby's but maybe that will be in the next book or future books. But this did not take away from the uniqueness of this story. Becoming Ruby is fast paced, sometimes it took me a minute to figure out what was happening, but that was because i did not want to miss anything. This is a slow burn RH, which in some stories it fits, like it does in this one. I don't want to give any spoilers away, but if you are looking for a little different paranormal RH, with an interesting story line, awesome characters, and just really good story telling. Pick up Becoming Ruby, this promises to be a great series.

[C. Erani Kole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea and the fact that I haven't read anything like it, but I thought it needed a lot of work. The dialogue, the flow and transitions, the characters. A lot of cool people are introduced but you never really get to know any of them, just what they are. You're practically relying on what you already know to fill in the blanks. Ruby sounded like a really interesting person, like the protective sister, but for some reason, she came off more as a split personality than an actual sister Jade grew up with. It was the way Jade referred to her or thought of her, but maybe it was just me. A few instances seemed questionable but otherwise I thought it was okay. I liked the idea more than the book itself.

[Kee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this spin on the RH genre. It’s interesting to see Jade’s harem start to come together. I have to say, I’m loving the guys so far. I don’t want to talk too much about them...spoilers and all. Brandi Bell has a good way of making it really apparent which sister did which action. This story is told from Jade’s POV, but we get to learn a lot about Ruby as well. It’s so interesting to see how completely opposite they are. I’m looking forward to continuing this series.

I did feel the writing was kind of rough, but as this is a debut novel, I expected that. Keep that in mind when reading.

*I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review*

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was super excited to read this book because it sounded different than the other fantasy Reverse Harem I’ve read. I mean, 2 girls in 1 body? I have never read a book with a character like that before! The author did a good job of building the story and it is a slow burn so you feel like you’re getting to know the characters more before it jumps in. I was a little disappointed to only get Jades side of the story instead of both, but I have since found out that Ruby will be getting her own book of events. I will absolutely be reading Ruby’s side as well. Overall, I enjoyed the writing style, was pleased with the story, and cannot wait to read more!

[Stephanie Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good vs Evil at it's best

Going into this book I had no idea what to expect, as this is my first read by Brandi Bell. The type of book that this was I was very worried if it could be pulled off successfully, having two souls in one body. I'm here to tell you she did it, Ruby and Jade may share the same body but their personalities make them two totally different people they are written so well. This story was very easy to follow and for a first book in a series she did a phenomenal job setting it up, it had the right amount of highs and lows positioned in the story where it needed to be. Overall this was a great book and I will definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a new series that has an unusual twist to it.

[Pike Perrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brandi Bell starts us off with a beautifully written slow burn reverse harem. Jade is a witch by day running her own store. However as soon as night falls, Ruby takes over...a feisty, strong willed vampire. We follow Jade on this journey as she finds herself kidnapped by Ruby for an adventure that is filled with twists, turns and bumps. Oh did I forget to mention the four gorgeous gentlemen she finds herself on this adventure with? Can't wait for book 2!!!

[Theresa Wesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great new read!

Ruby and Jade share a body but have completely different personalities. I really enjoyed how they related to each other and the world they live in and their restrictions. When Jade starts feeling like she is being watched everyone in Ruby's bad jumps in to try and protect them. Their life is about change. I thought this was a good start to a new series and really enjoyed it.

[Bunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was on point! I will say that it seemed a bit jumpy to me, but I still loved it. I love who Jade is as a person, even if she is just a tad emotional at times. I think it may have been a little better to have heard from Ruby at least a few times, but I am looking forward to reading the next book, which I am hoping to learn more about Ruby and her guys.

[Marsha Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I'm a big fan of anything paranormal/supernatural and this book does not disappoint. As a sister I can totally relate to what Jade is going through, but the twist of sharing the same body?! Wow! No thank you! It had it's humorous spots which kept you entertained and the guys were all lovable.Can't wait to see what happens next.

[Hannah Dodder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing!!

Super unique story idea and it was well executed. The only negative for me was that it was so short. It almost felt like a prequel that introduced everyone instead of an actual first book. Regardless, the characters were likeable and the book held my attention. I will definitely be reading the next one.

[Casie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was different

I liked how the RH was so different. The fun part was you saw everyone as their own person so that came off brilliantly. My only concern is a few word pickups and grammar. It only took me out of the story twice, and are already probably on their way to being fixed. Well done on a new and refreshing rh take!

[Savannah Laegen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the concept for this series. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before. In this book we got to see everything through Jade’s perspective. Her story is definitely slow burn RH. I can’t wait for the next book!

[Miki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast fun read!

A different kind of paranormal reverse harem. And so refreshing to have a different kind of story line. Not real dark, more suspenseful. It's an interesting take on sisters and their relationship. I love the name of the band!