Sleepwalking With Ruby

A Twin Springs Trilogy #2

by Dee Armstrong

It's 1928. A fire blazed through Twin Springs Hotel and killed General Rockwell's three daughters, Emerald, Ruby and Amethyst. How they really died has remained a secret.Nearly one-hundred years later, Broadway Star Ava Fairbanks returns to Twin Springs with her own secrets—what happened in Director Hollingsworth's office and why his wife committed suicide on stage beside her. Ava's sleepwalking episodes return with her.In her dreams, she plays a new role as Ruby Rockwell and the stage is Twin Springs circa 1928. Ava finds herself waking up in the most embarrassing places, the Crystal Ballroom, the Aviary, in new Security Manager Jaxon Wolfe's arms.The press chase down Ava in Twin Springs, wrongly accusing her of destroying Hollingsworth's marriage and causing his wife's suicide. Director Hollingsworth checks into the hotel and decides to cast Ava as his new plaything, using pain and persuasion to make her agree. Fearing she is fated to die exactly like Ruby, Ava turns to Jaxon for help.When she finds out that Jaxon isn't who he said he was, she is forced to decide if she can trust him, not only with her love, but with her life. The last beautiful woman Ex-Special Forces Sergeant First Class Jaxon Wolfe trusted gave him false intel that cost the lives of most of his team. He's traded in his Army combat boots for a Private Investigator license, and went to work at his family's agency, White Wolfe Investigations. His first assignment—go undercover and determine if Twin Springs is filing fraudulent insurance claims. His second assignment—don't lose his heart to the gorgeous Ava Fairbanks.When he finds out the impossible—that Ruby Rockwell is haunting Ava while she sleeps, he has a new mission—protect Ava. But, how can Jaxon protect the woman he loves from a sultry, hundred-year-old ghost?

Genres: Mystery

404 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 13, 2019

About the author

Dee Armstrong writes thrillers and romantic suspense with a paranormal twist — stories that squeeze the heart, rattle the nerves, and still leave room for love, laughter, and sass.

She pits tough heroines against bad guys you’ll love to hate — with twists that keep the pages flying and endings that fight for hope.

A former U.S. Air Force Russian linguist and three-time Taekwondo Black Belt National Sparring Champion, Dee believes the vulnerable should be protected and justice must be fierce—because the past never stays buried, and the truth never sleeps.

When she’s not writing about danger and desire, Dee is chasing after her littles, sipping tea on the porch, and plotting against the weeds in her garden.

Find her on social @DeeArmstrongAuthor for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes chaos, and stories that leave a fingerprint on your heart.

Reviews

[Sheena ☆ Book Sheenanigans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ★★★★✬ (4.5/5 Stars)
Title: Sleepwalking With Ruby
Author(s): Dee Armstrong
Character(s):
― Ava Fairbanks: Early thirties, Black, Green Eyed
― Jaxon Wolfe: Black, Brown Eyed
Setting: Twin Springs, Virginia
Tag(s): Romance, Contemporary
Content Rating: R
POV: Third Person
Smexy Level: Warm
Favorite Quote(s):
― “There’s no woman alive or dead who could hold a candle to me.”
― “Caffeine. Sweet caffeine. My morning lover. Brightens my day as no man ever will.”
Overall Opinion:
The Broadway bombshell returns home when her world crashes down after the lost of her father and career simultaneously. Just when she thinks she could hide away from all the troubles, the press hunts her down in Twin Springs Hotel and is adamant in destroying her by accusing her of ruining a marriage and causing a woman's suicide, Ava must play the most difficult role of her life and must reluctantly place her trust in the new security manager, Jaxon Wolfe. Unbeknownst to everyone, the new security manager isn’t all what he seems and is undercover to determine if Twin Springs Hotel is filing fraudulent insurance claims but in the midst of his investigation, the unworldly connection to Ava sets his heart ablaze.

Starting off, Dee Armstrong once again did a phenomenal job with the second book of the “A Twin Springs Trilogy” series. I have never thought I would like it even more than the “Visions Of Emerald” book and I have to give it to her, it was a great read! I was immediately enthralled by Ava and Jaxon story and their journey to one another. Background information was provided in the prologue and you are able to get a better sense of their characters and why their actions were rendered. “Sleepwalking With Ruby” starts off with Ava and Jaxon making their way back to the Twin Springs Hotel by showcasing the life changing events that changed them forever. Starting off with the lead heroine, Ava is a mega star on Broadway but it all changes one night when she is attacked and almost sexual assaulted by the shows director Terrance Hollingworth. Fortunately for her, his wife Ashlee knocks on the door preventing further action and allowing the black-haired beauty to escaped from the terrors that could’ve happened. Putting on a facade, the show must go on and she steps on stage to wow the crowd. In the midst of her performance, Ashlee, the esteemed Broadway director's wife steps on stage and commits suicide ultimately changing the course of Ava’s life. Furthermore, months prior the lead hero Jaxon failed to save his comrades after the compromise intel given to him during a mission ended the lives of his friends. On the open graves of his comrades, he swore to never trust a woman again especially beautiful, lying bitches like the one that provided the intel and ruined his life forever. Returning home to work this family's detective agency after failing his team, country and himself, the soldier finds his way to Twin Springs Hotel. From the get-go, there was something different about the hotel that jolted and rocked him to the core and that only intensifies when he meet Ava, a woman he’s hell-bent on avoiding. But we all already know where this relationship is headed and their journey to their happily ever after is well worth the read.

The overall connection between the Ava and Jaxon in their past and present lives is scorching hot and when they were together, they just clicked. Their relationship definitely gave off a sense of being much more mature than Theo and Isabella which is probably why I was such a bigger fan of this couple than the last. Their past life-changing events defined who they are today and they were able to help each other to heal and cope with everything that has happened. On top of that, I do want to stated despite the rave review, there were a few things that did bother me about the relationship and minor characters such as Sheela better known as Mackenzie and Terrance Hollingworth but that didn't take from the overall enjoyable read.

Moreso, Dee Armstrong gave a glimpse of who the third gem is and needless to say, I can’t wait for book three! I won’t spoiled much of who the she may be but just know, everyone and everything is intertwined. From my perspective, she seems pretty badass and I can’t wait for her to step into Twin Springs to learn more about her story. And I can't forget to mention that we also get a bit more info on Niles Porter, the villain of the story and what motivates him to destroy the Fairbanks family.

And lastly, I want to give a big thank you to Dee Armstrong and her publisher for the ARC. It was a pleasure to read the continuation of the “A Twin Springs Trilogy” and she is hands down one of my favorite new authors of 2019.

[Luz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently finished an ARC of this book and loved it.
Usually read only Historical Romance books, and I
am so glad I went out of my norm and read this book. From the prologue my attention was captured and I just needed to know what would happen. Highly recommend!!!

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book is second in the series about three sisters, daughters of General Rockwell: Emerald, Ruby, and Amethyst, or "The Gems" as they are called. The book alternates between the story of Ava, a present day descendant who resembles Ruby, in the portrait of the three girls, and Ruby herself. Each girl was given a distinctive gift from the General according to their name. Ava, former stage star, scandalized and haunted by a very manipulative director on stage, has been brutalized by the director's wife committing suicide on stage during Ava's performance. Back at her hometown she settles in to the help the family's resort survive. We learn of Ava and her sister's through her sleepwalking episodes that reveal terrible chapters about the disappearance of the missing "Gems" after a large fire. Jaxon is a former combat veteran with guilt written into every moment of his life. After the terrible death's of his teammates, he feels he must atone in some way for the damage. Leaving the military, he joins his military veteran family in their detective agency. His first assignment, investigate insurance fraud in a mountain resort with unexplainable accidents. A cussing parrot, important wedding schedule, disappearing objects, undercover employees with various agendas, a lovesick teenager, all meld together in a tense page by page mystery. Each of the Gems become important in their own fashion and the outcome could be devastating. This was a free book and I have no connection to anyone involved. I was quite surprised to find I had to read it all the way thorough in one setting to find answers, then realized I had to find the other Gems. Very good characters, dialogues, and motives come to play as the reader inhales the tale to the end.

[Blondie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 2 in a sequel. The story alternates between 3 sisters and a modern day descendant. It was an interesting read with good characterization and lots of action.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable book by a new to me author.