South Bay locals reading through the new contemporary novel, My Year of Casual Acquaintances, will feel right at home. Hermosa Beach, the Esplanade, Coast Highway and King Harbor are just some of the nearby references made in the book. In fact, for author and Hollywood Riviera resident Ruth Stevens, The Bay Club in Redondo Beach (called Seaside Fitness in the book) was an inspiration for the story.
“I’m a regular at The Bay Club and became fascinated with gym relationships because I’ve met many members at health clubs over the years and some are now close friends,” said Ruth. “With more people working from home, relationships made at places like gyms have an important role in our lives because they provide community, and that’s something we all need.”
My Year of Casual Acquaintances follows the story of a middle-aged woman, Mar Meyer, who tries to rebuild her life after her husband divorces her for another woman. Over the course of a year, she meets an assortment of characters who impact her life in different ways, including a fellow gym member down on her luck and a flirty hip-hop instructor. A major arc in the story comes when she meets a handsome novelist from the gym who wants more from Mar than she’s able to give.
“This unique story opens with one cliffhanger and closes with another, yet manages to satisfy thoroughly,” says a 5-star review by Indies Today. “Lighthearted fun with an upbeat atmosphere, My Year of Casual Acquaintances is an optimistic novel about looking for the best in everyone, including ourselves.”
My Year of Casual Acquaintances, which was released in September, is Ruth’s second published book. Her debut novel, Stage Seven, was published in 2021 and centers around two mature adults who fall in love while helping a parent and a spouse through Alzheimer’s. She has also written two theatrical works.
The second book in her South Bay Series, The Unexpected Guest, will be released this month.
Ruth was recently honored with the 2024 Excellence in Arts Awards for Literary Arts by the City of Torrance Cultural Arts Commission. She and her husband, David Olson, have lived in the Riviera since 1989, and are the parents of one son and grandparents of two grandsons.
Ruth will be the featured speaker at the Redondo Beach Library’s Author Program on April 5, 2025, and also speaks at private book events around the South Bay. To invite Ruth to speak at your book club, please contact her on her website at ruthfstevens.com.