I’ve been on a contemporary kick lately and that made the timing of the blog tour for Rules We’re Meant to Break perfect! Today I’ll tell you what I thought of this book and if you keep reading there’s also a tour giveaway. A big thanks to the publisher and Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with an ARC to read and review!
Rules We’re Meant to Break
Natalie Williamson
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: June 11th 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Honest and full of heart, this clever contemporary romance debut deftly combines utterly relatable family drama with all the sweetness and uncertainy that comes with falling in love.
Rule #1: Don’t get attached.
Amber lives by strict rules to survive her mother’s love life: Always keep your eyes on the horizon and never get close to anyone connected to Mom’s boyfriends.
But after they move in with Kevin, the latest of her mom’s “soul mates,” the rules become increasingly difficult to follow. Kevin’s daughter, Cammie, keeps acting like Amber’s friend, even though she’s definitely not. And Jordan—star basketball player, hottest boy in school, and Cammie’s best friend—keeps showing up at the most inconvenient moments.
Amber has reasons for every one of her rules, and following them is the only way to protect her heart when her mom inevitably moves on. But as she spends more time with Kevin, his daughter, and especially Jordan, she starts to wonder if the rules might be worth breaking this time.
Chosen by readers like you for Macmillan’s young adult imprint Swoon Reads, Rules We’re Meant to Break is a charming, heartachingly real story of family and young love by debut author Natalie Williamson.
Praise for Rules We’re Meant to Break:
“The last time I devoured a book like this—I can’t even remember. … It was so openhearted and raw.” —Clarissa, reader on SwoonReads.com
“It is such a true true story about a girl finding herself within her first love. I loved it!” —Forever Bookish, reader on SwoonReads.com
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Review
Rules We’re Meant to Break is everything you want to find in a contemporary. It’s cute, there’s some romance, great friends, animals, a fandom and some sweet family moments.
Amber’s childhood has been influenced by all of her mother’s decisions when it came to her love life. There have been many boyfriends, her mother thinking she finally found the one and a lot of heartache. Everytime Amber starts to get settled with her life and the new people in it, her mother decides the guy she’s with just isn’t the one. After the latest break up, Amber decides she isn’t getting hurt anymore.
Amber makes a list of rules to follow for when her mother ends up in a new relationship. I could completely understand where Amber was coming from and at the moment it was a good way for her to deal with what she was feeling at the time. Having her best friend be there with her making them helped and some of the rules were actually funny.
I loved Amber’s character, because even though there was definitely some family drama, I loved that she was really determined to follow her dream. She loves her dog Buffy and the program she wants to follow in college sounded really interesting. It was nice to see a character in a book really work at what she wanted and even start researching budgets to make it happen. We need more characters like that in YA!
Things get complicated though when they move in with her mother’s newest boyfriend and things aren’t that awful. I loved seeing her struggle with keeping the rules going as things start going and seem to be going well. The most important moment to me though was her talking to her mother about everything (even if it happens by accident). At times I think this part of the book dragged on a bit too long and made Amber a bit dramatic at times, but all in all, still a good part of the story.
I loved Amber’s best friend Hannah and their love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That’s one of my favorite shows and I love seeing it mentioned in books. On top of great friendships, we also get some romance. I loved how the author did this one, because even though there was a connection from the start it didn’t feel like insta-love. It took time to grow and I loved Jordan’s character. I would’ve loved a few chapters from his POV.
Rules We’re Meant to Break is a really fun and fast read. I loved the message in it though, because it’s true family isn’t always blood and things can work out. Also it shows that fighting for your dream can pay off. I wouldn’t mind another book with these characters!
Tour Schedule
Of course, I’m not the only one participating during this blog tour. Many other amazing blogs are posting something as well. Click here to see the full schedule. The links are updated daily!
Author Bio:
Natalie Williamson is an HR person by day and a YA writer by night and nap time. She referenced Harry Potter in her first ever full time job interview, which tells you almost all the things you need to know about her. Other important things to know include: she loves her husband, daughter, dogs, and cat; she has a serious dessert problem; and she frequently Wikipedias movies and TV shows to find out if they have happy endings. RULES WE’RE MEANT TO BREAK is her debut novel.
GIVEAWAY!
For the US/CAN readers who want a chance to win a print copy of Rules We’re Meant to Break. Here’s your chance. The giveaway ends on June 20th.
Another book that is perfect for the summer! It’s even good for later in the year, because Thanksgiving and Christmas are both mentioned in this story. When do you prefer to read a contemporary? In the summer or the winter?
This sounds perfect for the beach this summer! And it sounds right up my alley as well. Great review!