Blog Tour & Giveaway: Rules We're Meant to Break by Natalie Williamson

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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My Review:

4.5 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Heart, Romance, Teen--

Amber made Rules for herself years ago after experiencing another heart break due to her mom's dating record. Amber has made the choice to not get close to anyone since they will soon be out of her life, even the new guy they just moved in with...and his daughter...or her cute best friend. Amber has to just get through her senior year of high school and then she and her dog Buffy will be free- but sometimes you just can't help the way you feel.

I knew I was going to like this book right from the very first chapter, predominantly for two reasons- Harper adopts a puppy and she has the most supportive best friend Hannah. I am a sucker for animal books and I am very much a dog person (cough cough, I have two fur babies) so I felt like I could relate and connect to Amber throughout the book for this factor alone (FYI her dog plays a big role in her life/story and she works at a pet store training dogs so it was dog heaven!). And YA needs more good friend stories, where you have a true bestie you can rely on, which this is a perfect representation of. Regardless of the mess of Harper's family life, she had a friend and an animal companion that she could count on in any situation.

Ps I would have given this book 5 stars instead of 4.5 but I was so mad at Amber for her stubborn behavior towards Jordan for at least half the story (for someone who really understood animals and motivation, she was completely off with people). I really just wanted to shake her because he was just so enthusiastic, sweet and dreamy and I was convinced that she would blow it! Also she was stubborn about talking to her friend and mom about what was really going on. Communication is key, folks! Ok I am off my soap box now. That is just me being nit-picky, though, everything else was wonderful. I loved this book so much, it was such a cute read that I blew through in a day because I just had so much fun reading it. Sure there was drama and angsty, but there was also heart, love and a very well trained dog.

I highly recommend this story for anyone looking for a swoony contemporary read with romance, drama, baked goods and a blended family. This is the first book by Natalie and I can't wait to see what else she wants to create next.

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.

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