User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
the amount of taylor swift references made me so happy
Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars!! This book was soooo good!! Perfect for a summer romance. The characters are SO cute together and have such good chemistry. I also loved that this book isn't just a light romance, but it also has a ton of depth and follows the main character dealing with the loss of her sister. I also really enjoyed that this book takes place during a family wedding. It's so fun having a big cast of characters that are all one big fun family. And the entire book takes place during a game of assassin which made for a really really fun plot!
Rating: really liked it
oh gosh. this story is adorable. fans of morgan matson and emma mills will love this!
what originally lured me in was the mention of the game ‘assassin’ in the blurb. i won a school wide game of assassin in 10th grade (so im pretty obsessed with it) and i cant remember ever reading about it in a book. so that aspect of the story was really fun for me and provided some great entertainment.
i also really like how the game is a way for merediths family to reconnect, mourn over a loss, welcome new members, and learn how to live again. its a very sweet story, with a large cast of interesting characters, and a cool beachy setting.
this is the perfect book to go along with your towel and sunscreen this summer!
a big thanks to sourcebooks fire for the ARC!↠ 4 stars
Rating: really liked it
I loved this book! I truly enjoyed each chapter, I adored the motivational, feel good message it gives, but I want to talk about the secret formula which put me this book at my favorite YA reads of the year:
- Assassin game theme: this smart game settling bring back the entire family who are still mourning of losing their daughter, suffering from unresolved issues. The fun, happiness, focusing on working as truly functional family as their eyes on the prize perfectly balance with sadness and grief they feel inside.
- Both of the MCs are so much lovable: Meredith was dealing with her sister’s death, dumbed by her boyfriend, keeping her smile intact as she suffers from inner emotional turmoil: she’s tough, smart, sweet and Wit, the perfect guy she meets when she was not looking for love in her life mixes everything. But sometimes when true love knocks your door, it’s worth to risk everything, isn’t it?
- Beach settling, family’s reconnection and self discovery of teens!
I’m absolutely sold with this great formula. This book is powerful, bitter sweet, genuine, entertaining! Your feelings are everywhere! You laugh till your cheek hurts and then you cry as your heart ache for characters deeply!
I’m giving my sweet, teen, family reunion, inspirational four stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
Rating: really liked it
➳ 1 ½ stars
honestly idk how to feel about this book. i expected it to be typical summer romance with some beach house and taylor swift vibes. actually the book wasn’t entirely different from this, but it still wasn’t how i imagined it.
so, the mc meredith and wit met on the first day of her cousin’s wedding week. at first they were just kinda teammates in the assasin game and were just “messing” around with each other, but then the feelings appeared and bluh bluh bluh. i mean yes the plot looks pretty okay, but i still didn’t like the book👍😐
my main problem was the romance. it was literally out of nowhere and really bad written imo.
at the very start mer was telling about her boyfriend ben and how he broke up with her a few days before her cousin’s wedding week, that he should’ve attend with mer. and yeah, they were dating for 4 YEARS. like girl, u just broke up with the guy u were for 4 motherfucking years and 7 days later u already in love with another one? okay it could be okay if she was the initiator of the break up, but BEN broke up with her and she was the one who didn’t want to. at what point was the logic lost? i don’t know either. and okay, i could close my eyes if there at least was some build up, but there wasn’t and for me the build up of a relationship is the main thing in romance books.
but even though i didn’t like the romance, i really liked wit. he was cute and sweet. and this whole plot line with mer’s sister. it was really sad and i cried a little ngl.
Rating: really liked it
‘𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱’ 𝗶 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱
‘𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁’
•••
if you’ve ever had a summer love then this book is perfect for you
it’s the perfect culmination of everything that makes up a romance book
it covers grief, heartbreak, confusion about your future and love
the setting was so perfect !!!
its like taking the setting of we were liars mixed with the romance of the summer i turned pretty and mushing them together to create perfection
the taylor swift mentions were SO perfect because they added to the plot. they weren’t just thrown in there randomly, they meant something and added so much more of my love to it
meredith was a great fmc. she is confused, grieving from heartbreak from losing her ex and her sister, but still so vibrant. hearing the stories, and seeing mer be so heartbroken over her sister hit deep. i teared up multiple times
wit is my book bf. i mean, nothing will EVER top him. he is sarcastic, flirty, charming. the way he treats mer made my heart melt. the little touches between them, and jokes WERE SO CUTE
literally so in love w both of them. the summer love aspect >>> like i think the author took the premise of meeting someone and not being able to stay away SO WELL. it was so sweet and i couldn’t stop blushing
pls pls read this book because it was absolutely perfection and i will never stop thinking about it
Rating: really liked it
UGHHH I LOVE WIT. THE TAYLOR SWIFT PARTS IN IT TOO OMG
Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars - the perfect summer beach read!!!
I loved the story, the premise, and most of all the characters. I’ve always loved the idea of long standing family traditions, and vacations that included huge families, with multiple cousins and friends. A paradise for kids and teens with weeks of games, get togethers, eating and chatting.
The Summer of Broken Rules had all of it, and so much more. What I loved above all else was the MOST AMAZING summer vacation game – truly, I’m not exaggerating. I wished I was there, part of a game that had teens and adults equally passionate about the outcome. And although the ‘family’ was quite big, I had no trouble keeping track of everyone. From teens to adults, the cast was endearing, genuine and extremely likeable.
Also, I loved the romance between Meredith and Wit. They were so easy and comfortable around each other. And their summer romance was uncomplicated to a point, full of sun, sand and fun. Surprisingly it wasn’t just sunshine and rainbows, and I thought the author did a great job of balancing the summery and charming novel with some more emotional and somber moments.
All in all, the book was an easy and entertaining read. I had a wonderful time, and I can’t wait for her next book.
___________________________________
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.
You can find me on my blog and on Bookstagram
Rating: really liked it
A cute summer read! I don't think I would've enjoyed this book at any other time of the year. The setting in this book was described absolutely beautifully and it was one of my favorite things about it. This book did end up being completely different from what I imagined it would be. That wasn't a bad thing but it took a few chapters for me to really understand what the point of this book was. It dealt with the sensitive subject of grief and a teenage girl returning to a summer spot that she used to love before her older sister passed away. There's a summer romance that happens in this book which was nice to read but I couldn't help but struggle to understand where this book was headed the entire time. This was definitely not my favorite book this summer, but I had been hearing so much about it that I'm glad I got the chance to read it!
Rating: really liked it
Star Rating:
—> 5 StarsAwkward meet-not-so-cute alert! Gahah
Ahhh! You're telling me that there was a YA contemporary rom-com that actually lived up to my massive expectations/ absolute NEEDS?! WOOHOO!
If you're looking for something that has sugary sweet, with a sea salt caramel cupcake vibe, a la Emma Mills or Morgan Matson... look no further ! This may fill the craving that those authors form, because I swear there is a science that lies behind these types of super successful (IMO) rom-coms, but it also felt like it went one step further for me (which is saying A LOT), & felt so ultimately authentic & real, as well!
***drumroll please!!!***THE SUMMER OF BROKEN RULES IS A WINNER, GUYS!It truly
FEELS like K.L. Walther bottled up summer, used a water gun to spritz/soak each page with it, and then finally let it dry onto the pages of her book!I mean, is it REALLY too great a set of expectations for a YA rom-com to be/have (everything this book is):
– actually laugh out loud funny at all the right times
– smiles or happy tears most of the rest of the way
– emotional & relatable especially if there's been a traumatic event (there has been, in this book 🥺)
– golden WIT—lots of it... gotta love that back & forth & the chemistry it creates(!)
– filled with juuust the right amount of romance that makes your heart swoon & swoon & swoon some more (either slow burn or even insta-love as long as it works & makes sense to the story, idc)
– amazing family and/or friend dynamics,
– diversity
– in a fun setting/ have a fun premise
– a fabulous either HEA/HFN ending that makes you happy AF & feel like you're floating
ANDDDDD
– just an absolute blast to read the whole way through?!?
Okay it kind of
is a big ask there😅, but this book truly has it ALL. All o' the above, my friends!
So let's talk the main character, MER & the love interest/ main supporting character, WIT
('
Cause I can't help it if you look like an angel,
can't help it if I want to kiss you in the rain, so... ' #swiftieeeees where you at?!)
THEY ARE SO FREAKING SWEET & PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER! I was smiling at every encounter, it was love at first kick in the face, for me ;) ! I just wanted moremore
more at all times, and I def got what I came for ! :))
WOOOO
#HITCHMETOWITRY! ;););)
The Fox family is truly THE BESTTTTTT. Their dynamic holds the bindings of this book together! It's just EVERYTHING!
Every character has their quirks & I loved them all; they are all also so real & relatable!
This book just had me sittin' happy with a huge grin on my face the entire time I read it & well after, and happy with sappy tears available at any given moment, for any & every little cute thing (that's just who I am, okay?! Don't judge me!).
I honestly
ADORED & LOVED every moment of this novel! It is just SUCH a FUNNNN read! Also, the author is a swiftie soooo... yes, you heard it here, there are a few fun passing refs, and one big nod!
So basically... that's just like the cherry on top for me!
The author ALSO just has wonderful taste in music in general (I repeat: SWIFTIE IN THE HOUSEEEE, so duhhh), & created a Spotify playlist for this book that is just freaking BEYOND
SPOT ON, & is aptly titled the same as the book. :)
You can find said accompanying Spotify playlist HEREEE: The Summer Of Broken Rules Official Playlist
EVERY single song & the culmination of said songs honestly made the reading experience just PERFECTION—
rom-com NIRVANAAA.
I loved it SO much. If you have to (or just
like to) listen to music while reading like I do, I am so happy you will get to experience this treat while reading, it's like pairing the perfect wine to go with each course of a long, fancy schmancy, DELICIOUS, meal! It's an experience!
I truly just loved this book SODAMNMUCH!! I had to get the word out there, so you all can have the BLASTTT that I had while reading this!
** Really quickly though I want to mention—
TW// Death of a family member **
I wholeheartedly recommend this book & its antics to anyone & everyone! It is so much fun, & just so, so adorable, but also SO REALLLL! If you decide to read, let me know! I'm dying to talk this book with someone!
💙💙💙
Rating: really liked it
STEPHENNNNNN
my swiftie heart could not handle this book. i loved the main characters. i liked how it also dealt with themes beyond just romance, like how it talked about grief. it added layers to this book!
Rating: really liked it
not a single rule was broken
Rating: really liked it
I ended up DNFing at around 40%.
I thought I’d really enjoy this because I love books with big families and I love a summer romance but I just couldn’t get into it.
I think it was the insta-love. It just seemed unrealistic and weird. I didn’t even have time to root for them to get together! The intense flirting just happened right away. It felt pointless to read without the anticipation of two characters finally getting together.
Rating: really liked it
my heart melted. i love love love love love love absolutely loved it so freaking much.
Rating: really liked it
4.75 ⭐️ THIS BOOK RADIATED GOOD SUMMER VIBES AND HEAVILY BOOSTED MY SEROTONIN LEVELS!!! This story makes me want to go to Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard for a big summer wedding and play Assassin and form an alliance with a cute groomsman. I could not stop smiling while I read this!! Meredith and Wit are so precious and own my whole heart. Their subtle flirting throughout was CHEF’S KISS. Their romance did develop fast, but this book takes place over the span of a week, so it wasn’t a big issue for me. I’m a sucker for summer romances. It was so enjoyable seeing them go on new adventures every day. I loved all the characters. I loved how close they all were and seeing their family and friendship dynamics. Don’t be deceived though because while this book may seem light-hearted, it also deals with loss and grief. I appreciated how the author chose to tackle those topics, while not making the book overly emotional. It just felt very realistic. This story was refreshing and not like any other contemporary romance I’ve read before. This is a new comfort read of mine. Seriously, I already want to reread it!
Reread: This is such a staple summer read!! It has the best vibes, the best setting, and the most wholesome romance. And a huge bonus: there are so many Taylor Swift references. Mere & Wit are the cutest <3
