SparkPress and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Rules of Half. I voluntarily chose to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Regan Whitmer has endured much in her young life, so the environment in which she finds herself is really nothing new. Though her biological father turns out to be completely different than she expects, Will is better than her stepfather by far. With her aunt providing stability in the household, will Regan find the family that she has longed for since her mother's death?

Although it did sneak up on me, I was totally drawn in by The Rules of Half. This look at mental illness and how it affects the family was completely realistic, as was the reaction of the community as a whole. There was a good twist near the ending, giving a different perspective on the events that were set in motion by a tragedy. The LBGTQ aspect did not seem occur naturally, as it felt as if the author thought that certain character traits were needed. Overall, The Rules of Half was a good read and I look forward to more by this author.

Regret. I have so much regret that this book has been out for over a year now and I've just recently read it.
When Regan shows up in Half Moon Hollow, all she's looking for is family. Still reeling from the recent suicide of her mom, she's come to town in search of the dad she's never met. Maybe he can be the one to give her the stability she's never had. But Will is the last person anyone would think of in the same breath as the word stability. Grief over the death of his infant daughter combined with his bipolar disorder has made him the talk of the town. He's known as the local crazy man, a role that he relishes. The appearance of Regan, however, makes him question his reputation. Can her love and support be enough to help him overcome his many obstacles?
From the very first page this book had me. It's everything you'd want in a story. Family issues, romance, drama, a bit of mystery...it's all there. The characters are likable when they're supposed to be and vice versa. An outstanding debut novel!

This is a sad, touching, mildly optimistic book about family, tragedy, secrets, mental illness, small town prejudices and what happens when they all intersect. It’s a well-written book, takes care and honesty when discussing mental illness, and the characters are sympathetic and strong. But it felt like there were plot holes and details that were built up and then left out or glossed over and that was annoying. Good book, though.

This book is not about one specific character. It’s a story of a man struggling with mental and emotional turmoil who has given up on life but is offered a second chance at life and love, which he’s not sure he deserves. It’s also about a sister who suffers multiple losses, is riddled with guilt, constantly sacrifices and yearns for a different kind of life she holds at arm’s length. It’s about a young girl who has lost everything at her young age but is determined to make a new life for herself and her family. And about a woman who has been living a shadow of a life yet strives to better her life and the lives of those around her. Will Fletcher goes on quite a journey in this story. He starts off a successful and happily married man and father, then becomes a man diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, suffering from a tragic loss, and being seen as a crazy man and town joke. His sister, Janey, is his overprotective guardian. When his unknown daughter, Regan, and a lost but determined woman, Lindsay, comes into town, Will and the reader are taken onto a whole new journey where Will must struggle with the effects of his actions and disorder and see how it effects everyone around him.

Mental illness is not an easy subject to write about (or critique) but Jenna Patrick does a great job doing it. In this book, it is not the star nor the justification but the reason that these characters come together and are who they are. It’s mostly about the struggle to live with one’s past and the search for redemption. I appreciate that Will is described not as a martyr or victim or villain but in a way where you love and hate him at the same time, are frustrated by his words and actions, and you don’t pity him but cheer him on. All the characters were well written and came with abundant backstories that help you understand and relate to their struggles and heartache. The side characters added to the drama and contributed to main storylines rather than distracted. The only thing I didn’t like was the revelation of Ellie at the end and how it was only brushed over with no explanation or much effect on Will. I would have liked that reveal earlier in the book so we could see how Will deals with that. It seemed unimportant, so I wonder, why reveal that at all then? Overall though, I enjoyed the book. Although the subject matter is heavy (mental illness, death, suicide) the read can be charming and witty. Will is a likeable antihero. It’s a quick read, easily flowing from one chapter to the next. It’s full of heart and emotion by highlighting the strength of family and the struggle of self-worth, forgiveness, and acceptance. As an author debut, this book is aces.

This was a readable story of mental illness, loss, grieving and small town politics. While certain aspects stretched credibility and some of the entanglements were a trifle overdone, it was enjoyable. My eyes rolled a bit over multiple people, all mentally ill and the love triangle. Just a little...too much.

Surprising turn of events in this story, I appreciated the writing and the plot line was well written with memorable characters.

This is a family saga of father and daughter relationship. And there is a poignant beauty in this tale. Having a mental illness brings about its own stigma and ridicule and the author, Jenna Patrick, has brought home the pain the mental illness brings with it.
Will suffers from bipolar disorder and after the death of his newborn daughter, he believes himself to be unlovable. He lives with his sister and withers away slowly till his biological daughter, Reagan, arrives at his doorstep.
This story is all about Reagan's desperation to connect with her father, Will's need to see beyond his pain, his sister's affection to help him, and a genuine love from a high school principal.
Jenna has dealt with mental illness sensitively and I liked the fact that this story ends in so much positivity and hope.
The author Jenna Patrick has taught me that life is all about living and living in hope whatever be the illness we are dealing with.

What an amazing story!
I could not put this book down.
This book will resonate with anyone who feels different, who feels like a big fish in a small pond or who feels like they live their life just outside the blur.
Told from 4 different perspectives, the story centers around Will & Regan. Will who is bi-polar and struggles with his past demons and everyday living, Regan who is a runaway and can't seem to feel settled anywhere.

The Rules of Half is a gripping and beautiful debut novel by Jenna Patrick. I look forward to reading more from her.

This book is a compulsive read: it’s fun, charming, and full of suspenseful moments. I am saying this at the front of my review because I have some critiques of it, and I want to make sure that it's clear that Rules of Half is a really engaging read, Also, let me say that the fact that I found a couple of problematic aspects in this novel is not necessarily a bad thing, because it means that the parts of me that were engaged while reading it were not only my love of story but also my critical mind.

The first problematic issue is that of “mental illness” (I'm putting mental illness in quotes because I am not a fan of the expression). One of the main characters is a man diagnosed as having bipolar disorder and, while I am willing to believe, and in fact I probably should believe (because the author doubtless did her homework) that bipolar people can be as out-and-out crazy as this guy is (heck, anyone can, right?), the few bipolar people I know are nothing of the sort.

Will is extremely emotional, afraid of other people, unreliable, forgetful, and socially awkward. All of these traits have nothing to do with bipolar disorder. It pains me to think that a reader who is unfamiliar with bipolar disorder might believe that all people with bipolar disorder will display these traits. They do not. These are Will’s own quirks.

The author seems to gesture in this direction (i.e. toward suggesting that these features of Will's are not related to his psychiatric diagnosis) when she links Will’s behavior to the loss of his child. This would make Will a sufferer of massive grief and PTSD, as well as bipolar disorder, and the self-loathing he experiences, alongside the creation of this intensely quirky persona, would have nothing to do with BD. I wish Patrick had taken care to draw the distinction between grief/PTSD and BD more precisely.

The book also presents compulsory imprisonment for those who suffer from psychiatric diagnoses as a threat that follows Will around, but doesn't do, in my opinion, enough work to show what a heinous and unjust practice it is. We know it's unfair for Will, but there is nothing in the novel that might lead the reader to believe that it is unfair, period. So let me state it myself: it is always, uncontroversially unjust to incarcerate anyone who has not been charged with a crime.

I confess that I have a beef against representation of people with psychiatric disabilities as whacko, irresponsible, and unreliable. This is a stereotype that really, really has to go.

My other problem with this book is of a purely personal nature. When heterosexual romance is pitted against lesbian romance, I invariably root for the latter. But that’s just me.

I loved every moment of this book. It wasn't always happy, but did a great job tackling the difficult topics of mental health.

I had read the reviews before diving into this book. I wasn't sure what to expect about a story about a daughter coming back to her long-lost father, a father whom she thought she would have a normal father/daughter relationship with but was instead met with the uneasy fact that his life was ruled by his mental illness.

Although this is a story centered around mental illness, it's also a story about love and family. I tore through this book. The writing was well done and the storyline was easy to follow. There were a number of characters introduced and the character development and their specific storylines just skimmed the top without delving deep, that's not what this story was about. Mental illness might be a life sentence, but it doesn't have to make you weak and alone. Having love, no matter how much it might feel underserved, will help to persevere. And that's what this story is about.

I recommend <i> The Rules of Half </i>for the bright light that it is in an otherwise dark situation.

Regan arrives in Half Moon Hollow in a rattling Buick driven by a Jesus loving, rhinestone sunglasses wearing, gospel music loving, plump and soft in shape and demeanour, Betty Lou. Having ran from her religious fanatic of a stepfather, Regan is looking for the man her mother described as being a caring, loving father. Will Fletcher. But Will Fletcher has a few issues of his own. With severe bipolar disorder, Will often loses periods of time to mania and ends up in the local Courthouse defending his ridiculous escapades. He isn't going to be the stable and supporting Dad that Regan is looking for. Or is he?

I really enjoyed the exploration of mental illness and the relationships between the people who have them and their friends and family. Being a single parent for a long time, I also loved the way this atypical family dealt with drama and histrionics, reputation and respectability.. Essentially this tale is about tragedy and its afflictions, and how we all deal with it differently.

This is a really complex and interesting novel that really surprised me. I was drawn to it as one of the themes of the novel is mental health which is something I'm always drawn to. This novel centers around a man with bipolar disorder, his sister and his daughter. At the center of this novel is the impact of mental health issues on a person, his/her family, and the larger community. It's about being different and misunderstood. It's about finding the people you need in your life, the people who get you and accept you for who you are. I think it did a beautiful job of showing the reader what bipolar disorder really looks like. As someone who sees it every day as it plays out in a myriad of ways, I felt this book did a good job of showing the reader the good and bad. It felt quite balanced.

The characters are fantastic. They come alive on the page. They are complex and feel very true to life. The book flowed so effectively. I just loved every moment of reading this book. It is a wonderful story about love and taking care of the people you love in the way that's best for them. I think this is a beautifully written, honest and real novel about really interesting people. If that sounds good to you, you should pick this one up. It's one that will make you think about your own perspective on mental illness. It's one that will break your heart and yet leave you with hope! It's a fantastic novel!

And you thought your relationship with your parents was complicated! Meet Regan, who leaves her stepfather's strict household after the death of her mother in search of the father she has never known. She finds Will Fletcher, her biological father who never knew of her existence and has no interest in getting to know her.. Will suffers from bi-polar disorder and wallows in his disease rather than trying to control it. It's hardly the homecoming Regan had hoped for. Though Will rejects her, Regan is welcomed by Will's sister, Janie, who has given up her own life to care for Will. As Regan investigates her strange new family and tries to settle in to the community as something more than "Crazy Will's daughter," she finds her own identity. THE RULES OF HALF is a beautiful exploration of the constraints we create for ourselves and how to break free of them. Filled with interesting characters and wonderful writing, Patrick has given us a book to remember long after the last page is turned.

BROOKE’S REVIEW

One of Redbook magazine’s “20 Summer Beach Reads to Stock Up On Now,” Jenna Patrick’s The Rules of Half is an engaging novel that grapples with the themes of belonging, family, mental illness, and forgiveness.

Told from the points of view of four key characters, we hear from teenager Regan, who wants to find a place to call home but is apprehensive to trust anyone; Will, a man haunted by demons who is tormenting himself for his past sins; Janey, Will’s sister and Regan’s aunt, who has put her life on hold to care for Will; and Lindsay, the new-in-town principal who sees the man Will used to be.

These four individuals have the chance to find happiness for themselves as individuals and with each other if only they can learn to trust each other, but the odds are against them. With a twisty ending, this book is one that will keep readers engaged until the last page.

PRAISE

“The Rules of Half is easily the most captivating and emotionally harrowing family drama of summer, and it’ll keep you guessing until the captivating conclusion.“
―Redbook, “10 Books You Have to Read This Summer”

"In her debut novel, Patrick writes with sensitivity about the trials of mental illness for both sufferers and caregivers….[A] novel that’s strengthened by its attention to how people forgive and connect.”
― Kirkus Reviews

"For those who crave the deepest of feels, this is your perfect entertainment pairing. These two heartbreaking but hopeful tales combine dysfunctional families, human connections, and unthinkable tragedy in the best way possible. There isn’t a chance these dazzling dramas (set in completely different eras) won’t move you to the core.”
―Popsugar

AUTHOR

Raised in northern Ohio, Jenna Patrick moved to North Carolina in 1998 to attend the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she received a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering. After ten years of devoting her brain to science and math, she returned to her true passion: writing fiction. She and her husband reside on Lake Norman with their two daughters and two rescue dogs. The Rules of Half is her debut novel.


Thanks to NetGalley and SparkPress for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Sometimes people are idiosyncratic, weird and then there is socially unacceptable. This is the category Will belongs to. He was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and he lives with his sister Janey. Then Regan (not named after the US president, but a play by Shakespeare) appears out of nowhere.

'Being alone. Being betrayed. Being cheated. Being deceived. Being exposed. Regan had a fear for every letter of the alphabet.' (45%)

Will never knew he had a daughter and is reluctant to deal with her, but - given Regan's history - Janey doesn't have the heart to send her away. Regan has nowhere else to go. Janey does her best to make Regan feel comfortable at home, but Will refuses to put in any effort. But of course one day he must give in...

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

Did not finish - got about halfway through. I found it to be quite poorly written, and barely intriguing, let alone gripping. Not enjoyable at all.

Will Fletcher - or the crazy man as he's know about town. People say he killed his daughter. She was found in the back seat of the car on a hot day. You know the story, you've seen it on the news. Maybe not Will, but someone like him. Ellie - his kryptonite - the mother of his child. Who has been away for years.

Will struggles daily to deal with the loss of his daughter, even though it happened years ago. He's on meds. He visits her grave daily and talks to her. Add in that his father was schizophrenic and the whole town thinks he's crazy.

Then there is Janey, his sister, who basically gave up everything in NY to return home and care for him. Her love is fierce. But she also has her struggles. As a gay woman in a small town, life isn't easy for her either.

Enter Regan and Lindsey. Regan is 15 years old. Her mother committed suicide (with her in the room) and her stepfather is abusive. She's looking for her father .... Will! Add in Lindsey, the new school principal, running from her own demons. Will is attracted to Lindsey, a feeling he didn't know he could fee anymore. And things are complicated with Regan.

One thing leads to another, and without giving much away, Will has a horrible "event" which makes the whole town think he should be committed. Keep reading to find out the plot twist and see what happens with this interesting group of characters!

Thanks to Netgalley & Sparkpress for allowing me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this story about Will who suffers from bipolar disorder and how it affected his past life with his former wife and child. But also the continued impact it had on his present family members who love and tried to care for him. This was a really good first novel by this author. My only criticism is that every character was complex and in some areas could have been delved into more. I wanted to know more about why Regan left her step-father the only father she seemed to know for a father who never knew she existed? There just wasn't enough of an explanation for me. I would have also liked more details on Gretchen's and Jane's relationship? And, lastly the ending I didn't quite get. I think there was something subtle I was supposed to understand, but it seemed something was left out? Overall a good book, but characters needed better development for the reader to understand fully what was going on. It felt like the author knew but couldn't quite convey it to the reader.