Unfortunately, try as I might, I just couldn't get into this book. While I liked Amber as a character, I wasn't a big fan of the plot/storyline, and DNF'd around the 35% mark.

That being said, I still think that others who are fans of YA contemporaries might enjoy this book more than I did!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This was a decent contemporary read for teens and young adult readers. Nothing earth-shattering, but a good read.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

This book took me awhile to get into. I think some of the characters are rather bland and the situations felt off or over-dramatic, but I think for the audience much of it makes sense. I was also hoping for more between Amber and her mother, the dynamic between them was... weird, I couldn't figure them out. 

I'm giving this book 4 stars instead of 3 because I think part of my problem stems from not being in the target audience. I would recommend it to a young teen

Rules We're Meant to Break is a fun, quick read that isn't groundbreaking, but is entertaining.

Amber has created a set of rules to protect herself from getting too attached to her mother's string of boyfriends and their families. But after she starts tutoring Jordan, a cute boy from her new neighborhood, she finds herself getting attached and possibly breaking some of her rules.

I enjoyed the book. The characters and their emotional/family drama were engaging, but I was also never very worried about them. It was a book where you knew everything was going to wrap up nicely in the end, and you could guess quite a few of the bumps in the road the characters were going to hit along the way.

I was in the mood to read something light and (kinda) mindless, so I enjoyed Rules We're Meant to Break.

Rules We’re Meant to Break is one of those young adult contemporaries that I truly resonated with. The main character, Amber, has experienced heartbreak after heartbreak, but not your average post-boy heartbreak. Her mother has had many men in her life, which also meant that they were a part of Amber’s life, only for them to eventually leave. This was especially bad when one particular boyfriend left, and so Amber decides to protect herself from future heartbreak by creating a set of rules (which, by the way, sounds like something I would do).

When I first heard about this book, I knew I needed to get my hands on it. I had hoped that the plot and characters would resonate with me on some level, and Natalie Williamson did not disappoint!

I appreciated the fact that while this was set in high school/pre-college there were no “mean girls” at all. That was such a refreshing thing to see, as nearly all YA contemporaries have them in some way, shape and form.

Without spoiling anything, I want to say that one of my most favorite things about this story were the relationships between the characters. The relationship between Amber and Cammie was realistic, I loved the fact that they didn’t have the whole ‘I hate you’/evil-stepsister thing going on. Her friendship with Hannah was a joy to read about, and Jordan… oh, Jordan. He was such a sweetheart, which again broke the stereotype mould because let’s face it: jock + sweet & caring hasn’t been a popular mix of traits in many books I’ve read (I need more more of these)! Coming from a blended family myself, I truly connected to the story and I’m sure many other people will do.

What an amazing debut! I cannot wait to see what Natalie Williamson writes next!

I loved the complexity of the family dynamics and Amber's personality. She was a main character I could definitely get behind. The romance was spot on and made for a very compelling read. Can't wait to read more from this author.

This was SO cheesy, but in a good way. Sometimes the MC drove me crazy with her overly dramatic choices, but then I would remember that she was 17.
Overall a solid, fluffy romance book.

This is such a cute young adult romance. Everything from the settings to the characters sucked me in. Amber lives with her single mother, her father having left them when she was just five. Her mom bounces from one relationship to another, and after a particularly difficult breakup for Amber, she vows never to get close to anyone her mom dates again. This becomes challenging when they move into her mom’s then boyfriend’s place early in Amber’s senior year of high school. To make matter’s worse, this guy has a teen daughter who goes to Amber’s school. Said daughter, Cammie, is no bigger fan of the situation than Amber is. The only thing that makes the situation mildly tolerable is that hot Jordan Baugh lives down the street from her new house. Much to Amber’s surprise and delight, he seems to be flirting with her! And in a perfect world, that would be awesome, but Amber’s world is anything but perfect. It appears that Cammie has some sort of a history with Jordan and that breaks Rule No. 7 on her list of rules for surviving her mother’s dating life. If only Jordan wasn’t so incredibly adorable and insistent.

Plot
The plot centers around Amber’s relationship with Jordan, but is laced with Amber’s lack of a belief in relationships that can last and a fierce need to protect herself from getting hurt again. With the help of her best friends Hannah and Ryan, she navigates tutoring Jordan while attempting to hold fast to her “rules”. But feelings have a way of getting in the way of the best intentions. Strong subplots include tense relationships with her mother, Cammie, and her mom’s boyfriend, as well as Amber’s plans after graduation. She has her heart set on KU while her mother is dead set against it. All of these subplots weave expertly into the main plot for a compelling story beyond just the romance.

Characters
I love the characters so much. Amber is so relatable as a teen girl hell-bent on protecting her heart. Jordan is beyond adorable and it’s easy to see why Amber is attracted to him against her better judgments. Hannah is the perfect loyal best friend, even when she feels as if her friend isn’t necessarily doing what’s in her own best interests. And Cammie is suitably complex making her a standout character. Everyone comes across as authentic and well developed, creating balanced and nuanced relationships that drive the story.

What I Loved About RULES WE’RE MEANT TO BREAK
1. Buffy. The German shepherd adopted by Amber is cute, smart, loyal, and makes Amber a better person.

2. Buffy. The OTHER Buffy. The one Buffy is named for. The Buffy the Vampire Slayer references peppered throughout are lighthearted and actually tie several things together.

3. Jordan. The adorable basketball player with a penchant to capitalize words that excite him is a boy worth swooning over.

4. Angsty Romance. My favorite kind. With Amber’s insecurities and her list of rules, there was no way this romance wasn’t going to come with a health dose of angst. It just has a way of pulling at my heartstrings. I love, love, love it.

5. Realistic Growth. While Amber has some amazing growth, I love that she isn’t totally transformed. Her history is so ingrained in who she is that by the end she’s only tentatively stepping forward into the unknown rather than fully embracing it, giving this a really realistic vibe.

Bottom Line
Fabulous characters in realistic predicaments and a swoony romance to boot.

Disclaimer
I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy.

I really liked this book, it was a nice contemporary romance novel and quick read. I found myself getting so invested with the characters that I finished this a couple of hours. While there were a few things I had issues with most can be chalked up to this being Natalie Williamson's debut novel.

Amber has a list of rules to follow when her mother is in relationships, rules that will keep her from being hurt and getting hurt as she has too many times before. These rules are great until her mother starts dating a classmate's father and that classmate happens to be best friends with her crush. Deciding to leave the crush behind is great until her path keeps crossing with his.

I think my biggest problem with this was the ease with which the conflicts were solved, weird problem I know. The writing was pretty strong and the characters were fairly well developed but the biggest issue for me was that the novel was mostly static plot-wise. I will definitely be looking forward to Williamson's next novel though!

Rules We're Meant to Break is young adult contemporary romance by Natalie Williamson. This might sound kind of weird, but I was immediately drawn into this book because of it's cover. It is not a traditionally beautiful young adult cover, but it made me think that I would relate to the main character, Amber. I loved how neat and orderly everything was. That plus the reference to rules, and I knew this was going to be a really cute read that would make me smile. And it totally was. Rules We're Meant to Break is an adorable romance full of heart.

You might think Amber, who is our main character, has these rules set out for herself, but no. Initially, these rules were put in place for Amber to survive her mother's long string of boyfriends. I loved Amber's love of dogs, and animals in general. I really, really loved Buffy her dog, and Amber's obsession with the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but sadly, I didn't connect with Amber the way that I was initially hoping to. She was ok, but I was really wishing that I would have seen a bit more character growth from her overall. She is nice enough, but sometimes had a tendency to be seen as a petulant child rather than the young adult that she was becoming. But what I did love about Rule We're Meant to Break was the dynamic between all of the characters in this book. Hannah and Jordan, and even Kevin (mom's latest boyfriend) were excellent additions to cast of characters.

Overall, Rules We're Meant to Break is a cute read with some nice modern family dynamics, and a cute romance. Though Amber seemed a bit immature at times, she was a character that I still found pretty easy to root for. I wanted her to succeed and I wanted to see her, and her mom, happy. If you are a fan of strong modern or single parent familial themes and a cute young adult romance, Rules We're Meant to Break might be a winner for you. I thought it was a cute read.

I loved this adorable story and Amber was such a sweet likeable character. She has never gotten her hopes up in regards to her mom’s love life and made up rules so she wouldn’t get attached and ultimately hurt when her mom’s relationship went south. This story was sweet, light-hearted and shows that sometimes it is worth taking a chance because it can turn out to be the best thing that has ever happened to you. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Williamson’s next book will be.

This book was absolutely perfect! I loved every second of it! I really identified with Amber and her set of rules that she strictly follows in order survive her mother's love life. I highly recommend this great read!

Amber is a character that I think a lot of readers will be able to relate to when it comes to the character's family dynamic. Amber's mother, Claire, has been in a series of relationships throughout Amber's life that have not worked out; these breakups result in Amber and her friend, Hannah, creating a list of rules on how to survive these relationships and when they go south. In the beginning, the readers are introduced to Claire's current boyfriend, Kevin, and how Amber and her mother have moved into his home. Amber does not even bother unpacking because she has come to terms with how quickly her mother's relationships end. However, the readers quickly discover that things are different this time around as Amber befriends Kevin's daughter, Cammie, and her childhood best friend, Jordan. Amber finds herself breaking the rules she has lived by since their creation, but starts to realize that just as the book's title suggests some rules are meant to be broken.

Thanks Net Galley for the epreview!

This books was sweet, funny, charming and a great read! I Amber was a well developed guarded character and as the story went on you began to see a softer more vulnerable side. I loved her relationship with her dog and how that tied in to her future goals. Her tutoring and basketball sessions with Jordan gave me major Nathan and Haley (One Tree Hill) vibes and I loved it! Also Kevin ended up being my favorite character for being such a wonderful guy!

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!

I've read the book for the first time a while ago when it was posted o Swoonreads (I love that page:)) and when I saw a book tour coming up I jumped right on the train.

Reading both version I can really appreciate, who the story good a lot better (it was already very good before) and the storyline just made a bit more sense. I absolutely loved reading it!

It's just Amber and her mother for the most part. But with every new boyfriend's, Amber's life gets uprooted and feelings hurt when they inevitably break up. So to avoid the pain she and her best friend Hannah made a set of rules in her freshman year of High School, to protect her.

Flash forward to senior year of high school. Amber is working at a pet store, has a great dog and wants to go to college next year. The only problem, they just moved in with mother's latest boyfriend. She tries to stay away from him and his daughter, but when she starts to tutor Jordan, those rules that helped her cope, suddenly hold her back.

It's such a lovely story of family, friendship, love and the pain of growing up.

Highly recommend it!

Rules We’re Meant to Break by Natalie Williamson- Students will be able to relate to Amber. She lives with her single mom and has endured several boyfriends moving in, becoming “family”, and then moving out. She’s tired of getting her hopes up and her heart crushed, so she makes a list of rules. These rules are to keep everyone at a safe distance and to keep her from getting hurt, but then her mom meets a new guy. This time they move in with him. Amber decides not only is she sticking to the rules, but she’s not even going to unpack her boxes. Her mom insists this is “The One”, but so were the last five guys. She doesn’t want to get her hopes up, plus she is about to graduate and be done with all this anyway. No sense in getting close to him, his daughter, or any of the neighbors (especially the cute basketball player who is good buddies with his daughter). Sometimes you have to break some rules to be happy...even if they are your own. Fun realistic read to which high school students will be able to relate.

**4.5 Stars**
Review can be found at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

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.

Note: Any quotes used in this review are from the ARC copy & may not match up with the final copy!

I actually read this book fairly quick & probably could have done it in one-sitting, if I didn’t depend on naps so much. Rules We’re Meant to Break really dives into character & relationship development & that’s something I always look for in a book. I love watching how a character changes from beginning to end & Amber really does grow, in both relationships with other characters and how she reacts to certain situations.

In the beginning, Amber is pretty annoying. There, I said it. Granted, she’s been hurt time & time again when it comes to her mother’s dating life; making the reasoning behind her rules & the imaginary wall she puts up understandable. However, I wouldn’t say her attitude is acceptable, and she gets called out on this multiple times by her best friend, Hannah.

Everyone needs a Hannah in their life. She’s such a breath of fresh air & provides constant reminders to Amber to be a good person. If you know me, it can probably go without saying that Hannah is my favorite character of Rules We’re Meant to Break. I adore sweet & precious cinnamon roll-esque characters.

Amber’s familial dynamics definitely change from beginning to end. Amber is hesitant to get to know Kevin, her mom’s new boyfriend, and his daughter, Cammie. I mean, it does say in the rules not to get too close. Without giving out too many spoilers, things do begin to change & I really like how it doesn’t feel too rushed. Even for not being that long of a read, things develop at an appropriate speed. We also get to see changes in the relationship between Amber & her mom & this may have made me slightly emotional.

Of course, what’s a YA Contemporary without the lovey dovey goods? Which is totally okay with me, because I’m a big ball of fluff. Jordan, deemed as the ‘hottest guy in school’ lives in Amber’s new neighborhood. But, again, those pesky rules forces her to keep him at arm’s length. Right away, it’s clear that things would work out for Jordan & Amber in the end, but I still really enjoyed watching their relationship unfold.

Can someone please explain to me why there’s always a part in a YA Contemporary where a character storms off, because they just won’t even try to listen? Honesty & actually listening during communication truly does make the world a better place. Apparently not many YA characters know that, including those in Rules We’re Meant to Break. This isn’t a deal breaker or anything & definitely doesn’t take from the story, it’s just something that I have noticed in basically every YA book I’ve reviewed on this blog. Maybe that’s the easiest way to create character conflict? Who knows.

With all that said, the real star of Rules We’re Meant to Break is Amber’s German Shepard, Buffy (yes, BTVS fans, that’s exactly who she’s named after). Buffy is the Best girl & deserves lots of pats & snuggles. Buffy doesn’t just do those basic tricks, nope! She’s out here listening to commands like chill & hang. A True Legend. Such a Legend, that she gets her own paragraph praising her in this review.

Admittedly, at some point the story did feel like it was getting dry. It was around the 75% mark that I found myself looking forward to the end. However, I really did enjoy Rules We’re Meant to Break & am glad how things turned out for the characters. Rules We’re Meant to Break is definitely a book that I would recommend to YA readers.

Rules We're Meant to Break is a heartfelt coming of age story about the daughter of a single mother facing down the upheaval of "home" life by giving herself guidelines meant to keep her emotions in check. As the story opens, Amber does what any normal girl who just had her life upended by the breakup of her mothers latest boyfriend, which also means she loses the boy she's crushing on as he drops out of her life too. She adopts a dog and drafts up "new rules" for managing what she knows will inevitable mean a new place to live with whomever her mother starts dating.

Amber ends up with nine rules that calm her anxiety but will soon challenge her to open herself up for greatness. As we catch up with her in her senior year of high school, she's in a new house, with new house rules, and so much potential for strife. Thankfully Amber is surrounded by some wonderful friends and gains a few new ones as she settles into a new neighborhood. This is where she finds herself tested, her rules tested, as it's not so easy to keep her new family at arms length.

I really enjoyed this as a YA/coming of age tale. The characters are well rounded and I felt as though I got a good sense of who Hannah (BFF), Jordan (BF), Claire ( her mother) and Kevin and Cammie (mom' BF and his daughter), were. The story is told solely from Amber's POV and there were times it felt a little drawn out, but when the big about face comes, when Amber is forced with contemplate how guarded she is and how it impacts others around her, it felt right. Williamson keeps the story sweet and dare I say it, clean, as Amber finds her "first love". Amber is pretty mature for her age and makes decisions I would expect of any eighteen year old girl.
4 Stars and YA/Coming of age recommendation.