This is not a romance-centered YA (but of course there is enough romance to satisfy us fans).

Amber has learned the hard way to survive the succession of boyfriends her mother gets: she had to create a list of rules not to get attached ever again either to the boyfriends nor to the kids that come along or anyone else. That's until she finds out her current crush is the childhood friend of the newest partner's daughter. To make things worse, she needs to tutor him, and boundaries seem to stretch too thin.

3.5, rounded up to 4.

As I said the focus here goes beyond the romance, romancing is actually the least of Amber's problems. I find this the ideal read for teenagers with divorced (or single) parents, because I'm sure lots of them have had to face the aftermath of their parents' failed relationship. Of course, I don't think Amber's mother was the best in dealing with it, it really seemed like she went through life doing away with everything she started building the moment the relationship itself ended. Although the examples I have in real life are different, I think there may be many who do exactly like Amber's mother and thus there must be many Ambers, who don't know to trust in everlasting bonds anymore. But I digress.

To be honest, I didn't like Amber that much, she could be too obnoxious. I think it was intentional but I didn't feel like she redeemed enough so I never grew fond. On the other hand, I loved all of the other main characters. How can I find a stepfather like Kevin, someone please help me! I also found interesting how the stepsister involved through the story, it was easy to imagine how she was feeling even though this was all Amber's POV. And book-boyfriend Jordan! As I said, this is not really worried about the romance but it doesn't mean it's not cute. I even wish we could have had some more scenes but the ones present in the book were already nice enough.

I recommend this to contemporary YA fans, even those who are not that into romance.

3.5 stars

Rules We’re Meant to Break
Natalie Williamson
Swoon Reads, June 2019
ISBN 978-1-250-31326-3
Hardcover

From the publisher—

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.

The very first thing that struck me in this story is how much I REALLY didn’t like Amber’s mom. If you’re looking for a first class narcissist who cares only about her own needs and has no regard for her daughter’s feelings, this woman is it. She also can’t maintain a relationship with any guy and should have a warning label plastered on her forehead. I just can’t imagine having a mother uproot her child time after time because she wants to shack up with one more guy. Apparently, letting Amber have a real home doesn’t mean anything to her mother and I find it hard to sympathize with or forgive such a person.

On the other hand, all of the above pre-disposed me to have a soft spot for Amber. This is a girl with a lot of emotional damage so it’s no surprise when she reaches her limit and puts up a wall to keep attachments at bay. Mind you, Amber isn’t always the nicest or most likeable person so I was kind of surprised that Cammie and her friend, Jordan, kept trying. After all, many teens would just shrug and move on. Amber just might have to re-think that wall.

On the whole, I thought the characters here lacked fullness, so to speak, but the story is sweet and leaves the reader with the feeling that good things happen when you open yourself to them.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, June 2019.

After yet another of her mother's failed relationships, Amber established a set of rules to protect herself. However, after living by these rules for several years, she began to realize that they were keeping her from enjoying a multitude of wonderful things.

• Pro: I am going to start with the most important thing. This book featured a fantastic dog, Buffy, and the dog lives!!!!

• Pro: Amber worked in a pet store, and part of her job was training dogs. I actually had a great time at puppy lessons, and loved that Buffy got a fair amount of page time as well. I believe dog lovers will appreciate and enjoy all these moments.

• Pro: There were lots of great friendships in this story, and I especially liked the one between Amber and her best friend, Hannah. Hannah was there for support, but was also a straight shooter, when necessary, and she played a big role in Amber's growth process.

• Pro: Those who know me are aware of how much I abhor loose ends. Well, I am happy to report, that Williamson gave me enough closure on all the different plot lines, and even if I would have liked a jump ahead, I still had answers which satisfied me.

• Pro: Blended families can be tricky, and I enjoyed watching Amber develop her relationships with Kevin and his daughter, Cammie. Also, Kevin was a gem, and I grew really, really fond of him.

• Pro: Saving the best for last - the romance! I adored Jordan, and I am all warm and fuzzy just thinking about these two. I know I wore a stupid grin on my face as their relationship blossomed. It was sweet and precious and everything first love should be.

Overall: This was a solid read for me. I loved the focus on family, friendship, and learning to open yourself up to possibilities.

Pretty classic Swoon Reads fare: cute, though not a standout. I appreciated that it gave time to familial relationships and friendships, as well as investing time in the romance. The college discussion felt very realistic and relatable.

This was a sweet YA books. Fans of Morgan Matson or Kasie West would enjoy this. Deals a lot with family and friendships as well as the stress of applying for college - very realistic. Cute romance. The only downside was The plot of getting into the university of Kansas was a little strong. Too many details about specific things in Lawrence that readers outside of Kansas wouldn’t get. Took away from the stronger parts of the story like the family relationships and her friendships. Young adult readers would enjoy this.

By the numbers young adult--as bloodless as all the outdated BtVS references. I'm not sure why it's suddenly become okay to litter books for teens with pop culture references that would only be interesting to their parents, but it really does teen readers a disservice. And I wish more contemporary ya was daring or at least thoughtful, instead of playing it safe like Rules We're Meant To Break.

This story is a charming love story wrapped up in the mire of blending families and all that goes with it. Williamson creates likeable, yet flawed, characters that are easy to root for, especially since the only villain in the story is the situation. I love how relatable that is! The main character, Amber, is a huge animal lover and Buffy fan, so naturally I immediately liked her.

Thanks for the ARC! It was nice to see the "wicked stepfamily" trope subverted for a change. Also, LOVED the "chill" and "hang" commands for Buffy.

Rules We're Meant to Break had potential but lots of things annoyed me which dropped my satisfaction in the story. Amber was unhealthily obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and KU (which at first I thought stood for Kentucky University and then realized it was Kansas).

When Amber is 14 she sees a German Shepherd puppy left at a pet store's doorstep so she brings it home without her mother's knowledge or approval (which is very disrespectful and inconsiderate since she's a child) and dubs the dog Buffy. Buffy even wears a KU collar. Why KU? I honestly have no clue. Despite the fact that Amber says it's very far away from her love stricken mom and chaotic home life. Far away as in an hour and a half, I think, which isn't far at all. If she hated home so much and her mom's revolving door of boyfriends then you would think she would choose a university several states away.

Amber is self-absorbed and bratty whenever she and her mom discuss her college plans. Amber wants to go to KU and live off campus with her sidekick Buffy. Apartments aren't cheap and despite her mom saying multiple times that they aren't in a financially strong place to pitch in for the expensive tuition and an apartment, Amber pouts and whines how life isn't fair. She needs to be slapped. Multiple times. Her mom is contributing money for her college education, something that isn't guaranteed to any child born into this world. Instead of being grateful and understanding that her mom isn't a millionaire, she grows angry at the thought of living on campus. I agree that campus life sucks. I wanted an off campus apartment but like Amber, my parents nor I could afford the cost so I remained on campus for three hellish years counting down the days until graduation. But sometimes you have to suck it up and do things you don't want because you aren't wealthy.

Next we have Hannah, Amber's best friend, who is boy crazy, pushy, and conceited. Amber is also pushy and only thinks of herself so I guess that's what makes them friends. Hannah contributed absolutely nothing to the plot, just like their other friend Ryan who only fed Amber dessert at school and repeated everything Amber said whenever she complained to him.

Love at first sight occurs between Amber and Jordan, and he's also the hottest guy in school and the star basketball player that has universities fighting over him. Jordan also didn't contribute anything besides awkward tutoring sessions and basketball games.

Thanks for the ARC NetGalley.

Amber's mom has had a series of semi-permanent boyfriends, and they have tried the blended family thing too many times for her to count but something always goes wrong. Amber has learned not to get attached to the guys or anyone else connected to them, because they always end up leaving. To protect herself from further disappointment, she wrote a list of rules keep her heart safe. That way, if her mom's newest relationship crashes and burns (and let's face it, they all crash and burn), Amber will be ok because she was never all that invested in them anyway. Which works until they move in with Kevin, who learns how to make oatmeal just the way Amber likes it, and his daughter Cammie, who might just be the sister Amber never knew she always wanted. Not to mention Cammie's best friend, Jordan, who lives a few streets over and is just too cute to ignore. Maybe it's time for Amber to take another look at those rules to see if they're actually protecting her...or holding her back?

This is a clever look at how challenging it can be for kids to watch their parents enter romantic relationships and try to build new families. It was easy to empathize with Amber and see why she felt she needed the rules to begin with. She held on to them a little too long to be believable, in my opinion, when she had so many good things staring her in the face and she just kept slamming the door on them again and again. But it was still easy to understand that she was afraid to trust that any of it was real.

The writing was engaging, and it was a quick read. My only issue was that the characters were kind of bland. None of them had much of a spark or a personality, and the dialogue was all pretty flat. A lot of YA has hilarious banter between the friend groups or crushes, and that was entirely missing here. Still, overall, it was an entertaining read.

**Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Swoon Reads for the ARC!**

Rules We're Meant to Break follows Amber, a girl whose mother is pretty much a serial dater. Amber has decided not to get attached to any more of her mother's boyfriends since Amber's mom is quick to fall into love and even quicker to fall out of love. Amber's mom's next boyfriend Kevin seems to be a problem, seeing as how Amber is finding it really hard not to get attached to Kevin's family or people he knows. Amber Starts to get attached to one person and that is where the problem begins.
The characters in this book were very enjoyable but I especially liked this book because of the storyline of blended families. It's realistic for children who are going through or have gone through their parent's dating life. I found the story at a great length and didn't drag so very enjoyable. Would rate a four.

And there's a dog! A wonderful, much-loved dog! Blended families are tough, and this story makes a strong case for keeping your guard up . . . until people prove they're also ready for a family. One of the most poignant parts of this novel was when characters admit they care. It was so real and powerful and important. So important to just let someone know when you have feelings, BUT you have to pay attention to the signs that it may be reciprocated. Tough? Yes, but that's why there are rules.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-Arc copy of this novel.
I was really surprised how much in tune with young adults this novel turned out to be. Kids today come from such diverse and up heaved family lives that this novel show that normalcy can be found if we allow ourselves to embrace change. A great recommendation for young adults.

Rules We're Meant to Break by Natalie Williamson is an adorable young adult romance. Your heart will break for Amber and you'll fall in love with Jordan. Great characters and a great story. You'll be rooting for her to throw away her rules and follow her heart..

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for and ARC of this novel

The Rules:

1. Always keep your eyes on the horizon
2. Children of Mom's boyfriends are roommates to be tolerated, not friends
3. Get used to introducing yourself to strangers
4. Related, get used to spending your holidays with strangers too, because that's pretty much the norm
5. Protect your plate at all large meal gatherings, holidays or otherwise
6. Never ask Mom's boyfriends for help, unless it's a legitimate emergency
7. Never get romantically involved with anyone connected to Mom's boyfriends or their families
8. Don't get involved in any "family" drama, even if it's juicy and hard to resist
9. Keep your real life separate from Mom's life with her current boyfriend
10. Remember you love your mom. I know it's hard sometimes. But do it anyways.


This story starts by introducing us to Amber on her birthday her freshman year of high school. She's super excited about her birthday dinner that night with her mom's boyfriend and his nephew that she's hardcore crushing on, only to find out that while at school there's been a breakup. While it turns out not to be the best birthday, Amber comforts herself by saving a puppy, Buffy, in front of a pet store and by creating a set of rules to keep her in check for the next men that enter her and her mom's lives.

We then flash forward to her senior year where her mom has a new boyfriend, Kevin, whose house she is moving into. The rules are still in full effect, especially with all the ugliness surrounding the Kevins' recent divorce and drama with his daughter Cammie. The only good thing about moving is that Jordan Baugh, her freshman year crush, lives down the street from her. After discovering that he is friends with Cammie though Rule 7 goes into effect. As Amber takes on the role of tutoring Jordan though, lines are blurred and some rules might need to be broken.

This overall was a cute little summer read. I might have to buy a finished copy of it just so I can reread it while sunbathing next to the pool this summer. It was a light read that I thoroughly enjoyed and for her debut novel I'd say Natalie Williamson did an amazing job.

The Good:
Buffy!!! This dog was really the glue that pulled everyone together in my eyes. She was so dang good and well trained. Like this dog knew commands such as "chill" and "hang" while differed from the boring old stay and pillow. Everyone loved her and even those that immediately didn't like her, she grew on. She was Amber's safety net and future all rolled into one cute pup.

The friendship between Amber, Heather and later on Cammie. Amber and Heather were the epitome of what friendship should be. They ebbed and flowed no matter the circumstances or changes that needed to happen like with college arrangements, boyfriends and Amber's attachment issues. Heather was there when Amber needed her and also challenged some of the decisions she made, which we all need sometimes. Cammie came as a surprise to me. When we first meet her I assumed she'd be a spoiled brat and totally snobby, but during the novel she grew on both Amber and I.

Amber herself. She started so closed off and followed her rules to a tee, but throughout the novel she had some character growth that led to some pretty big decisions but an overall happy ending

Jordan Baugh. He was so shy but was also sweet and kind to everyone. He didn't fall into that stereotypical popular jerk format and I was glad for that. The romance between him and Amber was a slow growth versus an insta-love which I was glad for. They even had a cute-meet involving Buffy and a basketball and what's better than that really?

The college decisions. Boys, friendships, and money were all factors that were handled beautifully and realistically. I got nervous there for a bit with some of the factors, but in the end everyone made their own decisions for the right reasons.

The Bad:
While Amber had a ton of growth, I felt like there could have been more and I wanted more for her. She did quite a few hurtful things to the people around her, and while she had the self-awareness to know that she generally never really explained or apologized sufficiently. Her friends, Kevin and even Jordan were forced to take the high road in some of these situations and move on from it. It would've been nice if she had stepped up a bit more.

While the romance was sweet and I loved Jordan, after finishing the book I realized I knew nothing about him except that he loved basketball, was a pretty good player, struggled with writing, and had a bisexual sister. What did he want to go to college for? Did he think he could go pro? What were his dreams besides basketball? How long had he liked Amber? How did he get into basketball? I would have liked more depth to him which would have added a bit more to the romance as well.

Final Thoughts:
Yes I'd recommend it and I'll probably even reread it a few times myself. It was comparable to Julie Buxbaum and Jenn Bennett, two of my favorite summer reads authors. I can't wait to see what novel Williamson puts out next!

*Thanks so much Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an eARC of this through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.25 / 5 stars
Rules We’re Meant to Break follows a girl who abides by a set of rules so that she can survive her mother’s romances. Amber is used to things not working out with her mother’s boyfriends. Amber’s mom is quick to fall in love but when things start to get serious and Amber grows attached, things get messy. Amber decides that she will hold her heart close by no longer attaching herself to anything connected to her mother’s next boyfriend. However, when Amber meets some people close to her mother’s boyfriend Kevin, she finds it hard to not get attached.

I enjoyed the story of Amber and all things that she goes through as her family becomes bigger. I love how Amber has a fondness for animals and she wants to grow in her knowledge of them by studying behavior in college. I appreciated the introduction to Amber’s character and the shift in time to who she is now. I thought this incorporation was well insinuated and extremely relative to the storyline.

I will say that I found the characters in this book to be a bit bland at times. I enjoyed certain parts of these characters but overall none of them stood out to me that much. I liked Jordan’s character and how kind he was to everyone. Amber could have used a bit more character growth at times. There were plenty of opportunities for Amber to show increased maturity and awareness but when it came to these moments, she usually faltered. Amber was self-aware of most of her hurtful decisions but sometimes it seemed like the only way she would fix them was if someone told her to. Overall, her character was a little disappointing at times due to her continuously not doing much to converse with others and explain herself when explanation was needed. Characters like Jordan had to take the high road, when they were not much or at all at fault, while Amber sulked with a negative attitude.

Overall, this was an okay read for me. I love how it was not too long and it was easy to get through. There were minor uses of cursing at times, but it was not overdone. I think a teenage audience might appreciate this more than myself.

This is a fun, light contemporary teen romance for fans of Sarah Dessen. The characters weren't fully fleshed out, but I still enjoyed the storyline and theme. I think it will be very popular with teens. I would recommend in reader's advisory.

Amber's mom goes through relationships like crazy and after one particularly hard time, Amber comes up with some strict rules. But are those rules helping her or holding her back?

I was a little skeptical of this book at first because of how annoying the MC was. I quickly warmed up to her though and she lost that attitude that made her irk me so much. The more we got to know Amber, the more her behavior makes sense.

I love books where we watch our MC grow into themselves and face struggles. Amber has to learn to trust herself and what she wants in life. The romance in this one is adorable but Amber's relationship growth with her mom and friends is what really makes this book fantastic.

Rules We're Meant to Break tackles first love, college changes, and complicated relationships. I love real-world issues as the background of a contemporary novel. It makes me appreciate the character growth and relationships more. If that's your cup of tea too, make sure and pick this one up.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Swoon Reads through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

This book offers a new look at family drama and the rules the protagonist creates to protect herself from more hurt from her mom's breakups. The characters are likable and the story is believable. I enjoyed reading the pet aspect of the book and I think it will appeal to other readers as well: the dog's tricks, the owner's gift with training animals, and her after-school job. The secondary characters are fun (Ryan and Elliot) and provide balance to the main characters.