Member Reviews
This is my first read by Amy Andrews and I'm hooked. Not only does she weave an intriguing story, her writing style offers a unique rom-com style that had me literally laughing out loud more times than not. I've definitely found a new go to author when I need a feel good, fun read with some fun and flirty spiciness.
The main character, Beatrice (Bea) has moved to Credence, CO in an attempt to escape her crumbling life in Los Angeles. She escapes by eating junk food, drinking beer and binge watching the Winchester brothers on Supernatural. She simply wants to hide out for a while and lick her wounds. What she doesn't count on is a decadent deputy named Austin who is about ten years younger and solidly built from helping out on his family's ranch. As he slowly lures her out of her self imposed exile, Bea discovers there may be more to life than the advertising world she's just left. Maybe new friends, line dancing, day of the week underwear, watching tv and enjoying a hot younger man can be worthwhile parts of her life too....oh and pie....lots of wonderful pie from Annie's.
This book provided the perfect little escape and kept me thoroughly entertained. I not only read the ebook, I also listened to the audiobook. The narration in the audio was spot on. With the quick one-liners that the author throws out, I think the narration made it even more funny because the listener could hear the inflection and more easily catch the author's intent. I'm rating both versions with 5 stars because I found them both extremely enjoyable.
Thank you to NetGalley for both the ARC and the early listening copy. I voluntarily chose to review both of these and the opinions contained within are my own.
Amy Andrews has once again written a fun, smart, witty, sexy story. Bea is done. She has metaphorically hit a wall and runs away from L.A. and found herself in the small quirky town of up Credence. While there all she wants is to hole up in her apartment, wear what she wants, eat junk and be left alone to figure out how to let go of others expectations and figure out who she really is and what she wants out of life. This involves a lot of pie, ice cream, bunny slippers and thr seriously good looking Austin Cooper. Their chemistry is great. Sit back and enjoy this enjoyable read with a fabulous ending.
This was a fantastic book. It was so close to getting full marks. Just from the start, I knew I was going to love it . It was funny, and I found myself laughing out loud at times. I especially loved the bunny slippers. The pie must have been good. It was the added details that made this book stand out. I actually rated it 4.5 stars. The author did such a fantastic job at creating such a wonderful storyline. There were a few unexpected events and one shocking event. I am just thankful that the book didn't go the way I thought it was going. It was a fantastic end not giving anything away, though. You will have to read it yourself. I loved the characters they were easy to connect with and love. It was a fantastic reading experience, and I became emotionally invested in the story. It's definitely a page turner that I have to recommend reading. Especially if you like some steamy bits. For me, they were slightly too much for me, and the only reason it didn't get the 5th star.
So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating a wonderful and engaging story that was almost impossible to put down.
I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author.
The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books ,Barnes&noble ,kobo ,amazon UK where found and my blog today https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/breaking-all-the-rules-by-amy-andrews-entangled-publishing-4-5-stars under my name ladyreading365
DNF at 30%. It started off great! But then the dialogue just started getting a little extra cheesy, and everything was sexualized. Every single thing. Eating pie, saying her name, the steering wheel….idk. Just wasn’t for me.
Bea is the character we all want to be at times, and I love how she and Austin connect. When Bea runs to Credence to break all the rules, she is joined in her adventures by Austin, a younger man who happens to be a police officer in that town. I loved the humor in this story and all the shenanigans these two go through. Credence is an unforgettable town and I love revisiting some of the characters. Can’t wait for the next story, Amy Andrews!
Breaking all the Rules is the latest book in Amy Andrews Credence, Colorado series. Advertising agent Beatrice Archer is mad as a wet hen! The promotion to executive position along with the corner office is ripped out from under her by an upstart who has played into the good old boy network. In a fit of rage, Beatrice quits her job of 15 years and sets out on a journey of self discovery. With an arrow in hand and a map on the wall, Bea Archer locates small town Credence as the place she will retreat to lick her wounds and reinvent herself.
After two weeks in the small apartment she has rented above Deja Brew, she surfaces one early morning to head across the street to Annie’s diner. She wants pie! But what she finds is so much more!
After decades of denying her artistic ability and her vows to never get involved with a younger man, Credence presents both to Bea in a well woven story told with heart and humor. These delightful characters, including some the series followers will recognize from earlier books, will entertain and capture the reader in their stories. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for the ARC of this novel! This was a cute and charming age-gap romance with small-town vibes and likable characters. It felt predictable at times but I really liked Bes as a character and enjoyed her development over the course of the book.
There was a very strong sense of place and I felt like I was there with Bea in her cute apartment above the coffee shop and going line dancing at Jack's. Credence, Colorado is a cute quirky town and it felt like the perfect backdrop to the romance between Bea and Austin.
The writing was smooth and effortless and it wad the perfect escape-to-romance-land. It was definitely spicier than I anticipated and for that reason docked a star but besides that it was cute, charming, and enjoyable!
TITLE: BREAKING ALL THE RULES
AUTHOR: Amy Andrews
PUB DATE: 01.24.2023 Now Available
Sometimes you gotta toss your whole life into a burning dumpster to find what’s most important...
REVIEW: First read from this author and she captured my heart. I loved this fun and flirty read that was so entertaining I literally read over a relaxing weekend. It’s the story of Beatrice Archer who hits burnout and decides to give up her corporate job for small town life. What she never expected was falling head over heels for a younger man, the town’s local police. Charming and sexy, I was all over this book!
Breaking All the Rules was a charming, romantic small town romance that was so much fun! With an age gap, steamy scenes, heartfelt characters and all the pie, this book was so easy to devour! Breaking All the Rules was so adorable that I went and added the first book in the Credence, Colorado Series to my tbr because I could not get enough of this world! Amy Andrews is an author I definitely need to read more of!
“If you want to know the number of each law you intend to break, then it’s Officer Cooper. If you just want to shoot the breeze about it, then it’s Austin.”
“Can I take a little bit of A and the rest B?”
“Beatrice,” he said, his loaded fork poised between the plate and his mouth, “you can take whatever you like.”
Beatrice's whole world got flipped upside down when the promotion she worked so hard for, was handed to someone else. With the need to get out of LA, she landed up in the small town of Credence, Colorado. Where she binge watched TV, drank what she wanted, and kept track of what day it was by name of the week underwear. When Beatrice was finally ready to venture out into the small town, she ran into Austin. The town's local sheriff. Who was 10 years younger than her 35 years of age. And from those first few moments together, there were lots of sparks. They were flirting even as he put her in a jail cell lol. And that banter and sparks continued as Austin encouraged Beatrice to continue to break all the rules.
Bea smiled. “You ready for this?”
“Honey,” he said, his gaze locking on hers, “I’ve been ready since the day I saw you eating ice cream outside Annie’s.”
And damn if her heart didn’t do a funny little triple tap in her chest. No twenty-five-year-old should have such a way with words.
Austin was my favorite! Not only were his parents absolutely hilarious, their fondue jokes killed me! But Austin was the ultimate book boyfriend! You'll want to steal from the pages, just like me! Austin was intoxicating, swoon worthy and so easy to be obsessed with. I loved all of his confidence, how sure he was of himself and the way he handled situations. And his words. He made me melt and sigh out loud I don't even know how many times! Ohhh and his thoughts....I don't even have adequate enough words other then they made me love him even more! You have to meet Austin! I loved every single thing about him!
“I was wondering if you had that V thing going on between your hips, you know…” She dropped her gaze to the area of his anatomy under discussion. “With the muscles there.”
Austin didn’t say a word as the smile hovering on his mouth faded. He didn’t do anything for a beat or two, either, just drew in a couple of deep, ragged breaths.
Then reached for his belt buckle.
Austin brought out the best in Beatrice. I loved how she was so bold around him. Yet Beatrice was hurt from her past. And she could be skittish around him too. So while it took me a little while to click with Beatrice and her story, the moment I did I could not stop smiling and randomly laughing! I loved how the more time she spent around Austin and his small town, the more she seemed to grow. It was smile inducing watching Beatrice find her way. Especially with her passion for a different line of work. So I was so excited and rooting her on! Yet Beatrice definitely had her hang ups. She did not want to run into Austin's mom lol. And she didn't think anything could come of being with someone 10 years younger. So even though they spent the majority of Austin's non-working time together, they were just a fling. They couldn't become more than that. Right?
Bea made sure to put a little extra swing in her step.
“Tease,” he called after her.
“Pervert,” she replied, so freaking happy, she practically skipped.
Anytime that Beatrice and Austin were in the room together, the sexual tension between them was scorching hot! And when they went further... I loved how they used pie *fans face*. This book was the perfect mix of emotions and passion mixed together in the pages! Especially with Beatrice having all of these different things she wanted to do, like camp beneath the stars. As she checked things off of her list, it was amazing to watch how happy she was becoming. How much Austin made her smile and laugh. And how Austin was feeling and looking at Beatrice. So while I had already fallen head over heels in love with Austin, I wanted to push Beatrice into that feeling too. Yet Beatrice still had more healing to do.
Their mouths fused, her arms wound around his neck, her legs wound around his waist as she kissed him deep and hard, and he almost lost his mind. It felt good. It felt perfect. Like everything he’d ever wanted was right here in his arms.
So why did it also feel like goodbye?
Breaking All the Rules was a fun and flirty small town romance! With bunny slippers, a cat, lots of pie, a cowboy and so much heart, this book had the right amount of hope and laughter. And I loved how issues were resolved, my heart was so happy by the time we reached that final page. So if you're a fan of adult romance that is spicy and heartfelt, definitely make for sure you have this one on your tbr! I'm looking forward to whatever Amy Andrews releases next!
Thank you to Entangled and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. This was a sweet nugget of a novel with some steamy moments. It felt very tropey at times with the characterization of Austin and Beatrice but still enjoyable. As with many romance novels, you want to yell at the character to see what is right in front of them. I did enjoy that the author included prominently that Bea starts her life hiatus by binge watching Supernatural and then moved to The Walking Dead. Nerdy TV shows are my thing and more people should embrace so I hope they do. A nice way to spend a few hours in a romance fantasy land.
I applied to review this book solely because it's one of the monthly books for Rachael Johns Online Book Club and wasn't disappointed. I went in blind without reading the blurb so had no clue what the storyline even involved. What I found was a story full of humour, love, heartbreak, hard lessons and saucy sex scenes. It felt like I was reading a wholesome version of 50 shades!!
The lead female character Bea has been dealt some very hard knocks in the corporate world and is sick of being placed second just because she's not a man. The book has a very strong female empowerment thread running through it as a result. I liked that the female characters were friendly and supportive even with newcomers instead of the usual competitiveness we see.
The male characters were all very charming - and of course Austin was just a sweetheart!
I've since looked at the authors back catalogue and can't wait to read her other stories set in Credence!
Breaking All the Rules, by Amy Andrews, part of her Credence series, is a lighthearted, laugh-out-loud, witty, clever, feel-good tale that takes you into the life of Beatrice Archer, a young executive, who has basically run away to Credence, Colorado. She left her all-consuming job in advertising after being passed over for a promotion, once again. She has barely left the small apartment she rented until a quest for sugar brings her out. She then runs right into Officer Austin Cooper, a local police officer, who is entirely too charming for his own good. These two were great together from the start. Bea is older than Austin so she resists getting involved but it really just is meant to be and the chemistry between them is off the charts.
Ms. Andrews wrote a wonderful, funny, emotional, and hot story that is not to be missed. She provided a tale that sizzled with their chemistry, humorous conversations, laugh-out-loud moments, and endearing characters giving Bea and Austin a chance at love, happiness, and a future together. I highly recommend Breaking All the Rules to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Amy Andrews will charm and delight you with this age gap romance between a woman ready to take her life back into her own hand and a small town police officer, 10 years her junior. This novel is sexy, fun and hilarious! Amy Andrews will take you on a ride with ups and downs as the heroine learns to go after what she wants, find joy in herself and learn not to worry about what others think. Andrews writing has a wit and charm to it, that makes the heroine easily likable and relatable. The pacing of this novel is high powered and moves easily from moment to moment. Overall a truly delightful novel, that will leave you ready to seize the day!
The chemistry between Bea and Austin absolutely sizzles from the moment they meet. And their relationship becomes something for Bea to fully loose herself into and start to really examine what she wants out of life. Austin is such a sweetheart, he is instantly charmed by Bea, and he wants to get to know her, he wants to have fun with her, and age is never something that he worries about. These two pretty swiftly enter into a physical relationship and it is sensual and steamy. Their physical relationship also really helps to highlight the comfort and trust these two have easily developed with each other. This is Bea's journey, so of course there is a silly Act 3 conflict we must work our way through, but I think that Bea needs to work through it in order to really and truly embrace the next stage of a happier and healthier life for herself.
This delightful, sexy and hilarious read is perfect if you love a steamy romance that will make you chuckle and leave you with a smile on your face. Definitely pick up with gem from Amy Andrews!
Bea has always done what was expected of her and focused all her attention on her career. She has had to work hard for everything she has received, and she has grown weary of seeing less deserving men receive the promotions she deserves. Her decision to change her life leads her to a small town in Colorado where Austin comes into her life.
Austin is enchanted by Bea and appreciates that she is going to do what she wants with no concern about what others think about her or her actions. He is more than willing to be her accomplice on any adventure she wants to take and now he needs to convince her.
Bea and Austin take us on a fun and romantic journey as she discovers the woman she wants to be and not the woman that others expect her to be. Not only did we get to know Bea and Austin, but we were also able to catch up with the other characters from this wonderful town.
I enjoyed Breaking All The Rules and I even found myself relating to Bea, the female lead, to some extent, but this was a book that I just couldn’t quiet love.
We meet Bea when she moves to Credence at a cross roads. Her first interactions with Austin are truly funny. I appreciated how he was willing to meet her where she was and how their friendship turned into more slowly.
Both Bea and Austin are likeable characters, but I was a bit bothered by how she never opened up for him about who she really was. This made the emotional announcements on both there parts feel like a stretch for me.
Overall this was an entertaining book and I enjoyed meeting these characters and the town of Credence, but I would have liked a bit more in terms of Bea’s emotional growth.
The first quarter of the book is full of sexual tension and angst. It got old pretty quickly. It was a little more crass than I'm used to, and while most times I don't mind it this time, it just didn't work for me. Bea, for being such a successful business woman was still pretty naive. I really disliked her decisions near the end and almost got to the point where I don't even feel she is worthy of Austin's love. She was so set on staying in Credence, and not going back to that life to just pull a complete turn around didn't make sense. I would have loved it more if she had stuck to her plan and then had some other conflict. It had some fun moments though, and I did really love Austin.
This is for when you want to chuck it all and not fall in with any societal expectations. Bea has been following rules all her life, first from her dad and then her employer. But she keeps getting passed over for promotion. So she quits and decides to live on her own terms. Office Austin Cooper offers to help her in her quest.
I enjoyed Bea's journey, but I didn't really feel the romance with Austin at first. It started really quickly and seemed completely based on physical chemistry. I did enjoy the reverse age gap with Bea being 35 to his 25. And over time, I came to appreciate other aspects of their relationship as well.
My favorite parts of the book focused on Bea. She meets such great characters in Credence, Colorado. I especially loved all of the women who, like her, had come from bigger cities. And the puns from Austin's father are pretty fun, too.
I think the book needs a warning label: have pie ready. There were so many descriptions of amazing baked goods, especially pie, throughout. This book sent me to my local bakery the next morning.
Thank you to Entangled and TLC Book Tours for the advanced copy. These opinions are my own.
"Beatrice Archer needed sugar. She didn't know what time it was, what day it was, or what season of Supernatural she was up to, but she knew she needed sugar."
I flew through this one! Bea is sassy and strong and absolutely hilarious!! She's followed the rules all hear life and after crap hits the fan she's done. She's decided it's time to start breaking all the rules. There's binging tv in bed and pie for breakfast which sounds fabulous! It has a reverse age gap (she's 35 and he's 25), small town romance. I love that Austen lives on his family's ranch and is a cop. It's a fun combination! He's perfectly swoon worthy!! And all that ma'am stuff! Thursday panties!! IYKYK!!!
I love all the side characters, too! Winona is a force of nature and I love her! Molly and Marley need their own story as does Winona and Arlo!! I love the whole small town where everyone knows each other's business and the rumors fly fast!! Princess is fantastic and had me cracking up!! I truly loved this book and can't wait to read whatever Amy comes out with next!!
Thank you Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for my review copy!
This one is hilarious and all too relatable for most women over 30. Bea is 35 and she has had it with just about everything. She’s always played by the rules, done what her family expected, chased the career her father preferred for her, and basically tamped down any expressions of her own wants/needs so far that she can’t even remember what they were. When she is passed over for promotion (again) in favor of a younger male colleague, she revolts against every rule, real or perceived, that she has lived her life by. With the toss of a dart (or a dozen), she leaves LA behind for Credence, CO.
Bea decides rules are for breaking so bring on the carbs, the beer, the sweatpants and the amazing freedom of going braless and wearing comfy panties. When she encounters Austin, she’s giving a public peep show of just how orgasmic the enjoyment of ice cream should be. Austin is a laid-back, smooth talking cop 10 years her junior…Bea knows she shouldn’t fall into Austin, but rules are meant for breaking right?
This one had the best of both worlds: romance that will leave you hot & bothered, and so many laughs!
It would have been a solid 5 stars for me but I have to reduce that to a 4 - 4.5 due to a scene that just rubbed me wrong. I’m sorry but I’ll just never be ok with anyone using diabetes as the punchline for a joke about eating sugary food. It’s 2023 so let’s try to do better please…diseases/disabilities shouldn’t be made into a joke.
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled for a digital copy of this one; my opinions are entirely my own.
4.5 stars
Wow, Breaking All The Rules by Amy Andrews was such an enjoyable age gap (older woman/younger man) romance and one that I simply did not want to put down once I started. Sassy, funny, and a whole lot of sexy, I loved this book.
Bea is a 35 year old woman who had enough of being pushed around and looked over for promotion in the advertising world simply because she has boobs. Quitting her job and picking her new location by way of a dart on a map, she lands in Credence, Colorado where she spends the first two weeks holed up in her apartment bingeing Supernatural and eating and drinking all the things that are frowned upon in Los Angeles and she has zero f*cks to give about it. Realizing she’s out of food especially food that contains sugar she heads to the local diner not caring about her appearance because she has zero f*cks; sweatpants, a stained shirt, and bunny slippers she’s enjoying her two ice cream cones when Deputy Austin Cooper rolls up to check on a complaint about a “strange woman.” Lordy, I do not have to tell you that Deputy Austin Cooper is handsome, with an air of authority, good natured and instantly infatuated with Bea who happens to be 10 years his senior and he’ll be the first to tell you he doesn’t give one f*ck about their age difference.
Bea is a woman on the edge but Austin realizes that she’s someone he wants to get to know better. He listens to her, he puts her in the “pokey” because she wants that experience, and he gets her to tell him all the ways she wants to break the rules and he IS THERE FOR IT! I loved the way he volunteers to help her with her list and sets out to make sure she does all the things she wants. They fall into a friendship, that becomes a relationship (without saying the words) all while Bea tries to deny the fact she’s inspired to draw and paint again because of some things from her past.
I don’t want to say much more because this is one of those books you have to experience and I will tell you it was worth experiencing, in fact I may experience again soon that is how much I loved this book. While I was a bit disappointed in the way Bea reacted and handled some issues from her previous life, hurting Austin in the process, I also loved that Austin was man enough to make a gesture, to retreat and let her figure it out, and that once she did she made things right.
A flat out amazing love story that made me smile, tear up, and laugh so much; don’t miss Breaking All The Rules by Amy Andrews.