This book follows two teens who are getting ready to finish high school and go off to college. Because of this transition happening soon, they need to go look at colleges and their parents think it is a great idea to send them on a road trip together. It is a very nice coming of age story that involves colleges, understanding that everything isn’t always as it seems, and a dash of romance!

I love a book that involves a road trip, especially when the two on the trip don’t get along. The trope between them is hate-to-love and there is a lot of hate! They don’t understand one another, but along the way they get to know each other better. I wouldn’t say I was sold on their romance but they shared some funny and sweet moments together. Anything can happen on a road trip! I do think that there was a lot the author was trying to bring into the plot and it made for some things to get looked over and not be given the time it needed.

Overall, this was good and I can see those facing the same transition liking this one!

Rules for Rule Breaking makes my heart feel like it grew 10 sizes over the course of the read. Talia Tucker is a talent, and I so very much appreciate the opportunity join Winter and Bobby on the most magical journey together.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Rules for Rule Breaking in exchange for an honest review! This one was quite cute.

Rules for Rule Breaking is a book about 2 Korean-American teens, Winter and Bobby, who have known each other and been rivals for most of their lives. Thrown together by their parents on a road trip to visit colleges, they start to branch out and break some rules, not only generally but also in regards to each other.

This book was so cute!! From the very start the banter between Winter and Bobby was so fun and it was so interesting to learn about their history. You can certainly tell by some aspects that this is the authors debut book, but overall honestly not bad. Even though there were some aspects of the story that were confusing or out of place I just couldn’t help but get all giggly at watching the slow burn build between the two main characters. I am going to have to give a 4/5 stars because it was just such a fun read and gave me all the feels. Would recommend!

This book is an absolute delight! I loved the concepts of two boring, rule-following teenagers deciding to go wild without parental supervision, and I had so much fun watching the main characters in this book fall in love. I cannot wait for what Talia writes next.

My fave trope is childhood friends to lovers and though Winter and Bobby are more like childhood rivals, I couldn't wait for them to actually get to know each other beyond their assumptions and give friendship a chance. They both were self-driven, overachiever individuals with their own quirks and foibles. Tucker's prose was clear, setting the tone without distracting in this contemporary rom-com. I also liked the chapter POVs flipped between Winter and Bobby. Recommended if you'd like a fun, lighthearted read for spring break!

The college road trip that changes everything she thought she knew.

Rules for Rule Breaking by Talia Tucker is her debut novel and is a crazy ride between rivals. When Winter Park, a Korean American overachieving senior, finds out she has to go on a road trip to visit her dream school, MIT, with her biggest rival, Bobby Bae, she’s rightfully irritated. To her distaste, Bobby Bae, a Korean American self-disciplined, perfectionist, and overachieving senior, doesn’t want to go just as much as she doesn’t. They both want to find a way out of it, but end up deciding to make some new rules in addition to their never ending list, for the inevitable trip. Can they get past their differences, which are actually similarities, and come together to last through the trip, will they start to realize feelings they didn’t know were there, or will everything just blow up before they get back home?

I don’t read contemporary YA RomComs very often, well actually, more like never. But this one was so freaking good, I think I’ll dive into this area a bit more in the future.

The way the characters were so thought out and full of problems, some hilarious and others a bit intense, they were so relatable. I love the sensitivity of Bobby and how it balances out with the more hardened shell of Winter. Even though they are opposite in so many ways, they literally balance each other out and need each other, even if they don’t see it.

The way the family was portrayed was so beautiful and also very real! Touching on topics of grief, loss, death, grandparents in assisted living and estranged adult siblings, there’s no limit to the things they were going through. What was even better was the fact that they didn’t even really talk about it, if it came up, it was glossed over like nothing happened, which is so common in a lot of families! Pretty sure Halmeoni (할머니) is my favorite character, love the feistiness!

I really love that the Korean used isn’t just blatantly told with a direct translation. It’s mixed into the conversation naturally. Which allows for an understanding through context clues, just as any other English word in the text. Perfect!

Let’s not forget all of the antics they do. Their “bad sides” are hilarious! True rule breakers they were! I wish there was more to their story, I really enjoyed it!

I highly recommend this to readers 14+ who love diverse stories with real experiences and funny banter! There’s also a bit of enemies to lovers, road trip romance, he fell first, she fell harder, slow burn, Korean American teens living Korean American lives, Academic Rivals, and silly outdated state laws tropes throughout. So there’s always something to take in!

Other books similar: I Hope This Doesn’t Find You, Not Your Average Jo, XOXO

*This was an honest review for a complimentary copy of Rules for Rule Breaking from Talia Tucker via The Colored Pages and NetGalley

This book is just pure enemies-to-lovers goodness, and one of the rare few where they remain enemies for a while! The characters are wonderful and their interactions literally had me busting a lung, plus, I learned a lot of ways to break mundane laws. This book did suffer from atrocious pacing and annoying tropes, but it wasn’t enough to detract from my enjoyment of the book!

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

One thing I REALLY liked about this book was how they managed to establish their own inside joke and brought it up constantly! I think Bobby was the one who started it by saying "Did you know it's illegal to do ____ in (insert whatever sate they were in)" and they continued to talk about weird and random things that are illegal in certain states in the US. It was a really funny joke and I loved every time they brought it up because it usually ended up being relevant or just a funny anecdote.

What I also really liked was that they were TRUE academic rivals. Sometimes when a story proclaims that the characters are "Enemies to lover" or "academic rivals to lovers" they only show them spouting insults at each other for whatever academic thing they're fighting over. But in this story the characters are CLEARLY very smart and are the top students of their schools. They have whole conversations where they talk about how they're going to make the school year "fair". (I.E Winter says she'll take the bad counselor at school if Bobby let's her be band captain). They did get into arguments still over things but it was less about them insulting the other and more about fighting over who should have won what competition.

The rules that they came up with to be civil with one another were very funny too and honestly kind of sounded like something I'd do myself if I couldn't get along with someone but had to be around them constantly. So while they did fight a lot they were also mature enough to actually apologize and mean it when they said things that took their arguments too far. They were honestly very mature and communicative and I really enjoyed that.

Bobby and Winter were also genuinely funny, even without meaning to be. The interactions they had with each other and others felt realistic and believable. I enjoyed going along with them on their road trip immensely. After the road trip though.... I was really upset with the way the two of them talked to each other after the party they went too. They'd been so honest and real with each other up until that point and then they let all their fear and anger out on each other all at once and it was really sad to see. Realistic but sad. I'd expected more. I'd sort of expected them to have a more quiet "breakup" on the drive back home where both of them admit in a calm conversation that they were just drunk at the party and "none of this meant anything" and internally I wanted them to both feel like shit but think the other person meant what they were saying and felt nothing for each other.

The ending though with the five hour and one minute bingo party was really funny actually. I liked being able to see all the characters interact with one another in the same setting because up until that moment Winter, Bobby, Emmy, and Kai hadn't interacted much (if at all).

The dynamic between Winter and Bobby is engaging, with their banter and evolving relationship feeling authentic and endearing. While some aspects of the plot could have been explored in more depth, such as the portrayal of Korean culture and the characters' future aspirations, the overall narrative remains captivating. Tucker's writing style is accessible and engaging, making for a quick and enjoyable read. Overall, Rules for Rule Breaking is a charming novel that will appeal to fans of YA romance, offering a fresh take on familiar tropes.

A cute coming of age, enemies to lovers YA romance debut featuring two Korean American teens who go on a college road trip together. This was good on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Sarah Suk. I really enjoyed the characters, their banter and the focus on family. Many thanks to NetGalley, publisher and @prhaudio for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Kokila and NetGalley for my eARC. All opinions are solely my own.

This was such a cute debut! We're following Winter Park and Bobby Bae, two Korean American students on a road trip to visit colleges who realize that their rivalry is just a pretense for their feelings for each other.

I liked the richness of the Korean culture throughout the story, the descriptions we were given, and the strong characters that Tucker wrote. Both were flawed but true and relatable. This felt like something that would happen to someone that you know, and I like reading stories that are believable.

Rules for Rule Breaking examines friendship, self-identity, belonging, and being true to oneself. I flew through this one, finishing it in mere hours. I highly recommend it and can't wait to see what Talia Tucker comes out with next!

Rules for Rule Breaking is an immensely fun, YA, Academic-Rivals-to-lovers-road trip-romance. It’s coming of age, exploration of race, relationships, futures, and what it means to “live”. While Winter Park and Bobby Bae have been rivals for as long as they can remember, despite their families being friends. Their parents decide that since they both want to do college visits in New England, that it would be a great idea for both to go together, (much to Winter and Bobby’s horror). Winter and Bobby have a strict set of rules for how they interact with each other, and this trip really infringes on that.

After a series of eye-opening events, they both realize that they need to lighten up, and try to have fun. Then a new set of rules is established – Rules, for rule breaking.

I really liked the characters of Winter and Bobby. My husband is a first generation Korean American as well, and some of the experience of the book reminded me a lot of stories he had told me about growing up. The book is about letting loose and allowing yourself to live life. But it also deals with issues like race, family expectations, relationships (both family and otherwise), preservation of culture, and the scary moments of choosing your own happiness first.

I read though it so quickly and thought it was charming the whole way through! There were a lot of pop culture references, which may ultimately date the book in the future, but I really enjoyed it for right now.

Thank you so much to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this lovely novel and offer up my honest opinion!

As the only two Korean American students in their high school, Winter and Bobby are all too often called siblings or a couple. The truth is they can't stand each other! Their parents are friends, so when they have to hang out, their relationship has always been guided by a set of well-defined rules. Yet a road trip to visit colleges has them throwing out the rule book, and they might just set aside their rivalry in favor of love.

Rules of Rule Breaking is a fun ride that is full of ups and downs as Winter and Bobby navigate their complicated and ever-changing feelings toward each other.

This was such a cute YA academic rivals to lovers, I absolutely loved all of the roadtrip scenes and Bobby I get you on lactose intolerance 🤞🏽 Winter and Bobby were the most REAL teenagers I have ever read and I related to them so much, as Winter expressed worry over change and college I still feel the fear for change and what I'm going to do next so it was refreshing to see it accurately portrayed in a YA book. The side characters Kai and Emmy were the most fun side characters ever and the humor expressed throughout the book made me have to pause a few times to laugh. Thank you Penguin Teen for the e-arc of this wonderful book I enjoyed every moment of it, all opinions are my own

I received an eARC of this book on NetGalley but ultimately read it with a free audiobook with the PRHAudio influencer program

Winter Park and Bobby Bae don’t get along… at all. While their families have been close, these two really just prefer to keep a distance and even have an extensive set of rules for their “relationship”. But, things change when their parents send them on a road trip together for their college visits and they decide that maybe rules are meant for breaking.

I really enjoyed this book. Winter is really competitive but also has this really fun personality and a seemingly endless supply of space themed pickup lines. Her friendship with Bobby (even though she refused to acknowledge that it existed for the longest time) really made the book that much better for me. Probably because, as a fellow crier, Bobby was my favorite character but I digress.

Ultimately I really enjoyed this book. It had its lighter parts and parts that really tugged at my heart strings… it also made me really crave a road trip so that is probably gonna be in my relatively near future.

📓 academic rivals
📓 Both MCs are Korean
📓 forced proximity in the form of college tour road-trips
📓 complicated family relationships
📓 breaking the rules for the first time
📓 an mmc who cries… a lot (just like me)
📓 420 friendly

I am here for an academic rivals romance!! Winter and Bobby were a great pairing and I enjoyed their development throughout the story. Learning more about Korean culture was also cool and I enjoyed that representation. As an oldest child, I felt the pressure that both of them put on themselves to always be right and perfect. It was great to see them flourish and break out of their shells on the road trip. Speaking of road trips, I love that type of plot. Talia executed it so well, too. The friendships and shenanigans were cute and I liked where the story ended up. Also Halmeoni was a fantastic side character and I loved every time she was present in the story. The rules were so cute and I like how they introduced each chapter. Overall, this was a cute read! Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me an e-ARC to read and review!

If you like YA romcoms, road trips, and the rivals-to-lovers trope, consider picking this one up! It was a fast and overall enjoyable read, but most of the themes felt very surface-level. Both of our main characters are Korean-American and the discussion of their culture was prominent throughout the story, but I wish we'd gotten into it deeper. The same can be said of some of their passions or goals for the rest of their lives (they're on a road trip to visit colleges); they were mentioned throughout the book, but were never explored or developed beyond being acknowledged. I also didn't care for the third-act breakup; it seemed like both characters blew their reactions out of proportion, and I already dislike third-act breakups, so that didn't help. I think, too, that Winter's relationship with her mostly-long-distance best friend could have had more screen time. What I did like about the book: the discussion of culture that we did get, the relationship Winter has with her grandmother, and the fact that Winter and Bobby try to get outside of their comfort zone and break rules, since they're both pretty strict rule-followers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the arc!
This was a really sweet coming of age story! We follow childhood rivals Winter and Bobby as they are nearing the end of high school and trying to figure out where they are going next. This leads them on a road trip to explore colleges, discovering more about themselves and their relationship.
I love a good road trip book and those elements were really fun in this book.
I wish their backstory was a little more detailed and had more of a build to it so we could understand better why their rivalry as lasted for so long.
The coming of age aspect was one of my favorite parts, I could truly feel as I was reading the change in their characters and seeing them discover more about themselves was amazing to see.
If you love Never Have I Ever (Devi & Ben dynamic) with fun YA hijinks and a road trip. This is the book for you! I had a blast!
Thank you again to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the arc!

One of my favorite reads of this year!!! And it is only March? Love that for me. Winter and Bobby were simply too adorable!! I loved their dynamic and the plot was really engaging! If anyone is in the mood for a cute rom-com then rules for rule breaking is the perfect read for you! I also love the gorgeous cover, the artist did a wonderful job.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for generously providing me an arc of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I rounded up from a 3.5 rating. But Rules for Rule Breaking is a cute, quick read!

The plot itself was fun—Winter and Bobby, who have known each other (and despise each other) since they were kids are forced by their parents to go on a roadtrip to visit colleges they're interested in the summer before their senior year. I enjoyed their banter and as someone living in the DMV area, loved how localized all the visits felt. Talia Tucker did a great job bringing the readers into the world and along with the high schoolers.

I did feel like there needed to be a bit more building between Winter and Bobby. I wanted a little more pining, a little more obliviousness, and a little more tensions for a rival romance. I also felt like the writing itself was a bit too straight-forward. I understand this in the young adult category and I am not the immediate target audience, but I felt like there wasn't enough fully digging in and we stayed surface level for most of Rules for Rule Breaking.

I enjoyed the novel though and had a lot of fun reading about the two's adventures!