Rules for Rule Breaking by Talia Tucker is a captivating road trip narrative.

Winter and Bobby, two Korean Americans, stand out in their high school as the only ones of their culture. Their relationship, far from the typical high school romance, is marked by a fierce rivalry. When their parents insist they embark on a college trip together, they are forced to confront the source of their animosity.

Their journey, filled with struggles and poignant moments, was a joy to read about. Despite the unlikelihood of such a trip in real life (I don't know about you, but my parents would never have let me drive up and down the East Coast with another teen, especially a boy), it felt somewhat authentic due to the characters. With their drive and focus, these characters reminded me of students I've encountered- their determination sometimes bordering on obsession. The ironic title, Rules for Rule Breaking, encapsulates Winter's need for structure even when she breaks the rules.

Winter's grandmother, a beacon of wisdom in this tale, plays a significant role. Her insights surpass those of her granddaughter, Bobby, and their friends. She encourages them to break free from their self-imposed rules, sensing their need to loosen up. Her character adds depth and wisdom to the narrative, reminding the reader that breaking a rule now and then won't bring the world to an end.

Rules for Rule Breaking will resonate with teens and take adults back to that time in their lives.

Here are reasons to read the YA Contemporary book:

Family Friend - Winter’s family has been friend’s with Bobby’s family for years
Road Trip - so when they require him to accompany her on a road trip to visit colleges, she is less than pleased
Hate to Love - And despite the outrageous amount of shenanigans they get into, they find out they may just be right for each other.

The premise of the book is what sold me, a college road trip. And to be perfectly clear, this book is a good one for younger readers, even though it was a little too complicated. I did love their relationship but thought the writing style itself was not as complex as I wanted it to be. The things these 2 get themselves into is very fun, but overall I felt like there could have been more clarity in the writing itself. Still a good YA college trip story!

Two lifelong academic rivals find themselves going on a road trip together to explore colleges while also breaking the rules for the first time in their lives...as well as realizing that maybe they aren't as repulsed by each other as they claim. Winter is MIT bound and has always been comfortable with keeping at an arms length. She loves spending time with her grandmother and she hates losing. Bobby is as Type-A, anxious, and risk averse as you can be and he feels a bit like he's never been good enough. Winter and Bobby's parents are family friends yet both Winter and Bobby can't stand each other and have been academic rivals. Winter hates that Bobby is so good looking, that he has a perfect girlfriend, and seems to be good at everything he does. Bobby can't stand how at ease with everything Winter is, that she's got such a loving and open family, that she's better than him at everything and that she gets under his skin like no one else. While their parents think they would make a cute couple, neither of them can stand to be in the same room and have made rules for each other to coexists together. With college visits come around, Winter finds out that her best friend isn't even going and Bobby is newly dumped by his girlfriend for being "boring" , and both their parents can't take them on their college visits and suggests they go together. There's nothing they'd like least... yet when they discuss it they realize that they could use this trip to break all the rules and for once abandon having a plan and just going with it. Yet now that they are stuck together they begin to learn more about each other, exploring new places and discovering their own feelings for one another because you don't spend that much time obsessed with someone without maybe possibly falling for them. This was a really cute academic rivals to lovers stories and I adored how both Winter and Bobby had their own struggles yet constantly challenged each other to be better and would be there for one another. This was a sweet read and I would definitely recommend it!

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Kokila for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This ARC was really difficult to follow, it's the editing is off so it made it frustrating.

The story is a great concept, but the storytelling felt flat and there are parts where I'm wondering why Bobby had 3 different names? I'm pushing it at 3 stars, this definitely feels more like a 2.5 stars. It is confusing.

But the cover is so good! Love that!

Rules for Rule Breaking wasn't my favorite. There was so much potential with this story; however, it fell flat. The biggest issue I had with this book was the chemistry between the main characters. I thought Bobby and Winter's chemistry was lacking. I didn't understand why Winter was fighting her attraction to Bobby for so long. The fight scene towards the end was unnecessary. Although Bobby and Winter were relatable, I felt that their characters could have been more fleshed out. I struggled getting through this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Kokila for the ARC.

DNF. The formatting was off in the ARC, but more glaringly, the reader is thrown into what seems like a synopsis of the entire family and drama, instead of having any sort of organic feeling. It’s very much telling with no showing, and I don’t know the characters enough (or at all) to care

This was a good read to unwind after a long day at work. It took me a bit to get into it bc I couldn't buy into the setup (why did both sets of parents actively choose not to go with their kids to tour colleges?) but it got interesting once they hit the road. I found the characters and the plot a lil simplistic, but that's on me -- this book seems more suitable for a younger YA audience, and I'm not the target demographic.

I feel as though I read a rough draft rather than a completed novel. Rules for Rule Breaking had all the right variables that could have made it a spectacular read, but nothing was really explored in depth.

Bobby and Winter are both incredibly relatable characters. I think they accurately represent the more traditional Asian families. They had a lot of thoughts and feelings that I could relate to, from things like Bobby being ashamed of not knowing how to speak Korean, to Winter pretending that everything comes easy to her when in fact she works so hard. Definitely appreciated them.

Now the story is where the low rating comes from. The story was incredibly shallow. There were a lot of themes that could have been explored — culture, family, friendships, responsibility, society — but everything took a backseat to the romance. Normally, I'd be okay with a romance-forward, mindless read, but it seems like a waste to have all of these themes right in front of you, only to have them not be extensively discussed.

This wasn't one of the worst YA contemporaries I've read (it's definitely not bad, either), but there was definitely a lot of wasted potential in this. I just wanted it to be more than what it was.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-book for free in exchange for an honest review! I loved this book! It was well written, the characters had depth and the story was super enjoyable! Winter and Bobby’s rivalry is so relatable and as their forced road trip brings them closer and closer it’s easy to root for them. Highly recommend this even for adults well past their high school years!

Rules For Rule Breaking by Talia Tucker


"The sky was the color of chai with a teaspoon of milk, with not a single star in sight. The two of them had nowhere to go and no means of getting there."


Winter Park. Bobby Rae. Family friends, enemies-to-lovers. MIT. Halmeoni. A girl in robotics. Umma.

NASA scientists. Lip gloss and clandestine meetings. Riverdale binges. Political journalism, the perfect Korean daughter.

Serial killer handwriting. Stealing flowers. Trying to learn Korean for a certain someone. The Mona Lisa.

Moratorium. Cheese whiz. A UPenn. Two new best friends navigating difficult family relationships from unforgiving people and cultural differences.

Academic rivals. College tour road trips. Becoming a rebel rule breaker. Nerdiness. Confused emotions. Learning to love one another.

Rules are meant to be broken. 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

Rules for Rule Breaking is about two Korean American kids whose family are close but they always despise each other. Told in dual perspectives.

I'm a huge fan of academic rival, but this one goes way differently than I thought. It's an okay read. The banter was okay but the chemistry is not so much. I love their family friendship though.

It's all about a journey to self-discovery. highly recommend if you love childhood frenemies! Thank you Netgalley for the advanced review copy.

Rules for Rule Breaking is about two Korean American kids who have always tried to be their best while engaging in a rivalry. As a whole I liked it, their banter seemed fun, and the plot was nice, however, the characters felt very one-dimensional, they weren't completely fleshed out and I couldn't really connect, or maybe I've read too many ya romcoms with rivals to lovers where it just feels the same, anyhow I would have liked to see more of them deal with their problems and get a better character arc.
I would recommend it to people looking for a quick, fun read without much thought and would likely look out for Talia Tucker's future works.

Read this in a day and LOVED it! As a fellow serial rule follower, I related to both of the main characters. The dual POV was amazing and the romance so cute. Their struggles with college decisions were so real and I also related to that, because how are you supposed to know if where you're going to be for the next four years is the right place without seeing it yourself? Overall a well-paced romance with lots of relatability and great characters with realistic development.

Thank you for the advanced reader copy. I was intrigued by the title, premise, and cover and the story lived up to my expectations.
I will say, I initially had a hard time getting into the story. However, once I got past the first quarter of the book, I found that I was thoroughly enjoying the story and could not put it down.
The characters of Bobby and Winter, with their complex relationship and undeniable chemistry really drew me in. I found myself wanting to be a high schooler again. I also enjoyed that the story touched on topics such as estranged family members, loss, and cultural differences.
There were some strange scenes where the writing seemed a little juvenile for me. For example; the scene where they are running around the hotel room from a mosquito. Mosquitos aren't flies, they are fast but not that fast. Also the scene in the car where they were trying out pick up lines, this just felt too unrealistic. But the overall writing style is engaging and authentic.

First off, a huge thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for giving me the opportunity to read an arc of this book in return for an honest review.

Rules for Rule breaking follows 17 year old Winter Park and 18 year old Bobby (Robert Bea)

Winter and Bobby have been enemies for as long as anyone can remember. From petty comments. And trying to one up the other in school, the resentment only grows as they’re forced to have Sunday dinner with each other every week.
It’s clear that they do not get along.
Unfortunately, you can’t always have what you want. And due to unforeseen circumstances both Bobby and Winter and forced to spend their summer together; roadtripping across New England to attend college tours.
They’re perfect, get good grades, make their parents happy and certainly don’t break rules.
But the longer they’re together the more they feel like maybe some rules are worth breaking.


Yes yes and yes!

This was everything I wanted in a coming-of-age book. Winter and Bobby’s banter was absolutely hilarious and I loved every second of it!

I’m a sucker for the rivals/enemies to lovers and this I think perfectly executed that in a modern way which can be hard.
The characters were well developed and had amazing and human characteristics that you sometimes don’t see in YA novels.

This was a fun and quick read that left me happy for the ending the characters got!
I absolutely loved all the shenanigans they got into because it’s real, and honest and every person at some point in their life is going to snap and want to do something crazy.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is wanting a light-hearted and honest book! The vibes definitely give ‘Never-Have-I-Ever’ so if you liked that show you’ll definitely enjoy this book!

Thank you so so much to PenguinTeen for my e-ARC!

First of this cover is absolutely adorable and secondly I really love this premise. Sounds like the setup for a super fun teen romcom movie!

I really loved all of the interesting dynamics and cultural insights into the Korean-American lifestyle. Also the personalities of each character were really well-crafted.

Unfortunately for me I could not connect to them, nor could I feel any chemistry between the main leads. It was difficult to get into the story with that in mind. However, I do believe this is a wonderful story and probably better suited for someone who is 14-18 years and not in their 20s like me.

Beautiful concept and story, just wasn't for me specifically.

Thank you again PenguinTeen!

4.25 stars

I am a sucker for a road trip story. Forced proximity and shared new experiences? Yes, please. It’s a tried and true formula, and while this book didn’t break any molds, it was such a delight to read. The characters felt like real and distinct people with relatable flaws, and a great and unique dynamic. Banter can make or break a book for me, especially when the plot’s focus is the characters’ relationship, but this was top tier. I was cracking up, highlighting tons of lines, and sending them to friends.

Winter and Bobby have been family friends for years, and rivals just as long. As the only two Korean Americans in their class, they’re tired of constantly being pushed together, and competing for first in their class doesn’t help the tension. Unfortunately for them, both sets of their parents have drawn a line in the sand: neither of them can go on their college-visiting road trip alone, they have to go together.

Winter and Bobby are both rule followers, and their relationship is no different—they’ve had strict rules for their interactions for years, and this trip only prompts more. But after being called out by Winter’s grandmother, the two challenge themselves to break some rules for once. Within moderation, of course.

Bobby is self-regulating but sensitive and people-pleasing in a way I haven’t seen much from MMCs, and Winter is ambitious and independent to the point of being self-isolating, and generally confused by emotions. I really enjoyed the way they played off of each other, and would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite between them. Bobby’s friend Kai was definitely the best side character, though, facilitating chaos and being a general bisexual disaster.

It doesn’t take long for the two to realize that, like a lot of teens, when faced with decisions that will set the course of the rest of their lives, they may not know themselves or each other quite as well as they’d thought. And sometimes things not going perfectly to plan isn’t such a bad thing.

Thanks to Penguin Teen and the author for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you penguinteen and netgalley for providing this ARC.

Bobby Bae and Winter Park have been rivals since as long as they can remember, so much so that they have constructed rules of how to act around each other. When plans to see colleges come up, their parents encourage them to travel to see the prospective schools together. Begrudgingly they do but what begins as a trip of butting heads and bickering turns into a trip of self discovery and comfort that one another didn’t know they could find in each other…

This book was exactly what I needed at this point of time. It was cute and charming, and balanced with some angst and cheesiness. I enjoyed going on the physical and emotional journey Bobby and Winter go through to learn more about themselves and each other while breaking some rules along the way. And although the book didn’t pull any tears from me, I got a little misty eyed near the end. This book would be great for young readers who like a light, fluffy, well paced read.

I did find the idea of their parents allowing them to go on this trip unbelievable. The trust in their kids was so strong (but they are good kids)! Couldn’t be my parents, haha. But as unbelievable as I found the idea, I didn’t mind it going into the story.

There are times throughout the book where I felt a dissonance between the narrative voice and the two protagonists' internal thoughts. For example, when Winter encounters the exhibit of Marthe, the last known living passenger pigeon, and relates her loneliness to it. Not that teens don’t think in deep thought provoking patterns but the paragraphs would be so long that I felt pulled out of the story; no longer in the mind of a sixteen year old girl but maybe an older version of the characters who were reflecting on these times. It didn’t ruin my reading experience but it was a bit distracting.

As for the ending: the conclusion dragged on far more than it needed to. And what I believe was supposed to be a funny call back for the final scene made for an abrupt and annoying ending instead of humorous. But again, it didn’t ruin my reading experience.

Overall it was a solid debut and I’d read another work by this author.

"Rules for Rule Breaking" by Talia Tucker is a captivating YA novel that takes readers on a heartwarming journey of self-discovery and teenage rebellion. The story follows Winter and Bobby, childhood frenemies turned academic rivals, as they embark on a road trip to explore college campuses and prepare for their futures.

The dynamic between Winter and Bobby is filled with delightful banter and competitive spirit, making their evolving relationship a compelling aspect of the narrative. The slow-burn friends-to-lovers theme adds a sweet touch to the overall plot, providing a refreshing take on romance.

While the story is generally light-hearted, there are moments of depth and self-discovery that add substance to the characters' journey. The portrayal of Korean American representation adds a unique cultural layer, enriching the narrative and offering readers a glimpse into the characters' struggles with identity and belonging.

However, the novel does have its drawbacks. The plot pacing is occasionally choppy, and the characters' ages and actions may seem a bit farfetched to some adult readers. The decision to explore rebellion through drinking and drug use may feel forced and clichéd, diverging from the overall tone of the story.

The cover design is a standout feature, capturing attention with its eye-catching portrayal of Bobby Bae and Winter Park. The inclusion of Korean culture, even if minimal, adds an extra layer of enjoyment for readers interested in diverse perspectives.

The chemistry between the characters is a highlight, with Bobby and Winter's hate-to-love dynamic and witty banter keeping readers engaged. The resolution of their story with a fairytale ending provides a satisfying conclusion to their journey of self-discovery.

On the downside, the pacing issues and occasional overwhelming chapters may affect the overall reading experience. Additionally, the use of third-person point of view may not appeal to everyone, impacting the overall enjoyment of the narrative.

In conclusion, "Rules for Rule Breaking" is a solid debut novel that will resonate with YA romcom fans. Talia Tucker's exploration of friendship, rivalry, and love, combined with Korean American representation, makes this a promising addition to the genre. Despite some pacing issues and stylistic preferences, the book offers an enjoyable and heartwarming summer read for teens.

This was an interesting coming of age YA story. Rules for Rule Breaking follows Winter and Bobby as they take a road trip and visit college campuses around the country as they prepare for graduation and their futures. Winter and Bobby are childhood frenemies and academic rivals. They love pushing each other’s buttons and taking digs at each other. I found that while they each had things they were going through this was a pretty light story with a few more serious moments but never really straying from a surface level type story. It was a cute story with not tons of romance but a fun competitive slow burn friends to love interests.

The plot pacing was a little choppy and I personally thought at times the characters confused me. As an adult I know I’m not the target audience but I just found this story a little farfetched. I first thought Winter and Bobby were both 17 but at one point winter says as a 16 year old girl. So it was hard for me to picture a 16 year old and 17 year old would be running around traveling the country alone. Also I wasn’t the hugest fan of Bobby and Winter deciding that rebelling would be drinking and doing drugs and joking about breaking laws. This felt a bit forced and cliche that this is always the go to and just seemed a bit off for them. I did think there was some good self discovery and growth. I would have loved to see an epilogue or some type of future state of Winter and Bobby.

Overall I think teens will enjoy this fun banter filled college roadtrip story with academic rivals to lovers and great Korean American rep!

Huge thank you to Penguin Teen for gifting me an ARC