What do you think?
Rate this book
The Rule Breakers #1
The Rule Book
Starr Media Second-Assistant Survival Guide
1. Don't call your hot boss the antichrist to his face.
2. Don't stare at hot boss's, um, package or his full sleeve of tattoos. (No. Really. Stop!)
3. Don't get on the malicious first assistant's bad side.
4. Don't forget to memorize the 300-page employee manual.
5. If you value your cashmere, steer clear of boss’s dog.
6. Boss’s dimples are lust-inducing. Do. Not. Give. In.
7. “The elevator ate your clothes” is not a valid excuse for showing up to important meetings half dressed.
8. Don't break seven of the rules within the first week of employment if you, ya know, are in dire need of money to support your sick mom.
9. Whatever you do, don’t fall for the boss. See rule eight about sick mom.
10. Never forget the rules.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 9, 2016
448 people are currently reading
5359 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Blackwood
16 books1,375 followersJennifer Blackwood is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. She lives in Oregon with her husband, son, and poorly behaved black lab puppy. When not chasing after her toddler, you can find her binging on episodes of Gilmore Girls and Supernatural, and locking herself in her office to write.
Come visit me on social media!
Twitter: @jen_blackwood
FB: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJennif...
FB Fan page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/15412...
**Want to know about her latest books and giveaways? Sign up for her mailing list! http://eepurl.com/ZVfOX
Come visit me on social media!
Twitter: @jen_blackwood
FB: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJennif...
FB Fan page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/15412...
**Want to know about her latest books and giveaways? Sign up for her mailing list! http://eepurl.com/ZVfOX
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 829 reviews
June 30, 2016
“Some rules are meant to be broken.”
Katerina's Rule of Life #3
Never read chick lit during exams.
You're right, this is the rule I break all the time (topped only by the "Stop devouring chocolate, your butt keeps expanding" rule). But I can't help myself! Chick lit is the distraction I need in order to keep my sanity, but it's also the reason why my over-the-top expectations regarding human relationships will lead me to dark paths. Paved with cats and knitting dark paths. Go figure.
Katerina's Rule of Life #15
A forbidden romance never fails you.
Especially when it involves sneaking out, walking a gassy dog and eating delicious food. For the sauce, add hot'n'heavy tension, even hotter kisses and a heroine who keeps saying inappropriate things (like, you know, calls her yummy boss the Antichrist in his face).
Katerina's Rule of Life #21
Tall, dark and tattooed makes your ovaries explode faster than a nuclear bomb.
“Brogan Starr broke hearts... and with those delicious forearms, quite possibly beds-not that I'd be finding out”
The idea of licking Brogan's tattoos
Katerina's Rule of Life #95
Giggling because of a book does not mean you need therapy.
I wish I could convince the people around me *dramatic sigh*.
Lainey's narrative was so fun, this girl never thought before talking and she was a hilarious human being I could connect with from the start (who doesn't love spending week-ends watching Netflix and eating junk food?)! She had self-respect (when her hormones didn't cloud her judgement of course), she knew who she was and what she wanted and she didn't let Brogan take from her more than he would give. Aren't you happy when your female characters have a functioning brain?
Katerina's Rule of Life #256
Sometimes fluff is all a girl needs.
I don't have to explain that one, do I? And I would totally give The Rule Book five stars but something held me back. Perhaps some storylines, like Brogan's relationship with his father, were under-developped or very abrupt, but these are some minor issues compared with the feelings of joy and love I experienced. When a book leaves me staring at the walls and smiling contently, it is a good book. And that's my number one rule.
Katerina's rule of life #300
Always trust Τατιάνα Τζινιώλη and her recommendations.
Love you girl!
dnf
July 31, 2017DNF @ 64%. TOTALLY BUMMED! Sorry guys, about to go full rant...
I always enjoy the jerk boss and employee romance, and this had a great and vague enough blurb to suck me in. The h had some cute and sometimes funny dialogue that sucked me in enough to one-click this one. Then it felt like chapter after chapter was about the h and her interactions with everyone BUT the H (coworkers, friend/roommate, mom). There were few interactions between the h and H, and they were short and just the h being awkward and the H being awesome with his manly arms and dimples...bored. They actually have a little bit longer (but not much) scene where they finally kiss at 56%!!!!! I stick with it though, why? Not sure, but I did. It took until 62% for them to say they'll start a secret relationship (in a boring and still awkward dinner scene) and then FADE TO BLACK. Are you kidding me?!? I don't normally get this mad with fade to black, but this book had me holding on because I had it in my mind that it'll get better once they get together -- but no! Just more awkwardness. I skimmed ahead to their next interaction, and it was a lame video game playing scene where the h makes the H eat gummy worms (because why not?!?) and then he kisses her -- and you've guessed it -- fade to black! The awkward encounters do not make up for the lack of chemistry IMO. Like I've said -- I've been ok with fade to black before, but those had some tension and chemistry that held even though we don't experience the sex scenes...this one just didn't. Sorry, I really did think it had some good potential :(
I always enjoy the jerk boss and employee romance, and this had a great and vague enough blurb to suck me in. The h had some cute and sometimes funny dialogue that sucked me in enough to one-click this one. Then it felt like chapter after chapter was about the h and her interactions with everyone BUT the H (coworkers, friend/roommate, mom). There were few interactions between the h and H, and they were short and just the h being awkward and the H being awesome with his manly arms and dimples...bored. They actually have a little bit longer (but not much) scene where they finally kiss at 56%!!!!! I stick with it though, why? Not sure, but I did. It took until 62% for them to say they'll start a secret relationship (in a boring and still awkward dinner scene) and then FADE TO BLACK. Are you kidding me?!? I don't normally get this mad with fade to black, but this book had me holding on because I had it in my mind that it'll get better once they get together -- but no! Just more awkwardness. I skimmed ahead to their next interaction, and it was a lame video game playing scene where the h makes the H eat gummy worms (because why not?!?) and then he kisses her -- and you've guessed it -- fade to black! The awkward encounters do not make up for the lack of chemistry IMO. Like I've said -- I've been ok with fade to black before, but those had some tension and chemistry that held even though we don't experience the sex scenes...this one just didn't. Sorry, I really did think it had some good potential :(
February 7, 2017
4 stars!
Review at Of Pens and Pages.
This is my first Jennifer Blackwood book, and wow, what a hoot! She’s found a new fan in me.
Lainey Taylor is one step closer to reaching her dream job. Being second assistant to Starr Media’s CEO is giving her the chance to finally work on something she knows and loves, and with a mom depending on her, she’ll do her best to last for more than a week.
She has to read and take note of the extensive company rule book, avoid pissing off the first assistant, Jackson, and impress the boss, Brogan Starr, whom she’s never met. But in the span of a week, not only has she violated rules in the rule book, she called the big boss the Antichrist. Right in his face.
She’s waiting to get kicked out, dragged out by security and blacklisted from all media companies in the west coast, but for some reason, it never happens. Instead, things start to look up for her as she finally makes friends, gets more projects, and lasts more than the last two second assistants did. The first assistant is still an ass, but at least Brogan isn’t as bad as Jackson told her.
Brogan is nothing like the antichrist. He’s loved by the employees, has tattooed forearms and the most adorable dimples to lust over, and looks amazing in his well-fitted suits. And the best thing about Brogan is he’s actually nice. Nice. It’s hard not to have a crush on someone like that, even if her brain is telling her how wrong it is to lust over her boss.
And now that she’s also officially her boss’s dog walker, she gets the chance to spend more time with Brogan and his slobbery dog, Bruce. It is then she finds out that her crush isn’t as unrequited as she thought.
Lainey is hilarious! There were a lot of secondhand embarrassment-induced bed-rolling (I cringed so hard… mainly because the things the heroine did were things I’ve unfortunately done as well), but I adore her! Her few blunders aside, she’s a capable employee who she knows what she wants and deserves. She’s relatable in her awkwardness and desires. I couldn’t stop laughing at her thoughts!
And Brogan! Dear Brogan. In most office romances I’ve read, the big boss is often the typical alpha male I lust over. But Brogan’s your boy next door, thoughtful, sweet, and nice. He has trust issues and made those rules to make sure his company doesn’t become vulnerable, but otherwise, he’s pretty laid back. And I love it! It’s nice to have someone who’s not all “I own you” to the heroine.
As much as I enjoyed this book, there were a few things that kept me from giving this five stars. I agree with Katerina that some storylines were under-developed or abrupt, especially the one about Brogan’s father. And I was expecting more hot and heavy moments with the MCs. Those scenes were behind closed doors. I wanted to be invited in. Haha.
This was written in Lainey’s POV. I love, love, looove her voice because as I’ve said, she’s hilarious. There were a few times though that I wish we could have read what Brogan thought.
I also wanted Brogan to grovel more in a certain incident, especially since I think what he did entailed more than just groveling.
Other than that, I really enjoyed the book and would recommend this to anyone looking for a light, hilarious office romance with a lovable heroine and a refreshing hero.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Review at Of Pens and Pages.
This is my first Jennifer Blackwood book, and wow, what a hoot! She’s found a new fan in me.
Lainey Taylor is one step closer to reaching her dream job. Being second assistant to Starr Media’s CEO is giving her the chance to finally work on something she knows and loves, and with a mom depending on her, she’ll do her best to last for more than a week.
She has to read and take note of the extensive company rule book, avoid pissing off the first assistant, Jackson, and impress the boss, Brogan Starr, whom she’s never met. But in the span of a week, not only has she violated rules in the rule book, she called the big boss the Antichrist. Right in his face.
She’s waiting to get kicked out, dragged out by security and blacklisted from all media companies in the west coast, but for some reason, it never happens. Instead, things start to look up for her as she finally makes friends, gets more projects, and lasts more than the last two second assistants did. The first assistant is still an ass, but at least Brogan isn’t as bad as Jackson told her.
Brogan is nothing like the antichrist. He’s loved by the employees, has tattooed forearms and the most adorable dimples to lust over, and looks amazing in his well-fitted suits. And the best thing about Brogan is he’s actually nice. Nice. It’s hard not to have a crush on someone like that, even if her brain is telling her how wrong it is to lust over her boss.
Honestly, I’d climb him like a f*ing mountaineer if given the chance, employee manual or not.”
And now that she’s also officially her boss’s dog walker, she gets the chance to spend more time with Brogan and his slobbery dog, Bruce. It is then she finds out that her crush isn’t as unrequited as she thought.
Lainey is hilarious! There were a lot of secondhand embarrassment-induced bed-rolling (I cringed so hard… mainly because the things the heroine did were things I’ve unfortunately done as well), but I adore her! Her few blunders aside, she’s a capable employee who she knows what she wants and deserves. She’s relatable in her awkwardness and desires. I couldn’t stop laughing at her thoughts!
And Brogan! Dear Brogan. In most office romances I’ve read, the big boss is often the typical alpha male I lust over. But Brogan’s your boy next door, thoughtful, sweet, and nice. He has trust issues and made those rules to make sure his company doesn’t become vulnerable, but otherwise, he’s pretty laid back. And I love it! It’s nice to have someone who’s not all “I own you” to the heroine.
As much as I enjoyed this book, there were a few things that kept me from giving this five stars. I agree with Katerina that some storylines were under-developed or abrupt, especially the one about Brogan’s father. And I was expecting more hot and heavy moments with the MCs. Those scenes were behind closed doors. I wanted to be invited in. Haha.
This was written in Lainey’s POV. I love, love, looove her voice because as I’ve said, she’s hilarious. There were a few times though that I wish we could have read what Brogan thought.
I also wanted Brogan to grovel more in a certain incident, especially since I think what he did entailed more than just groveling.
Other than that, I really enjoyed the book and would recommend this to anyone looking for a light, hilarious office romance with a lovable heroine and a refreshing hero.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
May 3, 2016
4 HILARIOUS stars
"Lainey Taylor Rule of Life #46
A girl should be properly kissed in the snow at least once in her life."
What I loved:
*Lainey. Omg. That woman was SO damn funny and relatable. She is hands down one of my favorite book heroines. The amount of 'face-palms' I did during the book were too numerous to count. She was just such a klutz...and I loved it.
* The 'clothing funeral' that Lainey threw with her friend after the elevator "ate" her favorite Chanel cardigan.
"Another tradition we started in high school was clothing funerals. Whether a fashion trend died before we were ready to let go (I will never get over the baggy jeans fad) or something was beyond repair, we'd honor our favorite outfits by giving them a proper good-bye"
*How Lainey took the RIDICULOUS rules Brogan gave to his employees and made her own rules for her life.
*Brogan. oh mannnn Brogan. He was a complicated man, but damn, I loved him.
*The sexual tension between Brogan and Lainey.
What I didn't love:
*Despite the huge amount of sexual tension between the heroine and hero, there were no explicit sex scenes to go along with it. This might just be a matter of personal opinion, but I like my romance books to be hot and steamy.
*The ending felt a bit rushed to me.
I would definitely recommend this book to all of my fellow romance junkies. There is nothing more refreshing than finding a heroine that you actually DON'T want to slap every ten seconds! This is definitely one of the funniest romances I've read!
"Lainey Taylor Rule of Life #46
A girl should be properly kissed in the snow at least once in her life."
What I loved:
*Lainey. Omg. That woman was SO damn funny and relatable. She is hands down one of my favorite book heroines. The amount of 'face-palms' I did during the book were too numerous to count. She was just such a klutz...and I loved it.
* The 'clothing funeral' that Lainey threw with her friend after the elevator "ate" her favorite Chanel cardigan.
"Another tradition we started in high school was clothing funerals. Whether a fashion trend died before we were ready to let go (I will never get over the baggy jeans fad) or something was beyond repair, we'd honor our favorite outfits by giving them a proper good-bye"
*How Lainey took the RIDICULOUS rules Brogan gave to his employees and made her own rules for her life.
*Brogan. oh mannnn Brogan. He was a complicated man, but damn, I loved him.
*The sexual tension between Brogan and Lainey.
What I didn't love:
*Despite the huge amount of sexual tension between the heroine and hero, there were no explicit sex scenes to go along with it. This might just be a matter of personal opinion, but I like my romance books to be hot and steamy.
*The ending felt a bit rushed to me.
I would definitely recommend this book to all of my fellow romance junkies. There is nothing more refreshing than finding a heroine that you actually DON'T want to slap every ten seconds! This is definitely one of the funniest romances I've read!
January 7, 2017
This was cute story the blurb made it look a very intersting thing! but am i the only one who thought of it as a "The devil wears prada" fan fiction? like seriously she works for a hot guy CEO who she tries to impress, She's awkward, complains a lot, she answers the phone and makes a lot of mistakes, she buys coffee for his 1st assistant (a complete asshole) who stole her work then Karma bites him in the ass and she takes on a big project that he was supposed to work on.. Meh not my cuppa!
August 1, 2017
GAH. GAH. GAH. GAH. GAH. GAH. GAH. GAH. GAH. GAH. GAH. I’m nearly finished just a couple more. GAH. GAH. GAH. Okay done! Not quite. I'm going to chuck in a couple of MEHs. MEH. MEH. MEH. MEH. MEH. MEH. Okay now I'm done.
63% in and one hour and twenty minutes left to me finishing this book and I’m tapping out peeps.
No way can I continue.
I don’t know if this is a case of it is me and not the book to be honest in this scenario I very much doubt it. Seeing as I read up to 63% I can rate it and I give it 2 stars.
I read the sample of the book and thought hey this is pretty funny so I bought the book. BAM, after the book was bought it started to go downhill.
It was funny in places well actually hilarious but there is only so much slap stick a heroine can go through. Too many awkward situations with the Hero where I felt as if there was no chemistry being built whatsoever.
Her inner ramblings took away the rapport that the MC could have built with one another. They hardly had decent conversations let alone trying to get to know one another.
This is probably where I’m going to be mean but we know that your Mum has cancer and that sucks but you can’t throw a pity party. I didn’t count the amount of times she said she needed the job or how often the father and ran off with his secretary and had another family. GAH.
She has a deeper connection with the farting dog Bruce than she does with the Hero.
She also lets a certain someone steal her work. Really? A bitch slap would have been necessary. She didn’t say anything she just accepted it. GAH.
I’m sorry Ms. Blackwood good luck for the future. This is just my personal opinion and I’m 100% sure that my review will only be a blip on the radar for this author and all her fans.
63% in and one hour and twenty minutes left to me finishing this book and I’m tapping out peeps.
No way can I continue.
I don’t know if this is a case of it is me and not the book to be honest in this scenario I very much doubt it. Seeing as I read up to 63% I can rate it and I give it 2 stars.
I read the sample of the book and thought hey this is pretty funny so I bought the book. BAM, after the book was bought it started to go downhill.
It was funny in places well actually hilarious but there is only so much slap stick a heroine can go through. Too many awkward situations with the Hero where I felt as if there was no chemistry being built whatsoever.
Her inner ramblings took away the rapport that the MC could have built with one another. They hardly had decent conversations let alone trying to get to know one another.
This is probably where I’m going to be mean but we know that your Mum has cancer and that sucks but you can’t throw a pity party. I didn’t count the amount of times she said she needed the job or how often the father and ran off with his secretary and had another family. GAH.
She has a deeper connection with the farting dog Bruce than she does with the Hero.
She also lets a certain someone steal her work. Really? A bitch slap would have been necessary. She didn’t say anything she just accepted it. GAH.
I’m sorry Ms. Blackwood good luck for the future. This is just my personal opinion and I’m 100% sure that my review will only be a blip on the radar for this author and all her fans.
May 14, 2016
Note to self: move the fuck on when you have that initial thought that this isn't the book for you..
Read
June 8, 2016No rating.
First of all I must say that this is not a bad book. If the appropriate age group reads it. I would have called it office romance for young adult or young new adult. Therefore, I do not feel the right person to rating it. If I would know that this is YA I would never decided to read it. Simply I expect other things in books. That is why I decided to write this review in this way that everyone could choose the right book for themselves. And I have not noticed before anyone explicitly pointed it out.
I can safely recommend it for the younger group. Lainey, the heroine of the book, is very good created. It's lightly written and has a lot of fun conversations and inner monologues. It started really well and frequently I could not help but smile. Lainey is sassy, and can't help but babbling her smart mouth. And she thinks in her head things like...
See? It's light and funny, but for young adult. May also not for the very young because there are references to didlos ect. But there are no dirty talk, no alpha hero, not enough romance and no sex scenes.
I think it's important to introduce book well to the reader. No doubt there wouldn't be so much disappointment and bad ratings.
***
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
First of all I must say that this is not a bad book. If the appropriate age group reads it. I would have called it office romance for young adult or young new adult. Therefore, I do not feel the right person to rating it. If I would know that this is YA I would never decided to read it. Simply I expect other things in books. That is why I decided to write this review in this way that everyone could choose the right book for themselves. And I have not noticed before anyone explicitly pointed it out.
I can safely recommend it for the younger group. Lainey, the heroine of the book, is very good created. It's lightly written and has a lot of fun conversations and inner monologues. It started really well and frequently I could not help but smile. Lainey is sassy, and can't help but babbling her smart mouth. And she thinks in her head things like...
“He smiled and pointed to the dog. “Lainey, this is Bruce. Bruce, Lainey.”
I’d never been introduced to a dog before, so I wasn’t quite clear on the protocol. Shake a paw? Pat on the head? Doggie etiquette shouldn’t be this damn confusing. This would be one of those instances where a special rule in the employee manual might actually prove helpful.
Rule 652: When meeting the boss’s dog, hop on one leg and transition into a twerk, followed by a flourish of jazz hands. Allowing a polite butt-sniff is also acceptable.
“Nice to meet you, Bruce.”
See? It's light and funny, but for young adult. May also not for the very young because there are references to didlos ect. But there are no dirty talk, no alpha hero, not enough romance and no sex scenes.
“Flirting with Brogan was like a good latte or bowl of ice cream— utterly satisfying, but with zero calorie guilt.”
I think it's important to introduce book well to the reader. No doubt there wouldn't be so much disappointment and bad ratings.
***
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
September 27, 2016
*That awkward moment when you write a review in your blog and forget to post it to goodreads, then stumble upon said book months later and realize you forgot.... Yeah.... Hi!*
This book is kind of quirky and isn't really for everyone, I've seen some mixed reviews but personally, I loved it. Here's my thoughts (from 4 months ago :D)
I had a lot of fun while reading The Rule Book. Like, a lot, a lot. I laughed, I smiled, I swooned, and laughed some more. In my opinion, this is a fantastic representation of the romantic comedy genre. More and more often these days authors are leaning towards satire or crudeness to appeal to readers as funny. I'll be the first to say that yes indeed, some of it is fun, but it can also quickly become (again, my opinion) a little trashy. Jennifer Blackwood writes comedy with a fresh outlook and a modern voice. Her sense of humour matches my sense of humour. I found this book downright hilarious, but the best part has to be that it's not even an 'in your face' type of comedy. Noticeable, yes. Tasteful, yes (as tasteful as you can be anyways while starting at your boss' *ahem* neither regions ;) ). But it's not over the top. Jennifer isn't trying too hard to be funny, it's easy. She doesn't force the conversations but rather lets them flow through her keyboard. If you doubt what I say, go back and read the synopsis until you believe me.
Lainey is a spunky college grad with an MBA in social media relations. She's always positive, upbeat, and sassy as can be. Granted, most of it is just from her inner dialogue but still, she's amazing. I'm pretty sure she's my spirit guide. Or I want her for my best friend, I'm not too picky. She seems like she'd be fun to hang out with and a good person to have on your team during a scavenger hunt. I really appreciated her character for what she was doing and why she was working so hard. Seriously, my girl was putting up with grinch like first assistants, horse-dogs, a carnivorous elevator, the whole works. All with a smile on her face and family in her heart.
Brogan was 1. Adorable. 2. So sweet and 3. Swoony. He made me have googley eyes and my heart go pitter patter. Brogan made me melt like an ooey-gooey chocolate chip cookie. He even acted like one too - harder edges, warm and soft centre. Yum. He was genuinely a nice guy too, not like some of the other CEO type romances where they're aloof and standoffish. He's a warm and caring human with a good head on his shoulders.
*Swoon*
It may have been a slower start/burn than some are expecting but I didn't have any problems with it. There were important background scenes taking place and knowledge given that the reader needed later down the road. And what do people expect? That a CEO will spend every hour with his second assistant? Not even the main assistant - the assistant's assistant, basically. Uh... No. The scenes with Brogan and Lainey started out hilarious and moved into more of a charged and simmering tension type of atmosphere. I enjoyed the pacing and found it to be believable and appealing.
After I finish a book I generally check on Goodreads to see what other people are saying. Imagine my surprise when I saw this book is rated as an average 3.75 stars - I thought it should've been much higher. Then, when I went to read some of the lower reviews, they were all the same. They all faulted the book for being a slow burn and having fade to black sex scenes. I'm sorry, but what?! That's ridiculous to me! I was pissy about my sagrets (cigarettes). I would never low ball a rating for a book because it's not extremely explicit. I actually found this aspect to be extremely refreshing! So often these days I skim sex scenes. Unless you're getting some crazy acrobatic stuff in there, it's mostly the same; they all kind of bleed together in my mind. Boy part meets girl part - yup, I understand the mechanics. So the fact that Jen built up the intimacy between these characters without showing the physical connection is commendable in my eyes. Never once did I feel like the story lacked because of this or that I was cheated as a reader. If you want guaranteed explicit, go find yourself a harlequin.
One of my absolute favourite things about Lainey is how she wouldn't take crap from Brogan when it came to their relationship. Yes it was scary. Yes people make mistakes. But she would make him own up to it, work for it. It bothers me so much when a hero will apologize for *insert dilemma here*, has puppy dog eyes, the heroine forgives him and they ride off into the sunset. Not sure what fairytale world that is, but that's not how life works. Mistakes happen, apologies happen. You either take time to work through it or step back. Lainey was always upfront if something had upset her, so Brogan could understand how or why she was hurt. There were no mind games. And with some prompting, the same was true in the opposite effect. Lainey could stand up for herself and what she deserved, refusing to be looked down upon or treated like crap. I was giving her a virtual fist bump every so often because even if she thought she was struggling, she was absolutely killing this whole thing called life. The resolution these characters had in The Rule Book has been one of my favourites in a long, long time.
That brings me to the epilogue. I mostly don't like epilogues. I feel like they're too forced to have that happy ending years down the line and everyone is married with kids and blah blah blah I don't care. I want an ending that stays true to the characters. Don't compromise the entire story just to have an ending that readers will deem appropriate. So the epilogue of is book? LOVED IT! It was so stinking cute! Like cuter than a baby. Or a puppy. Maybe not a puppy cause those are damn adorable 100% of the time but you get the point. My heart squeezed and then did a big happy dance. Now I feel like watching Mean Girls.
Jen is a new to me author but if this is what she's about, I can't wait for more! Hopefully there will be a Rule Breakers 2 coming soon with Zoey's story.
*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.
JOIN THE SISTERHOOD! FIND US ON: FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / TWITTER / WEBSITE
This book is kind of quirky and isn't really for everyone, I've seen some mixed reviews but personally, I loved it. Here's my thoughts (from 4 months ago :D)
“You smell like bean dip and bad decisions.”
I had a lot of fun while reading The Rule Book. Like, a lot, a lot. I laughed, I smiled, I swooned, and laughed some more. In my opinion, this is a fantastic representation of the romantic comedy genre. More and more often these days authors are leaning towards satire or crudeness to appeal to readers as funny. I'll be the first to say that yes indeed, some of it is fun, but it can also quickly become (again, my opinion) a little trashy. Jennifer Blackwood writes comedy with a fresh outlook and a modern voice. Her sense of humour matches my sense of humour. I found this book downright hilarious, but the best part has to be that it's not even an 'in your face' type of comedy. Noticeable, yes. Tasteful, yes (as tasteful as you can be anyways while starting at your boss' *ahem* neither regions ;) ). But it's not over the top. Jennifer isn't trying too hard to be funny, it's easy. She doesn't force the conversations but rather lets them flow through her keyboard. If you doubt what I say, go back and read the synopsis until you believe me.
Lainey is a spunky college grad with an MBA in social media relations. She's always positive, upbeat, and sassy as can be. Granted, most of it is just from her inner dialogue but still, she's amazing. I'm pretty sure she's my spirit guide. Or I want her for my best friend, I'm not too picky. She seems like she'd be fun to hang out with and a good person to have on your team during a scavenger hunt. I really appreciated her character for what she was doing and why she was working so hard. Seriously, my girl was putting up with grinch like first assistants, horse-dogs, a carnivorous elevator, the whole works. All with a smile on her face and family in her heart.
There came a time in someone’s life when they had an opportunity to take some variation of a personality test. Between fashion magazines and Buzzfeed quizzes that asked me which Harry Potter character I’d be (Ginny, obviously) this was a monthly occurrence. And in each one, they’d have a question that went a little something like this: Your enemy gets his ass handed to him, how do you feel?
A) Jazz hands it up, yo
B) I have the emotional stance of Switzerland on this topic
C) Aww, I have the sudden urge to console them
While I’d always circled C (did anyone ever fully tell the truth on those things? I mean, seriously), right now I was breaking out the inner spirit fingers, dancing the “Cell Block Tango,” because really, he had it coming.
Brogan was 1. Adorable. 2. So sweet and 3. Swoony. He made me have googley eyes and my heart go pitter patter. Brogan made me melt like an ooey-gooey chocolate chip cookie. He even acted like one too - harder edges, warm and soft centre. Yum. He was genuinely a nice guy too, not like some of the other CEO type romances where they're aloof and standoffish. He's a warm and caring human with a good head on his shoulders.
Brogan smiled and focused his attention to me, grabbing the back of my neck and placing kisses along the bridge of my nose, my cheeks, the line of my jaw.“I love your freckles.”
He continued down the curve of my neck. “And the way you look at me when you think no one is watching.” His fingertips scorched a path along my spine. “Wanting you isn’t even a strong enough word. I need you.”
*Swoon*
It may have been a slower start/burn than some are expecting but I didn't have any problems with it. There were important background scenes taking place and knowledge given that the reader needed later down the road. And what do people expect? That a CEO will spend every hour with his second assistant? Not even the main assistant - the assistant's assistant, basically. Uh... No. The scenes with Brogan and Lainey started out hilarious and moved into more of a charged and simmering tension type of atmosphere. I enjoyed the pacing and found it to be believable and appealing.
After I finish a book I generally check on Goodreads to see what other people are saying. Imagine my surprise when I saw this book is rated as an average 3.75 stars - I thought it should've been much higher. Then, when I went to read some of the lower reviews, they were all the same. They all faulted the book for being a slow burn and having fade to black sex scenes. I'm sorry, but what?! That's ridiculous to me! I was pissy about my sagrets (cigarettes). I would never low ball a rating for a book because it's not extremely explicit. I actually found this aspect to be extremely refreshing! So often these days I skim sex scenes. Unless you're getting some crazy acrobatic stuff in there, it's mostly the same; they all kind of bleed together in my mind. Boy part meets girl part - yup, I understand the mechanics. So the fact that Jen built up the intimacy between these characters without showing the physical connection is commendable in my eyes. Never once did I feel like the story lacked because of this or that I was cheated as a reader. If you want guaranteed explicit, go find yourself a harlequin.
"Brogan was a nice guy (normally an excellent thing). A lot of girls underestimated the effect of a nice guy. Sure, bad boys were appealing—who didn’t like a dangerous guy that would promise nothing but sin and heartbreak on the back of their Harley? But a nice guy, that was dangerous. Those were the guys that you’d want to bring home to mom. The type to bring you breakfast in bed and pick up tampons from the supermarket on his way home from work because you’re busy stuffing your face with ice cream and crying over the unfairness of Rose losing Jack in Titanic (there was totally room on that piece of driftwood for the both of them). Yes, the nice guys were the real danger, because something told me Brogan wouldn’t be someone I could recover from quickly, if and when this ended."
One of my absolute favourite things about Lainey is how she wouldn't take crap from Brogan when it came to their relationship. Yes it was scary. Yes people make mistakes. But she would make him own up to it, work for it. It bothers me so much when a hero will apologize for *insert dilemma here*, has puppy dog eyes, the heroine forgives him and they ride off into the sunset. Not sure what fairytale world that is, but that's not how life works. Mistakes happen, apologies happen. You either take time to work through it or step back. Lainey was always upfront if something had upset her, so Brogan could understand how or why she was hurt. There were no mind games. And with some prompting, the same was true in the opposite effect. Lainey could stand up for herself and what she deserved, refusing to be looked down upon or treated like crap. I was giving her a virtual fist bump every so often because even if she thought she was struggling, she was absolutely killing this whole thing called life. The resolution these characters had in The Rule Book has been one of my favourites in a long, long time.
"I did this to him. The rule-maker broke all his rules for me. And that meant everything."
That brings me to the epilogue. I mostly don't like epilogues. I feel like they're too forced to have that happy ending years down the line and everyone is married with kids and blah blah blah I don't care. I want an ending that stays true to the characters. Don't compromise the entire story just to have an ending that readers will deem appropriate. So the epilogue of is book? LOVED IT! It was so stinking cute! Like cuter than a baby. Or a puppy. Maybe not a puppy cause those are damn adorable 100% of the time but you get the point. My heart squeezed and then did a big happy dance. Now I feel like watching Mean Girls.
"I like when you break your rules,” I said, breathless.
His gaze softened, and the tenderness in his eyes made my heart pound heavily against my ribcage. “I’d break every last one for you,” he said. “I never knew what I was missing until the day we met.”
Jen is a new to me author but if this is what she's about, I can't wait for more! Hopefully there will be a Rule Breakers 2 coming soon with Zoey's story.
*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.
JOIN THE SISTERHOOD! FIND US ON: FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / TWITTER / WEBSITE
June 16, 2017
***** 4 'Tired of Playing by the Rules' Stars *****
"Ovaries, meet arm porn, your new best friend."
There's a lot of things going on in Lainey Taylor's head. She has a new job, new home, and new crush. Brogan Starr is her delicious temptation at work. Too bad he's also her boss.
Brogan isn't just a normal guy. His employee manual consists of hundreds of rules. Some of them are a bit ridiculous.... like no consumption of garlic during work hours. But even though these rules are in play, his employees really enjoy having him as their leader.
It takes a while for Brogan and Lainey to come together because they both fight internally about pursuing a relationship.
I felt like the relationship should of moved faster so that there could of been more precious moments included in the story. I didn't really get attached to them until 90% of the book. I also thought it was going to be more funny. But even though I didn't have as many laughs as I thought I was going to have, it was still an adorable tale.
"Ovaries, meet arm porn, your new best friend."
There's a lot of things going on in Lainey Taylor's head. She has a new job, new home, and new crush. Brogan Starr is her delicious temptation at work. Too bad he's also her boss.
Brogan isn't just a normal guy. His employee manual consists of hundreds of rules. Some of them are a bit ridiculous.... like no consumption of garlic during work hours. But even though these rules are in play, his employees really enjoy having him as their leader.
It takes a while for Brogan and Lainey to come together because they both fight internally about pursuing a relationship.
I felt like the relationship should of moved faster so that there could of been more precious moments included in the story. I didn't really get attached to them until 90% of the book. I also thought it was going to be more funny. But even though I didn't have as many laughs as I thought I was going to have, it was still an adorable tale.
April 29, 2016
Pure joy! A hilarious, romantic romp that I seriously couldn't put down. Prepare yourselves ladies: your ultimate book boyfriend has arrived.
January 29, 2018
hmmm.
first time reading smth from this author
not really what I expected, either
I was hoping for more of the accentuating the "forbidden" office fling and the suspense surrounding that...
BUT
I got a pretty humorous romance drama that lingered more on the aspect of resolving the "trust" issues of the main character, aka Brogan Starr the CEO of the Starr Media in vibrating "jo-jo" effect towards his second assistant Lainey Taylor
so, to conclude - this was a sweet, cute romantic office drama without the real "suspenseful" input on the "office fling" cause well, the character wrote this freaking manual with all those rules to follow...
and yet this next line, gave me false hope that the story would lead towards a great turmoil
when in fact, it didn't.
first time reading smth from this author
not really what I expected, either
I was hoping for more of the accentuating the "forbidden" office fling and the suspense surrounding that...
BUT
I got a pretty humorous romance drama that lingered more on the aspect of resolving the "trust" issues of the main character, aka Brogan Starr the CEO of the Starr Media in vibrating "jo-jo" effect towards his second assistant Lainey Taylor
so, to conclude - this was a sweet, cute romantic office drama without the real "suspenseful" input on the "office fling" cause well, the character wrote this freaking manual with all those rules to follow...
and yet this next line, gave me false hope that the story would lead towards a great turmoil
Being this close to you makes me forget why I wrote the rules in the first place.
when in fact, it didn't.
May 15, 2016
I'm in such a reading slump and I was the mood to read an office romance book, something light and funny with a chance of reading some smutty scenes but I guess I picked the wrong book. Well it really is an easy read and it has moments when the MC was funny but the romance part killed it for me. It has a really great build up but when it got to the middle part I got very antsy because nothing's juicy is happening and it bummed me.
Will recommend this to those looking for clean romance .
Will recommend this to those looking for clean romance .
June 15, 2016
My shelves say it all... and truly, this book would have been GREAT with a more mature heroine. She was tremendously caring, and loved her mother dearly, and she had some serious issues to deal with, which could have given her such depth and perspective. But for some reason she was stuck in the pop-culture of a 16-year old. And after a while this just ruined the book for me.
However, the male protagonist in this book, Brogan, was sexy and damaged, tattooed and uber-successful, funny and powerful. And the two stars are all for him!
This could have been a heart-breaking 5 star read, but ultimately the heroine needed to put away the nintendo, stop watching The Bachelor (she'd never missed an episode, even when in hospital after surgery) and realise that Mean Girls, while hilarious, in no way compares to Casablanca as a cinematic classic.
This may just be me, and many might enjoy this funny office romance, but I just couldn't connect to the heroine and in the end gave up completely.
2 "Brogan was awesome" Stars!
However, the male protagonist in this book, Brogan, was sexy and damaged, tattooed and uber-successful, funny and powerful. And the two stars are all for him!
This could have been a heart-breaking 5 star read, but ultimately the heroine needed to put away the nintendo, stop watching The Bachelor (she'd never missed an episode, even when in hospital after surgery) and realise that Mean Girls, while hilarious, in no way compares to Casablanca as a cinematic classic.
This may just be me, and many might enjoy this funny office romance, but I just couldn't connect to the heroine and in the end gave up completely.
2 "Brogan was awesome" Stars!
Read
July 12, 2018I'm done with this book for now ☹️
June 11, 2016
This was just a totally adorable read. A breath of fresh air in the midst of many (while amazing) gut wrenching books. I feel like I’ve had my heart torn apart and put back together again so many times this year. (But in all the very best ways, by some of the best authors) And while this book definitely took hold of my heart, it was quite gentle with it. Thank you Jennifer!
L A I N E Y T A Y L O R was a super fun, smart confident girl! Great BOOK BESTIE potential! LOVED being inside her head. She was absolutely adorable and down to earth. My heart hurt with hers as her mother was going through chemotherapy. She was working hard to try to help pay her Mom’s medical bills. She had trouble finding friends and feeling like she fit in at work in the beginning. She was adorably clumsy and sometimes said the wrong thing. I can 100% relate to ALL of the above!!! And most fun of all she crushed, HARD on her boss. :) But who wouldn’t?!
B R O G A N S T A R R …Let the Swooning begin! As much as Lainey had all the makeups for the perfect Book Bestie, Brogan was the ultimate Book Boyfriend! He was a wonderful combination of mysterious, SEXY, funny, dominant, and sweet. :) I loved the whole OFFICE ROMANCE element to the book, it gave Brogan an authoritative role which lead to some interesting twists.
I would totally recommend this book to anyone asking for a lighthearted fun rom-com to read after an intense dark romance.
Overall I'd maybe give this book a 3.5 just based on the fact that it was pretty straight down the line rom-com, not like the most original plot ever, however I rounded up because so what! It was a fun read and I enjoyed it the whole way through! :)
L A I N E Y T A Y L O R was a super fun, smart confident girl! Great BOOK BESTIE potential! LOVED being inside her head. She was absolutely adorable and down to earth. My heart hurt with hers as her mother was going through chemotherapy. She was working hard to try to help pay her Mom’s medical bills. She had trouble finding friends and feeling like she fit in at work in the beginning. She was adorably clumsy and sometimes said the wrong thing. I can 100% relate to ALL of the above!!! And most fun of all she crushed, HARD on her boss. :) But who wouldn’t?!
B R O G A N S T A R R …Let the Swooning begin! As much as Lainey had all the makeups for the perfect Book Bestie, Brogan was the ultimate Book Boyfriend! He was a wonderful combination of mysterious, SEXY, funny, dominant, and sweet. :) I loved the whole OFFICE ROMANCE element to the book, it gave Brogan an authoritative role which lead to some interesting twists.
I would totally recommend this book to anyone asking for a lighthearted fun rom-com to read after an intense dark romance.
Overall I'd maybe give this book a 3.5 just based on the fact that it was pretty straight down the line rom-com, not like the most original plot ever, however I rounded up because so what! It was a fun read and I enjoyed it the whole way through! :)
November 16, 2016
3.5 Stars
“I never knew what I was missing until the day we met.”
We were in the mood for a laugh and a swoon and we certainly got that in The Rule Book. It was a light easy read that was low on angst. Sometimes that’s just what you need and this one delivered on that. Sweet, fun and quirky – three words to describe both this story. We did enjoy it despite a few issues and definitely recommend it for readers in the mood for a sweet and funny romance..... Read more of this review at TBB
Available to purchase
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Come visit and follow us at:
✲ TotallybookedBlog
✲ TB on Facebook
✲ TB on Twitter
✲ TB on Pinterest
February 9, 2017
I really enjoyed myself reading this book... After all I read it in one sitting...
Lainey is fun, I liked her character... She has sass, a funny mind to be inside and no filter in her mouth... What not to like about her, right?!?!
Brogan has a book full of rules and I don't say that as metaphoric at all, I mean it literally... It's his way of living, have anything under control and no surprises, until he hires Lainey as his second assistant that is... He's not a hardcore character with a stick up in hisass behind, he's a good guy when he'll give you the chance to really know him... He's one of those guys that you take home to meet momma...
So, why the missing star??? Well, I didn't understand Jackson's role in all this... I couldn't put him as friend or foe... We never learnt Bruce story and how he end up with Brogan... But I loved this slobbering mess dog... And the mystery about Brogan's life is revealed in a rush for my liking and in the end I needed more of the epilogue... I needed more of the happy couple...
All in all, it was a really nice and funny story... You should read it... ;-)
Lainey is fun, I liked her character... She has sass, a funny mind to be inside and no filter in her mouth... What not to like about her, right?!?!
Brogan has a book full of rules and I don't say that as metaphoric at all, I mean it literally... It's his way of living, have anything under control and no surprises, until he hires Lainey as his second assistant that is... He's not a hardcore character with a stick up in his
So, why the missing star??? Well, I didn't understand Jackson's role in all this... I couldn't put him as friend or foe... We never learnt Bruce story and how he end up with Brogan... But I loved this slobbering mess dog... And the mystery about Brogan's life is revealed in a rush for my liking and in the end I needed more of the epilogue... I needed more of the happy couple...
All in all, it was a really nice and funny story... You should read it... ;-)
March 8, 2018
The Rule Book es el primer libro de la serie The Rule Breakers y tiene como protagonistas a Lainey y Brogan.
Creo que la razon principal de que disfrutara esta lectura fue por las pocas expectativas con las que lo inicie, cada vez estoy mas segura de que es mucho mejor tener pocas expectativas al comenzar un libro, ya que muchas veces esperamos demasiado de una historia y cuando la finalizamos nos damos cuenta de que no fue todo lo que creiamos, en cambio cuando no tenemos ninguna expectativa es cuando nos sorprendemos mas gratamente, eso creo que fue lo que me paso con The Rule Book, no esperaba nada de la lectura, solo que fuera medianamente entretenida y resulto ser mas divertida de lo que imaginaba.
No voy a decir que fue una lectura impresionante o inolvidable pero si es cierto que fue un libro que subestime y que me saco muchas sonrisa, principalmente porque los pensamientos de la protagonista eran hilarantes.
2.75 Estrellas!
June 6, 2016
This book was short and sweet. It's the story of Lainey, a young woman trying to find her footing, figuring out her place in the world.
Laney is quirky and with the help of her mom, she's quite knowledgeable about '80s pop culture. There are many references throughout the story, such as Breakfast Club and Duck Hunt. It sure kept things interesting, even if it made me feel old.
Brogan is a man who finds it hard to trust so he's set up rules that he and the people around him must abide by. Seriously. Dude has a rule book (manual), however meeting and falling in love with Laney helps him put things in perspective. She teaches him that life and love are worth taking a risk for.
If you're looking for a quick and light read, this book fits the bill.
Enjoy! xo
Laney is quirky and with the help of her mom, she's quite knowledgeable about '80s pop culture. There are many references throughout the story, such as Breakfast Club and Duck Hunt. It sure kept things interesting, even if it made me feel old.
Brogan is a man who finds it hard to trust so he's set up rules that he and the people around him must abide by. Seriously. Dude has a rule book (manual), however meeting and falling in love with Laney helps him put things in perspective. She teaches him that life and love are worth taking a risk for.
If you're looking for a quick and light read, this book fits the bill.
Enjoy! xo
January 14, 2018
Romantic, charming, and exceptionally funny. And even though there's not any steamy sex scenes the intriguing characters, palpable chemistry, and witty banter make this a delightfully, entertaining read!
November 15, 2016
Voy a ser sincera. No me gustó este libro, a pesar de que me reí a carcajadas con las constantes metidas de pata de lainey.
La trama es demasiado simple, muchos clichés y momentos absurdos. Los protagonistas tampoco fueron de mi completo agrado
Lainey actuaba como una adolescente cachonda en lugar de la adulta seria y responsable que se supone que es. Entiendo que pueda existir cierta atracción por su jefe, pero ella en lugar de centrarse en trabajar, sólo se ponía a fantasear como si de una colegiala se tratara. Era algo irritante de leer y de no ser porque me divertían sus tonterías hubiera lanzado el libro al otro lado de la habitación ( de forma figurativa claro, ya que lo leí en ebook) tampoco me gustó la forma en la que actuaba con respecto a su madre. Pero le doy puntos por amar Gilmore Girls y ser parte del Team Jess.
Brogan tampoco es de mi completo agrado, lo que es raro porque soy una zorra literaria, pero es que siento que este es un personaje que tenia mucho más para dar, es como si la autora hubiera empezado a crear su perfil, pasó a hacer algo más y se olvidó de completarlo. Hubo muchas cosas que no me terminaron de cerrar con él. Su pasado, la relación con sus padres, sus reglas, Bruce...
Ese es otro punto negativo para la historia. Dejó muchísimos temas abiertos, me hubiera gustado que se profundizara mucho más en la relación de Lainey con su padre, Brogan y sus padres y yo de verdad quería saber de donde salió Bruce. Me gusta Bruce.
Y el final fue demasiado apresurado. No tengo idea de donde les salió el amor a estos dos, bueno de Lainey si... vino de su acoso y sus constantes fantasías, pero ¿Brogan? si esos casi ni se conocían.
Sin embargo, le concedo puntos por ser una historia corta, ligera y rápida de leer. Pensaba que seria algo de corte más erótico pero estoy bien con el humor.
La trama es demasiado simple, muchos clichés y momentos absurdos. Los protagonistas tampoco fueron de mi completo agrado
Lainey actuaba como una adolescente cachonda en lugar de la adulta seria y responsable que se supone que es. Entiendo que pueda existir cierta atracción por su jefe, pero ella en lugar de centrarse en trabajar, sólo se ponía a fantasear como si de una colegiala se tratara. Era algo irritante de leer y de no ser porque me divertían sus tonterías hubiera lanzado el libro al otro lado de la habitación ( de forma figurativa claro, ya que lo leí en ebook) tampoco me gustó la forma en la que actuaba con respecto a su madre. Pero le doy puntos por amar Gilmore Girls y ser parte del Team Jess.
Brogan tampoco es de mi completo agrado, lo que es raro porque soy una zorra literaria, pero es que siento que este es un personaje que tenia mucho más para dar, es como si la autora hubiera empezado a crear su perfil, pasó a hacer algo más y se olvidó de completarlo. Hubo muchas cosas que no me terminaron de cerrar con él. Su pasado, la relación con sus padres, sus reglas, Bruce...
Ese es otro punto negativo para la historia. Dejó muchísimos temas abiertos, me hubiera gustado que se profundizara mucho más en la relación de Lainey con su padre, Brogan y sus padres y yo de verdad quería saber de donde salió Bruce. Me gusta Bruce.
Y el final fue demasiado apresurado. No tengo idea de donde les salió el amor a estos dos, bueno de Lainey si... vino de su acoso y sus constantes fantasías, pero ¿Brogan? si esos casi ni se conocían.
Sin embargo, le concedo puntos por ser una historia corta, ligera y rápida de leer. Pensaba que seria algo de corte más erótico pero estoy bien con el humor.
August 14, 2016
Favorite Quote: “Screw the rule book. Maybe he could even smack your ass with it.”
What a cute book! Lainey Taylor is fresh out of college and starting her first job as a second-assistant to Brogan Starr, CEO of Starr Media – a company that manages social media platforms for the rich and famous. Besides the mundane errands of getting coffee and filing, she will have one up and coming client who she gets to write tweets for and try to make his social media outlets more positive. She has moved in with her best friend and is excited to be starting her life. She had to leave her mom at home who is undergoing chemotherapy treatments for cancer – and this weighs on her heavily. But this job pays well and she hopes to be able to pay her mother’s medical bills.
Lainey’s direct boss is the first-assistant named Jackson. He works her hard, takes credit for work she performs and isn’t that great of a person in general. He doesn’t expect Lainey to last long, but Lainey has balls and refuses to let him wear her down. To start her job, she has to read and memorize the employee handbook, which is a list of rules she must follow at the office. Some of the rules are very specific and she can’t believe she actually has to abide by all of them. The writer of these rules is Brogan, our hero. He is the CEO , tattooed, and elusive. When she finally meets him, she accidentally insults him (not realizing it’s him) and she learns that every time she is around him, her foot goes into her mouth. Brogan is intrigued by this though – and not only starts to pay more attention to her, but gives her more responsibility.
And then they break the biggest rule of all….kissing in the office.
Lainey is so darn cute – her inner monologue made me giggle.
There was a lot to be said for a man in a well-fitted suit. Such as yum, and I’d tap that like a friggin’ maple tree. Nothing quite got my salivary glands going like a hot guy dressed up.
My gaze inconspicuously traveled to his arms, working down to where his hands were tucked into his pockets. Which then got me thinking about the man bulge threads on Pinterest, and how Brogan should really wear his pants a little tighter.
He cleared his throat.
Warning bells blared between my ears. Abort mission.
Move your eyes up before he thinks you’re staring at his package.
She has this grand idea of what working as an adult will be like, but her reality is not quite what she expected. Jackson, her immediate boss is pretty cut throat and rude. I love that Lainey puts her head down and works, instead of whining about how unfair her boss is. Her real boss, Brogan is all yumminess. He is a perfectionist. He can be growly. He expects great things from his employees. His company is his baby and his baby comes first. Lainey’s more silly nature breaks down some of his defenses and he starts to experience conversation and eating dinner with someone else. She is super into him, but at the same time is wary about hooking up with him and still being able to be fairly judged at her job.
Lainey’s mother’s health journey is sad and weighs on Lainey. At one point Lainey goes to visit and ends up having to work, upsetting her mother – I enjoyed that their relationship isn’t perfect and the pressure Lainey feels having moved away from her sick mom is done well.
For the romance – at times we get scenes like this:
“You know what I’m thinking about in all those meetings and phone conferences? What I think about in the shower and my bed – every goddamn second of the day?” he growled. His voice vibrated through my chest, stirring up everything inside me, all the pieces aflutter like the flecks of a shaken snow globe.
“What?” My voice was barely a whisper.
“You, Lainey. All I can think about is you.” He pushed me harder against the wall. “I can’t get you off my mind.”
But I do have to say, all sex scenes fade to black. We get kisses, but then when you turn the page, it’s the next morning. *kicks dirt* I suppose I will survive this. I did think the ending was a bit rushed – and a little more groveling from the hero would have pleased me.
This author has a really nice voice – Lainey is a very well-developed character who carries this book. I enjoyed her a lot.
Grade: B
What a cute book! Lainey Taylor is fresh out of college and starting her first job as a second-assistant to Brogan Starr, CEO of Starr Media – a company that manages social media platforms for the rich and famous. Besides the mundane errands of getting coffee and filing, she will have one up and coming client who she gets to write tweets for and try to make his social media outlets more positive. She has moved in with her best friend and is excited to be starting her life. She had to leave her mom at home who is undergoing chemotherapy treatments for cancer – and this weighs on her heavily. But this job pays well and she hopes to be able to pay her mother’s medical bills.
Lainey’s direct boss is the first-assistant named Jackson. He works her hard, takes credit for work she performs and isn’t that great of a person in general. He doesn’t expect Lainey to last long, but Lainey has balls and refuses to let him wear her down. To start her job, she has to read and memorize the employee handbook, which is a list of rules she must follow at the office. Some of the rules are very specific and she can’t believe she actually has to abide by all of them. The writer of these rules is Brogan, our hero. He is the CEO , tattooed, and elusive. When she finally meets him, she accidentally insults him (not realizing it’s him) and she learns that every time she is around him, her foot goes into her mouth. Brogan is intrigued by this though – and not only starts to pay more attention to her, but gives her more responsibility.
And then they break the biggest rule of all….kissing in the office.
Lainey is so darn cute – her inner monologue made me giggle.
There was a lot to be said for a man in a well-fitted suit. Such as yum, and I’d tap that like a friggin’ maple tree. Nothing quite got my salivary glands going like a hot guy dressed up.
My gaze inconspicuously traveled to his arms, working down to where his hands were tucked into his pockets. Which then got me thinking about the man bulge threads on Pinterest, and how Brogan should really wear his pants a little tighter.
He cleared his throat.
Warning bells blared between my ears. Abort mission.
Move your eyes up before he thinks you’re staring at his package.
She has this grand idea of what working as an adult will be like, but her reality is not quite what she expected. Jackson, her immediate boss is pretty cut throat and rude. I love that Lainey puts her head down and works, instead of whining about how unfair her boss is. Her real boss, Brogan is all yumminess. He is a perfectionist. He can be growly. He expects great things from his employees. His company is his baby and his baby comes first. Lainey’s more silly nature breaks down some of his defenses and he starts to experience conversation and eating dinner with someone else. She is super into him, but at the same time is wary about hooking up with him and still being able to be fairly judged at her job.
Lainey’s mother’s health journey is sad and weighs on Lainey. At one point Lainey goes to visit and ends up having to work, upsetting her mother – I enjoyed that their relationship isn’t perfect and the pressure Lainey feels having moved away from her sick mom is done well.
For the romance – at times we get scenes like this:
“You know what I’m thinking about in all those meetings and phone conferences? What I think about in the shower and my bed – every goddamn second of the day?” he growled. His voice vibrated through my chest, stirring up everything inside me, all the pieces aflutter like the flecks of a shaken snow globe.
“What?” My voice was barely a whisper.
“You, Lainey. All I can think about is you.” He pushed me harder against the wall. “I can’t get you off my mind.”
But I do have to say, all sex scenes fade to black. We get kisses, but then when you turn the page, it’s the next morning. *kicks dirt* I suppose I will survive this. I did think the ending was a bit rushed – and a little more groveling from the hero would have pleased me.
This author has a really nice voice – Lainey is a very well-developed character who carries this book. I enjoyed her a lot.
Grade: B
May 12, 2016
4 stars
The Rule Book was a fun, sweet and entertaining read.
I really enjoyed being in Lainey's head. She was funny, cute, sarcastic, passionate, and very honest, loved her!
My interest was held all throughout the book, I enjoyed watching Lainey get past Brogan's rules and break down his walls. Once the walls started coming down we saw a sweet and passionate man who was clueless about love and was scared to trust his feelings.
While I enjoyed The Rule Book I really wish we got to hear from Brogan, I feel seeing things from his side would have added to the storyline. Also I was a little disappointed with the fade to black, these two had a strong attraction and I would have loved to see them get it on ;D
The last few chapters were emotional and pulled at the heartstrings. Loved Lainey's mom, I admired her strength and her unconditional love.
Loved the epilogue, it was perfect for them and it will leave you with a heart full of happy feels.
If you're looking for a fun, sweet and heartfelt read I highly recommend The Rule Book.
*Thank you Entangled Embrace via NetGalley for the advance copy.*
The Rule Book was a fun, sweet and entertaining read.
I really enjoyed being in Lainey's head. She was funny, cute, sarcastic, passionate, and very honest, loved her!
My interest was held all throughout the book, I enjoyed watching Lainey get past Brogan's rules and break down his walls. Once the walls started coming down we saw a sweet and passionate man who was clueless about love and was scared to trust his feelings.
While I enjoyed The Rule Book I really wish we got to hear from Brogan, I feel seeing things from his side would have added to the storyline. Also I was a little disappointed with the fade to black, these two had a strong attraction and I would have loved to see them get it on ;D
The last few chapters were emotional and pulled at the heartstrings. Loved Lainey's mom, I admired her strength and her unconditional love.
Loved the epilogue, it was perfect for them and it will leave you with a heart full of happy feels.
If you're looking for a fun, sweet and heartfelt read I highly recommend The Rule Book.
*Thank you Entangled Embrace via NetGalley for the advance copy.*
June 20, 2016
“Lainey, when it comes to you, I’m breaking all my own rules.”
Things I liked about this book:
* The whole forbidden boss and employee romance.
* Brogan’s tattoo sleeves because tattoos are HOT!!
* The very sweet HEA
* Brogan’s huge dog who has fart problems ;-)
“You make me want to do all these things I’ve told myself I can’t have. It’s fucking scary.”
Things that I didn’t like:
* The whole sex fade scenes that was very popular among Mills and Boon books twenty years ago - apparently I’m a pervert who needs detailed sexy times….
* Not really getting an explanation for why Brody has such extreme trust issues. The way he treated Lainey because of this made this a very important issue.
* The whole hot and cold way Brody was with Lainey - it basically gave me whiplash.
* Not enough grovelling at the end. He really messed up because of his trust issues, and I would have expected him to have to work harder to get her to trust him again.
This was an enjoyable book, despite all my issues with it.
June 13, 2016
A cute and funny 'affair with the boss' story that was a big old tease.
No smut. Seriously, none!
There was teasing, there was tension then...nowt. I wasn't sure whether they'd even, y'know, dunnit or not. Pah.
On the plus side I could recommend this to my mother as she actively avoids anything *whispers* vulgar. But she doesn't know what Twitter or netflix is so she'd only be confused.
Ah well.
No smut. Seriously, none!
There was teasing, there was tension then...nowt. I wasn't sure whether they'd even, y'know, dunnit or not. Pah.
On the plus side I could recommend this to my mother as she actively avoids anything *whispers* vulgar. But she doesn't know what Twitter or netflix is so she'd only be confused.
Ah well.
May 9, 2016
I laughed out loud, the romantic chemistry leapt off the page, and it left me with a huge grin on my face. Before I read this book I was in a bit of a reading slump, but this pulled me right out of it. Seriously, once I finished I wanted to go right back & read it all over again. Especially that first scene in the break room. Love, love, LOVE!
July 12, 2016
Original Review @ Naomi’s Reading Palace
4.5 Stars
I was browsing Amazon, looking for a lighter read when I came across The Rule Book... I snapped it up and it turned out to be a bit of quirky fun... exactly what I needed! I really enjoyed reading about Lainey and seeing her squirm due to her foot-in-mouth problem! She quite often spoke before she had thought through what she was going to say. She had a heart of gold too, getting a well paid job so she could support her mother through a difficult time. But it was the sparks and chemistry between Lainey and her boss that had me glued to the book!
Lainey started a brand new job at Starr Media as second assistant to the CEO Brogan Starr. It was difficult for her at first as the first assistant, Jackson, made her life hell, feeding her false information or no information at all. One thing he told her specifically was that Brogan Starr was the antichrist. What she did with that piece of information was hilarious! There was even the employee hand book for working at the company… it appeared that her boss was a control freak.
When Lainey and Brogan officially met was an interesting encounter, I tell you! Lainey slowly wormed her way into Brogan’s personal life by doing tasks that Jackson forced her to do. Walking Brogan's dog/horse Bruce was a challenge all in its own. I loved how she never held back and said whatever she was thinking! Brogan liked that about her too, knowing she was honest and I could see his control was slipping when it came to Lainey. These two had serious sexual tension and I knew it wouldn’t take long for lines to get blurred.
This is the second book I have read and enjoyed by Jennifer Blackwood. She has a knack of entwining humour into her stories, even though this one had a heavier secondary storyline in regards to Lainey’s mother. I laughed and swooned, while watching the flirting and sexual tension grow between Lainey and Brogan. I was introduced to some interesting secondary characters as well; Lainey’s best friend Zoey was a hoot! I cannot wait to read more from this author!!
4.5 Stars
I was browsing Amazon, looking for a lighter read when I came across The Rule Book... I snapped it up and it turned out to be a bit of quirky fun... exactly what I needed! I really enjoyed reading about Lainey and seeing her squirm due to her foot-in-mouth problem! She quite often spoke before she had thought through what she was going to say. She had a heart of gold too, getting a well paid job so she could support her mother through a difficult time. But it was the sparks and chemistry between Lainey and her boss that had me glued to the book!
Lainey started a brand new job at Starr Media as second assistant to the CEO Brogan Starr. It was difficult for her at first as the first assistant, Jackson, made her life hell, feeding her false information or no information at all. One thing he told her specifically was that Brogan Starr was the antichrist. What she did with that piece of information was hilarious! There was even the employee hand book for working at the company… it appeared that her boss was a control freak.
When Lainey and Brogan officially met was an interesting encounter, I tell you! Lainey slowly wormed her way into Brogan’s personal life by doing tasks that Jackson forced her to do. Walking Brogan's dog/horse Bruce was a challenge all in its own. I loved how she never held back and said whatever she was thinking! Brogan liked that about her too, knowing she was honest and I could see his control was slipping when it came to Lainey. These two had serious sexual tension and I knew it wouldn’t take long for lines to get blurred.
This is the second book I have read and enjoyed by Jennifer Blackwood. She has a knack of entwining humour into her stories, even though this one had a heavier secondary storyline in regards to Lainey’s mother. I laughed and swooned, while watching the flirting and sexual tension grow between Lainey and Brogan. I was introduced to some interesting secondary characters as well; Lainey’s best friend Zoey was a hoot! I cannot wait to read more from this author!!
June 30, 2016
3.5 to 4.5 stars!
Thats right ladies! I cannot for the love of this universe, make up my mind.
The things that won me over:
1. Another giggle inducing book ladies and gentlemen.
2. Thats right ladies, a tatted hottie in the covers. Who is btw, a sweet millionaire with trust issues ;) Cliche? Yup , but totally worth it.
3. Office fling people!! Add it to your tbr(s) already!!
~to quote "poof, ovaries disintegrated".
Parts that left me confused:
1.the beginning. ...the part with the first assistant reminded me of ...
...sans the skirt part that is.
2.and the part with the emails reminded me of 50 shades...
....overall it was GREAT.
Another book where I preferred the female over the male (cuz he was just ....no words) .
Comes recommended !!
Thats right ladies! I cannot for the love of this universe, make up my mind.
The things that won me over:
1. Another giggle inducing book ladies and gentlemen.
2. Thats right ladies, a tatted hottie in the covers. Who is btw, a sweet millionaire with trust issues ;) Cliche? Yup , but totally worth it.
3. Office fling people!! Add it to your tbr(s) already!!
~to quote "poof, ovaries disintegrated".
Parts that left me confused:
1.the beginning. ...the part with the first assistant reminded me of ...
...sans the skirt part that is.
2.and the part with the emails reminded me of 50 shades...
....overall it was GREAT.
Another book where I preferred the female over the male (cuz he was just ....no words) .
Comes recommended !!
May 15, 2018
Esta historia es sobre Lainey y Brogan. Él, dueño de la empresa Starr Media, y ella, nueva empleada, se convertirán en el cliché más grande cuando tienen una aventura.
Brogan lleva toda la vida viviendo a base de reglas estrictas mientras que Lainey vive las cosas así como vienen. Pero cuando la confianza entre ellos no sea suficiente, quizá el amor pueda serlo.
Brogan me ha caído bastante mal. El cambio entre mi lectura hace tiempo y ahora es que no soporté al chico. De verdad, bipolar y rígido como solo él puede serlo, me ha sacado de quicio. Lainey en cambio, le aplaudiría por su actitud hasta que se me cayesen las manos. Toma chica dura. Me hubiera gustado que tardasen un poco más en reconciliarse pero bueno, es un libro corto tampoco puedes pedirle demasiado.
Está bien para pasar el ratito.
Brogan lleva toda la vida viviendo a base de reglas estrictas mientras que Lainey vive las cosas así como vienen. Pero cuando la confianza entre ellos no sea suficiente, quizá el amor pueda serlo.
Brogan me ha caído bastante mal. El cambio entre mi lectura hace tiempo y ahora es que no soporté al chico. De verdad, bipolar y rígido como solo él puede serlo, me ha sacado de quicio. Lainey en cambio, le aplaudiría por su actitud hasta que se me cayesen las manos. Toma chica dura. Me hubiera gustado que tardasen un poco más en reconciliarse pero bueno, es un libro corto tampoco puedes pedirle demasiado.
Está bien para pasar el ratito.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 829 reviews