Book Review: Rule by Jay Crownover

RULE by Jay Crownover
December 30, 2012
327 pages
Genre: New Adult
Contains: Mature language, sexual situations, alcohol
Source: Personal ebook purchase

Book Blurb:

Opposites in every way . . . except the one that matters

Shaw Landon loved Rule Archer from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule is everything a straight--A pre-med student like Shaw shouldn’t want--and the only person she’s never tried to please. She isn’t afraid of his scary piercings and tattoos or his wild attitude. Though she knows that Rule is wrong for her, her heart just won’t listen.

To a rebel like Rule Archer, Shaw Landon is a stuck-up, perfect princess-and his dead twin brother’s girl. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. He doesn’t have time for a good girl like Shaw-even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is.

But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails, and spilled secrets lead to a night neither can forget. Now, Shaw and Rule have to figure out how a girl like her and a guy like him are supposed to be together without destroying their love . . . or each other.

My Review:
 
I'd heard good things about RULE, but I still went into reading it with no expectations. I thought it was going to be just another New Adult book with a similar storyline to the many other NA books out there. Fortunately, RULE far exceeded my expectations with its depth and characters!

There are a few things that really made RULE stand out for me:

1. Main Character Development: I loved how the author allows us to get to know Shaw and Rule - how their pasts and present intermingle; how their alternating POVs shine through; how creative and unique their characters are. I loved how Shaw and Rule had to learn about themselves, grow into themselves, accept themselves, improve themselves. Their relationship had so much depth to it, and I loved that it wasn't just this lust-filled attraction pretending to be love. Their journey together was not short on complications, and I enjoyed how the author allowed who they were and who they needed to be to shine through, and so many poignant realizations to be discovered.

2. Layered Storyline: I was so glad that this wasn't just a simple love story, but also not so full of outrageous occurrences that it was beyond realism. Okay, maybe there were a few dramatic scenarios, but I could still picture every situation and never felt like rolling my eyes. What I really liked was the intermingling storylines with Rule and Shaw individually as well as their shared past and present. It really gave the entire story so much more depth than I was anticipating, and I was very impressed with where the author took things. I will also say that the sex scenes, while graphic at times, were really well written and not overly done or excessive. I appreciate that they didn't overpower the story, but just enhanced it when needed.

3. Multi-Dimensional Secondary Characters: Shaw and Rule would not have been the amazing characters they were without the amazing friends that they were surrounded by. I loved that they weren't just one-dimensional filler people, but they each had their own stories that we got glimpses of and could see them more than just side characters. They each added to the quality of the story and were used so well throughout the entire book. And I'm thrilled that there will be future books about other characters, because I'm already in love with this group of friends.

RULE was a surprise hit for me and the upcoming books in this series will be at the top of my most anticipated list, as well as anything else from this author.

5 STARS

Book Links:

AMAZON   *   GOODREADS