kellylellyreads's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I was looking for a sweet romance and my goodness this hit the nail on the head. It was adorably sweet and it made me want to visit Martha’s Vineyard. The family dynamic was fun and it grappled with grief in a thoughtful way.
ashlynamsden's review against another edition
4.0
Chalk full of Taylor Swift references. A perfect ending to the summer. Docking a star because the main characters are 18 & 19 and I simply cannot relate to that anymore in the same way
auroraaa's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I’ll admit, I broke a golden rule when selecting the following book - I most definitely judged the book by the cover. Little did I know that in addition to the incredible artwork would be a story that just bleeds summer.
At its premise, “The Summer of Broken Rules” is fun. An enormous gaggle of family and friends running around picturesque Martha’s Vineyard - only to be consumed by their traditional game of Assassin, wedding festivities, and the occasional sunburn. K.L. Walther managed to capture a vision that could crawl straight off a postcard - local ice creams shops, rhubarb pies, and most of all, a whirlwind summer romance. All and all, this book was a fast-paced, easy-read that made me urn for the better days of the year. If you like a straightforward plot, subtle Taylor Swift references, and just plain simple fun - this may be the next “beach read” for you.
That being said, when I wasn’t complaining about the fact that I am still stuck in a Minnesota winter - I did find a few flaws in the book.
- While I completely understood the need for the LARGE cast of characters in relation to the game, this family was SO unnecessarily BIG. So large in fact, even the author understood the need to include a family tree at the beginning of the book (also where was my Farm Map K.L?). With the exception of our King and Queen Honey and Wink, there was no need for all the minor additional side characters whose existence only served as minimal diverse representation (LGBTQ+, Indian) and tropes.
- I am sure you’ve heard the statement “the days pass slowly but the years fly by.” In a way, that’s exactly how I felt about this book. The ACTUAL days were so astonishingly long (how many times can you realistically go swimming in one singular day, Meredith?) but followed-up with expedited pacing when any sort of conflict would arise? It seems like ALMOST all conflict was resolved in a matter of seconds with just a simple apology. Perhaps it is my morally gray angsty side-speaking here but the conflict resolution was BORING. You’re going to tell me that everything can be fixed with a really good “sorry?”
- Similar to the notion above, the insta-love did NOT make sense when you thought about it. The main character was introduced as “I just lost my only sister in the most tragic way possible and the ONE person that I clung onto for support just dumped me so it makes since my heart is guarded” to literally falling in love with someone (who could of perfectly been set-up as enemies-to-lover) in a matter of minutes. Lost potential I say!
Generally speaking, this book was fun and did acknowledge the ever-evolving journey of grief. Was it the sort of life-changing material that I will be thinking about for the weeks to come? Most likely not. But will I keep it on my bookcase and maybe pass it down to a younger me? Most likely.
selmavatnsdal's review against another edition
5.0
This is a perfect book. I loved it so much and it made me feel so good.
serat0nin's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
evelynhrtscelia's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
readwithchloev's review
2.0
When am I ever gonna learn that I almost never love books I have hyped up in my head?
This was so promising. SO PROMISING. The setting is immaculate; the summer vibes, the huge family unit (too many names though, super confusing) all the activities, and of course the game of assassin was amazing. I was fully expecting this to be a five star read. How wrong I was.
I think when you include a game of assassin as a main plot device, it kinda makes sense that the live interests would be enemies to lovers, right? Was this an enemies to lovers book? No. It was insta love. Insta love literally almost immediately after the FMC gets dumped by her long term boyfriend. So not only did it just not make sense at all, but it turned the FMC into a desperate mess.
Mere followed Wit around like a lost puppy, all while abandoning her pals and being the shittiest friend ever. Like surely nobody has that little self awareness? She was an AWFUL friend and it put me right off. She was so childish and literally went all in with this rando after knowing him for 30 seconds.
I know a lot of people freaked out at all the Taylor Swift references but honestly they just started to cringe me out. One final thing? I would’ve loved a map in this book, and a sacrifice of a few characters because the fact that you need a family tree at the start and that’s not even half the characters says a lot!!
All in all, super promising premise just not for me. This one’s more for younger readers I feel
This was so promising. SO PROMISING. The setting is immaculate; the summer vibes, the huge family unit (too many names though, super confusing) all the activities, and of course the game of assassin was amazing. I was fully expecting this to be a five star read. How wrong I was.
I think when you include a game of assassin as a main plot device, it kinda makes sense that the live interests would be enemies to lovers, right? Was this an enemies to lovers book? No. It was insta love. Insta love literally almost immediately after the FMC gets dumped by her long term boyfriend. So not only did it just not make sense at all, but it turned the FMC into a desperate mess.
Mere followed Wit around like a lost puppy, all while abandoning her pals and being the shittiest friend ever. Like surely nobody has that little self awareness? She was an AWFUL friend and it put me right off. She was so childish and literally went all in with this rando after knowing him for 30 seconds.
I know a lot of people freaked out at all the Taylor Swift references but honestly they just started to cringe me out. One final thing? I would’ve loved a map in this book, and a sacrifice of a few characters because the fact that you need a family tree at the start and that’s not even half the characters says a lot!!
All in all, super promising premise just not for me. This one’s more for younger readers I feel