Rule: Opposities Attract in this Angsty Forbidden-Love College Romance, and Inspiration for the Upcoming Film Marked Men: Rule and Shaw Paperback – January 3, 2023

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲...💗Bad Boy vs. Good Girl🖤Found Family💗Second Chance🖤V-Card Heroine💗Tattoos & Piercings🖤Best Friend's Brother𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:⁠𝙍𝙪𝙡𝙚 by Jay Crownover totally surprised me in the best way! It’s not typically the type of book I pick up, but we are watching the movie adaptation at the bookstore, so I felt compelled to dive in—and I’m so glad I did. This book is filled with so much chemistry, angst, and emotional depth that I couldn’t put it down. The connection between Shaw and Rule is fantastic. Shaw is the good girl with a heart of gold, while Rule is the rebellious, tattooed bad boy. Their tension is off the charts, and witnessing their relationship evolve was fantastic. I loved how Rule turned out to be so much more than just a brooding guy—he has layers, and Shaw can see that side of him. The secondary characters (Nash, Rome, and Ayden) were a fun addition and made the story even more decadent. But it wasn’t just the romance that made me love this book—it was the emotional journey. The family dynamics between Shaw and her parents and Rule and his really added some weight to the story. Shaw becomes Rule’s protector, and he becomes hers, and they balance each other perfectly. And let’s not forget the steam. Rule and Shaw? Whew. There’s chemistry, fire, and some seriously steamy scenes that are impossible to ignore. The subplot with Shaw’s ex also added an edge of suspense, giving the book even more depth than I expected. This book broke my heart, melted it, and kept me flipping pages until the end. A total must-read!🎧️Listening to the story while reading along kept me on the edge of my seat! Sophie Eastlake and Michael Rahhal did a fantastic job narrating. I was entirely captivated by the characters, and I can't wait to start the next book in the series!🖤💗🖤💗🖤

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.Book Evaluation:Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎Cover:📔📔📔📔Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥Relationship Building: 💒💒💒Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧Overall View: ✨✨✨✨First ImpressionsRule is the first book in the "Marked Men" series and this series is also loosely connected with her Point books and Saints of Denver series. I have been wanting to get through this author's backlist. I have really come to appreciate her style of contemporary and it just has such a refreshing feel to it. rule is a new adult setting. It has such a great mix of tropes and character types that just blended together so well. This one does have plenty of drama and angst as is typical with many new adult romances but it entertained and seemed to just work so well within the story. I think if you are a fan of this author's work overall and the way she writes her characters, then this book will most definitely be for you. I found Rule to be most entertaining and even though it wasn't a full five star read, it was such a solid beginning to what I am hoping is a fabulous series.First LineAt first, I thought the pounding in my head was my brain trying to fight its way out of my skull after the ten or so shots of Crown Royal I had downed last night, but then I realized the noise was someone storming around in my apartment.The Main ProtagonistsThe Hero: Rule ArcherBad boy brother, emotionally constipated, a playboy with women of sorts and has a short fuse on his temper. He lost his twin in a accident and has been treated like an outcast by his family.The Heroine: Shaw LandonShaw was best friends with Rule's brother, and has been in love with Rule since she was a teenager. She acts like his friend, guardian, and drags him to family functions and attempts to be the peacemaker. She is from a high society family, but feels more at home with the Archer's and is going to college to be in the medical field.SummaryShaw Landon has loved Rule Archer from afar and right next to him. She has never let him know of her true feelings for him. But acts more like his babysitter than the woman who has loved him. She was his twin's best friend and confidant but they believed she was something more. But when Rule's brother returns from the military for a recovering break, their family ties are going to be tested when it becomes apparent the toxicity and mental illness their mother has been suffering and laying out on Rule most of his life just because he was different from the rest of her children. Then when Shaw cuts ties to stand by Rule, a bond between them forms as well as something deeper and for the first time in his life Rule wants more than just casual sex with women, he is seeing Shaw as a woman and not just a family friend and menace. But a relationship with the family black sheep and a high society princess will be much more difficult than either of them could imagine. Can they find a common bond to make a real relationship work long term or will it fail?What I LovedWhat a wonderful book this one turned out to be. I really had a blast with this book. It was so interesting because I would never have expected this combination of tropes to actually work the way that it does. But somehow Jay Crownover is able to make it work just right. I also was captivated by the family connections. My heart broke for this family though and most especially Rule who lost his twin. A twin bond is so special and unique and I love seeing these played out. I also loved the frenemies relationship that Shaw and Rule had together. Its also so fun when you see a pining character just act so antagonistic towards the person they love haha It makes no sense and wouldn't happen in real life but it makes for some lively interactions for a romance. And Jay Crownover really captures the right focus for these two.Rule was such a wonderful bad boy hero. I just have a soft heart for those bad boys and you definitely see why he has become a bad boy. His mother is so emotionally abusive and I did relate to some of that on a personal level and so I was always going to be on team Rule. I hate how his father and older brother even just stood by and let it happen though and forced him into situations that only emboldened the mothers behavior instead of standing up to her better. I did love how Rule stood up to the abuse, and didn't just let her destroy him emotionally. He had such a free wild spirit. And when Rule gets together with Shaw, I really respected how Shaw and Rule are together. Their relationship displays such a fresh and new vibe to it. The romance between them was intimate and strong and unique.What I Struggled WithFirst all, the new cover is just awful. I am not sure what the author is thinking with these new covers, but they make no sense to me. Why do authors and publishers do this to books? Can't they just leave a good cover alone?? Apparently not. And also I wasn't a fan of the third act conflict. To be honest they drifted apart and it didn't make any sense why they did that. Especially on the part from the heroine, she kinda does the silent treatment and doesn't ever explain why so of course the hero reacts to it in a very confused manner. So it made more sense his reaction than how she treats him and I do think she should have done the grovel not Rule. I also didn't understand the epilogue either when the heroine suddenly is getting a body full of tattoos....when that wasn't who she is in the book or wanted for herself. I just wish there had been some details better explained in why character changes had happened.Overall ViewRule is a story that digs deep into relative emotion and intimacy, its a spicy installment that will capture readers attention, with a blend of tropes that really flesh out a beautifully executed story to steal your heart!Book Details (also in my shelves)Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, New AdultCharacter Types: College Student, Tortured Hero, Bad Boy, HeiressThemes: Tattoo's/Piercings, Sexual Piercings, Friendships, Family Bonds, Pining HeroineTropes: Unrequited Love, Opposites Attract, Enemies to LoversBook PerspectiveDuo POVRelationship Conflict vs Plot ConflictA mix of bothSong This Book InspiresNeed You Now by Lady AntebellumRecommendation For Reading OrderYou can read as a standalone