My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Summer of Broken Rules

Author: K.L Walther

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 386

Publication Date: 5/4/21

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Summer Vibes, Grief, Contemporary, Coming of Age

Meredith Fox has been going to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer as long as she can remember. But this summer is the first one back since the death of Meredith’s sister. It will all be overwhelming, but even more since since the entire extended family will be together for her cousin’s big wedding.

Unfortunately, Meredith’s longtime boyfriend unexpectedly dumped her two weeks before the wedding, leaving her dateless. Luckily, she has the perfect distraction. Her family has a tradition of playing the ultimate game of Assassin every summer, and this year it will take place during the week of wedding festivities.

But her target just happens to be a very cute groomsman. She’s determined to not let herself get distracted, not let herself be lost in another doomed relationship. But as the week progresses, she can’t help falling for him, which may cost her not only the game, but also her heart.

Meredith’s family’s annual game of assassin at Martha’s Vineyard during a summer wedding is the perfect chance to honor her sister’s legacy, and finally join the world again. But when she forms an alliance with a cute groomsman, she’s at risk of losing both the game… and her heart.

Content Warning: grief

This book has summer vibes and Taylor Swift written all over it. The author also proudly claims she is a Swiftie so it explains all the Taylor references but I didn’t mind it and I think Swifties will love it.

My favorite part of the book is the summer at Martha’s Vineyard with Meredith and her family who are there annually but this time, her cousin Sarah is getting married there. So during all the wedding preparations there is a family game, Assassins, commencing in honor of Claire, Meredith’s sister who passed in an awful accident. All of this taking place in one week makes for a really action packed story, which is fun.

Meredith is still dealing with grief though and this is the first time she’s seen everyone since Claire passed, so she has some relationships to mend, but for the most part this family and extended family is so close knit. You can feel the love flowing between them. She also just went through a break up with her ex-boyfriend she was with for four years. And during this week, which felt longer, Meredith meets a boy, her future cousin-in-law’s step-brother, Wit. This boy takes her mind off of Ben and helps with her with some of the grieving she’s doing about Claire, but most of all, they are just having so much fun playing Assassins and hanging out with the family and making out.

Is it a bit of insta-love? I think it’s more of an insta-attraction and grows into something more by the epilogue. I mean, I’m all for a summer romance, and there’s happens in one week and after a 4 year relationship! I guess when you know, you know? lol… I’m not mad she was ready for a rebound. I thought Meredith and Wit were cute together. They had an easy way about them and clicked right away. It’s a sweet summer hook-up that turns into something much more! (Listen to Hey Stephen by Taylor Swift)

Meredith learns to have fun again, and let go so I liked seeing her grow. I did relate to Meredith’s anxieties about being in a fast car, after losing someone in a vehicle accident. I still get that too, so I thought it was very realistic. But it really was nice to see her loving life and being with family again.

Tropes: summer romance

Why you should read it:

• it’s got summer romance and Taylor Swift references
• family bonding, a wedding, a game of Assasins
• fun, heart-warming

Why you might not want to read it:

• insta-love
• Taylor Swift references (if you aren’t a fan)

My Thoughts:

I’ve had this book on my TBR for two years and I have finally read it! Thank you Kindle Unlimited! It was everything I was expecting, the summer vibes, and the sweet romance. I especially enjoyed the family bonding parts and Meredith dealing with her grief of losing her sister. I thought this was a fun and heart warming read.

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