Book Review: The Summer of Broken Rules by K. L. Walther
Published: May 4th 2021 by Sourcebooks Fire
Rating: ★★★★★
Genre: Young Adult // Contemporary, Romance
Quick Thoughts: Family-oriented, Pinterest-wedding, YA romance with all the feels for an end of summer read.
About the book: 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.
Perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Katie Cotugno, this is a story of loss, romance, and the time it takes to become who you really want to be.
First Thoughts
After featuring The Summer of Broken Rules in my What I’ll Be Reading This Summer post, I had no idea that it would become the last summer-y book I’d read before it finally turned to Autumn. That makes it special in a way, that it was the last, and kinda stole my heart along the way.
The Review
Meredith Fox has a big family. Not only are they exceptionally close, but they have the best ways of having summer fun, spending excitement-filled days at Martha’s Vineyard, playing their annual game of Assassin. But this summer is different: one, it’s her cousin’s wedding, and the first summer they’ve spent at Martha’s Vineyard without Meredith’s beloved sister Claire. Meredith misses her more than words, still struggling with the void that her loss has left in her life. And to make matters even worse, a fortnight before leaving for the wedding, her boyfriend of the longest time dumps her, thus making her go alone.
But Meredith has her family, and Assassin. It’s the best game ever, and invokes likeminded reminders of playing similar games with my friends in the summertime. This summer, it takes place during the lead-up to the wedding, and Meredith vows to win for Claire. But when she meets Wit, everything changes. He’s this magnetic force that absorbs all her attention. They form a sort-of alliance to help one another with the game, but the more time she spends with him, the faster she’s falling under his spell. To make matters worse, when he becomes her target, she’s conflicted on telling him the truth or keeping their holiday romance going. But summer has to end soon, and Wit is leaving, and so is she. But after channelling courage from her much-loved and missed sister, Meredith makes a decision for her own happiness that changes the course of her carefully thought plans.
Overall, The Summer of Broken Rules waltzed into my life, and like in Assassin, shot me straight in the heart, putting me under it’s spell. I found myself wanting to live inside the pages, totally enamoured by Meredith’s family, the romance (THE ROMANCE!!) and everything that it kept delivering. Reading this as my last book of the summer is such a serotonin boost. I think I’ve found one of my newfound favourite YA books. If you’re looking for a family-oriented, Pinterest-wedding, YA Romance with all the feels for an end of summer read, you’ve come to the right place. I could gush about this book for hours, and will at any given time, just ask my friends. Five stars completely!
About the Author
K.L. Walther was born and raised in the rolling hills of Bucks County, Pennsylvania surrounded by family, dogs, and books. Her childhood was spent traveling the northeastern seaboard to play ice hockey. She attended a boarding school in New Jersey and went on to earn a B.A. in English from the University of Virginia. She is happiest on the beach with a book, cheering for the New York Rangers, or enjoying a rom-com while digging into a big bowl of popcorn and M&Ms.
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happy reading!
