Break the Rules by Roxie Noir

Category: Contemporary Romance
Publication date: 11/20/2020
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

Roxie Noir saved me from the pits of a deep, dark book slump with this one. I owe her BIG TIME.

via GIPHY

Plot overview: Forest ranger Levi starts up a romance with his best friend’s kid sister. There’s also a cool little mystery involving tree murder that they solve together. Tons of fun and sexy times ensue. It’s a funny-at-times, emotional-but-not-angsty, contemporary romance that would also appeal to fans of rom coms and new adult romance. ​

I adored the hero in this book. ADORED. He’s a loner and he’s quiet, but he’s not the stereotypical quiet loner. He’s a little socially awkward, sure, but he’s not a grumpy jerk (not that there’s anything wrong with that...I also enjoy the grumpy loners, but I digress..) He isn’t bogged down by tons of emotional baggage or memories of a horrible childhood. He doesn’t have a vicious ex who is out to destroy his relationships. He’s not a committment-phobe or man slut. He’s not a billionaire. He’s just a good, normal guy with a great family who falls completely head-over-heels in love with the heroine after quietly pining for her for a while. (I LOVE it when heroes pine) He’s pretty much perfect in every way. He’s theultimate cinnamon roll hero. Does he overreact a little at one point towards the end when it becomes clear that the heroine wasn’t completely forthcoming with him? Sure. But he recovers really well, so all was quickly forgiven. I could never stay mad at Levi for long.  

June’s a great heroine, too. She’s a little confused about what she wants to do with her life, but hey, who isn’t? She’s smart and kind and has an awesome relationship with her family. She has a little emotional baggage in the form of past crappy relationships, but they don’t define her or make her do anything stupid. She pretty much always acts like an adult, and I really appreciated it. The only reason I’m not gushing about how awesome June is is because Levi is BEYOND awesome. It would be hard for any heroine to stand in his glow and not be diminished just a smidge, you know what I’m saying? (Did I mention how much I love Levi?)

And, sidenote to the author, I certainly hope you’re planning to write Silas’s story. I will 1-click the CRAP out of that one. Please and thanks.  

So, once again, I say thank you to Roxie Noir for pulling me out of my book slump, and I suggest that y’all go check out this book ASAP. You’ll thank me later. 

Note: This is part of a series, but it can be easily read as a standalone.  
           
Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma?
No stigma in sight. This one’s a winner!