The Summer of Broken Rules: Review -

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Summer of Broken Rules, written by K. L. Walther, is a little gem. The perfect end-of-summer read it takes place in Martha’s Vineyard. If you’re a fan of books like The Summer I Turned Pretty, this will be a great choice for you. This is a feel-good romance novel, but very modest, with only a few curse words here and there and no explicit scenes. This could be a good option for older Teens and YA fans. This review will not contain any spoilers!

Summary of The Summer of Broken Rules:

When Meredith’s sister died 18 months ago, she fell apart. She became estranged from her friends and avoided everything that reminded her of Claire. She clung to her boyfriend Ben, and her routine of working at the bagel shop and going home. When her cousin Sarah announces her wedding will be at The Farm, her grandparent’s estate in Martha’s Vineyard, she can no longer avoid her family and all the things that remind her of Claire. Right before she’s supposed to leave for the wedding, her boyfriend unexpectedly breaks up with her, leaving her to face her fears alone. When her cousin announces they will bring back the game of assassin, Claire’s favorite game and a Farm tradition, she decides to put her all into it in her sister’s honor. Along the way, she meets Wit, a cute groomsman who impresses her with his assassin prowess, and good-natured attitude.

What The Summer of Broken Rules does well:

I enjoyed Meredith’s disposition, though she is 18 or 19, she still holds on to her childlike wonder, enjoying all the little things The Farm has to offer. I think every reader can find themselves in Meredith a little bit.

‘The Farm’ is the best part of the book. The descriptions of the land, the ocean and sand, there were times I felt like I could smell the salt water and feel the breeze caressing my face. The Summer of Broken Rules reminded me of my childhood, all my days spent at the beach, my nights spent around a fire and my feet perpetually bare.

Martha’s Vineyard is an enormous part of this book as well. Meredith, Wit, and the rest of the family spend a ton of time exploring Edgartown and other spots, going to restaurants, vintage diners, and even cool unassuming donut shops that are only open at night. IYKYK.

Assassin is an interesting addition to the book, but it brings the whole family together in a way that only a game can. I wish my family could do this every summer! I loved how committed the family was to assassin, and all of the harebrained schemes they came up with. I am seriously considering getting my family to agree to a game of assassin the next time we all take a trip together.

There are some very sad parts, as Meredith copes with the loss of her sister and experiences everything without her. Anyone who has lost someone they love can understand how everything reminds Meredith of Claire, and sometimes she just can’t bear to be around it all. This is a very real aspect of the book and one that I found refreshing.

This was my first book by this author and I would definitely read another. Her pace was pretty quick, never lingering on anything for too long, but kept the details that made the whole book feel warm and wholesome.

Quotes

“Claire never went anywhere without a book, and she’d taught me to do the same.”
― K.L. Walther, The Summer of Broken Rules

Is The Summer of Broken Rules a good book?

Yes! This is such a good summer read for anyone. It’s easygoing, romantic, happy, and emotive. It’s on the shorter side, at around 355 pages, you could easily read it in a weekend. I would classify The Summer of Broken Rules as Young Adult Romance or Contemporary Romance, and it could make a wonderful addition to a teen summer reading list!

If you have Kindle Unlimited, this book is part of your subscription and you can download and read it for free! (well, not really free, $9.99 a month but it’s worth it to me!)