Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Rules of Arrangement by Maren Mackenzie

2 reviews

hannalizzy's review

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adventurous emotional funny informative tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was hands down the best ARC book I have ever read. I was immediately gripped after the first chapter, and I was ALL FOR some of the fake dating /older sexy rich guy tropes. Adelaide was a great narrator, and I loved her stubbornness, her clever mind, her independence. Her character arc is satisfying, and the relationship in the end  is more than satisfying — it’s swoon worthy. I loved this book. 10/10 recommend! 

(Pro tip: imagine the sexy older guy as Jack Harlow. Or any celebrity crush of choice. You will fall in LOVE)

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC copy 💕

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storieswithbee's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense, Spicy Reads
Age range: 18+
Spice: 3/5

Overall: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Writing and Setting: 4.5/5

TW: suicide attempt, mental illness, sex, sexual themes, mentions of underage sex, language, mentions of parental death, grief

I was absolutely FLOORED by this book…!

I was not prepared for how much of a page turner this book was going to be. I was already singing it’s praises after reading only four chapters, and I binged the rest without hesitation. 

‘Rules of Arrangement’ gives you everything you want in a book - romance, suspense, some mystery, hits of spice and so much character- driven chaos and drama that I just couldn’t put the book down. 

Characters: 5/5

The three main characters in this book are extremely well fleshed out. For instance, you can understand the motivation behind what ultimately dropped Adelaide into the blackmail situation. You can feel just how intense and how completely absorbed Jack is towards Addie, and you can’t ignore the slight feeling of Declan being ‘off-centre’ at different points throughout the book. Although the plot is central to this story, without these characters being as engrossing as they are, this book would not be as good as it is. 

Plot: 4.5/5

I really have nothing bad to say about the plot. It was original in its approach as I have never read anything like this book before, however, the only downfall (if you can call it that) is that the ending was little bit predictable (aka - the HEA) . 

Writing and Setting: 4.5/5

Very similar to the plot, the writing and settings were damn-near perfect. I loved the third-person narration, and I truely think that the book wouldn’t have been the same written in first person. The only irk I have was that the beginning was a little slow, but from the minute I picked up the book, I knew that it was going to be worth it in the long run. 

The setting takes place mainly in New York, but also spans across American and some international travel. Sometimes when the narrative jumps location a lot, the story can feel a bit disjointed, but the travel blended seamlessly with Jack’s lifestyle and it was realistic and believable to plot itself. 

Conclusion:

This is one of the most successful debut novels I think I’ve ever come across and I’m so pleased that I was able read and review this book as an advanced reader. I really look forward to reading more from Maren Mackenzie. 


I was given this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and this review has been posted on my own terms. Thank you to Maren Mackenzie, Marmack Books and Netgalley for the opportunity.  

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