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bunnycherry's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
ppchili93's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sarcrawsh's review against another edition
3.0
This is a book that I got years ago from a mail order book club and read a lot, a long time ago. I enjoyed the reread of it today, though I think it's far from Howard's best work. It is definitely a bit dated, too.
thenia's review against another edition
3.0
One of the author's early books and it feels like she's still finding her voice, as the writing is a bit flowery and slightly repetitive.
The story is simple, with an heiress returning to her ranch, where her first love is running things. He is a very macho alpha male, who has been traumatized by his involvement in a war, and who is used to running things and not explaining himself very well.
She has quite a few moments of intense stupidity, mistaking his actions and attention to her for attempts to take and keep the ranch for himself, but by the end the misunderstanding is resolved and they get their happy ever after.
Enjoyable, but full of angst, sometimes unnecessarily so. Still, I am enjoying the author's stories and will keep going through her back-list.
The story is simple, with an heiress returning to her ranch, where her first love is running things. He is a very macho alpha male, who has been traumatized by his involvement in a war, and who is used to running things and not explaining himself very well.
She has quite a few moments of intense stupidity, mistaking his actions and attention to her for attempts to take and keep the ranch for himself, but by the end the misunderstanding is resolved and they get their happy ever after.
Enjoyable, but full of angst, sometimes unnecessarily so. Still, I am enjoying the author's stories and will keep going through her back-list.
hollie313's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
novelbloglover's review against another edition
4.0
Book Review
Title: Against the Rules
Author: Linda Howard
Genre: Slice of Life/Family/Erotica/Romance
Rating: ****
Review: I can’t believe I never read this book before. I really enjoyed it. I love the feel of a modern western. I’m addicted to this theme. I thought Rule was such an intense, rugged, sexy, appealing hero. He was raw and dominant, like many of Linda Howard’s heroes. But he never stepped over the edge to domineering bully, for me. He had a vulnerability and a need for Cat that made my heart flutter. Cat is a heroine that I could sympathize with. She spent so many years running scared from her overwhelming attraction for Rule, a man who swooped in and took control of her father’s ranch after he died. And he took control of her, stepping in as a sort of surrogate guardian. Although he feelings for her were far from avuncular. Their interlude when she was seventeen and he was in his twenties didn’t strike me as wrong (although legally it is), because there was a deep connection there that seemed to spark out of control. It didn’t have a sleazy, Lolita vibe for me. I think it was handled very well by Ms. Howard.
Linda Howard is absolutely one of the best romance writers out there. I stumbled upon her books quite by chance and nearly devoured up all her work in a short period of time. Maybe this is the reason why that I forgot that I had once read this book, and it was only nearly at the end of the book that I realized that I had actually read this book during my initial Linda Howard crazed phase.
Linda Howard writes romances with strong alpha heroes that never fails to entice us women readers. They are strong, stubborn to a fault and oh yes when they do fall, they fall that much harder which makes us women wring our hands and go into a major sighing session. This book is no exception to this rule and it wouldn’t be a crime to say that Rule Jackson is one delicious hero.
The western ranch setting appealed to me. I loved the descriptions of working on a horse-breeding ranch. But it didn’t overshadow the love story, merely forming a backdrop that helped to better characterize Rule and Cat. I so wanted to be there on that ranch, as I read this story.
Rule and Cathryn were neighbors when they were growing up. Back then Rule had been a happy boy, although intense in nature. However everything changed when Rule was enlisted to go fight in the Vietnam war. Upon his return, Rule had changed into someone entirely different. Gone was the happy carefree young man, instead a sullen, dangerously silent man remained. Getting into endless trouble over time and going on day long drinking binges finally took its toll and at Rule’s weakest moment, Cathryn’s father Ward took him in and gave him a second chance at living.
Given the vast age difference between Cathryn and Rule, it was to Rule that her father left the management of the ranch upon his sudden death. Cathryn has never felt comfortable at all around Rule and things finally come to their explosive conclusion when Cathryn loses her virginity to Rule in succumbing to the combustive passion they find in each other. Seventeen then, Cathryn scared out of her wits at what she has discovered flees to pursue her higher studies and then marries David.
Now twenty five years of age, Cathryn once again returns home a widow, and Rule stakes his claim on Cathryn from the moment she steps off the plane. Though Cathryn cannot deny her all consuming love for Rule, she cannot be sure whether Rule feels the same way about her. Of course it doesn’t help that Cathryn’s half sister Richy thinks she is in love with Rule as well and tries to poison the fragile bond between Cathryn and Rule with malicious innuendo at every turn.
Cat’s marriage wasn’t delved into overly much, but it sounds like it was a happy one. It is nice to have a character have been happily-married, and the deceased spouse not treated as the bad guy. And the fact that she was fated to love Rule so much more didn’t mean that she couldn’t have loved her husband.
Rule’s intense love and feelings towards Cat really won me over. There are few types of heroes that I love more than heroes in pursuit. He was really intent on getting her to stay, and somewhat ruthless in his seduction, but that was just fine with me. It makes the romance all that more thrilling for me. I love a man who goes after the woman he wants.
The reviews for this one by others are kind of low. I guess I’m in the minority here. I would actually add this to my list of faves by Linda Howard. Sometimes her alphas can be domineering brutes to me, and that makes some of her books less enjoyable. In the case of Rule, he was done so well, that his alpha and dominant nature was a highly enjoyable part of this book. It might be that Cat didn’t come off as being bullied by him. She was susceptible to him, no question about it. But he was probably just as much in her thrall. Their relationship had a mutuality in the level of love and attraction they held for each other that made the alpha/possessive tendencies of Rule feel right. And Cat definitely showed some jealous/possessive tendencies towards him, as well.
The sensual elements were well-done. Something about the way the category romances that were written in the 80s that I love. The books had the chemistry and the fiery love scenes that I like, but they aren’t over the top, where you wonder, are these people really in love, or they just having some explosive sex? You can feel the love in the private moments. But that’s just my opinion, and you know how much opinions are worth.
I’m really glad I had the chance to finally read Against the Rules. It’s worth its weight in gold for this reader. It’s going on my Linda Howard keeper shelf.
Title: Against the Rules
Author: Linda Howard
Genre: Slice of Life/Family/Erotica/Romance
Rating: ****
Review: I can’t believe I never read this book before. I really enjoyed it. I love the feel of a modern western. I’m addicted to this theme. I thought Rule was such an intense, rugged, sexy, appealing hero. He was raw and dominant, like many of Linda Howard’s heroes. But he never stepped over the edge to domineering bully, for me. He had a vulnerability and a need for Cat that made my heart flutter. Cat is a heroine that I could sympathize with. She spent so many years running scared from her overwhelming attraction for Rule, a man who swooped in and took control of her father’s ranch after he died. And he took control of her, stepping in as a sort of surrogate guardian. Although he feelings for her were far from avuncular. Their interlude when she was seventeen and he was in his twenties didn’t strike me as wrong (although legally it is), because there was a deep connection there that seemed to spark out of control. It didn’t have a sleazy, Lolita vibe for me. I think it was handled very well by Ms. Howard.
Linda Howard is absolutely one of the best romance writers out there. I stumbled upon her books quite by chance and nearly devoured up all her work in a short period of time. Maybe this is the reason why that I forgot that I had once read this book, and it was only nearly at the end of the book that I realized that I had actually read this book during my initial Linda Howard crazed phase.
Linda Howard writes romances with strong alpha heroes that never fails to entice us women readers. They are strong, stubborn to a fault and oh yes when they do fall, they fall that much harder which makes us women wring our hands and go into a major sighing session. This book is no exception to this rule and it wouldn’t be a crime to say that Rule Jackson is one delicious hero.
The western ranch setting appealed to me. I loved the descriptions of working on a horse-breeding ranch. But it didn’t overshadow the love story, merely forming a backdrop that helped to better characterize Rule and Cat. I so wanted to be there on that ranch, as I read this story.
Rule and Cathryn were neighbors when they were growing up. Back then Rule had been a happy boy, although intense in nature. However everything changed when Rule was enlisted to go fight in the Vietnam war. Upon his return, Rule had changed into someone entirely different. Gone was the happy carefree young man, instead a sullen, dangerously silent man remained. Getting into endless trouble over time and going on day long drinking binges finally took its toll and at Rule’s weakest moment, Cathryn’s father Ward took him in and gave him a second chance at living.
Given the vast age difference between Cathryn and Rule, it was to Rule that her father left the management of the ranch upon his sudden death. Cathryn has never felt comfortable at all around Rule and things finally come to their explosive conclusion when Cathryn loses her virginity to Rule in succumbing to the combustive passion they find in each other. Seventeen then, Cathryn scared out of her wits at what she has discovered flees to pursue her higher studies and then marries David.
Now twenty five years of age, Cathryn once again returns home a widow, and Rule stakes his claim on Cathryn from the moment she steps off the plane. Though Cathryn cannot deny her all consuming love for Rule, she cannot be sure whether Rule feels the same way about her. Of course it doesn’t help that Cathryn’s half sister Richy thinks she is in love with Rule as well and tries to poison the fragile bond between Cathryn and Rule with malicious innuendo at every turn.
Cat’s marriage wasn’t delved into overly much, but it sounds like it was a happy one. It is nice to have a character have been happily-married, and the deceased spouse not treated as the bad guy. And the fact that she was fated to love Rule so much more didn’t mean that she couldn’t have loved her husband.
Rule’s intense love and feelings towards Cat really won me over. There are few types of heroes that I love more than heroes in pursuit. He was really intent on getting her to stay, and somewhat ruthless in his seduction, but that was just fine with me. It makes the romance all that more thrilling for me. I love a man who goes after the woman he wants.
The reviews for this one by others are kind of low. I guess I’m in the minority here. I would actually add this to my list of faves by Linda Howard. Sometimes her alphas can be domineering brutes to me, and that makes some of her books less enjoyable. In the case of Rule, he was done so well, that his alpha and dominant nature was a highly enjoyable part of this book. It might be that Cat didn’t come off as being bullied by him. She was susceptible to him, no question about it. But he was probably just as much in her thrall. Their relationship had a mutuality in the level of love and attraction they held for each other that made the alpha/possessive tendencies of Rule feel right. And Cat definitely showed some jealous/possessive tendencies towards him, as well.
The sensual elements were well-done. Something about the way the category romances that were written in the 80s that I love. The books had the chemistry and the fiery love scenes that I like, but they aren’t over the top, where you wonder, are these people really in love, or they just having some explosive sex? You can feel the love in the private moments. But that’s just my opinion, and you know how much opinions are worth.
I’m really glad I had the chance to finally read Against the Rules. It’s worth its weight in gold for this reader. It’s going on my Linda Howard keeper shelf.
katiev's review
3.0
3-3.5.
I did like it. I liked the first half most. Toward the last it did seem to drag a bit with the same ground being covered over and over. Basically the entire plot was the heroine's struggle to decide if the H really wanted her for her or wanted total control of the ranch she owned (he was the foreman). Not a lot else to hold it together. Could have cut 50 pages IMHO.
This is one of those old school, early '80's LH titles that feature a super bossy alpha, so be aware. He wasn't a bad guy, but he was very pushy and determined to get his way. It's fun in that old school way that some of us enjoy.
Warning: The h lost her virginity to the late 20's hero when she was only 17. It was never very well explained, but sounds like it started out as a fight and ended in sex. The h remembers it as a pleasurable encounter and never accuses the H of force, but it's still shady. The h was so freaked by the intensity of the experience that she left immediately for college and came home rarely in the next 8 years, even marrying another man who had passed of illness when the book began.
I did like it. I liked the first half most. Toward the last it did seem to drag a bit with the same ground being covered over and over. Basically the entire plot was the heroine's struggle to decide if the H really wanted her for her or wanted total control of the ranch she owned (he was the foreman). Not a lot else to hold it together. Could have cut 50 pages IMHO.
This is one of those old school, early '80's LH titles that feature a super bossy alpha, so be aware. He wasn't a bad guy, but he was very pushy and determined to get his way. It's fun in that old school way that some of us enjoy.
Warning:
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