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A review by stephdaydreams
Rules of Arrangement by Maren Mackenzie
4.0
This book had me engaged from start to finish.
I am a slow reader, even short books take me a couple or days or more. This book only took me an afternoon and an evening. I could *not* put it down. Maren Mackenzie's debut novel is an absolute hit. I wish I could experience it all over again for the first time. I am so happy with it! Her writing is convincing, emotional, sexy, and romantic. The whole package!
I am not used to reading books with quite the age gap this one had, but now I'm eager to discover more-- especially if they're written as compelling as this one.
I felt for our lead Adelaide so much. There was one point towards the second half of the story where I was so scared she was not going to be able to share her truth on her own terms. So many of her choices were manipulated away, leaving her with limited agency, and I was nervous for when and how the truth would come out. The fact I held my breath and my heart was racing as wildly as it did, is further evidence of how compelling the book was. Jack made me feel all things-- frustration and anger; love and exhilaration. I wanted him away from Adelaide, but also needed him to stay with her. Their relationship was one I immediately bought into. There is so much tension, chemistry, and urgency in their attraction to one another. The smut was a total steamy delight, but what I ended up caring more about was when they emotionally connected to one another. Shower sex is a total plus. but I also love scenes of vulnerability. Of soft intimacy. The urgent sex, the soft intimacy, this story balanced it out so well! There was sincere depth I so appreciated.
Some may question the feasibility of Adelaide getting away with 3 years of illegal essay writing, but for me, I think sometimes you have to suspend your disbelief. I fell easily into this story and honestly did not want to leave it. I regret how quickly I read it, if anything.
My only "complaints" are quite minor- I would have enjoyed a lengthier finish or epilogue, with a narrative that paced itself so well, I was a bit bummed with how quickly things wrapped up. On the opposite side, I think I needed more a build-up of Jack's secret. Again,I do consider these minor nitpicks that did not detract any from my overall enjoyment of this book. Like I said, for a slow reader like me-- finishing within a day means a book was freaking fantastic!
Thank you NetGalley and Marmack Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to its release. I am so grateful-- the synopsis had be immediately intrigued and I felt extremely satisfied with this book.
Will 100% recommend to all! I can't wait to see what other stories Mackenzie has in store for us-- I'll definitely be a loyal and eager reader to all future works!
trigger warning: there is discussion of a past suicide attempt as well as a present day suicide attempt.
I am a slow reader, even short books take me a couple or days or more. This book only took me an afternoon and an evening. I could *not* put it down. Maren Mackenzie's debut novel is an absolute hit. I wish I could experience it all over again for the first time. I am so happy with it! Her writing is convincing, emotional, sexy, and romantic. The whole package!
I am not used to reading books with quite the age gap this one had, but now I'm eager to discover more-- especially if they're written as compelling as this one.
I felt for our lead Adelaide so much. There was one point towards the second half of the story where I was so scared she was not going to be able to share her truth on her own terms. So many of her choices were manipulated away, leaving her with limited agency, and I was nervous for when and how the truth would come out. The fact I held my breath and my heart was racing as wildly as it did, is further evidence of how compelling the book was. Jack made me feel all things-- frustration and anger; love and exhilaration. I wanted him away from Adelaide, but also needed him to stay with her. Their relationship was one I immediately bought into. There is so much tension, chemistry, and urgency in their attraction to one another. The smut was a total steamy delight, but what I ended up caring more about was when they emotionally connected to one another. Shower sex is a total plus. but I also love scenes of vulnerability. Of soft intimacy. The urgent sex, the soft intimacy, this story balanced it out so well! There was sincere depth I so appreciated.
Some may question the feasibility of Adelaide getting away with 3 years of illegal essay writing, but for me, I think sometimes you have to suspend your disbelief. I fell easily into this story and honestly did not want to leave it. I regret how quickly I read it, if anything.
My only "complaints" are quite minor- I would have enjoyed a lengthier finish or epilogue, with a narrative that paced itself so well, I was a bit bummed with how quickly things wrapped up. On the opposite side, I think I needed more a build-up of Jack's secret. Again,I do consider these minor nitpicks that did not detract any from my overall enjoyment of this book. Like I said, for a slow reader like me-- finishing within a day means a book was freaking fantastic!
Thank you NetGalley and Marmack Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to its release. I am so grateful-- the synopsis had be immediately intrigued and I felt extremely satisfied with this book.
Will 100% recommend to all! I can't wait to see what other stories Mackenzie has in store for us-- I'll definitely be a loyal and eager reader to all future works!
trigger warning: there is discussion of a past suicide attempt as well as a present day suicide attempt.