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A review by chaotic_reading
Rules of Arrangement by Maren Mackenzie
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars
If I were to describe this book in five words or less, it would be this: 1989 by Taylor Swift. Just…trust me on this.
Adelaide “Addie” Wright is a broke college student who, after finding herself being blackmailed by a former acquaintance, is thrown into the high-rolling life of art dealer Jack Nolan. Jack is older, wealthy, and powerful, but as Addie grows closer to him, she soon learns he’s not all he’s been made out to be. As the chemistry and angst build, sparks fly. Will Addie rise to the challenge of Jack’s charms, or fall victim to her blackmailer and the life she’s felt forced to carve out for herself.
This book had me in its grips the entire time. This had everything I want in a romance book: a reasonably realistic MC, a chaotic plot full of high stakes, excellent smut, a third act that was true to the characters/plot, and a subsequent reunion that was true to the characters/plot.
I liked the premise and the pace of the plot. The whiplash of emotions between Addie and Jack were a lot sometimes, but seemed on par for the unusual personal-yet-professional relationship tight-rope they were trying to walk – which was the recipe for making the good times good, and the bad times bad.
While the book may not be entirely flawless (I’ll talk about that a little further down), HOWEVER it is completely, 100%, a good time. It’s fun, dirty, and a little out of this world – in a great way. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Rules of Arrangement; I couldn’t put it down and plan on picking up a physical copy ASAP.
Below are SPOILERS
[Some critiques that I have about the book include the inclusion of the suicide attempt and the family drama. I felt a little weird about Declan’s suicide attempt; it felt unnecessarily dark and took away from the main narrative of the story. As another reviewer pointed out, the blackmail could’ve entirely been removed from the storyline and Addie would’ve still had a perfectly good reason to enter into the arrangement with Jack.
Additionally, the family drama was leaned into a little too hard for my liking, especially for it to be mostly forgiven by the end. There was 3+ years of bad blood and hurt that seemed to get resolved relatively quickly (not completely, but a bit too much too fast imo). I think a strained/estranged relationship instead of an outright hatred would’ve been more beneficial in this instance. (hide spoiler)]
Neither of my critiques spoiled my enjoyment of the book overall.
So happy with Maren Mackenzie’s debut novel, I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for future publishings.
CW: Suicide attempt – not graphic
Thank you to NetGalley and Marmack Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
If I were to describe this book in five words or less, it would be this: 1989 by Taylor Swift. Just…trust me on this.
Adelaide “Addie” Wright is a broke college student who, after finding herself being blackmailed by a former acquaintance, is thrown into the high-rolling life of art dealer Jack Nolan. Jack is older, wealthy, and powerful, but as Addie grows closer to him, she soon learns he’s not all he’s been made out to be. As the chemistry and angst build, sparks fly. Will Addie rise to the challenge of Jack’s charms, or fall victim to her blackmailer and the life she’s felt forced to carve out for herself.
This book had me in its grips the entire time. This had everything I want in a romance book: a reasonably realistic MC, a chaotic plot full of high stakes, excellent smut, a third act that was true to the characters/plot, and a subsequent reunion that was true to the characters/plot.
I liked the premise and the pace of the plot. The whiplash of emotions between Addie and Jack were a lot sometimes, but seemed on par for the unusual personal-yet-professional relationship tight-rope they were trying to walk – which was the recipe for making the good times good, and the bad times bad.
While the book may not be entirely flawless (I’ll talk about that a little further down), HOWEVER it is completely, 100%, a good time. It’s fun, dirty, and a little out of this world – in a great way. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Rules of Arrangement; I couldn’t put it down and plan on picking up a physical copy ASAP.
Below are SPOILERS
[Some critiques that I have about the book include the inclusion of the suicide attempt and the family drama. I felt a little weird about Declan’s suicide attempt; it felt unnecessarily dark and took away from the main narrative of the story. As another reviewer pointed out, the blackmail could’ve entirely been removed from the storyline and Addie would’ve still had a perfectly good reason to enter into the arrangement with Jack.
Additionally, the family drama was leaned into a little too hard for my liking, especially for it to be mostly forgiven by the end. There was 3+ years of bad blood and hurt that seemed to get resolved relatively quickly (not completely, but a bit too much too fast imo). I think a strained/estranged relationship instead of an outright hatred would’ve been more beneficial in this instance. (hide spoiler)]
Neither of my critiques spoiled my enjoyment of the book overall.
So happy with Maren Mackenzie’s debut novel, I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for future publishings.
CW: Suicide attempt – not graphic
Thank you to NetGalley and Marmack Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide attempt