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A review by crlntm
Rules of Arrangement by Maren Mackenzie
2.0
Rules of Arrangement was a decent debut novel. The lovely book cover initially lured me in and the premise sounded intriguing, but I felt a bit misled by the book's description. I thought it would involve more of the art world and a bit of high society, so the overall setting felt very normal to me. The art angle could've been an opportunity to make this book stand out. There was only one part of the novel that actually involved some art critique/discussion and I thought it accompanied Adelaide and Jack's development really well, so I was disappointed by the lack of art.
Most of the characters felt pretty flat and I didn't really like or relate to any of them. Jack was mean and controlling, Declan was manipulative, Michael was a complete doormat, and Samantha was stubborn for no reason. Their motivations seemed really weak and it felt like their actions were just to further exaggerate their one-note personalities. This made the ending feel a bit forced and rushed. I liked Adelaide, but I was very frustrated for her throughout the novel because of how everyone else was treating her.
The romance wasn't anything spectacular, so I don't have much to say on that. I also don't want to say too much without knowing the author's background or intentions, but I did not like how mental health was included in the story. It felt icky for it to be used as a plot device for all the characters to get their shit together and come together for Adelaide.
This was a nice quick read, but I don't think the story was for me.
Overall rating: 2.5/5 stars
A copy of this book was provided by Marmack Books through NetGalley.
Most of the characters felt pretty flat and I didn't really like or relate to any of them. Jack was mean and controlling, Declan was manipulative, Michael was a complete doormat, and Samantha was stubborn for no reason. Their motivations seemed really weak and it felt like their actions were just to further exaggerate their one-note personalities. This made the ending feel a bit forced and rushed. I liked Adelaide, but I was very frustrated for her throughout the novel because of how everyone else was treating her.
The romance wasn't anything spectacular, so I don't have much to say on that. I also don't want to say too much without knowing the author's background or intentions, but I did not like how mental health was included in the story. It felt icky for it to be used as a plot device for all the characters to get their shit together and come together for Adelaide.
This was a nice quick read, but I don't think the story was for me.
Overall rating: 2.5/5 stars
A copy of this book was provided by Marmack Books through NetGalley.