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A review by thebooknerdscorner
Rules for Rule Breaking by Talia Tucker
4.0
An academic rivals to lovers road trip romance in which two goodie two-shoes learn that sometimes it's better to write their own rules and take the less traveled path.
Winter Park and Bobby Bae have known each other for ages, but that's only because their families have been long time friends. If they had their way, they would never speak to one another outside of the many academic activities they find themselves in together. Unfortunately, they will be seeing a lot more of each other over the summer since their parents have agreed that it would be a great idea for the two of them to go on a road trip to explore potential colleges. Now, the two rivals find themselves stuck in a car together for over 700 miles. Forced to spend time with one another, Winter and Bobby learn that they may have more in common than they originally assumed. . .
This was such a cute, relatable romance! Both Winter and Bobby are overachievers who have spent most of their lives thus far excelling in school and trying their hardest to prep for their collegebound lives after high school. School was pretty much my entire life too, so I totally can get behind this. The road trip element added the forced proximity trope that this rivals to lovers romance needed, and I was hooked as soon as their rule breaking adventure began!
The thing that made this romance click for me was how relatable both of the main characters are. I see a ton of myself in Bobby. From his high anxiety that often leads to panic attacks, his need to extensively plan ahead, and his overly sensitive nature, I see a ton of myself in him. Winter is a tad more rambunctious and filled with more fire, but I definitely see myself in many of the little parts of her. I can certainly relate to her unease with driving and the fact that mosquitoes just can't get enough of her.
These two have the cutest banter. At the start of this novel, I worried that the rivalry would stand a bit in the way of the sweetness of this book, but that wasn't the case. The way these two feed off one another and respond with witty remarks makes for a really fun and goofy ride.
The concept of these two having a list of rules that they cannot break unless they call a truce was a great idea. Not only was it a super fun way to have Bobby and Winter grow together, but it was a really smart way to format the book. Each chapter is named after a specific rule that gets broken before the chapter is through. Learning to go with the flow can often be a hard lesson to learn, but sometimes letting one's guard down can lead to the most magical of moments. Seeing Winter and Bobby embrace spontaneity was really fun, and a great reminder that some of life's greatest treasures happen when you least expect them to. I was a tad disappointed that many of these things involved super cliché things such as vaping, going to parties, and drinking, but at least these two seemed to learn their lessons in the long run.
This book deals quite a bit with pursuing one's own happiness rather than doing what others thinks is best for them. It can be really hard to break free from familial expectations, so it was nice seeing Winter help Bobby through many of his insecurities. This didn't just come into play involving choosing a college and career path, but it also came up with past familial traumas and disagreements. Every family has history, but it is important to remind oneself that you are more than your family's past endeavors.
Both Winter and Bobby's families are Korean, but they have both lived through very different life experiences. Winter's family embraces their culture, speaks the language, and continues to keep the culture alive, whereas Bobby's family tries to assimilate to all things American. This has caused Bobby to feel alienated through many of life's circumstances. Seeing him work through some of his doubts with his family was another great part of this novel.
Kai was another highlight of this book for me. Kai is Bobby's unapologetically queer, black, outspoken friend who is also a huge nerd. He lives in the world of comic books and design, which I found added a ton to his already awesome character. His one-liners were so hilarious, and Kai did a great job of adding another layer of humor and authenticity to this already great book.
Overall, "Rules for Rule Breaking" is a fun, academic rivals to lovers romance that does a great job of showcasing that life doesn't always go as planned and that some of the best memories come from putting aside your fears and living in the moment. I adore Bobby (he's such a relatable worrywart of a boy; I just want to give him a hug!) and Winter as main characters. They are both so relatable and had such realistic, pressing problems in their lives. The banter, the summery road trip vibes, and the Korean culture were all top tier in this book. It may not be my favorite book, but I certainly had a fun time with this one. I am excited to check out more of Tucker's work in the future!
Winter Park and Bobby Bae have known each other for ages, but that's only because their families have been long time friends. If they had their way, they would never speak to one another outside of the many academic activities they find themselves in together. Unfortunately, they will be seeing a lot more of each other over the summer since their parents have agreed that it would be a great idea for the two of them to go on a road trip to explore potential colleges. Now, the two rivals find themselves stuck in a car together for over 700 miles. Forced to spend time with one another, Winter and Bobby learn that they may have more in common than they originally assumed. . .
This was such a cute, relatable romance! Both Winter and Bobby are overachievers who have spent most of their lives thus far excelling in school and trying their hardest to prep for their collegebound lives after high school. School was pretty much my entire life too, so I totally can get behind this. The road trip element added the forced proximity trope that this rivals to lovers romance needed, and I was hooked as soon as their rule breaking adventure began!
The thing that made this romance click for me was how relatable both of the main characters are. I see a ton of myself in Bobby. From his high anxiety that often leads to panic attacks, his need to extensively plan ahead, and his overly sensitive nature, I see a ton of myself in him. Winter is a tad more rambunctious and filled with more fire, but I definitely see myself in many of the little parts of her. I can certainly relate to her unease with driving and the fact that mosquitoes just can't get enough of her.
These two have the cutest banter. At the start of this novel, I worried that the rivalry would stand a bit in the way of the sweetness of this book, but that wasn't the case. The way these two feed off one another and respond with witty remarks makes for a really fun and goofy ride.
The concept of these two having a list of rules that they cannot break unless they call a truce was a great idea. Not only was it a super fun way to have Bobby and Winter grow together, but it was a really smart way to format the book. Each chapter is named after a specific rule that gets broken before the chapter is through. Learning to go with the flow can often be a hard lesson to learn, but sometimes letting one's guard down can lead to the most magical of moments. Seeing Winter and Bobby embrace spontaneity was really fun, and a great reminder that some of life's greatest treasures happen when you least expect them to. I was a tad disappointed that many of these things involved super cliché things such as vaping, going to parties, and drinking, but at least these two seemed to learn their lessons in the long run.
This book deals quite a bit with pursuing one's own happiness rather than doing what others thinks is best for them. It can be really hard to break free from familial expectations, so it was nice seeing Winter help Bobby through many of his insecurities. This didn't just come into play involving choosing a college and career path, but it also came up with past familial traumas and disagreements. Every family has history, but it is important to remind oneself that you are more than your family's past endeavors.
Both Winter and Bobby's families are Korean, but they have both lived through very different life experiences. Winter's family embraces their culture, speaks the language, and continues to keep the culture alive, whereas Bobby's family tries to assimilate to all things American. This has caused Bobby to feel alienated through many of life's circumstances. Seeing him work through some of his doubts with his family was another great part of this novel.
Kai was another highlight of this book for me. Kai is Bobby's unapologetically queer, black, outspoken friend who is also a huge nerd. He lives in the world of comic books and design, which I found added a ton to his already awesome character. His one-liners were so hilarious, and Kai did a great job of adding another layer of humor and authenticity to this already great book.
Overall, "Rules for Rule Breaking" is a fun, academic rivals to lovers romance that does a great job of showcasing that life doesn't always go as planned and that some of the best memories come from putting aside your fears and living in the moment. I adore Bobby (he's such a relatable worrywart of a boy; I just want to give him a hug!) and Winter as main characters. They are both so relatable and had such realistic, pressing problems in their lives. The banter, the summery road trip vibes, and the Korean culture were all top tier in this book. It may not be my favorite book, but I certainly had a fun time with this one. I am excited to check out more of Tucker's work in the future!