Book Review: Breaking the Rules by Cat Lavoie

Author: Cat Lavoie
My Rating: 5 cups
Publisher: Marching Ink LLC
Publishing Date: August 8th 2012
Source: review copy offered by author
Blurb: (from Goodreads)

When twenty-seven year old Roxy Rule’s best friend and roommate accepts a glamorous new job overseas, she expects their relationship to continue as it’s always been—carefree and easy—until they share a heart-stopping kiss moments before his departure. Overcome with mixed emotions, she fights the urge to over analyze the situation and resumes back to her normal life in New York City, working for an intolerable boss at a dead end job, creeping further and further away from her own dreams of becoming a professional chef.

While things become more complicated between her and Ollie, Roxy is sure that nothing can come between two lifelong best friends—not even mild jealousy over a thriving career or a silly little kiss that meant nothing. In fact, it was such a meaningless and forgettable kiss that she convinces herself that it’s not even worth mentioning to her fiancé, although it is all she can think about.

Roxy’s already topsy-turvy life only gets more complicated when her sisters Steffi and Izzie suddenly become her roommates. Steffi is six months into a pregnancy she refuses to discuss and Izzie is in the throes of a premature midlife crisis. Roxy tries to take control of her career, her love life and her sisters – but can she really handle it all? And can the Rule family keep it together – or break under the pressure?

This is one of those books that remind me why I love a certain genre (in this case, chick lit). It has everything I could wish for, and then some: humor, drama, romance, family crisis, surprising twists and turns... Like I said, everything.

Roxy Rule is one of those impossible-not-to-love characters. She's funny, she's friendly, she has an amazing family and a hot best friend. I really loved Roxy. I was rooting for her the entire novel and I was wishing she'd end up with the love of her life, Ollie. Just when things get complicated and she starts to doubt everything in her life, from her job, to her boyfriend, her two sisters knock on her door, needing some time off from their own lives. Her younger sister is pregnant with an unknown man and her older sister just broke up with her  boyfriend. I liked how Roxy tries to protect her sisters and hide the fact that they moved in with her from her parents. And I liked that out of all the sisters, she was the least judgmental one, the one that just listens and waits for things to unfold, the one that doesn't try to pry.

Ollie is Roxy's best friend since infancy. I liked him, even though he gave me a big surprise near the end of the book. I don't know how I would've reacted if I were Roxy, but I liked the fact that in the end Ollie makes things right and he makes the right decision. He's been in love with Roxy for a long time, but he doesn't act on it. I liked that he doesn't force things, though I would've expected more resistance towards all the crap his girlfriend was throwing his way.

I think the subject of love between two best friends is a dangerous subject, but Cat Lavoie wrote a beautiful story and I had a lot of fun reading it. For me, it was one of those books that you start reading and the next thing you know, it's a few hours later and you are reading the last page.

If you love chick lit, you definitely need to read Breaking The Rules.