My rating: 3/5 stars
I’ve been a little grumpy with the ratings lately, but why it is soooo hard to find a 5-star book? Why?? Especially when you begin one written by your favorite author, Penelope Ward, the choice would have been obvious, but it was not the case.
“The Rules of Dating” was a good book in terms of message and awareness, but in my opinion, it lacked the dynamic I’ve been searching for. The action was absent and even if the problem was real, I couldn’t understand why a whole book was chosen with only this topic. I think that was the major issue, that I needed something more besides what I already received.
Billie is a talented tattoo artist who discovered that her boyfriend is cheating. Soooo, she masters this plant to catch him in the act and as collateral of all this, Colby Lennon, her landlord, is caught in the heat of the moment. No problem, because the 2 of them instantly hit it off and their chemistry was off the charts. But Billie is reluctant to begin a new relationship now and Colby is a father of a precious little girl named Saylor. So, between responsibility and trust, Billie and Colby must find a way to manage this chemistry and not get anyone hurt in the process. The problem comes afterward when Colby’s past comes to hunt him and threaten what he loves most – his daughter.
The book was sweet and again, the message was loud and clear – when you embark on a new relationship and you have a child, it is very difficult for the kid, but also for your partner. In this story, Billie and Saylor connected soooo well and it was a pleasure to see them together. The chemistry with Colby was also very sweet and palpable, but it all fell apart in the second half of the book when all the attention went sideways.
I don’t want to spoil it, but I think Penelope and Vi wanted something more from this book, but ran out of topics and just let it go. I wanted the plot to be more realistic and more dynamic, but the pace was slowed down in the last 40% and it killed me. I wanted more time with my couple, to get to know them and understand where they are at. Instead, I received a lot of drama that didn’t seem authentic to be applicable in real life….
The thing I am looking forward to is the next book because a loose thread was left, in order to begin a new intriguing series, with Colby’s best friends. I really hope it will not disappoint.
Ramonisme 