The Ground Rules Rewritten by Roya Carmen

The Ground Rules Rewritten (The Rule Breakers, #2) by Roya Carmen
Series: The Rule Breakers #2
Published by Omnific Publishing on October 20th 2015


Amazon

Five simple rules. And it was very simple…until it wasn’t. 
 
It could have been much worse. We weren’t thinking straight and had put everything on the line – risking our marriages. So when Weston ended the arrangement, it was for the best – for all of us. But I was still heartbroken. I thought I’d shatter into a million pieces. I didn't, I survived. Not only did I survive, I came out stronger and ready to move on with my life.

But then… 

Weston reaches out to me. With a few soft words, a gentle touch and a lingering gaze, he crumbles all my efforts.

Neither Gabe nor I want to start this again, and we are determined to to fight the temptation. But Weston and Bridget are not taking no for an answer, and the pull between all of us is still so strong.

I tell myself I can handle it this time. This time, I am in the driver’s seat. This time, I am rewriting the ground rules.

4 stars? 4.5 stars? I’ve gone back and forth several times, and I still can’t get this book out of my head. Here’s the thing. The Ground Rules concludes with a resolved plot. Notice I didn’t say it was as happily satisfying as a hot fudge sundae, but Roya Carmen doesn’t leave the reader hanging. Why then would she open up the same can of worms and write a second book? I thought it was unnecessary, unless she planned to continue the story by adding another character’s point of view. I mean, what on God’s green Earth could make these people willingly re-enter the same couple swapping arrangement that almost jeopardized their marriages the first time around? Like some overly-curious voyeur though, I couldn’t say away from The Ground Rules Rewritten.

I had so many questions. Does Mirella really think she can distance herself emotionally this time? Puh-leeze. Is she having a midlife crisis because she’s only ever had one lover? Is Mirella some kind of nymphomaniac having her cake and eating it too by being adored by two men? What does Weston give her that Gabe doesn’t? Obviously, Mirella is being selfish and should stay away from Weston, right? Right??

My questions centered around Mirella, and while they might be great discussion questions for a book club, what I discovered is this. The story continues to be told strictly from Mirella’s point of view, but for me the book is mostly – and most interestingly – about the exploration of Weston’s character—and wow, what colors and depths there are to discover. The more I uncovered, the more I wanted to know. His psychology very much ties in with his desire for the arrangement with Mirella. What’s still unclear to me, however, is why Mirella is playing with fire when she has a good marriage. I need to understand her motivations better, and my inability to do so is my main reason for fluctuating between 4 stars and 4.5 stars. In the end, it’s my compassion for Weston that tips the scales for me. I love that flawed guy.

It should be said that this book is sexy and steamy beyond belief. However, it’s not mommy porn. The Ground Rules Rewritten is a hallmark for erotica. Yes, there’s explicit sex, but the sex scenes are beautifully written, and they further an intriguing plot driven by realistic and complex characters. Roya Carmen’s writing is fluid, and the story is captivating.

Be warned though. The book ends on the mother of all cliffhangers. I have no idea why the author chose to extend the story yet again, or how she plans to create enough plot to fill a third book, but I’m trusting her to deliver another thought-provoking, engaging installment.

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