The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther is a romance story set in Martha’s Vineyard, inspired by Taylor Swift’s song “Hey Stephen”.

Available on Kindle Unlimited.

My Overview

Meredith Fox has been visiting the Martha’s Vineyard every summer for years. It’s the place that holds many happy memories and traditions for the Fox family. This summer’s visit to Martha’s Vineyard, though, is their first without Meredith’s sister (Claire). It’s been eighteen months since Claire’s death. The family hasn’t visited Martha’s Vineyard since her death, but they’re gathering with their extended family to celebrate a wedding.

As if visiting Martha’s Vineyard while grieving her sister isn’t overwhelming enough, Meredith’s boyfriend dumped her two weeks before. Clearly, this week-long visit is one she wishes she could avoid. Fortunately, she meets Wit (Stephen) on her first day at Martha’s Vineyard. Their meet-cute moment is far from ideal, but their attraction and banter helps overcome it. Since they’re only there for the week of wedding festivities, the rules for their summer together quickly become blurred.

Two things to note:

  • Meredith’s grief for her sister is palpable throughout the story. Claire was an individual full of love and joy for everyone, so the references in the story are positive and uplifting.
  • The Fox family has a tradition of playing Assassin every summer. I found the game to be distracting and tedious to the storyline, but enjoyed the idea of the extended family having such a long-held tradition. I also liked how they honored the memory of Claire.

Overall, I enjoyed this feel-good story about love, family, and grief. Between the beach setting and Taylor Swift’s music as the backdrop, this was the perfect summer read for me. This books has all the summer feels.

My Recommendation

This is my first book by this author, and I’m now looking forward to reading some from her backlist. I enjoyed the writing style and family dynamics woven throughout. Specifically, the unconditional love and support of the Fox family as they struggled to move forward after a death. I listened to the audiobook and read the Kindle edition at times. I recommend either.

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