REVIEW and GIVEAWAY: "The Rule Book" by Jennifer Blackwood (Contemporary Romance)

	The Rule Book Jennifer Blackwood Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC - Embrace Genre: Contemporary Romance Publication Date: May 9, 2016 (Affiliate links)
Description from Publisher: Starr Media Second-Assistant Survival Guide 1. Don't call your hot boss the antichrist to his face. 2. Don't stare at hot boss's, um, package or his full sleeve of tattoos. (No. Really. Stop!) 3. Don't get on the malicious first assistant's bad side. 4. Don't forget to memorize the 300-page employee manual. 5. If you value your cashmere, steer clear of boss’s dog. 6. Boss’s dimples are lust-inducing. Do. Not. Give. In. 7. “The elevator ate your clothes” is not a valid excuse for showing up to important meetings half dressed. 8. Don't break seven of the rules within the first week of employment if you, ya know, are in dire need of money to support your sick mom. 9. Whatever you do, don’t fall for the boss. See rule eight about sick mom. 10. Never forget the rules.
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
I received a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.com for an honest, unbiased review. My opinion is my own. First, let me say that the sexual tension between Brogan and Lainey is sizzling. There was a lot of lead-up, a lot of "Will they or won't they?" that is satisfying when they stop fighting their attraction. The bantering between them, and the friendship they almost-accidentally build is a lot of fun. This is all told from Lainey's perspective, which I wasn't sure about at first, but she's got a great voice. There are so many laugh-out-loud funny lines and situations here. The supporting characters, like Lainey and Brogan's coworkers, as well as Lainey's roommate and mom, are involved enough to provide support while not being too big of a distraction from the story itself. Everything is written in a casual, but very genuine, way. It reminded me a lot of Gilmore Girls (Rory, the Marketing-guru post-college years?), which is fitting because Lainey is a GG fan, and has a very close relationship with her mom. Speaking of supporting characters, I definitely need to mention Bruce, Brogan's dog. He is practically his own character and any dog lover will smile at his descriptions. The climax of this felt almost repetitive since it was something that had happened on a smaller scale maybe 15% earlier in the story. That said, it still makes a lot of sense. There are many 80s and early 90s references in this, which I loved. However, I'm almost 32 and was the right age to, for instance, have a poster of JTT. I'm not sure that most 24 year olds are as familiar with Duck Hunt on the NES, John Hughes movies, or even know who JTT is (and I have a sister who is that age). For that reason, it feels like Lainey would be late 20s, early 30s. This was a lot of fun to read and I would really recommend it to anyone who is a fan of rom-coms! a Rafflecopter giveaway Keep your eyes peeled! I'll be posting an EXCERPT and another GIVEAWAY next week!!