Sneak Peek Wednesday: Rules We’re Meant to Break by Natalie Williamson (Giveaway)

Rules We’re Meant to Break
by Natalie Williamson
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Publication date: June 11, 2019
Genre: Young Adult Romance

Rule #1: Don’t get attached.

Amber lives by strict rules to survive her mother’s love life: Always keep your eyes on the horizon and never get close to anyone connected to Mom’s boyfriends.

But after they move in with Kevin, the latest of her mom’s “soul mates,” the rules become increasingly difficult to follow. Kevin’s daughter, Cammie, keeps acting like Amber’s friend, even though she’s definitely not. And Jordan—star basketball player, hottest boy in school, and Cammie’s best friend—keeps showing up at the most inconvenient moments.

Amber has reasons for every one of her rules, and following them is the only way to protect her heart when her mom inevitably moves on. But as she spends more time with Kevin, his daughter, and especially Jordan, she starts to wonder if the rules might be worth breaking this time.

 

 

Sneak Peek

A little while later Hannah comes out to join me, food and smoothies for both of us in hand.“Thanks,” I say, taking mine from her and immediately digging in to my sandwich.

“Of course,” she says, sliding in across from me. The restaurant is a lot quieter now, and the line
that was snaking to the door when I got here is now completely gone. “Ugh, my feet are killing
me.”

“Busy morning?”

She nods, reaching for her spoon and taking a bite of soup. “Totally wild. The post-church crowd
always is though.”

“Amen,” I say, and we both laugh.

Then Hannah’s grin fades and she levels me with an expectant look. “So. How’d it go
yesterday?”

And there it is. I’m surprised it took her this long to bring it up.

“Fine.” I reach for my sandwich again. “My room’s pretty big, and it’s on the opposite side of the
house from Cammie’s, so that’s a bonus.”

“That’s good,” Hannah says, still watching me carefully. She knows how much I’ve been
dreading this weekend, and even though we got into a fight over me not wanting her to help with
the move, she still wants to make sure I’m okay about it. Hannah has a big heart. It’s one of the
many reasons I’ve kept her around so long. “Was she there at all? Cammie, I mean.”

I shake my head. “It was supposed to be her weekend with Kevin too. At least that’s what Mom
said.”

“Awkward,” Hannah says.

“Tell me about it.”

Honestly, Cammie is the part of this whole move that’s been stressing me out the most. Kevin is
the fifth guy since my dad that we’ve lived with, the third who has kids of his own. But he’s the
first person my mom has dated who has a kid that goes to my school, and when you add in the
fact that Cammie and I are only a year apart and that her parents’ divorce was Big News last
year, awkward doesn’t even begin to describe it.

“Well,” Hannah says, because there’s really nothing else to say about this whole situation that
we haven’t covered ad nauseam in the last few weeks. “Is the unpacking going okay at least?”

I think of the maze of boxes I had to navigate this morning when I was trying to find my work
clothes, and of the judgmental look Buffy gave me when I tripped over a stack of books on my
way to get her more water from the bathroom. No way am I telling Hannah this though. It’d
make her worry more, and she already does enough of that where I’m concerned. “Yeah. I
mean, it’s slow. But it’s coming along.”

“Good,” she says, smiling now. “You know I’m always game to help if you need it, right?”

This last part comes out a little uncertain, and I get this prickle of guilt that she’s still so clearly
worried about our fight.

“I know you are. It’s just, you know the rules, Han, and you know why they matter more than
ever now. I don’t want to mess with the status quo this early in the game.”

She nods, her smile fading a little even as a grim sort of under- standing settles over her face.

“Of course,” she says quickly. “I get it.”

Desperate for a change of subject, I reach for my smoothie, take a long drink, and then say the
first thing that pops into my head. “Did you know Jordan Baugh lives in Harper Ridge?”

“What!” Hannah sits up straighter in her seat. “How did I not know this? How do you know this?”

“I saw him while I was walking Buffy last night,” I admit. “His house is next door to The Castle.”

“No shit?” she says, her expression gleeful. “Maybe he can be, like, your escape plan if things
get too weird at home. You can walk Buffy over to his house all the time.”

“I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself, Han. I don’t even really know him.”

“Yeah, but you’ve always wanted to get to know him.” She waggles her eyebrows at me. “So
this new proximity can be your in.”

I shake my head at her, but I’m fighting a smile now. And I can’t help picturing Jordan how I saw
him last night, lit up from behind, his expression earnest as he watched me leave. “Maybe.”

 

 

 

Meet Natalie Williamson

Natalie Williamson is an HR person by day and a writer by night and nap time. She referenced Harry Potter in her first ever full time job interview, which tells you almost all the things you need to know about her. Other important things to know include: she loves her husband, daughter, dogs, and cat; she has a serious dessert problem; and she frequently Wikipedias movies and TV shows to find out if they have happy endings. RULES WE’RE MEANT TO BREAK is her debut novel.

Website | Twitter | Instagram

 

 

 

 

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

3 Thoughts on “Sneak Peek Wednesday: Rules We’re Meant to Break by Natalie Williamson (Giveaway)

  1. Thanks for being on the tour! 🙂

  2. Aww that sounds kinda sad. Have to keep rules so you don’t get hurt.

  3. Well that cover speaks to my office supply organizing self like nothing else. lol

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