Book Review: The Summer of Broken Rules

I heard a lot of good things about The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther last summer and I knew I wanted to read it. I had a feeling I would like it, but I didn’t realize I would love it as much as I did!

The novel follows Meredith Fox, a young woman who just graduated from high school, and is spending a week in Martha’s Vineyard for her cousin’s wedding. Her grandparents own a large piece of land in Martha’s Vineyard with multiple houses on the land and Meredith and her family and extended family have always spent the summers there. However, Meredith and her parents did not spend last summer there because her sister tragically died. This is their first time back with everyone on The Farm as it’s affectionately called.

When Meredith arrives, she meets Wit, the younger step-brother to her cousin’s fiancé and they immediately hit it off. They have the same sense of humor and just get along really well. They seem to just understand each other.

The family has a tradition every summer of playing the game Assassin. Meredith’s grandparents, Wink and Honey, are the commissioners and make the assignments. You have to assassinate your person using water so a water gun, water balloon, bucket of water, etc. Once you assassinate your target, you inherit their target. Meredith’s sister, Claire, was champion for many years and this year she wants to do her sister proud. She normally has an alliance with some friends/distant cousins, but this year she also makes a pact with her new friend, Wit.

The week on The Farm helps Meredith deal with her feelings about her sister’s passing, reconnects her with her family, and brings her a new friend and love.

The book was so good! I loved Meredith and Wit so much and the whole Fox family. I loved the how feeling of the family on The Farm and how healing the whole environment was for Meredith.

It was just the sweetest book and although parts of it made me emotional and tear up, it ultimately just made my heart so happy.

Read this if you want a sweet and emotional YA closed door romance.

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