Book Review: The Summer of Broken Rules – Kaethe Walther

Meredith’s family’s annual game of assassin at Martha’s Vineyard during a summer wedding is the perfect chance to honor her sister’s legacy, and finally join the world again. But when she forms an alliance with a cute groomsman, she’s at risk of losing both the game … and her heart.

When Meredith Fox lost her sister, Claire, eighteen months ago, she shut everyone out. But this summer she’s determined to join the world again.

The annual family vacation to Martha’s Vineyard seems like the perfect place to reconnect. Her entire extended family is gathering for a big summer wedding, and although Meredith is dateless after being unexpectedly dumped, she’s excited to participate in the traditional Fox family game of assassin that will take place during the week of wedding festivities. Claire always loved the game, and Meredith is determined to honor her legacy.

But when Meredith forms an assassin alliance with a cute groomsman, she finds herself getting distracted. Meredith tries to focus on the game and win it for her sister, but she can’t help falling for him. And as the week progresses, she realizes she’s not only at risk of losing the game, but also her heart.

Being a lover of books doesn’t exactly mix well with my habit of impulsively buying books without finishing the ones that I haven’t read. It’s no secret to the people who know me well that I have a certain addiction that involves collecting books at an alarming rate , with the unfortunate tendency to let them accumulate into towering stacks in my room. Eventually, the burden becomes too great, and I, a very stubborn person, crack into the annoyingly irresistible urge to dive into the unread stories that call me by my name (Lil Nas X reference ?!). So, last week as I cruised through the comforting shelves of my favorite bookstore and my first love, Barnes and Noble, I couldn’t resist the allure of yet another literary masterpiece – “The Summer of Broken Rules” by K.L. Walther.

The book follows the story of a girl named Meredith Fox. Meredith and her family used to go on an annual summer vacation to Martha’s Vineyard every year. Until Meredith tragically lost her sister Claire around 18 months ago. After years of not going to this tradition, the family decided to show their gratitude to Claire and honor her death by playing an annual game of assassin at Martha’s Vineyard during a summer wedding with her entire extended family. Meredith forges an unexpected alliance with an attractive groomsman, and her attention wavers from the task. She came here with the goal to wholeheartedly participate in the game and secure a victory for her sister seems to be going out of her mind as she discovers that her growing affection for him becomes an irresistible distraction. With each passing day, the stakes rise higher not only in the game but also in matters of the heart. Meredith finds herself caught in a situation where she risks not only losing the game but also maybe her own heart .

“It’s one of those special places where you feel like time doesn’t exist. Where it will always be summer, where I’ll always wake up with you.” – K.L. Walther, The Summer of Broken Rules

The way that the family is described gives a sense of closeness and familiarity, and the setting which was a beachy and tropical paradise offered an escape to the reader. The bike rides, trips to the beach, the love interest, and Meredith’s close-knitted family make me feel all cuddly, bubbly, and everything in between! I absolutely loved all of the Taylor Swift references in the book, even though I am not a fellow Swiftie (don’t come for me), I still thought this idea really personalized the book and made the reader feel connected to the story since they knew glimpses of the story. I also really liked how this book was a mix of multiple tropes and storylines, it has a sprinkle of family drama (typical, you can never have a family vacation without somebody getting into an argument and sulking off, trust me), summer crush, a dream wedding, and an action-packed assassin game ♣️.

One thing I didn’t like about this gem of a book was that first of all, I didn’t really find satisfaction in the premise of Claire’s death. But that’s it.

If you like books like P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han, People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, and Breathless by Jennifer Niven, then you will certainly adore this perfect summer read !