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Breaking the Rules
A fortune teller predicted Joe Figueroa would meet the love of his life that very night, so he took fate by the horns and chose his wife. Now his marriage and his naval career are in ruins and he’s got a bone to pick with that psychic. When he tracks her down the haunting gypsy beauty doesn’t look a day older, just more entrancing than ever.
Did Joe choose the wrong woman to marry that night?
Susana Cigan barely recognizes the man whose fate she’d once seen linked with hers. Yet Joe awakens something inside her that stirs her body and threatens her psychic gift. She’s tired of her gypsy heritage confining her in a narrow world of tradition and superstition and knows she could lead this wounded and hostile stranger on a journey to redemption. Will she dare to follow her heart and venture into unfamiliar—and sensual—territory with this man who threatens to break all her rules?
***
She craved this man. Craved everything about him. His big hard body, his handsome scarred face, his pain-filled eyes. She kept her gaze fixed on the blue ink scrawled over his torso, avoiding the obvious sign of his fierce arousal beneath it.
“You should stay a virgin.”
Even as he said it she knew he didn’t mean it. His hand skimmed along her arm, traced the curve of her armpit and slid down to glide along the underside of her bare breast. The sensation of fingertips on the sensitive skin made her suck in a breath.
“You’ve saved yourself until now. You should wait until the right man comes along.”
But what if you are the right man?
She didn’t say the question aloud, but he heard it anyway.
“I can’t offer you anything beyond a night of pleasure. I know I can offer you that.” His eyes narrowed. “Sexual pleasure is one area of life where I know I won’t disappoint. Where I won’t be disappointed. I guess that’s why it beckons me now, when there’s nothing else I can count on.”
She dropped her eyes to the hand caressing her breast, then back up to meet his steady gaze. “If you think I should wait, why are you still touching me? You’re breaking the rules.” Her voice emerged as a whisper, breathless with want. And with fear. Fear of her own aching need.
“It’s the beast inside me. The crazy, dangerous part that keeps me awake at nights when everyone else is sleeping. The beast wants you.”
“And the honorable man?”
“He wants you, too.”
Did Joe choose the wrong woman to marry that night?
Susana Cigan barely recognizes the man whose fate she’d once seen linked with hers. Yet Joe awakens something inside her that stirs her body and threatens her psychic gift. She’s tired of her gypsy heritage confining her in a narrow world of tradition and superstition and knows she could lead this wounded and hostile stranger on a journey to redemption. Will she dare to follow her heart and venture into unfamiliar—and sensual—territory with this man who threatens to break all her rules?
***
She craved this man. Craved everything about him. His big hard body, his handsome scarred face, his pain-filled eyes. She kept her gaze fixed on the blue ink scrawled over his torso, avoiding the obvious sign of his fierce arousal beneath it.
“You should stay a virgin.”
Even as he said it she knew he didn’t mean it. His hand skimmed along her arm, traced the curve of her armpit and slid down to glide along the underside of her bare breast. The sensation of fingertips on the sensitive skin made her suck in a breath.
“You’ve saved yourself until now. You should wait until the right man comes along.”
But what if you are the right man?
She didn’t say the question aloud, but he heard it anyway.
“I can’t offer you anything beyond a night of pleasure. I know I can offer you that.” His eyes narrowed. “Sexual pleasure is one area of life where I know I won’t disappoint. Where I won’t be disappointed. I guess that’s why it beckons me now, when there’s nothing else I can count on.”
She dropped her eyes to the hand caressing her breast, then back up to meet his steady gaze. “If you think I should wait, why are you still touching me? You’re breaking the rules.” Her voice emerged as a whisper, breathless with want. And with fear. Fear of her own aching need.
“It’s the beast inside me. The crazy, dangerous part that keeps me awake at nights when everyone else is sleeping. The beast wants you.”
“And the honorable man?”
“He wants you, too.”
187 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
555 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Lewis
446 books126 followersJennifer Lewis is the USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty books, which have been translated into more than twenty languages.
"I’ve been making up stories since the day I was born. I always loved to draw as well as write and as a child I drew graphic novellas featuring penniless but plucky Cinderella heroines. My love of daydreaming earned me the nickname “Dozy Duck” in Kindergarten, and I still consider staring into space to be a constructive activity.
I was born in Manhattan but my family moved to London when I was six months old, toting me along in a cat basket. I grew up as a Brit and traveled extensively in Europe during my only-slightly-misspent formative years.
I came back to the States to earn a bachelor’s degree in Semiotics from Brown University and begin a journey into the world of trans-Atlantic accents that I have still not fully emerged from. On graduation I returned to New York, where I learned to explain Semiotics on job interviews (“It’s the study of signs and systems of meaning!”) and to apply my knowledge in a very enjoyable career at a television museum.
While organizing exhibits on subjects ranging from Elvis Presley to Monty Python, I began to experiment with writing my own stories. It was quite a revelation to discover that the tales I’d been dreaming up forever could actually be turned into books. After a couple of detours--my son and my daughter--I focused all my creative energy on writing and my first book came out from Silhouette Desire in 2007.
I live in South Florida with my family, which includes an adorable greyhound and four horses.
Check out the Pinterest boards I've made for some of my books here: http://www.pinterest.com/jenlewisauthor/
Facebook author page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennif...
"I’ve been making up stories since the day I was born. I always loved to draw as well as write and as a child I drew graphic novellas featuring penniless but plucky Cinderella heroines. My love of daydreaming earned me the nickname “Dozy Duck” in Kindergarten, and I still consider staring into space to be a constructive activity.
I was born in Manhattan but my family moved to London when I was six months old, toting me along in a cat basket. I grew up as a Brit and traveled extensively in Europe during my only-slightly-misspent formative years.
I came back to the States to earn a bachelor’s degree in Semiotics from Brown University and begin a journey into the world of trans-Atlantic accents that I have still not fully emerged from. On graduation I returned to New York, where I learned to explain Semiotics on job interviews (“It’s the study of signs and systems of meaning!”) and to apply my knowledge in a very enjoyable career at a television museum.
While organizing exhibits on subjects ranging from Elvis Presley to Monty Python, I began to experiment with writing my own stories. It was quite a revelation to discover that the tales I’d been dreaming up forever could actually be turned into books. After a couple of detours--my son and my daughter--I focused all my creative energy on writing and my first book came out from Silhouette Desire in 2007.
I live in South Florida with my family, which includes an adorable greyhound and four horses.
Check out the Pinterest boards I've made for some of my books here: http://www.pinterest.com/jenlewisauthor/
Facebook author page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennif...
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 23, 2013
Some books really shouldn't be published. :)
… So.
I’m not going to tear this author to shreds with this review. I’m not.
BUT.
If I were to e-mail this author, if I was that girl…
It would go a little something like this:
“Hey, Miss Lewis. I’m e-mailing you in regards to your medicine cabinet.
…Is it empty?”
***This ARC was provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.***
May 8, 2013
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Mangrove and Netgalley.)
10 years ago, 30-year-old Joe had his fortune told by a gypsy girl in New York, who told him that he would meet the love of his life that very same day. What she didn’t tell him is that she was the girl she saw in his future, and so the girl that he then met and married cheated on him and divorced him.
Wanting to find the gypsy girl and tell her how she ruined his life, Joe goes back to the shop where she worked, and meets the same girl again – Susana.
Susana admits to him that she was the girl she saw with him in the globe, and he tells her that she owes him for not telling him the whole truth of his fortune, and demands that she have dinner with him.
Susana and Joe are instantly attracted to one another, but Susana knows that if she loses her virginity she will also lose her ‘sight’ and her ability to do her job though, and is cautious.
Can Joe and Susana really be destined to be together? Can he forgive her for his failed marriage? What will Susana’s Romany family say if they find that Joe and Susana are together? And is Susana prepared to lose her sight to be with Joe?
This was a sweet romance about an unlikely but destined love affair, and the couple’s desire to be together.
Susana was a sweet but innocent girl, and she was a little afraid of what would happen to her if she lost her sight. Raised by a strict grandmother she had all sorts of ideas that she knew weren’t very modern, and a family that wasn’t very forgiving either. It was sweet when she realised her true feelings for Joe though, and her decision to be with him wasn’t easily made.
Joe had a past and was a little angry over the hand that he had been dealt. He felt betrayed by his wife and his best friend, had issues with his job in the Navy, and blamed some of this on Susana because of her failed prediction. It was sweet to see him lose some of his anger though, and to finally realise the way that he felt about Susana. He really grew during this story, and Susana helped him to see how he really wanted his life to be.
The storyline in this book was quite a typical contemporary romance, with the added factors of Susana’s prediction, Susana’s Romany heritage, and her ‘sight’. There was the added complication of Susana’s family, but the romance followed the typical pattern of boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl go through a rough patch/some hardship, boy and girl admit their feelings and live happily ever after.
There was sex in the story but it wasn’t too erotic, and was dealt with in quite a sweet way.
Overall; a sweet contemporary romance, about a Romany girl with the ‘sight’, and an ex-Navy man with a past.
7 out of 10.
10 years ago, 30-year-old Joe had his fortune told by a gypsy girl in New York, who told him that he would meet the love of his life that very same day. What she didn’t tell him is that she was the girl she saw in his future, and so the girl that he then met and married cheated on him and divorced him.
Wanting to find the gypsy girl and tell her how she ruined his life, Joe goes back to the shop where she worked, and meets the same girl again – Susana.
Susana admits to him that she was the girl she saw with him in the globe, and he tells her that she owes him for not telling him the whole truth of his fortune, and demands that she have dinner with him.
Susana and Joe are instantly attracted to one another, but Susana knows that if she loses her virginity she will also lose her ‘sight’ and her ability to do her job though, and is cautious.
Can Joe and Susana really be destined to be together? Can he forgive her for his failed marriage? What will Susana’s Romany family say if they find that Joe and Susana are together? And is Susana prepared to lose her sight to be with Joe?
This was a sweet romance about an unlikely but destined love affair, and the couple’s desire to be together.
Susana was a sweet but innocent girl, and she was a little afraid of what would happen to her if she lost her sight. Raised by a strict grandmother she had all sorts of ideas that she knew weren’t very modern, and a family that wasn’t very forgiving either. It was sweet when she realised her true feelings for Joe though, and her decision to be with him wasn’t easily made.
Joe had a past and was a little angry over the hand that he had been dealt. He felt betrayed by his wife and his best friend, had issues with his job in the Navy, and blamed some of this on Susana because of her failed prediction. It was sweet to see him lose some of his anger though, and to finally realise the way that he felt about Susana. He really grew during this story, and Susana helped him to see how he really wanted his life to be.
The storyline in this book was quite a typical contemporary romance, with the added factors of Susana’s prediction, Susana’s Romany heritage, and her ‘sight’. There was the added complication of Susana’s family, but the romance followed the typical pattern of boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl go through a rough patch/some hardship, boy and girl admit their feelings and live happily ever after.
There was sex in the story but it wasn’t too erotic, and was dealt with in quite a sweet way.
Overall; a sweet contemporary romance, about a Romany girl with the ‘sight’, and an ex-Navy man with a past.
7 out of 10.
May 7, 2013
Breaking the Rules Jennifer Lewis.
ARC supplied by Netgalley
I love a romance and sometimes you don't want a full on action and drama one but something gentle and light just to relax with. This book fits that request perfectly. There is some action and drama but its gentle and rather than having leads in danger its more about family, loyalty and loss.
Susana is only 13 and covering for her grandma at the fortune telling booth when in walks handsome sailor Joe. She's shocked by what's revealed – she is to be the love of his life. Uncertain how to deal with this she tells him he'll meet the love of his life that night – and Joe misinterprets her words and marries someone he's ultimately betrayed by. Bitter and discontented he sees her booth and determines to take her to task. He's shocked at how he feels on seeing her though and events unfold that risks his happiness and her future.
Joe and Susana were both very “real” feeling people and I understood their cautions. Joe believed in marriage for life and felt desolate at the ending of his, and Susana was struggling with the restrictions of her Romani life and yet as the only family she had she would risk everything – her livelihood and her contact with the aunts, uncles and cousins if she chose to move outside the traditional way of life. With the Romani once a member was out they were forbidden from any contact, a big loss for someone with no other friends or family. Its an interesting concept risking all for love and I felt Jennifer handled it very sympatheticely She didn't let Susana just throw all to the winds in a blitz of passion, which would have been wrong given the type of person she's written as but let us share in her fears and how she came to her decision. Its a really enjoyable story – something a bit different from the usual boy meets girl, has a bit of trouble then love ever after. Its good to find something a bit outside the norm, something fresh and unusual. I'm always interested in the whys, the psychology of why people make the decisions they do and using the Romani traditions allowed us to see just how much can be risked for love, and what a huge decision it can be.
Its quite a brief book at 136 pages for £1.99 on kindle, but well written and there's a lot packed in to such a short book. Stars: four from me – I enjoyed it but as a one off. Its not one I'd re read being a bit too light, although I did find it very enjoyable and interesting.
ARC supplied by Netgalley
I love a romance and sometimes you don't want a full on action and drama one but something gentle and light just to relax with. This book fits that request perfectly. There is some action and drama but its gentle and rather than having leads in danger its more about family, loyalty and loss.
Susana is only 13 and covering for her grandma at the fortune telling booth when in walks handsome sailor Joe. She's shocked by what's revealed – she is to be the love of his life. Uncertain how to deal with this she tells him he'll meet the love of his life that night – and Joe misinterprets her words and marries someone he's ultimately betrayed by. Bitter and discontented he sees her booth and determines to take her to task. He's shocked at how he feels on seeing her though and events unfold that risks his happiness and her future.
Joe and Susana were both very “real” feeling people and I understood their cautions. Joe believed in marriage for life and felt desolate at the ending of his, and Susana was struggling with the restrictions of her Romani life and yet as the only family she had she would risk everything – her livelihood and her contact with the aunts, uncles and cousins if she chose to move outside the traditional way of life. With the Romani once a member was out they were forbidden from any contact, a big loss for someone with no other friends or family. Its an interesting concept risking all for love and I felt Jennifer handled it very sympatheticely She didn't let Susana just throw all to the winds in a blitz of passion, which would have been wrong given the type of person she's written as but let us share in her fears and how she came to her decision. Its a really enjoyable story – something a bit different from the usual boy meets girl, has a bit of trouble then love ever after. Its good to find something a bit outside the norm, something fresh and unusual. I'm always interested in the whys, the psychology of why people make the decisions they do and using the Romani traditions allowed us to see just how much can be risked for love, and what a huge decision it can be.
Its quite a brief book at 136 pages for £1.99 on kindle, but well written and there's a lot packed in to such a short book. Stars: four from me – I enjoyed it but as a one off. Its not one I'd re read being a bit too light, although I did find it very enjoyable and interesting.
May 3, 2013
*Arc provided kindly through Netgalley*
First, let me say that I did not quite understand the summary of this book. It is the extract given above that made me want to read it because I was curious. This isn't a very long book but I liked it, well I think I did.
The title really represents the book. At first it was with the broken rules introduced by the girl, but also the traditional rules broken at the end by not obeying to everything your culture tell you to do or not do. With that, it kind of brings a modern side to it.
About the main characters:
Susana is a strong woman with convictions. And Joe is just so sweet, he has been through bad experiences in his past (like many men in books) and for ONCE, he is NOT a player flirting with every girl around and it's just so damn relaxing to not fear that the guy is going to cheat on the girl, etcetera.
However, it was annoying to see Susana like a prisoner of her own family. I wanted her to do and act like she wanted and not follow their demands. And unfortunately I didn't really feel the chemistry between Joe and Susana.
Even if for me it wasn't one of those books you can't put it down (It was a little difficult to be really in it and finish it) but it was a little different from other books that I've read before (well, except for the romance part, and the past of the guy).
It would be a 2,5 Stars for me.
I hope you'll like better that book than I did.
First, let me say that I did not quite understand the summary of this book. It is the extract given above that made me want to read it because I was curious. This isn't a very long book but I liked it, well I think I did.
The title really represents the book. At first it was with the broken rules introduced by the girl, but also the traditional rules broken at the end by not obeying to everything your culture tell you to do or not do. With that, it kind of brings a modern side to it.
About the main characters:
Susana is a strong woman with convictions. And Joe is just so sweet, he has been through bad experiences in his past (like many men in books) and for ONCE, he is NOT a player flirting with every girl around and it's just so damn relaxing to not fear that the guy is going to cheat on the girl, etcetera.
However, it was annoying to see Susana like a prisoner of her own family. I wanted her to do and act like she wanted and not follow their demands. And unfortunately I didn't really feel the chemistry between Joe and Susana.
Even if for me it wasn't one of those books you can't put it down (It was a little difficult to be really in it and finish it) but it was a little different from other books that I've read before (well, except for the romance part, and the past of the guy).
It would be a 2,5 Stars for me.
I hope you'll like better that book than I did.
May 13, 2013
See more of my reviews at www.girlbooklove.wordpress.com!
Romani Fortune Teller + Sailor
Mmmm…makings for a hot romance right?! Well, kind of.
I have to say first that this wasn’t a bad book. I even liked the characters and plot. The sex was sexy, as would be expected, and I liked the ending.
I think I just didn’t connect as closely as I could have. I wanted to though, and I might pull this book out again and give it another try. Or I might try dressing up like Susana for Halloween this year! See, so many things in this were intriguing. Like Susana and her clothes! She wore baggy skirts and layers and when Joe talked about wanting to get under her skirts…and then that time that he actually does. Whew! It was hot! She was so mysterious and Joe was dark and brooding and scarred.
So you might be thinking…"so what’s the problem?” The answer is, I’m not really sure. It was just lacking a certain puzzle piece that even I can’t identify. Maybe a little bit more angst or a dash more of conflict. Possibly the main characters could’ve fought a little more to be together.
**I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Romani Fortune Teller + Sailor
Mmmm…makings for a hot romance right?! Well, kind of.
I have to say first that this wasn’t a bad book. I even liked the characters and plot. The sex was sexy, as would be expected, and I liked the ending.
I think I just didn’t connect as closely as I could have. I wanted to though, and I might pull this book out again and give it another try. Or I might try dressing up like Susana for Halloween this year! See, so many things in this were intriguing. Like Susana and her clothes! She wore baggy skirts and layers and when Joe talked about wanting to get under her skirts…and then that time that he actually does. Whew! It was hot! She was so mysterious and Joe was dark and brooding and scarred.
So you might be thinking…"so what’s the problem?” The answer is, I’m not really sure. It was just lacking a certain puzzle piece that even I can’t identify. Maybe a little bit more angst or a dash more of conflict. Possibly the main characters could’ve fought a little more to be together.
**I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 8, 2013
A Romany fortune teller and a sailor.
I wanted to wrap this story round me like a duvet, the warmth that comes from this book is tremendous.
Such a simple, ambling tale of love, trust and passion between two people taking a leap of faith.
The characters are so well written, they are the main characters, in fact only two others have lines in this book apart from the main characters.
You are transformed straight into their lives and thoughts, I was there next to them in the restaurant while they were eating their very spicy food.
I really really liked this book.
I wanted to wrap this story round me like a duvet, the warmth that comes from this book is tremendous.
Such a simple, ambling tale of love, trust and passion between two people taking a leap of faith.
The characters are so well written, they are the main characters, in fact only two others have lines in this book apart from the main characters.
You are transformed straight into their lives and thoughts, I was there next to them in the restaurant while they were eating their very spicy food.
I really really liked this book.
August 20, 2013
Breaking the Rules
By Jennifer Lewis
Summery courtesy of goodreads.com
A fortune teller predicted Joe Figueroa would meet the love of his life that very night, so he took fate by the horns and chose his wife. Now his marriage and his naval career are in ruins and he’s got a bone to pick with that psychic. When he tracks her down the haunting gypsy beauty doesn’t look a day older, just more entrancing than ever.
Did Joe choose the wrong woman to marry that night?
Susana Cigan barely recognizes the man whose fate she’d once seen linked with hers. Yet Joe awakens something inside her that stirs her body and threatens her psychic gift. She’s tired of her gypsy heritage confining her in a narrow world of tradition and superstition and knows she could lead this wounded and hostile stranger on a journey to redemption. Will she dare to follow her heart and venture into unfamiliar—and sensual—territory with this man who threatens to break all her rules?
***
She craved this man. Craved everything about him. His big hard body, his handsome scarred face, his pain-filled eyes. She kept her gaze fixed on the blue ink scrawled over his torso, avoiding the obvious sign of his fierce arousal beneath it.
“You should stay a virgin.”
Even as he said it she knew he didn’t mean it. His hand skimmed along her arm, traced the curve of her armpit and slid down to glide along the underside of her bare breast. The sensation of fingertips on the sensitive skin made her suck in a breath.
“You’ve saved yourself until now. You should wait until the right man comes along.”
But what if you are the right man?
She didn’t say the question aloud, but he heard it anyway.
“I can’t offer you anything beyond a night of pleasure. I know I can offer you that.” His eyes narrowed. “Sexual pleasure is one area of life where I know I won’t disappoint. Where I won’t be disappointed. I guess that’s why it beckons me now, when there’s nothing else I can count on.”
She dropped her eyes to the hand caressing her breast, then back up to meet his steady gaze. “If you think I should wait, why are you still touching me? You’re breaking the rules.” Her voice emerged as a whisper, breathless with want. And with fear. Fear of her own aching need.
“It’s the beast inside me. The crazy, dangerous part that keeps me awake at nights when everyone else is sleeping. The beast wants you.”
“And the honorable man?”
“He wants you, too.
Review
I had major problems with this book the pace the flow and the development of the characters, I didn't finish it, it was so frustrating.
I didn't feel any attachment to the characters at all Susana annoyed me she was winny and honestly was to annoying to be likeable.
Also Joe doesn't believe in fortune tellers yet believes everything hes told, and then bases major life choices and decisions on her predictions? ( OMG these two deserve each other another)Are we supposed to feel sorry for him? He's an idiot.
I couldn't finish this - it was idiotic.
2 Stars
By Jennifer Lewis
Summery courtesy of goodreads.com
A fortune teller predicted Joe Figueroa would meet the love of his life that very night, so he took fate by the horns and chose his wife. Now his marriage and his naval career are in ruins and he’s got a bone to pick with that psychic. When he tracks her down the haunting gypsy beauty doesn’t look a day older, just more entrancing than ever.
Did Joe choose the wrong woman to marry that night?
Susana Cigan barely recognizes the man whose fate she’d once seen linked with hers. Yet Joe awakens something inside her that stirs her body and threatens her psychic gift. She’s tired of her gypsy heritage confining her in a narrow world of tradition and superstition and knows she could lead this wounded and hostile stranger on a journey to redemption. Will she dare to follow her heart and venture into unfamiliar—and sensual—territory with this man who threatens to break all her rules?
***
She craved this man. Craved everything about him. His big hard body, his handsome scarred face, his pain-filled eyes. She kept her gaze fixed on the blue ink scrawled over his torso, avoiding the obvious sign of his fierce arousal beneath it.
“You should stay a virgin.”
Even as he said it she knew he didn’t mean it. His hand skimmed along her arm, traced the curve of her armpit and slid down to glide along the underside of her bare breast. The sensation of fingertips on the sensitive skin made her suck in a breath.
“You’ve saved yourself until now. You should wait until the right man comes along.”
But what if you are the right man?
She didn’t say the question aloud, but he heard it anyway.
“I can’t offer you anything beyond a night of pleasure. I know I can offer you that.” His eyes narrowed. “Sexual pleasure is one area of life where I know I won’t disappoint. Where I won’t be disappointed. I guess that’s why it beckons me now, when there’s nothing else I can count on.”
She dropped her eyes to the hand caressing her breast, then back up to meet his steady gaze. “If you think I should wait, why are you still touching me? You’re breaking the rules.” Her voice emerged as a whisper, breathless with want. And with fear. Fear of her own aching need.
“It’s the beast inside me. The crazy, dangerous part that keeps me awake at nights when everyone else is sleeping. The beast wants you.”
“And the honorable man?”
“He wants you, too.
Review
I had major problems with this book the pace the flow and the development of the characters, I didn't finish it, it was so frustrating.
I didn't feel any attachment to the characters at all Susana annoyed me she was winny and honestly was to annoying to be likeable.
Also Joe doesn't believe in fortune tellers yet believes everything hes told, and then bases major life choices and decisions on her predictions? ( OMG these two deserve each other another)Are we supposed to feel sorry for him? He's an idiot.
I couldn't finish this - it was idiotic.
2 Stars
May 13, 2013
An everyday love story supposedly with a twist. Not what I expected from a bestselling author, so was quite disappointed.
In Breaking the Rules by Jennifer Lewis, a fortune teller predicted Joe Figueroa would meet the love of his life that very night, so he took fate by the horns and chose his wife. Now his marriage and his naval career are in ruins and he’s got a bone to pick with that psychic. When he tracks her down the haunting gypsy beauty doesn’t look a day older, just more entrancing than ever.
Did Joe choose the wrong woman to marry that night?
Susana Cigan barely recognizes the man whose fate she’d once seen linked with hers. Yet Joe awakens something inside her that stirs her body and threatens her psychic gift. She’s tired of her gypsy heritage confining her in a narrow world of tradition and superstition and knows she could lead this wounded and hostile stranger on a journey to redemption. Will she dare to follow her heart and venture into unfamiliar—and sensual—territory with this man who threatens to break all her rules?
From the blurb, I had expected something more, especially from Ms. Lewis who is a well established and bestselling author. So what went wrong?
There were so many elements missing from this story. Just to name two:
1. There was a lack of background, despite the fact that the story preludes the background. There were so many things regarding both main characters that were missing as well. Like, the hows and the whys of why they are who they are in the time line of the story.
2. From the blurb, one would expect that Susana would be magical. There was nothing magical about the story. AT ALL!
Okay, so maybe it is my fault that I expected more from this. I don't know. But the book was a total waste as there was so much potential waiting to happen and yet there was no follow through. In my opinion, the author missed her mark on this one and instead of creating a book that was a happy to read thing, it just fell flat.
And no, the erotic scenes just took up so much space, but was like, ugh! I am now wracking my brain for the right adjective but I end up with something nasty, so won't say anything.
Don't shoot me. I am venting.
Don't get me wrong. The storyline was okay, hence the 2 stars. I just wish the author did MORE. So yeah, disappointed.
Review based on an ARC from Netgalley
In Breaking the Rules by Jennifer Lewis, a fortune teller predicted Joe Figueroa would meet the love of his life that very night, so he took fate by the horns and chose his wife. Now his marriage and his naval career are in ruins and he’s got a bone to pick with that psychic. When he tracks her down the haunting gypsy beauty doesn’t look a day older, just more entrancing than ever.
Did Joe choose the wrong woman to marry that night?
Susana Cigan barely recognizes the man whose fate she’d once seen linked with hers. Yet Joe awakens something inside her that stirs her body and threatens her psychic gift. She’s tired of her gypsy heritage confining her in a narrow world of tradition and superstition and knows she could lead this wounded and hostile stranger on a journey to redemption. Will she dare to follow her heart and venture into unfamiliar—and sensual—territory with this man who threatens to break all her rules?
From the blurb, I had expected something more, especially from Ms. Lewis who is a well established and bestselling author. So what went wrong?
There were so many elements missing from this story. Just to name two:
1. There was a lack of background, despite the fact that the story preludes the background. There were so many things regarding both main characters that were missing as well. Like, the hows and the whys of why they are who they are in the time line of the story.
2. From the blurb, one would expect that Susana would be magical. There was nothing magical about the story. AT ALL!
Okay, so maybe it is my fault that I expected more from this. I don't know. But the book was a total waste as there was so much potential waiting to happen and yet there was no follow through. In my opinion, the author missed her mark on this one and instead of creating a book that was a happy to read thing, it just fell flat.
And no, the erotic scenes just took up so much space, but was like, ugh! I am now wracking my brain for the right adjective but I end up with something nasty, so won't say anything.
Don't shoot me. I am venting.
Don't get me wrong. The storyline was okay, hence the 2 stars. I just wish the author did MORE. So yeah, disappointed.
Review based on an ARC from Netgalley
September 4, 2013
I don’t read a lot of blurbs or check out the reviews for books I am reviewing. (Which BTW, I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I’m smooth, I know.) This one though, I read the blurb AND saw the reviews because I had gone to Amazon to get info for my last Friday Reads post. I have to tell you, the 3 stars and some of the reviews made me very nervous. I don’t like to read books that have less than 4 stars because normally, I agree with the lower star reviewers. I was wondering if maybe they were from people who had followed all of Jennifer’s books and maybe it was a different writing style, or maybe she doesn’t write a lot of in depth love scenes? (There are a few in this book, I’d color it 18+)
I’m glad I took the chance though, I disagree with them this time. I loved it.
Maybe it’s cuz I have always had a fascination with Gypsies and the lives they lead/beliefs they hold? I seriously loved the story. I liked our hero Joe a lot, I liked our female lead Susana. There weren’t any extraneous characters that weren’t needed or had to be introduced and then remembered for what role they would play or not. It was a good love story with a twist of adding in some Romani Gypsy traditions, which I love. Sometimes I wonder if there isn’t some Gypsy somewhere back in my genes. The fascination I have with their culture is really unexplainable.
What would make this a 5 star review for me? More in depth details of their history, letting us get to LOVE the characters instead of really liking them, give us more of their feelings (especially Joe’s) so we connect deeper.
Other than that, I enjoyed it thoroughly and I would recommend it as a good romance to read at the beach in one setting or sitting inside by a window staring out at the rain. 188 pages was a couple hours of reading for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy of Breaking The Rules to read.
I’m glad I took the chance though, I disagree with them this time. I loved it.
Maybe it’s cuz I have always had a fascination with Gypsies and the lives they lead/beliefs they hold? I seriously loved the story. I liked our hero Joe a lot, I liked our female lead Susana. There weren’t any extraneous characters that weren’t needed or had to be introduced and then remembered for what role they would play or not. It was a good love story with a twist of adding in some Romani Gypsy traditions, which I love. Sometimes I wonder if there isn’t some Gypsy somewhere back in my genes. The fascination I have with their culture is really unexplainable.
What would make this a 5 star review for me? More in depth details of their history, letting us get to LOVE the characters instead of really liking them, give us more of their feelings (especially Joe’s) so we connect deeper.
Other than that, I enjoyed it thoroughly and I would recommend it as a good romance to read at the beach in one setting or sitting inside by a window staring out at the rain. 188 pages was a couple hours of reading for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy of Breaking The Rules to read.
May 7, 2013
I received this ARC from Mangrove Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a quick little read that had a ton of potential. The book was so short that I couldn't really get a grasp on the characters or feel out their chemistry. The author essentially wrote a short-story that included insta-love (which I hate). The two characters meet before Joe begins his military service. He wants to get his fortune told. Enter Susana, a bonafide gypsy fortune teller. She tells Joe that he will find the love of his life tonight. She fails to mention that the love of his life, was.... her!!! 0_o In fact she doesn't tell Joe any context clues to meet this "love of his life." So of course Joe finds a random woman and 10 years later he realizes that Susana led him astray. He goes back to her shop to confront her and Susana confesses that she is actually the one he was supposed to fall in love with. Joe demands that Susana spend time with him as repayment for the botched reading. The two proceed to instantly fall in love. However, if Susana physically gives herself to a man, she is at risk to lose her powers and get kicked out of her gypsy family.
Meh, this booked had potential but seemed to only be a framework for a book. Bare bones and too fast-paced. Also, I was disturbed that when they first met, Joe has all these lusty feelings for her....did I mention Joe was 20 and Susana was 13? Gross. Also, Susana seems extremely naive and gullible. She had very little backbone to stand up to her family or break her cultural traditions. I did like how the author portrayed Joe's vulnerability. This was a really quick read. If it's free, I'd say add it to (the bottom) of your reading pile. If it's for profit, leave it.
Meh, this booked had potential but seemed to only be a framework for a book. Bare bones and too fast-paced. Also, I was disturbed that when they first met, Joe has all these lusty feelings for her....did I mention Joe was 20 and Susana was 13? Gross. Also, Susana seems extremely naive and gullible. She had very little backbone to stand up to her family or break her cultural traditions. I did like how the author portrayed Joe's vulnerability. This was a really quick read. If it's free, I'd say add it to (the bottom) of your reading pile. If it's for profit, leave it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2013
ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The writing was decent. The storyline just didn't work for me. The characters were never fully developed. There were hints to Susana's and Joe's rough past but it was presented as facts without any emotional attachment.
I didn't feel any attachment to the characters and honestly couldn't have cared less if their relationship worked out or not. Lewis described Susana's overprotective family on multiple occasions, but where were these people? I would expect the overprotective cousins showing up at her job as well as her apartment, especially since they had a key. But, did they? Nope, not once. Yet they show up at Joe's apartment...that he rented the previous day. And then, we never hear from them again. That's overprotective?
Part of the problem for me was the fortune teller angle. We are to believe that Joe sees a fortune teller in a dare, doesn't believe in it and still bases major life decisions on her predictions? Are we supposed to feel sorry for him? He was just being an idiot. It's amazing that he had a successful business making decisions like that.
My next issue is with the clothing descriptions. There is so much going on with the folds of Susana's skirt that I felt that her skirt could have been another character in the book rather than a garment. Also, for someone who is so innocent and concerned about walking down the street in jeans where strangers could see the shape of her legs and butt, wouldn't you think she would wear underwear? Nope not Susana! She has proudly never worn a bra and seems to rarely wear panties.
This book would have ended up on my "Couldn't finish list" but I felt that I had to read it in its entirety to be able to give an honest review.
The writing was decent. The storyline just didn't work for me. The characters were never fully developed. There were hints to Susana's and Joe's rough past but it was presented as facts without any emotional attachment.
I didn't feel any attachment to the characters and honestly couldn't have cared less if their relationship worked out or not. Lewis described Susana's overprotective family on multiple occasions, but where were these people? I would expect the overprotective cousins showing up at her job as well as her apartment, especially since they had a key. But, did they? Nope, not once. Yet they show up at Joe's apartment...that he rented the previous day. And then, we never hear from them again. That's overprotective?
Part of the problem for me was the fortune teller angle. We are to believe that Joe sees a fortune teller in a dare, doesn't believe in it and still bases major life decisions on her predictions? Are we supposed to feel sorry for him? He was just being an idiot. It's amazing that he had a successful business making decisions like that.
My next issue is with the clothing descriptions. There is so much going on with the folds of Susana's skirt that I felt that her skirt could have been another character in the book rather than a garment. Also, for someone who is so innocent and concerned about walking down the street in jeans where strangers could see the shape of her legs and butt, wouldn't you think she would wear underwear? Nope not Susana! She has proudly never worn a bra and seems to rarely wear panties.
This book would have ended up on my "Couldn't finish list" but I felt that I had to read it in its entirety to be able to give an honest review.
February 25, 2015
Even though I'm giving this 4 stars, it's more like 4 for the first half and 3 for the second half. But, I'm feeling generous so I'll round the 3.5 up to 4.
I enjoyed this book. It started off really great but somewhere in the middle, it lagged and lost some steam. The book was approximately 150 pages but somehow felt shorter, like some of the story was missing.
The beginning was really good. I loved seeing the first meeting between Joe and Susana. Hearing her prediction for him…and seeing them 10 years later. I loved how everything until the morning after the spent the night together. It was the scene with her cousins that the book took a wrong turn for me. It wasn’t bad but I felt like part of the story was missing. I guess I wish that the confrontation with the cousins happened after they had spent more time together instead of one night.
I felt bad for Susana. She was quite literally trapped in her life. Her gifts, while strong, kept life very constricted. She did what was expected of her. She gave up things normal people take for granted because it was deemed appropriate by her grandmother. And as long as her grandmother was alive, she was ok with that. Until she meets Joe again. For the first time, she’s willing to entertain of a new life with a different job…even without her gifts.
I liked Joe and Susana together. I thought they had great chemistry. I liked how they interacted with each other and would have liked to see more relationship time for them.
This was my first Jennifer Lewis book but it won’t be my last. Even with my issues regarding the second half, the author kept me hooked in the story to see if Joe and Susana would work things out and get their HEA.
I received this copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book. It started off really great but somewhere in the middle, it lagged and lost some steam. The book was approximately 150 pages but somehow felt shorter, like some of the story was missing.
The beginning was really good. I loved seeing the first meeting between Joe and Susana. Hearing her prediction for him…and seeing them 10 years later. I loved how everything until the morning after the spent the night together. It was the scene with her cousins that the book took a wrong turn for me. It wasn’t bad but I felt like part of the story was missing. I guess I wish that the confrontation with the cousins happened after they had spent more time together instead of one night.
I felt bad for Susana. She was quite literally trapped in her life. Her gifts, while strong, kept life very constricted. She did what was expected of her. She gave up things normal people take for granted because it was deemed appropriate by her grandmother. And as long as her grandmother was alive, she was ok with that. Until she meets Joe again. For the first time, she’s willing to entertain of a new life with a different job…even without her gifts.
I liked Joe and Susana together. I thought they had great chemistry. I liked how they interacted with each other and would have liked to see more relationship time for them.
This was my first Jennifer Lewis book but it won’t be my last. Even with my issues regarding the second half, the author kept me hooked in the story to see if Joe and Susana would work things out and get their HEA.
I received this copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 10, 2013
3.5 stars
I didn’t know what to expect from this book and so I started reading it without many expectations. But it was a nice and quick read. I always liked stories about fortune tellers and the fact that it’s in the modern world makes the story better.
Susana and Joe don’t have what they truly want. Susana wants a different and more free life without letting down her own people. Joe wants to be loved and to love in return. She wants to be free to love the man she wants and he wants a sincere and kind woman in his life.
I liked Joe because he’s an honest man. He knows he’s broken from his last relationship and he knows his faults. Also, he admits that he has no idea what he’s doing but he’s trying to live again. I found it kind of odd that he went to find the fortune teller after ten years because it’s not normal to blame someone else for your actions, but soon I realize that his loneliness was so painful and, maybe, that was one way to feel less lonely.
Susana is a nice young woman but she sometimes she acts like an old lady. Although, I really liked her, I have to say that she wasn’t her true self at the beginning. She’s just twenty-three years old and only after a certain point in the story she acted like her age.
Although, I liked them both, I have to admit that they weren’t the most passionate couple in such kind of book. They were tender but not full of passion. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this read and I recommend it to the fans of this genre!
I didn’t know what to expect from this book and so I started reading it without many expectations. But it was a nice and quick read. I always liked stories about fortune tellers and the fact that it’s in the modern world makes the story better.
Susana and Joe don’t have what they truly want. Susana wants a different and more free life without letting down her own people. Joe wants to be loved and to love in return. She wants to be free to love the man she wants and he wants a sincere and kind woman in his life.
I liked Joe because he’s an honest man. He knows he’s broken from his last relationship and he knows his faults. Also, he admits that he has no idea what he’s doing but he’s trying to live again. I found it kind of odd that he went to find the fortune teller after ten years because it’s not normal to blame someone else for your actions, but soon I realize that his loneliness was so painful and, maybe, that was one way to feel less lonely.
Susana is a nice young woman but she sometimes she acts like an old lady. Although, I really liked her, I have to say that she wasn’t her true self at the beginning. She’s just twenty-three years old and only after a certain point in the story she acted like her age.
Although, I liked them both, I have to admit that they weren’t the most passionate couple in such kind of book. They were tender but not full of passion. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this read and I recommend it to the fans of this genre!
April 20, 2018
Navy officer Joe Figueroa made a decision one afternoon to see a fortune teller and what he was told charted his course in life.
Susana Cigan, a true Romani with the gift of sight, worked in a shop by her Grandmother's side. At the young age of 13 she had one of her first readings and was taken aback by what it was that she saw.
It was during the chance encounter that Susana let Joe know that he'd meet the love of his life that evening. There was some attraction between the 2 of them & while Susana knew who the woman was, she didn't provide that detail. Joe leaves the shop with a renewed sense of his future and taking the reading as his guide; he meets a woman he believes is the love of his life and marries her.
The book jumps ahead to show that the marriage was anything but good and has now ended. The 'love of his life' was caught with another and so now Joe is once again single but rather than mingle, he's in search of the fortune teller that he feels is to blame for what's transpired. Once he finds Susana again however, he quickly learns that her prediction was true and it was his interpretation that was a little off.
This was a quick read and I haven't read a lot of books that get into the Romani/Gypsy culture so it was great to read some of that. It shows the hold that the culture has on their people and the struggles they go through to have their own individuality. At the core is the love story and it's a simple one but sometimes that's really all you need.
Susana Cigan, a true Romani with the gift of sight, worked in a shop by her Grandmother's side. At the young age of 13 she had one of her first readings and was taken aback by what it was that she saw.
It was during the chance encounter that Susana let Joe know that he'd meet the love of his life that evening. There was some attraction between the 2 of them & while Susana knew who the woman was, she didn't provide that detail. Joe leaves the shop with a renewed sense of his future and taking the reading as his guide; he meets a woman he believes is the love of his life and marries her.
The book jumps ahead to show that the marriage was anything but good and has now ended. The 'love of his life' was caught with another and so now Joe is once again single but rather than mingle, he's in search of the fortune teller that he feels is to blame for what's transpired. Once he finds Susana again however, he quickly learns that her prediction was true and it was his interpretation that was a little off.
This was a quick read and I haven't read a lot of books that get into the Romani/Gypsy culture so it was great to read some of that. It shows the hold that the culture has on their people and the struggles they go through to have their own individuality. At the core is the love story and it's a simple one but sometimes that's really all you need.
June 10, 2013
If you're looking for a love story full of emotion, "Breaking the Rules" is the book for you. Susana and Joe are completely opposite, in so many ways, and both have plenty of baggage -- baggage that would keep "sensible" people apart. Of course, there's nothing "sensible" about love, and the passion between Joe and Susana as they figure each other out is a pleasure to read.
This was a fast-paced read. Both main characters were fairly well fleshed out and their motivations made sense (though I did find myself wanting to give Susana a good shake toward the end of the book....) I do wish the author had spent more time telling us a bit about Joe. I felt like I really didn't know him as well, and he was an interesting character. But, I guess that Susana didn't really know much about him until the end...so maybe Lewis was being kind of meta about Joe's character in that way? Not sure. Anyway, the love scenes were very well written, and everything wrapped up in a way that made sense. I enjoyed Joe and Susana's story --worth a read!
Disclaimer: Received a free copy via NetGalley. All opinions are mine. :-)
This was a fast-paced read. Both main characters were fairly well fleshed out and their motivations made sense (though I did find myself wanting to give Susana a good shake toward the end of the book....) I do wish the author had spent more time telling us a bit about Joe. I felt like I really didn't know him as well, and he was an interesting character. But, I guess that Susana didn't really know much about him until the end...so maybe Lewis was being kind of meta about Joe's character in that way? Not sure. Anyway, the love scenes were very well written, and everything wrapped up in a way that made sense. I enjoyed Joe and Susana's story --worth a read!
Disclaimer: Received a free copy via NetGalley. All opinions are mine. :-)
August 25, 2013
REview to follow: . "I received a ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in place of an honest review.
I felt it was a bit dark and strange at times the whole gypsies family thing going on was a bit different to put it nicely. Now coming from NY and friends with a lot of different cultures I've experience first hand family traditions being carried out ex. Arranged marriages still to this day. So in saying that I was able to relate, but the story wasn't all that romantic nor tragic. It was ok and I did finish it, but if it had dragged on a bit longer than it did I probably would of abandon it.
I felt it was a bit dark and strange at times the whole gypsies family thing going on was a bit different to put it nicely. Now coming from NY and friends with a lot of different cultures I've experience first hand family traditions being carried out ex. Arranged marriages still to this day. So in saying that I was able to relate, but the story wasn't all that romantic nor tragic. It was ok and I did finish it, but if it had dragged on a bit longer than it did I probably would of abandon it.
June 20, 2013
I was thoroughly disappointed. This was a Netgalley read for me. It had caught my eye while I was perusing through new titles. I was anxious to check it out, but I quickly found this was not the whirl wind romance I had anticipated. Steamy and hot at moments, yes, but that was about where it ended. The story was not one that would stand alone, and be noticed. I must have a story to die for, and this just did not supply it for me. This did prove to be an easy going read and vaguely short, but if you are looking for something that you will remember. Something that will take your breath away, and leaving you demanding more. This is not it. ~BookWhisperer Reviewer JO~
May 25, 2013
**I received and ARC for an honest review**
Sometimes, a story just doesn't quite come together for me. This would be one of those times. This is a short (122 pgs) of very light fiction. Definitely a different take with the whole Gypsy theme, but it just didn't pull together for me. Not enough background info, not enough time invested in characters, just not enough. Joe had so much potential as a male lead and she just didn't give him his full due. And Susana? So much to discover in this 23 yr old sheltered Romany girl. Just was never explored.
Sometimes, a story just doesn't quite come together for me. This would be one of those times. This is a short (122 pgs) of very light fiction. Definitely a different take with the whole Gypsy theme, but it just didn't pull together for me. Not enough background info, not enough time invested in characters, just not enough. Joe had so much potential as a male lead and she just didn't give him his full due. And Susana? So much to discover in this 23 yr old sheltered Romany girl. Just was never explored.
May 26, 2013
This was a very quick read. It has romance by the ton but not very much steam. Joe and Susana were very easy to like, even though sometimes I really wanted to slap Susana and tell her to live a little!!! She eventually does, and all in all it was a very nice lighthearted, make you feel good read. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet love story. I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
May 9, 2013
While the premise of this book was interesting, the writing was mediocre at best. For me, the main characters lacked depth and I was not able to really connect with them. Also the ending was really abrupt....no real resolution to Susana's family dramas that played such an important role in the book.
Would give this one 2.5 Stars
Would give this one 2.5 Stars
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