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The Year of No Rules
When Sasha falls in love with Kirk, she can’t believe her luck. He’s gorgeous, charismatic and charming. Within months, he’s even discussing the ‘M’ word – marriage!
But there’s one He’s given her a list of rules to sign.
Blindly led by her infatuation (and the fact that she’s been single forever), she agrees to sign it and abide by them – until everything goes horribly wrong.
Picking herself up and moving on boldly as a ‘No Rules’ girl, Sasha goes on a string of disastrous dates, and eventually meets Sam through mutual friends. Not wanting to make the same mistake twice, she keeps him at arm’s length. Can he tame her independent streak?
Or will she be able to make Kirk come crawling back?
But there’s one He’s given her a list of rules to sign.
Blindly led by her infatuation (and the fact that she’s been single forever), she agrees to sign it and abide by them – until everything goes horribly wrong.
Picking herself up and moving on boldly as a ‘No Rules’ girl, Sasha goes on a string of disastrous dates, and eventually meets Sam through mutual friends. Not wanting to make the same mistake twice, she keeps him at arm’s length. Can he tame her independent streak?
Or will she be able to make Kirk come crawling back?
229 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 17, 2017
4 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Rose McClelland
9 books113 followersOut of your Head is Rose McClelland’s fifth novel and her second psychological thriller.
Her previous novel Under Your Skin became an Amazon No. 1 Bestseller in the UK and USA/ Canada. It also won Best Books of 2020 in Belfast Telegraph and with several online book bloggers.
Rose has also written two short plays which were performed in the Black Box theatre in Belfast. Find out more at: http://rosiesrag.blogspot.com
Her previous novel Under Your Skin became an Amazon No. 1 Bestseller in the UK and USA/ Canada. It also won Best Books of 2020 in Belfast Telegraph and with several online book bloggers.
Rose has also written two short plays which were performed in the Black Box theatre in Belfast. Find out more at: http://rosiesrag.blogspot.com
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 15, 2017
I have just finished reading The Year of No Rules by Rose McClelland. The book was recommended to me by a friend, so, although it is not my favourite crime genre, I decided to give it a try. The book fall into the 'women's fiction' genre. This novel has such an excellent title, who wouldn't want to read it?
The protagonist is Sasha, a woman who lives in Belfast. She adores her demanding boyfriend, Kirk so much that although he requires Sasha to moderate her behaviour, to the extent of having written rules, she still longs to be with him and thinks of him as 'the one'. After all, he is gorgeous, charismatic and charming and has even asked her to marry him.
The novel touches delicately on the topic currently much in the news, the abuse of women. Sasha is an intelligent woman and her family and friends insist that Kirk is not good for her, yet she returns to him over and over again. The reader learns, later in the novel, a bit about Sasha's background and this explains her behaviour.
Things go horribly wrong between Sasha and Kirk and they part. Sasha embraces her freedom and her time without rules. However, as is so with many abusive relationships, Kirk will not let go and allow her to move on.
Eventually, Sasha starts taking baby steps towards her freedom. When she meets Sam, it seems unlikely that she will ever be able to trust him enough to make their relationship work.
I really enjoyed The Year of No Rules. I had slight issues about how and when Kirk's problems are revealed to the reader, but that did not diminish my enjoyment of the book. It is a taut page turner that deals with the very serious issue of abusive relationships with a lightness of touch that I have rarely seen before. I highly recommend The Year of No Rules. It would make an excellent book club read.
Val Penny
The protagonist is Sasha, a woman who lives in Belfast. She adores her demanding boyfriend, Kirk so much that although he requires Sasha to moderate her behaviour, to the extent of having written rules, she still longs to be with him and thinks of him as 'the one'. After all, he is gorgeous, charismatic and charming and has even asked her to marry him.
The novel touches delicately on the topic currently much in the news, the abuse of women. Sasha is an intelligent woman and her family and friends insist that Kirk is not good for her, yet she returns to him over and over again. The reader learns, later in the novel, a bit about Sasha's background and this explains her behaviour.
Things go horribly wrong between Sasha and Kirk and they part. Sasha embraces her freedom and her time without rules. However, as is so with many abusive relationships, Kirk will not let go and allow her to move on.
Eventually, Sasha starts taking baby steps towards her freedom. When she meets Sam, it seems unlikely that she will ever be able to trust him enough to make their relationship work.
I really enjoyed The Year of No Rules. I had slight issues about how and when Kirk's problems are revealed to the reader, but that did not diminish my enjoyment of the book. It is a taut page turner that deals with the very serious issue of abusive relationships with a lightness of touch that I have rarely seen before. I highly recommend The Year of No Rules. It would make an excellent book club read.
Val Penny
October 23, 2017
Nobody writes chick-lit like Rose McClelland! Sasha pulls us deep into her world from the outset; a world it's impossible to leave... A story that will stay long with the reader. For this is a quest for romance unlike any other. It's real and gritty, heartfelt and raw. We root for the protagonist one minute. We want to shake her upside down like a snow globe the next. Rose McClelland's quirky language is a breath of fresh air, so much so I found myself reading into the wee small hours just to experience Sasha's journey. And then we 'get' it. Which is as much of a spoiler as I'm giving. Because love isn't straightforward, relationships don't always come wrapped up in a box with a pretty bow... and if they do, you'd better delve beneath the layers of tissue paper! Kirk might be easy to hate, Sam might be easy to love. But only one fact remains: love is far from predictable. Now to catch up on the author's impressive backlist!
October 17, 2017
When I picked up THE YEAR OF NO RULES by Rose McClelland I assumed it would be an easy, enjoyable read, and it was, but it was also so much more. It is a story of finding your inner strength and realising your own self-worth and confidence.
Sasha had resigned herself to the fact that she was never going to find love when it appeared that love found her in the shape of Kirk. Even though their relationship was hard at times Sasha was just so happy to be a part of a couple, to belong. But when Kirk demands that Sasha change and follow his list of what she needs to do, Sasha knows deep down that this is wrong, even though she tries her best to please him. But when their relationship continues to fall deeper into disrepair, Sasha finally finds the courage to walk away and live her life as a 'No Rules' woman which leads her on a merry dance to Sam. Kind, sweet, safe Sam whom Sasha cannot help but keep at arm's length. And what will she do when Kirk returns back into her life, declaring she is the only one for him?
THE YEAR OF NO RULES by Rose McClelland is a book that really makes you feel. I wanted to smack Kirk for his controlling, damaging demeanour towards Sasha, and I wanted to scream at Sasha to wake up and realise her own worth. But as the story develops it is easy to see how life is never that straightforward and that love is often a journey where you need to figure out what you need and what's best for you over time. The characters are interesting although not always likeable, and there were times when Sasha got on my nerves, but I think that was the point. Here was a woman who didn't know how to feel about herself, who didn't have the confidence to demand better treatment, and who wanted to be loved more than anything, so her emotions and actions were all over the place.
THE YEAR OF NO RULES by Rose McClelland is a thoroughly enjoyable read and I highly recommend it to contemporary fiction fans.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the author
Sasha had resigned herself to the fact that she was never going to find love when it appeared that love found her in the shape of Kirk. Even though their relationship was hard at times Sasha was just so happy to be a part of a couple, to belong. But when Kirk demands that Sasha change and follow his list of what she needs to do, Sasha knows deep down that this is wrong, even though she tries her best to please him. But when their relationship continues to fall deeper into disrepair, Sasha finally finds the courage to walk away and live her life as a 'No Rules' woman which leads her on a merry dance to Sam. Kind, sweet, safe Sam whom Sasha cannot help but keep at arm's length. And what will she do when Kirk returns back into her life, declaring she is the only one for him?
THE YEAR OF NO RULES by Rose McClelland is a book that really makes you feel. I wanted to smack Kirk for his controlling, damaging demeanour towards Sasha, and I wanted to scream at Sasha to wake up and realise her own worth. But as the story develops it is easy to see how life is never that straightforward and that love is often a journey where you need to figure out what you need and what's best for you over time. The characters are interesting although not always likeable, and there were times when Sasha got on my nerves, but I think that was the point. Here was a woman who didn't know how to feel about herself, who didn't have the confidence to demand better treatment, and who wanted to be loved more than anything, so her emotions and actions were all over the place.
THE YEAR OF NO RULES by Rose McClelland is a thoroughly enjoyable read and I highly recommend it to contemporary fiction fans.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the author
July 24, 2018
I was looking for a quick easy read so chose The Year Of No Rules which is a fab title. Instead, I found an emotional roller coaster of a read of which I became immersed in right from the start. Whilst it is a modern romance story, there is a raw and very real message within. Maybe it was relating to Sasha that made me empathise with her rather than becoming frustrated with her decisions. Either way, she's really likeable and you really root for her on her quest for finding unconditional love, acceptance, and herself.
April 5, 2018
I was attracted to this book by its gorgeous cover and intriguing title. The story wasn't quite what I was expecting (a light, romantic read) but it was better. I was engrossed in Sasha's situation and had to keep turning the pages to find out what would happen. Very well written and the ending worked for me.
May 23, 2018
This book feels just like sitting in a pub with an old friend. I could hear myself saying, “No! Are you serious? Drop him!!”
Nice ending; would love to know more about Sasha’s parents. Maybe another book?
Nice ending; would love to know more about Sasha’s parents. Maybe another book?
December 31, 2017
A very real, emotional story about Sasha - who’s allowed a controlling, nice-on-the-outside but mean-on-the-inside man in her life for far too long.
An engaging, well-written novel.
An engaging, well-written novel.
April 7, 2020
I had been so looking forward to reading this book, but it wasn't what I was expecting or in the mood for. Too much of it was spent on the main character pining and obsessing over her toxic relationship. The title just really didn't seem to fit the actual story. Too bad, the idea was good.
December 10, 2017
This book comes at the right time. Its main issue is abusive relationships, but, in this case the question is whether the protagonist, Sasha, is going to overcome hers, whether she's strong enough to do so. Her boyfriend, Kirk, is obsessed with giving her lists of rules to abide by. As usual in such relationships this might seem amusing at first but wears very thin as time goes on. It all sounds a tad too serious. But it's not! Rose McClelland has such a wonderful and at times quirky way of writing that even the hardest scene is dealt with compassion - and sometimes humour. I love her prose. The story hits hard, makes the reader think but makes a very enjoyable read.
October 20, 2017
This book was hard to put down. I loved the journey it took me on. There was so much I could relate to with the unhealthy relationship the main character finds herself in to begin with, then how she gets herself out of it. There were lots of serious messages sitting underneath the story about learning to value yourself and not needing a man to do that for you. Also lots of funny moments. A perfect mix!
November 19, 2019
3.5 stars
I wasn't expecting the story be so focused on what lead up to the breakup. It was a bit frustrating to see Sasha wanting to stay in the toxic relationship and acting like a doormat for her ex once they finally broke up. Very little of the book is actually about her "year with no rules" and I wasn't really satisfied with the main characters development. And the new love interest felt a bit superficial and rushed. Still a good read, but I think the title is misleading.
I wasn't expecting the story be so focused on what lead up to the breakup. It was a bit frustrating to see Sasha wanting to stay in the toxic relationship and acting like a doormat for her ex once they finally broke up. Very little of the book is actually about her "year with no rules" and I wasn't really satisfied with the main characters development. And the new love interest felt a bit superficial and rushed. Still a good read, but I think the title is misleading.
October 16, 2017
The blurb of this book, describes it quite accurately, however, there is way more to this book. It goes through all the parts of the relationship: love, separation, depression, acceptance and moving on.
The main characters of this book were Sasha and Kirk, later joined by Sam. The whole narrative was told only from Sasha’s perspective, so we have to believe of how Sasha portrayed them and don’t really have an insight into their personalities to judge them ourselves. Even though Sasha was the lead in this story, my favorite character in this book was Sam. I honestly liked him for his charisma, understanding nature, and all women should have a partner like him. Some of Sasha’s actions really annoyed me, it’s like watching a horror movie, where the actress is going to a dark cellar willingly when we know she is going to die. In these cases, I really want to shout to her “danger, don’t go!”/ “don’t be stupid, you are going to die!”, but the actress still does it and gets hurt in the end… Why Sasha? Why?
The whole book was divided into three parts: “The year with rules”; “After Kirk”; “The year of no rules”. In the first part, Sasha was sharing her life with Kirk. How their dates used to go, what Kirk did in the past, and how she loved to spoil him. In the second part, Sasha was telling how she was dealing (or not) with her life after Kirk walked off. She shared he sorrows, memories, and how Kirk was psychologically tormenting her even many months after their break up. (Sasha why did you allow it? WHY?) In the third part, Sasha started to gather her life again, by setting little goals to fight her major depression and finding a fantastic man.
The plot of this novel often jumped between past and present through Sasha’s memories about Kirk and their relationship. What I loved the most about this book, was the topics which McClelland discussed in this book: the danger of controlling partners; forgiving person even after grand betrayal; major depression and how people can fight it; how to deal with broken trust. I think this book can really help women who were/are in Sasha’s situation and need help, I think it could be a guide to taking those first steps to help yourself.
The writing style of this book was pleasant and really easy to read, with short chapters, which made it a great weekend read. It has a nice ending to the book, I would say realistic ending, not “happily ever after” one, which you can read in most fiction books. So, to conclude, even though there are many, many Sasha’s actions which made me question “Woman, why would you do this?”, I loved this book because it is funny, carries a strong message, and how relate-able it can be to some people. I do recommend it to all chick lit fans, and to all who are going through a nasty break up. Enjoy! :)
Was given this book by the author for honest review.
June 30, 2020
A really great read. Very well written characters that keep you turning the pages to find out what will happen next. Romance with lots of zest and spirit. Sasha's journey is littered with rules and lists and we follow her on an emotional rollercoaster through the high and very low points of her relationships. Fantastic writing!
October 25, 2017
Amazing
What a great read I was really lost in this book the way the author captured the highs and lows of dating in you late 30's. Couldn't put it down.
What a great read I was really lost in this book the way the author captured the highs and lows of dating in you late 30's. Couldn't put it down.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews