Jennifer Blackwood | Have Fun Being a Rule Breaker
Iโve spent most of my life abiding by a few rules:
You can never say I love you too many times.
Never go shopping at Target on a Friday.
Always be kind.
Never eat gas station sushi. Like, ever.
Lainey Taylor, the heroine of THE RULE BOOK, also has
rules that she abides by. You see, rules play a fundamental role in the book (if
you couldnโt tell from the blurb). What starts off as Lainey mocking Broganโs
300-page rule book quickly becomes a list of rules that help her survive her
first job out of college. Anything from never inviting herself to a Netflix pity
party with her boss (whoops, it totally happened!) to having Clorox wipes handy
for when shit hits the fan, Lainey is prepared to tackle anything that life
throws at her. But what she canโt seem to handle? Following Brogan Starrโs rigid
rules at Starr Media. Thereโs anything from no garlic permitted on premises to
certain hours employees arenโt allowed in Mr. Starrโs office. And she definitely
canโt get over the fact that semi-colons are prohibited when posting on any form
of social media. A little extreme? Lainey thinks so, too. This is her first job
out of college and she desperately needs the money to help out her sick
motherโฆand yet, she canโt stop her chronic foot-in-mouth problem when sheโs in a
ten-mile radius of her sexy, tatted boss.
While I was writing the book, I thought itโd be fun to start off each chapter
with a rule Lainey createsโand most of the time, breaks. She is the ultimate
rule breaker. Not on purpose, of course, and sometimes thereโs not even a choice
(like when sheโs blackmailed into walking the bossโs slobbery, sweater-eating
dog). No, she gets herself into situations that force her to skirt past Broganโs
policies in order to save faceโฆand not get fired. She quickly forms rules for
avoiding carnivorous elevators and how to handle coworkers that make her life a
living hell. But what she really needs to figure out is how to keep her feelings
for her boss on lockdown, namely, she needs to stop staring at him at the most
inopportune times. Now, if only she could follow her rules.
Sick mom. Job needed more than her three-pump vanilla latte (because, letโs be
real here, coffee is more important than air to Lainey). Boss that runs his
company on a tighter leash than the Pentagon during a national security threat.
Itโs a combination that pushes Lainey past her comfort zone. All she wants is to
make sure she has enough income to keep her mom out of debt with cancer
treatments and fit in at her new job, which is why she comes up with her own set
of rules. Because sometimes in life you have to just say screw it to
everyone elseโs rule book and find your own way. Thatโs what I admired about
Laineyโshe wasnโt afraid to try something new, even if it meant getting into a
*little* bit of trouble. We see her steer her way through becoming a human chew
toy for the bossโs dog, being snubbed by her coworkers, and navigating a
relationship with the one man she shouldnโt wantโhe boss.
But like any young twenty-something in their first job out of college can tell
you, itโs not always the easiest to find your way, especially under
circumstances like Laineyโs. In fact, maybe breaking the rules is a rite of
passage into adulthood. My heroine would surely agree. In fact, Iโm sure sheโd
tell you to throw other peoplesโ expectations out the window and live by your
own set of rules.
Jennifer Blackwood is an English teacher and contemporary romance author. She
lives in Oregon with her husband, son, and poorly behaved black lab puppy. When
not chasing after her toddler, you can find her binging on episodes of Gilmore
Girls and Supernatural, and locking herself in her office to write.
1. Don't call your hot boss the antichrist to his face. 2. Don't stare at
hot boss's, um, package or his full sleeve of tattoos. (No. Really. Stop!)
3. Don't get on the malicious first assistant's bad side. 4. Don't forget
to memorize the 300-page employee manual. 5. If you value your cashmere,
steer clear of bossโs dog. 6. Bossโs dimples are lust-inducing. Do. Not.
Give. In. 7. โThe elevator ate your clothesโ is not a valid excuse for
showing up to important meetings half dressed. 8. Don't break seven of the
rules within the first week of employment if you, ya know, are in dire need of
money to support your sick mom. 9. Whatever you do, donโt fall for the boss.
See rule eight about sick mom. 10. Never forget the rules.
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