This regency romance by USA TODAY bestselling and HOLT Medallion winning author BREE WOLF about a disgraced, young woman and a proper, by-the-book lord proves that love sometimes takes a detour…but it’ll find you nonetheless.
Once upon a time, passionate DIANA LAWSON was young and naive and in love…with a man who barely knew she existed. Foolishly, she pursued him, daring to believe that love … that love would conquer all.
But it didn’t. Instead, it saw her ruined in the eyes of society.
Disgraced and broken-hearted, Diana agreed to a marriage of convenience in order to save what was left of her reputation. Her heart, however, remained broken beyond repair, her faith in the world shattered and even the faintest hope for a happy future all but buried. Still, after her husband’s passing, Diana comes to realise that she has nothing left to lose. Then why not live on her own terms?
ARTHUR ABBOTT, EARL OF STANHOPE, is a stickler for propriety and has never met a rule he did not feel compelled to uphold. After all, what would society be without rules? They provide order and stability, guide people’s behaviour and prevent unpleasant surprises. Indeed, rules are the foundation upon which society is built. They’re fundamental and must be upheld at all cost.
Of that Arthur is certain. At least, until his path crosses that of a young widow with a rather daring spirit. What is a man to do when for the first time in his life his beloved rules stand in the way of his heart’s desire?
“Why let society decide she should mourn a husband she did not love and who never treated her right? Diana chooses her own happiness, in spite of what everyone else thinks she should do. Beautiful story!” – e.memelink, AMAZON REVIEW
“Do we really change? Still after almost two hundred years, men are forgiven their misdeeds and women are are called names for theirs. Arthur and Diana should have never been involved according to the town, but yet, they fall in love. Thank you for and extremely engaging story.” – Danny and Debbie Scott, AMAZON REVIEW
“Diana and Arthur are wonderful in this book. I loved it! Much romance and adventure.” – Debbie Turner, AMAZON REVIEW
A Forbidden Love Novella Series
NEW! Prequel: The Spinster (coming May 21 – available for pre-order)
1 The Wrong Brother
2 A Brilliant Rose
3 The Forgotten Wife
4 An Unwelcome Proposal
5 Rules to Be Broken
6 Hearts to Be Mended
7 Winning her Hand
8 Conquering her Heart
Also check out Bree’s USA TODAY bestselling Love’s Second Chance Series!
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Of course those dratted rules! One logically keeps all the rules. But love is not logical and this story is about falling in love is it not? A happily ever after one at that!
Rules To Be Broken by Bree Wolf is a fantastic historical romance. This is a fairly quick read, perfect for those with limited reading time. Ms. Wolf has again delivered a book that is well-written and loaded with outstanding characters. Diana made the mistake of kissing Lord Norwood and getting caught. Her father promptly married her off to someone else but the whispers never stopped. Now her husband has died while with his mistress and the whispers follow her again. Arthur follows the rules and when Diana once more acts inappropriate, he saves her. Diana and Arthur’s story is packed with drama, humor and spice. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to my next book by Bree Wolf. Rules To Be Broken is book 5 of the Forbidden Love Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
Rules Broken – Hearts Mended
In nineteenth century London society, just one rule broken meant certain ruin and a life forever changed. Such is the premise of this clean and sweet book.
I love Bree Wolf’s writing style, which is descriptive, insightful and character driven. It especially suits the story in Rules to Be Broken. The heroine is the hero’s complete opposite, yet it is their differences that attract them. The story centers on life after ruin and moves towards the decision to live life to its fullest.
I enjoyed this easy read. It is clean and suitable for all ages.
Disclosure: I received a complementary copy of this book from the author. I am voluntarily submitting my honest review.
I read Bree Wolf not only for her stories but for her skill as a writer. This story is a continuation of a series of entertaining novellas. The heroine, despite bad circumstances, was completely unlikeable as a secondary character in the last novel. She become a character that is still flawed but transforms due to the love of the hero. She also transforms him. It is the rebel female and the strait-lace who find a way to each other. For those who like history, the society rules that dictated the lives are the people are interesting. This has one of my favorites from Bree Wolf.
5 stars
I received a free copy of Rules to Be Broken by Bree Wolf and this review was given freely.
I enjoyed seeing the change in Diana from being a jealous embittered mother who ignored her son Benedict and lusted after her cousin Rose’s husband Lord Norwood to a loving mother and a caring wife to Arthur the Earl of Stanhope.
Bree Wolf once again does a good job of changing one’s opinion formed of a character introduced in a previous novel and setting it on end in a later book. That is what was done with Diana Lawson, our heroine in Rules to be Broken, book 5 of A Forbidden Love series. In an earlier novel in the series, she is portrayed as a spoiled, self-centered debutante that is forced to marry an older man (friend of her father) when a well-known rake refuses to marry her when she mistakenly forced him into a compromising situation. Even though she married and birthed a son to her husband, she continued to be semi-ostracized by society due to the original compromising situation. Bree deftly portrays the angst Diana continually experiences from the double-standards prevalent during the Regency period. After her husband passes away in the arms of his mistress, Diana, though officially still in mourning, tries to experience some sort of freedom, though she almost goes beyond the point to total ostracism. It is at that time she meets Arthur Abbott, Earl of Stanhope, who strikes up an indeterminate friendship with her. Arthur is known as a stickler for propriety but after seeing and speaking with Diana, he feels that she has been unfairly treated over the years. He guards his feelings carefully as his mother is totally against association with anyone who has any kind of gossip spoken or known about them. Because of her dislike for her husband, Diana had never established a bond with her little boy after he was born. It is through Arthur’s urging and encouragement that she develops a relationship with her child, as she is the one who will have the most influence over him in his young life, and how he will treat women when he matures.
I found myself liking the person that Diana became by the end of this novella. She was able to focus on and be grateful for what she did have and come to love her son and Arthur.
There were a few typos in this book. It is a standalone novella although it might enhance the reading pleasure if one reads the previous books in the series, especially book 2, before this one.
4.25 Stars
After a minor indiscretion, Diana Lawson finds herself forced into a marriage of convenience in order to save her reputation. However even four years later London society still talks, and no matter how hard Diana tries, the whispers and stares never cease. After her well-respected husband dies in the arms of his mistress, Diana finally resigns herself to her fate and decides to live by her own rules alone. Arthur Abbott, Earl of Stanhope, is a stickler for propriety and has never met a rule he did not feel compelled to uphold. However, when he saves Diana from a most inappropriate situation, he is drawn into a world quite unlike his own.
I felt for Diana who was naïve & in love when she kissed who she believed to be her soul mate only to be rejected & ruined, at last she can be herself. Arthur wasn’t my favourite hero in the beginning as he was definitely under his mother’s thumb but he did ‘grow a pair’ to protect Diana. A short sweet well written book that was a very enjoyable read, I now need to read Eleanor’s story
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Great continuation of this series!!
Short review. The fifth book in the ‘A Forbidden Love Novella series. Well written and well pace love story. I enjoyed reading how Diana and Arthur grew as characters and grew together. I felt bad for Diana as she struggled to deal with not only her husband’s infidelity but knowing that people were gossiping about because of it, she also struggles to be a good mother and in her new marriage.
I enjoy Bree Wolf’s books when I am looking for a light, easy read that provides good escape.
As a young debutante, Diana makes a foolish mistake, one which could have been overlooked except for the malicious gossip that it generated, which in turn forced her into a marriage with a man she despised. When he obligingly dies in the arms of his mistress, Diana finds that in a world where men rule, she is somehow still to blame for his death while he is buried smelling of roses. Being widowed brings Diana to a new cross roads in her life, one where she refuses to bow down to the restrictions society has placed on her, and reckons that if her reputation has already been destroyed she has nothing to lose. She doesn’t take into account the Earl of Stanhope’s intervention and his protective nature. For every daring act Diana commits, Arthur is there to ward off possible repercussions. Having been introduced to Diana in previous books where she was a self-pitying and rather miserable young lady, I enjoyed reading about her transformation and the growth of a spine. I also enjoyed the unravelling of Arthur Abbott as he came to realise that when the heart is involved, rules have to take second place. It helps to read these books in sequence as many of the characters in this book have appeared before, but the story can nevertheless be read as a standalone. The plot has redeeming qualities, although the text does need some additional editing. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.
I absolutely loved Diana’s philosophy of why the men were permitted to write the rules for women to follow while it was quite ok for those same men to break the very same rules and do as they pleased and get away with it.
Diana and Arthur learn very quickly that in heir lives thee rules are meant to be broken and that both of them could break them and they could still live happily.
She is still trying to recover from being compromised and married in haste to a friend of her father with whom she has a baby. Then her husband dies…
He has a meddling mother who wants him married to a lady of her choice. He watches as his mother interferes in his sister Eleanor’s love life and is aware of how miserable this situation is making her and is not sure what to do about it and certainly doesn’t want mother dearest to have a say in his own choice of a wife.
And so the story begins.
Once more, a beautifully written novella which can be read either as part of this series or as a stand-alone.
It gripped me from the very beginning and I had to finish it (cursing the bit of tutoring and the lift-schemes I had to stop and do) but finish it I did!
It is full of the angst of two people who were thinking they shouldn’t care for each other at all because of their circumstances while deep down they both were falling totally in love. I love the games they played, the attempts to hide their true feelings, the arrogance of his mother, Diana’s young son’s cuteness and the bond of friendship Diana and Rose have for each other.
A very pleasing and entertaining story which I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
I read a free copy of this ebook which was supplied by the author and this is my unsolicited and unbiased review of it.