Book Review: Rule Breaker by Lily Morton

Blurb:

Is it really wrong to want to murder your boss?

Dylan has worked for Gabe for two years. Two long years of sarcastic comments. Two long years of insults, and having to redo the coffee pot four times in the mornings to meet his exacting standards.

Not surprisingly he has devoted a lot of time to increasingly inventive ways to murder Gabe. From stabbing him with a cake fork, to garrotting him with his expensive tie, Dylan has thought of everything.

However, a chance encounter opens his eyes to the attraction that has always lain between them, concealed by the layers of antipathy. There are only two problems - Gabe is still a bastard, and he makes wedding planners look like hardened pessimists.

But what happens when Dylan starts to see the real Gabe? What happens when he starts to fall in love with the warm, wary man that he sees glimpses of as the days pass?

Because Gabe is still the same commitment shy, cold man that he’s always been, or is he? Has Dylan had the same effect on Gabe, and has his solid gold rule of no commitment finally been broken? With his heart taken Dylan desperately needs to know, but will he get hurt trying to find the answers?

Todd's rating:

Sweet baby Jesus, talk about two human beings that just LIVED to wind one another the fuck up.

Dylan was very good at his job, but wasn't strict on adherence to always following office protocols, like not yelling at your hard-ass boss when he's being an unreasonable, temperamental douche. And if Dylan had been wronged, he was a master at the subtle art of getting a motherfucker back. Accidentally? Sure, unless someone caught something on video, let's go with that. ;- )

Gabe was a perfectionist, prick, law firm partner, always about a millimeter away from tearing someone a new asshole. And that was after he'd had his morning sludge, I mean coffee. He also had a reputation of going through assistants like Kleenex.

And then Gabe met Dylan, who somehow managed to remain in his employ for over two years, despite how they constantly (and actively) tormented one another.

Both of these MC's gave as good as they got, so the story was rife with snark and banter, yet I still found myself wanting a bit more of both, because I freaking live for witty comebacks and slack-jawed takedowns.


For those first two years, the guys had managed to hide their mutual attractions pretty well, then a ski holiday just prior to an upcoming conference required that Dylan accompany Gabe (and his dick-hole, model boyfriend) on the trip to help finish up work preparations.

During their time away, both MC's got to know a lot more about the other, enough for the UST to start bubbling over and masks to begin slipping.

From that point on, the book is one big ole' rollercoaster ride of emotions running hot and cold, as Dylan began to develop feelings for Gabe, and Gabe did everything within his power to keep those feelings from taking root.

For readers as cheating-intolerant as myself, in spite of what the Valentine’s Day scene would lead you to believe:

THERE. WAS. NO. CHEATING.

If I hadn't already been told that the cheating wasn't *really* a thing, I would have DNF'd this book about 2 pages into the Valentine’s Day chapter, so I wanted to be sure and mention that up front to others, as several readers would've most likely tossed their Kindles onto a roaring fire at that point.

My favorite part of the book was the Christmas visit to Dylan's family farm, which I felt was the beginning of, well, the beginning for Dylan and Gabe to finally start coming together.

Then there was some major high drama, which was not quickly, but thankfully worked through. Eventually. With the help of a few friends. And patience. Loads and loads of patience.

The steamy bits were pretty smoldering; however, I couldn't really decide if there was just enough steam or a bit too much. It was a fine line, and I wasn't entirely sure on which side the story had landed. But the eventual bareback scene? Uhhh, yes, please! ;- )

Finally, the epilogue from 8 months later, during their first Christmas of being officially together once and for all, those pages were everything. They showed just how much Gabe had grown to both trust and value Dylan for the amazing person and partner that he was.

I'd rate this book at around 4.25 stars and definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for banter, snark, steam, a healthy dose of angst, and a very hard-won HEA.

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