The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths and Magic was one of the funniest books I have ever read, and that's an understatement. Lukens hooks you in with their sense of humor, voiced hilariously through our protagonist, Bridger, who was such a relateable teen character that I wouldn't doubt if Lukens was actually a 17 year-old along with me and Bridger. Hearing Bridger's snarky comments on the happenings at school and work were so hilarious that I couldn't stop myself reading. I only stopped reading Rules and Regulations after I realized I had been reading it for a full day, and only had 25% left. I had read it so fast, that I hadn't realized how short it was.

Not only did I love Bridger, but I couldn't get enough of the rest of the cast. My personal favorite was Bridger's boss, Pavel, who was hilariously behind on pop culture and seems to enjoy having funny slippers (his bunny slippers had me laughing really hard). The way Pavel and Bridger's relationship developed was something else that I loved. Bridger's crush, Leo, was adorably oblivious to his coolness factor, and didn't seem to notice how his reputation seemed to intimidate Bridger. Bridger's best friend Astrid, was an amazing, kickass lady that I would pay to have as my body guard. (She can hit me with her hockey stick whenever she pleases. Seriously.) There were many other characters, like Bridger's Mom, Elena, the pixies, Grandma Alice, and so many more, and somehow, every single one of these characters wormed their way into my heart. Zeke was probably one of the best background character's I've ever read, and I wish there was more of him in the novel.

The plot of Rules and Regulations isn't at first clear, but you don't really notice that with how charming the characters are. When the problem finally emerged, the book dropped it's humor a little bit, and upped the emotional turmoil. Lukens expertly combined humor, fantasy, and an angsty romance into this one book, which I had before only seen in a fanfiction. All of the events of the book, all of the hilarious and shocking, came together at the end, and dropped this huge bombshell on you. I was screaming when the climax came, and, once again, couldn't stop myself from reading. 

Not only was Rules and Regulations hilariously captivating, but it tackled important issues. Bridger was figuring out his sexuality all throughout the novel, and had the very real, and very impactful, thoughts of being rejected by his mother. There are quite a few scenes that just punched me in the gut with the emotion behind them, and, yes, I was crying because of them. My friend Brooke was witness to it.

Final Rating: ★★★★★

Overall?

I couldn't get enough of this book, and, even though it's supposed to be a stand-alone, I would definitely support a possible sequel. The humor and emotion behind this book hooks you in, and won't let you out until you've laughed/cried a few tears.

Would I Recommend?

If you're looking for a fantastical rom-com, yes! I feel like this book is for a lot of people, especially those who struggle with their sexual ID.

This review will go up on my blog, Foxes and Fairy Tales on 2 Sept 2017
https://foxesfairytale.wordpress.com/2017/09/02/review-the-rules-regulations-for-mediating-myths-magic

The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic is brilliant. Lukens was an entirely new-to-me author, and I just happened to stumble across it on NetGalley, but I'm so glad I did.

I fell in love with the protagonist, Bridger, within the first few paragraphs. He's shimmying up a drainpipe for a job interview, wondering what his obit will read if this kills him, and bemoaning his inability to ever hit a happy medium (case in point -- grilled cheese sandwiches: either soggy or burned, I can relate). Bridger's voice is brilliant, full of deadpan humour and wry observations. He sort of reminded me of a cross between Percy Jackson and a YA-friendly Harry Dresden. Which is perfect because that combo kind of describes the story too, but with a touch of Simon vs. thrown in. He's a great kid, trying to do his best -- getting a job to help pay for college and take some of the burden off his mom, helping out his new employer (even if he is weird) -- but still totally believable as a slightly out-of-place, occasionally selfish teenager.

The side characters were great too, from Astrid (his best-friend, who takes no shit, not even from Bridger) to adorable crush Leo (I ship these cinnamon-rolls so hard) or his wonderful mom (I loved the playful relationship between these two.) The cryptid and mythological creatures that popped up -- killer mermaids, rampaging unicorns, a sapphic werewolf and a confused sasquatch -- along with the magical world of Pavel's office, was great fun. It was well-balanced against the more character-driven parts of the story but I'd love to see more of Bridger, Pavel and the gang's interactions with the 'Myths' in any future stories.

I adored The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic and 100% recommend it. I'll be keeping an eye for a sequel.

*3.5 stars*

Fun, entertaining YA paranormal romance from a new-to-me author.

I was really impressed by The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic. I'm usually SO hesitant to try a new author because I've been burned time and time again by crappy stories from newbie writers, but this one was worth the chance! If you like your stories a little quirky, then this one is for you.

The world building-elements were super interesting. It reminded me a little of Clean Sweep, but a more rudimentary version with some different concepts. I think if the author had just done a little more developing with the world it would have been amazing, but it was still very impressive.

The author tried to do a lot with this story and often succeeded. The romance was there, though it felt like a side element to the larger story, IMO, but I still liked the two guys together. I'm a sucker for a jock in YA romance, and I liked that we got one here. The story is totally steam-free, BTW, for those who are interested. This would be an appropriate story for actual YA readers, which sometimes isn't the case with a high school romance.

It was a fun story with some great dialogue and interesting relationships between the MC and many side characters. It was overall really well done, but again, I think that with a little something deeper (and a less anticlimactic ending), it would have knocked my socks off. Still, F.T. Lukens should be proud of this one, and I'll be looking for more from this author in the future.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

I loved this book, and I wish I'd had something like it to read when I was in high school coming to terms with my own sexuality. Aside from that, it was a truly enjoyable read especially for fans of shows like Supernatural and Buffy. It was funny and relatable, well paced, and a modern twist on old tropes. I would definitely recommend this book.

(3.5 stars) One day, Bridger’s worst problems were surviving high school and his massive crush on the new boy in school. The next, his new job turns out to be assisting a supernatural creature-wrangler. This is a book that asks the timeless question: which is scarier, facing down a charging unicorn or coming out to your mom?

The first part of this book reads like wattpad fanfiction, and not in a good way. That’s not meant to snark at fanfic, because I love it as much as anyone, but I think that’s how to get across the stilted and cliched descriptions, dialogue, and just general style that comes across as a new writer who still needs more practice. That’s how the first 25% of this book was, but it got better.

When the dialogue finally started sounding like real people rather than robots based off of stock characters, that’s when the book got itself straight (in a bisexual way, of course). Bridger’s experience testing out the threshold between the closet and the rest of the world is really relatable — both the hopeful experience of figuring yourself out and the more nerve-wracking experience of deciding who, when, and whether to come out. Plus, at this point Bridger’s crush, Leo, stopped being a bland boy-shaped object started being an adorable, ship-potential crush.

Not that this book is entirely about being bisexual and closeted/uncloseted. The plot involving sapphic werewolf women, semi-immortal mentors, and supernatural creatures being mysteriously drawn to Bridger’s town tied into the romance and self-discovery plot and was very enjoyable, and there were strong, important friendships too. It was basically wonderful and original and snarky, and then the ending had to go and ruin it.

I mean… not ruin it, but I was annoyed. While all the plot points pulled together into what looked like it would be an epic finale, what followed was to me anticlimactic. But it had so much potential! Very annoying.

Still, Rules and Regulations is a wonderful sandwich of a book with all the good stuff in the middle. Recommended for fans of unicorns, bisexuality, and other things the world pretends don’t exist.

I loved this book from the first line and I wasn't disappointed. Bridger was an entertaining narrator and the pace of the plot kept the story interesting. The secondary characters were engaging and well developed. I will definitely be recommending this book.

I was extremely excited to read this as it includes pretty much all of my interests, and I was not disappointed. It was an exciting story complete with realistic relationships, an adorable romance, cryptids, and teenage insecurities. It's really hard to find a good book with a developed, interesting plot and a gay main relationship. In fact, the relationship was depicted as normally straight relationships usually are and the main character's problems with coming out were also treated realistically. The writing style was fun to read and while the protag was snarky, the author seemed to know when it was too much, a pitfall that's common for sarcastic ya protagonists. The protagonist also had insecurities I feel a lot of teenagers can relate to and his actions had real consequences. Her interpretation of fae, cryptids, and myths was also unique, refreshing, and even touching. I can't wait until this book is published so I can buy a hard copy!

This book, though centered on main character Bridger Whitt, has an amazing supporting cast. From the very beginning, Bridger has the company of Astrid, his best friend, the Bucky to his Captain America, and a badass field hockey player I wanted to be friends with myself, honestly. 

Love interest and resident good guy Leo is the exact kind of guy I wish we saw more of in YA, and truly, in all books, movies, tv shows and like, real life as well. Leo has just moved to the US from Puerto Rico and already made an impression on basically everyone he met. Kind-hearted, respectful, sweet and also kind of a dork, he is perfect for Bridger and just an amazing person in general. By the end of the book, you're sure you'd do anything for this boy.

Bridger himself is adorably awkward, and I could deeply relate to his issues and struggle with his own sexuality and with coming out. He's terribly afraid of being alone and unwanted, and I think that's something most of us can relate to in some level. Bridger fucks up sometimes, but he always tries to make up for it and he really is a good guy at heart.
His boss, however, is my very favorite character. Pavel is... well, he's weird. He dresses in odd clothes and deals with magic and mythical creatures for a living. He's also hopeless when it comes to pop culture, though he tries, and a very caring man who takes the weight of (two!) worlds on his shoulders. I absolutely loved all the scenes in which he appeared, but particularly his conversations with Bridger. 

Add to that pixies Nia and Bran and kickass werewolf Elena, and you have a group of characters I'm sure will be hard to forget!

Bridger, as I said previously, is struggling his his newfound bisexuality and his plan for dealing with it is to kinda... not. At least, until he has moved away from his hometown to the sunny Florida, to start his brand new life in college, where he won't have to go through the whole process of coming out. 

Except... For that, he needs money, and to get money, he needs a job. And that's how he ends up as an assistant to Pavel Chaudinov, a very peculiar man Bridger is not really sure even wants him there. 
And that's where our story starts. 

I really enjoyed seeing Bridger grow, and he does grow a lot. Looking back now at the Bridger Whitt of the first chapter, it's hard to believe he's the same guy who made all the decisions that led to the novel's ending, and yet it happens very naturally and believably within the narrative. Bridger's is a journey of acceptance and of taking chances, and I enjoyed every bit of it.

As a bisexual person, this portrayal of bisexuality was, in my opinion, one of the best ones I've ever read, not only for how Bridger himself defines his sexuality, but for how it's dealt with by the people around him.

I especially liked how the conversation between Leo, the out gay guy Bridger has a crush on, and Bridger have about what Bridger is comfortable with regarding his sexuality goes. Bridger expects judgement and finds understanding, and that's a theme throughout the story, for which I'm really thankful to F. T. Lukens.

Most of the other rep is dealt with as a non-issue. Leo's ethnicity and sexuality are never hidden, but they aren't plot points. And other characters talk about their own sexuality and their own ethnicity in very organic ways. 

The Rules and Regulations of Mediating Myths and Magic is a quirky, fun and surprisingly emotional read I'll surely come back to. I recommend this to any and all bisexual and otherwise queer people who, like myself, still struggle with this important aspect of our lives, and want to see a positive, lighthearted yet sensitive take on it.

Well THIS was a breezy delight! AND THEY SAID BISEXUAL. /end review.

Or, in more words, getting to tag along for the ride with Bridger while he gets a job, works through a crush, and learns how to defeat mythological creatures with his new enigmatic boss was pretty damn fun. This was exactly the book I wish I could give to teenage me, you know? I loved the variety of myths and creatures involved (the HAG especially was incredibly vivid) and the way that these were presented as both horrific but also run of the mill in equal measure, which is pretty much how I imagine that would go if they were part of your every day life. Like, you can't make a werewolf less terrifying but I imagine you could also get like UGHHH A WEREWOLF AGAIN?

Anyway.

The book is full of cool magical details, like the way Bridger boss's house works (awesome), and the fact that magical knowledge /does/ come with enormous tomes to read and learn - and I loved that this paid off, in a scene where Bridger is thrown up against a creature and hasn't quite got to it in his studies yet. Mundanity and magic! Genuinely one of my favourite combinations.

And in amongst this, we have Bridger himself, who is a sweetheart. He is trying to navigate falling for the boy across the street while getting to grips with IS THAT A YETI style issues and figuring out what he actually wants to do with his life. I definitely wanted him to get all the good things. AND HE SAYS BISEXUAL. \o/! Bridger has a conversation about this with Pavel, his boss, towards the end of the book that made me cry more than a bit. He's scared about what he's feeling but he knows what it is, and the way he is immediately listened to and respected and reassured regardless of the other urgencies of the moment was just... it got me in my queer heart parts. <3 <3 <3 I would rec the book for that scene on its one, frankly. BUT THERE ARE ALSO MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURES! What a good.

The central romantic relationship here is super sweet in a way that some queer characters don't always get, and eventually plays into the magic world-building in a way I didn't see coming but found super interesting. MYTHOLOGY FOREVERRRR.

I also would love to see more about Bridger's boss, Pavel because I am way easy for buttoned-up characters keeping their emotional cards to their chest. (Who is shocked about this? No one is shocked about this.) Tell me more about enigmatic magic-defending weird-clothes-wearing Pavel and his house of books and pixies!

Overall, this was a fun, adorable, and mythology packed book, which are all things I love. Also there's a murderous unicorn. *thumbs up emoji*

Bridge's new job starts out odd, what with his having to climb to a door on the roof as part of the application process, but it ends up pretty boring. His job is to organize the library, which is slow and tedious. Then he learns the truth about the magic around him and a whole new world full of mysteries and danger opens up to him.

I admit, I was originally hesitant to request this book. If you follow this blog, you'll know that I don't have a high opinion of YA novels. The characterizations of the main characters are usually more caricature and cliche than anything real. They're whiny about being young, yet often unrealistically wise to the ways of the world because otherwise how can they navigate the plot of the book. I eventually decided to pick up this book because the cover was awesome and I absolutely do not regret it.

The characterizations were perfect. Bridge is a young adult. He's trying to figure out high school, his sexuality, and his future, and it's so well written that I believed in every bit of teenage angst. Then magic is tossed into the mix and Bridge's reaction to it had me smiling and as eager to learn more as he was. If I had one complaint about this book, it's the fact that it ended. I want to know more about the world and the magic, and I want to see Bridge navigating college and more advanced magical events.

This book has an interesting premise and a cute love story. The characters were, for the most part, well developed, and the scenes between Bridger and Leo really shine. Leo and Bridger’s romance was adorable and there are some cute and funny moments to balance out the occasional over dramatic or corny scene. The beginning struggled with its pacing for a bit but it picked up twenty pages in or so. Overall, I really wish there was more “magic” in this story. The mythology behind the world Bridger has been pulled into was never fully explained or fleshed out, and the “Myth” element of the story took a backseat to Bridger’s interactions with his friends. As a result I couldn’t quite immerse myself into the plot line with Pavel and the pixies, although Nia and Bran were by far my favorite characters. A lot of Bridger’s moments with Pavel felt a little forced or unrealistic because there wasn’t enough development of the mythology behind the story. Overall, I’d definitely like to see this world expanded in a sequel or series.

I’m so happy I found this book. This book, THIS BOOK, made me so happy; it filled me with lots of giggles. Never underestimate a spontaneous giggle. I laughed so much out loud I freaked out my dog a little bit: he got worried about my safeness and came by my side to see if I was okay. I had so much fun reading it I want everyone to enjoy it as much as I did.

Bridger is a very sexually confused teenage boy looking for a job to pay for college. He is funny, very brave but as I said he is going through many difficulties that are going to put not few obstacles in our poor boy’s road to happiness. He found out he is bisexual and has a very obvious crush on his neighbor and high school football star, Leo. He is scared to come out, to be hated, left alone, so he plans to escape, to go far away for college. Oh boy, that idea was destined to failed from the beginning!

Money for college means a job and Bridger lands the weirdest job he could find. He works for Pavel, the intermediary for myths of the state they live in. His job will be to assist Pavel in order to maintain the mythical world hidden from the human world. It seems something is disrupting the balance of things and Bridger’s job is going to be harder than anticipated. Pavel, who has a family made of pixies, a gorgeous werewolf and seemingly apathetic secretary, is a wonderful boss; he listens to Bridger, helps him out and gives useful advice right when he needed it. I think Pavel is magical and not only because he has magic; when he understands a pop reference he is so proud of himself and the most adorable man ever. You gotta love Pavel, he’s one of a kind!

Bridger finds himself dealing with feelings he can’t fully express and mythical creatures that need to be convinced to be elsewhere because they’re in places they shouldn’t be.

The Leo problem is only known to his best friend, Astrid; she tries to help him but if one is stubborn and more than a little afraid then there’s little she can do to make a difference. Leo (full name freaking LEONIDAS, as in this-is-Sparta Leonidas!) is adorable and he clearly flirts with Bridger every time he can; he has a crush on our boy but our boy is not ready and my heart hurt a little. I was so glad there wasn’t the dreaded misunderstanding or unnecessary love triangles but still, I was scared for them because they were so cute together and I wanted only good things for them like cuddles and many many kisses. It was the perfect romance, sweet, with a twist of mythical magic. I loved it!

For a moment I was genuinely scared because there were many things that could go wrong but I trusted the author to not break my heart. I was on edge until the very end and I loved loved loved how the story unfolded. It was a magnificent book and, I repeat myself, I am so happy I found it.

Go read it as soon as it comes out. It’s worth it!

This is a well written and fun YA story.

Bridger knows that he is bisexual but he doesn't really want to tell anybody about this. He wants to wait until the end of his senior year and then start a new life in a university across the country in Florida where no one knows him and he can be himself, but in order to get to Florida he is going to need a job.

His luck turns up when he spots a job advert on Craigslist and he decides to apply but the job has some rather odd criteria and even getting to the interview is a rather weird challenge. Bridger gets the job and then enters into a new world of myth and magic and beings which should remain at the boundaries of the real world but something rather odd is happening and these mythical figures are making their presence felt in the real world. Bridger teams up with his new boss to find out what is happening.

As Bridger falls into the adventure of his new job and juggles his schoolwork and home life he also recognises his growing feelings for Leo, the boy next door, but Bridger doesn't realise that Leo has growing feelings for him. When Bridger finds out about this he is surprised but he has a lot on his plate at the moment with magic and mayhem, and he doesn't really want to come out, even though he does really like Leo.

Dealing with mythical beings provides Bridger with adventure, new friends and a good wage and as his friendship with Leo develops he believes that he can get to the point where they might be something more to each other than just casual friends, but something is happening in the mythical world and Leo is at the heart of it and it means that Bridger might need to make some choices that are even harder than the decision to come out.

This is a lovely YA story with a slight Harry Potterish feel. It blends this together with serious themes about growing up, family, school, friendship and coming out. The characters are well developed and engaging and I think it will be particularly attractive for younger readers. It is a very entertaining story and a pleasure to read.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review

I absolutely loved this book!! I am delighted by the central notion, that there are people around the world who mediate between the natural and supernatural realms, and the author pulls it off flawlessly. I see a lot of myself in Bridger, and I think he would be a great friend. Leo is an adorable kid, and the queer love story is a huge bonus for an already super cute book. I was really happy to see that Astrid, such a strong female character, was featured so prominently in the story, as well. I keep recommending this book to all of my friends, and I can't wait to post a review on Amazon once it is officially published and reviews open!

I enjoyed this book a lot.

I mean, really a lot. Had so much fun reading it that I didn't even notice when I reached the final page. Bridger is a great, great guy and his narrative is fun and engaging. I was hooked from the first page :)

I very much liked the secondary characters–Astrid, Pavel, the pixies, werewolf and all– as well as Bridger's mom!

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As I said, Bridger is a fun character, he feels relatable and is such a delight. There was not a dull moment and the pace was quite fast, the story covering a few weeks of Bridger's chaotic after school life. We meet his best friend, Astrid along with Bridger's new neighbor–and crush!–Leo, Bridger's new boss, intermediary Pavel and his supernatural entourage.

There is a lot I liked about the story and nothing I disliked, though I feel like the ending especially was rushed, a bit wishy-washy :(

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There's no way you can compare The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic with F.T. Lukens previous books (The Star Host etc.) but if I had to pick and choose, those previous two books would be my favorite by the author.

It is because of how much I enjoyed The Star Host I didn't think twice about blindly diving into The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic - and I'm glad I did.



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Many, many thanks to the publisher who kindly provided a free copy for an honest and impartial review.

I loved The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths and Magic. Right from the first page, I found myself caught up in Bridger's life and the strange new occurrences that take place when he starts his new job. The world building was good--sufficient to answer questions but not so much that it felt like an info dump--and Bridger was a relatable and delightful character. I read it over three nights and I was always eager to turn the page and see what would happen next. If you are looking for a fantasy read with LGBT characters and plenty of humour then this is the book for you!

I must admit that I was a bit hesitant to read this story at first. Lukens was an unknown to-me author, but the cute cover and blurb pulled me in, and I have to admit that, this time, taking a chance paid off big time.

I loved how quirky and flat out odd this journey was, as 17 y.o. awkward high school student, Bridger, embarked on a new job, which turned out to be an entirely new life.

The prevailing dry humor, as Bridger is thrown into one bizarre supernatural situation after another, felt natural and never once tried too hard. I especially loved the pixies and Bridger's encounter with the virgin-friendly unicorn.

The story felt upbeat and light, mostly, except for the part at the end where Bridger had to make an extremely difficult choice, one that could not only devastate his newly-blossoming love life, but potentially lead to the deaths of others.

The story also focused a lot on the importance of family, those related by blood and those of your own making, and acceptance, by others as well as yourself.

And while the innocent, budding romance between Bridger and football star Leo wasn't the main focus of the story, it was critical to the plot and felt necessary. Unlike some fantasy stories, this one actually did have a nice mix of both of those elements as the story progressed.

In regards to the story being YA, this one didn't feel *overly* YA, if that makes sense. Yes, the setting was high school; however, with only a few minor changes, I felt that the story could have easily been an NA read, instead, as juvenile humor wasn't a major thing here.

Other than a few make-out sessions, there wasn't any steam. This story was more about the pursuit than the tackle and it ends with an adorable HFN, with the potential for (much?) more in the future.

Personally, I'd love to see this story turn into a series, following the adventures of Bridger, Leo, Astrid and the rest of the gang from the creepy old house fighting to keep both humans and the 'myths' safe and blissfully separate.

My only niggle is that, with the first 90% of the book leaving me feeling breathless and excited, for me at least, the end fell a bit flat from what I was expecting.

So while not entirely "pinecones and candy canes and epic and awesome" (nod to TJ Klune fans, holla!), this feel good tale did keep me intrigued and wanting more, so I'd rate it a solid 4.25 stars and definitely recommend it to fans of both fantasy and YA/NA genres.