Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC.

HelenKay Dimon has written some of my favorite thrillers under other names. I thought this one had a fun premise. A messy family at its core.

Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me. I just couldn’t get into it the way I had hoped.

This book was absolutely not what I expected- and I mean that in a very good way. I walked into it somewhat blind and confused and after reading the synopsis again things got a bit more clear. In a way, I feel that the author expected the reader to have read the synopsis and to remember small details out of it before reading, which isn't really possible for some readers who are good at forgetting synopsis or just don't read them to begin with. But after reading the synopsis again, the specific background details made things make a bit more sense as I was reading. I like to call myself decent at guessing plot twists and similar things like that and not being able to immediately guess what's going to happen made it that much better.
Although this was an absolute crazy story of a very dysfunctional family, I feel like there were really a lot of characters (or maybe just characters with similar names) because I did get confused occasionally about who was who. I also feel like the small romance that occurred was very sudden and didn't really match the plot that the book was going, but really that's just small specifics.
I flew through this book and absolutely enjoyed every twist and turn that occurred!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Publishing for an eARC copy of this book.

'Moorewood Family Rules' was a cute, light rom-com with lots of fun twists and turns as the reader tries to figure out the inner workings of the complex cons run by the Moorewood family. This novel was full of interesting, quirky characters, and careful plotting as this dysfunctional family of con artists try anything to maintain their lavish lifestyle when their cousin/sister/niece, Jillian returns holding all of the cards (i.e. cash). This is a great light summer read for anyone who enjoys shady dealings and building sexual tension.

I don't usually say this, but I wish this book would have stuck with one POV. I usually like multiple POV books, however, I found it very hard to keep track of which family member's perspective I was reading. I still recommend it you are in the mood for a light, funny rom com!

A breezy semi-mystery with a bit of a heist/caper feel to it. Opening scene: Jillian, our main character, makes a grand entrance at a soiree at the family estate by helicopter -- of course she hasn't seen her family in 39 months since she's been serving time after one of them turned her in to the FBI.

And so we meet a truly cringe-worthy family. Jillian's late mom was an heiress and her dad was a scallawag from a family of grifters. Nothing good came of that except Jillian and her sister Emma. Her Uncle Jay is possibly the worst, amoral, greedy, unscrupulous and smooth. And his two daughters, Astrid and Anika, are just as bad. This is a bunch of relatives who cheat each other, plant bugs in bedrooms, plot physical harm to each other, and will stop at nothing.

Jillian went to prison to protect her family even though most of them were guilty as sin and are still running scams. She laid down the law and told them their illegal activity days were over and next thing she knew, the FBI was there with a search warrant.

Nobody in the family can be trusted and the family financial manager and her great aunt both warn her that she might be in physical danger, so on their advice she agrees to a bodyguard. Beck isn't just any protector -- and it isn't long before he and Jillian start feeling some chemistry.

This is a pretty quick read which moves right along. Jillian's grasping relations are deliciously awful and the whole story is wrapped in an entertaining package. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Have you ever read a story that could have been perfect if not for that ONE THING? That happened to me here. The plot? Awesome. The writing style? perfect. All characters who weren't Beck? Hilarious and interesting. Beck ruined this for me. He felt inserted for the sake of having a romance. It really felt like someone else wrote him as he wasn't in the same style as everyone else. This would have been a 5 star read without him, but with him, it's a 3 for me.

Probably really 2.5 stars. I'm not the first person to point out that the Knives Out and Ocean's 8 comps are somewhat misplaced, but it's worth saying anyway. I wanted something twisty and clever, and this just wasn't it. The reveals were anticlimactic to say the least. I got a bit more invested when Beck was introduced, and I honestly think I would have liked this book better if it was from his perspective and we got more of that outsider angle.

CW: past parent deaths (including suicide), past incarceration

The Moorewoods are completely dysfunctional, and super funny like had me laughing out loud. They sucked me in from the first page when Jillian is describing the best way to return to the family... and of course, flying in via helicopter and landing on the front lawn was obviously the best choice. And the fact that it ended up being during a huge party just makes it all the better.

This book was so entertaining, I ended up reading it in one sitting because I just didn't want to put it down! I loved every page, and if the author ever decided to write more books with the Moorewoods I would absolutely buy them.

I was a little unsure about this one at first. It took me a bit to get into the story, but once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was over the top, but hilarious at the same time. Definitely a fun easy read.

Jillian is out of prison after taking the fall for her family and determined to stop her family of grifters from their conniving ways and to go straight. They, of course, try to get away with as much as possible as well as hatching a plan to eliminate Jillian.

Moorewood Family Rules is more of a dysfunctional family/ contemporary fiction novel. I think the comparison to Knives Out does it a disservice. There is a small romance arc about Jillian and her bodyguard, Beck, but I don’t think the romance aspect is necessary to the story per se. I wish there was a bit more plot development too.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this eARC. Moorewood Family Rules is out April 25, 2023.

Jillian is the daughter of a con-artist family who went to prison to take the fall and clear their names on the condition they all go straight-laced, but three years later after she’s released for good behavior she finds out they haven’t changed their ways one but. And she plans on making them pay for it!

This fast paced, dysfunctional family ensemble cast is a fun romp but I think the comps to Knives Out and the Ocean’s movies do it a disservice. It has those vibes but it’s not a heist book, it’s the behind scenes/fly in the wall story focused more on character and relationships. You also get a fun romance with a body guard that I feel could have been given more page time because I was here for it!

Fans of con artist stories and heist books who wish there was more time spent on the characters than the heist/cons will enjoy this book, especially if you love colorful quirky characters!

After going to prison to "save" her family, Jillian is out and wants them to finally stop their conning ways. This time, she's more prepared and has the ability to cut them off from the money if they refuse again.

I think comparing this book to Knives Out and Ocean's 8 does it a disservice. Unfortunately, I went into this book with very high expectations that it couldn't reach. While there were some threats on Jillian's life, it wasn't very many and the scheming wasn't as involved as I'd expected. It also wasn't as suspenseful as either KO or O8. Jillian did have some much needed growth and I liked her relationship with the bodyguard. I enjoyed it, but I was expecting to love it based on the description.

Readers looking for an Ocean’s Eleven tale with a conscience should pick up this book. The Moorewood family is a family of grifters and thieves, a family that will con the shirt off your back, and then the shirt off of one of their own. When Jillian returns from prison , she is determined to turn this family around what ensues is a funny and slightly heartbreaking tale as Jillian unwinds the Moorewood family chaos and turns this family on the straight and narrow. (Well, at least she tries to). A surprising story of love, family duty, finding oneself, and grief, I really enjoyed watching this family and their antics play out.

While it does take a minute for the story to get started, I felt that the pace was true to Jillian‘s inner conflict and resolution. With Beck, her bodyguard as her outward conscious, she’s able to make decisions and guide her family in a way that she wouldn’t have been before. I absolutely loved this slow burn, high chemistry romance between them, and even though it’s closed door I am completely team Beck. I thoroughly appreciate the grief arc that came with both of these characters as well. It brought a level of depth to the novel that was unexpected, and while the story broke my heart about both of their parents, I truly think that it brought their characters to a different level and that many will be able to relate.

I really hope we get a sequel and get to see what happens with the Moorewood family next. The way this book ends, while there’s resolution, there’s also a possibility of seeing more crazy antics and unhinged cousin behavior, and I would love to see it.

This reads more like a comedic version of Succession than Knives Out. These folks aren’t even ruthless, they’re just trying too hard.

DNF

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Moorewood Family Rules by HelenKay Dimon is a contemporary fiction novel with tangential themes of crime and family. The story revolves around Jillian Moorewood, who hails from a con-artist family. She is returning home to her family from prison. In exchange for taking the fall and going to prison, her family agreed to go straight and stop their lives of crime. Unfortunately, when Jillian arrives, she realizes that they went back on their promise. Now, Jillian is going to do whatever it takes to lead her family on the straight and narrow.

Here is an intriguing excerpt from the beginning of Chapter 1:

"Jillian Moorewood waited thirty-nine months and seven days to make a spectacular and unexpected entrance. A simple car and driver wouldn’t do. That left a yacht, splashy yet sure to draw attention, or dropping down from above into a sea of stunned faces via helicopter. Clearly, the latter won.
She scanned the target area from the window next to her seat. From this angle she could see the expanse below. A gated entrance. Towering trees hiding a wall that outlined every pristine inch of the property. Not one pool but two . . . because, of course. Didn’t every house need two?
...
The whapping and rattling grew louder the closer they got to the ground. Mere feet from landing, Jillian could make out the faces of the dozen or so people standing at the bistro tables set in a careful pattern around the larger, cascading pool.
A party. How convenient . . . for her, not them."

Overall, Moorewood Family Rules is a contemporary fiction novel with a really intriguing premise. One highlight of this book is the premise. As soon as I read the synopsis, I knew that I wanted to read this book in full. I did take off 1 star because it wasn't as funny as I expected it would be. I took another star because I was expecting more action-packed scenes. It's not the book's fault. I had the wrong expectations going into reading this. I was expecting more of a comedy/thriller when the genres are actually listed as adult fiction/romance/women's fiction. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of crime-related contemporary fiction, you can check out this book when it comes out in April.

I wanted a fun romcom with a bit of family drama mischief. This seemed to drag on quite a bit tho without anything really happening. I just wanted more development.

Entertaining as hell and briskly paced. A great mix of grounded characters and absolute screwballs who bicker and banter their way to a satisfying resolution.

I keep seeing mentions of Knives Out in reviews, but to me the Moorewoods are like a more skillful set of connivers than the Bluth family from Arrested Development.

Thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so much fun! I really enjoyed reading about Jillian and what was motivating her and her learning what was motivating her. The Moorewood family was complicated and had very intricate ties and dealings with each other.

I liked that there were two perspectives of the Moorewoods (Jillian and Anika) in the book. Anika, I wasn't too sure about but learning more about Jay (her father) and how awful he was to all of his kids made me empathize more with her. It helped a lot seeing Anika's perspective, because Jay had a lot of meetings with some of the family and it wouldn't have helped put what Jillian was doing into perspective (getting the family to go clean). It was sad that Jay couldn't take any accountability in his actions or his effect on the rest of the family, but to be expected with people like that.

When I was looking through titles in NetgGalley, I stumbled across "Moorewood Family Rules" and the premise of this book had me hooked. Although I personally do not believe that it compared to "Knives Out" or "Ocean's 8" as the synopsis suggests, it was still a fun fast paced read. I think the cover of this book is super cute and it was part of the reason I requested this book, so in this case I DID judge a book by it's cover. I enjoyed Jillian as a main character, I thought she was strong willed MC that I love to see in books. I also enjoyed the tiny bit of romance that developed but I do wish there was more throughout the book. Overall, I enjoyed this book but I was under the premise that there would be more mystery or suspense woven in the story line. This book more so than not full of a "fun" banter between this dysfunctional family. The lighthearted take on a more serious family dynamic (con artists) had me cracking up at some points. This is a fun book that readers should be on the lookout for.

This book was a huge disappointment. It wasn't at all like I thought it would be. The plot was barely there and boring throughout most of the book. The writing was repetitive and it was hard to care about the characters.