4.5 stars rounded up.

It's not often that I give a new (to me) author this many stars. There really has to be something about the book that calls to me. Everything about this book called to me. I love a good story about screwed-up, bitchy, backstabbing rich families. Books that have twists and turns. Books with some mystery, intrigue, and surprises. Books that leave some of the characters with insight that they hadn't had when you first started reading. And boy, howdy, do we sure have all of that here. That and just a bit more that put the shine on the book. There is some humor and a bit of romance, too (sort of)!

This is a perfect beach read - not too long, not too short. Perfect for a long vacation flight.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Avon and Harper Voyager, the author HelenKay Dimon, and NetGalley.

Book Name: Morewood Family Rules
Author: HelenKay Dimon

ARC
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon for an ARC of Morewood Family Rules by HelenKay Dimon

Stars: 3.5
Spice : 0

- Standalone
- Multi POV
- Slow Pace
- Modern Comedy with Romance Subplot
- Similar to Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano

- Topics
- Family
- Boundaries
- Coming into Oneself
- Tropes
- BodyGuard
- Every Con Artist Movie Ever
- Thoughts & Feelings
- Slooooooow start
- Witty dialogue.
- Entertaining and Engaging Characters
- Need to know what happens after…

Moorewood Family Rules is a book about a dysfunctional family if there ever was one. Following Jillian’s release from prison, she returns to the Moorewood estate with the knowledge that she is solely in charge of all the assets her mother left behind following her death. Everything is hers. When her family finds out, her cousins and uncle hatch up a plan to eliminate Jillian, and she knows it. As a result she hires a bouncer whose job is to protect her, and you know where it goes from there.

This story reminds me of a very tamed version of Knives Out. Revenge, dysfunctional families, a heist, jilted lovers, etc. It had a lot of potential but in the end fell flat for me. The love interest was boring and there was no build up. In fact, everyone talked about how “Ugly Hot” they were. There weren’t any redeeming characters, other than Jillian because she is pretty bad ass until the very end. Although this book wasn’t for me, I can see why others will like it! If you love a lot of ridiculous and silly family drama, you’ll enjoy this! Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! 2.5 ⭐️

This is such a cute book. Enjoyed all the characters. Four stars! Thanks publishing and netgalley for the read and review

3.5 stars! This was a super unique plot and the reveals were great. I almost feel like it was too short and could have benefitted from being more developed because I wanted more time with the characters!

Moorewood Family Rules is about a dysfunctional, grifting family and all of their drama when Jillian gets out of prison and insists on having them toe the straight and narrow. The problem is…they are in the middle of their cons and they have a robust history- they are family after all!

Told primarily from Jillian's point of view, you get to see her figure out who exactly sent her to prison in the first place, learn to trust her newly hired bodyguard (aka, love interest) and find out if her family is going to bend to her demands or not.

A fast-paced, quick, fun book that made me laugh a couple of times and held my interest as Jillian navigated her loyalties and found her own way.

Thank you to #netgalley and #avonandharper for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was my first HelenKay Dimon novel and it was so different from her Darby Kane books. This one still has a mystery on it but with a little bit of humor and little “light”.
So it is like, Darby Kane books =Morticia Addams
HelenKay Dimon=Dolly Parton
This book was quite slow in the beginning but kept up a few more chapters in. I needed to write down and remember who is who because there are many family members mentioned. I liked how the character dynamic is and I imagine some scenes in my head where the camera cuts and pans rapidly to the characters when they do something uhmmm conniving. ;)

This is my new favorite HelenKay Dimon book! Such a lovely cast of characters that bring the book to life. I'm so glad this author is back to the romantic connection I love!

This book was so fun! I definitely enjoy a book with romance AND mystery (*cue Best of Both Worlds by Hannah Montana* 💃🏻) The characters were super charming and i couldn’t get enough!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Press for the ARC! I really adored Knives Out, and I think going into Moorewood Family Rules expecting it to be just like that did it a disservice. I felt like it dragged a bit at times, and could've used more suspense. Still, I was pretty charmed by the family, the secrecies and all of the rules.

Light, easy romantic suspense novel centered on a recently released ex-con who returns to her family of grifters to find they have not changed at all - despite the deal she struck not to rat them out. After hiring her own body guard, she undertakes to get them out of her life and out of her property - with much difficulty.

Thank you to Netgalley & Avon Press for the ARC. I was drawn to this book with the fun cover and promise of witty Knives Out esque intrigue. However, I started this book and couldn't get into it. It felt like it was trying too hard and I couldn't find myself interested in the story.

Unfortunately I could not get through this book. I read 20% and it was draaaaaagging. I couldn’t focus on it at all because nothing was happening when I was focusing. The entire first 15% or so was literally one scene from one night, and nothing good came of it to progress the story, while the premises of the story seemed solid, the execution was flawed. So bored. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to try it, but this one is a no from me.

This one is not in any of my usual wheelhouses. I enjoy romance and not typically fade to black. But this book is so well written I was hooked and it pulled me out a slump for sure!! Fantastic read for sure. 4.5 Stars!

I received an ARC of this from NetGalley. I’ve had it for a while and finally got around to reading it. I really enjoyed the premise of this. A con family forced to reform themselves? Honestly it sounded hilarious. There were some funny parts and some good banter, but I just don’t think this one was for me. The romance between Jillian and her bodyguard almost seemingly came out of nowhere to me, but maybe I just wasn’t paying attention. I ended up liking the two of them together in the end though. I also enjoyed that we got Anika’s POV. I felt it was nice to get a point of view from “the other side”. This story does dive into the issue of how far we’ll go for family, even though they may not deserve it. With the right casting this would probably be a hilarious movie. Overall this was a read that kept me interested but was just okay for me.

Fun read about a family of grifters with the MC Jillian returning into the fold fresh out of prison. She enters onto the scene with a bang. There is a lot of drama and intrigue with complicated family dynamics that are unlike anything I have read. Will this ex con be able to steer her family straight?

Jillian Moorewood has been gone for 3 years when she arrives at a lavish family party, stunning everyone- including her family.

The story unfolds like a crime narrative, evidence by interview by backstory through the Moorewood history of schemes, scams, and deception -- and how Jillian tried to save them all by asking to go straight.
In the meantime, her family doesn't want to quit the family business and will stop at nothing to keep going, business as usual. After Jillian's life is threatened, a bodyguard gets thrown in the mix for the reader to hear the revelations and history, as the family fight battles of honesty, loyalty, family, truth, and all the internal battles that come from reluctant growth or permanent stagnation.

Not sure I'd compare it to Knives Out or the Oceans movies but it was a clever mystery with a rom-com lean. Once invested, it was hard to put down.

#arc
#netgalley
#moorewoodfamilyrules

This book was just alright. Some fun similarities to Knives Out but ultimately felt a bit dull at times. Could have done with a bit more excitement to move the story along, fans of whodunnits should enjoy it nontheless.

i had really high hopes for this book! i think the concept is amazing and could be right up my alley. i wish that it had more suspense and it made me lose interest with too much dialogue. it is giving some knives out vibes, which i like!

Jillian has just been released from her 39 months in prison. 39 months she did to protect the rest of her family. However, one of them threw her under the bus to the FBI. Now that she is out, and her mothers estate is in her name, Jillian is determined to get her revenge on the ones that didn’t have her back.

This was a delightfully quirky and fun family drama. Some light scamming, con artist-ing, and full blown revenge. Jillian had me rooting for her from the start against her super crappy family members that wouldn’t give up scamming as she had asked. I read this book in a single night, it kept me turning the pages and was just such a fun read. I’m not sure I agree with the comparison to Oceans 8 or Knives out, so don’t go in expecting that. Go in expecting a super enjoyable family drama.