4/5 ⭐️

If a book starts with the FMC landing a helicopter on the lawn of her family’s estate after getting released from prison, I’m immediately going to be hooked.

I love media that takes place in one location, and seeing how authors/filmmakers can create a dynamic environment with a very small setting, and what better place than a Bellevue Abe mansion? Reading all about the schemes Jillian’s family gets into within those gilded walls was FASCINATING and I stayed up way too late reading so I could learn who sent Jillian to prison and how she was going to get her revenge.

I pride myself on being able to figure out mysteries and twists in books, but this one took me by surprise!

This book was an overall delight and I need about a million more books with the Moorewoods.

I enjoyed this fun, mysterious, swoony tale of Jillian Moorewood.

It was so fun to see such an absolute chaos filled bunch of dysfunctional cast of characters (and they are all related)!!

And to have a bodyguard trope (fast becoming a favorite) with Beck.

I knew I was going to like Jillian’s character from the beginning. It started off strong and kept my attention for a while. I loved the concept of the book. I did feel like there were a lot of parts that were drawn out, like it could have been shorter or there could have been something more involved.

When I finally got to sixty-seventy percent of the book, it really got my attention. Storyline started moving quickly, and at that point I had to rad on through to finish the book.

The romance portion was a distraction, but that part felt too fast while everything else took a long time to explain or plot out.

Overall, there were some really exciting and funny parts to the story. It was easy to read. It got me interested in the author’s other work.
Thank you ARC for your generosity and allowing me to read it early.

I ended up DNFing this book very early on, about 10%. It didn't capture my attention, and I had very little interest in following the characters. I couldn't tell the difference between half the characters because they didn't seem to have unique voices or motives, and it was very flat.

Jillian Moorewood is the black sheep in her family. The rule follower, the responsible one, the one who went to prison to cover up her family’s history of cons, schemes, and lies. But now Jillian’s free, and she’s determined to straighten her fleecing family members out once and for all. With the help of a great aunt (who may or may not have murdered her cheating husband) and a bodyguard who gets hotter the more he lets down his guard, Jillian sets out to change the family legacy - and maybe get a little revenge while she’s at it.

If a telenovela and a heist movie had a book baby, it would be MOOREWOOD FAMILY RULES. This was so fun to read! It was dramatic and over-the-top, often laugh out loud funny, but with some meaningful background layered in to explain the characters’ motivations. I kept trying to untangle the web of relationships, and to guess who was really at fault for myriad cons and assassination attempts. I would love to see a movie adaptation of this book! Personally I would’ve liked to see a little more of the conning from when the family was in its prime; I think that could be a cool prequel idea @helenkaydimon 😉. For fans of KNIVES OUT and OCEAN’S 8.

NOTE FOR THE EDITOR: there are a few mistakes with the numbering of the rules. Rules 17, 37, 39, and 40 are not given. Rule 29 is given twice: first in chapter 13 (“Rest when you can but never on a job”) and then in chapter 26 (“Never let anyone outtalk or outcon you”).

Moorewood Family Rules is about a lady named Jillian who was tossed in prison despite her attempts to fix her scheming family. With the time she spent locked away she comes up with a fail proof revenge against those who plotted against her. As her story unfolds, she hires a grumpy bodyguard named Beck who finds himself deeper than he intended. Alliances are shifted around and there's a rat in the group, will Jillian's plan work or will she go under all over again?

I give this story three stars out of five because, while the concept of the story was really great, the first half of it dragged for me. Some of the chapters didn't really contribute and some of the background of the characters being constantly explained was a bit over kill. After the first handful of chapters the characters were established enough that it wasn't necessary.

Once sixty-five percent of the story came up the pacing picked up and was much more fun to read, more interesting.

For the spice I give this story one chili pepper out of five, the sexual tension felt kind of forced, there was no make out or sexy scenes. The relationship between them didn't transition as smoothly as it could have .

The entire time I trusted virtually no one until the end. lol Because of this and the way it ended I hope there's plans for a second book in the series.

I liked the relationship / friendship that slowly developed between Anika and Jillian and how things were handled with Emma and Gregory.

The huge revenge plan was exciting and perfect!

Overall I'd still give book two a chance and recommend it if you're looking for a clean heist story.

The very definition of "dysfunctional family" - the Moorewoods. This crime-family drama reminds me of a lighthearted, modern version of Agatha Christie's whodunnitness mixed with the glamor of crime life from shows like White Collar, all wrapped up in the humor and lightheartedness of a Hallmark flick. Jillian Moorewood attempts to influence her family into "going straight," despite their best efforts to not only sideline but murder (spoiler??) her. Other reviewers have suggested the ending is dissatisfying, and I have to agree; but it does leave us wanting more of the Moorewoods (a sequel, perhaps?). Overall a cute read!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!! It was a fun one.

this was a great read! fun and easy to follow with the perfect mix of plot, crazy characters and a sprinkle of romance! there were so many twists and secrets and it kept me guessing the whole time. i took off a star because at times the writing felt a little flat and the characters weren't super well developed. but overall a good read that i would definitely recommend! especially if you liked crazy rich asians and counterfeit then this is for you!

review to be posted on amazon, barnes & noble website, and instagram closer to pub date.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I know there were comparisons given, but it seems to me like the book that would result from Emily Henry re-writing Arrested Development. A gem!

A zany caper full of implausible situations and unlikeable people! Moorewood Family Rules is a fun and engaging read.

We follow Jillian Moorewood as she helicopters onto her family's lush estate in Connecticut. She's fresh out of prison and ready for revenge (in the form of politely suggesting her family of con artists try to make an honest living). Not everyone takes to Jillian's request kindly and, with her life seemingly in danger, an alluring bodyguard is assigned to protect her at all costs.

I was drawn to the plot description and mention of Knives Out and Ocean's 8 and was excited to see a romantic twist on those stories. I was surprised that the story mostly focused on the twisted family dynamics of the Moorewoods and less so on the relationship between Jillian and her bodyguard (which felt rushed and underdeveloped). Overall, this was enjoyable despite the whisper of a romantic plot and tonal shifts (from satire, to mystery, to comedy, to drama and everything in between). 3.5 stars.

Many thanks to Avon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

- This story was a very slow, nothing really progressed till I was 70% done with the book. I expected more crime and heisting schemes happening but it was basically all talk about what they did in the past. There was a tiiiiiiny bit of romance between Jillian & her bodyguard Beck but it felt very rushed at the end. Overall it was very anticlimactic story, especially comparing it (sorta) to Knives Out which was the opposite of anticlimactic for me! *Thank you so much to Netgalley & Avon/HarperCollins for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review*

What fun! It was great seeing the Moorewood Family in action, and especially to appreciate Jillian getting to be angry and seek justice in clever and satisfying ways.

Woah, this was seriously one fun, interesting, phenomenal book!

Jillian Moorewood is an outstanding female lead. I really enjoyed following her story plus getting the scoop about her con artist family.
I found this book to be funny, compelling and such a page-turner.
The twists just kept coming and I just kept turning and I couldn't flip these pages quick enough.
A manipulative, dysfunctional, hilarious read and one I enjoyed tremendously.

They aren't lying when they say this is a Knives Out and Ocean’s 8 meets The Nest kinda story.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Avon,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.

Well this was a fun one! Definitely recommended for fans of movies like Knives Out or fans of heist type movies as well!

The twists and turns in this book kept me on my toes and turning the pages over and over. I could not put this down. I do like that there was pretty much no spice and that it is a closed door romance. That is something that I have been into as of late and it is nice to see a popular book that is not so explicit. I will need to pick up some of this authors other novels after how successful this one was for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oceans 8 is one of my recent favorite movies and I was so excited to read something that was so highly praised and likened to the movie. Unfortunately, this fell flat and read as if it was a kid writing it. None of the characters were likeable and the sarcastic writing made them even more so. Would be a great first draft!

Good plot but writing is too repetitive. Loved that added layer of the relationship with Beck. Wish there would of been more of that and less of the rehashing of the same thing over and over

I was a little skeptical if I'd like this book based on the description and reviews. I tend to read shorter books because a book has to keep me intrigued or I'll stop reading it. This book was a pleasant surprise and I really enjoyed it! It was well written with just the right number of characters so you could remember who was who. It had a little romance and suspense.

Thank YOU to Avon HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for providing my ARC, always amazing titles and great pleasure to leave a honest review for your publications!

This book was SUPER engaging and fun since it is about a family of conniving and manipulative con artists. I've never read anything like this, so when I saw that, I was immediately interested and I was not disappointed. It was one that I could not put down because Beck and Jillian's dynamic just kept me enthralled because it was charming and really funny. Also, the revenge aspect of Jillian's return gives this book extra pizzazz. The supporting characters did not disappoint either! The shadiness and ridiculousness of them made it that much more fun to read. While it was fun and flirty, it was also sharp and witty, which was perfection and I could not put it down! Highly, highly recommend for those that want a different type of spice to their romance.

Expected publication date: April 25, 2023.

This was such a unique story! I had such a fun time learning about the characters and their family dynamic. It was funny but also the romance kept me intrigued as well. I'm excited to dive into other stories by this author!