Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is such a fun read – I really recommend it to anyone!

I loved how we have to work out who is genuine, who plans on being genuine in the future, and who is actually in control... so many double crosses, so much blaming others, such a crazy, dysfunctional family – and at the centre, a woman who gave up a lot and still they don't respect her.

The layers are revealed at just the right time to keep the tension at the perfect level, and I could really only wish it was longer!

I really wanted this to be more knives out and ocean’s 8 esque because I love those movies. Unfortunately it fell a little flat for me and I didn’t love it

I gobbled up this book like a bag of Peanut M&M's after a 40-day fast. Would I want to be part of this dysfunctional (dare I say, murderous?) family of con artists in real life? Absolutely not! But, in the capable hands of HelenKay Dimon, and a fictional story I happily immersed myself in, I couldn't get enough of them. These characters are fascinating. Each and every one of them has so many intriguing layers, keeping me off balance, wondering which - and on whose - side they would land. Some are obvious. Others, not so much. All of them keep the story moving forward at a brisk pace, skillfully guided by their creator through a myriad of twists and turns that kept me eagerly flipping pages to see what would happen next. And when I reached the end, somewhere around 3:00 AM? The first thing I wanted to do was go back to page one and read it all over again to soak in all of the clever lines, unexpected detours, and subtle nuances I may have missed the first time through.

Moorewood Family Rules is quirky, twisty, cringey, laugh-out-loud fun. If you've seen Knives Out, it has that same vibe. In fact, the publisher describes it as "Knives Out and Ocean’s 8 meets The Nest." I would agree. This one checked all of my happy reader boxes.

For you romance lovers out there, yes, there's a love interest for the heroine. And he's pretty yummy.

*ARC received from publisher. Fair and unbiased review.

Jillian Moorewood has spent the last few years in prison for a crime she did commit, and the crimes of her family. You see the Moorewoods are a family of con artists and they're very good at what they do.

To save her family, Jillian takes the fall for the entire family on the condition that they go straight, no cons, no crime, nothing, the family is supposed to become upstanding members of the community, now did they? That's the million-dollar question.

Getting out of prison and making an entrance that can only be described as amazing Jillian puts her foot down and lays her cards on the table, the fallout, well let's just say there's more than one moment Jillian could have lost everything.

I enjoyed this book, the family dynamic, the brilliance of how everything was set, and watching how the pieces moved, it was good, but I wanted a more back story, more of the cons, more of how it all started, something that makes you understand how and why they became who they were and why they'd be willing to kill one of their own.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

After the death of her mother, Jillian Moorewood tried in vain to get her family of grifters to go legit. Things definitely don't go to plan, and the story begins with Jillian returning to her family estate after spending 39 months in prison. But if there's one thing that Jillian knows, it's how to pull a long con. Unbeknownst to her family, Jillian has returned with a few surprises, but she's not fully prepared for how much her family is determined to hold on to the lives they've built. Enter, Beck Romer a security specialist hired to keep Jillian safe from her family. It's hard to know who to trust in the Moorewood household, but Jillian and Beck form a strong working relationship that will hopefully carry Jillian through the upcoming confrontation. That is, if the person who ratted her out in the first place, isn't set on sending her back to prison for good.

I was very interested in reading this book when I found out it would be about a family of criminals and the seemingly one family member who is trying to go legit. I think I was prepared for a lot more scams and cons, these things are all there, but almost in the peripheral. Down to its most basic premise, this story is about a dysfunctional family.

We kind of start the story on the other side of all the cons (although really Jillian's family seems to be in a constant con if not with someone else than with each other). We're seeing this family after years and years of crime. The breaking point for Jillian was the death of her mother. Her mother who, despite everything, loved Jillian's father. She always wanted the family to turn honest. It was her dying wish that Jillian has been trying to uphold when she's sent to prison.

Seeing this family with all the baggage and how they navigate around one another was very relatable. I think we all, at certain times or another, will clash with our relatives (probably not over crime, but still).

The pacing of the book was one that I had to get used to. There's a lot of bantering and back-and-forth between the family and having an understanding of the characters helped pick up on the tone of the story. It's very quirky and it's funny without specifically trying to be just as we see the lengths in which certain Moorewoods are willing to go in order to in order keep up the con. The lies in which they live everyday in order to assure themselves that what they're doing is not wrong.

While not exactly what I was expecting, I thought that this book was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the family interactions and I think the whole idea, the thing that this family is really good at, is shattering expectations.

This is a story about a family of grifters and an eldest daughter fresh out of serving a sentence for financial crimes, determined to put her wayward family members on the straight and narrow. I love a story about a family of grifters/con-men and this book had so many things I loved: messy family, sisterhood, hilarious elderly aunt, and a sexy bodyguard. I immensely enjoyed reading it and would highly recommend!!!!!

Moorewood Family Rules by HelenKay Dimon
Rating: 3 stars
Pub Date: 4/25

I was super excited to get my hands on this Knives-Out-Meets-Ocean's-8 style novel, but unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me.

When Jillian returns home after a 3-year stint in prison, she's annoyed that her conniving family did not go legit while she was away. It will be up to her to make some changes to the dynamic, whether they like it or not.

I think the comparison to Knives Out does this story a disservice, as it's really a story of self-discovery and learning to take control of your own life. The dysfunctional family trope takes center stage, along with a romance between Jillian and her bodyguard.

I found it difficult to connect with the characters, and the relationship between Jillian and Beck felt forced. There was very little chemistry, and the story itself dragged at times. The ending was lackluster, and overall just not what I was hoping for.

Overall, this was a great concept, but the execution could use some polishing. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this ARC to read and review.

I cannot explain how hard it was to put this book down once I started reading. It is so entertaining, and all of the characters were fascinating whether they were plotting or not. Jillian is the daughter of an heiress and a ConMan. Her father’s family is now always trying to get the whole family into cons. She tried to make the family go legit and actually end up going to prison for three years to save them. Jillian is back and wants revenge but she needs to find out who is the one who set her up.

There seem to be no clear-cut. Good people in this family. Jillian’s sister Emma is now seeing a man that Jillian is angry with and we find out later why. Their uncle and his two daughters, as well as aunt Patricia are scheming as well.

It was nonstop, scheming and plotting throughout the book. It was interesting to see as you read what people were actually trying to do , none of the characters seem to have a loyalty to one another besides Jillian and Emma also there was the addition of the bodyguard Beck, who was there to protect Jillian.

If you are looking for a book that has knives out types of sensibilities. This is the book for you .

Moorewood Family Rules is the ultimate escape for readers seeking a thrilling read. This book is perfect for those who enjoy exploring dysfunctional family dynamics, as it offers a healthy dose of humorous back-stabbing and an ensemble comedy that is fast-paced and engaging. The characters are out-of-the-box, and the romance is one to root for. The book is imaginative, emotional, action-packed, and artfully crafted, making it a must-read for anyone looking for a captivating story. With its professional writing style and intriguing plot, Moorewood Family Rules left me wanting more.

REVIEW FOR MOOREWOOD FAMILY RULES

3 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon/HarperCollins for the gifted copy.

This book started slow for me. I think the author tried to go for the suspense and wow factor, and some of it succeeded. However I think in the attempt to do that it slowed the pace of building the foundation. For me it picked up about 40% in and from there I couldn't put it down.

Overall, I liked the book. I thought the banter was witty between Jillian and Beck, and the familial structure was fun to experience. I had a really difficult time feeling any sort of sympathy for any of these people, as they were all terrible with the exception of (arguably) one person. Even Tenn and Kelby, who are often viewed as innocent bystanders, are guilty by association. Additionally, I've read a lot of ARCs and this one had way more typos and misprints, so sometimes the dialogue got confusing.

I haven't seen Knives Out yet, but I have seen Oceans 11 and I can say that comparison is relatively inaccurate beyond the fact that the characters in both the book and the movie are con artists. Beyond that, there really isn't much comparison. But overall it was an enjoyable book and I can see why people would rate it higher.

DNF at 35%. I'm gutted about this book but maybe I will come back to it in the future. The premise of this one had me hooked, an ex con coming back to get revenge on her family?? Sign me up! However, this book ended up with just family whinging and a lot of unnecessary back and forth between characters.

We are thrown right into the story with our main character coming back from prison and waltzing into a family engagement party. It was clear how unwanted she was. The part I found most frustrating was that there was not true definition of the characters in this story. We met 10 new characters in 3 pages but there was no real depth or way to connect them to each other. There were some random switches of POV too which did not help with clarity at all.

The part that tipped me over the edge on this one was the mental health discussions. When our main character returns, it turns out her family have said she was having a mental breakdown. In no book should mental health be used as a token topic. People have faced breakdowns and the way it was thrown around in this book will offend people. Overall I am really disappointed since this was one that caught my attention and I was really excited for.

Nothing beats a good book and killer scenery- and this combo had it.

This is the first book I’ve read by @hkdimon and spoiler alert: I LOVED it. Big thanks to @avonbooks and @netgalley for gifting me an advanced copy to read and review. This hysterical mystery rooted in a family of con artists is out on April 25!

We meet Jillian Moorewood upon her release from prison. She crashes a family event and we quickly learn that her family is… dysfunctional as hell. Her con artist dad attempted an epic con with an heiress - and what resulted was Jillian and her younger sister, Emma. But the con gene runs strong and extends to Jillian’s uncle, cousins and great aunt.

This was SO fun. It gave me strong oceans 11 vibes, but also reminded me a bit of Weeds and Good girls. There’s some mystery elements, a lil romance and lots of family intrigue and drama.

Come to learn why Jillian was in prison, and stay for hot bodyguard Beck, the laughs and the surprising twists and turns

Posted on goodreads, my bookstagram @scottonreads and will post on retail sites

Once upon a time a con man met an heiress, married her, had kids….then kept on conning. Jillian Moorewood is the eldest, the responsible one, the one tasked with getting her family to go legit after her mother died. Taking her job so far as to go to jail to save her family, she hopes she’ll return home to find everything on the straight and narrow. Only to find out her family took her go legit or else ultimatum as a suggestion.

Although her life is in shambles, Jillian is determined to set her family straight. And with the help of her bodyguard and some unexpected allies she starts to get her life back.

Moorewood Family Rules is described as Ocean’s 8 meets Knives Out and that’s a pretty spot on description of the dynamics. And the cover is the perfect one for this book, I absolutely love it!

This was just such a fun, entertaining read. It’s got a little bit of everything: cons, family dynamics, quirky characters, and romance, it’s got something for everyone! I would have preferred a little bit more con aspects but the family dynamics were still very entertaining.

Although I don’t relate to being a part of a con family, I did relate to Jillian and her struggles of being the eldest and feeling responsible for her family. I just really liked Jillian’s character and also her relationship with Beck, their banter was great.

Thank you HK Dimon, Netgalley, and Avon for the review copies in exchange for an honest review!

Moorewood Family Rules was such a fun read! I usually don't enjoy third person books, but I really loved the writing in this book. I loved following Jillian and Beck. The plot twists throughout the book kept me on my toes. Obviously I was getting very frustrated with the Moorewood family, but ended up loving a lot of them towards the end (not Jay or Astrid though). Overall, this was such a good and fun read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I found the plot fun, and loved that we got a touch of romance in there as well as the mystery aspects. Such an enjoyable read.

This is a fun, quick read about a dysfunctional con artist family, unknown revelations, and revenge. If you're looking for a book that has drama, sarcasm, several smaller mysteries, and a desire to survive, this is absolutely a book for you!

Really sad that I couldn't do more than skim this after a few chapters. I didn't connect with the characters and although I liked the premise of the Family Rules, getting dumped into the family didn't work. The writing was choppy, especially in the internal monologues/thoughts of Jillian.The characters were okay, and although I liked some of them, I couldn't get over the repetitiveness and unnecessary POVs.

Overall, I wasn't a fan, though this fast and easy read will be fun for a lot of readers. Unfortunately, it wasn't for me. Dimon's writing style doesn't flow well, and her the characters felt immature and very limited by the roles they were cast in. I didn't get Knives Out or Ocean's 11 from this at all, just women's fiction with a dash of mystery and romance.

Moorewood Family Rules. Jillian was in prison for 3 years, but got out on good behavior. She went in for a white collar crime, based on the family business (stealing from the rich, but not in a Robin Hood sort of way.) Now that she's out, she is on a mission to figure out who sent the FBI on her, and to get the family to quit scheming. Along the way, her aunt and the business guru decide that Jillian needs a bodyguard because someone in her family is trying to kill her, or send her back to prison.

The synopsis of this book states that it is like Knives Out, which I can see because it is a family drama about crime... but I would have to disagree.I just.... didn't like it? Now, I did read an uncorrected proof, but I couldn't get over some of the mistakes. I felt like there were plots in this story and that I just didn't understand what was going on. I ended up skimming the end. It felt like the author was just dangling things in front of me and then closed it nicely? Just felt dragged out. Also SPOILER ALERT!!!!!! she has a weird relationship with the body guard??? That came to be towards the end of the book??? Felt real weird.

I've seen good reviews and maybe that was because they had a corrected proof and the story changed slightly, but damn I almost DNFed... whoops.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

There was lots of hype surrounding this book but I found it to be so poorly written, with such absolutely horrible dialogue that it was a struggle to complete

This book was not what I was expecting but I still had a nice time with it.

I really liked the premise of this book: a dysfunctional con-artist family; and a daughter who went to prison for them, now out for revenge. Told from two pov's: Jillian's - the daughter who wants the rest of her family to retire from the family business and go legit, and Anika's - her cousin who is in fact part of that side of the family that doesn't want to retire from the family business. I enjoyed the fact that we got to see both sides of the family and exactly what they were plotting. But I wish we got more.

Things to look forward to:
-Magnificent revenge plans
-A sweet bodyguard romance
-Sneaky great aunt behavior
-Rich, snobby white women
-A fun look inside the lives of con artists and their various schemes

I really hope HelenKay Dimon writes more in this world because I would love to go deeper into the Moorewood family lives and schemes.

I was really into this for the first half but then it became extremely similar and I felt like I was reading the same things over and over again. Ultimately, this one seemed like it didn’t know what it wanted to be and left me wanting more of *something*. The marketing for this is also confusing - we need to stop comparing every family drama to Knives Out. To me, it was for family drama with a hint of mystery and romance. I really enjoy the way Dimon writes and I am huge fan of her thrillers written under Darby Kane. I'll definitely check out more of her work as HelenKay Dimon.