This is a humorous story about a family who runs cons for a living.
The Moorewoods have been successful and live in a beautiful house with an electronic board to track their whereabouts/cons.

One of the dots was stationary for 8 years, because Jillian was in prison for tax fraud. She’s out now, and she’s angry.

Jillian promised her dying mother, an heiress, that the cons would end, and she’s going to make sure that the family goes straight. She’s got the leverage to do it, which is going to come as a surprise.
Unfortunately, the rest of the family doesn’t agree with this plan, and Jillian ends up with a hunky bodyguard after 2 attempts on her life.

This book is less romance and more women’s fiction. There is romance but it’s not the central story. The characters are well done, and it’s funny. 3.5 rounded to 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

This was SUCH a fun family drama with revenge and romance and a memorable female main character who gets released from prison and turns the tables on her family of con artists who think they’ve bested her out of the family “heist” money.

HelenKay was new to me author that I am going to have to do a deep dive into their back list. Perfect for fans of Knives out and fantastic on audio too. If you’re looking for something a little different from the usual romcom fare out there I highly recommend this one!!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book was described as a cross between oceans 8 and knives out - and I can totally see it. It started out really promising, but for me it petered out as the story went along. And the romance storyline felt a little silly and awkward. I did overall enjoy, but I’d say this one you can skip if the premise doesn’t totally blow your mind!

“She’d made an honest deal with them more than three years ago. They all had ignored the terms. Now, if they wanted any money, they would listen.”

Jillian comes from a family of con artists. In fact, her parents met while her dad was trying to pull one on her mom. But she is past ready for it all to end.
When she took the fall and ended up locked away for ‘tax evasion’ - the best deal she could make with the authorities - she made a deal with the family too. The cons were to stop.
On her release she finds that this very much did *not* happen, and so it’s time for her to personally enforce some changes.

This books asked the question - When you’re part of a family of con artists who can you trust?
This is a trick question.
You can’t trust anyone. Ever.

The family dysfunction and over the top antics give this book a feel very much like my favorite under-appreciated series The Spellman Files, just replacing a family of above board private investigators for one of con artists who - although they have specific rules for how to run their own family - feel like all the other rules (and laws) out there are mere suggestions.

It was a lot of fun to read, and even with being able to tell what was coming on some of the threads I still enjoyed the journey. It was interesting to see all the ways the family members worked together *and* against each other to keep Jillian from asserting control. Even better was watching her stop them and put them in their places.

There is a slow burn romance (closed door) with the bodyguard, but honestly it’s not even close to the main focus of the book.
This one is all about the family drama.

Thank you to NetGalley and avonbooks for the ARC

I’ve seen other reviews mention that they think this book suffered from the comparisons the publisher made to Knives Out or Ocean’s 8. Unfortunately I think this book just suffers from not being good. It’s clumsy and somehow both hard to follow and overly simplistic. It can’t decide if it wants to be a romance or a heist or an ensemble. The characters are thinly drawn. I just couldn’t get into it and honestly think the fact that I felt compelled to finish it because I’d had the ARC for so long contributed to my reading slump.

What a delightful romp through the machinations of a truly unique family. The Moorewoods, an extended family of thieves and con artists are about to meet their match when Jillian Moorewood gets released from prison after having taken the fall for the rest of the family. Jillian gets an icy reception when she arrives unannounced by helicopter just as the patriarch of the family, her uncle Jay, is about to con his way into a life-changing score. But before she left, Jillian had made the family promise to go clean. And she’s pretty certain that’s not what happened.

From the unforgettable characters, most of whom you really want to love despite their lying and cheating ways, to the repeated attempts on Jillian’s life, this book is a wild ride. Who can you trust when your whole family cons for a living? I highly recommend this book.

Excellent premise, fun characters, but somewhat lacking in execution and plot pacing
I wanted so so much to love this book. The premise of a family of con artists was so fascinating to me, but the story seemed to miss a lot of the opportunities that the premise provided. I expected a bit more excitement and hijinks but was met instead with a bunch of people sitting around a house for several days griping at each other. The characters were likable and I would've loved to see them in more interesting situations. This story just ended up being a lot more internal than what I wanted it to be. I think it has a lot of strengths --- the writing is great, the characterization and growth is done well, there's just a lot to be desired on the pacing front.

Jillian is out of prison and on a mission to fix her family! The only problem is that they don't think being grifters needs fixing and they will fight her with everything they have to keep on grifting. Can Jillian figure who turned her over to the cops and got her sent to prison? Can she survive her family's machinations? Will she end up just not caring in the end?

Jillian has quite a growth curve in this story. She is understandably irked having spent 39 months in jail for crimes her family was committing. Worse, none of them even bothered to see her during her incarceration. I love that she arrived at the family estate via helicopter. From that point on, Jillian shows a real ability to deal with anything her family throws at her and still learn the lessons she needs to learn. I really like Jillian's sister, Emma, and cousin, Tenn. They add a little bit of insight into why Jillian thinks the family needs to be "fixed". Both of them are decent people stuck in the muck with the crazy family members. I can't say that there is a "bad guy" per se but a few people in this book aren't exactly good people. Each person serves a purpose and helps to propel the story to its conclusion. There is romance in the story. I'll let you discover that on your own. It actually happens to more than one character, and it is definitely a feel-good part of the story.

I enjoyed this story. It has good pacing and is well written. By the end, I was really rooting for the characters to either win or get their comeuppance. I will definitely read more from this author in the future.

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

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