The Rules of Love by Cara Malone

The Rules of Love by Cara Malone

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


There are a million and one (or maybe eight) things I thought of mentioning in a review for this book. I think I'll just stick to a few words.

Two young women of 23 attend graduate school at Granville. Both going for masters in library science with the other also going for masters in user . . . um . . something. I'm not sure where Granville is supposed to be though within roughly 5-6 hour driving of Chicago. Conceivable Granville University (GSU) is a stand in for Denison University (which is located in Granville Ohio, which is roughly 6 hours driving distance from Chicago). GSU, though, seems to correspond to Georgia State University, and I know this isn't Georgia State. So, conceivably, the action is taking place in Ohio.

One of the women had been dating their high school sweetheart for the past six of so years, but the girlfriend, Meagan, broke them apart when they graduated college - didn't want to do the long distance thing. Ruby, the woman I've been referring to indirectly, is normally a bubbly chatty type who just loves social situations and making friends. And she turns to that, with her plastic smile on her face, to distract herself from her heart-break.

Meanwhile there's this kind of 'opposite Ruby' type - where Ruby is bubbly, femme, dress wearing socialite, Max is her opposite in most ways. Strong jaw, mannish clothing, bow-tie, short hair, blunt sharp talk. Doesn’t ‘do’ small talk. Or crowds. Or bars, parties, etc. Course, part of that ‘doesn’t’ do’ is the part wherein she isn’t really sure how. For she falls somewhere within the label of Asperger syndrome.

Both women find the other quite attractive, on first glance. Shortly thereafter both kind of dislike the other, with Ruby even telling her mother that she’s developed an arch-enemy. Max falls less into ‘dislike’ but for noticing how Ruby is acting to her. Which is worrying to her for Ruby is the first person who seems worth the effort to figure out what this ‘dating’ and ‘love’ thing might mean.

Then they are forced to work on a project together through a class. And so they have to interact.

They move less from hate to love, than from hate to hate fucking – quite frankly I kind of despised Ruby throughout the book and had no sympathy for her. She used Max as a distraction, to distract her from her broken heart. Ruby keeps thinking that the fucking will be a one-time thing, but she keeps finding herself in Max’s room. Max thinks they have some kind of relationship going on (stupid of her, eh?).

Then, as kind of expected, the ex-girlfriend reared her ugly head up to blink alluringly towards Ruby. So naturally . . ..
The events of the book kept me from rating this less than I did but I wish to again note that I rather disliked the character Ruby put on display.

sex: lots. And graphic.

Rating: 3.66

June 23 2017




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