Ashley Elston

Anna Boyd almost lost her life to get what she wanted most in the world: freedom. But just when it seems that her family has finally escaped Witness Protection, the illusion that Anna could resume a normal life comes crashing down. The deadly man Anna knows as Thomas is still on the loose, and now he's using her as a pawn in a dangerous game with the drug cartel determined to silence her forever. When Thomas and a mysterious masked man capture not only Anna but also her fragile younger sister and her boyfriend, Anna decides it's time to break all the rules-even if it means teaming up with the lesser of two evils. Anna will do whatever it takes to protect the people she loves and win her life back once and for all. But her true enemies are hidden in plain sight. Before long, Anna will learn that putting her trust in anyone may be the last mistake she ever makes.

The Rules for Breaking

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When I read the first book in this series, The Rules for Disappearing, last year, I realized how much I missed reading mystery/suspense books. I spent a good part of my youth reading every Fear Street, Nightmare Hall and Christopher Pike book I could get my hands on. The Rules for Disappearing was reminiscent of those and, well, with the way it ended, I was desperate for more. It wasn't a cliffhanger, but a teaser and it did its job. It's going to be difficult to review this book without spoiling the first, so proceed with caution. 

The Rules for Breaking picks up very soon after The Rules for Disappearing. Anna and her family thought everything was over, but little did they know what was in store for them in the very near future. I won't spoil any of it for you, but this book was fast-paced and full of action and suspense. Faces from the past reappear and people who were supposed to be trusted couldn't be. I was kept guessing right up until almost the very end of the book. I never did guess who was responsible for everything, and I'm usually pretty good at figuring this type of mystery out. 

I was impressed with Anna's strength and determination in The Rules for Disappearing and was even more so during this book. Everything she was going through was incredibly tough and while she probably could have been more honest, sooner, she did a remarkable job with the situations she found herself in. Her willingness to sacrifice her own safety for the ones she loved made her stand out in my mind. 

This series was more mystery/suspense than romance, but love did play a role in Anna's motivation. I adored Anna and Ethan. I was also happy to see that even with the reappearance of a guy from her past, this never turned into a love triangle. Don't get me wrong, I'm ok with a good love triangle every now and then, but it would've annoyed me in this situation with everything else going on in this book. 

I'm a romantic at heart, so I don't read a lot of mystery or suspense books any more, but The Rules for Breaking gave me a little of both. I'm impressed with Ashley Elston's first two books and look forward to more like this from her in the future. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Anna Boyd almost lost her life to get what she wanted most in the world: freedom. But just when it seems that her family has finally escaped Witness Protection, the illusion that Anna could resume a normal life comes crashing down. The deadly man Anna knows as Thomas is still on the loose, and now he's using her as a pawn in a dangerous game with the drug cartel determined to silence her forever. When Thomas and a mysterious masked man capture not only Anna but also her fragile younger sister and her boyfriend, Anna decides it's time to break all the rules—even if it means teaming up with the lesser of two evils. Anna will do whatever it takes to protect the people she loves and win her life back once and for all. But her true enemies are hidden in plain sight. Before long, Anna will learn that putting her trust in anyone may be the last mistake she ever makes.

The Rules for Breaking

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