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The Rule
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The Rule
Unavailable
The Rule
Ebook318 pages6 hours

The Rule

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this ebook

In Helvik, a single rule governs the people: ‘No person of Helvik may kill another person of Helvik. Any person who breaks this rule is no longer a person of Helvik.’

Gunnarr remembers a time before the rule, when blood feuds and petty rivalries led to endless death. In the days since, an uneasy peace has fallen over the town, and Gunnarr has made himself the man to enforce it.

When an innocent friend suffers from a breach of the rule, Gunnarr rushes to deal retribution. Too late, he discovers that what appeared a mindless act was actually something far more sinister. And now he has left his unborn child and family unprotected, just when they need him most.

A vast host of warriors is at the gates of Helvik, and with Gunnarr gone, nothing and no one stands against them…

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 26, 2015
ISBN9780007593057
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The Rule
Author

Jack Colman

Jack Colman grew up one of five children on a rural smallholding in the middle of the North Yorkshire Moors. His first job was picking potatoes on the local farms and he has since been an antique furniture restorer, a grain tester (yes that’s a real thing), a plasterer's mate, a football coach and a corporate lawyer. He is married and lives in Poland.

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Reviews for The Rule

Rating: 3.6363636363636362 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

11 ratings20 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Okay, so yes... Rule is my current 'pretend boyfriend.' I was worried about this, but he redeemed himself when he went back to the Mohawk ;)

    Good story. Serious angst in Rule's family... I was appalled by some of the things his mother said to him, and actually yelled at my Nook at one point. It was sweet, it was hot, it was touching at times... all in all, totally worth the money!

    But I have two issues with the book. First, and it's kind of an ongoing pet peevish type thing for me and these books, Rule didn't actually listen to Shaw most of the time. She said over and over she loved his Mohawk, yet later he decides that he should grow it out because she wouldn't be with someone with crazy hair. Umm... she already is with you, jackass. Way to pay attention to what she says and take her at her word. Second, it looks like Jet's book is next, and while you get to know Ayden a bit, Jet is barely in the book and only discussed a few times. At this point, I'd be way more interested in a book about Rome than Jet... or even Nash, as he's been around off and on.

    So, yeah... not my fav of all time or anything, but I liked it and I'll read the others.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow that's all I can say! I am not a fan of that much tattoos and piercings but oh my Rule worked for me ... I loved him .. shaw too ... I loved this book...
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Steamy hot sex scenes and a main character that's frustratingly easy to like despite himself make this a great story that's hard to put down.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked the story very much, especially since there was a point to it. It wasn't something written just so it's out there. The characters were written amazingly, as they were complicated and deep and made me care about each one of them. I can't wait to read Jet's story :)
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    story ok. needs major editing.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    For the story itself, I enjoyed it. I love bad boys in books and always gravitate toward them. The relationship between Rule and Shaw felt natural and progressed at a believable pace. This story reminded me a little of Beautiful Disaster with regards to Rule & Shaw, but the rest of the story/plot is entirely different. If I had one complaint about this book, it would be the editing. It was horrid. So many typos and misspellings, some places there were entirely wrong words used, like its homonym, etc. So many of these errors could have been caught with a simple spell check. 1 can overlook a lot if I like the story, but this level almost became too much. That said, I still enjoyed it. There was just a lot to overlook. It's the only reason it didn't get 5 stars.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book is filled with grammatical errors. In the beginning, the story was fresh and engaging enough that I didn't notice. As it wore on, however, I found myself focusing more on the errors and less on the story. I made 15 notes in one chapter alone, and all of them were becaose of lack of editing.

    The story was a good one, but sadly it got lost behind the lack of editing.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Okay I loved the characters in this story. Some parts of them were insanely broken, but the author made it work. This story also made me want to revisit getting a tattoo... thanks for that :)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    “I loved Rule like it was my mission in life. I loved him like it was inevitable.” Well, that is for sure! Shaw definitely had it bad for Rule her entire life. Loving him was equivalent to having a jagged knife in the heart for years. Watching him drink and screw his way through his teen years and into adulthood. He never really noticed her other than being his twin brother’s “girl.” She sat back and waited patiently for him to wake up and see her. Even after his brother’s death, he just didn’t see it. He fell deeper and deeper after his brother passed. Shaw has always allowed others to dictate her life, even down to dating someone she could not stand, and who could not accept her walking away from him. When she finally decides to throw caution into the wind and live her life on her own terms, everyone is thrown a major curve ball.

    Rule has always pushed everyone away since he could remember. His family is strained. His mother can’t even look at him or be in the same room as him. His twin, Remy, was about the only person that could understand him and keep him grounded. Now he has been gone for a few years, and life just seems to have little meaning. Shaw has always been a nagging pain. His older brother Rome, the soldier, always trying to be the voice of reason to keep as much peace as he can between the family. That fateful night with Shaw will change his life course forever. He eventually has some shocking revelations that he has a hard time swallowing.

    “I didn’t have to question, didn’t have to worry, didn’t have to fall into the tunnel of darkness because whatever Shaw felt for me, I gave it to her back and knew that was enough.”

    This book was a roller coaster through and through. I just couldn’t seem to put it down. Rule is the complete picture of Mr. Brooding. Shaw is the perfect picture of, well, perfection. The two combined are explosive. Once these two can get over themselves and see everything that is in front of them, they set off fireworks like never before. There were things I knew from the beginning, so when the “bomb” was dropped, I wasn’t necessarily surprised, but it fit perfect right where it was. I can’t imagine what more these two could go through in the next book…… More drama? How much more drama can one couple go through? I guess we will have to wait and see!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow!! Just wow! This is one of those authors and books I've been meaning to read for quite a while and all I can do now is smack myself asking what the hell where you waiting for!! This is an amazing read and I can not wait to dive into the rest of this series. Great writing and amazing characters fill the pages of this book and had me up all night reading because I couldn't put it down. Absolutely a book I recommend to everyone.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I loved the premise of this book, but there were too many missing or incorrect words used, or a word in the middle of a sentence that shouldn't have been there. It was also missing some punctuation, and that all made it really hard to get into the flow of reading. I did like Rule and Shaw, but I thought the book was a little long (which may have been due to having to re-read things because of the previously mentioned grammatical issues), and it just ended up being ok for me. I also got mad when Shaw decided to go to Rule's b-day party and apologize and try to get him back. I think she had done enough for him in loving him and trying to take care of him for years, and I think it was his turn to make a move since he messed up in the first place. Thankfully, my anger didn't last very long.

    I am torn over whether to read the next book because I really liked Ayden, and I would love to see her get a HEA, but I don't know if it would be more frustrating than gratifying. I am very intrigued by Nash as well, and I wonder if all of Rule's boys will end up getting their own story?
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I liked some parts of the book and others not so much. There were times when I got incredibly frustrated with the characters, but the ending was really good.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Shaw’s life has always been dominated by her family’s demands. Whether it's hanging out with the “right” people or going to the best schools, her family has always dictated when and where their daughter would go and what she will do. Until that fateful day when she becomes friends with the Archer boys and her entire world is turned upside down. Best friends with Remy and in love with Remy’s twin brother, Rule, Shaw finds herself having to navigate this new world on her own. Rule is so used to having Shaw around, he never even thought of her more than an annoyance. Friends with his brother, Rule seemed to just expect Shaw to pick up the pieces when life fell apart. When Shaw is unable to take anymore of the turmoil, Rule finally sees her as more than an annoyance. Tattooed and the ultimate bad boy, Rule finds himself wanting to be more than a good time guy. I adore the way Jay Crownover writes characters. She is able to get right to the heart of matters and deals with situations in a real manner. Messy and uncomfortable feelings, oh yeah, we have them and she writes them. Embarrassing moments you wish you didn’t have in life, she includes them. But those heart wrenching, emotionally draining moments in life that we live for...oh yeah, she can write the hell out of those! Rule’s book begins the Marked Men series and I’m looking forward to the rest of the boys’ books. Shaw and Rule deal with death, sorrow, and mourning but also newfound love with a fresh look at life. Intense emotional connections with the past crowd the present, but true love prevails. Who knew a tattooed bad boy would be oh so good with his hands and his heart? Super fun and uber sexy, I can’t wait to read the rest of the Marked Men series. Love it!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Amazing story that really pulls at your heart strings. I loved everything about this book and would highly recommend it to all new adult romance fans.Opening Sentence: At first I thought the pounding in my head was my brain trying to fight its way out of my skull after the ten or so shots of Crown Royal I had downed last night, but then I realized the noise was someone storming around in my apartment.The Review:Shaw London has the looks of a picture perfect life. She is a pre-med, straight A student and comes from very rich and influential parents. She has an amazing boyfriend that fits her perfectly or so everyone thinks. But Shaw doesn’t want perfect she wants the one thing she knows she can never have, Rule Archer. Ever since she was 14 years old she has been madly in love with Rule but he never looked at her that way. Shaw was best friends with Rule’s twin, Remy, and even though everyone thought they were a couple, their relationship was strictly platonic. Remy brought her into his family and they all treated her like she was the daughter/sister they never had. But three years ago Remy died in a car accident and it tore his wonderful family apart.Rule Archer lives his life however he wants to and doesn’t care what other people think about him. He is an exceptional tattoo artist and lives a carefree life with very little attachments. His relationship with his parents has never been great, but ever since his twin died it has been awful. Then there is Shaw, the gorgeous girl his twin spent all his time with. Everything about Shaw screams perfection and Rule is nowhere near perfect. But one night filled with the best sex he has ever had changes everything he has ever thought of the shy gorgeous Shaw. Can the hotheaded playboy tattoo artist and the level headed pre-med student make their relationship work and find love at last?I adored being inside Shaw’s head. She is beautiful, kind, and spunky, but she also has a lot of insecurities. Even though she grew up very wealthy and has the face of an angel, she wasn’t very popular when she was younger. She has always been a little awkward and had a hard time making friends. Then Remy came along and saved her by making her a part of his family. He made her see that she was someone special and that even though she came from a crazy family she still deserved to be loved. She fell in love with Rule basically the first time she met him and has never been able to get over it. Even after all these years and now that Remy is gone she still has undeniable feelings for Rule. Getting to know Shaw was fun and connecting with her just came naturally. She is one of those girls you can’t help but like and she will forever be one of my favorite protagonists.You really can’t get sexier then Rule. He has inhumanly good looks, tattoos covering every inch of his body, and some pretty adventurous piercings. He radiates sex appeal and the opposite sex has always noticed. He has never had a girlfriend and never really wanted to one. He has a temper and is very independent. He has always done his own thing and never cared what other people thought of him. Shaw has been like a little sister to him and now all the sudden he sees her in a different light. He has been completely oblivious to that fact that Shaw has always been in love with him even though pretty much everyone else already knew. Even though they are complete opposites in so many ways they are so perfect for each other. I loved Rule and he is a sexy love interest that I won’t soon forget.This was a raw, passionate, and emotional read that I loved. It’s actually hard to put into words how much this book affected me. I’m not usually a crier in books, but this one had me tearing up multiple times. But it also made me laugh, sigh, and totally blush at times. I thought that the romance was epic and very realistic. It had tension, drama, and a great buildup that lead to me completely falling for Rule and Shaw together. I have read a couple of other books by Crownover but this is by far my favorite book. Her writing is out of this world good and I would recommend picking up all of her books if you are a fan of new adult contemporary romance novels. This is the first book in her Marked Men series, and while it is my favorite the rest of the other books are great too. They all feature a different male and female lead so you can start the series in any order you want. Suffice to say, I obviously loved this story and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a sexy emotional read.Notable Scene:“I know what you can do for me to make this officially the best birthday ever.” I wanted to sound sure, to sounds sexy and sultry, but I’m pretty sure I just sounded horny and drunk. I didn’t care. I washere—the real me—the one who wanted him so desperately and always had. There was no chance at putting her back in her cage now.I didn’t think—didn’t reason—just used the grip I had on him to pull myself even taller and plant my mouth solidly over his. The ring in his lip was shockingly cold against my own; the rest of him was undeniably hot and hard. It was everything I had ever wanted, and even though he didn’t kiss me back, I still ranked it up there as the best birthday gift ever. I went to settle back down on my booted feet when something shifted, something changed, and Rule went from a passive recipient to something else entirely.FTC Advisory: I purchased my own copy of Rule. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good book, some editing issues but still a worthwhile read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Having read Jay's newest book, Better When He's Bad, I thought I would give her other books a try. I thought it was cute. The background these two characters share makes for a pretty interesting story. Who doesn't love a bad boy? It just makes everything more complicated and brings about rough events. But in this case, the one thing I think that beats the bad boy is the girl who sees through it all and is having none of it. Most don't try to defy a bad boy, so I think that's awesome. The main character's close friends and family are also just as awesome. I like how the next book in the series will be one of Rule's friends. So it should be fun learning more about him and the rest of this fun group of people.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    good read. It was an easy read with enough story plot to satisfy me. I thought it had a unique plot and it played out pretty well in the end. I will definately pick up the next novel to see how the author does.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I struggled a lot between 3 and 4 stars but in the end, I chose 3.

    I liked the story and adored the characters, especially Rule and his friends. Although it took me a bit to warm up to Shaw as I perceived her as rather weak in the beginning and that's just not the kind of character I like, honestly she came across as a doormat. But later in the story when she grew more confident, I liked her just fine.

    Rule certainly wasn't perfect either but I just have a soft spot for tattoo artists, tattoos and piercings.

    But most important: both main characters show a development that I enjoyed to read about.

    The story itself wasn't bad, it was enjoyable and kept me reading but I just didn't feel like it was something new. I'm not sure how to explain that properly, it's just the way I feel.

    Last but not least: the grammar, spelling and typos. I did read the author's Q&A but it's just something that annoys me extremely (probably as much as the author is annoyed about the grammar comments). The thing is, if there's a mistake on almost every page and if I have to re-read a sentences more than twice (e.g. because the punctuation isn't correct an the sentence makes no sense) then I'm too preoccupied with correcting the sentences instead of enjoying the story and I kust can't overlook that.

    I'm not saying that a book has to be perfect without a single mistake, we are just human and all make mistakes but this was on the extremer side. So if you have a similar problem with the mistakes mentioned above, do yourself a favor and read the edited version because you'll enjoy that one a lot more as I'm positive that would've been the case for me.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was okay, but nothing special. The whole story reminded me a lot of the movie Grease. Similar to my reaction to Grease, it does bother me a bit that in the end you find the girl covered in piercings and tattoos like the boy. Not that I'm against stuff like that, but I think it would make for a more interesting book if she kept her original classy look and stayed with the tattooed and pierced boy. THAT is what not caring what others think is about. The book was full of grammar mistakes and misspellings. It also screamed middle-aged woman author... the dialogue was often extremely unbelievable. Not worth the read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    3.5/5 Stars.I need to start off by saying that I love Amazon. I love that I can buy books for my Kindle for less than $3.00. I love that I am discovering so many new authors (self-published/Indie authors) that I would never have read before. I never would have found Rule without Amazon and I am very glad I did!I don't want to spoil the read, so I will keep this review fairly generic. Rule is about two dysfunctional people who have grown up together, lost someone they mutually loved, and only stay connected due to their standing Sunday "family" dinners. On the outside, Shaw looks like a well-put-together young woman who is going places. Rule on the other hand, looks like a guy who just got out of prison. The truth is that both Shaw and Rule are dealing with personal demons and some pretty big hang-ups. Shaw has always loved Rule, but Rule always saw Shaw as a privileged pain and his dead twins girlfriend. One night of drunken sex and they begin a slow process of falling in love. The sex scenes are steamy, but not over-the-top Fifty Shades scenes.I will say that the scenes between Rule and his mother are horrifically heartbreaking.Rule is a good quick read with some surprising depth. I am looking forward to the next book by Jay Crownover.