Review: The Ground Rules by Roya Carmen

Title: The Ground Rules

Author: Roya Carmen

Series: The Ground Rules Trilogy #1

Release date: June 2^nd, 2015

Publisher: Omnific Publishing

1. Don’t sleep around.
2. Don’t kiss and tell.
3. Be nice.
4. Don’t text or call.
5. Don’t fall in love.

The rules are simple...until they aren't.

I have everything I ever thought I could want: a nice home, a job I love, two beautiful girls, and my husband, Gabe - my high school sweetheart who still rocks my world. If you ask anyone to describe me they would say, "Oh, Mirella? She's such a nice girl." And I was...until a mysterious, peculiar man and his beautiful wife enter our lives. 

Weston and Bridget Hanson are no ordinary couple—they’re stunning, enigmatic, and sexy as hell. During the course of one unexpected evening, my ordinary world is turned upside down. How could it not be when Weston and Bridget propose the unthinkable? And when the unthinkable is so very tempting, giving in becomes inevitable. 

It sounds so logical and simple. Just five rules and we can all have what we desire. But the heart doesn't follow rules, and now passion, jealousy, and confusion threaten to tear everything apart.

Two beautiful couples. Five simple rules. One hot mess.

The Ground Rules by Roya Carmen is the first novel in the Ground Rules Trilogy. When I read the book description I wasn’t sure if this was something for me, two couples being in a relationship because I believe in a one woman-one man happily ever after. But something was encouraging me to just read it and judge it later and that is exactly what I did….Oh boy, what a read this was.

Gabe and Mirella are married and have been together since high school, they have two lovely daughters. Their life is stable and good, but like every married couple with kids, it’s sometime hard to get out and have some quality time together. So Mirella suggest a date night and arrange a babysitter for their girls and Gabe is in charge to arrange a restaurant. There they meet Bridget and Weston, another married couple and they decide to share a table and have diner together.

The two couples are each other’s opposites, but for some reason they are getting along just fine. Mirella and Gabe are surprised when Weston and Bridget contact them again to make them a proposition to think about. It could spice up their love life or it could break them apart forever.

I have to say that I’m glad that the book surprised me; I like the fact that the book was written from one POV, in this case Mirella. Otherwise it would have been too much of confusion to see so many POV. The author has done a great job with describing Mirella’s feelings, thoughts and emotions. I could totally understand her attraction towards Weston and her love for her husband Gabe.

I definitely am looking forward to the next book in this series. The ending of this book was clear, but I know the story isn’t finished; they have some clearing up to do. So I have something to look forward to.

This book was given to me by the author for an honest review.

I am a mom, book junkie and romance writer. A graduate of Ryerson University, I worked as a graphic designer before staying at home with my little ones. I have been writing for over ten years, finding my passion for romance in 2008.  When I’m not spending time with my family, I enjoy reading, painting, and writing – there is nothing I enjoy more than sitting down at my laptop and making up my own stories – and if those stories should include beautiful men, a little romance, and a few steamy scenes, all the better!

I am a member of RWA.

Education: B. Tech. Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Author's contact info:

Website / Goodreads / Twitter: @royacarmen / Facebook