Not a romance reader, plenty of page-skipping, but the story itself was solid.
I picked up Just Breaking the Rules by Lauren Blakely for the Rusty book club, fully aware that romance novels are not really my thing. As usual, once a shirt came off, I started skimming like it was my job. That said, the story itself worked for me.
Mabel inherits an old firehouse from her grandmother and turns it into a bakery. She teams up with Corbin who just happens to be a professional hockey player with a genuine love for baking. Honestly, that combination was way more charming than I expected. The small-town setup, family vibes, and shared passion for creating something meaningful gave the book some heart beyond the romance.
While I could have done with fewer steamy scenes and more time in the kitchen, I enjoyed watching the bakery come to life. My only real complaint? Blakely missed opportunity on not including a recipe or two. If you’re a romance reader, you’ll probably love it. If you’re romance-adjacent like me, the storyline makes it worth the read, even with strategic page skipping.
