Writer Wednesday: Author Interview with Natalie Williamson on Rules We’re Meant to Break (+Giveaway!)

Hi friends!

Today I’m really excited to share with y’all an interview with Natalie Williamson, author of Rules We’re Meant to Break.

Rules We’re Meant to Break is a contemporary romance that mixes family drama (ooh), falling in love (ahh), and ~getting attached~ (whoa) all in one! I’m honestly really excited because what’s more exciting than breaking all the rules?!

Natalie and I chat a little bit about Amber (the protagonist)’s rules, family, romantic comedies, and more! Plus, stay tuned for a giveaway!

Without further ado, let’s jump right to it

Hi Natalie! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me on my blog–can you first tell us a little bit about Rules We’re Meant to Break–but only through using some of Amber’s rules?

This is such a fun question! Here’s what Amber had to say…

Rule #1: Always keep your eyes on the horizon
Do NOT stress about moving in with Kevin. Stress about college instead. It’s more productive. And KU has to tell me their decision eventually…right?

Rule #2: Children of Mom’s boyfriends are roommates to be tolerated, not friends
Sure, it’s extra awkward this time since Cammie and I go to the same school. But it’s not like she’s making many appearances at the house anyway. We’ll barely have to deal with each other at all. At least that’s what I’m hoping…

Rule #7: Never get romantically involved with anyone connected to Mom’s boyfriends or their families
Seriously, don’t even think about it. No matter how fluttery Jordan Baugh makes you feel…

Summer is absolutely full of amazing rom-coms, and I can’t be more excited for Rules We’re Meant to Break! What rom-coms (novels or other media) do you think people who love Rules We’re Meant to Break would enjoy?

The Game Can’t Love You Back by Karole Cozzo
Miranda Kenneally’s Hundred Oaks series (starts with Catching Jordan); my personal fave is Breathe, Annie, Breathe
Surviving Adam Meade by Shannon Klare
Shuffle, Repeat by Jenn Klein

Now I want to reread all of these.

I absolutely love that you’ve included the trope of friend/kind-of-sister’s best friend in Rules We’re Meant to Break! It sounds like it’s creating a lot of delicious tension for Amber (okay, maybe delicious tension for us, stressful tension for Amber). What made you position the love interest as this specific person in the story, rather than, say, someone in one of Amber’s classes?

It definitely causes stressful tension for Amber, but that’s a good thing! In the very first draft of the book, I actually had a different love interest for her. I don’t remember many details now, but I do remember that the original guy played football and wasn’t friends with Cammie. But then I wrote Jordan into a scene as a side character/friend of Cammie’s, and immediately was like, ah, wait, this is the guy who can break down Amber’s barriers. So I started over from the beginning and rewrote with the two of them in mind, and things flowed so much easier.

I liked the idea of Jordan having connections to Cammie in particular because she is the unknown variable in Amber’s new living situation. Amber has lived with boyfriends of her mom’s before, but none of them had kids that went to her school. So dealing with that and the fact that the guy she can’t stop thinking about is best friends with her new pseudo-step-sibling really messes with Amber’s head, but in a way that she needs to push her out of her comfort zone.

I really love the strong family element in Rules We’re Meant to Break–I know Amber’s mom has gone through a lot of boyfriends, hence why Amber has the rules, but what do you think makes Kevin & his family so different and special that Amber is willing to break the rules?

I think part of it is that Kevin is a genuinely Good Dude. His kindness is hard to resist, even for someone as prickly as Amber. But more than that, I think the fact that Cammie is a classmate of Amber’s makes it harder for her to disengage like she normally would. So she ends up bending her rules in the name of niceness, and then starts to realize that the consequences aren’t all terrible, and that in some cases breaking her rules might lead to something great.

To end this interview, let’s do something fun! What are some of the worst (and maybe funniest, too?!) rules people have said to you or that you’ve read about romance and dating?

Hmm. I remember having so much anxiety about how often to text my husband when we first got together. I always felt like I was breaking a rule if I texted him first, or if I replied too quickly after he’d reached out to me. I do not miss those days! So maybe not the worst rule about dating out there, but definitely one of the most stressful for me.

This makes me so excited to read, and honestly I’m happy about the love interest change because this feels ~so much more tense~.

Messy dynamics and complicated character relationships are my jam so I’m really excited to search for this at my library!

If you liked this interview, make sure to let Natalie know on her social channels! And don’t forget to take a peek for Rules We’re Meant to Break at any major retailer, because it’s out now!

More About the Book

Rules We’re Meant to Break by Natalie Williamson
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published June 11th 2019 by Swoon Reads

Honest and full of heart, this clever contemporary romance debut deftly combines utterly relatable family drama with all the sweetness and uncertainy that comes with falling in love.

Rule #1: Don’t get attached.

Amber lives by strict rules to survive her mother’s love life: Always keep your eyes on the horizon and never get close to anyone connected to Mom’s boyfriends.

But after they move in with Kevin, the latest of her mom’s “soul mates,” the rules become increasingly difficult to follow. Kevin’s daughter, Cammie, keeps acting like Amber’s friend, even though she’s definitely not. And Jordan—star basketball player, hottest boy in school, and Cammie’s best friend—keeps showing up at the most inconvenient moments.

Amber has reasons for every one of her rules, and following them is the only way to protect her heart when her mom inevitably moves on. But as she spends more time with Kevin, his daughter, and especially Jordan, she starts to wonder if the rules might be worth breaking this time.

Chosen by readers like you for Macmillan’s young adult imprint Swoon Reads, Rules We’re Meant to Break is a charming, heartachingly real story of family and young love by debut author Natalie Williamson.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository

More About the Author

Natalie Williamson is an HR person by day and a writer by night and nap time. She referenced Harry Potter in her first ever full time job interview, which tells you almost all the things you need to know about her. Other important things to know include: she loves her husband, daughter, dogs, and cat; she has a serious dessert problem; and she frequently Wikipedias movies and TV shows to find out if they have happy endings. RULES WE’RE MEANT TO BREAK is her debut novel.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

Giveaway!

Rule #1: Use the Rafflecopter button below to enter the giveaway for a hardcover copy of Rules We’re Meant to Break!

Rule #2: US only (sorry). Ends next Tuesday at 11:59 PM EST!

Rule #3: I know it literally says “meant to break” but please don’t break #2 because you’re going to end up disappointed.

Rule #4: Cross your fingers and wish yourself luck! I’ll be doing the same for y’all!

If you had to write a rule about dating/life/family, what would it be?