Bending the Rules

When I read the back cover, I had my doubts about the story being interesting. How wrong I was. Once I started reading Bending the Rules, I couldn't stop. Good flow with characters, story line, etc. I eagerly await Amy's story.

After reading Cutting Loose which is Jane's story of the three friends: Jane, Poppy and Ava--I almost did not pick this book up as Cutting Loose was incredibly boring with very little chemistry between the hero and heroine. I'm glad I gave Poppy's story a chance. The chemistry between Poppy Calloway and the hero Jason de Sanges is there from the beginning. As Poppy and Jase over come their first impressions of each other which had them thinking each other was hot, but not what they were looking for in a date; you find yourself involved in the story and caring about the two main characters as well as the secondary ones--not only Jane and Ava (her friends), but the troubled teenagers she is trying to save. Jason de Sanges, a child of the foster care system, comes from a family where the men are in and out of jail. He is the exception due to the caring intervention of a crusty cop. Jase lives by the rules in order to manage his surroundings and in his mind not become like his father and brother. Enter Poppy Calloway, a free spirited artist, who challenges Jase's rigid unbending rules. When the two are thrown together overseeing three young artists who defaced public property, the sparks fly! Throw in some mystery with the romance and Susan Andersen has produced a great read! This is Susan Andersen at her best.

I have been waiting to read about Poppy and de Sanges' story since reading about their sizzling connection in Cutting Loose, and I was not disappointed. Poppy is dedicated to giving back to the community, especially by inspiring teenagers with an outlet of drawing and painting. De Sange is a by-the-book police officer who knew only too well what could happen once a person starts leading a life of crime due to his family who have been in and out of jail his entire life. When these two are thrown together to oversee the punishment of three teens who are caught tagging some buildings by having to repaint them, it's like oil and water, but there's an attraction there that just will not go away. I loved the lightness of the book and the great interactions, not only between Poppy and Jason, but between Poppy and her "sisters", Poppy and her teens, and Jason and the teens. This is an easy read which made me breeze through the book in a number of hours. I am wondering who will star opposite of Ava in the next book and I really hope it's going to be Finn and not Cade Calderwood Gallari. Overall, if you've read Cutting Loose and liked it, you'll love Bending the Rules!

In Seattle, three teenage graffiti artists are caught by the cops vandalizing storefronts. Artist Poppy Calloway suggests that besides cleaning up the spray paint mess they made, they receive community service to paint a neighborhood mural. Police detective Jason de Sanges is outraged with her soft response to the crime; he wants them punished as a deterrent from them committing future acts of vandalism. Jase is further upset when his superiors think Poppy's idea is terrific. Making matters even more poisonous to the cop is he is named to supervise the teen artists. Finally the topper to his anger is his attraction to Poppy upsets him further. That is until a series of accidents that he believes were intentional makes him feel the need to keep his pain in the butt woman safe even if she is a flying liberal. The incredibly deep cast including tertiary characters makes for a strong upbeat good contemporary romantic suspense. The story line is fast-paced from the moment the lead pair butt heads and never slows down as free spirit Polly teaches by the book Jason CUTTING LOOSE (Poppy's friend Jane's story) is okay in moderation unlike the men in his family who spent time in jail while he grew up in foster care. Though similar in tone to CUTTING LOOSE even with the suspense subplot, fans will enjoy the education of Jason. Harriet Klausner

Susan Andersen pens an absolute delightful book in her latest story...Bending The Rules. Poppy Calloway always believed in giving back to her community and letting others have a second chance. When some first time offenders spray paint some walls in the community, Poppy wants to give these teens a chance to make it right. This doesn't sit well with Detective Jason de Sanges. Detective Jason de Sanges doesn't see much good in the world around him. The males in his family seem to spend more time in jail then out of it. Luckily Jase had a met a cop who took an interest in him growing up and Jason walks the straight and narrow 24/7. He tries everything he can to get out of helping Poppy with her little "community art project." Jason grudgingly gets in the spirit of working with Poppy and her teens. But spending time with her has him rethinking some of his strict by the book rules. She gets under his skin and makes him think he can have it all. Poppy sees more in Jason then just the strict layman, can she help him to see that they have a chance to beat the odds? Bending The Rules is a book you will want to re-read several times. It stays with you long after you are done. It is very sexy, sweet, and emotional and has well written characters. Susan Andersen books are keepers for me. I can't wait to read the next book in this delightful series.