Review: The New Rule by AC Netzel

As soon as I finished THE CASUAL RULE, I immediately searched Amazon to see if there was a second book to this series.  I needed more Ben and Julia.  Thankfully, THE NEW RULE was there and I one-clicked that book quickly.

THE NEW RULE picks up a few months after the end of THE CASUAL RULE.  Ben and Julia are now in a committed relationship.  The “I love you’s” have been said and they are building something solid together.  They’re still sarcastic, snarky, funny and smoking hot together, but you can tell there is something a bit more to their relationship.  And as this second story unfolds, we soon learn that despite how far they’ve come in their relationship, there are still more bumps to overcome.

When Ben’s world is turned upside down, Julia is tested and so is their love for one another.  There was never a time that I questioned how either of these characters felt for the other (they might have, but I didn’t waver), but they had to figure out how to work through uncertainty in life and still make their relationship work.  Neither of them handled things very well, but they realized what was important to them and just how important they were to each other.

I adored this story, even if there were times when I felt I was being ripped apart just like the characters.  It was beautifully crafted, with witty characters, dialogue and perfectly balanced emotional angst.  I truly hated getting to the last page because I didn’t want to be without these characters.  According to Goodreads, a third book is anticipated so I’m hoping we get a final installment for Ben and Julia with their final HEA.  So I’ll anxiously wait for the next book, and re-read the first 2 books a few dozen times until we get more.