Review: My Rules by TL Swan
The audiobook for My Rules was a real highlight for me. CJ Bloom and Marcio Catalano brought so much life to the story, and honestly, their performances saved the book. Marcio Catalano, a new-to-me narrator, was particularly exceptional, and I’d gladly listen to more of his work. The audio production was top-notch, and without it, I don’t think I would’ve made it through.
That being said, the story itself was a different matter. Blake and Rebecca were extremely toxic for each other, which made it hard to root for their relationship. The writing itself was strong—TL Swan knows how to craft an engaging narrative—but I struggled with the characters. Rebecca was frustratingly insecure and wishy-washy, constantly letting her doubts and insecurities sabotage her relationship with Blake. To make matters worse, she wasn’t even legally divorced during all this, which only added to the mess.
Blake, on the other hand, fit the mold of the typical TL Swan “fuckboy” hero. After the breakup, he runs off to New York and starts dating another woman, while Rebecca is left chasing him down. Even when she tries to fix things, Blake treats her poorly, using her for sex and then sending her back home. When he finally comes back, we don’t see any meaningful character development. Can we really trust that he’s changed? It feels like there’s a lack of growth on his part, which made the rushed ending unsatisfying. Rebecca’s decision to take him back without question left me frustrated.
I appreciate that Rebecca sought help and worked on herself, but Blake’s lack of change really bothered me. There was no real resolution or proof of his growth, and that’s where the story fell flat for me. The potential was there, but the execution of their relationship arc left me feeling unsatisfied.
Overall, while the writing and the audiobook performances were fantastic, I couldn’t get behind these characters or their toxic relationship. I think more character development, especially for Blake, would have made this a much stronger read.
