Smexy Books

Romance and Urban Fantasy Reviews

  • Review Request
  • Contact
    • Smexy Reviewers Profiles
    • New Reviewer Application
    • Contact
  • Advertising
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • By Genre
      • BDSM
      • Contemporary
      • Erotic
      • Fantasy
      • F/F
      • Historical Romance
      • Historical PNR
      • LGBTQ+
      • M/M Romance
      • New Adult
      • Urban Fantasy
      • Paranormal Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Romantic Suspense
      • Young Adult
    • By Letter Grade Rating
      • A Reviews
      • B Reviews
      • C Reviews
      • D Reviews
      • DNF Reviews
  • Features
    • New Releases
    • Smexy Deals!
    • Retro Review
    • Weekly Wrap-Up
    • Blog Tour
    • Scenic Sunday
    • To Be Read
    • Guest Post
    • Top Ten/Happy Friday
    • Smex Scene Sunday
  • The Psy/Changeling Channel
You are here: Home / C Review / Guest Review: Rulebreaker by Cathy Pegau

Guest Review: Rulebreaker by Cathy Pegau

August 11, 2011 by admin 5 Comments

Rulebreaker

Rulebreaker by Cathy Pegau
F/F Romance, Futuristic
August 8, 2011
E-Book
Carina Press

Guest Review by Jill Sorenson

Thanks for having me at Smexy Books! I hope you enjoy this guest review.

I was excited to read Rulebreaker for several reasons. Cathy Pegau is a debut author and this is the first f/f romance published by Carina Press. Rulebreaker is also the first non-erotic f/f novel I’ve come across. Like m/m, most f/f is erotic.

The story begins with a bang. Liv Braxton, the heroine, is in a bank in Nevarro, a sort of futuristic Wild West. There’s a robbery in progress, with an intriguing twist—Liv had also planned to rob the bank that day. A group of dangerous professionals gets the drop on her and leaves with a secret stash.

Although the men are masked, one of them cops a feel and calls Liv a pet name. It’s her ex, Tonio Calderon.

This great setup highlights the strengths and weakness of your story. Liv is a strong, unique heroine. She’s a con artist with a conscience. Tonio is a sexy rogue and I can smell hero all over him. I love reunion romances! The only problem is that Rulebreaker is supposed to be about a relationship between two ladies.

Tonio visits Liv later with an interesting proposition. He’s working on the heist of a lifetime and his crew needs a smart, sneaky female to join them. Liv knows it’s a risky proposition but she’s an adventurous gal. After signing on, she learns that her task is to infiltrate the offices of a major corporation and seduce its VP.

The corporation, Exeter, researches safety products for Nevarro’s corrupt mining industry. There’s some secret new air filter being tested, with deadly (?) results. Liv is to collect information that can be used to blackmail Exeter.

Exeter’s VP, Zia Talbot, is a woman. Liv doesn’t normally swing that way, but Zia is hot, and Liv is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

I wasn’t sure why Tonio’s crew assumed Zia would go for Liv. Because she’s a lesbian, and Liv is attractive? If Zia had a reputation for boffing her secretaries, I’d have found this premise a little more believable.

Before I go further with the plot, let me say that the writing and world-building are excellent. The futuristic details add a lot of flavor but don’t overwhelm the story. There is a stylish, sexy quality to the writing, despite the fact that there is very little sex. Rulebreaker reminded me of a George Clooney caper film. It’s compelling and charismatic.

Liv’s chemistry with Tonio heats up the pages. Beneath his scoundrel exterior, he’s a nice guy, and he has unfinished business with Liv. Unfortunately, Tonio outshines Zia, the “real” love interest. By the time she enters the picture, in the second half of the story, it’s too late. I wanted Liv to get back with Tonio.

The scenes between Liv and Zia didn’t work for me. Liv has much better chemistry with Tonio. He is her ex, and dangerously off-limits. In comparison, Liv is required to seduce Zia. I kept thinking that it would be really hot if Liv and Tonio argued about the job and ended up in bed. Actually, that almost happens. Instead, Liv goes through with the plan and sleeps with Zia. The sex is sensual but not explicit.

Inter-office, boss-secretary affairs are not my favorite and I just never warmed up to Zia as a character. She’s involved in more shady business dealings than an Exxon executive. She also treats Liv like a pet and buys her pretty things.

What I disliked most was how Liv changed from an independent, free-thinking reprobate to a submissive little assistant. She enjoys making Zia coffee and micromanaging her schedule. It felt like an abrupt departure from the first half of the book. The resolution was less than satisfying for this reason.

Rulebreaker rates pretty high as a futuristic novel with romantic elements. But I wasn’t sold on the relationship between Liv and Zia.

Rating: C+

Recent Review:
Loving Venus – Loving Mars – A-
Goodreads

Author’s Website

Kindle l Nook l Carina Press

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon
  • More
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Filed Under: C Review, Carina Press, Cathy Pegau, F/F, Futuristic, Guest Review

Comments

  1. MinnChica says

    August 11, 2011 at 7:49 pm

    Isn’t it disappointing when it seems like the heroine or hero should be with someone they aren’t? I always hate that!! Seems like this one might be a miss for me. :(

    Loading...
    Reply
    • Jill Sorenson says

      August 11, 2011 at 8:38 pm

      Yes, it’s disappointing. But maybe other readers will like Zia better than I did? I’d be interested in reading a guy/girl story from this author. Her writing is very good.

      Thanks for posting this Mandi! I’d love to come back and review another f/f romance sometime. There isn’t much to pick from in this subgenre but every once in awhile I come across a really great story. :)

      Loading...
      Reply
  2. Mandi says

    August 14, 2011 at 8:49 pm

    I’m really glad Carina Press has a F/F. I don’t read a ton of them, but I think they should be part of the pub’s selections. Not sure if I will pick up this one though.

    Loading...
    Reply

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome to Smexy! If you are reader feel free to use our search feature to find a specific book or browse through our features to find Smexy Deals, New Releases, and book news!

As an Amazon Associate, we do earn from qualifying purchases. We also earn a small commission on affiliate links to Apple, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords,  Booksamillion, and Bookshop,org.

 

Shop our Affiliates!

Amazon

B&N

Apple

Smashwords

Booksamillion

Angela

Melanie

Jen

Kate

Iby

Kate H.

Sign Up for Daily Emails


Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.

Follow Us!

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on Instagram

Top Posts & Pages

  • Smexy Deals- Deals for books by Maisey Yates,  Ilsa Madden-Mills, Sophie Jordan, and more!
    Smexy Deals- Deals for books by Maisey Yates,  Ilsa Madden-Mills, Sophie Jordan, and more!
  • Smexy’s Top Ten Favorite Sex Scenes of 2012
    Smexy’s Top Ten Favorite Sex Scenes of 2012
  • Smexy Deals- Deals for books by Chloe Liese, Jennifer Haymore, Kristen Painter, and more!
    Smexy Deals- Deals for books by Chloe Liese, Jennifer Haymore, Kristen Painter, and more!
  • Smex Scene Sunday
    Smex Scene Sunday
  • Review: Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt
    Review: Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt
  • Retro Review: Showmance by L.H. Cosway
    Retro Review: Showmance by L.H. Cosway
  • New Releases- Week of May 19-23, 2025
    New Releases- Week of May 19-23, 2025
  • Review: The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros
    Review: The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros
  • Cover Reveal- American Beauty by Georgia Cates
    Cover Reveal- American Beauty by Georgia Cates
  • Review: Manacled by SenLinYu
    Review: Manacled by SenLinYu

Disclosure

The majority of the books reviewed at this site have been provided for free by publishers, authors, or other third parties like NetGalley or Edelweiss. Acceptance of a free copy does not guarantee a review or a positive review.

As an Amazon Associate, we do earn from qualifying purchases. We also earn a small commission on affiliate links to Apple, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and Booksamillion.

Shop our Affiliates!

Amazon

B&N

Apple

Smashwords

Booksamillion

 

Find Our Reviewers

Angela @fv-angela.bsky.social l Goodreads

Melanie @melonreads.bsky.social l  Goodreads

Jen .@thebooknista l Goodreads

Kate  @kateminasian l Goodreads

Iby Instagram l Goodreads

Kate H. @Naranjadia l Goodreads

Copyright © 2025 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

%d