At a loss for what to read next? Not sure whether to dive into a high-action thriller or fall head over heels inside a lush romance novel? With the first book of Catherine Bybee’s new Richter series, Changing the Rules, you won’t have to choose!
This novel has everything, from the slow-building heat of blossoming love to the conundrum of crime and the thrill of its unraveling mystery. Go undercover with Claire and Cooper and unearth a deep-seeded corruption in a California high school. Watch as they bring the institution’s secrets to light in an effort to reveal a twisted criminal: the ring leader of a prostitution ring for young girls. And somehow, amidst all of that shock and awe, you’ll find that you’ve dedicated your heart and soul to the dynamic duo that is Claire and Cooper. As they grow closer to uncovering the truth of the case, they can’t help but draw nearer to one another as well.
“He knew he was in deep. Knew before he returned to the States that with Claire, he flirted with falling too hard only to be left with a shattered heart in the end. But after the few stolen hours they used to their full extent, Cooper let himself hope.”
This isn’t your run-of-the-mill love story with typical characters and a comforting plot. Changing the Rules doesn’t play by the rules of traditional romance. Bybee entrusts her readers with heavy topics. She weaves the dance of romance between the horrific truth of human trafficking, and she does so with honesty and sensitivity. There’s nothing safe about this novel, and that’s what makes the story both real and original, hair-raising and heartfelt.
“Does anything about us… scare you?” she asked.
“I was more afraid there would never be an us.”
Changing the Rules is a romance novel with substance. It’s doesn’t merely focus on the love story but, rather, the love story is placed within the framework of an intricate mystery. The heat between Claire and Cooper is a byproduct of that mystery, an unfolding inevitability. The beating of your heart is fueled by the adrenaline of the investigation and the passion between Claire and Cooper. The chase, both for the love interests and for their search of the perp, propels the story forward with anticipation. And, the ultimate reveal is so satisfyingly unpredictable.
Bybee‘s Changing the Rules is a masterful blend of thrill, both in the discovery behind an unpredictable case and in the excitement of new and dangerous love. Learn more about this new romantic suspense novel here.