Why I Loathe Sterling Lane

by Ingrid Paulson

Per Rule 259, Harper Campbell keeps her life tidy- academically and socially. But the moment Sterling Lane transfers into her tiny boarding school, he intentionally breaks every rule she lives her fragilely constructed life by. Sterling is the poster-child for jaded, spoiled, rich boys, topped off with a smug little seditious smile. Worst of all, Sterling has perfected the role of a charming, misguided student trying to make amends for his past transgressions, and only Harper sees him for the troublemaker he absolutely is. But when her twin brother, Cole, falls victim to Sterling's influence and could be expelled, Harper decides to beat Sterling at his own game and take him down. As Harper breaks Rule after precious Rule in her battle of wits against Sterling, she's horrified to discover that perhaps the two of them aren't so different after all, and there could be a lot more life to live outside her rules. Teaming up with Sterling to save her brother might be the only way to keep from breaking the most important rule-looking out for Cole.

• ISBN10: 1633757005
• ISBN13: 9781633757004
• Publish Date: 6 June 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 27 April 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Entangled Publishing, LLC
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 150
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Harper is a very complicated girl, who has adopted an astounding 537 rules in order to stay in control of her life. She arrives to classes 30 minutes early to secure her preferred seat, sets alarms to remind her when it is time to switch subject while studying. She is a case study in discipline. When Sterling Lane makes his appearance, it is immediately apparent, that he is the exact opposite of of Harper. What begins as an unlikely alliance, in an attempt to exonerate her twin brother and save him from expulsion, grows and changes both Harper and Sterling.

This was a cute enemies to lovers story. There were parts I loved, parts I liked and wish there were more of, and parts that left me meh. My final impression was good, though, due to the strong and delightful ending.

What I Liked
Harper was rather awesome. She was living by her own rules, and I can appreciate a girl who doesn't let the crowd steer her decisions. She had all these adorable quirks, like how she baked when she was stressed, and her rules, so many rules, which when I learned why she adopted them, sort of tugged at my heartstrings. Most of all, I loved how she grew and changed during the story, but didn't lose herself. Rather, she found a better version of herself.

Sterling was quite the alpha-hero. He constantly challenged any and all rules, but he eventually realized he was doing it for the wrong reasons. It was apparent, that Sterling had a heart of gold in there from many of his actions (his sister, Cole, his grandmother), but it was buried under all his errant ways. With Harper challenging him, he also changed for the better. He didn't lose all his bad boy swag, but he realized he wanted more for himself and was not going to sacrifice his needs and wants just to contrary. I also swooned at how he desired Harper's fire. He didn't want her to change, he liked her quills and all, and that is a great message to send to the young women out there.

The romance was so sweet. Both Harper and Sterling would let a little hint slip here and there. They had there hormonal moments, which sent Harper running. In the end, it was Sterling, who made the grand gesture. He knew he needed to, and I must admit, I wore a huge grin on my face that entire final chapter.

This message of acceptance was all over this story as far as I could see. Both Harper and Sterling were fighting for acceptance from their difficult fathers. In addition, Harper was never really embraced by her peers due to her rigid and quirky ways. What they found, was that they could not really earn that acceptance until they started to veer from their rules. But what drove this deviation from their rule system, was a sort of self acceptance. When they addressed their own needs and desires, thus, accepting themselves, others saw them differently. I can get on board with that message.

What I Wish There Was More Of
I really enjoyed seeing the changes in Harper. Seeing her make friends, and begin to really be part of it all without changing all her core beliefs. I enjoyed Harper's interactions with Kendall so much. Another example of characters bringing out the best in each other. Harper helped Kendall reach some realizations just as much as Kendall helped her. Most of all, Kendall accepted all parts of Harper. It was a very nice symbiotic relationship, and I would have enjoyed more of that. I also found the parts where the whole gang: Harper, Kendall, Parker, and Cole, were all involved quite fun. The banter, the pranks, the basic interactions were amusing.

What I Found Meh
I was not into the whole Cole plot. I found I had little interest in that storyline, although I believe it is the driving force for bringing Harper and Sterling together. I don't know. I would have liked to have more hijinks. It was not a terrible storyline, and I get why it was there, and it drove the story in a certain direction, but I just wasn't feeling it. Not bad, not good, just there.

Overall: A cute enemies to lovers story, filled with hijinks, fun, and a great message of acceptance.

*I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

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