Moorewood Family Rules: A Novel

by HelenKay Dimon

Overview

Knives Out and Ocean’s 8 meets The Nest in this hilariously twisty novel by award-winning author HelenKay Dimon, about a woman who returns home from prison to her dysfunctional con artist family and tries to get them to go legit.

One day a con man met an heiress, wooed her, married her, had two kids…and kept on conning. Jillian Moorewood is the oldest child from that meet-cute-gone-wrong marriage. The stable one. The sensible and dependable one. The one who protects and fixes. The one who went to prison to save their sorry butts. Now, thirty-nine months later, she’s out and she’s more than a little pissed.

Finally home she finds the scheming clan in full family fleecing mode. They all claim they didn’t really agree to Jillian’s previous go-legit-or-else ultimatum before she went away. They viewed it as a “suggestion” then ignored it. So, business as usual. But Jillian is done with the lies and fakery. She demands the whole messed-up crew clean up its act, and this time she’s not kidding—she has the leverage to make it happen.

Problem is, her life is in shambles, but with the help of a great aunt (crooked but loveable), a bodyguard (who is a nice surprise after three years in prison), and a few allies (all working undercover), Jillian starts to put her life back together. She kicks out a few mooching relatives living under her roof, sets limits on everyone’s access to the money, ducks from their various attacks, and sees if that bodyguard is maybe interested in sticking around for a while. For the first time, she’s Jillian Moorewood, her own woman, and she’s ready to figure out who she is. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063240520
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	04/25/2023
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	63,430
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Helenkay Dimon spent the years before becoming a romance author as a . . . divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over thirty novels, novellas, and shorts to numerous publishers. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues, and her books have twice been named "Red-Hot Reads" and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. But if you ask her, she'll tell you the best part of the job is never having to wear pantyhose again.

Editorial Reviews

"This book is the perfect escape!" — Jill Shalvis, New York Times Bestselling Author

"Readers who enjoy dysfunctional family dynamics will find entertainment here...An ensemble comedy with a healthy dose of humorous back-stabbing." — Kirkus Reviews

“A great storyteller.” — USA Today

“Dimon excels at creating memorable, complex characters.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“So smart, sexy, and fast paced...I devour her stories.” — New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster

“Dimon has become a go-to author for romantic suspense, with fresh plots, out-of-the-box characters, and romance to root for. Imaginative, emotional, action-packed, and artfully crafted.” — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

This romantic suspense audiobook, narrated by Mia Barron, tells the story of Jillian, who seeks revenge upon her family after they imprisoned her. Her family members are grifters and con artists who won't hesitate to harm her, so she hires Beck, a bodyguard, to protect her. The novel centers on the battle of wits between Jillian and her family, with twists and turns keeping listeners engaged. Barron's narration is enjoyable, with good pacing, tone, and inflections that enhance the listening experience. Furthermore, she modulates her voice to match various characters, adding depth to their personalities and making them stand out in distinct ways that result in a captivating experience. F.S.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

June 2023 - AudioFile

2023-02-24
A woman newly released from prison reunites with her family of con artists to find out which one turned her in.

The only life that Jillian Moorewood has ever known is a dishonest one. Growing up in a family of scammers meant that any semblance of a straightforward childhood wouldn't be possible—but now, 39 months after going to prison, she’s back and ready to make her relatives go legit. Granted, when Jillian shows up at home in Newport, Rhode Island, everyone is more than prepared to deny that they'd agreed to the condition she'd imposed before going to jail for all of them: that they'd go legit. This wayward daughter has a few tricks up her sleeve, though, and they all start and end with hitting the rest of the family where it hurts: in their bank accounts. Jillian's relatives are less than thrilled about her ultimatum, but are they irritated enough to attempt to off her themselves? Enter the intimidating and distractingly handsome bodyguard Beck Romer, whom Jillian initially hires to protect her from her diabolical family—but the two discover that their connection is even more intense than that of boss and employee. There's little time for the possibility of love, though, when Jillian is not only trying to find out who was responsible for sending her to prison in the first place, but also dodging retaliation from relatives left and right. Dimon's latest is lighter on romance than most of her books, leaning more significantly into the wacky interpersonal hijinks of its premise. Readers who enjoy dysfunctional family dynamics will find entertainment here. Given the limited scope of the setting, though, notching up the drama between characters and incorporating more mystery would have served the story even better.

An ensemble comedy with a healthy dose of humorous back-stabbing.

Kirkus Reviews