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Changing the Rules
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Plot Summary of Changing the Rules
"Changing the Riles

St. Martin's, Oct 2003, 6.50, 352 pp.
ISBN: 0312986238

In San Diego La Beau Monde magazine editor, Marcel Templeton rushes to meet her best friend Tracy for lunch. She uses the shoulder to get around someone waiting for a light to change. He turns right legally and crashes into her car. No one is hurt and the damage minor. Ian Michaels asks Macel out, but she refuses.

Unable to resist, Ian follows Marcel to the Versailles Restaurant. She joins Tracy while he sits hidden by a plant at the next table with his seven-year-old niece Dani who he is raising. Ian overhears Tracy and Marcel drawing up a list of rules a man must possess to date the latter. Rule 1 and 11/2 involve his “equipment”. Rule 2 is he must not be a player. Rule 3 is he must have a job, a car, and money. Finally he must not be mean or live with his mom.

Using the rules, Ian eventually persuades Marcel to take a chance on him. Eventually, they make love, but she learns that he is the CEO of a multimedia company trying to buy her independent publication. Marcel thinks Ian used sex to seal the deal, but he knows that was coincidence and he loves her.

This chick lit tale is a bit inane but fun especially when the two ladies draw up a requirement list. Ian's niece adds some somber notes as she struggles with her feeling of being unwanted in spite of his efforts to prove otherwise, but that subplot seems off-kilter for this tale. The romance is appealing, as fans will like the antics of the lead duo particularly Marcel.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Changing the Rules
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story - Present (2000-2010)
Hidden Identity/Secret Motive Yes
Is really... - trying to carry out business objective

Main Male Character
Profession/status: - business executive
Age/status: - 20's-30's
How sexual is this person? - very picky
How romantic is this person? - somewhat romantic
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Female Character
Age/status: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - small businessman
How sexual is this person? - very picky
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - California

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
What % of story is romance related? - 80%
Focus of story - equally on him and her
How much dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
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