Exception To The Rule by Cindy Rizzo

Set in the early 1990s at a fictional university near Boston, the story follows two freshmen from vastly different worlds who enter college with rigid sets of self-imposed rules. Robin Greene is a cynical, out-and-proud New Yorker and aspiring writer whose creative fuel comes from her deep ties to the city’s homeless LGBTQ+ youth. Her primary rule: never date 'princesses.' Tracy Patterson is the epitome of that rule—a polished, high-society 'Southern Belle' from North Carolina who maintains a carefully curated closeted life, including a fake boyfriend. While Robin avoids anyone she perceives as privileged, and Tracy targets older, more 'complicated' lovers, their mutual attraction forces them to abandon their prejudices. As they navigate their formative university years alongside their friend Angie, the narrative explores the stark contrast between Robin’s social activism and Tracy’s traditional family expectations, ultimately proving that love often requires becoming an 'exception' to one's own rules.