The Rule Maker by Jennifer Blackwood is book number two in the Rule Breakers series. This is Zoey Reynolds and Ryder Covington's story.

Zoey is an interior designer and thought she would be working for Ryder's brother Jason. Boy is she shocked to find out her client is Ryder. Will Zoey be able to follow the rule (Don't sleep with your client...)? It should be easy to follow this rule. But, will that one-night stand they had in the past cause problems?

I liked the first book in this series but I loved this book. I was hooked from the beginning. I really loved Zoey and Ryder's characters. They were a lot of fun.

A great romance with a sexy couple and lots of humor. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

3.5 “Break a leg, a wall and some rules while you're at it” Stars

ARC via NetGalley.

Thank you, Entangled (Embrace)!!

I’ll start with this: the second book in The Rule Breakers series is steamier than the first one, so hurray for that!

As I learned by reading The Rule Book, my first Jennifer Blackwood title, this author knows how to write sexual tension and chemistry extremely well. Lanny and Brogan had tons of that, and the new main characters in the series didn’t stay behind.

We met Zoey and Ryder (although I don’t remember if I knew his name then) in the first book, but we got to really care for these two characters now.

Zoey is now more than Lanny’s BFF. She’s a successful, funny and strong young woman who can’t get over the man who turned her life upside down when he slept with her. Too bad he was a jerk and left without a good-bye.

Ryder is a professional athlete who’s going through a tough time with his injury and a situation with his brother. He has no time for relationships, but he’s still thinking about Zoey, the girl he slept with and had to leave in the middle of the night.

Months later, a work project forces Zoey and Ryder to work together, and you can imagine how it goes from there, right?

Out of the two, Zoey was definitely my favorite character. Her voice was really strong and even funnier than Lanny’s. She sounded young and fresh while still showing traits of a mature woman. I liked how she cared about her job and had ambitions. In fact, young, smart and ambitious women seem to be the theme with female main characters in this series, and I LOVE that.

The fact that I loved Zoey more doesn’t mean I didn’t like Ryder. He was a good love interest. He was funny, sexy and you could really tell that he cared for his brother, which is always a plus. I only wished there’d been a little more of his personality. There was room to develop his character further, especially with all the family drama going on. His grandparents were awful people, and I thought that could’ve played a bigger part in Ryder’s story.

The romance developed nicely. It was slow burn and there was heat from the very beginning. The fact that Zoey and Ryder had slept together previously, but waited so long to do it again only made the chemistry between them stronger.

In a way, The Rule Maker had similar elements from the first book, which is perfect for a title in a series, but it still managed to be fresh and unique. Plus, it was sexier. If you liked The Rule Book, then I bet you’ll enjoy this one, too.

The Rule Maker is a light, enemies to lovers story that will make you smile and chuckle while you read. Zoey is a rule maker; she has a rule for just about everything. Some are funny (Never eat while driving) and some are more serious but all help guide her life. She loves her job as a designer and takes her work very seriously. When she lands a 2nd contract with Jason Covington, she (and her boss) are thrilled at the prospect. However, she doesn't work with Jason directly. Instead, she has to work with his brother, Ryder, with whom she had a 1 night stand with. To say things ended acrimoniously would be too kind. This does lead to some hilarious interactions between the two!

If you like banter between characters, Zoey and Ryder will certainly make you happy! The sexual tension is high as well; both of them admit to their 1 night together being amazing, but each has their reason it was a mistake not to be repeated. While the story was predictable overall, it was still fun and campy and a great read if you are coming off a super angsty book. I liked Zoey and Ryder and felt they were your typical new adult type characters. You know-fresh out of college, trying to make their way in the world. I also thought that it was cool that Ryder was a professional skier/snowboarder. I love books that have nontraditional sports.

The Rule Maker is a quick read that will leave you satisfied. Its not the type of book you will remember for years, but its the type of book you will recommend to a friend when they need something funny and light!

Like I said, the first book, The Rule Book, was absolutely great, but this second one? AMAZING! The book is told in dual POV, unlike the single POV of the first one, and I loved it even more because of it – I’m all for dual POV. But also, this book is just beyond hilarious. The writing is fun, witty and emotional, while the pace is just perfect. Jennifer Blackwood did an amazing job with this book.

I loved both main characters, Zoey and Ryder. I’m a sucker a second chance romance, and this one fits perfectly in this category. Zoey is just a kick ass woman! I love this girl. She’s just so determined and funny, she’s stubborn and confident, and WOW, she’s just amazing. And Ryder? I loved his dedication to his family and his beliefs, but I also loved his vulnerability and how he let it show sometimes.

Zoey and Ryder together? Explosive! They had amazing chemistry and they were so cute and good together. They brought out the best of each other, even when they were bickering. The romance is just great. I had so much fun reading to the progress of their relationship, with Ryder pursuing something that he didn’t know he wanted, and Zoey learning how to trust her feelings and how to trust a man that had disappointed her before.

I really liked the story on this one, this book made me laugh out loud and it took me out of what I was afraid to be the beginning of my first slump, so YAY! Read this romance, people! You won’t be sorry. And I really really want a book about Jason, Ryder’s older brother who suffered an accident and is now on a wheelchair… he needs a book!

4 stars

The Rule Maker was a sweet, funny and very entertaining read.

I enjoyed the storyline, I found myself connecting with both Zoey and Ryder.
They were likable, passionate and relatable characters, that entertained me with their banter and antics.
And the chemistry between them was smoking!

If you're looking for a well written, fun and heartwarming read I highly recommend The Rule Breakers series, https://www.goodreads.com/series/1799...
Each book can be read as a standalone.

I'm a big fan of author Jennifer Blackwood writing, I enjoy her storylines & characters and can't wait to see what she has installed for us next!

Purchase Links~
Amazon ~ http://amzn.to/2ixx4Qn
Barnes & Noble ~ http://bit.ly/2jw6WUv
iBooks ~ http://apple.co/2jK8p92
Kobo ~ http://bit.ly/2iUCsuI

*A big thank you to the publisher/author for the advance copy*

The book blurb snagged me immediately. This sounded like it was going to be a very funny book. While it did have its funny moments, it was actually more serious than I was expecting, but that's not a bad thing. The only thing that truly kept me from loving this book was that I never felt Ryder truly cared about Zoey until almost the end. They met through Ryder's brother, Jason. He hired Zoey to design a property he purchased. Ryder got to know Zoey and ended up sleeping with her. He freaked and snuck out. There was never any intention of him contacting her again. After a horrible accident that Jason was involved in, Ryder stepped up to help with his business. This was how Ryder and Zoey met again. Even working with Zoey, it took Ryder a long time to realize he wanted more with her. I giuess the romantic in me would have preferred Ryder to show he cared more. ARC provided by NetGalley.

Zoey knows the rules, the main one being don't roll between the sheets with your clients, and she has never had a problem keeping up her end of the bargain when it comes to this rule... that is until her last one night stand strolls through her office door and tells her they will be working together on his brothers newest business venture. Ryder rocked her world months ago, and then left her without so much as a goodbye, and to say that it stung a little is an understatement, and now here he is sitting in front of her in all his gorgeous glory wanting a truce, and as much as she wants to send him packing she knows she can't because she knows how important this deal is to the company, and the business it will stimulate. So she is forced to bite her tongue on this one, and has to dig deep to keep from screwing it all up royally. If she can maintain a strictly business relationship with him things should work out perfectly... now she just has to convince her traitorous body from breaking the rules!!

After a steamy one night stand with a gorgeous interior designer Ryder decided once with her just wasn't going to be enough, she has been on his mind since that night, and when life got in the way and had him sneaking out without a goodbye he knew he had screwed up. But fate, and his brother, have decided he deserves a second shot at making things right, his brother needs him to oversee the design project happening at the resort he just purchased and it just so happens that a certain sexy interior designer is at the helm. So, he figures this is his chance to right the wrong he created and work himself back into her good graces, but as soon as he walks through her office door he knows he has a tough battle ahead of him... one that has him going head to head with a woman who wants nothing to do with him... or does she?

I was completely overjoyed with the opportunity to make a return visit to this series, Ms. Blackwood's rule makers/breakers completely stole my heart the first go around, and I have to say my second visit was even better than the first. Her quirky characters had me laughing out loud from the get-go and the further I dived into their world the better the banter got, and before long things started to get pretty damn hot!! Anytime these two were near one another you could feel the sparks arching between them, and could also see Zoey putting on the brakes, but before long Ryder found a way to sneak under her radar and convince her to put her foot on the gas, and when she did we all saw sparks!! I loved every minute I spent with these two, their story was completely relatable, filled with emotion, passion, humor, and enough heat to keep me from reaching for a blanket on this very night! Highly recommend this one, it is sure to give you the feels and have you giggling the whole way through!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed and advanced copy of this title.

Ways to end up in a completely awkward work situation? Have a one night stand with your client's brother, go back to work for the client, find yourself in a hairy situation only to end up face to face with the one night stand all over again. That's exactly where Zoey found herself. After having a one night stand with Ryder Covington he disappeared without a word. When Zoey starts working on a project for Jason Covington, she wasn't expecting to come face to face with Ryder again. When they reunite the reaction is explosive.

Jennifer has yet again given us an amazing and hilarious story. There were so many moments that I laughed out loud, cringed at the awkwardness, and felt my heartbreak for Ryder and Zoey. Watching these two navigate their new relationship is nothing short of captivating. Need a good laugh while falling in love? Join Ryder and Zoey on their journey. You won't be disappointed.

I fell in love with the characters from the very first page. This is a fantastic love story to get your teeth into. I just couldn't put it down till id finished, then I was left wanting and needing more. This is a very funny, sweet and entertaining read. This is the first book by this author that ive read and it definitely wont be the last. I cant wait to read more from them in the future.

Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book

The good, the bad and the crazy sum up Ryder and Zoey. Zoey is a force of nature. She has a talent for design and a penchant for ending up in embarrassing situations. Case in point: sleeping with a client is a definite no - no, sleeping with the client's brother, a maybe. The Rule Maker is an amusing blend of temptation and heart. All kinds of wrong, she never feel so right. Jennifer Blackwood does guilty pleasure and she got it right. I missed out on The Rule Book, but that's easily rectifiable. The Rules Breakers series is a winner.

From the very beginning of this, I knew that I would really enjoy it. I read The Rule Book last year and liked that one, and Zoey was as fun as I had hoped she would be in her own book. She was a blast and between the predicaments she wound up in and the wit of both her and Ryder, I found myself cracking up or smirking for quite a bit of this. (As someone with hair past her waist, I am still cringing at the goat scene!). I loved all the crazy things that happened to these two!

Zoey hooked up with a client's brother a few months before and found a cold and empty bed when she awoke the next morning, which disappointed, hurt, and angered her. Especially after Ryder had rocked her world and raised the bar on her bedroom expectations.

Then, she finds herself stuck working with him. She is stubborn and ethical and needs to ignore how much she wants a repeat. Which becomes harder and harder when Ryder decides he does too.

Ryder was the perfect male lead, a bit bumbling, but sweet and funny and stubborn. I really enjoyed his character and how he handled Zoey (and was handled by her. Now get that mind out of the gutter as I don't mean that literally. At least, not really.)

The drama was believable and low key, and I liked what it added and how not melodramatic it was. Things wrapped up a bit quickly though, which sort of left my head spinning a bit, but still left me satisfied.

Overall, a really a fun rom com!

I'm a lover of a good rom-com, keyword there is good. The Rule Maker had the potential to be good or even great but unfortunately for this book whore fell into the it was just okay category. I can't even say it was only one character or issue that made me just not like this one, it was the entire book.

Ryder and Zoey were both so immature at times that I just wanted to take them both to a cliff and shove them both off. I'm all for banter, I love it and if it is done properly in a book it can be what makes the book stand out, this was not the case for the Rule Maker.

I'm wondering if I just don't mesh well with this authors writing style or if it is just me but The Rule Maker missed it's mark big time and is not one I can personally recommend.

***ARC Provided by the Publisher and NetGalley***

This book was just plain fun.

Ryder and Zoey were wonderful and perfect for one another. Their chemistry was compelling, and I laughed so hard at the different situations they found themselves in, most often caused by her doing everything she could to avoid giving into their attraction.

The pacing was spot on, the development of the story was done in such a way that you believed the change from pseudo-enemies to them being involved in a relationship. the writing was strong, the heroine and hero well developed.

Jennifer Blackwood is rapidly becoming a favorite of mine, as she is able to write the hot scenes, the funny ones, and the romantic...with the perfect balance of all.

I recommend this book.

Short, sweet and to the point…Any book that can have me giggling less than twenty percent into the book is a must read.
Zoey Reynolds wants to move up the ladder in the design firm she works for and she’s well on her way. She gets a call from a client the she knows can really put her on the map; only problem, said client’s younger brother gave her the best night of sex in her life. Yep, gave her the best sex of her life then just disappeared.
Ryder Covington doesn’t do girlfriends, or relationships in fact, he doesn’t do commitments at all. The only person Ryder is committed to his older brother Jason. So when Jason needs him to help out with the reconstruction of his newest property (which Ryder is deadest against, but he can’t say no) it puts Ryder face to face with the woman who’s been haunting his dreams for months.
Banter is always good but when the banter is quick witted like these two you just can’t go wrong. Zoey and Ryder are so full of one liners and snarky come backs I found myself laughing out loud throughout the book. Factor in a hostile cat, an Uber drive gone terribly wrong, a pregnant goat, a kitchen fire/house flood and hot sex this was beyond an enjoyable read. Not much else I can say.

One of my favorite Entangled Publishing authors that I have seemed to enjoy is Jennifer Blackwood. So when I saw that she had a new one out, I knew I had to read it, and I was guaranteed that I would enjoy it. If you love a bit of romantic comedy with your reads and laugh out loud moments throughout the book, then this is the one for you as it had me chuckling through the pages. The other thing that I loved was how Zoey got her nickname and her affinity for wearing superhero undies as I have a pair of Superman ones myself.
In The Rule Maker, we have Zoey and Ryder Covington. The two it seemed had an amazing night together and then just like that "poof" Ryder was gone, and they went back to their normal lives with Zoe and her interior design and Ryder with his championship Snowboarding. Months later the pair is brought together in an evil twist of fate as Ryder and his brother Jason were injured in snowboarding accidents, and Zoe has been hired to help design the new Hotel Resort that Jason has brought. With Jason taking a backburner, it is up to Ryder to help chip in and take the lead on the project even if it means that he will be spending more time with Zoe. As the book goes along, we have a romantic banter between Ryder and Zoe and have them spending some amazing nights together. Can Zoe and Ryder assume their professional statuses during work time and keep their personal lives and attitudes behind closed doors or will their personal feelings and emotions start to cloud their working lives and interfere with their careers? Find out in The Rule Maker by Jennifer Blackwood where some rules were clearly meant to be broken.

I’m forever requesting books without realising they’re part of a series. I’ve done it here again with this one, which is the second in a series. I think you can probably read these stand alone although there might’ve been a bit of background between these two characters that probably would’ve helped if I’d read about it rather than just had it rehashed here.

Some time ago (presumably in the first book) Zoey and Ryder had a one night stand and then he disappeared without calling her. Now Zoey is again working for Ryder’s brother Jason, redesigning the interior of a ski lodge that Jason has purchased. Instead of Jason turning up to help her, to her shock it’s Ryder. The professional snowboarder is currently out injured and is helping out his brother.

As soon as Ryder sees Zoey again, the commitmentphobe realises that he wants more than his usual one night stand. And it appears that Zoey isn’t over Ryder either, despite firmly telling herself to not get involved for a myriad of reasons, two important ones being a) Ryder is her client, working as Jason’s proxy pretty much, and b) she’s already been there, done that and Ryder up and vanished without a trace. But the more time Zoey spends with Ryder, the harder it is to keep resisting him.

I really liked the premise of this but unfortunately I didn’t end up loving the execution and I think it’s solely because of Ryder. I found him very childish and immature, constantly taunting Zoey and smirking at everything and he came off as very smug and unlikable. Zoey is attempting to do a job and Ryder keeps making things difficult for her at first, thinking that Jason has made a mistake purchasing the property. He delays responding to her emails and when they are finally working, he constantly crosses a professional line. I felt like the “set up” was drawn out far too long and Zoe and Ryder had too many frustrating interactions where he pushes her buttons. I didn’t really find their banter funny and most of the time I would’ve felt sorry for Zoey, who had a job to do and who had been told that basically her position within her place of employment hinged on how well she could continue to foster the relationship with Jason’s company. However Zoey was so thick at times that it made it almost impossible to feel sorry for her. She was almost unbearable when Ryder was around, also acting immature and unprofessionally, so maybe they were a perfect match for each other.

I think that probably the last third of the book was by far the best as things got moving much better in that section after dragging out in the first two thirds. Ryder seemed to finally come to the conclusion that he’d met someone who he could have more than just one night with but he had the difficulties of his career versus his heart to contend with as if he returned to professional snowboarding he would spend large amounts of time away competing. He also began to stand up to himself with his family however I did feel like there were a few confusing moments at the end where things weren’t really explained as well as they could’ve been.

For me, the most interesting thing of this whole book was the story of Ryder’s brother Jason. It’s only mentioned briefly but I found him far more appealing as a character than Ryder and I think if there were a book that featured Jason in the future, I’d be pretty tempted to read it. He seemed like he might have depth to him, whereas I found Ryder quite shallow and uninteresting. He got better by the end of the book but unfortunately by then all his smirking and unpleasantness had made its impression.

It's not often that one finds the second book in a series to be better than the first. Normally, the first is so good it outshines the rest of a series. This was not so with The Rule Maker. While I really enjoyed its predecessor, The Rule Book, I loved The Rule Maker even more.

In The Rule Maker, Zoey is disturbed when she's forced to work with the one man she never wanted to lay eyes on again. Ryder is the brother of her current client...and the man who disappeared after an amazing night of sex.

What made The Rule Maker so much fun were the main characters. Zoey and Ryder were a hoot. There was a great post-hook up awkwardness to them that made everything uncomfortable between the two. That uncomfortable awkwardness made the story so funny. I loved how they pushed at each other and tried to avoid dealing with their feelings. They had such a cute and sexy connection.

Speaking of sexy...Ms. Blackwood upped the sexiness in this one. There was a definitely a sensuality the first book was lacking. I liked that it went a little further. I felt it was appropriate for the nature of Zoey and Ryder's relationship and past.

I also enjoyed seeing a little bit of Lainey and Brogan. It was fun to see their relationship from Zoey and Ryder's perspectives. I loved knowing where they were in their relationship.

The Rule Maker was such a fun read. Contemporary romance fans will definitely love the humor and romance. I'm really, really hoping this series continues. I want a story for Ryder's brother, Jason. There is so much potential for his character and I would love to see him get a happy ending. Oh, and I can't leave out the fact that I adore this cover. The pink adds a sexiness in a way I never imagined it could.

Jennifer Blackwood packs in the laughter with The Rule Maker (after The Rule Book) and it’s a fun and sexy romance that is thoroughly entertaining. Ryder Covington and Zoey Reynolds had a one night stand months ago that ended badly when he left in the middle of the night without a word. Zoey hasn’t forgot him or their night together and unexpectedly finds him as her client when her design firm is hired to renovate his brother’s company’s new ski resort. Ryder is usually a professional snowboarder traveling extensively and is only in charge of the remodel, because his brother can’t do the job right now and he’s home temporarily to heal from a broken leg. The two are still fiercely attracted to each other, but Zoey is still angry over Ryder’s morning-after behavior and doesn’t trust him. Complicating matters, her company has a firm rule preventing designers from getting personally involved with clients. Sparks fly between them as they struggle to control their desire. Ryder will ultimately have to prove he’s worth Zoey risking her career and her heart to a man whose admits he’s around for a limited time. She is quirky and witty, and she’s The Rule Maker the heart of this enjoyable romantic comedy.

Sadly I just didn't connect to the characters nor the story.. I really had a hard time doing it and I didn't finish the book

The Rule Maker by Jennifer Blackwood had many laugh-out-loud moments. The obvious one-up-manship between Zoey and Ryder carrying the bulk of the laughs. A good read that brings the chuckles. Rule Maker is the second book in The Rule Breakers series.
Review copy received from Entangled Publishing via Netgalley
3.5 Stars