A sweet, cute romance! I liked this story and how Cameron and Audrey came together. This trope is not one of my favorites but the author did a great job of selling me on the romance. Cameron, feeling out of his element was adorable. I loved the cute moments between him and Piper. *swoon* I liked Audrey too. I think she and Cameron were great together. I liked that their connection was evident and that they both allowed themselves the chance to explore it.

Although this is the third book in the Champion Valley series, I was able to read it as a stand alone without any problem. The author focused mainly on Cameron and Audrey's story and gives enough backstory for the reader to follow along and not miss what happened in the previous books.

I loved this book! Super cute. Will recommend for sure! This book was exactly what I didn't know I was looking for!

This was a cute contemporary romance with a bachelor guardianship trope. Piper was the cute orphan, and the hero and heroine had good chemistry.

While there were a couple of things that I feel like weren’t resolved, they weren’t related to the romance between Cam & Audrey so I let it go.  I’m OK ignoring little things if I get a great, realistic love story :)  And that’s definitely what I liked about Changing the Rules.  Everything felt normal – the slow burn of these two getting to know each other, falling in love, and learning to trust not only the other but themselves. 

Both Cam & Audrey had things that happened in their lives that have left them a little burned when it comes to commitment.   With the death of Piper’s mom (Cam’s estranged half-sister) they have to come together to do the right thing for the little girl.  Time and proximity has them getting to know each other and liking what they see.  They still are hesitant, but not so much so that it brings on too much drama.  Instead they just have to learn to listen to their hearts. 

Full of cute moments and feelings being explored, I was very pleased with how smoothly Kern brings these two together and has them working their way to being a family.

This is the 3rd in a series and I’ve read all of the books. However, I definitely think this one can be read as a standalone. I quite liked this romance – love how the story centered around Piper and Cameron’s relationship with her as well as with Audrey. I didn’t buy some of the story around Piper being ‘left’ to Cameron who she didn’t know. Yet, there was Audrey who did know and love her. It felt a bit convenient to use that plot to bring them all together despite the fact that it didn’t make complete sense. But, I admit that the story was so cute that I didn’t really care that pieces and parts weren’t as solid as they could have been. This is much more of a sweet romance than a steamy one. Not a lot of sex in this one which is nice for those who aren’t as interested in the sexier romances. All in all, I liked this one!

Erin Kern returns to the Champion Valley series with her third book about football, family and love. Changing the Rules is an excellent feel good novel that readers won't have any trouble relating to. Cameron is the perfect bachelor, but can he be the perfect guardian for a little girl, who's lost her mother? Audrey knows a lot about this little girl but what is she to do with a sexy assistant football coach? Readers will fall in love with these two very different people who bond over the love of a child.


What I liked:


Piper has lost her mother to Cancer and now she has to leave her home to meet a guardian and uncle she's never known. That's a very heartbreaking thought to me. And when I first started the novel I wasn't sure how things would go for this little girl. I liked the fact that Kern did not make Piper and afterthought in this story. Piper was a very real character who had feelings and thoughts, just as the main characters did. I thought Kern did an excellent job of incorporating family moments into the book that included Piper and made her part in the story central to the plot.


Cameron was one foxy football coach. Everybody knows that Texas and football go hand in hand and Kern really played that up in this book. I think there will be tons of readers who not only appreciate Cameron and his vocation but who will also appreciate Kern's understanding of the culture. Cameron is a bachelor. What's he going to do with a little girl? That's what I was asking myself as I read this one. But sometimes you meet someone who has never really been around kids, who is just a natural. That's the way Kern portrays Cameron. He is just good at it and everything else...


Audrey was spunky. She was a bit wary of Cameron and his flirty ways. She was devoted to Piper and making sure her mom knew what she was doing by making this handsome guy her guardian. I liked that she stayed the course to find out if this was right for a very impressionable and sweet little girl. Falling for Cameron was not what she had in mind. Kern writes her as having lost at love more than once and readers will be rooting for her finding her happy ever after from the start.


What I didn't like:


There wasn't too much I didn't like. I'm not always a proponent of books where the hero or heroine is thrown into a situation beyond their control from the beginning. With this one, that situation was a child, which was daunting. I wasn't sure Kern could pull it off but I was pleasantly surprised at how it turned out. There were a few moments when I could't help but feel like it was all a little too perfect. Too cookie cutter familiar. But it passed quickly because of the superb characters and very well written romance.


Bottom Line:


This is the third book in the series but can easily be read as a stand alone. I thought the characters were well drawn and had very good chemistry from the start. Cameron was the hometown hero who had a big heart and Piper just seemed to fill a spot he didn't even realize needed filling. Audrey was a perfect match for his candor and openness. She was wary to start with and caution can make for some really good tension. Kern plays up the Texas, football and family angle and comes up a winner!

in changing the rules, assistant coach cameron gets the family he never knew he wanted when his sister's best friend comes to blanco valley to deliver his niece, who is now his charge after her mother's death.

audrey has upended her life for piper, but there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for her best friend’s little girl. and if it means sticking around blanco valley during football season and making sure that piper’s bachelor uncle figured out how to become a surrogate dad, well then, that’s what she’ll do.

what she doesn’t count on is how attractive she will find him. and how he challenges her but also makes her see where she could do better. audrey and cameron make each other whole. they are better together than apart. it takes them a while to figure this out, and this is a slow burn romance for sure, but it’s sweet and emotional too.

**changing the rules will publish march 27, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/grand central publishing (forever) in exchange for my honest review.

Received in exchange for a honest review.

This is a fun story. I love how Cameron goes from consummate bachelor to one who finds the one that has him want to change his world. He is easy going with that underlying control of tension to him but also a sweet, kind and good guy. when his niece shows up on his door he is resistant at first. But that cutie pie wraps him around her finger and he wants to help her. He wants Piper to not be sad and to also know that someone understands what she is going through for he went through it as well. Only with Piper comes Audrey-the woman who is protective of her and wary of leaving her with Cameron.

Audrey is one who is serious on everything. She has plans for her plans and doesn’t really trust anyone outside her inner circle. She is a good sweet person just needs to be in control. So when she meets Cameron and he isn’t very enthused about having Piper her hackles are raised and she becomes very wary to walk away. It isn’t just because of Piper though-she and Cameron have an attraction that leaps off the page. As she gets to know him she sees that there is a different side to Cameron and that he loves his niece. She also sees he has an interest in her and is changing. ONly she doesn’t want to believe in the change. She fears that he will walk out of her life like others have in the past and she does run. She runs from love and family due to fear. I love how Cameron takes this with stride and doesn’t push her but lets her see for herself where her heart lies and has her get there on her own.

the story is full of sass and sweet moments. The little girl captures your heart from the beginning as does Cameron. Audrey takes a little longer due to her wary nature. We get some family moments but so much growth especially when it comes to Cameron. As he finds the one he is meant to be with he doesn’t freak out but accepts that it is the time for him and calmly says okay this is where I am and where my heart wishes to be. Audrey and Cameron entertain with their banter and wit but also their saucy moments and tender moments. A story on love and family and finding your way to trust and let someone in. It’s well written and fast paced while keeping entertained to the end.

This is my first book by Erin Kern.

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Piper
Part of a series: Champion Valley
Standalone
HEA

I look forward to reading the other books in this series.

Changing the Rules was a sweet and romantic read. The relationship that developed between Cameron and Audrey was fun to read. I loved their constant bickering and the way they pushed each others buttons. There was some drama, but not a whole lot. I loved that this wasn't love at first sight and they had to struggle to come to terms with what they were feeling for each other. I can't wait for more.

Attractive interior designer and control freak extraordinaire Audrey Bennett is unlucky when it comes to men. Dumped via text from her latest boyfriend, she wonders if she is unlovable and doomed to the “3 months and done” cycle of relationships with men. When a dear friend’s dying wish is for her to take her young daughter to live with an uncle she doesn’t know, Audrey reluctantly agrees. He is her family, how bad could he be?

Gorgeous football Coach Cameron Shaw likes his life exactly the way it is, uncomplicated and strictly casual when it comes to women. Complication comes in the form of his 6 year old niece and chaos is the woman who delivers her!

I really loved Ms. Kern’s Trouble Series but this is probably my favorite book to date. The backdrop to the story is eloquently provided in little tidbits without slowing the pace or distracting the reader. Let me just say, there is a lot more going on and it was superbly crafted to entice you to turn the next page. I also loved the innuendos and tantalizing, flirtatious dance between Audrey and Cameron as they got came to know each other and tried to make the best decision for a scared, little girl. The extended cast of characters ensures that there is more to come and I for one look forward to it!

I received an advance reader copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I really loved this one and gave it 5 stars.

Sadly this book didn't do it for me, it was a little boring for my taste

Erin Kern’s Changing the Rules is amazingly sweet. I’m looking forward to reading whatever comes next.

While this proved to be a fun read, I often felt like I was missing something. Characters were fairly well developed, although several were introduced in a very peripheral way only. At times there were things that were left unresolved and I wasn't sure why certain plot points had been included. I liked the book, but not one I plan to add to our collection.