I have so much love and respect for Amanda and her books. Not only are they written extremely well, but her characters are some of the most relatable characters I have ever read. ERWB was everything. Being 22 and so close in age with Aiden and Kenzie, fresh out of college, this book touched me in so many countless ways. First, Kenzie having anxiety and the on page anxiety attacks were so similar to what I experience in my daily life. The mental health representation in this book is so so important and Aiden being so gentle and understand really touched me. Secondly, the college scene was phenomenal! It made me miss being on campus with all of my friends, going to house parties, and even looking toward the future of what life would be like after college. The descriptions of the campus really drew me in and I felt like I was right there with them. Finally, Amanda has a way with love stories. She is able to capture the most raw, all consuming love stories in her writing. Aiden and Kenzie have a special place in my heart from this day forward. The detail that goes into Amanda’s books is inspiring and I couldn’t be more honored to call her a friend and get to read these stories.

I really wanted to like this book but I struggled not to dnf all the time.
I have read a few sports romances and I usually love them but this one was a big miss for me.
Aiden was just a walking red flag especially in the beginning of the book.

I don’t want to be too negative because I’m sure some people will love this but a couple things that I disliked are:

- He keeps messaging and contacting her after they met for literally 5 minutes in a bar and she is obviously not interested, which he doesn’t accept and views it more like a challenge to 'wear her down'

- I‘m all for self love and confidence but how often do you really have to tell yourself in your head how hot you are or even out loud. It quickly turns into arrogance rather than seeming confident

- The whole dares thing in general is already a big no but then he was dared to ask her out which is problematic by itself already but she didn’t even care like, my anxiety could never

- Then he keeps calling her bunny even tho she said a million times she doesn‘t like it (and they‘re not even dating like why use a nickname?!) and then he also kind of forces her to reply by adding his contact into her phone and physically standing in the way until she agrees or something like that

After that he obviously changes more and more but still has his asshole moments like telling her she can‘t come to his games because he can‘t focus or he doesn‘t know how to fit her into his life after he started playing again.
Anyways, besides Aiden and his friends, Kenzie‘s brother was just as annoying.

I love a protective brother but he‘s such an overbearing asshole up to the point that she lied to him because she was scared to tell him she was unhappy at her job and then he also wants to dictate her life and who she can date and whatever like, no thank you.

Well, I was sadly a bit disappointed but thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an arc!

Thank you to author Amanda Chaperon for the advanced reading copy via NetGalley,receipt of which did not impact my review.

When I saw the amazing cover and read that the setting of Every Rule Worth Breaking is a Big 10 university, I couldn’t hit request fast enough. The first book in her new Pregame series, ERWB follows Kenzie and Aiden. Kenzie is starting over at MSU at 23 after a few years working with her brother and just wants a normal college experience. Aiden is a star hockey player in his senior year and a relationship could get in the way of his dreams. And Kenzie has sworn off hockey players - her oldest brother is a professional in the NHL. There’s a little bit of fake dating, midwestern fall shenanigans, found family at school, and it’s spicy! I appreciated the care taken with Kenzie’s anxiety diagnosis, which felt very realistic. I really enjoyed this romance and recommend it to fans of Elle Kennedy and Mazey Eddings.

I’m DNFing at 24%.

I just can’t keep going with this book for multiple reasons.

First, Aiden (MMC) is a walking red flag. If I wanted to read one of those I would’ve picked up a dark/taboo romance,

Things that are troubling about Aiden in the first 24%:
-He comments on kenzies drink when first meeting her and says she drinks that for the low calories or dumb health reasons and then says girls don’t get a body like that by not caring about what they eat.

-After she disappears on him at the bar, he spends the next few weeks texting her around 20 times, per his estimate, with no response from her.

-He stated that he’d wear her down, it was just a matter of time.

-He’s cocky to the extreme by his inner monologue going on about he’s extremely attracting with an impressive physical presence and a hockey players stamina, no slouch in bed and women of MSU knew it. And then going right into “but he’s also a nice guy”

-He gets dared to get her to go on a date with him and he intends to not fail. This reminded me of She’s all that, but instead of him being Freddie Prince, he’s Paul walker in that movie.

-He calls her “bunny” as in luck bunny, even though she repeatedly tells him not to.

-He asks Kenzie “what’s with the animosity” when she doesn’t want to talk to him.

-kenzie checks a message on her phone and laughs and then replies, aiden what’s to know what’s so funny and she says nothing and then he just grabs her phone out of her hands and starts adding his number to her contacts so she won’t ignore him anymore.

-when she gets up and leaves, he follows her and grabs her arm and won’t let go and says if she agrees to ho in a date with him he’ll let her go. She eventually yanks her arm from his grasp.

Yes, that was all from the first 24% and I honestly don’t care if he changes or whatever. Those things were not ok. Especially for someone he knew for all of 10 minutes.

Now onto other things that bothered me about this book. Yes, there’s more.

-Kenzies big hockey player brother Brent. He’s a complete overbearing asshole. Kenzie starts to have a panic attack just thinking about how he’ll react about her going back to school. He also gives off red flag vibes.

-I’ve listened to videos by black book reviewers who have stated that they’re tired of their skin being described as some kind of food in books and in this instance a stunning black woman is described as having “skin the color of a cup of coffee with a splash of cream in it”

-While this is the first in a series, there were 2 other books before this one that involved Kenzies brother Brent and his wife and another couple that’s introduced. I could tell by how much backstory they were getting that they must’ve had books before this, so I went and confirmed that. And while I’m sure this is still a standalone, there’s a lot of things I’m sure would be picked up easier and understanding the dynamics may have made reading this not as bad.

That’s all I can think of for now. I’m really disappointed by this book because as someone who has bad anxiety, I’m always looking for books with good anxiety rep. But unfortunately everything else about this book was a huge turn off for me

I loved loved loved this book! The characters were amazing. I don’t deal with much anxiety now, but did deal with some PPA for a couple of years after my son was born. And while Kenzie’s anxiety was much larger, I was still able to relate and understand where she was coming from when her panic attacks arose. Aiden was phenomenal. He was so sweet, swoony, and just hot! I loved their relationship so much and ADORED that they always communicated and gave each other space when they needed. I can’t wait to see what’s to come for this book series! Amazing job Amanda!

Thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing, and the lovely Amanda Chaperon for allowing me to read and review!

I really liked this one! It drew me in from the beginning and I found it so deliciously beautiful and sweet to read. A very quick and easy read too.

I’ve seen books from Amanda floating around alot here on booksta and was excited to finally get to read one. This is a new book that lives in the same world as few of her previous books but it’s not in the same series.

I’m definitely in my hockey romance era and I’m all for it. Aiden does not disappoint and seeing as when you first meet him he is streaking across campus you know he’s going to be a good time. But he’s also a softie, under all the arrogance and ego at least.

I really liked seeing Kenzie’s anxiety on the page. Every time I read a book with representation for mental health and the importance of care in that area I want to just give it a hug! I don’t struggle with anxiety to the degree she does but I could relate in a lot of ways.

I really liked Aiden and Kenzie togehter too, though some of their interactions and communication issues were a little frustrating. It also took me a bit to get fully invested in the book, I don’t know if I was just too tired reading the beginning or if it was a little slow, but by the end I was definitely really into the story and it took me less than 24 hours to read the whole thing.

Thanks to @netgalley and @achaperonwrites for the advanced copy!

Thank you, NetGalley and Amanda Chaperon for an ARC of this book!

This book first caught my attention because it's set in my state at a college I know very well so I was excited to see how the author portrayed it. It helped me grasp the setting since I have a personal connection. Overall, the book was an average fake dating/friends-to-lovers story. I liked how the author represented anxiety and its many forms in the FMC, and I appreciated how she made sure to distinguish that mental health issues are different for everyone. However, sometimes I felt that when other side characters were mentioned that I was missing a chunk of information and I later found out it's because those people have their own books, so I would recommend reading those first! I think that a lot of the inner dialogue could have been cut out because it started to feel repetitive toward the end. Otherwise, I thought it was a cute college romance.

This was INCREDIBLY DELIGHTFUL. I was sold by the autumnal cover and the college setting, it's nice to read about 23 year old protagonists rather than 18 year olds. It's also a hockey romance, but none of the hockey players are sexist assholes, so that's fun!

Kenzie was a great main character, the smut in this was excellent and I adored the anxiety rep.

I absolutely loved this book! It was such a cute read, the characters are so relatable and easy to root for and love! I am head over heels in love with Aiden Fuller and he's definitely my new book boyfriend. I related so much to Kenzie with her anxiety and I loved how Aiden was there for her through it all.

I totally wish I could hang out with his frat bros - I loved them all! This makes me really excited to read Amanda's other books too!

Thanks to Netgalley and Amanda for letting me review this before its release on April 23rd! This will be on KU, so definitely download it as soon as it's out!!!

Loved this. A pretty spicy hockey romance! This refers to past novels but can totally be read as a stand-alone, however I really enjoyed all the side characters and their stories! Both main characters’ communities around them are endearing and don’t detract from the main love story. Hoping for Jack’s story next?!

it took me a second to get into this one because it felt a bit wordy and over-explained some things (like the FMC’s anxiety in the beginning) but i fell into a groove and ended up enjoying it! as a hockey fan, i really enjoyed how much the author gave us for details on gameplay and knowledge. i also have anxiety and i think the further the book went on, the more i related to the character and how she felt in those anxious moments. it had some good spice as well (even a fun public scene that i wasn’t ready for). thank you so much netgalley and amanda chaperon for this ARC!

I like that this is set in the same world as the For The Boys series but is the start of a new series, Pregame.

I really enjoyed Kenzie and seeing her as the MC after getting glimpses in Chaperon's precious books as well as seeing Berkeley & Brent's progress.

Aiden was a great MMC, and loved his hockey roommates but there was something about him calling Kenzie "bunny" that didn't jive for me..

I loved the therapy rep, but an on-call therapist who answers whenever you call?!

No true third act break up!! 👏 Just some conflict that the characters actually worked through!!

Thanks to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op & the author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

This book is so freaking adorable! I dropped everything I was doing the minute this ARC hit my inbox, and even before that I knew I'd love it! I was right!

The story follows Kenzie Jean who decides to go back to college at the age of 23. At the time she's a co-owner of a successful activewear company FLEX with her hockey-star brother, Brent Jean, but she feels this is not what she'd like to spend the rest of her life doing and she definitely wants to finish her degree. Also, very VERY important - Kenzie Jean does not, under any circumstance, EVER dates hockey players. Number one rule.

Aiden Fuller lives his days focused on one and one thing only: hockey - his truest passion and the only love of his life. Sadly for Aiden, after one quite entertaining dare he's suspended for 10 games - which, of course, doesn't sound promising. But then during Welcome Week Aiden spots Kenzie and life suddenly seems much better.

Their connection is obvious from their first interaction, and I loved so much getting to know them and watching their relationship evolve. And this wasn't an easy path for them: Kenzie really doesn't date hockey players, and Aiden is all about hockey and career-focused with no time for relationships either. How on earth could this ever work?

This book felt so real, their relationship felt so real, and I loved how author approached anxiety and how it actually makes one feel. It was so raw and at some moments painful, and I really ached with both characters during toughest times.

This book is a great representation of romance, love, discovering yourself, fighting for your dreams, anxiety and panic attacks, family and support. It has fake-dating, confident characters and an amazing character development throughout the book, and just the right amount of steam. I cannot wait to read what Amanda writes next! <3

Thank you so much NetGalley, Victory Editing and Amanda Chaperon for providing me the ARC for this book.

Am I officially in my hockey romance era? Because I am INTO it. I'm so excited to go into her backlist to read Brent and Mitch's stories, but I'm even more hyped for the books to come in the Pregame series. I have a sneaking suspicion that Jack, Luke, and Asher will be the male leads in future books and I can't wait to see how their romances unfold. Aiden and Kenzie have instant chemistry, but their preconceived notions about the other definitely cause some chaos at first. That and an unfortunate dare... (I would PAY to see the video of it, for the record)

What I loved most about this story was how they grow into their relationship. There was a lot of will they or won't they, but I feel like that's the general trend of college romances. And even when there were miscommunications, we got to see them resolved on screen like 2 real humans would. It doesn't just naturally fall into place, but they don't necessarily hold a grudge either. Also it's H O T HOT HOT steamy - indoor, outdoor, public spaces, you name it. Basically if you want some steam, some realistic characters, and the feel of a Midwest university in the fall, check this one out.

*Thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This is my second hockey romance and let’s just say I’m now a die hard hockey fan 😂

I really liked Kenzie’s strong, independent character, despite her struggles with anxiety. The pressures of life and having two successful older brothers got to her, despite seeming like she had the perfect life and I really liked how the author showed Kenzie’s vulnerability through it all.

Aiden was swoon worthy. Hot, sexy and sweet as hell.

The spicy scenes were hot 🌶️🌶️🌶️ and the supporting characters were funny and entertaining making the whole book an easy and enjoyable read! I was so excited to see that this was part of a series with two other books and can’t wait to read those next!

Well this book was just the sweetest ever! ❤ Kenzie and Aiden made such a cute couple. Also, their personal growth and the way they sorted out their feelings for each other was so beautiful to read. I was swept away by this story and find myself still thinking about it, two days after finishing the book.

Thank you Amanda Chaperon and NetGalley for the ARC ❤

This book was SO CUTE!

I honestly had no idea what to expect from this author but she totally knocked it out of the park with this one! It's about McKenzie Jean, who has had a successful job at her family's activewear brand, but feels like she still doesn't know who she is. She's dealt with a lot of anxiety and being someone who has had anxiety for years, I totally related to McKenzie. It was never sugar coated, and was written as a seamless part of who she is as a person.

Aiden was exactly what she needed and I really love the fact that he was the perfect balance of confident and sensitive. He never pushes McKenzie to be anyone she doesn't want to be and the story shows a lot of different sides to him. After a (honestly hilarious) dare gets him suspended from play, he meets McKenzie and his whole attitude changes. She was worried that he would be a stereotypical hockey player since her older brother is in the NHL and she's dealt with hockey players all her life, but when she really got to know him, she realized that he was more genuine than anyone she's ever met. I was seriously crying when he was able to give her what she needed in her lowest moments!!! #goals

He wants to be there for her but she doesn't know how to really let someone in to her life - the good and the bad. These characters compliment each other perfectly and UGH I just love them sm!!!! Aiden made me swoon and I would honestly read it again! My only note is that I didn't love that he didn't want her at his games because it made him nervous... like cmon Aiden! If you want to go to the NHL you can't have stage fright and especially not because of perceived pressure from people who love you no matter how you play!

Anyway- crying, laughing, swooning, smiling, all the LOVE!!!!

This book exceeded my expectations! It's a college hockey romance set in East Lansing at Michigan State University. I am by no means a hockey fan but reading hockey romances might change my mind. This book is dual perspective of our main characters Kenzie and Aiden. Kenzie struggles with anxiety and decides to go back to school after running a successful business with her older brother who plays hockey for a professional team. Aiden is the captain of the MSU hockey team who finds himself in some trouble with the coaches/school after a prank gone wrong. Wanting to rehab his image he convinces Kenzie to be his date to an event even though she has a rule to never date a hockey player. What starts out as fake dating turns into more as the characters try to figure out their feelings for each other and how to navigate love and hockey.

I loved both characters and each separate storyline was interesting and made me want more. Even the minor characters had me wanting to read a whole book on their story! The writing was fantastic and even though I've never been to East Lansing, the book does a great job of putting you right in the middle of campus. This is a book I'd be proud to have on my shelf and will definitely recommend it for hockey romance lovers!

Thank you Amanda Chaperon and NetGalley for gifting me this ARC for my honest review!

Posted to Goodreads 4/7/23
Posted to TikTok 4/9/23

Thank you to Amanda Chaperon & NetGalley for gifting me an E-ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

A college hockey romance with some of the best anxiety rep I’ve ever read!

Don’t date hockey players. That is Mackenzie Jean’s ultimate rule. But when hockey captain and sunshine personified, Aiden Fuller pops into her life unexpectedly, can she keep the lines from blurring?

Everything about this has me SO excited, the setting, the characters, the plot its all done so incredibly, Amanda Chaperon has created a masterclass in presenting anxiety in such a real and authentic way.

I loved Mackenzie and Aiden, their banter was top notch. I also really loved the level of communication and understanding they shared with each other throughout everything. You can really tell that these two are soulmates and the chemistry is off the charts.

All of the side characters were fleshed out and felt very real too, you can tell Amanda has carefully crafted EVERYTHING down to the finest of details and I absolutely adore it.

ALSO…the cover??? Hello?? Absolutely STUNNING!

Posted to Goodreads: 07/04/23
Posted to Instagram: 10/04/23