I really really enjoyed the heck out of this book! I found myself highlighting so many of Nora's corny jokes and interesting comments because I LOVED them and honestly half of her interactions with Derek too because they were either super sweet, funny, sarcastic or full of chemistry. The tension in the beginning is so good and the way they act with each other and take care of each other even when they *don't like* the other is so pure. In the very beginning when they're setting up the rules, I already knew I was going to love this book because of their back and forth. Nora is an energetic, optimistic, agent of chaos while also being extremely organized to the point of color coordination. She is sweet and fluffy but will absolutely kill you with kindness and I love her. Derek is gruff and kind of standoffish but it's to protect his very mushy center. He's protective without being macho about it and so supportive. Also he is tall, muscled, tatted deliciousness so add a heart of gold to it and all the pining and he's the perfect book boyfriend.

If you loved The Cheat Sheet, you'll love The Rule Book even more! Plus, you'll get to see more of Bree and Nathan here and they are still hilarious and sweet. All the Sharks men are lovable teddy bears and I love that Derek has such a great support group. Derek and Nora are both dealing with uncertainty in their careers -- Derek because he's coming back from an injury and at 30 that could potentially be the end of his career in professional football, and Nora because she's finding it harder/more exhausting to keep up the good fight to change the chauvinistic, male dominated field she works in despite being a fantastic agent -- and a certain scandal doesn't help with it all. The two support each other in the best ways but also have outside support from friends (Derek) and the best mom and coworker (Nora) which really made the story feel more grounded/realistic in my opinion. The dual POV also lets us into both of their heads which I really love in a romance because we get to see what each of the MCs are thinking/feeling and understand their motivations for their actions. I found myself laughing -- A LOT -- throughout this book and smiling to myself at the sweet parts -- of which there were plenty. If you're looking for a sweet, fun, hilarious romance with some spice then check this one out for sure!

*only one bed (my favorite)
*fake relationship
*forced proximity
*workplace romance (she's his new agent)
*second chance
*sports romance
*grumpy x sunshine
*dual POV
*HEA (obvi)

****************************************************
Some of the lines I highlighted:

"I don't even realize my fingers are gripping my pen so hard it's in danger of shattering until Derek reaches over and removes it from my grasp, laying it gently on the table. He sits back with a grin." - THE TENSION

"Just a shirt? Okay, I always thought the Winnie the Pooh wasn't an attractive look but if you're okay with it..." - I will never not highlight a pantsless Winnie the Pooh reference

"Because when a man doesn't encourage you to reach for the stars, Nora Bug, he's putting you in a glass jar to contain your light. We don't have to settle for air through holes poked in the top of a lid. We get to become stars ourselves." - Nora's mom with some very solid advice <3

"Maybe I need to put a lid on my imagination and set my burners to simmer." - LOL

"You are a strong, smart, sexy muffin of a woman and you can do this." - Nora's lovely motivational words

"My mom taught me early on that I would never be everyone's cup of tea, but that doesn't mean I should change my flavor for anyone either." - More sage advice from Nora's mom, she is #1

"On second thought, you should never shit where your gift horse lies." - Nora butchering phrases as usual

"So everyone except Derek calls you Mac?" - BC HE LURVES HER DUH

Okay, I'll leave it at that because all of this is just from the first 25% of the book and it's only a fraction of what I highlighted up to that point (: But yes, go read this one! It's a very cute, quick, chemistry-filled book with sports, second chances, scandal, and more! The Rule Book published on April 2nd and is also out on audio if you prefer listening -- I did both and I really loved the audio so if you prefer that or reading & listening at the same time like me then I highly recommend it as well!

Thank you Dell for the digital ARC via NetGalley which I have voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

LOVED THIS BOOK! I have been in a reading funk and this book kept me up at night reading and in any spare time during the busy day. The characters were enjoyable. I can picture the whole book playing out in real life. There was such a strong desire to have the outcome happen that did happen. Sarah Adams is quickly becoming a must read all her books author for me!

This is the companion novel to The Cheat Sheet. I loved every second of this.

It’s a second-chance romance, has great banter, is funny, and heartwarming. I love the found family within the sports team.

If you liked The Bodyguard by Katherine Center or the Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren then you should try this book!

I always enjoy anything that Sarah Adams writes. She knows how to write such the cutest rom com books. Unfortunately, her latest release, The Rule Book, wasn't for me. I didn't finished read it. I read up to 50%, and just stop reading it. I wasn't enjoying it as much as I thought I would. I just didn't like the main character at all. I found a tad annoying so I became frustrated whenever it's her chapter, which is a bad thing. If you enjoy reading about second chance romance with forced proximity, then pick this book up. It's just wasn't for me.

The Rule Book 🏈

“You, Nora, are beautiful, rare magic and nothing less.”

Oh my heart, Sarah Adams won again! I absolutely adored Nora and Derek and loved getting to know them. I’m not usually a fan of second chance but this one worked SO WELL. And without miscommunication! We really do love reading characters who can communicate and use their words.

Derek is about to make his return to the LA Sharks football team after being out for an injury. He’s navigating this time with a new agent… who just happens to be the college sweetheart that broke his heart. Nora is desperate to prove herself with her first client, even if he does seem to hate her for breaking up with him back in college. They call a truce one night in Vegas, only to wake up hungover… and married?

Oh man, I loved this one! So many delightful tropes, expertly woven together.

Check this out if you’re looking for:
🏈 Second chance romance
🏈 Football romance
🏈 Forced proximity
🏈 Accidental marriage of convenience
🏈 Only one bed

There is banter, laughs, chemistry and spice. Be aware this one is open door if you’re used to Adams usual fade to black.

Thank you so much to Dell and Netgalley for this ARC! My opinions are my own.

This was a lil rough start for me. The way the MMC acted at the beginning just seemed immature for me. However when he finally smacked some sense into himself it was a way smoother ride. Nora and Derek were really cute together. I loved that the third act “conflict” came from the outside. So no breakups happening. And the ending with the box??? OMG!

3.5⭐️

My first by Sarah Adams and it was really fun! The second chance wasn’t even all that angsty, she does a great job writing on the side of lighthearted which is definitely fun to read sometimes. I also love a second chance that feels like the original break up was necessary and it wasn’t really lost time, they both needed to come back together at just the right time. The friend group was genuinely funny, some of my favorite parts were their found family aspect of the time and pranks on each other, etc. I also loved how they were not afraid to call the MMC out when he was taking it too far at first.

My reason for 4 stars: as much as I loved how affected he was by seeing her again after 6 years (love a man who pines), the way he takes it out on her as his agent was just immature and a little weird to me. So she has to work day and night and do errands, clean, etc and I’m just supposed to forgive him because 1 he eventually apologies and 2 makes sure to give her water. Like I’m reaaally trying to like this man!! And I eventually do I just felt like the first 30% wasn’t really necessary. I also strongly disliked the societal construct of virginity. At one point when they first meet up again he reminds her “I took your virginity”, well I would like to leave it up to the person who had the sexual encounter to decide how they feel and what phrasing they would like to use because some people (like myself) don’t feel like there’s anything especially for a man to take. It just felt soo old school and gave me the ick on the MMC. And this is coming from a book where feminism is referenced by name and there are amazing moments by the FMC where she refuses to dress masculine in order to be taken seriously, etc so yes my standards will then be higher when it comes to this kind of thing. It’s just a bit incongruous with the rest of the book.

The last 50% especially after the Vegas shenanigans was wonderful. They are so sweet together and their careful moves and mutual pining all the while hoping the other reciprocates, I just loved.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine for this eARC! I was really excited to try my first by this author.

I was really excited to try The Rule Book. I adore a married in Vegas trope with some second chance, but this storyline and writing did not work for me at all. I really did not like the way the dialogue flowed and Nora’s character. The dialogue felt forced and Nora was too much and not funny. This was my first Sarah Adams and, while I’ve heard rave reviews about her for years, unfortunately her writing style does not work for me. 2 stars

Thank you @NetGalley, Sarah Adams, and the publsihed for this ARC!

I love Sarah Adams, and this one did not disappoint. 3.8!

This was a cute story about a reconnection between broken up colelge sweethearts when they're both going through problems in their careers. Nora Mackenzie, who works for a sports angency as an agent, is assigned her ex-boyfriend, Darek Pender, as her newest and most high-profile client. She needs him as a client, seeing that none of the men in her office or in her field take her seriously, and she wants to rise in her career with more high-profile clients like Darek, but she has to reconcile with the fact that she broke Darek's heart, quickly and coldly, all those years ago.

Darek is one of Football's biggest star athletes, until a nearly career ending injury takes him out of the game for months. He is finally due to be back with the team, with a lot of uncertainty about whether he will be the same as he was, or worse for wear and replaced by the player who has done very well in his poition. He needs a good agent to help him whether the media storm, and is ready to walk out when he sees its none other than Nora Mackenzie: the woman who broke his heart so severely, he hasnt considered dating someone for real since. When he sees their partnership as an opportunity to get a little payback for the sleepless nights she caused him, he agrees to temporarily sign with her one one condition: They make a Rule Book so they do not cross any lines and keep it strictly business.

Obviously, things dont go for Darek as planned, and old feelings rekindle, as well as new revelations.

This was such a cute story! I mostly liked the characters; they were charming in their own ways. I say mostly because there were times where both seemed a bit corny and I can't put my finger on what it is. I think the quirky FMC thing is a bit overdone at times where its borderline juvenile. And Darek was so whiny sometimes, I did not like being in his POV as much as Nora's. I typically don't like Dual POV though, so it could just be my bias.

I love that there was no third act break up! And the miscommunication did not last for long! And the tension! I did want for a bit more angst, because nearing the 70% mark and onward, it was literally all fluff.

There were a couple of plot holes: How did Nora get that scar? And what happenedf with Darke's internal strife over his Dyslexia? Did he accept it moving into his new career? Just some things left unsaid.

After this, I am interested in reading The Cheat Sheet since I never got around to it and I met those characters in this book, but I'll admit I'm not rushing to it.

Seconc Chance stories can be more miss than hit for me, but The Rule Book is definitely a case of second chance gone right. Nora and Derek were college sweethearts - until they weren't. Derek went on to become a hotshot tight end in the NFL, and Nora has been busting tail to work her way into a role as a sports agent. As luck would have it, Derek ends up as her first client (a surprise to them both).

These two were clearly a situation of "right person, wrong time". They've both changed and matured over time, and (most importantly) they also directly address the reasons their relationship failed the first time. This is where second chance often fails for me - there's a reason relationships don't work out, and so few stories actually acknowledge and deal with that.

There's really SO much to love about this story. First of all, i freaking love a strong, intelligent, driven heronie, and Nora is all of those things. She's also a bit quirky and genuinely kind. Derek is pretty great in his own right, particularly in the ways he shows support for Nora and how he is just head over heels GONE for her. If you've read some of my previous reviews, you know forced proximity and accidentally married in Vegas are always favorites of mine. Then you've got the humor, banter and crazy chemistry that Sarah Adams is known for. Until this book, all of her stories have been closed-door, but she writes chemistry and emotion so well that I've never felt like anything was missing (spoken as someone who almost always reads books with at least a little bit of spice). In this one, she does finally open the door for a night, and her ability to infuse emotion into her characters adds so much intimacy to those moments.

This one definitely makes my list of favorite reads so far this year. It is set in the same world as The Cheat Sheet, and the characters from that book make a few appearances in this one, but you can absolutely read The Rule Book as a standalone.

I love Sarah Adams books! This was so good!
Loved their backstory and how they assumed a lot when they were in college but that time apart they probably needed to become the people they are. Oh man! Loved the real “fake” relationship - pr nightmare turned Cinderella story. The rules they put in place to work together and how they slowly broke them all 😍 The banter and her quick wit was just the best. She was the silliest and I would love a friend or co-worker like her.
Hated the misogynistic yuckiness in the sports world but it's there, it had to be acknowledged but not accepted.
His friends are gold!

This is the 3rd Sarah Adams book I’ve read and I’m obsessed. I loved seeing Nathan and Bree and the whole friend group make their appearances and the family dynamic they have with Dereck. I really enjoyed reading how both Dereck and Nora learned from the miscommunication. I’m glad they were able to talk about their past after Dereck got over his pettiness and tried to get Nora to quit from being his sports agent. I don’t know if I missed this detail, but Dereck mentions noticing a scar on Nora’s abdomen several times but I don’t recall Nora explaining the scar to him. I hope we get that detail in a bonus scene. Anyways Dereck and Nora are everything. I love everything about them and their relationship. Also, Nora, I might steal your bestie Nicole because she is a queen. I really liked the scene where we finally found out what Dereck had hidden in his bedside table and let me just say it was so wholesome. That whole scene was so wholesome with Nora also showing Dereck all his sports jerseys she’s collected throughout his career and when she explains she been to every one of his home games. I love them your honor!

The Rule Book by Sarah Adams is the 3rd book I’ve read from this author. Nora is a sports agent who has been assigned her first big client- her ex, Derek. Derek is an NFL star who is recovering from an injury. He has never forgiven Nora for how she broke up with him and he is determined to make her life hell until she quits her job. As they work together, he begins to let down his guard and she persists in overcoming all the obstacles he puts in her path. They end up drunkenly getting married in Vegas and they have to navigate what that means for their careers and their relationship. Overall, it is a cute story with fun characters. There were things I found problematic and cringe worthy. This author seems to fetishize tattoos. As a heavily tattooed person, obviously I find tattoos attractive. For me, I find it kind of icky the way that each of her books objectifies tattooed skin. I got secondhand embarrassment over some of the things these characters said and thought. It was too much with the sappy, lovey-dovey at times. I feel like the story could have been shorter and some parts were unnecessary. This book overlaps with another of her books called The Cheat Sheet, which I haven’t read. 3/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me access to an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Publication date April 2nd, 2024. This review will be found on Instagram and Goodreads indefinitely.
Instagram book reviews @CandaceOnline

Sarah Adams has quickly become an auto-read author for me, and this book was rom-com gold.

Not only was I excited to return to the world of The Cheat Sheet (hiii NathanBree!), but this book combined some of my favorite tropes: grumpy/sunshine, second chance romance, and hate to love.

I was living for the antics between Nora and Derek, from Derek's determination to get her to quit as his agent to Nora's refusal to let him get the best of her. The angst and tension between the two of them is on-point from their first interaction and I was flying through the story, dying to know both what happened between them in college and how they were going to move past it in the present.

And don't even get me started on the whole "oops, we got drunkenly married in Vegas" bit, because I. JUST. LOVED. IT. Combined with the forced proximity of their honeymoon publicity stunt, which compels them to finally confront their feelings for each other that are still very much present, I enjoyed this book from start to finish. Derek and Nora were simply adorable together, and I love seeing childhood, or in this case college, sweethearts reconnecting as mature adults, and this story gave me everything I wanted.

Long story short, if you haven't read Sarah Adams yet, what are you doing? They are the exactly the kind of swoon-worthy, romantic stories that need to be on your tbr.

This is my favorite book by her yet! Sarah is always upping herself in her writing and this is no different. Everything about this book is amazing. And I just got my preorder today!!

SARAH ADAMS DID IT AGAIN. Though I never doubted her, if we're being completely honest. This was one that I definitely shrieked (aloud, in public) when I saw the approval come through in my inbox, so MANY thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

The Cheat Sheet was a viral sensation, so I can imagine the pressure Sarah may have felt in continuing this series of beloved characters. Rest assured, Cheat Sheet fans, that this is everything we could have wanted (and more!). Dare I say it, but I enjoyed this one even more than The Cheat Sheet.

The ANGST. The PINING. The HE HAS FALLEN SO HARD HE CAN'T GET UP. I love a good second chance romance that gut punches you every other chapter right in the feels, and that's exactly what was delivered in The Rule Book. Nora and Derek's chemistry was OFF THE CHARTS, and I was rooting for them from the first page. It's also, in a way, an enemies to lovers, so really all my favorite tropes wrapped up in one.

If you're looking for a sports romance that will hook you from the first chapter and not let you put it down until you've reached happy ever after (literally, read it one sitting), head to your nearest bookstore or grab your kindle RIGHT NOW. This is the book for you.

Sarah Adams has definitely become an auto buy author for me. I just love her writing and how easy the story flows from start to finish, and The Rule Book felt like one of her best yet. This book was an agent/athlete, second chance, forced proximity, and one bed. You could not have outlined a better book for my favorite tropes! I ate it up so quickly and enjoyed every minute of the ride!

I really enjoyed Nora as the female lead character. She had so many hilarious moments and I found her so endearing as a character. She knew what she wanted and she just went after it. There were so many times I literally laughed out loud while reading, which is refreshing in a romcom and I don't find myself doing that a lot. I loved her different quirks and the things that made her unique and unapologetically herself. She is one of my top FMC's right now hands down.

Derek was great. I love an MMC that falls first and enjoys a challenge. I understood why he was so hung up at first about the hurt he experienced from their previous relationship. It was tied up with a lot of feelings outside of their relationship too about pursuing future careers and feeling like a burden to each other. It was classic "right love, right couple" but "wrong time." It was great that they never really gave up on each other even after all those years. Then, they were able to see them for the people they were today and become the couple they were meant to be. I love that! I love a second chance romance!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book. The Rule Book has taken the top spot in my favorite Sarah Adams books so far. I really enjoyed the more detail of the tension scenes then she has done in the past with the completely closed door scenes. It really catapulted this book with great tension and set the dynamic between Nora and Derek on a different level.

This book was so good! It was super cute, it had me in my feels, it was swoony at times and funny at times - and the banter was so great!!

💛 second chance romance
💛college sweethearts to enemies to lovers
💛grumpy/sunshine
💛he fell first
💛 pining and mad about it
💛forbidden (athlete/agent)
💛drunken but not-so-fake Vegas wedding
💛someone has a secret tattoo
💛no third act breakup

I know there was a lot of hubbub about this being Sarah Adams’s first open door romance and I think she did a great job. It wasn’t overly explicit or smutty, but it wasn’t a closed door and I’m SO grateful. 🥵 I hope Sarah feels good about it, and I hope her OG readers don’t drag her for it, because I think this was her best book yet.

📖:
“Do I hate her? I hate when your mouth curves into a smile, I can’t kiss it. I hate that you hold my heart in a vice grip, and you have no idea. I hate that I’ve never been able to move on from you - not for a single day.”

Okay, so as much as I enjoyed this book, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I just didn’t feel as much of a ✨spark✨ as I did with her previous books. I don’t know if it’s because of the second-chance aspect or if the characters felt a little off for me in this one. I think it was maybe a little mix of both.

I liked Derek’s character and getting to know him in more depth after meeting him in TCS, but Nora’s character felt a bit too much for me if I’m being honest. She felt like more of a caricature than a character and it was hard for me to take her serious most of the time.

The pacing in this book was okay; I never felt bored at any points and I still easily read this in a couple days. But some aspects of the story also felt like a copy and paste from TCS, but… not as good? An example being the fake relationship aspect. But maybe it’s because this book is in the same series as TCS so it feels too close to have another fake dating trope. I just think I would have liked to read something a little more different from the first book.

And I know I’ve touched on it before, but I’m not sure that second-chance romance is for me. And I think it’s because for me, the best part of a romance is the lead up to the happily ever after, the tension of will-they-won’t-they, and the mystery of what they would be like once they finally get together. But with second-chance, we already know what they look like and so the mystery of their relationship doesn’t feel as rewarding in the end. But that’s just me personally. Or maybe I just have to find the right book to convince me otherwise. 😅

I loved this book so much. It’s an excellent enemies to lovers, second chance romance and the main characters are genuinely in love. Their chemistry jumps off page!

Nora and Derek were college sweethearts and deeply in love. Nora always wanted to be a sports agent and Derek, who was never great in school, played football and wanted to go to the NFL. After graduation, Nora broke up with him and they were both heartbroken.

Fast forward years later, Nora works at a male dominated sports agency and has just been promoted to agent. Her first client? Her old boyfriend Derek. She hasn’t told the agency about their past relationship, and she knows she hurt him, but she wasn’t expecting his flat no when he finds out she’s his agent.

He decides that this is a great opportunity for a little payback, and for 2 weeks he runs her ragged. They end up in Las Vegas for an ad shoot, get drunk, and get married. The next morning, they pretend they meant to get married to protect Nora’s job.

Is it fake or real? What do they do now, especially since all their old feelings are coming back? The writing is excellent and I loved how Derek’s adult diagnosed dyslexia is addressed. 5 solid stars!

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.