I have loved all the Sarah Adam’s books I have read so far, and The Rule Book just got added to that list. It’s a cute, hallmark-esque, style sports romance about getting a second chance with your first love. A fun, quick read that I really enjoyed!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Derek and Nora dated in college and upon their break up, had unresolved feelings about how it all went down. Years later, they are reunited when Derek signs Nora as his agent and they create a Rule Book to follow to navigate uncharted territory. I don't know why I'm surprised when the male character unapologetically pines for the woman he loves, but boy am I here for it! Their love story is sweet and a slow burn the reader can feel a mile away. This no doubt will be the perfect summer read!

4.5 stars!

Sarah Adams' books are so cute that it's disgusting (complimentary). I seriously mean that in the best way possible. I simply love her writing style. She effortlessly balances humor with drama, and emotional journeys with laughter and tears. I absolutely adored Nora and Derek, two college sweethearts who went through a bad break-up. Cut to years later, Nora is now a sports agent. She has been given the opportunity to work as Derek's representative as he is currently the best tight end in football and a household name. There are a lot more details and minutiae, but I don't want to spoil it for you! I did not read the tropes of this book before picking it up, so I was pleasantly surprised to see some of my favorites included in the story. While I admit, there is a slight immaturity to both Derek and Nora in the beginning as they start their rocky new relationship dynamic as agent/athlete with pranks and some haz1ng. I do feel that, in the end, they both showed tremendous growth throughout the story. Their chemistry is off-the-charts good. I loved their inside jokes, their cutesy nicknames, the witty, snarky banter between them, Nora's zany phrases and quotes and kitschy demeanor, and Derek's interactions with his fellow footballers/friends. Some readers will think Nora is ~*trying too hard,~* but it's all part of her story arc to being accepted for who she is. She has constantly been told that she is "too much" by the people in her life, particularly her exes. I identified with this plot point toooooooo much! I love how Nora was never, ever too much for Derek, even after she broke his heart. I found this story relatable and infectious, and I could not put it down. I devoured it very, very quickly (like I do with all of Sarah Adams's books). It's full of heart, growth, tension. and wit. Pick this one up immediately!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Adams, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Dell for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

The Rule Book, by Sarah Adams was a joy to read. This sweet, sports romance is an engaging, humorous, feel-good story. We follow Nora and Derek, two former college sweethearts who abruptly break-up on the verge of graduation just as Derek’s career is beginning to take off. Years later they find one another once again, quite unexpectedly, under rather awkward circumstances, with a determination to hide their past and what they once meant to each other.

When Nora is given the tremendous opportunity to manage the famous football player, Derek Pender, as his sports agent, she has no doubt that she can do it even though she’s a rookie. What she doesn’t know is if she can handle working so closely with him given her lingering feelings for him from years ago. When they drunkenly get married one night and Nora subsequently faces the possibility of being fired, the two decide to sell their impromptu wedding as legitimate and intentional. But what does this actually mean for them as a couple and is it just for the sake of saving Nora’s career?

I truly loved this story! There is a depth beneath the romantic plot line that explores various insightful issues. I adored Nora with her bright, sunshiny ways, undermined by a steely strong, creative, clever spirit. She knows who she is and isn’t embarrassed by it. Derek is a generally good guy, as well as a star football player who is currently rehabbing a potential career-ending injury. Despite the lack of communication trope that creeps up repeatedly and is a bit frustrating, I was charmed by everything else in this story. The banter, the chemistry, the friendships, and the mutual female support in the workplace made this story a winner.

The manner in which Nora and Derek treated each other was touching. The honest view of the issues the characters struggled with, as well as the mental health representation and learning differences with made them realistic and relatable. The Rule Book is a quick-reading, entertaining, delightful story that will warm your heart and leave you smiling.

Quick Breakdown

Football Player x Agent
Second Chance
Enemies to Lovers
Married in Vegas
Fake Dating
Destination / Vacation Vibes
Only One Bed
He Falls First
He Takes Care of Her
No 3rd Act Breakup
Dual POV
Open Door - Mild Detail

Nora’s worked her tail off to climb up the ladder, landing her dream job as a sports agent. Her first client: her college ex boyfriend & famous NFL tight end Derek Pender. While he agrees to her being his agent, he’s still not completely over being dumped abruptly by Nora back in the day. Hilarious & lighthearted hazing ensues. While on a work trip, one drunken thing leads to another & the pair end up married. To save Nora’s career, they agree to stay together, claiming they intended to get married. Still cleaving face, the couple head off on a corporate sponsored honeymoon to sell their relationship.

Sarah Adams is a national treasure & I refuse to believe otherwise! Goodness, The Rule Book was SO GOOD. I am an absolute puddle of adorableness & feeling feeling so.. satisfied 🫠

Sarah holds the benchmark on delightfully quirky heroines, grumpy heroes & all the chemistry & tension I want in a romance. I cannot get over how well she wrote a second chance romance that brought all the emotion but with good communication between our MCs, it still felt light. I was so happy to be back with this found family friend group, the Nathan & Bree cameos especially.

I’d be remiss not to discuss how Sarah absolutely knocked its out of the park with the open door spice. The one scene felt perfectly timed, adding to the story by showing the intimacy & trust our MCs share. I feel confident that those who prefer closed door romance would still enjoy it.

I listened to this on audio & I HIGHLY recommend you do the same. It’s performed so well & very addictive - you’ll eat it up!

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!!