DEREK PENDER!!! I was SO thrilled to hear that Sarah was giving him his own book. I loved how fun he was in The Cheat Sheet and getting to read his story made my heart so happy!

Derek is going through it y'all! He's trying to bounce back from an injury that most of the media thinks could be career-ending. He's never felt like he was good at anything before football came along. Football is all he has, or so he thinks, so losing it would be devastating. His teammates have tried their best to get him out of his funk, but can't seem to get through to him and he feels even more isolated now that they've all found love. Meanwhile, Derek has been hung up on his college sweetheart who broke his heart. Though he wants to hate her for it, he can't seem to move on from her.

Enter Nora Mackenzie, his new agent and oh yeah, that college ex who broke his heart! Nora is focused, and organized, and she wants nothing more than to prove herself in a male-dominated industry. Having her ex as her first client won't be easy, but she never expected Derek to hold such a grudge that he would put her through the wringer just to push her away.

The banter and tension between these two was SO good. I loved that Nora took whatever Derek threw at her with a smile on her face and she was determined to stand her ground and be the best agent he's ever had. Nora isn't afraid to put Derek in his place. The way these two know each other better than anyone else and accept each other made my heart burst. He's never thought he was good enough and she's always felt like too much, but together they're so good for each other. I love it when a second chance romance is done so well that you really feel the two characters deserve to be together and truly belong together. There were so many fun and sexy moments in this one and I loved seeing the guys again!!

Thank you to Random House/Dell, NetGalley, and Sarah for the arc!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

I have loved every single Sarah Adams book I’ve read and this was no exception.

College sweethearts Nora and Derek went their separate ways right before graduating and they’ve never quite gotten over each other. Now Nora is a sports agent and Derek is a pro football player. When Nora gets Derek assigned to her as her first client she’s nervous and for good reason. Will they reignite their love for each other or end up ruining each others careers?

This was such a fun quick read!

4/5 stars and will highly recommend.

I was in bit of a romcom slump when I first read The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams. It was about the quarterback of the Sharks, a professional football team, who end up falling for his best friend. I absolutely loved the book and it pulled me out of my slump. It also instantly made me a huge fan of Sarah. Now I’m thrilled that Sarah has once again brought us a story about the Sharks. This time around it’s focused on tight end Derek Pender. In the last season he suffered an serious injury and has been working hard on making a comeback. He’s just gotten a new agent, Mac (aka Nora MacKenzie), who just so happens to be the woman who broke his heart back in college. He’s never got over how much it hurt when she left him. Now he’s determined to return the favor, planning to toy with her, make her do endless grunt work and then fire her (or more likely get her to quit). The problem is that he never really got over Nora and the more time he spends with her the more he realizes that he still wants her in his life. As with The Cheat Sheet, the characters in The Rule Book are great. (Bree and Nathan from the first book are back as well and just as adorable as ever.) I instantly connected with them, understood the feelings of both, and naturally was rooting for them to get together and finally get their happily ever after. The twist that occurs in Vegas halfway through was unexpected but took the story in a fun new direction. If you enjoyed The Cheat Sheet, you’ll love The Rule Book. I’d like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Rule Book.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R34F9WKT7MDMS/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

The Rule Book written by Sarah Adams was PERFECT in so many ways. This book was beautiful, heart warming, inspirational, and even gut wrenching at times. Football is one of my favorite sports, so when I saw The Rule Book was about football, I knew I had to get my hands on it, even though this book wasn't five stars for me, I still loved every minute of it. I fell in love with that adorable cover, but the characters truly pulled me in. It might have been a bit cheesy at times, but sometimes all we need is a palette cleanser, and this book was definitely very cute and fluffy. Sarah Adams truly writes the cutest novels that you could just sink your sweet tooth into. The banter in this book was literally top tier, it made me kick my feet up in the air and giggle nonstop, but there was also bittersweet moments and discussions that just pulled at my heart strings and made me want to reach into my kindle and hug these kind hearted characters. If you love Tight End Chiefs player, Travis Kelce, you will LOVE The Rule Book even more. I will say though, you don't even have to be a fan of football to read this book because it doesn't entirely focus on the sport itself. I can't recommend this book enough, please do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book immediately.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHING GROUP-BALLANTINE FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!

Derek Pender is the tight end for the LA Sharks, but when an injury last season could possibly determine Derek's career with the Sharks, he needs all the help he can get. Last season, Derek snapped his ankle and needed surgery, so he had to train and do physical therapy, so he can be the strongest for the upcoming season, if the LA Sharks team doesn't cut him. Nora McKenzie is now a full time sports agent, and her first client? DEREK PENDER!!!!! Nora and Derek were college sweethearts, but Nora thought their lives and careers weren't compatible, so she decided to end things with Derek. The day Nora broke up with Derek, he went and got her initial tattooed on himself, so he can always remember the times he and Nora spent together and the memories they made, I truly thought that was so freaking sweet. Derek is Nora's first client as an official full-time sports agent, and Derek is holding a grudge against Nora for when she broke his heart. Derek's plan is to make Nora's life absolutely miserable, but if Derek knows anything about the woman he once loved, he knows Nora won't quit easily. Derek has a group of football friends that love him dearly, including his two friends Bree and Nathan from The Cheat Sheet, that want nothing but the best for Derek, ugh I was swooning, Derek's football friends are the definition of a personal hype group.

If you are a people pleaser, I stand with you. As a people pleaser myself, it's extremely difficult at times because you don't want to let anyone down, you want people to see your accomplishments and be proud of you, but when you fail, it's hard to get back up and keep going. In school Derek couldn't function properly, he couldn't read out loud in front of his class because kids would laugh at him. Derek's parents would always ask him why he couldn't be as bright as his sister. why were his grades not as good as his sister's, this truly broke my heart because I don't think one person should be compared to another person, everyone is different in their own ways. Later in his life, Derek was diagnosed with Dyslexia. One night when Derek and Nora are in Las Vegas for a commercial endorsement, Derek and Nora wake up the next morning married to each other, with wedding rings tattooed on their ring fingers. Despite Nora and Derek's past history, Nora's support to Derek's career was just heart warming to witness, when Derek had his self doubts, Nora would hype him up and tell; him the truth of how great of a tight end Derek is. Nora and Derek have my heart completely, I loved those two so so much. If you are a people pleaser and you are struggling to please those around you, The Rule Book will truly be an inspiration to you. NORA AND DEREK, I LOVE YOU BOTH TREMENDOUSLY!!!!!!

This was my first book by this author and the story really sucked me in! I cannot wait to go back and read all of her other books! This was a quick and fun read that had me in all my feels! Nora has sacrificed so much to get where she is at and finally get her first solo client as a sports agent…and it is none other than her ex, Derek! The banter between these two had me cackling so hard! There is so much I loved about this book and I can’t stop thinking about it! If you love second chances, marriage of convenience, slow burn, grumpy sunshine, Vegas marriages, sports romances then this book is for you!

The Rule Book is officially my first Sarah Adams read and it will not be my last. I loved her writing style, and the FMC (Nora) was so funny to me and I was openly laughing and reading sections of the book to my husband.

This book has so many of my favorite romance tropes all bundled into one. I'm usually not a sports romance fan but this may have changed my opinion on that.

Read if you like:
🩷Fake dating
🩷Second chance romance Only one bed
🩷Witty banter
🩷Forced Proximity
🩷Enemies to lovers
🩷Dual POV

Nora might be one of my all time favorite romance FMCs, from her fashion choices, her wit and her sense of humor, and her ability to stay positive no matter what was thrown at her. My one critique about this book is the miscommunication between the leads. I was so over the back and forth by the end that it did affect my rating a touch but that's a personal preference.

Overall, highly recommend to my romance lovers and will now be reading more Sarah Adams books!

GRL PWR!!!! That is the epitome of this book. I absolutely adored it.

Nora Mackenzie is such a girl boss queen and she is diving into the male dominated career field of sports representation. I thought this take on women breaking in male dominated spaces was done so well and portrayed a lot of what women face in regards to being compared to men in professional settings. This theme throughout the book was excellent and Derek’s support of Nora as she navigated those choppy waters was so refreshing.

I loved the whole premise of ex-lover to client to fake marriage. All of my favorite things rolled up into one!! Their relationship was so sweet and tender and Derek was just the cutest. I loved how he looked out for her in all aspects and you could really tell how much he cared for her.

The humor in this book was really great for me too. I could see how some people might not love it, but the quirkiness of Nora had me laughing through the whole thing and it brought a light and fluffy vibe so this already light book.

Overall, I absolutely loved it. Another slay for Sarah Adams!

Thank you @dellromance and @netgalley for the ARC!

🩷🏈 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 🏈🩵
This book was perfect! I loved it that much. Sarah Adams brings the perfect amount of sweetness, comedy and adorableness to her books and characters that has me wanting more and more when I’m done reading.

The characters she writes are so endearing and heartfelt. You can feel the heart she writes into these characters and what they are going through in their story. And Sarah also writes unapologetically strong FMC that have struggles, and figure out how to persevere and shine even brighter.

Nora is the strong FMC in this story and is very career driven. She is given her first chance at being a real sports agent with a client. The only problem is her first client is her ex-boyfriend, Derek, who is the injured star tight end of the LA Sharks!

This would be just fine if these two hadn’t left things the way they did when they broke up. Unresolved tension (yes the chemistry is 🔥) leads these two to an accidental marriage in Vegas and some damage control to save both their careers.

I loved the way this story ended up going and had very similar vibes as The Cheat Sheet, except here Derek and Nora make some rules they need to follow so things remain uncomplicated!

There were so many fun moments for these two ex-lovers to reconnect and hash out their history. This book also was a little spicier than Sarah’s previous books, but in a very tasteful and loving way. You can feel how much these two affect one another when they are around each other. And ohhhh the ending and what revelation is dropped about their past (the breakup day). I’m like ahhhhhhhhhh! Just read it. It’s amazing and perfect. But read The Cheat Sheet too!

There’s a reason Sarah Adams is one of my favorite authors… this might be my favorite book of hers now!

🎧 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🏈 Pro Football Romance
🏈 Second Chance Romance
🏈 Only One Bed
🏈 Accidental Marriage
🏈 Rules to Follow! 📝

"The Rule Book" is a must-read if you love a swoon worthy Sports Romance. From start to finish I was pulled into this storyline and binged the entire book cover to cover.

Tropes:
-Second Chance Romance
-Athlete | Agent
-Marriage Of Convenience

I thought everything about this book was done so well. The plot is packed with memorable characters, banter and flirty interactions.

I definitely will be recommending this one!

Thank you to Sarah Adams , Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for providing me with an ARC of this book.

God, I don’t think Sara Adams can do any wrong. I was super excited to read this book and elated to get an approval through NetGalley as this is the first Sara Adams book that has spice. Like any other Sara Adams book I thoroughly enjoyed it, The banter, the characters, the tension, everything. Love love loved it. Excited to see what else she’ll write but if she writes it I don’t care if it’s closed door or open door I’m gonna read it..

4.5⭐️

This was so good!!!! My first book by Sarah Adams and it did NOT disappoint! Omg I absolutely loved Nora and Derek and their relationship was so pure and perfect. The rule book story line I loved as well. This definitely shows the right person wrong time situation and I am here for it. I love second chance so much. I need to pick up more Sarah Adams books cause this was 🥳!

I can definitely see myself rereading this as a comfort again cause it was that good🥰

“The Rule Book” has got to be my favorite sports romance! This second-chance, dreamy love story is giving me everything I would want in a romantic-comedy novel. I did not want to put it down and I truly found the plot to be unpredictable. I loved the light-hearted banter and joking. But the longing from these two was real. It was great to see how they encouraged eachother’s character growth.

For those who love:
🌴 Second-Chance Romance
🌴 Football Romance
🌴 Athlete + Sports Agent
🌴 Friendships!!
🌴 Career-focused main characters
🌴 Marriage of Inconvenience
🌴 Honeymoon

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sarah Adams is amazing when she writes closed door romances, but Sarah Adams writing a spicy romance??? My favorite!! This may be my new favorite Sarah Adams book! It was so good! Such a good follow up to the Cheat Sheet! I loved the overlap! The characters and development of this book were incredible. I loved the slow burn and the quirky interactions. Overall I HIGHLY recommend!!!

Nora is an up and coming agent who has spent her adult life striving for this dream career. After a promotion she is excited to represent her first client independently, at least until she finds out this new client is her college ex-boyfriend Derek Pender. Derek is a tight end for the LA Sharks & has spent the last several months rehabbing from a potential career ending ankle injury. He desperately needs help improving the public opinion of him before the season starts. Can these two once lovers, now enemies, work together despite their fierce competitiveness & fraught history? It seems like they might until a work trip leads to a drunken visit to a wedding chapel & what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas.

This delicious enemies-to-lovers football romance hit the perfect spot of hilarious, sweet, and sexy with a good balance of plot. I loved the competitive nature of both main characters & how that played out in their interactions. I also loved how true to herself Nora was throughout the entire book. Their chemistry was great, the banter had me cackling, and Derek’s flirting was *chef’s kiss*. If current pop culture football romance (iykyk) has you begging for more, I think you’re going to love The Rule Book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @authorsarahadams, @randomhouse and @netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This review will be posted on Instagram, GoodReads, and Storygraph on 4/2 publication day. All are linked below.

I love The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams. It's one of my go-to recommendations when people ask for a romcom. So, when I heard that there would be a companion novel, I screamed! To say The Rule Book was one of my most anticipated books for 2024 is an understatement. Well, I absolutely loved this book!!! Second chance romance is my favorite trope and this one is done so right!

Nora and Derek are such wonderful characters. Nora is quirky, smart, driven, super organized, and kicking a$$ in a male-dominated field. Derek is an all bark, no bite softie who has been let down by the people he loves in the past. And, oh boy, are these two competitive! The banter between these two is simply hilarious. Plus, there's lots of the longing and pining by both and sizzling chemistry. Everything about this couple is chef's kiss!

The former college sweethearts abruptly ended their relationship without closure for either one. I loved the flashbacks to their college days where we could see the thrill of first love, their connection, and how all-consuming it was for both of them. The peeks into their past perfectly set the stage for their very complicated present relationship.

Of course, we also have Nathan, Bree, and the rest of Derek's Shark friends there giving advice, helping Derek make a plan, and meddling with the best intentions. There's something so special about this group of friends!

I loved every minute of this story of forgiveness, self-discovery, and being loved for who you are. I can't recommend this enough for those who want a funny, swoony, heartwarming read.

Thank you to Dell Romance for a copy of this book.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙪𝙡𝙚 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙗𝙮 𝙎𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙝 𝘼𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙨
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★★★★★

Sarah Adams is one of my favorite authors and this book was seriously perfection! The way Sarah Adams writes her characters and her stories hooks me in and this is up there with one of my favorites of hers.

First off, the tropes alone in this book had me invested before I even opened the book!

I adored the two main characters Nora and Derek and loved the banter between the two. Their back story, how they came back together and the chemistry was everything! The individual characters were so fun and captivating. I truly could not put this one down and I loved every second of it!

The audiobook was wonderful to listen to. Hathaway Lee and Will Damron did a phenominal job narrating this story and portraying the characters!

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘
Second Chance Romance
Marriage of Convenience
Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Sports Romance
Dual POV
One Bed

READ DEREK & NORA because this one (like all of Sarah’s books) is SO GOOD. Nora is hilarious. The guy group made me laugh so many times. Nathan and Bree make appearances that made me miss them but also love seeing what they were up to. And Derek is so gone for Nora that I was completely gone for him the second he hit the page.

I like to call myself a "certified second chance romance hater," but every once in a while one comes around that proves I can love the trope when the story is right. This is absolutely one of those times. This couple's backstory may be messy, but it's definitely a case of "right person, wrong time." They would never have worked the first time around, and it was only with time and distance that they were able to get it right. This still has the fresh, lighthearted vibes of Adams' other work, but it also gets angsty and seriously tension-filled - plus, there's actually a little bit of spice! I loved the lovers to enemies to spouses to lovers vibes, which made this a nuanced, multi-faceted read. There were things that would typically push my buttons in the wrong way, but I empathized with both characters and could easily see how it all went wrong. I was hooked on watching these two slowly find their way back together, and the intense pining and depth of emotion made it a fantastic read.

The story follows Nora, a woman who is just starting to find success in her career as a sports agent. She's finally been given her first client and her first real chance to prove herself... but there is one major problem. Nora's new client, Derek, is her college ex and the only man to ever truly have her heart. While Nora knows she did the right thing by ending their relationship years ago, that doesn't mean that there aren't things she should've done differently. The two haven't seen each other in nearly a decade and the tabloids show that he's clearly moved on, so maybe the situation won't end in disaster, right? But as these two former lovers turned enemies navigate their new working relationship, they add one more complication - a drunken Vegas wedding.

So let's talk about the one thing that could've sent this spiraling in the wrong direction - the fact that Derek has been a player in the years they were separated. That's my nightmare fuel in a second chance romance, not going to lie. But I think it was handled really well here. Nora broke up with Derek out of the blue and never offered an explanation. She has no idea how badly she shattered his heart. It was clear from the start that both of their feelings ran deeper than either knew, and that pining and angst is what heightens the emotions. I actually really loved Derek; he is so completely gone for his girl that I couldn't help but adore him. I also understood Nora's reasons, and it was obvious that they had both grown and changed in the years since. They might not have been right together in college, but they're different people now and that history is still there. I loved the little twists and turns in the story, and I loved watching them figure things out. There are some great moments of intimacy that stole my heart, and I ended up being emotionally invested in their relationship from start to finish.

The Rule Book by Sarah Adams is a wonderful and steamy romance that will leave readers swooning from start to finish.
Adam’s never disappoints and she delivered with her phenomenal sports romance story.
Sarah Adams is an automatic buy for me. I love her books and they seem to get better and better. The book's relatable characters and engaging plot create an immersive reading experience that resonates with fans of romance and women's fiction.
With its engaging plot, well-developed characters, and sizzling chemistry I could not stop once I started.
The setting is delightful and the romance definitely earns a solid 5-star rating and is a must-read for fans of contemporary romance.
This was one of my favorite books of the year and I can't wait to read more by this author!

Thank You NetGalley and Random House, Ballantine & Dell for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

“I want to be her human bubblewrap.”

I’ve never read a book by Sarah Adams that didn’t blow me away from the start. I had the pleasure of listening to this masterpiece and the narrators not only did an exceptional job with the story, but I felt as though I was IN the story. As though I was friends with Nora and Derek (most likely Nora while lusting after Derek, if I’m being honest). And an author and narrators that can make you feel as though these characters are your own found family? That’s more than I can ever hope for going in, and yet Sarah continues to deliver every time.

There was something about this book that had me laughing, sighing in relief, aching in longing, and wanting to pull both Nora and Derek into one large group hug (even if they likely would prefer I wasn’t there). And yet despite the heavier moments and topics, it was mostly light-hearted, making for a quick and enjoyable read.

I loved Nora’s quirkiness and how Derek embraced it without even a second thought. After years apart, it truly felt like they had been by one another’s sides from the start—and their chemistry was unmatched. Also the fact that the choice that was made wasn’t instantly viewed as a mistake, but rather one that was necessary at the time for each individual character to be able to grow and become who they wanted to be. The character growth in this story pulled at my heartstrings in the best of ways. I highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a laugh or who might need to see that some choices were meant to be, but that doesn’t mean new decisions can’t be made years later.

Tropes:
- Second chance
- Mutual pining
- Athlete/agent
- Sports romance
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Hate to love
- Enemies to lovers
- Accidental marriage
- Forced proximity