Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for the eARC! The Rule Book is such an endearing & entertaining romance! Nora is a quirky sports agent who finds out her first client will be her ex-bf, Derek, a pro-football players for the LA Sharks (friends and teammates with Nathan from The Cheat Sheet).

Hilarity and hijinks ensue when small competitions between the two occur, and then a night in Vegas changes everything. I absolutely adored Nora as a character, initially both characters came on a little strong and I wasn’t really connecting with or liking them, but through their individual emotional journeys and their growth as a couple I adored them. The found family aspect in this book is amazing, and I’d love to read more about all of these characters. The tropes were abundant and it was great: one bed, rivals to lovers, second chance, it was a lot, but the characters had a history together and then entered new territory so it made sense story-wise.

I definitely have to go back and read The Cheat Sheet now, but you don’t have to read it prior to The Rule Book. This can be read as a standalone, but you’ll fall so in love with the friend group that you’ll need more. 😂

I highly recommend this, one of my favorite romances so far this year!

First & foremost I want to say a big thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing, & Author Sarah Adam's for choosing me to be one of the first people to read this book.
Blurb: Derek & Nora were college sweethearts, always together at the hip, and were truly best friends. However after their breakup they don’t speak to each other for the next 3 years, until they realize that Nora is Derek’s new agent for his football career. Her life & his career are at stake in this wonderful book. They make a “rule book” to stick by while they are in this new professional relationship. However, some rules get crossed & some emotions get flustered.

Now what can I say about this book. It had me in an absolute chokehold the entire time. Something about Sarah Adam's writing really captivates me & has me enjoying it so much. I have so many good things to say about this.I truly loved this book so much that I finished it in one day. I can’t wait for it to be out in the public.
The banter between Derek & Nora was top notch 10/10 banter. I truly felt like I couldn't get enough of their relationship & this story. I was laughing, crying, smiling, & anxious the entire time reading it.
I highly recommend this book and can't wait for it to be out in the world so other people can read it & enjoy it like I did!!!
Thank you the publishing team again!!
5/5 stars HIGHLY RECOMMEND !!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Dell for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you're a fan of second chance romances, fake dating/accidental marriage, and forced proximity, then you absolutely must read this swoon-worthy sports romance about Nora Mackenzie, a sports agent, and her new client/former college sweetheart, Derek Pender. This was my first Sarah Adams book, and I cannot wait to read her other novels! I truly loved everything about this book. Derek and Nora were an incredible couple, and their connection felt so genuine. I'm a firm believer that timing is everything, and these two felt like soulmates. I loved Nora's goofy, girlboss personality, and sweet, protective Derek is the ultimate book boyfriend. Although I typically prefer closed-door romances, I thought the one open-door scene was fairly mild. This was such a lighthearted and fun book, and I could not stop smiling while reading it. "The Rule Book" is a companion story to Adams's "The Cheat Sheet," but it works well as a standalone, although there are a few spoilers. I hope there are more companion stories, because I would love to see Derek and Nora again!

Nora Mackenzie, or Mac as she's known at work, has her first big shot at being a sports agent. The problem is, her new client is her ex from college. Derek is a tight end for the Sharks, and he's hoping to return to the new season better than ever from an ankle injury. He can't believe his continuing bad luck when his new agent happens to be the one that got away and hurt him big-time when she left. Derek is acting like the worst client ever in the hopes that Nora will quit and to get a little pay back for stomping on his heart. Unfortunately, the two end up married after a drunken night in Vegas and have to keep up the marriage charade to save Nora's job.

This was such a fun take on fake-married, and I had a great time reading The Rule Book. Derek is sweet once he drops the act, and Nora is bubbly and fun. The rest of the Sharks are unhinged, but in a fun way. I thought it a little odd that Nora's scar was mentioned a couple of times, but it was never really explained.

I hadn't read the Cheat Sheet, so this can definitely be read as a stand-alone.

3.5 Stars

Tropes: Football Romance, Marriage of Convenience, Second Chance, Grumpy x Sunshine, Found Family, Sports Agent x Client

This book was... okay. It wasn't my jam but I can see why someone else would like it.
The characters had a lot of potential and if cutesy was what you were looking for, they were a perfect fit! It was very lighthearted and funny at times. I just didn't come out of reading this with the excitement I was expecting.
There was just an immaturity to the characters and the plot overall that I couldn't get over. I was really struggling to read this - especially towards the beginning when there wasn't any depth to the MCs yet. It did get better! but it was still very surface-level throughout and it was frustrating. There were also just a lot of key plot points that I felt were thrown in last minute.
The concept was great and I was excited to read but ultimately just found myself disappointed.

I was very excited to read the next installment of this series. I loved the chemistry between the two characters and the history of their story made sense. Some of the football stuff was not super believable, but that’s totally fine. I wish I would have gotten a little more history of the guy friend group in the beginning. I love Sarah Adams and her writing style. Being the first book with an open door scene for her was fun to read. Overall I enjoyed this book, and would recommend. it aligns perfectly with The Cheat Sheet and is a great continuation.

This is a true sloooow burn but it is chemistry filled. Funny, whitty, second chance romance. There are strong female characters that support each other: Nora & Nicole and Nora & her mom. Healthy, strong feminism.

The main characters are each other's biggest cheerleaders, they give the best pep talks, they celebrate what makes them who they are. They push each other to succeed and be the best they can be.

The descriptions, the playful take on many common phrases was perfection, funny, unique.
Nora: "The bird that catches the worm never sleeps."
Derek: "That's not the phrase"
Nora: "It should be,"

Nora is a woman who is hardworking, determined and takes no shit from anyone with the grace of a Queen. ADORE her. Derek is protective and loving and possessive without suffocating or pulling her back or fighting her battles for her. ADORE him.

The storyline, the history, the build up/slow burn, the friend group, women supporting women, confident men supporting women - so much to love about this book.

5 Star Read Alert!!!! Y'all even if you THINK you don't like sports romances, please read this. Sarah Adams has done it AGAIN.

What to expect:
-second chance romance
-dual pov
-grumpy x sunshine
- sports romance
- ONE BED BABY
-dyslexia representation

We've got Nora, a sports agent, getting her first big break managing the NFL's best tight end (helloooo TRAVIS KELCE, I mean....Derek). So Derek has been injured for an extended period of time and is struggling with recovery. Nora goes by her surname at work so Derek had no idea he was hiring...his college girlfriend who broke his heart, so he decides he's going to do everything he can to get her to quit.

Eeep screaming crying throwing up I love it so much!!!! Sidenote, Derek reads fantasy books...so...sign me up.

Y'all the tension in this book is UNREAL. I could literally see the perfect rom-com movie playing in my head while reading this. I ate it UP.

*Favorite Quotes*

"She is sunshine parting the clouds in my miserable day"
"When you smile at me, my world feels whole"

Thank you NetGalley for the Advanced Copy :) It was a pleasure!!!!!

This will easily be one of my favorite books of the year 🙌

THE RULE BOOK is the companion story to THE CHEAT SHEET, which I adored. It was so fun getting cameos from all of the characters we were introduced to in THE CHEAT SHEET 💚 I love the friend group and their meddling antics!

Nora Mackenzie is making a name for herself as a sports agent. When she gets asked to represent NFL tight end Derek Pender as her first client, who just so happens to be her college ex-boyfriend, everything is on the line.

Second chance romance is my absolute favorite trope, and this was a master-class. The history and connection between the MCs, their banter, and their chemistry was everything.

I loved Nora so much and all her phrases and puns 😂 both Nora and Derek are lovable characters that you want to root for 🩵 an accidental marriage in Vegas and having to fake a honeymoon in Cancun leads to some forced proximity 🤗

🌴 second chance romance 🫶
🏈 sports agent and athlete
🌴 enemies to lovers
🏈 only one bed

Sarah Adams scores a touchdown! (Ha! Like my pun? lol) this book had so many tropes and kept me invested from beginning to end! I was blessed to be gifted this e-ARC through NetGalley, and finished it in less than 24 hours. This book consumed me. If you are looking for a sports romance that gets you hooked from jump, look no further! Get your copy April 2nd!! I know I’ll be at the bookstore that day grabbing a physical copy!!

I absolutely loved this book it was the perfect mix of grumpy sunshine and enemies to lovers with second chance romance. The MMC was grumpy while the FMC is a total rain of giggly sunshine this book had me laughing constantly and I thoroughly enjoyed how interconnected all the characters were the author did a fantastic job of writing this book and I absolutely plan on buying a paperback copy :)

Thanks to Random House / Ballantine for this ARC! I enjoyed Sarah Adams’ The Cheat Sheet and recently read Practice Makes Perfect, so I’m excited to talk about where The Rule Book fits in!

I didn’t know this book was a spin-off of The Cheat Sheet when I picked it up. That definitely raised my standards, because I found that book to be fresh, well-written, and fun! Similar to TCS, The Rule Book has decently depthy characters and is on the more wholesome side of the genre.

However, where TCS is realistic, well-paced, and easy to buy into, TRB has a quite choppy narrative timeline. This is an ARC … maybe it will get more fleshed out in the final version, but … with structural things, I’d assume not. There’s also a lot of miscommunications and managing beliefs that logically make no sense. Because of these gaps in the story, I found it hard to root for the characters in the end, regardless of initially liking them.

In my opinion, it’s still better than Practice Makes Perfect, which I know is a BookTok favorite. I wouldn’t avoid this book if you’ve liked her others, but it’s definitely not for everyone and not her best book.

4.5 stars! If Sarah Adams has a million fans, I'm one of them. If Sarah Adams has one fan, it's me. If Sarah Adams has no fans, I'm no longer alive.

Returning to the LA Sharks with Derek and Nora was such a joy. There were both such dynamic and interesting characters and I loved watching them together. Derek's experience with dyslexia and the hurt he carried from the past felt very real, and even though I lowkey wanted to smack him a couple of times (mostly toward the beginning), I thought he was great. And I ADORED Nora! She was so bright and strong and unapologetically herself in a way that really spoke to me.

Second-chance romance is probably my favorite trope, and I loved Sarah’s take on it! There were some serious hurts in the past and real issues the two of them had to deal with, but watching them come back to each other with a connection and love stronger than ever was so beautiful.

The LA Sharks mean the world to me, and I had so much fun seeing them again. Bree and Nathan have my whole heart, and I soaked up every single moment the two of them were on the page again.

This book has Sarah's signature brand of snark and heart and just straight-up fun that makes you want to return to it over and over again. This book is steamier than her previous books (one open-door scene and innuendo throughout), but it's still tasteful and sweet and true to who she is as an author.

This isn't my favorite of Sarah's books, but I've already read it three times and I'm sure that number will continue to grow. Please, please read this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine for the advanced copy!

I absolutely adored this one. Nora and Derek have my whole heart. Sarah Adams has this amazing ability to create the sweetest relationships and special characters. I love this friend group and I loved Nora and Derek.

We follow Nora and Derek, college sweethearts who broke up and went on their different paths. They find themselves back in each others lives as Nora becomes Derek’s new sports agent. They create a “rule book” to keep things professional but after a drunken night leaves them married, they have to figure out how to navigate their relationship.

I truly love a second chance romance. There is something so special and unique about two people who knew each other in their early 20s at a completely different stage of life to seeing each other again present day years later. There is so much history for these two and we see them have real and genuine conversations about their past and their relationship.

I loved both Nora and Derek and their individual stories as well as them as a couple. This and the Cheat Sheet truly feel like comfort reads. I was giggling and smiling the whole time reading this.
I highly recommend this one to everyone! I loved it!

Thanks again to Netgalley and Penguin Random House/Ballantine

The perfect fluffy rom-com! I thought the banter was hilarious and the romance was swoon-worthy. Really appreciate Sarah giving us a steamy chapter!! What a win.

I absolutely LOVED this book! Nora might just be one of my favorite characters ever. I really enjoy the side characters in Sarah's books too! Such a great second chance romance with all the feels and no over the top drama.

Synopsis: Nora Mackenzie has finally gotten her first client as a sports agent - but that client is her college ex-boyfriend, Derek Pender. Nora didn’t exactly end things with Derek on good terms, and now she has to convince him to work with her. He reluctantly agrees but not so secretly decides to make her miserable enough to quit. When a night in Vegas gets a little too wild, they wake up the next day married and confused - but their accidental marriage might just be the thing to save both of their careers.

Thoughts: Sarah Adams can do no wrong. I absolutely adored this sweet and hilarious romance. While this book is a companion to The Cheat Sheet, it could be read as a stand-alone. I would read The Cheat Sheet first if you can, though; there is an amazing cast of characters that you will love even more if you read both books! I loved both of the main characters - Nora is the perfect mix of strong and quirky and unapologetically herself. Derek is a swoon-worthy cinnamon role with a prickly exterior. They had great chemistry, too. This is Sarah’s first open-door romance, but nothing too over the top. Some other elements I loved included the found family vibes and the disability representation (vasovagal syndrome and dyslexia) - I think it’s so great when authors make their characters so relatable with real-life problems. This book really speaks to anyone who has ever felt like they are “too much” or underserving of being loved and shows that the right people will love you for exactly who you are. A note on the audio: the dual narration for Nora and Derek’s characters worked so well and I loved it!

Read this if you like:
🏈 sports romance
🏈 second chance romance
🏈 found family
🏈 forced proximity
🏈 fake dating/marriage of convenience

Sarah Adams has done it again! I couldn't put this book down. It was so dang cute! Adams is the queen of banter and a good slow burn.

I loved The Cheat Sheet and wasn't sure if this book was going to top it, but it did! I loved having all of the Shark football players back together. Their camaraderie is hilarious.

I appreciate Adams closed door romance books. Her writing takes you to the edge and leaves you wanting more, but she always gives you enough to make you happy in the end. I loved the spice in the book. but appreciated the heads up at the beginning of the book. For those that want to keep the door closed and skip over that spicy chapter.

Sarah Adams has become my go to comfort author. Highly recommend this!


Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC!

This is my second Sarah Adams book I've read and she does not disappoint. Nora and Derek's relationship is one that is frustrating in the best way possible. Nora's character is very jumpy and fun while Derek's is very grumpy and sensitive which pairs perfectly. So when they reunite after eight plus years well it keeps getting crazier and crazier. A true page turner.

I will say the characters although I do feel, do grow throughout the book, were lacking something that I can't quite put my finger on. For example, although dyslexia is not a easy topic and very hard and real...it felt as if there just wasn't enough there to truly feel and connect with the character.

This was adorable. I loved both Nora and Derek. It was also fun to get another glimpse into this universe. I loved the first in the series, The Cheat Sheet. This is a great sequel! It’s nice to have such a strong female lead that also keeps her charms and quirks. It’s refreshing when a character like that doesn’t change due to a toxic, male dominated workplace. I would certainly recommend this to a friend looking for a fun, flirty sports romance!