"No, it's not okay. Not at all, because you, Nora, are beautiful, rare magic and nothing less." -D.P.

I have soooo many conflicting thoughts, feelings, and opinions about The Rule Book. I genuinely don’t know what to give as a true rating for this one so I’m officially giving it 4⭐️.

The last half of this book was beyond magical and I enjoyed it more than I can explain.
The first half however was a struggle for me to get through. I’m a HUGE fan of sunshine main characters who refuse to change who they are to make other people more comfortable. But Nora was nearly insufferable to me for the first half of the story. She was borderline infantile and just truly obnoxious (not in a cute or fun way). Her entire personality and wardrobe was screaming quirky millennial “I’m not like other girls, I’m worse” rainbow vomit. The yellow sneakers? They were a hard no from me. With that being said, her character growth from the begging to the end of the story was wonderful.

The way Nora transformed into a child playing dress up as a career woman, into a fierce woman who smashed all expectations of her (with a glittery flare) was delightful to see. I resonated so hard with her compulsive need to color code and organize everything. The way she desperately needed to control what she could when the rest of the world was out of control and uncertain.

Derek Pender, you have my heart. From beginning to end I just adored him. He is the poster child for how all men should treat the world around them. Let me tell y’all, I was SWOONING. Giggling and kicking my feet during every one of his chapters.

Sarah’s writing style is a perfect blend of cheesy, cringey, romantic comedy mixed with complex and insightful takes on the human experience. The way she refuses to give us a third-act breakup will forever have my heart. She is truly a master when it comes to flirty and sexy banter, I genuinely laughed out loud sooo many times while reading this book.

Overall, the negative feelings I had towards The Rule Book are largely overshadowed by everything I loved about it. 7/10, would recommend!

Goodreads review posted on 2/21/24, linked below

What an absolutely PERFECT sequel to the cheat sheet. This is the definition of a second chance rom com. I am in love with Derek and Nora. their banter is absolute perfection and the way that you see their love for one another without them even saying it is truly a testament to Sarah Adams. Nora is clever and whitty with the best sense of humor. I was cackling the entire book. I also may have tucked a few of her combacks and dad jokes in my back pocket for later. Derek is the perfect mix of brooding and kind. He is loyal and loving and the way he cares for Nora is a true kind of love. He is so attentive to her and truly knows her even with all the years they have missed. He loves her even with all the qwerks she feels are her flaws. I am convinced that Sarah Adams can do no wrong and there is nothing of hers i wouldn't read.

I loved every minute of the Rule Book by Sarah Adams. College sweethearts, Nora and Derek, reunite later in their careers as Nora becomes Derek's new agent. Everything about this book was enjoyable. Nora is exactly the type of smart, funny and super quirky heroine that we have come to expect from Sarah Adams. And Derek is so sweet and ernest that you can't help but fall for him. I also loved that we get to reunite with the other characters from the Cheat Sheet, and how Adams managed to weave in a narrative about fairness in the workplace and women supporting women.

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of the Rule Book on NetGalley for my honest review.

THE RULE BOOK by Sarah Adams is the follow up to THE CHEAT SHEET, and while I already have a copy on pre-order, I am always down to read things early.

Tonally, it is very consistent with its predecessor, so if you loved that, you'll probably love this too. A quirky but competent woman is in love with a hot and sexy football player (who is also already in love with her). This time, they were college sweethearts, she dumped him, and now she gets assigned as his agent. Then they get drunk and elope, and now they have to make it look real for reputation reasons.

It was a lot of frothy fun, including the requisite growling of "that's my wife." Second chance isn't one of my go-to tropes, but I appreciate how it was right for them to break up when they were younger and the changes that made it right for them to reunite.

This is enemies to lovers, second chance romance is so much fun. Nora broke up with her college boyfriend years ago, and then the two are reunited when he becomes her first official client as a premier sports agent. It turns out they don’t hate each other quite as much as they remembered, and then there’s a drunken wedding in Vegas that changes everything. Pure candy (in the best sense).

I recieved this book as an ARC, & prior to this I’d never read a Sarah Adam’s book but heard amazing things so I wanted to give this a try.

-I loved the mix of sports romance/forced proximity/second chance/grumpy x sunshine. It was the perfect mix of a lot of my fave tropes.

-I loved how she highlighted dyslexia awareness in the book as well as the mental health issues Derek was going through.

-There was so much TENSION. you didn’t need any spice to feel the tension and passion between the two characters.

-the personality of the characters really matches how they’re POV’s are written. You can really see Nora’s thought process from her POV and it helps to understand her character more.

-I didn’t love Derek’s character in the beginning of the book. He came off a little immature to me it had been 8 years since he’d seen her and I felt he was being a bit petty at times.

-I thought it really added to the character development when the author described their home life. There was a scene where they were both home alone separately and they both call their parent. They are feeling the same way in needing someone to talk to but get such different responses. Derek’s mom and dad only talk about their sisters accomplishments and Nora’s mom is warm, supportive and wants to hear about her day. This shows why Nora is such a confident woman and Derek is insecure and seeks approval of others. He was always compared to his sister and told he wasn’t doing enough despite having a reading disorder. I hated that for him it made me soo sad!!!

With this, I feel like by the end of the book it was never really spoken about what happened with his family. We know Nora’s mom is in the picture and she doesn’t desire to speak with her dad but what about his family?? I wish there had been a scene at the end where he spoke with them about his dyslexia and having their support. Also It’s like he got fake married don’t u think his parents would’ve seen that and called him?!!! I feel like they’ were mentioned once and then never again.

Ok also I LOVE his friends. They were the perfect role models for him. I haven’t read the cheat sheet YET so I don’t know much about Nathan and Bree but their small cameos made me definitely want to read and find out more about their relationship.

Random but Loved the pinky and brain reference that unlocked a core memory I didn’t know I had.

The single mom foundation he donated to and that she had a single mom!!! As someone with a single mom I ADORED that

I found myself Screaming at them to stop the miscommunication like Nora is telling readers more detail when he asks why they broke up and I’m like why r u telling US tell HIM lol

Book took a turn I didn’t expect but love the vegassss marriage.

Love how the main character female stays true to who they are, doesn’t let working in corporate America change her

Also I didn’t LOVE the ending. Just because I felt like they did all that work to gain his confidence back about playing football again and staying on the team for longer. Then a slight mishap occurs that Nora could’ve handled and he thought a good way to cover it up was to use his retirement ?? It just felt like an easy way out.

Read if you love:
Second chance romance
Grumpy x sunshine
Strong FMC
Vegas marriage 💍
Dual POV
Only one bed

Overall I really enjoyed it. I’ll definitely be picking up the cheat sheet and other Sarah adams books in the future.

This was SO good as always. I love Sarah Adams’ books and I’ve been so excited to read this one! Even more so because it’s the sequel to The Cheat Sheet which I loved so much!

This had the usual funny moments, amazing chemistry, and incredible angst we know as Sarah Adams.
I love Derek and his amazing heart. I love Nora and how I very much relate to her organization/type a tendencies. I love getting to see Nathan and Bree and all the football players.

The found family is soooo good. And the romance was just so sweet. So much tension!!! the second chance!! Just so swoony and good and I loved it so much

✨ARC Review✨

This book was PERFECTION! It is no secret that I LOVED The Cheat Sheet, so when I heard about The Rule Book, I was beyond excited. All of Sarah’s previous books have been closed door romances (and there is nothing wrong with that, I love a gushy romance with some implied spice), but we do get some uncharted territory in this one, with a dabble into some open door steam, and I am here for it! I am beyond obsessed with Nora and Derek!

If you’ve read The Cheat Sheet, then you will be happy to be back in the world of The Sharks football team, and even read some cameos of characters. Nora, the sports agent, finds herself taking on Derek, the tight end coming back after a major injury. However, Derek doesn’t realize that his new hopeful sports agent, is the college girlfriend who broke his heart….MAJORLY broke his heart. As the two decide on an agreement via “the rule book” for successful employment, things unfurl…

Throw in an endorsement deal in Vegas, a drunken marriage, trying to save face for PR purposes to keep her job, and a fake honeymoon, and we have a mess, and then the feelings start to get messy, the lines get blurry, and maybe rules get broken…

I must touch on Chapter 34 for all those who might be worried since Sarah’s books have always been closed door. Nothing felt like it was just a lust filled crazed sex scene, there was beautiful written meaning and hardcore feelings behind the two of them coming together. It was handled perfectly, and I honestly would love to read more books of hers written in this fashion.

What’s On The Pages:
-dual POV
-sports agent x NFL tight end
-college sweethearts x bad breakup
-“the rule book”
-marriage of convenience
-second chance romance
-fake honeymoon
-one bed

⚠️CW/TW: per author note, late diagnosis of dyslexia, parental neglect, adult language, and sexual scenes.

✨Rating✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Steam Factor 🔥🔥/5 (more like 1.5)

A special thank you to NetGalley and Dell Books for this eARC! The Rule Book is out April 2nd!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Derek and Nora are college sweethearts who go through a rough breakup only to meet again years later — with Nora as Derek’s sports agent. When the pair gets accidentally married, they have to keep the ruse up so Nora doesn’t lose her job, but also because their feelings appear to reemerge.

Nora’s character took some warming up for me. She’s fiesty and optimistic, but some of her quips felt cheesy — which was the point of her character, and I eventually grew to like her. I was surprised that the actual fake marriage of the story happened so late, but I liked seeing their relationship as just Sports Agent x Client for a while. I really enjoyed the honeymoon scenes and loved their dynamic together. Derek’s for the girls who love a MMC saying “my wife”!! I felt like some things had loose ends, like Nora’s relationship with her father and Derek’s relationship with his parents, but I did like the progression of their relationship together. This wasn’t my favorite from Sarah Adams, but still an enjoyable read.

Tropes:
Grumpy/Sunshine
Sports romance
Fake marriage
Second chance romance
Enemies to lovers

Spice:
2/5

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Sweet and Spicy!! I must admit that I wasn’t sure about this book at the start. Still, as I delved further into it, Nora's wit, intellect, and sassiness drew me in, and Derek's supportive, yet sometimes overly protective, nature was endearing.

Nora, a sports agent, is thrilled when she's assigned her first big client, only to find out that it's her ex-boyfriend from college, Derek Pender, whom she broke up with without any explanation. Derek, now an NFL tight end, is outraged when he discovers that Nora is his agent, as she coldly ended things with him eight years prior.

This is a second-chance romance that sizzles but is also soft. It deals with an adult diagnosis of dyslexia, feminism, workplace misogyny, and female empowerment. I’m not a fan of the bickering that started the novel, but the story swiftly shifts towards the chemistry between Nora and Derek, making it a delightful read. I adore a man who supports a woman's professional success without feeling threatened. Derek is happy when Nora is happy, and I appreciate a female protagonist who can take care of herself. No rescuing necessary.

Derek's teammates, who are endearing and hilarious, must be mentioned! Everyone requires a group of friends like this!

Come along on their journey back to each other. It’s sexy and touching.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC.

I have waited entirely too long for this sequel. I have read most everything written by Sarah and I have always adored her writing. To see one of her first open door romances be so successful and land without miss makes me so happy for her! I loved everything about this book, hilarious and swoon worthy as always. Having the old cast of characters back and be just as engaging was nostalgic in the very best way. I loved, loved, LOVED! 4.5/5 stars!

I have waited entirely too long for this sequel. I have read most everything written by Sarah and I have always adored her writing. To see one of her first open door romances be so successful and land without miss makes me so happy for her! I loved everything about this book, hilarious and swoon worthy as always. Having the old cast of characters back and be just as engaging was nostalgic in the very best way. I loved, loved, LOVED! 4.5/5 stars!

Can Sarah Adams do any wrong? I don't believe she can. The Cheat Sheet was my original catnip of her books, I read her whole backlist, and when I heard this was coming out I could barely contain my excitement.

Second chance romance? Fake dating? A dollop of grumpy sunshine in a sports romance? Dyslexia represention? Sign. Me. Up.

I normally do a love and dislike, but I don't have a dislike. Every Sarah Adams makes me happy, and satisfied. I was shocked she did add a spicy scene but put closed door modifications at the beginning. What a peach.

https://www.instagram.com/pagesandpaperrings/
💛The Rule Book by Sarah Adams - ARC mini review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡ (all the chemistry!)

Well, she did it again! Sarah is a magician of words and master of swoony moments. I absolutely adored Derek & Nora and all of their beautiful flaws and sizzling chemistry. The Rule Book is second chance romance at it's very finest! It wrenches at your heart strings but then Sarah somehow magically soothes it instantly in the most perfect balance of emotion.

There are so many anticipatory moments you are waiting for in this one! Moments you need answers for, words you are aching to hear and you get it all. It delivers.
The Rule Book holds the most incredible micro tropes we book lovers swoon for - it will have you squealing! (and giggling because that is a trademark of Sarah's sweet romances)

I am still freaking out a bit that I was lucky enough to receive this ARC. (Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine)
Sarah's books are a such a treasured happy light in my life. They are my therapy and comfort my anxious self like the biggest warm hug. Sarah, I can not thank you enough for all of your words, all of your biggest warm hugs.🥰

The Cheat Sheet is a favorite of mine.
The Rule Book is the perfect sequel to such a cherished book.

I love Sarah’s Adams books! I was so excited to get this book early and be able to review it. I thought it was good, I felt it was hard to get into at first but it came around. I felt that the main characters needed more Chemistry. But other than that I would recommend it all her books never disappoint!!

Sarah Adams is one of my favorite authors, so when it was announced she would be doing another book in the LA Sharks world, I was extremely excited. Derek getting his own book was perfect. And Nora made the perfect love interest for him.

The Rule Book has some great tropes in it, including second chance love and drunken oops marriage. Nora was a terrific character and I could relate to so many things about her. And Derek, whew! He was so swoon worthy in his love for her.

Thanks so so much to NetGalley for the ARC. Please pick this book up, y’all! You won’t regret it.

Surprisingly, I did not enjoy this book though. I have enjoyed previous Sarah Adams books. To start. The plot was just very unbelievable as a second chance romance. Then I didn't feel chemistry between the characters and then all of a sudden they're playing a game of strip questions and then having sex. I didn't feel the tension. The humor was also lost on me- the jokes just didn't hit.

Sarah Adams does it again! Absolutely loved this book, probably my favorite of hers yet. Can't wait to recommend to everyone I know who reads!

When you open a Sarah Adams book, you just know you’re going to be smiling, giggling, and kicking your feet throughout the adorable story. And that was no different here. This one felt a little heavier than The Cheat Sheet but it was still a very upbeat story and I really loved Derek and Nora. This was Sarah’s first open door release and while I love her other books, it actually fit the characters and storyline very well in this one.
Perfect beach read or middle of winter read if you want to pretend you’re on a warm sandy beach somewhere!
I definitely saw the conflict coming but I thought it was handled pretty well.
Overall, very fun and endearing romance. Can’t wait to see what Sarah Adams comes out with next.

Hello, new favorite Sarah Adams book (and one of my new favorite romances)! If there’s one thing Sarah Adams can write well (and there’s obviously way more than one), it’s PINING. This book had me giggling and giddy and crying - Derek and Nora are just so precious 🥹 This is a second chance, grumpy/sunshine, accidental marriage of convenience romance, and I loved every moment (when he said SHE’S MY WIFE I passed away)! Nora is hilarious, and I love how Derek treats her! He takes care of her and loves and accepts her for who she is, and she trusts him to keep her safe 😭 I also loved the bits of Bree and Nathan’s relationship we got throughout the book, and the rest of the guys on the team made me so happy too! In conclusion, I loved everything about this book and you must get your hands on it immediately!

Huge huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read before pub day on April 2nd!