This is the first book I’ve read by Sarah Adams. The Rule Book is about second chance love, previous love reuniting in an awkward encounter. From beginning to end, I was fully engaged in the story.

I am very pleased that the story wasn’t the typical “out of your league girl” and the “small town nobody guy” falling in love. The book has it all; cute moments, funny, mild spice and hand to my chest romantic moments. I love a book with witty humor, undeniable tension and banter, this one had enough to bring a smile to your face. Sarah doesn’t spend too much time elaborating on unnecessary characters, every side story and back story included in this book had a meaningful connection and purpose to the main plot!

This is a dual POV book with the main protagonists as Nora a Sports Agent and her love interest Derek a profession Football Player. Nora isn’t the typical girl, she’s very quirky, and smart. She has that strong successful girl boss personality but is very kind and vulnerable. She’s definitely not afraid to be herself. Derek is a big soft teddy bear, who isn’t afraid to acknowledge his emotions and not afraid to admit he can’t get over his ex.

You’ll have to read more to see how their story unfolds and finishes!

All of the characters involved in both Nora and Derek’s lives are all close friends, they’re all trustworthy and dependable, the type of friends that are like family.

I really enjoyed this new to me author, and I’m really excited to read more of her books.

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing book for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my review.

The Rule Book is a sweet, funny Rom-Com extravaganza! Derek, the hero, is sometimes grumpy, sometimes funny, and an ex-playboy to boot. And Nora, the heroine, is feisty, and effervescent, and so much fun to read. If you enjoy contemporary romance, lots of banter, second chances, grumpy/sunshine, sports romance, or just a bit of steam, this is a fantastic book to add to your collection! 4 1/2 Stars!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Thank you NetGalley & Sarah Adams for the ARC.

The Rule Book by Sarah Adams was such a fun and binge worthy read.

Second chance romance, Nora and Derek dated in college and went their separate ways. Fast forward to several years later, they reconnect and create a rule book to follow to keep their work relationship professional.

Nora’s character was witty, smart and an overall free spirit. Derek and Nora’s love story was so special and everyone around them knew so. Sarah Adams continues to make me smile when I read her books. This is a must read!

This was my first Sarah Adams book, and it was a light and cute read with very Hallmark/Netflix rom com vibes. Nora is an up and coming sports agent who finally lands her first client, only to realize it's her college ex-boyfriend and the only guy she's ever loved - Derek, an NFL star who is returning to football after a near career ending injury. This book has LOTS of tropes that are a favorite for many: sports romance, second chance romance, forced proximity, fake relationship, even a little sunshine x grumpy and a smidge of one bed.

I liked how the book incorporated elements of their individual pasts and personal growth, and the second chance romance made sense here: sometimes people grow apart and find each other when their lives are more aligned. This is so refreshing and kept us from falling into the miscommunication mess. There were some strong feminist elements to the book as well, which I appreciate. Derek was the easy to love "man written by a woman" MMC, and I loved his chapters.

Unfortunately, the second chance romance was the only trope I really liked, and the rest were sort of half-committal. There were way too many different plot points and it created a chaotic plot for me as a reader, and one in which I didn't ever actually grasp who the main characters were. What I think contributed the most to my lower rating was that I couldn't get past my annoyance of the FMC Nora, which makes me feel quite pessimistic because for the most part she is intended to be very joyful, quirky, misunderstood character who feels like she is "too much". So yes, I feel terrible and realize the irony in saying she was too much for me. Derek really carried the story (and the relationship) on his back. Finally, I will not by any means claim to be an NFL or sports romance expert, but there was so little sports in this book? I felt like the sports aspect fell very low priority in the plot which surprised me.

I want to also be mindful of my rating of this book, and that I think this is ABSOLUTELY a book many people will love, just not the right fit for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC!

I love Sarah Adams’ books. They are laugh out loud funny and so flirty! I love that this one was in the same world as The Cheat Sheet. But I think I love Derek and Nora even more! They are so cute. I also appreciated the author’s note at the beginning. There was real depth to the characters and growth in their relationship.

The Rule Book by Sarah Adams left me absolutely giddy!

Nora and Derek dated in college. Right before graduation they broke up— he was going to be drafted by the NFL and Nora was going to be a sports agent. Now years later, rookie agent Nora gets assigned her first client, Derek.

I absolutely loved Nora and Derek. I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing out loud. And their chemistry!! Phew!

I don’t know how Sarah Adams does it. Her books just keep getting better and better! The plot had so many twists and turns that while I expected a happily ever after, I didn’t know how we were getting there.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. It was so hard to put down. The pace was great I didn’t feel like the story was dragged out. I do enjoy Sarah’s books. She is definitely one of my auto buy authors! ☺️

4/5 So good! I really love all of Sarah Adams' work, but it was so fun to be back in "The Cheat Sheet" world again. I loved the overall plot and the growth in our 2 main characters was done really really well. Lots of tropes done right in this one - a quirky FMC, he falls first, 3rd act breakup, etc. Such a great read overall!!

Wow, I have so many feels. Good feels, obviously. Thank you Sarah for writing this story and thank you Random House/Dell for the ARC. You have no idea how much I needed it this kind of read. 🥹🫶🫶🫶

I am obsessed with this book. I have been reading and gushing about it every chance I got. It was a delight. Like a dessert. Like a bubble bath at the end of a bad day. Like an impromptu party with my bffs. Like my Sunday coffee.

Okay I will stop with the cheesiness now but for real, I ate this up. And it's going to be on my best read of 2024 list and the end of the year - and on a lot of other people's too.

It gave a new meaning to the second chance Romance trope. It was light, funny and bubbly but also emotional, thoughtful and heartfelt.

The love these two carried around for each other for years and years... be still, my heart. Then came the reconnecting and fighthing the feels (new and old), the memories, the pull, the desire, the trepidation? Ahhh 🫠🫠🫠

It will be THE book of the summer, I can tell.

Derek is such a big hearted teddy bear obsessed with Nora (to the point he is the grumpiest grump). Nora is a quirky girl trying to succeed in her career, dealing with all sorts of sharks, a mysoginistic toxic environment, people who don't really get her and a broken heart on top of it. She is all over the place (as in, intense, quirky, workaholic) but so lovable! Then it comes the banter, the one-liners, the dry humor, her inner thoughts and ramblings and his growly grumpy dry statements and intense devotion for her, he was such a simp...I cannot with this combination. 😭❤️ So much yearning and tension and feels...

Also, bonus points for the team, their jokes, meddling and all around goofiness because this is still a sports romance. Their chats and friendship were hilarious and adorable.

Nora is the kind of heroine who can seem too much or extra for some people, with her quips, puns, colorful personality, lists and cheerful vibe, but I just found really endearing. So did Derek lol who was so in love with her, his pining was unhinged. And I loved it all haha.

Quotes - "I wasn’t thriving. Because without you, I was lost .
...
You weren’t even close to easily replaceable to me.”
***

"She owned me".

***

“You deserve the whole world, and I’d try to give it to you, but I think you’ll enjoy fighting for it yourself more.”

***to be updated with more coherent thoughts and quotes closer to release date

No one writes a romantic comedy like Sarah Adams. The Rule Book is absolute romance perfection!

I love sport romance books and this was no exception. Nora and Derek were sweet, angsty and so much fun to read.
Their relationship dynamic had all my favorites. It has second chance romance, rivals to lovers, grumpy and sunshine, forced proximity, accidental Vegas marriage and fake dating and it was perfect!

What I love about Sarah Adam's writing is that she will always make you smile and feel good afterwards and her characters all feel like family and relatable in a capacity. Nora is a sports agent in a male dominated field with a colorful fashion style and likes to have things under control. She's an absolute sunshine with all the optimism in the world and she is forced to work alongside her ex boyfriend, now NFL player who is a bit surly, grumpy and not the easiest to work with. There is so much hurt, anger and resentment and their past comes back. I really loved seeing their flashbacks and how things snowballed from past to present. I think Nora is such a relatable character for many women. Commitment is scary and the hyper independence of focusing on your job and not wanting to give up your career. I liked that Sarah shows that you can have your dream career and love and it can work. I loved how Derek despite seemingly grumpy is a total softie. He's so caring and loving when you get past the exterior and them being forced to work together, navigate as a married couple and work past their issues was such a right person, wrong time trope which I love.

It's such a fun and sweet and angsty sport romance that I can totally see being made into a film. I think fans of Sarah Adams or sport romance fans in general will really love this book.

If you were to ask me what my favorite kind of book to read was, I would show you the cover of The Rule Book! I laughed (out loud, multiple times), I cried, and wished this book would never end! I love how Sarah spends more of the book with her characters in honest conversations than skirting around the issues. This book was a breath of fresh air and I want everyone to read it when it comes out in April!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! Made my month!

Sarah Adams's second chance romance The Rule Book tells the story of NFL tight end Derek Pender and sports agent Nora Mackenzie.

My weakness will always be second-chance romances. Particularly when neither partner in the relationship ever really lost their love for the other.

The other thing that surprised me was Nora's sense of humor. Like, I adored her personality and her little jokes.

Also, Derek was simply a very attractive boyfriend. I mean, I understand Nora's feelings for him.

I loved Derek and Nora the entire time because of their unconditional affection.

To be honest, I will like Sarah Adams's books because of how endearing and wholesome they all are.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and to the author, Sarah Adams, for providng me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*

So, I've been a huge fan of Sarah Adams' books for a while now. They've always been my go-to for feel-good romances. But when it comes to "The Rule Book," I've got some mixed feelings.

Let me start with the good stuff. Adams has this knack for crafting plots that just warm your heart, and "The Rule Book" is no exception. The storyline about Derek and Nora's college breakup is really sweet. I liked how Nora's journey toward personal growth and Derek's change of heart were portrayed. It's got that classic Adams touch that leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

But here's where things get a bit iffy for me. Nora, the main character, felt a bit over-the-top. I get that Adams likes her characters to have quirks, but Nora's just seemed forced. Her goofy responses and exaggerated personality came off as more annoying than endearing. It kind of took away from the whole reading experience for me.

Don't get me wrong, "The Rule Book" still has its moments. It's got that Adams charm that I love. But I couldn't help feeling like it could've been better if Nora's character was toned down a bit. Overall, it's a decent read if you're into light-hearted romances, but maybe don't expect it to be Adams' best work.

Sarah Adams sure knows how to write a sports romance. Let me list all the things I liked about The Rule Book:

1) Everything.

Derek and Nora were college sweethearts who broke up in less than ideal circumstances. Each convinced the other wants nothing to do with them any more, their impromptu working relationship as athlete and sports agent is tense to say the least. It isn’t until a drunken night in Vegas that something finally gives and the two recognize they have to put their past behind them for both their sakes.

To me, this was a second chance romance that worked and worked really well. It was fun being back with the LA Sharks, too. Derek and Nora were so loveable and relatable. It was impossible not to root for them. This wi’ll definitely be in my top romances for the year. ❤️

Super sweet book. Loved the sequel to the Cheat Sheet. Had me hooked from the very first word. Plan to read again and again!

First I would like to thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC.

This was my first Sarah Adams book and it was a cute one. It follows A football tight end, his agent and their second chance love story. This book feels extremely relevant considering a certain tight end and this singer girlfriend are all over the news right now.

I am a sucker for a second chance story and I enjoyed this one but I think my favorite parts of this book wasn’t the love story but some of the other aspects of this book. I loved the male friendships in this book. I feel like that’s something that isn’t focused on especially in a romance novel and the players friendship was the highlight of this book. I also loved how strong Nora was and how she was a kickass agent.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. The characters were great, the secondary storylines were great and it was just a sweet love story. #netgalley #therulebook

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for the ARC!

Nora Mackenzie is excited about forging a name for herself in the sports agent world until she learns that her first official client is her ex-boyfriend from college, Derek Pender. About 8 years ago, she broke his heart and he never fully recovered from it. Bent on getting a little bit of revenge, Derek agrees to sign a contract with her assuming he can make her miserable enough to quit.

This was one of my highly anticipated reads for 2024. I adored The Cheat Sheet and When in Rome but I didn't get quite that same feeling with this one. Nora is a total cheeseball and while I can totally do cheesy, it was a little over the top at times. While this one won't be taking the top spot as my new Sarah Adams favorite, I still enjoyed the story and found myself smiling several times throughout! The tension between Nora and Derek was obvious and I liked the second-chance romance aspect. It was so clear that these two were meant to be together. If you enjoyed The Cheat Sheet, this one might be the perfect poolside read for you this summer!

Solid 4.5
🏈Sports Themed
🏈Second Chance Romance
🏈Grumpy x Sunshine
🏈Forced Proximity
🏈Dual POV
🏈One Bed
🏈Fake Marriage/ish

I am a huge Sara Adams fan and like always she did not disappoint. A Rule Book is funny and witty. I loved the characters and their development throughout the story.

Nora is a female sports agent in a male dominated world. She is a ray of sunshine and full of amazing catchphrases. She beats to her own drum and doesn't try to change herself for anyone and is not afraid to go after her dreams and put herself first.

Derek is a professional football player who's career is in jeopardy after a major injury. On top of that Derek is looking for a new agent. Little does he know his new agent Mac is also his college sweetheart Nora MacKenzie who completely shattered his heart. Derek is 100% Grumpy and eventually we get to see his heart of gold.

I loved every minute of this book and the bonus of seeing some familiar characters from the Cheat Sheet.

I loved this book. I loved the characters and following their growth and seeing how they matured together and individually. They have a sweet love story that will get you caught smiling and giggling into your book. Both main characters were very relatable and down to earth. LA Sharks forever 🩵

Women who enjoy romance books are not stupid. I do not understand how this industry continues to undervalue this genre and publish nonsense.

You can tolerate this book if you can overlook:

*Terrible male POV chapters sprung from imaginary men who do not exist. I asked my husband to read one chapter and he could not get through it. I actually did not realize this was related to The Cheat Sheet until the men convened en masse the same way as the other book. I cannot believe that one football playing man read one of these POV chapters and felt represented. Or just a non football playing man. Just a man. This book should be labeled in the fantasy genre. A weird, over bearing, weird fantasy. PROVE ME WRONG.
*Basic legal principles, like contracts and what can be included in them and that actual attorneys review them for enforceability. Not sports agents.
*The sport of football and that a team can have two players who play the same position and remain on the same team at the same time. In the age of T swift and women in masse flocking to football, an opportunity to actually include the sport in a meaningful way was missed and the book just assumes that the reader knows nothing about the sport.

Again, women readers are NOT stupid. Just stop. I urge publishers and writers to do better than spew basic bullshit and label it as romance.

I received an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.