Sarah Adams understood the assignment with this one. To be honest, I was very leery going directly from The Cheat Sheet into this -- the second book in this interconnected world. But, where The Cheat Sheet felt like a fumble, The Rule Book felt like cheering on the team that caught the interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. It leveled up.

Nora Mackenzie is getting her big break as a sports agent -- great news. The bad news is, her first client is her ex-boyfriend, Derek, who is coming back to the NFL after an injury last season. Oh, and he doesn't know SHE is his new agent since everyone in her boy's club of an office calls her Mac. Did I mention, he's not too happy to see her since he feels she's the one who got away? Just ask the boys about what they found in his nightstand... Okay, so Derek wants to hold a grudge and get his revenge? That's fine. This is Nora's big break, and she can do it all - playing by their Rule Book, and picking up Derek's laundry, all while making major deals to prove to him (and her terrible co-worker) that she's ready to be the best in the biz. But, when they wake up in Vegas after one too many drinks, can they put their past aside to walk into their future?

Everything I wanted from The Cheat Sheet -- more time to see them together, more focus on their personal struggles, and less over the top behavior -- THIS GAVE. It was just what I wanted in a second chance, fake marriage plot. Where as Bree felt over the top quirky, Nora felt like her slightly more mature sister. I love that she was who she was -- and didn't sacrifice that -- while also feeling like a real, complex human. I understood the real challenges that Nora faced while pursuing her career in a male dominated field, and I loved watching Nicole grow as her colleague. [YAY GIRLS!] I also appreciated that we got time with Derek as he came to terms with his dyslexia diagnosis -- we got to unpack why his feelings from his past and his fear about his future. The resolution felt real, not rushed. And WE GOT A BIT OF SPICE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. Also, can we just talk about how the Sharks players are their own little US Football version of Ted Lasso's "Diamond Dogs" and it's just so pure and charming?

The characters felt complex and honest. It is clear that Sarah Adams' writing is evolving, and that is what makes her so great, she has something for everyone.

Thank you to Random House Publishing for this Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and freely given.

3.5 rounded up.

This was ridiculously adorable. I was a surprise fan of ‘The Cheat Sheet’ , so when I received this ARC, I was totally psyched.
Yes, there are Cheat Sheet Easter eggs!
Although predictable, it was was incredibly sweet, some diet spice, and a FMC that I actually identified with.
Is some of it over the top, sure? It’s a rom-com.
Easy, entertaining read-I plan on going back to read more of Adam’s books!

The Rule Book
By Sarah Adams

📚Book Review Time! This is my first book review for an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC)

🏈 This was the sweetest football romance. This book made me so happy because of course, aren’t we all in our football era?

📘The Rule Book is a second chance romance PLUS a marriage of convenience. I could not stop myself from consuming this story. I fell in love with Nora “ Mac” Mackenzie. What a great FMC! She’s a boss babe in a man’s world and super funny. I was laughing out loud while reading.
Derek, our MMC, went from enemy to business partner to friend to lover and I ATE IT UP. The tension between them was such a fun ride but what I really enjoyed is that HE FELL FIRST!!

🩷 Things I loved: Nora standing up for her dreams and her relationship with her mom, such life goals. The combination of comedy and romance is my absolute weakness in books!

⭐️Sarah Adams has stolen my heart with this romantic comedy! I give her 5 stars all day

✨Release Date April 2, 2024

Thank you so much @NetGalley for this ARC

#TheRuleBook #NetGalley

3.5 —Maybe 4? Full review to come, but quick thoughts.

🤍Thank you @netgalley for the earc of The Rule Book!🤍

It seemed like the perfect weekend to chat about all things LA Sharks and @authorsarahadams’ newest romance!

Derek. That is all, that is the review. He is IT and no more is needed.

This man, he is a giant teddy bear of a human and I loved his journey of vulnerability and choosing himself.

Norah was a force to be reckoned and no one was standing in her way.

It was infinitely lovely to be back in the world and now I am off to reread The Cheat Sheet!

If you love:
• sports romance
• marriage of convenience
• second chance
• female sports agents
• friendship and shenanigans
• fake honeymoons

If you know me than you know Sarah Adams is my go to. My comfort read author, my number one romance recommendation, and the author I go to when I need that soulmate kind of love.

This book had me struggling though? This book almost leaned toward women’s fiction. Every action was done in the name of Nora’s career and what Nora wanted and why Nora acted/did ____ and it felt like at the expense of that all consuming romance.

Out April 2nd
Steam: vague open door with chapter modifications
TW: some mild language, sexism Gosh this hurts.

I really really liked this book! The characters were so genuine and had great chemistry. It was so cute and I had a smile while reading it. It's the perfect combination of sweet with some spice. Sarah Adams is becoming one of my favorite authors!

Well.

I normally enjoy sports romances, and I normally enjoy second chance romances, but this one fell so short despite a sort of promising start. Derek and Nora were college sweethearts and now she is an aspiring sports agent whose first client is...you guessed it...Derek, a pro football player trying to revive his career after a season-ending injury. Derek wants nothing to do with Nora, but Nora begs for a shot as his agent. Derek decides he will use this to get his revenge by being the worst client ever since Nora broke his heart, and the two lay down a "Rule Book" setting forth the guidelines of their agent-athlete relationship. There was a decent bit of angst between these two at first...

And it's all downhill from there! The Rule Book is almost never mentioned again, Derek almost immediately decides to stop seeking revenge, Nora does almost no actual sports agent work (people keep saying she's great...on what basis), there's no sportsball, and approaching the halfway ish point (maybe less than halfway) the twist just completely ruined it. Now we're doing all the tropes here people. There's only one bed. Fake relationship. Forced proximity. Like what are we even doing here? All I know is that the original premise of the book isn't even like part of the book! And while I understand there's an attempted message about the misogyny inherent in the sports industry, there was no point on paper where Nora was actually acting like the professional she allegedly was. Yank my feminism card away I guess!

And the smut is so plain jane vanilla boring I feel sorry for the author, the readers, the characters themselves. This book was a snoozefest.

A charming romcom!! Sarah Adams knows how to make a book and story feel like an early 2000s romcom movie - with likable characters you are rooting for and a charming plot.

Ugh Sarah does it again. I absolutely adored this book. I loved Nora, she’s so sweet, fierce, smart and funny, I just enjoyed her so much. And Derek… omg this man, there’s just something about him being so obsessively in love with Nora it makes my heart flutter. He’s so kind and patient. I loved him! I also enjoyed all the secondary characters in this as well. I loved Bree and Nathan in The Cheat Sheet so it’s nice getting to see them in this as well. And his friends are so funny and enjoyable. I also loved her mom I envy their relationship it’s so sweet and loving. Nicole was definitely one of my favorite in this, I feel i can relate most to her. Second chance romances are one of my favorite tropes to read and Sarah executed it so well in this. I was rooting for these two from the beginning. I also want to say I love that Sarah is stepping out of her comfort zone when it comes to writing spice. Her books have always been closed door and she’s does that so well. But she does open door just as good. I really enjoyed seeing her expand and grow, which is what she did with this book. She brings such light and tenderness to her novels. And brings such life to her characters. They are relatable and quirky and grounded. I enjoyed this so much. I can’t wait to read more of her future work. 4.5/5 ⭐️

to absolutely no ones surprise, 5 stars. 🥹

if you know me then you know that sarah adams has been and always will be my favorite comfort author. i’ve been really lucky to have been able to receive arcs for her last three books and somehow she manages to outdo herself every single time.

every single time i am absolutely captivated from the start, her MCs, her side characters, her plots, her banter and tension she creates between the two MCs and officially for the first time the open door chapter 🤭

as a smutty book lover, who really does appreciate a well done closed door romance every now and again but typically never feels fulfilled from it - every book ive previously read of hers sarah has had this way of writing that makes you feel like you got everything you wanted between the two characters “spicy moments”, whether it be an almost kiss or some form of touching were you THINK something might happen but doesnt. she builds up all of these moments so perfectly that when its time for the closed door section of her books you feel satisfied, for lack of better words she lets you ✨finish✨ instead of edging you the entire book lololol 😜 i also think its really considerate of her to make it to where if you are strictly a closed door reader that you can skip the open door chapter and it wont hinder your experience!

also i want to talk about how much i love the different disability representations between sweet nora and derek. nora is very clearly an ocd girly and also deals with vasovagal syndrome, a heart condition that makes her pass out at the sight of blood and derek struggles with dyslexia, both of these things have affected them their entire lives. people have always treated them differently due to these things, telling them youre not trying enough, youre trying too hard, youre not enough, youre too much. etc. except they have never once treated each other this way. they are both so unbelievably supportive of each other in all of their struggles.

this book was so much fun in so many ways, i had no idea some of the tropes that were going to be at play here and i ATE THEM UP. they had me giggling and kicking my feet something crazy.

“I’m at your feet, Nora. If you want me, I’m yours.”

derek freaking pender. my god i wish i had someone that flirted with me that way bc WHEW i would literally pass out if i was ever in her shoes that man is dangerous. 😂

i personally feel like this book is for the girlies that have always felt they weren’t good enough at anything, or have been told that theyre too much to handle or to be loved. this book is such a beautiful reminder that the right people are going to stick around and love you no matter what, and there is no such thing as being too much. there are people who are simply not enough for you and thats okay and its not anyone’s fault but the other persons bc its their loss not yours.

i dont know how you do it sarah, but you do it so well. thank you for creating the most fun and inspirational stories wrapped up in the cutest cheesiest funniest bows 💕

Absolutely loved this rom com book! Funny, witty banter with such sweet moments. First Sarah Adams book and can't wait to read more. Readers will enjoy this book if they love enemies to lovers and second chance romance tropes.

Nora and Derek are such a fun story to get lost in. Nora is quirky, awkward, and not afraid to be uniquely herself. Even though Derek has the confidence you come to expect from your MMC, he shows how thoughtful and romantic he can be. I loved the dual POV and getting to hear how both characters were processing getting to know each other so many years later. The tension between the two is a slow burn but 100% worth it payoff.

This is exactly the kind of sweet romance that I love from Sarah Adams. I loved the characters and felt like I could clearly picture them and hear their voices, and the way that her career was supported throughout the whole story felt like a romance that I could really get behind and feel good about my students reading (even though this one is more open door than her others).

4.2 stars!

The Plot:
Nora is a new sports agent, working in a male dominated field & finds herself representing the NFL's best tight end, Derek, who has been unable to play due to an injury that leaves him second guessing his spot on the team. Due to their complex past and history, Derek does everything to get Nora to quit-resulting in creating The Rule Book of their relationship to set some boundaries.

You'll enjoy this book if you like:
-Second chance romance
-Sports romance
-Dual POV
-Enemies to lovers
-Grumpy cat x golden dog

Thoughts:
I feel like Sarah Adams' books are getting stronger with each book! Sarah Adams is my comfort author! I love that she writes with minimal plot twists for the fellow readers with anxiety, which I really appreciate. I feel like the pacing was great and I felt like Nora and Derek's relationship was genuine and real. I liked the representation of women in a male dominated sports, as well as the learning disability & how Derek had learned about it later in life & how hard that was for him.

Nora is strong, independent, kind, resourceful, and determined. I saw so many parts of her in me that it felt relatable & felt that I really connected to her (especially because she deflects with humor, very me).

Derek is the guy on the sharks coming straight home to me! He's attentive, thoughtful, and so sweet. I thought the dyslexia representation was done really well in this book. Love my grumpy cat turned softie MMC

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this highly anticipated book on my TBR prior to publication as well as Random House Publishing Group!

4.75/5

I loved this book because it brought me back to the world of The Cheat Sheet and I loved the little snippets of the friend group that we got to know previously. This book was also just so cute and full of love.

This book was quirky, adorable and the love was fierce. I loved the different spin than the typical romance books with it being sports focused. I loved that it brought attention to topics not normally discussed like showing the difficulties women have in the sports industry and having two very different women who represent them. The characters were lovable and fun. At times, the interactions between the friend group seemed typical and other times it was deep. It think the way it came across was what made it feel typical, even though I knew what the author was trying to portray with the “typical” male friendship. But it made it hard to really grasp their friendship. Overall, I would recommend this book and I really enjoyed reading it.

I have loved everything Sarah Adams has written, and the Rule Book continues that streak! The Rule Book follows exes Nora and Derek as they reconnect years later. Nora, the badass sports agent, and Derek, the football player returning to the game from an injury. This book promises witty banter, and amazing chemistry between the two! It wasn’t as closed door as some of her previous books, and I was here for it! Including an only one bed trope 😍 While I can sometimes find miscommunication in books frustrating, Sarah delivered it flawlessly. While also touching on some tougher subjects, such as dyslexia and women in male dominated professions.

If you’re looking for a feel good, second chance sports romance, this is the one for you! We even get a continuation of some characters from The Cheat Sheet which was delightful!

This book had everything I love in a good romance, I couldn't put it down! There was so much chemistry and angst with the main characters, which made it really fun to see how their relationship progresses. Yet another author where I ran immediately to find all their other books, and I can't wait to read the future ones!

The Cheat Sheet was one of my early introductions to the romance genre and I loved it to pieces! So reading the sequel was a no brainer.

Despite their rocky reunion, Derek and Nora are second chance romance goals. They weren't afraid to be vulnerable with each other early on, to learn about past hurts and begin to grow beyond them. And grow together they did.

Their banter is fire, their passion is unmistakable, their love for each other is unmatched. Every minute of this book was a delight. Full of heart eyes, humor, and strategic tequila shooters.

I will buy this for my trophy shelf on launch day where it will sit with Adams' other books and be re-read into pulp for eternity.

Read if you like:
•great & witty banter
•fake marriage
•second chance
•One bed
•Tattoos

I love me a good strong independent female character and Nora did not disappoint. I loved their love. The chemistry was so good. I love how Derek cared for her too. The tattoo 😍. I’m so glad we got this book.

Thank you Dell for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sarah Adams is my RomCom queen and the Rule Book was another incredible 5 star read!

NFL/sports romance with a tall, tan, TATTOO covered, brooding man who just needs to be loved? Sign me up.

The second chance romance trope was done so beautifully. There was mystery around it, deep wounds, tension because of their history, and so much pining! I appreciate that even though they had a lot to uncover there was no miscommunication trope!

In a romcom you can’t forget the comedy and it delivered! Between Nora and the return of our favorite Sharks from The Cheat Sheet, I was laughing out loud! The banter is so genuine it feels like you’re sitting in this room full of friends. Can I also add that the male friendships are so sweet?? Let’s keep normalizing guys sharing their feelings!

Okay let’s talk about our two leads because I adored them! Nora is such a unique/special female lead. She’s unapologetically herself and that is cute and quirky, but so driven and passionate about her career. In this male dominated world of sports representation she stays true to who she is and doesn’t let it make her hard. You can be a softie and a bad ass. I love Nora so much!

Then there’s Derek… this sweet, big man has so much hurt to work through: a break up that broke part of him and a recent diagnosis that would have made his childhood so much better. The journey he goes on once Nora comes back into his life is healing and so sweet to watch!

There’s so much that happens between LA, Las Vegas, Cancun, and back to LA! You have to read this yourself to find out. Just know it’ll pull your heart strings and make you laugh. What more can you ask for?? I already know this will be a future comfort read for me!

What a time to be alive watching Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce AND Nora & Derek’s love stories.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this advance copy! I’m so happy this story is in my life!