Sadly, I didn't like the book as much as i thought i would. The writing just didn't catch me and the plot wasn't mine :(

This was a great story- I loved the characters and their chemistry, though at times, it was a bit slow. I loved reading about Paige gaining the confidence to finally exit a toxic relationship. I wish more of the story was set in Paris!

Overall, the side characters were strong and you could feel the emotional connection and conflict between Paige and Carly. Would recommend!

This book is a slow burn for sure , I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.. thank you to NetGalley for this Arc I appreciate it

I think this was a cute romance that was ironically in the United States for the most part instead of Paris, France. However, I think the character development could've been explored more in depth and the ending could've been better executed. Thanks NetGalley for letting me read the book.

I wish I could say that something happens in this book, but nothing really does. It takes them forever to get to Paris, and I find Paige very wishy-washy. Perhaps slowburn romances really aren't my thing.

Paris is the city of love and these two took an adventure! I loved Jaime's writing and could not turn the page fast enough!

3 star for me but probably 4 star for most other readers.
The author writes beautifully but for me, too much description, too repetitive and not enough story. If you want to learn information about golf organizations or take a tour of Paris art museums...you will love this book.
The story is about a married ER Dr realizing she is gay. Very little story about her experience in the hospital, so why make the character a Dr. Also very little story with the husband. He is gone most of the story.
I had a difficult time finishing this book. I skimmed a lot when the story wasn't advancing.

I’m surprised by all the low star reviews. I loved this book!! I really liked both main characters and the way their relationship developed slowly. I liked the way Paige came to terms with her sexuality and the way Carly allowed her space. I loved their trip to Paris and all the romantic picnics. My only down side was that I felt the ending was very abrupt- I wanted more

All in all a great read though

I don’t know why this book is only getting 3 stars. I really liked it. The MC’s were strong characters, the book was well written and enjoyable. It’s a slow burn romance which is fine with me because I hate when MC’s fall in love immediately. I’ll be looking for more books from this author.

I have been dreaming consistently about Paris for the past month. Not sure why... I do miss traveling, but Paris would not be my 1st choice right now. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Paris. I even lived there shortly in my 20s. I want to go to Italy on my next European escapade.

Since I've apparently got Paris on my mind these days, I picked up PARIS RULES by Jaime Maddox. Unfortunately, they only make it to Paris at the end of the book.... I might have to pick up another book that's set in Paris to ease my mind 🤣

Synopsis:
Dr. Paige Waterford is unhappy. She is stuck in a strained marriage, the gap between her and her husband just seems to grow deeper and deeper as the years go by. When she meets Carly Beckery, something inside her shifts. She feels herself drawn to her like a magnet. She then starts questioning herself, her marirage and her sexuality.

My thoughts:
It was a cute read, but it did leave me wanting more. I wanted to learn more about Paige and Carly. I liked how their relationship developed, Carly leaving Paige the space she needs to make some important changes in her life. The ending felt a little rushed and I guess I just wanted more Paige and Carly.

While on the whole I enjoyed this book, it really frustrated me for a few reasons. First off, I think the title and the summary are a little misleading. Going into this book, my assumption was that the Paris trip would be maybe in the middle of the book, with the last act dealing with their relationship upon returning home. Instead, the first three-quarters of the book deals with the emerging friendship between Paige and Carly, which I did enjoy immensely. Seeing Paige's journey as she discovers her sexuality was very satisfying and I appreciated the author's handling of it. But the book ends abruptly, with no real indication of if this new relationship will actually work. I mean, there is a considerable age gap between the two women, and one of them really wants children and the other one seems to really not. Isn't that just Paige moving from one relationship to another, with the same underlying issue, a difference of opinion on children?

I was also left confused by the purpose of the "Then" chapter at the beginning. While a very touching story in and of itself, I don't feel it has any real relevance to the remainder of the book. There is no follow-up on the demise of Carly's relationship with Pip, although apparently Pip is still a part of Carly's life.

Speaking of side characters, there are a lot of them in this book. At times I struggled to remember the relationships between all of them. I guess the problem is that most of them were fairly one-dimensional. Our leads seem to have been the only characters that were fully-developed. Some of the others seemed rather cartoonish. For example, Paige's husband seems to be a caricature of the typical uncaring jerk who is unhappy in his marriage. Adding a little more depth and dimension to his character and to their marriage may have added some gravity to Paige's actions. As it is, we only see the marriage from Paige's perspective, and not necessarily how things may really be. By not giving us this added dimension, the author makes it easier for the reader to be OK with Paige starting down the road that begins with emotional cheating and then moves on to more, since she is still technically married throughout this book.

But as I said, overall I enjoyed Paris Rules. It definitely could have been trimmed a bit, and I wish it had an epilogue, but if you're a fan of a very slow burn sapphic romance, this may be something you want to pick up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the arc in exchange of my honest review.

Paris Rules follows the story of Paige Waterford and Carly Becker. Paige, who is an ER doctor, is unhappy with her strained relationship with her husband . Carly has been looking for her better half all along but she never felt the spark with anyone until Paige comes around. But one problem is that Paige is married.

I know it is a slowburn but it was so slow that I almost lost interest at one point. The writing was good. Loved their mutual bonding over Golf. The side characters were so many it was very confusing . The ending was very blunt . It could have given more details about what happened next. It was nice to see Paige discover her sexuality. If you are looking for a very slow slowburn then I would recommend it.

I like slowburns, but this was a bit *too* slow for me. I was expecting a sapphic Parisian romance, but I didn't feel the chemistry between the main characters at all. And while the title of the book suggests that it takes place in Paris, the majority of the book very much takes place in the US. Which was incredibly disappointing. Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. I rate it 2/5 stars.

I liked the blurb for this book, but I’m not sure it quite delivered on my expectations. There’s a lot going on. Golf tournaments, but it’s not a sport story; ER doctor, but it’s not a medical romance; controlling husband that one of the characters is escaping from, but it’s not a thriller; and the title leads you to think it’s going to be set in Paris, but only a small part of it is. The romance works, but it’s very slow and there’s way too many different tropes and themes included in one book. Sadly, I found myself gradually losing interest. I mainly got worked up over the lack of queues to the Eiffel Tower. Nobody just turns up at night and goes straight up to the top without a few hours of waiting! Do they? If anyone has done this, what’s the best day and time?

Dr. Paige Waterford is struggling with her failing marriage to a man. Carly Becker has been looking for the perfect relationship for as long as she can remember but can never find it. When the two meet through a shared love of golf there is an instant connection unfortunately there are also many things keeping them apart.

Paris Rules is a slow burn that makes readers wait as the characters, especially Paige, work on their own personal issues before they begin anything romantic with each other. Although Maddox has an interesting story and characters, the number of side characters makes the story hard to follow in some areas.

Overall a nice and fast weekend read!

A fantastic slow burn romance where you really get to know the characters and what they're dealing with. Lots of life transformations along the way, but also beautiful chemistry. Thanks to NetGalley and BSB for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

When to make changes in our lives? This book makes us face this question.
I am not sure if it was necessary to begin the book going back to Carly's past. It took me a while to understand which direction the narrative would take.
Paris Rules is a good slow burn romance, but I do have to say that by its title I expected a bit more of Paris in it!

Paris Rules by Jaime Maddox is a book about adult women dealing with adult issues. Among these are, “When is a marriage really over?” and a lesbian having a not-so-unrequited crush on a straight woman. The main characters have a lot of emotional baggage to unpack before leaving for Paris.

Paige must take stock of her life as a married (to a man) woman and decide if her marriage is worth fighting for. She must also figure out why all her new friends are lesbians – and it is not just because she likes golf. Carly on the other hand came out decades ago but has given up trying to find “The One” and fills her time (and bed) with women she doesn’t see a future with. When they meet at a golf expo, they quickly form a friendship that makes them question what they want in life.

While I really liked Paige, Carly was not a character I bonded with. She seemed to be always criticizing her friends by saying things like, “they are hard to take.” By the end of the book, I did want the two of them to get together, but I never really warmed to Carly. The book seemed to end abruptly, and I would have liked to have another chapter or two or at least an epilogue.

Paris Rules is a solid four-star read and I would read a sequel from this author.

I received an ARC from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A slow burn romance but enjoyable. I found it to be a wonderful read and enjoyed the many trips the characters took to various places.

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for this ARC.

Paige Waterford is barely existing in an unfulfilling marriage to a man who would rather spend time at his cabin with his friends. Carly Becker is looking for her perfect match in a woman but has yet to find her until she meets Paige. Paige is a lesbian’s biggest taboo, a married straight woman.

The story begins with a convoluted background on Carly which is given more weight than its worth to the plot. After this first chapter Maddox settles into telling her story and the storytelling is sadly not Maddox at her best. She uses Paige’s niece Jules as a plot ‘get out of jail free card’ a lot. Jules’ actions precipitates a number of the situations where Paige is alone with Carly especially while in Paris. It is just too convenient. The biggest miss fire though is Paige leaving her controlling needy husband for a woman who is somewhat controlling and needy. Carly is just nicer about it.

There are a number of things I did enjoy about the plot and one of them is that golf is used as a catalyst to bring Carly into Paige’s sphere. I enjoy golf and everything associated with the sport. As well I enjoyed the art and Broadway references throughout the story.

The ending left me wondering if this was a true happily ever after when thirty two year old Paige really wants to have children and forty five year old Carly never wanted any, ever. It is a repeat of the same situation in Paige’s marriage. It made me scratch my head and wonder how long the relationship would last with this major hurtle.

I am a fan of Maddox’s earlier novels and on their strength I will keep being a fan. A golfer does not get a hole in one every time they play. I will call a mulligan on this book and look forward to her next novel.

I received a free advance review copy from BSB and NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.