This was a super nice travel novel, and I really enjoy the concept of traveling a place through another character's eyes. If you enjoy those types of super immersive and creative stories, you would really enjoy this!

If you’ve studied lit you’ll know what I mean about context and how we bring our own context to the stories we read. For context to this review, I am a pretty keen golfer and play competition golf once a week and absolutely adore the sport. So, when I read the blurb of Paris Rules I knew I needed to read it. What's better than a romance based around the love of golf?!

When Paige and Carly first meet, both characters instantly feel as though they click and the book chronicles their relationship development. I really enjoyed this book, as the character and relationship development was very deep. I felt as though I knew Carly and Paige inside out, as well as how their romance became. I will admit that I thought the side characters were barely developed in contrast.

Going into this read, I didn’t know what to expect other than a romance that seemed to revolve around a mutual love of golf. I didn’t click that I really liked another book by this author, Love Changes Everything, that I read last year. In a similar vein to Love Changes Everything, Paris Rules is a great portrayal of a character's personal journey, as well as a solid development of a romance between women. For me, this was a wonderful read and I'm looking forward to reading Maddox's next book in future.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻.

I think the title and cover are misleading. I thought we would see more of Paris but majority of the story takes place in the United States. I also didn't get the feeling that Paris is very special to either of them even though the first chapter tries to cobble together some meaning to it. The first chapter takes us back years before the main storyline and into Carly's past but I couldn't make sense of it. It also showed a version of Carly that is different from her older self. In the main storyline years down the road, Carly is presented as a womaniser after having had two failed long term relationships with her best friends. Her interest in the other main character, Paige, is piqued when they meet at a party but doesn't make a move on her for a couple of reasons, one of which is that Paige is married to her husband.

This is a steady slowburn and once in a while it's nice to have characters who want to take things slow instead of pouncing on each other for sex all the time. I like how Carly and Paige are able to put their attraction for each other aside and form a proper friendship without crossing lines until Paige is available to date. I enjoyed the dynamics between them and love that they are comfortable enough with each other to talk about everything under the sun including Carly's exes and Paige's dying marriage.

This book is definitely a good read for people who enjoy a solid slowburn romance.

This book’s blurb had me interested in the storyline immediately. The setup was great Carly Becker is looking for her perfect woman and it looks like she’s found her in Paige Waterford. The only hiccup she’s married.
I liked how we are introduced to the two MCs, and even though it was attraction at first sight - I’m glad it didn’t stray into lust at first sight. I also liked seeing how the author built up the relationship, gradually with two MCs really getting to know each other, discovering just how much they have in common and enjoying that about each other. The writing was really good in that the conversations felt natural and organic. It was a gentle wave of attraction turning into affection and love which the author did a great job capturing. There is a lot of golf in this book and had me looking up some of the more obscure terms - which was an interesting exercise.

I pretty much figured that this was going to be a slow burn - I think I just miscalculated how long that slow burn was going to be. While the book kept me engaged I was surprised that the storyline hadn’t turned to Paris by the half point. I had expected the angst portion of the book to be post Paris and that’s where the book flummoxed me again, because Paris does happen but it also ends very abruptly. Yes there is an HEA but there are also so many red flags, loose ends and it made me wonder whether there was going to be a second book which continues the relationship.
Overall an interesting read, it could have been shorter with a much more flushed out ending. 4🌟s

Thank you Net Galley and Bold Strokes Books for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review

I thought the plot sounded good but it was a struggle for me to finish this one. I think every aspect just needed a little tightening up on and it was a bit of too much of a slow burn for me.

Interesting romance with likable characters. The story revolved around Paige and Carly. This was a friends to lover's slow burn romance, that had quite a bit of back in forth of, angst and drama thrown in. I agree with the other reviewers about the ending of this book, it was kind of abrupt I would have loved an epilogue at the end, to let us know how these two are progressing in their relationship, and lives especially since Paige is still married. I hope this is just the beginning of a series, because there's a lot of loos.e ends to this story.

Unfortunately I DNFed this book as I was utterly lost with all the characters. Between Linda, Carly, Paige, and so many others I don’t even remember it was just not possible. It’s not bad, but I personally couldn’t follow with all the names and relationships between each character.

A very slowburn romance...and I do mean very slow. Paige is stuck in a marriage she's not happy in while her career as an ER resident is taking off and Carly is living her life waiting for the perfect woman to come along.
Connecting through golf it soon turns out Paige and Carly connect on a deeper level, yet Carly's fear and Paige's marriage hold them back. We follow them through vacation trips, golf meetings etc and see their connection growing, utlimately leading to Paige taking the reigns of her own life and a magical trip to Paris.
And then: the end.
I really didn't mind the slowburn romance, I felt it was a natural progression and you could see their connection growing. I liked how they mostly kept communication like adults, but the ending was...just that. Boom, the end. I didn't much care for how that was handled. Never the less, a book I would recommend to any slowburn, friends to lovers fans out there.

*** Thank you Netgalley and Bold Stroke Books for giving me this book to read and review ***

Paige is in an unhappy marriage and while organizing a golf club sparks an instant connection with one of the other ladies who joins the league. Though this is a romance I found it to be more of a women’s fiction as Paige struggles to come to turns with her feelings!

I’m not sure if it’s the authors intent but I really felt like Carly’s therapist through the middle of the book constantly screaming at my e-reader telling Carly she’s making bad choices !!

Truthfully I found this to be very slow burning. The last 50 pages the pace picked up with a little spice and I really enjoyed that part but the rest was a little slow paced for me.

Dr. Paige Waterford is nearing the end of her emergency room residency and is married to a former paramedic, Will. Will had an on-the-job accident, is past his recovery, but he cannot work again. He spends a lot of time at his cabin at the lake without his wife. They maintain separate bedrooms in their Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, residence just outside of Scranton. Although she's not very good at it, Paige loves to golf in her spare time and is headed to a golfing exposition at Mohegan Sun Pocono. This is where she spots, Carly Becker, the owner of a real estate office, who is also attending the golf expo. Their meeting is almost magical in that both are impacted when they first lay eyes on each other.

Carly is searching for a women who loves golf, theater, restaurants, and travel, and someone who can hold a good conversation and that she won't get bored with over time. She understands that she must grow her social circle in order to meet new women and the golf expo is the perfect place for her to start.

About two-thirds of this book takes place in and around the Scranton area including some trips to Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Poconos, Rehoboth Beach and even a trip further south to Myrtle Beach. All of these trips are an opportunity for Carly and Paige to get to know each other better. Because Paige is married, but essentially spends the majority of her free time with lesbians, she is off limits for Carly. However, due to the amount of time that they begin to spend together due to golfing, theater, and other events, Paige and Carly grow closer and really begin to have an emotional affair minus the sex. They are extremely compatible with each other.

The last third of the book takes place in Paris which is a dream trip for both of them brought on by Paige's niece, Jules, for her high school graduation trip. Without going into details about what happens in the Paris portion of the book, under Paris Rules they explore other areas of their relationship following a divorce announcement. Although I really enjoyed this book due to many factors including the characters, their extended getting-to-know you relationship, their travel, and cultural exploration, I wasn't too keen on the ending. It was very realistic, but not the traditional HEA that many people come to expect in these type of books. 4 stars

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Paris Rules is a book on the evolution of ER doctor Paige Waterford. Married since her residency, Paige has been growing out of her marriage and questioning herself and her compatibility to her husband. When she meets Carly Becker, she experienced emotions that set her on a journey to discovering her sexuality.

This is a slow burn romance that was drawn out though the interests on both sides were apparent. The pair certainly were a match however for their dancing around the other, the ending was a bit rushed. Would have liked to see them bring their relationship to the next level after Paris.

I just reviewed Paris Rules by Jaime Maddox. Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC.

This is one of those books where I absolutely need those half stars for. I enjoyed it, but it had some flaws that make this a 3.5 star read, but what can you do.

This book starts with a “then” chapter, as I continued in the book this chapter made less and less sense. I knew it wouldn’t be a second chance romance, but with the first chapter one would expect just that. And aside from this vibe, it Justin’s necessary for the rest of the story as we are told multiple times about the why and how of the Paris trip dreams. That’s another point I don’t like much, some things in this book feel very repetitive.
Carly and Paige are nice characters, they show some good character development even though it takes them a long time. Paige in particular. She is married to what seems to be a bit of an emotionally abusive husband and one would think a smart doctor like herself would see it and want out of the marriage. It just drags on for too long. I’m glad the author never crossed the line into actual cheating, even if one of the parties is in an unhealthy relationship. Well, as the author put it as well, it isn’t a physical affair but it sure seems like an emotional one, I find this to be accurate and maybe that’s worse than the physical one? I don’t like cheating storylines, no matter the situation, but this didn’t feel like one for me.
I liked how Carly and Paige start out as friends and just can’t seem to stay away from each other. Their friendship grows very strong over a couple of months and it’s lovely to read about. Not so lovely is all the golf, I really don’t care for that sport, but I can easily ignore that and just imagine them on a walk instead of a golf course.

I think the relationship is believable and cute, but I am missing the ending, it feels a little abrupt. A lot of books have epilogues and while they sometimes feel a bit contrived, I think this book would have benefited from an epilogue. Or some additional chapters. Obviously this book has a happy ending, but there are too many unanswered / unresolved questions and small storylines. I get it, it’s like life, but I need a bit more of a resolution, everything neatly tied with a bow on top, for my romances.

Unhappily married to a jerk of a husband, Dr. Paige Waterford finds solace on her days off golfing with new friends or going to the theatre with her sister and niece. Carly Becker is a successful realtor with a love for the finer things in life. She enjoys fine dining, travel, golf and beautiful women. She is still searching for the perfect partner to share her life with, someone who shares her passions. Her first meeting with Paige at a golf exhibition sparks her interest and the feeling is mutual. Paige is also attracted to Carly and happy to spend time with her new friend. When Carly discovers Paige is married and probably straight she distances herself causing Paige to reevaluate her own feelings.

Not sure how I feel about this book as a whole. I love golf but reading about tournament preparations and organizational meetings got tedious. There are a lot of side characters involved, mostly lesbians so it was a reach for Paige to not understand her own attraction to Carly and why she was feeling all the feels. I was also distracted by too many travel destination details when I was hoping for more one on one time with Carly and Paige.

I spent most of the book waiting for Carly and Paige to get to Paris and away from Carly’s annoying friend and therapist along with all their golfing buddies. Everything before that was window dressing in the golf world of weekend getaways and morning coffee on the beach. I get why Carly backs off when she discovers Paige is married to a man. Her past track record makes her friends extra protective but she is not some lovestruck teenager. She owns her own highly successful business. She’s in her forties. She loves spending time with Paige and the feeling is mutual. As much as I loved the last ten percent of the book, I wished they could have realized how special they could be together at the halfway point in the novel.

A copy of this book was received with thanks from the publisher via NetGalley for review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.


Dr. Paige is struggling in her marriage to Will she knows it’s should end. Paige loves being a doctor but her other passions is golf and she few friends who just as passionate about golf of course their lesbians and she drawn to them. Paige meets Carly and it’s takes her breath away and it got her questioning her sexuality. Carly is looking to settle down but she doesn’t want to get involved with a married woman despite feeling a attraction to Paige.

Paige decides to divorce her husband as her and Carly decides to have fling in Paris here’s the thing once you make the rules sometimes goes off track and start to fall for each other and that’s what Paige and Carly did although Carly annoyed me with her keep questioning things. I like that Paige took a chance to be happy. Overall good read a bit slow some parts felt to long if that makes sense.

I would categorize this as a general (women's) fiction book with a slow burn romance. This book covers so many areas that I usually enjoy the theater, travel in France and forming friendships so I'm surprised I didn't love it more. It starts with a needlessly dramatic beginning with another person that doesn't play into the book. A couple of sentences could convey that Carly has always wanted to go to Paris with someone she loves. Then to start there are lots of women to sort out. They are all friendly and are forming a new golf team for league play. Carly Becker is 45, successful in selling real estate and looking for someone to settle down with and spend the rest of her life. She has a list of all the things she wants.

Dr. Paige Waterford is 32, an ER doctor and is in a failing marriage. Still married, she and Will spend most of their time apart as her husband hangs with his friends at his cabin and she's been making new friends who share her passion for golf. Most of her new friends are also lesbians and she is fascinated with them. Meeting Carly literally takes her breath away with instant attraction. It has her questioning her sexuality. Carly feels the draw as well but isn't interested in someone who is married.

I liked that Paige has a good relationship with her niece but I don't think I needed to know how the niece interacts with Carly in gettin a job or planning a summer trip with friends. I also didn't understand the niece causally choosing to room with a college friend instead of the aunt who she is suppose to be very close to, whose marriage is breaking up and who is paying for the trip. It all seems in elaborate set up to get Carly and Paige to Paris. And the title and lovely cover don't come into play until 80 percent of the way into the book. I'm not going to call it cheating when the two finally get together because divorce is in the works. But I'm not convinced there is a HEA here. One of the reasons for Paige's marriage dissolving is his not wanting children. Carly doesn't want children. Red flag! And Carly is still questioning everything even as the two are getting together for a Paris fling. I think this book could have used some trimming as is felt very, very long. (I can't tell how many pages it actually is on my reading device.) Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a slow burn about a seemingly heterosexual woman in a dead end relationship and a lesbian who’s playing the filed while looking for the perfect woman. It has good premises but I found it slow to read and a bit confusing. I would have imagined the beginning to play a bigger part in the development first of all. I didn’t see the reason for it to drag for so long before the actual trip, there was no spark. And the ending was rushed and so abrupt. That’s not saying the book is bad just not for me.