This book fell a bit flat for me. I enjoy contemporary romance/sports books, but I just couldn’t connect with these characters. Nora’s constant one liners and joking were so often and cringey that it became very distracting. Also the way the men talked to each other seemed completely unrealistic and made me roll my eyes at times.

I did appreciate the focus on women working in a male dominated field and all that that entails. I would love to read a book dedicated to Nicole!

Thank you Net Galley and Headline for an ARC copy in exchange for a review!

Oh my goodness, I can’t believe I’ve been able to read The Rule Book early!! I got the book as an ARC from NetGalley and I was over the moon when I received the email saying my wish had been granted (you can wish for a book on NetGalley and the publishers sometimes grant the wish)

Okay so my thoughts: I couldn’t put the book down since the first chapter (I was obsessed), Derek and Nora are my absolute favourite book couple in the whole wide world. I loved Nora’s character, she was such a positive FMC and made me smile on more than one occasion. Derek is officially my new book boyfriend, he was the best. I really enjoyed getting more insight into the team as a whole and loved how much they were included, it made the book way better.

I appreciated that Sarah Adams said which chapter to skip in the content warnings if you wanted it to be a closed door romance, which I did. This made it a much better reading experience and I’m grateful when authors do it. Although it was quite a predictable rom com, I didn’t mind because it gave me so many butterflies. 5 STARS, read this book now (or when it comes out hehe)

*All my thoughts are my own and this my honest review*

I heard great things about Sarah Adams' books so I was so excited to receive a copy for review from NetGalley.

I love love loved the first half of this book. I was literally giddy reading it, swinging my little feet around, feeling all the emotions. I absolutely loved the "enemies" to lovers trope and thought it was done really well. I would give 5 stars to the first half for sure.

** spoiler alert ** I sort of lost interest, though, when they went to to Cancun. The tone somewhat changed, and it was all of a sudden super lovey dovey and had no more of that fired-up banter that I came to love. I ended up dragging my feet finishing, because it became a little too predictable as well. I would give this half only 3 stars.

That being said, I would probably re-read the first half again and again - and will definitely be looking into more books by Sarah in the future.

.Second chance
.Marriage of convenience
.One bed
.Workplace
.Forced proximity
.No third act breakup

Was this Sarah Adams best work? Perhaps not, but did I enjoy it? Absolutely. Certain parts gave me butterflies, as this author always manages to do. The angst, the longing, the secret pining, it's all there, and I love it. I really enjoy this author's writing. She has a way of conveying warmth and sweetness that is rare.

Derek is the cutest and sweetest cinnamon roll, and Nora is the classic bubbly FMC who's actually very competent at her job. Though I have to admit she felt a bit too much at times, somewhat unrealistic. But we love her all the same, and I could see myself reflected in her on some occasions (mostly my inability to stay under the sun for 5 minutes without burning to a crisp; the struggles of being a redhead, I guess).

I loved seeing Nathan and Bree again, thriving. The whole gang doing well, really.

But here's the twist: having read other books by this author, all of which were closed-door romances, I've come to appreciate her ability to craft compelling stories without relying on explicit scenes. I know, me saying that, surprising, right? 🤯 So, imagine my astonishment when Chapter 34 arrived with an open-door scene. With that said, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. It felt somewhat tepid, lacking the depth and significance typically associated with such moments. I think this book is trying to cater to both sides of romance readers: those who enjoy open-door scenes and those who prefer closed doors. For those inclined to skip over such chapters, it's essential that they don't contain crucial plot developments. Typically, steamy scenes in romances offer more than just physical intimacy; they often serve as catalysts for character growth or revelations. In this instance, though, it felt more like a token gesture to cater to open-door readers, rather than an integral part of the narrative. Perhaps I'm overanalyzing, but it left me feeling as though it was filler content in an otherwise perfectly good book.

However, despite this minor hiccup, I did enjoy reading this book. It was sweet and fast-paced, and will keep you hooked from start to finish. And while it may not be the author's magnum opus, it has some favourite tropes that are going to make it a hit as soon as it comes out.

Finally being given the opportunity Nora is determined to make the most of her first client until she finds out who it is. Derek Pender the famous NFL linebacker who’s heart she broke back in college, this won’t be easy. Rules are quickly set in stone but they’re dead set on making each other’s lives miserable until one drunken night in Las Vegas. A marring changes things, the rule book is thrown out the window as they try to save their image and Noras career.

If you’re in the mood for a comfort read look no further, this is it! A romcom filled with all the best tropes, light moments to make you laugh and arguably one of the sweetest mmcs ever. Derek is truly out of this world he’s so attentive and caring, after all this time he still remembers everything about Nora. He’s an athlete but there’s so much more to him then what meets the eye. He’s so giving and kind despite his own insecurities and struggles. Nora is just as good, so outgoing and quirky and I love her relationship with her mother.

If you love some spice, a dual pov, sports romance, the enemies to lovers, second chance and one bed trope this one’s for you. The fake marriage ordeal is a bit over the top imo, something less drastic would’ve worked too. If I could change one thing that would be it as well as Derek’s drastic career choices.

It’s a light hearted read with lots of tension and buildup but the slow burn is so worth it. All the Cheat sheet fans this one’s for you, hopefully we’ll get to see even more of the guys get their happy ending.

In short, Derek is an NFL player and Nora is a sports agent who had a relationship in college, but after their breakup, they each go their own way to fulfill their dreams. However, it was predestined that they would run into each other again, as they are both involved in the world of sports. Even when they are in the position of sports agent x athlete together. Derek, still holding a grudge, will not hesitate to make her life miserable, while Nora, for her part, won't give up and will put up a fight. More so, when they create this rule book to keep their relationship strictly professional.

I was fascinated by the book. This light-hearted story coated with sweetness, with a few fun touches and gut-wrenching moments where the main characters give each other a second chance, it's to die for. A good decision to have dual pov so you can read how both are in the same position of pining for each other. Nora and Derek are annoyingly hilarious and painfully competitive, yet deeply in love. At the same time, both are characters portrayed as humanly realistic, with their insecurities, fears, and backstory making this something that readers can relate to. I always advocate for these types of books where you can find good representation of situations you deal in your daily lives.

Sarah's writing keeps getting better and better. This transition can be seen in the way she writes in her stories, and in this one she doesn't fail to demonstrate her growth as a writer and at the same time maintaining her charismatic and charming way of conveying them. The whole story was cute, adorable, easy to read and for me, it had a good pace. Though, I loved that as a reader, I realize the twists that the plot is going to take, I still find this enticing to read.


Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Sarah Adams' writing, so you can imagine that I was shocked when I discovered that my first Netgalley wish granted in years turned out to be for her newest story The Rule Book. I enjoyed the first book The Cheat Sheet back when I read it in 2021, although I admit it wasn't my absolute favorite among her books... Still, I was VERY excited to receive the opportunity to read The Rule Book early. And WHAT a read it turned out to be! I loved every single minute of this enemy-to-lover slash second chance romance, and it's probably one of my top favorites by her.

While set in the same world as The Cheat Sheet and futuring a lot of the same characters, The Rule Book can easily be read as a stand-alone without missing out on too much. This is because this very much Derek and Nora's story, which is completely new. I can't deny that I loved seeing the rest of the characters again though, and their banter and friendship brought back great memories of the first book. The banter in general is one of the things that makes this story stand out; the interactions between Derek and Nora are simply brilliant and especially Nora uses some extremely hilarious phrases.

The Rule Book is part enemy-to-lover and part second chance romance; while the enemy part was shorter than I hoped it would be, there were plenty of funny moments to be found along the way. The story does feel more like a second chance romance during most of the plot, as it is pretty obvious how the two main characters still feel. The building up of tension is really well done though, and I especially loved the whole fake honeymoon and scenes set in Mexico. The whole story seems like an Easter hunt for romance tropes!

Part of the reason this story works so well (and her books in general for that matter) has a lot to do with its characters. Sarah Adams has a way of creating the most fantastic, relatable, flawed and likeable characters, and it was SO easy to start rooting for both Derek and Nora. True, certain aspects of their appearance and personality are quite cliche, but I personally didn't mind as I was having too much fun getting to know them better. The secondary characters are great as well, and already knowing most of them only made me enjoy meeting up with them even more.

The writing is flawless, and I literally couldn't stop reading. The Rule Book isn't just about the romance though, as there are quite a few more serious topics incorporated along the way. I especially appreciated how the story shone a light on dyslexia, parental pressure and gender inequality in the workspace, although they aren't the only topics discussed. The more serious topics helped balance out the lighter moments and resulted in a richer and dynamic plot. The sports/injury recovery angle also made for a great addition.

I might be biased, but I consider Sarah Adams to be one of my favorite romance authors and The Rule Book is one of her best stories to date. There is so much to love in this book, and I cannot recommend it enough if you enjoy the genre!

Thank you NetGalley for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a great book! I loved the relationship between Nora and Derek, they had great communication and there was a very genuine feeling that I got from reading them. I really love how Sarah Adams writes both relationships and friendships, we get to see a very sincere and heartwarming friendship with Derek and his group of friends. This book is definitely in the running to becoming my favourite Sarah Adams book!

Advance read, digital copy thanks to Net Gallery!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it’s everything I want in a romance! Slow burn, ex-lovers rekindling, relatable and strong female character, over coming dyslexia struggles, lots of banter and sarcasm, best friends, career decisions, his obsession with her.

I read this immediately after finishing the Cheat Sheet and so enjoyed following the characters a year later when Derek discovers his new agent is his ex (who he still holds a flame for). There are lots of elements to this book and an event half way through I didn’t see happening!

The perfect feel good romance, grips your heart and warms the soul! Highly recommend.

I haven’t read The Cheat Sheet before this book (although I will now!), but I had read When in Rome and Practice Makes Percect, so I was already a little bit familiar with Sarah Adams’ writing. I expected a very fun, lighthearted, enjoyable read, and this was exactly what I got !

Nora is an ambitious sports agent who just got her own solo client after 2 years at her company. The only problem? He is her ex college boyfriend, who she broke up with years ago. And, no, obviously, it wasn’t a nice amicable breakup. When Derek shows up he is furious, but sees an opportunity for revenge by making Nora miserable on the job. (We did not say boys are smart what can you expect). One thing led to another and they somehow end up getting drunk and married in Vegas. And Nora’s job hangs on the balance of making it look real… but the feelings that they’ve ignored and tried to forgot all these years feel real enough too.

As far as second chances romances go, I loved this one because even though they didn’t communicate well at the they broke up and why or how they felt, you can tell they needed to break up when they did. That allowed both of them to be whomever they needed to be as a person. Nora, an ambitious young woman who has been able to focus on her job and make it into a male-dominated industry without getting lost in her football star of a boyfriend’s rising fame. Derek has grown into a star athlete but a recent and grave injury puts his career at risk, and he is struggling with self-doubt. All these years later, they can find each other and rebuild a relation on the love they still have, but with strong foundations as adults that they didn’t have before. I loved Nora’s bubbly over-the-top personality, and I wanted to hug Derek so many times in the book!

« I’m really sorry, Nora, and hoping you can forgive me for it. All of it.”
“Oh.”
“You’re speechless?”
“For the first time in history, yes.”

Sarah Adams is one of my go to authors. Whatever she’s going to publish I’m going to read. The sports romance trope is incredibly popular today and she had a really fresh take on the sports romance. Derek and Nora are characters who are the epitome of right people, wrong time. There’s nothing better than when the main male character is so supportive of the female main characters career and ambitions. And I was also so happy to see Adam’s football cast of characters popping up and being their absolutely charming selves. Nora’s quirkiness could come off as annoying, but I found it very beautiful how accepting she was of herself. I’ve always recommended Sarah Adams to anybody looking for a new romance and I’m going to add The Rule Book to the top of the list!

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start off by saying I'm incredibly grateful to the publisher for granting my wish. This wasn't my first Sarah Adams book and it definitely won't be my last. The writing was once again so fluent that I forgot I was reading. The second chance romance was so well executed and I loved the sports romance trope as well. It's ticking so many boxes without it being superficial and I love that. Nora is such a strong woman and Derek is just falling for her so easily, it's so cute. I wish it wasn't over so quickly, I really would have loved to spend some more time with these characters. Especially since some of the side characters were really fun and interesting. LOVED THIS BOOK.

(will post on instagram closer to release date!)

I loooooved this book! My first Sarah Adams book and definitely not my last. It was funny, deeply romantic and heartwarming.

Derek and Nora were the epitome of grumpy vs sunshine ☀️ the tension between them was EPIC and the way they just bounced off each other is what dreams are made of.

More than that, the way they supported each other and loved each other exactly as they were was so special.

I loved how this book tackled the topic of young love. How it can be life altering, how you can be with the right person at the wrong time, and how time can be your greatest blessing. It was beautiful to read about Derek and Nora realising how they could now love each other in a full way - but also just as recklessly.

Cannot recommend this enough! Thank you for the DRC!

In the past year I have delved into more romance books, some high intensity and some more calmer. This was definitely on the calmer side for me but it was a nice change to read something romantic that wasn't all dark and intense this made it an easier and chilled read for me.

4.5 stars

I received an ARC copy of this novel for an honest review

I have loved Sarah Adams’ previous novels and couldn’t wait to read this one too.

This was a great second chance romance with lead characters that were likeable (not always the case!) Nora and Derek both admit their flaws which was refreshing.

The characters were fairly well developed. The plot had a suitable pace and development throughout - the only issue I had coming with the twist for the lead male lead at the end regarding his career. This didn’t seem to fit with the early parts of the novel to me. The development of their relationship ship didn’t feel rushed, instead it felt that Nora and Derek found their way to one another naturally.

There were some really funny and sweet moments throughout. I also loved that Nora was a female character that refused to bend and change to the expectations of her male dominated field.

I’d love to see/read more from the side/supporting characters as they were fun and engaging - just the kind of characters readers love!

I loved Nora and Derek’s story and definitely look forward to reading more of Sarah Adams work in the future.

The Rule Book takes place in the same universe as The Cheat Sheet, and is the story of NFL player Derek and his sports agent, Nora. Except that they are not simply football player × agent - they were absolutely in love with each other back in college.
Never a dull moment in this story. It went to places I wasn't expecting, and was a well-rounded second-chance romance where both Derek and Nora found their way back to each other, while finding their places in the world.
I loved Nora. She had a quirkiness to her that brought some fun moments. Derek was her champion, and wanted nothing more than for her to be happy.
The Rule Book is another hit from Sarah Adams. Her stories are some of the most fun ones I've read in a while. Can't wait to see what she does next!

Thank you to Headline Eternal for the ARC via Netgalley UK. All opinions are my own.

There is something about Sarah Adams' books that just feels like a warm hug to me, and The Rule Book was no exception.

Nora Mackenzie never thought she'd see her ex college boyfriend again after abruptly ending their relationship back in the day, but Derek Pender ends up being her first client as an official full-time sports agent. While Derek has his heart set on a little revenge, Nora fights back to prove herself in this male-dominated industry, but both their plans went awry as they find themselves married after a wild night in Vegas.

I will start by saying that I have not read The Cheat Sheet, to which this title is a companion novel, but I will get back to it because I feel like I'm missing out on something great there. This was to say that these characters were completely new to me, but I loved every single one of them. The supporting cast truly shines in this for me: Derek teammates felt like a real family through and through, and on Nora's side I really loved both her mother and Nicole, and how they both worked to empower her in their own ways.

Nora was such a strong, fierce, witty character to follow. Watching her struggle through this industry without ever giving up and always doing her best to work through the most difficult times was so inspiring. She was so relatable, and I felt immediately connected to her. The way she had me laughing all the time definitely played a huge part in it, I loved everything about her. Derek truly was such a great character as well, I loved his backstory and how attentive he was towards her. Even when he was not to keen on the idea of being around Nora again, he had these little moments where he would say/do things that showed you just how much he cared still, and he had me swooning the whole time.

This genuinely was such a comfort read. It felt like I was watching a romcom, the tension between the characters was undeniable and the banter was amazing. It also has some more emotional moments as it covers more meaningful topics, but I found it does it pretty seamlessly, in a way that doesn't make the story too heavy, but still without shying away from them. The characters also had great communication as the story progressed, which I truly appreciated. It was such a tender, beautiful read, and I definitely recommend this one.

Many thanks to Headline & Netgalley for allowing me an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

*I’d like to thank NetGalley, Headline Eternal and Sarah Adams for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“The Rule Book” by Sarah Adams did surprise me in the best ways possible. When Sarah announced a sequel to “The Cheat Sheet” featuring a marriage of convenience with “open door” scenes, I was already over the moon, but reading it sent me somewhere far far away in the galaxy. I absolutely loved it!

Nora and Derek used to date in college, but broke up before Derek’s career took off. Almost a decade later, they met again. As agent and client.
A drunken night led to them waking up married and their trashy wedding picture splattered all over the Internet. It’s time for damage control. They decide to pretend the wedding was intentional and that they are indeed in love. They get sent off to a romantic honeymoon in Cancun.
In their luggage, hidden among color coordinated socks is their rule book with 20 rules not to break while working together.
The only problem? Nora wants to follow the rules, and Derek wants to break them.
Guess who wins?

I barely find the words to describe how much I love Nora and Derek. Especially Nora. You’d expect her to be that cold-hearted, black pantsuits wearing career woman, but she is not! (She is also not punching down on the stereotype!) Nora is girly, more than friendly and has the taste buds of a seven-year-old, but also ambitious, smart and calculating. She’s like the Elle Woods of sports management. I absolutely adore her.

Derek, or Dere-Bear, is also a true book boyfriend. He starts off all grumpy, but defrosts in Cancun. The golden retriever energy in this one is off the charts. He protects her, supports her and simply loves her as she is. When it’s revealed what he has kept in his bedside table, I almost cried! He is too cute!

Nora and Derek’s relationship was the heart of this book. The reason they broke up during college, appeared silly at first, but when they have their first big conversation about it, puzzle pieces fall into place and it makes sense. Nora’s fears, Derek’s immaturity. They simply met the right person at the wrong time. But when they got thrown at each other again almost a decade later, the time was finally right. Though Derek didn’t make it easy for Nora and Nora clearly had her walls up, they slowly but surely found their way back into each other’s arms, and this time they stayed.

I also loved to meet the Shark Crew again! Nathan and Bee being happily married, the others also off the market and with babies on the way. But still the same old silly bunch who’d do anything for their friends. The ultimate found family!

“The Rule Book” felt a lot more mature than “The Cheat Sheet”, not just because of the spice, but also because of the themes. Derek battling his late diagnosis of dyslexia as well as his injury that put him off the field were definitely hardships to overcome. Nora’s battle against sexism at the workplace and family issues that felt resolved, but clearly lingered in her adult life, put rocks in not only her development as a person, but also her relationship with Derek. The story is still very light-hearted, fun and littered with humorous banter, but the themes discussed go beyond “Argh, I love my best friend!”.

And while I’m already talking about maturity, let’s go quickly into the spice level of this book as this is Sarah’s first open door romance. It was one scene, a couple of pages and beautifully written. It almost made me sad that we didn’t get that with Annie and Will. I’d sell my left kidney for a spicy chapter for those two! I hope Sarah includes open door scenes in her future works (not all of them, but some). Spice-level wise I put it somewhere with Ali Hazelwood’s “The Love Hypothesis”. It’s there, but it’s not over the top or too mature for a teenage reader (16+).

Overall, I loved it so much. It was funny, cute, and had a lot of heart. And I will get a physical copy once it hits the stores, because having the ARC on my kindle is not enough.

Thank you so much to Headline Eternal, Sarah Adams and NetGalley for an eArc of this book!

I know going in to a book that if it is written by Sarah Adams it is in no way going to disappoint and this book was no different! I devoured every single page and wish it could have never ended!

I’m not usually a fan of second chance romances but I loved this book so much. There were so many things that made this book special but the main thing for me was that this book just radiated happiness, I smiled so much whilst reading this book and cried happy tears more than once!

I was blown away with how much I loved this book and cannot wait to see what Sarah Adams writes next!

4.5🌟
Having read a few sports romances recently, I think this one comes out top. I love the whole 2nd chance trope that features throughout this book, and how Nora has been written as a character who isn't afraid to be unapologetically herself in so many ways.

Derek is the perfect combination of rugged and handsome whilst also being devoted and so so caring.

This book champions the idea that both people in a partnership can achieve their goals and dreams whilst still supporting each other, and the importance of doing so.

I enjoyed the idea of the rule book itself and how this, inevitably, led to the development of the relationship as they realised how fun it was to break the rules.