Lana has returned to New York after years away, hoping to pursue restaurant work after spending oodles of time learning to make noodles. (You see, I have done a little wordplay there.) Meanwhile, her ex-husband Simon is planning to leave behind his inherited, rent-controlled, teensy-weensy apartment in favor of something new. When they cross paths for the first time in years, they must unwillingly admit that splitting the rent on a beautiful railroad-style apartment in Harlem makes pretty good sense. And moving in together leads them to face the things about them that have changed, and the things that have stayed the same.

As you hopefully have not yet tired of hearing me say, Ruby Lang's books always stand out for their warmth, humor, and tenderness toward their characters, and House Rules is no exception. In the short space a novella affords, Lang makes her characters real humans trying to muddle along and figure things out as best they can. And sometimes she gives them the grace of being mistaken, as when Simon's sister confronts him for acting like her life as a mother and wife is somehow less important and interesting than her pre-marriage choices. I continue to adore Lang's knack for writing families where mutual love is never a perfect guard against prickliness and misunderstanding.

House Rules is a second chance romance that honors the reasons Simon and Lana didn't work out the first time -- no wicked mother hiding a year's worth of letters in this book! -- but also gives weight to the true and abiding affection they still have for one another.

<blockquote>"And you think this -- us -- is a good idea?"


"No, I don't."


He flinched slightly. But at the same time, he felt a little surprised. Lana of seventeen years ago had not been so blunt.... "How do you know I won't try to steal this place from under you?"


"You wouldn't do that to me. Because you're honest, even kind of noble in your own way, Simon. I trust you. And that's why I ended up thinking of you. Not that you weren't in my mind before. But that's why I supposed I could share a space with you."</blockquote>

It's exactly this honesty that makes the premise of House Rules work. In another author's hands it could have felt extremely tropey (which I would have loved in a different way), but Lang makes it seem plausible in the physical landscape of New York housing hell and the emotional landscape of these two adults.

And they are adults. As the "Lana of seventeen years ago" line suggests, this isn't a romance between people in their twenties. They're coming to this relationship after years of living on the earth and discovering what they want and who they are, and that's notable in how they interact with each other. When they look back on their marriage, they're able to see each other more clearly in the light of hindsight, which in turn helps ease their paths back to each other. I also loved that Lang engages with the fact of their bodies: Simon and Lana experienced the regular aches and wonkiness that come with getting older, and Lana also battles horrific cramps and possible infertility as a result of her endometriosis.

(Sidebar, I am always happy when someone in a romance novel has a period. Periods! A lot of people have them!)

One curious side effect to all this emotional realism, which I find genuinely lovely and moving, is that the HEA feels rather equivocal. Knowing, as we do, that Simon and Lana broke up once before, and that Lana, at least, is now on the verge of major career changes, it's hard to leave the book without a question in mind about whether they're going to make it work in the long term. House Rules never lets the reader lose sight of the fact that relationships sometimes just don't work out, not because of any huge nefariousness or failure on either side, but simply because life brought too much pressure to bear on fragile points. This is deeply true, and it lends legitimacy to Simon and Lana's choice to get back together, but it also made me uncertain about the future. The result was a romance on the melancholy end of the romance spectrum, despite and because of its maturity, grace, and emotional truth.

Note: I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher for review consideration. This has not impacted my review.

I didn't think this was anything special. I wasn't invested in the characters and hoping they'd get back together.

This was a cute, short romance. I have not read the companion books in this series but they are not necessary to jump into this book. I enjoyed that this book was straight to the point and not full of extra drama.

Even though this book is about a 40 something divorcee getting a second chance at love, anyone who has that one who got away can relate to this book.

I would recommend to anyone looking for a short and cute romance. I plan on looking into the rest of the series.

Simon and Lana broke my heart, and then put it back together. Their second chance is just beautiful!

I'm always fascinated by stories of second chance love, true love, and those that examine what it means to be soul mates and for that reason, this title intrigued me.

After leaving her husband seventeen years ago to find herself, Lana finds herself back in New York and looking for a place to live. She runs into her ex-husband while apartment hunting, stirring up all sorts of emotions and memories. When the perfect apartment becomes available, Lana gets the brilliant idea to offer the spare bedroom to her ex-husband. After some soul-searching and construction, he accepts and they begin their cohabitation.

Try as they might to keep their relationship to roommates-only, their proximity to each other is the catalyst for falling into feelings they had for each other in the past, and the return of their physical relationship is inevitable.

But both Lana and Simon need to figure out why their marriage failed seventeen years ago and to not repeat the mistakes of the past.

I did like this story. The characters are diverse and have very interesting careers that could potentially impact their future. And when circumstances change, they will have to make some really important decisions. I liked that about the story.

Overall, a nice sized story with two interesting characters who did not set out to rekindle their marriage, but yet it happens. Definitely a feel-good romance.

A complimentary copy was provided for review.

This book had the best trope 'and they were roommates'. It was real and honest but most than anything it had the perfect premise of two people who did not stop loving each other but couldn't for some reason make it work but now when they meet again, they find the feelings are still there but they will have to find ways of making it work now, if they want something more than a night or two of fun. It was such a fun read

I’m happy to share that I am included in Harlequin Carina Press Blog Tour Team! For our first partnership, I am sharing my thoughts on House Rules by Ruby Lang. This is actually my second Ruby Lang book and my first read was a part of this series as well. You can check out my review of Open House, the second book of the uptown series by clicking this link. I actually an arc of the first book as well, but I haven’t got the chance to pick it up yet.

Knowing how much I loved the writing style of Ruby Lang, she was the Carina Press author I know that I’m interested to read more works from. I love that she also features Asian and diverse characters in her novellas. Surely is a plus point for me!

House Rules is an exes-to-lovers second chance story that also features one of my favorite tropes, which is exes having to live together under one roof. This book really knew how to tickle my fancy and I have to admit felt like it was designed for me.

This book definitely delivers the steam with all the hot scenes in this book. But, my only qualm with this book was that I was looking for a little more angst and conflict. Admittedly, Ruby does not often provide that and she goes with very realistically plotted stories.

I loved that House Rules, specifically, featured a couple in their 40s, who were previously married, and did not cheat on each other. It has witty banter, incorporating food, and classical music, too. Another plus point is the discussion of endometriosis, which is one of the most painful problems women go through.

Overall, House Rules was a quick fun contemporary read. I liked it very much and I am very excited to read more books written by Ruby Lang. (Maybe I should really go and read the first book now.)

"Life is constant complication on top of complication."

WOW! I read House Rules in one day... This book definitely pulled me out of my reading slump! I noticed after starting reading this story that it is the third book of the Uptown series. I never read the first two ones in the series and I don't think you need to in order to read House Rules.

House Rules was funny and angsty at the same time. Simon is such a hopeless romantic and I lived for Simon and Lana's relationship! I usually don't like second chance romance and hopeless romantic type of person but somehow this one worked for me. This is probably because they are separated for a long time and basically relearning each other's current life situation.

This is my first time reading an older couple as well and was surprised that it didn't weird me out! Definitely sexy and steamy but loved it! If you're looking for a cute, funny, yet sexy second chance romance... give House Rules a go!

I received an eARC copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has no impact on my review/thoughts.

This was such a cute fun read. I really enjoyed reading this one and for d the characters to be really enjoyable.

This second chance romance novella was really sweet. I loved the fact that our protagonists were over 40, and that they came back together as a comfortable roommate situation to start out. This was just the right pace for this kind of a story for me. I could have done with a full length novel with some more flushing out of course, but this was still really well paced.
I am really liking this Uptown series by Lang. I'm excited to see if we get any more in this series.

This is my first book by this author and I always love new-to-me authors who are great storytellers, and not simply following a set of "rules".

I thought Lana was a terrific character. Intelligent, strong, and nuanced. Knowing that she needed to break her heart along with Simon's as a young woman in order to be true to herself was empowering. For them to get a second chance had me cheering for them from the beginning. Would I have liked for her to stop avoiding the piano like it was a rabid creature? Sure, but I think she was afraid of falling back into old patterns with Simon, so I can see why she avoided it. (Maybe she'll get there eventually.)

Simon was a complex character. He meant well a lot of the time, but he was so very set in his ways. It was wonderful to watch him realise that his life could be so much more with Lana's return. I thought his relationship with his sister, Maxine, was very telling and gave a hint to why he was so entrenched in his ways, but would have liked more. (And his search for Muffin gave me all the Breakfast at Tiffany's vibes!)

I love a good Second Chance romance, and this was a great one. It was also great to have more mature characters for a change. You could really see how they'd grown as individuals, and then as a couple.

The writing, characters, and dialogue were all rich and fascinating. I'm already hitting up my library for the author's backlist of books. I look forward to reading more of this wonderful author in future.

3.5 stars

House Rules was a sweet and steamy novella. Most of the books I read have characters in their twenties or thirties, so it was an interesting change of pace to read about characters in their forties. Lana and Simon had been through a lot together and separately; they were married, got divorced, spent seventeen years apart, and then came back together unexpectedly. Simon always knew what he wanted professionally while Lana had trouble finding her passion until she started traveling and realized she had a love for cooking.

I appreciated that even though the characters were in their forties, there were still elements of their lives being unsettled - Simon living in a crap-hole apartment because it was cheap and easier than moving, and Lana working a job she mostly enjoyed in a place she didn’t. I think a lot of people are under the (mistaken) impression that once you hit a certain age, everything just falls into place and you have your life together, but that’s far from true for everyone, so it was nice to see that in this book.

I enjoyed House Rules and the fact it was different in many ways from what I’m used to. I liked the characters but didn’t necessarily connect to them. Overall it was an enjoyable read and I’ll likely go back and check out the other books in the Uptown series.

Many thanks to Netgalley, publishing house Cariana Press, and author Ruby Lang for an ARC. All opinions expressed in my review are my own.

4.5 / 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. When I noticed how short the book was (less than 152 pages), I was concerned. But it didn't read like a short book - it didn't feel rushed, the relationship took time to blossom, and there were lots of sweet moments tucked into the story. It a really well written story.

Ruby Lang is a risk taker. In her latest, HOUSE RULES, she’s bringing back together a once married, now divorced couple over the age of 40 in a second chance romance. And oh, yeah, they’re people of color.

In an environment that values youth, that largely writes women off over the age of 35 and continues to pair 40- and 50-year old lead actors with women half their age, yes, this counts as risk taking.

Lana Kuo unexpectedly bumps into her ex-husband Simon as she’s looking for a new apartment in New York. She’s back in town, pulling noodles at a pan-Asian restaurant, and crashing on her niece’s couch. Simon’s been living in their same apartment from all those years ago and teaching music. When a gorgeous 2-bedroom opportunity comes up for Lana, she calls Simon and they agree to a roommate trial period. It’s the beginning of something re-sparking between them.

I suspect some readers will wonder if you can really pull off a second-chance romance between people who were married and divorced, but I think the key is that at least Lana is not the same woman she was the first time around. She's no longer allowing herself to be run over. It's not as if she's looking back at their years together with rose-colored glasses.

There is quiet strength in House Rules; sexiness in what is familiar and yet so different; and above all, it's a high-five to women who are at their best in the 40s.

3.5 Stars rounded UP

More than a second chance romance, this read as family saga to me. HOUSE RULES reunited a couple divorced after seventeen years apart. Lana and Simon were equally reserved characters who give off standoffish attitude. Which made their first meeting - after over one and a half decades - every bit as awkward as it was painful. I could almost touch that dreaded “UH OH, what were the odd...” vibes simmering between the two on that accidental meeting, the mood was that acute.

Of Ruby Lang’s “Uptown” series - a standalone for each one, although characters from previous book might make an appearance in the following entry - this third book struck me as the most melancholic. The alternate POVs disclosed different dreams and quite amount of envy and resentment off the years past, told in a nostalgic, poignant, and sedate pace much the same as our two MCs.

I felt for both Lana and Simon - their hurt, confusion - even while understanding where the decision they made came from. Their second chance was a wary, slow burn romance, made lively with the inclusion of Muffin the tabby cat in their life. Not only that, both MCs also had to deal with their family over the presence of their ex in their life. Blending with everything was the issue of fertility and progeniture taunting the air.

I loved how Lang carefully weaved the complex issues Lana and Simon threading in, to coming up with ways to bridge everything and made be together possible for them. HOUSE RULES was a second journey this couple took in a more mature and measured way that I expect familiar to over 40s readers out there. It was a little sad and upsetting, a little fun and entertaining, and a great deal sizzling (mainly on the let’s try again bonking part). And the journey hasn’t stopped - it only continued...


Copy of this book is kindly given by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh the Manhattan real estate market! This is a nice second chance romance between two people who once were married, grew apart, and now, 17 years after they parted, are living together again. Lana's a chef, Simon's a music teacher, and neither of them can afford a decent place without a room mate. Three month trial period that's all platonic? No problem. Maybe not. This is nicely written and engaging. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. It's a novella than you can read and enjoy in a gulp!

I received this book complimentary from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.
I liked this. I don’t know if I liked it as much as the last but it was good. It took a long time (in my mind) for Simon to get over the past and Lana was more sure quicker which was annoying. I wish there had been a bit more of the happy, together finale. It felt short. It was cute though and I’ll ready more by Ruby Lang.

This was my first book by Ruby Lang - I haven't read any of the other books in this series and I enjoyed it! There's a trigger warning at the beginning for infertility and endometriosis - and having dealt with infertility for years, I very much appreciated that.

The story is a bit of an interesting premise - Lana and Simon were married when they were young but grew apart and divorced; when the story starts it's 17 years later, and they randomly bump into each other while apartment hunting in NYC. Lana ends up finding a two-bedroom apartment that she loves but can't completely afford on her own, and because she knows and trusts Simon, she suggests that they become roommates - they set a timeline of three months (to see if it works), and they figure since they are on such opposite schedules (she's a chef, he's a music teacher), they won't see each other very much anyway. Well...you know where this is going, right? Forced proximity is one of my favorite tropes in romance, second only to "there is only one bed."

This was a good story about a couple who knew each other, and enjoy the familiarity when they are back together but also have to learn how they have each changed. I liked that they were both closer to/in their forties, as I think a lot of romances have relatively younger (20s, maybe early 30s) characters. When Lana and Simon were first married they both made mistakes, but it seemed like Lana let herself get a little run over by Simon's wants/opinions (even if it was in a positive way), and I like that this time she's not giving up a dream she has just to be with him - they have to find a way to compromise.

While I did appreciate the trigger warning, I do not think Lana's endometriosis (and how that affects fertility) was explained well. When it comes up it's because she's feeling so physically ill at work that Simon has to come get her, and the head chef asks if endometriosis is something like cancer. Sadly, I can believe that people can go through life not aware of this disease, but while Lana (or her co-worker, I can't remember) told him no, there was never a correction or follow-up with him later to clarify what it is. Even Simon hadn't heard of it, and it was mentioned that he did Googling, but other than helping Lana take it easy and checking in on how she was feeling at different points in the story, they didn't really talk about what's involved with endometriosis.

Overall though, I enjoyed this story - and it comes out in less than a week, Monday, February 10th!

House Rules is a quick second chance romance that follows Simon and Lana who reconnect after 17 years of divorce. Time and reflection have brought on change in both of their lives. SBut slowly, they begin to realize that the feelings they had so long ago for each other never really died. The story takes place over a few months as this couple slowly falls back in love. The story also deals with learning how to put the past behind you and look toward a new future. Even though it may be scary as change often is for some. I did enjoy this sweet second chance romance. It is part of a series, but works very well as a stand alone.

I'm not sure how I would cope if I split up with my husband and then moved back in with him 17 years later, but just as friends. It seems like an odd setup, but in this book, it works, or at least the idea behind it does. As for whether the living arrangement works? Well, that's a different matter.

I liked the rediscovery of Lana and Simon. There's always a danger when a couple gets back together in a book that the reason for them splitting up in the first place prevents me really enjoying the story. In this case, it was more to do with the fact that that they needed to be apart and to learn to become their own people so that they could actually be a good couple together.

This was a nice, feel-good quick read and one that I really did enjoy.