This is a second chance love story. Simon and Lana were married and then divorced. Now, in their mid forties they meet again when they're both looking for somewhere to live. Circumstances lead to them sharing a lovely apartment. Their lives are sufficiently different that they don't need to see much of each other, but they can't stop looking for each other.

There are many things I liked about this story. The characters were so relatable. I loved that they were starting to feel old. Simon was often tired, not from doing anything especially tiring, but just from the day!

Simon was very sweet, if a little self centred. He grew a lot by the end. Lana is thoughtful and independent in a way that felt hard won. I liked that she was physically strong and this was hard won too.

There were a few little observations that I especially liked - like Lana taking the fact that she wouldn't be the only Asian woman in the neighbourhood into consideration when thinking about moving.
I usually like Ruby Lang's books and this was no exception. A lovely read.

3.5 stars
Cute story about second chance romance. Simon Mizrahi and Lana Kai were once married. Then divorced. Time has gone by, and now fate has brought them back together in the sense of an apartment. I found this story cute, but at times, unrealistic, at least to me.

House Rules is the third book in the Uptown series and is the best in an already stellar group. Ruby Lang writes beautiful, sweet and poignant books that feel akin to curling up in the best blanket with a good cup of tea on a cold day.

House Rules follows Simon and Lana who were married twenty years previously, got divorced and run into each other at an apartment viewing. What follows is a lovely slow burn love story of two people who (maybe) never stopped loving each other. Reading as these two characters navigated their new living arrangements and deal with the people they were versus the people they've become was so such a pleasure. I loved the juxtaposition of Lana, who is obviously aware of the ways she's made changes, listened to her needs and advocates for them against Simon who has changed and yet doesn't see that immediately.

The conflict in this book felt low but it was still well drawn and important. I loved that instead of having the couple miraculously work out their problems there was communication involved that we as the reader got to see. It made the story feel more real and intimate.

Overall this book is such a delight and is the kind of cozy romance that I just love.

I enjoyed this book quite a lot. As far as romance novel tropes go, this one seemed different from the norm. I suppose you could lump it in with the "second chance" category, but it didn't feel that way. Maybe because the characters were older and more mature.

I think the blurb/ description of the book is not entirely accurate. The actual story was so much better than that. It didn't feel kitschy and stale. It felt authentic.

Simon and Lana still have that insta-chemistry that you come to expect in romance novels, but they are both cautious with their relationship. They both act like adults, they have jobs, family issues, and struggle to change and let another person into their lives. They are both far from perfect, but they realize that, and have to work on themselves.

All that being said, there are some seriously steamy scenes. I think there is really something to be said about having characters that are a bit older, more mature, and comfortable in their own skin. It's sexy as all get out.

Overall, I really liked this book. I would totally recommend it to my romance-reading friends. I look forward to reading the rest of this series, as well.

I adored this book. This is a second chance love story between two people who were married and divorced (not due to cheating, due to life things and not understanding themselves and their relationship, which felt so super real) who become roommates because NYC is expensive and it was just so GOOD. I loved watching Simon and Lana figure out who they each were now and that their feelings weren't just nostalgia, that they were real and true and they were good together like they were now, who they'd become not who they expected they'd be. I adored the very realistic family concerns and the way the figured out how to negotiate their new dreams and build a life together felt so good and so right. I just really, really, enjoyed it and is a perfect addition to the series.

House Rules is the third book in Ruby Lang's Uptown series, and can be read as a standalone for new readers. It follows Simon Mizrahi and Lana Kai, a couple whose marriage fell apart 17 years ago when they discovered they wanted different things. Now, Lana returns to New York City to take a job as a chef, and finds herself struggling to cover the cost of rent on her own. After ruling out other options, she reaches out to Simon. The two move in and soon sparks are flying.

Quiet is the word that comes to mind when I think of this romance–the hero and heroine feel like real people, who hurt each other in the past, and are trying to protect their hearts now. There isn't a big dramatic conflict other than the very real fact that they might still be wrong for each other, that even though they've changed things still might not work. In particular, I really loved how Lang explored Simon's passion for his music and Lana's history with leaving music behind to pursue work that made her truly happy. I also loved the blend of things that felt both new and familiar for a couple that once knew each other so well.

This is the first book I've read by Lang, but with endearing characters, a heartfelt romance, and a story firmly grounded in the real ups-and-downs of a relationship, I can easily see myself reading the other books in this series. There is also a very cute and temperamental cat, which is always a bonus.

I'd recommend this to contemporary romance fans, particularly those looking for older couples (both are in their 40s here) and those who love second chance stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina for the ARC.
This is the 3rd book in the series and it can be read as a stand-alone.

What I enjoyed: older couple were authentic, Jewish rep in a neutral light (meaning, it wasn’t underscored with a political motive), and no excessive drama.

What I didn’t enjoy: maybe the H/H could have talked more to each other, but then what conflict would remain?

I received an E-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are all my own.
It had been seventeen years ago that due to different dreams Simon Mizrahi and Lana Kai drifted apart and divorced. But when Lana moves back to Manhattan to take a job as a noodle chief, her apartment search puts her right in her ex-husband’s path. Simon, who is a music teacher. He is also hunting for a new place to live, and when Lana proposes they be platonic roommates, Simon hesitantly agrees, not only due to the under current of attraction Simon still feels around Lana, but also to the different people they both have become.
They both agree to a four months trial period of living together with strict boundaries. But what can you do when living together reignites those passions from the past? What will they find at the end of the trial period: A love that will last this time or just passion and longing for the past?
First of all, I will say I finished this book in less than one day. The author starts the book up will a great meet cute between Simon and Lana. The book is fast paced and the story line is not overly complex or deep. I enjoyed the glimpses into their shared past throughout the book, which helped the reader understand the difficulties Simon and Lana were facing as they fought their mutual attraction for one another. The reader could tell they still cared deeply for one another even after all the years that had gone by. While the reader did not go on the self discovery journey with Lana, the reader was shown the comparison throughout the book by the characters often making references to their shared past. I thought the chemistry between the characters was good, but it lacked communication. I believe Simon really did not grow or change as a person until Lana re entered his life and he risked losing her a second time. Simon had a great belief in people, which drove him not to really consider the reality of that person nor their desires they had for the life they wanted to live. I think the author did a great job of creating characters readers can relate to. While many times, throughout the book, Lana made reference to her change in attitude towards music and she told the other characters about her issues and feeling she had, she never really shared them with Simon, who is the one person she needed to tell. I liked the ending of the book very much. The other characters of the story were not really flushed out as much as I would have liked. Also I would have liked the two main characters to have some decent conversations about what went wrong in their relationship the first time. Overall, I liked this book. It left me wanting to read more by this author. I would recommend this book to those who love second chance romances.

Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for sending me an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I was a little hesitant going into House Rules by Ruby Lang after finding out it was the third novella in a series, but if there was some tie in, it didn't change the experience.

After reading a few other stories about established couples finding their way back to each other, some feeling more genuine and realistic than others, House Rules was a breath of fresh air. It didn't lean heavily into conflict, both characters had their own lives and their own priorities. They had to figure out how to be together, if that is what they both wanted.

Simon stumbles upon Lana while apartment shopping, feeling as he had seen a ghost, the ghost of his ex-wife, he panics until she's there standing before him in the flesh just as stunned to see him. There's chemistry, even if it's understated, you can feel it. There's also a familiarity with the characters that I have seen others attempt and fail, only telling you stories and not allowing you to feel the impact of those memories between the characters.

New York real estate being what it is, Lana finds a deal of an apartment, but needs a roommate. After trading contact info with Simon she calls him up and they reluctantly rent the place together. With the dual perspective you see each characters life apart and get a real feel for who they are and how they would fit together. Why they want to be together. There's that familiarity and comfort that is hidden under years and layers of pain. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but for their takes you totally root for the relationship.

It's a novella, but still a fully fleshed out story giving you a glimpse into Simon and Lana's life. Without a doubt I'm going to be checking out the rest of Ruby Lang's titles.

I always adore Ruby Lang's diverse romances, and I particularly adore this lovers to enemies to lovers story for its older characters, something I feel like I haven't seen enough of in romance. The music aspect was also a delight. Looking forward to more Ruby Lang stories!

I love reading about characters that are different from me and in different stages of life.

This book invovles Lana and Simon, who were previously married, and now 17 years later are living together as roommates.

I enjoyed their story: that he's a musician who pours everything into her work and she was a musician who left to pursue the art of cooking. I liked that it was a second chance romance.

Something about this story never really grabbed me though. For some reason, it took me a couple days to get through it.

I loved the straightforwardness of the story and the diverse characters. Overall, a solid four stars!

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin/Carina Press for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is the third book in a series, but reads well as a stand alone. This couple Simon and Lana were once married and are 15 years older now. They were both in a rut and realized how much they missed each other. Nice book, oddly it seemed almost to calm. 3.5 stars This wasn't my favorite book-but I didn't hate it.

I have really been enjoying the Uptown series of novellas by Ruby Lang, and House Rules is no exception. Lana has moved back to New York and is looking for a new apartment. Her ex husband, Simon, also needs a new place, so they decide to live together, setting some ground rules. This story was really quite lovely - Lang lays out why Lana and Simon's marriage didn't work out, but the reader can still see a way forward for them - theirs was not an acrimonious divorce. They both have some issues to work through, though, and I really appreciated Lana's insistence on asking for what she wants and needs. I also liked that Simon has to grapple with his own somewhat forceful personality. I'm also always so happy to read a romance novel where the protagonists don't want kids and are totally fine with that decision. Since this is a novella I don't want to give away any more of the plot, but I'll just say I really liked this one. (Bonus - everyone's favorite real estate broker Magda makes a short cameo!)

This is the third book in a series, but can definitely be read as a stand alone book. I liked that there wasn’t a lot of drama in this book. It was a fairly realistic love story. It was a cute story, and I liked the romance aspect of it.
I wish we could have seen the couples connect a little bit more by talking to each other instead of just the physical stuff. Also, some of the first more physical scenes were a little cheesy and unrealistic.
Overall, it was a cute story and I appreciated how short and easy it was to read. It’s not one that I would reread though.

3 stars
I received this book for free in return for an honest review.

This is the third book in this series by Ruby Lang and molds itself to the idea of romance and property in the same vein as its predecessors. We've all been in the position where a property is perfect for us but not at the right time financially, now imagine that you find the place you want, but that the only person who is available to share it with you is your ex? That's how we find ourselves in House Rules.

I appreciated how little drama this book brought, with a simple story, albeit with some very important female infertility issues brought up. Surprisingly for me, I also enjoyed the fact that this couple were older, it fit perfectly with their past and the problems that do arise.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third story in the Uptown companion series, so you can totally read this as a standalone and totally get what is going on.
This book tells the story of Lana and Simon, two people who were previously married and who find themselves being roommates due to the high rent prices in NYC. This gives them the perfect chance to rekindle their romance and to have a second opportunity at love.
What I like about Ruby Lang's books is the fact that there's really no unnecessary drama in the story, it all flows pretty organically and realistically and this is so nice to read.
If you're looking for a quick and cute romance, you might want to check this out!

I really enjoyed the premise of House Rules where ex’s get a second chance by living together again. I liked how the story unfolded and how they grew into the people they needed to be as individuals before they could fully commit to coupledom again. Mistakes are made, but lessons are learned as well.

Thank you Carina Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

***Thank you to NetGalley, Carina Press and Ruby Lang. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own.***

House Rules (Uptown, #3), by Ruby Lang, is a fast, adorable read in her Uptown series. A lifetime ago, Simon and Lana were married. Neither expected to become platonic roommates 17 years after their divorce. Despite the strict rules each has set for themselves, living together is easy but ignoring their feelings is not.

The premise of this story sucked me in, and I thought Lang did a great job setting it up. It’s a great look at how hard communication can be, even between grown adults, and how that can be further complicated by history. I was glad that Lana had come into her own while they were apart, that she’d taught herself to ask for what she wanted and to take care of herself. Simon’s situation made me a little sad. Despite his professional success, his life seemed so rutted and, well, empty, at least on a personal level. Even once they moved in together, avoiding one another and holding each other at arm’s length sort of just highlighted how lonely his life was. The situation that forced them to look at the trial nature of their living arrangements was unexpected but appreciated, rather than it being some cliched reason for a fight.

If I could change anything about this book, it would be for Simon and Lana to have talked more. They connected deeply on a physical level, but so much of what happened between them felt like them hiding from the real world. Mind you, Simon stuck his foot in his mouth when he spoke sometimes. He truly was someone who could steamroll over people without realizing. I guess I wanted to see him actively practice listening, to see them interacting in a way that wasn’t physical. I believed they cared for one another, that each wanted the other person happy, but I wasn’t entirely convinced they could work in a permanent way. I needed to see more of them hanging out and doing more than passing each other on their way out the door.

I really enjoyed this fun romance. Lana and Simon are a divorce couple that get a second chance at love when they end up becoming roommates. I really enjoyed that the protagonists were in their 40s, since most romance books focus on people in their 20s and 30s. I enjoyed it, and will check out more of the series.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just the perfect size for me. Sometimes I need a book that I can binge read and this one was definitely that book. This is the first book I have read by this author, but I was in love with this story. Lana and Simon had my heart.

First off, I love a couple that is around my age. I felt like I could relate to this book on so many levels and a couple in their early 40s is right up my alley. Not only that, I think my new favorite trope is reconnecting after divorce. I am in love with books that have the couple able to get past the mistakes they made when they were younger and make changes so they can be together.

When we are young, everything we do is based off emotion and we communicate with our partner so little in fear of them not liking what we have to say. As we get older, we realize what is important to us and we grow as people. This book had all of that in spades. I absolutely loved this story. The author had a more mature writing style than I am used to, but I will definitely pick up more of the books in this series.