4.5 stars for the start of another fabulous series! First, as a parent of a 2020 high school senior, Bybee's book dedication got me all teary and her sentiment is much appreciated. Second, also being a parent of a middle school teen soon to be in high school, this book will make you want to take their phone, flush it down the toilet, and wrap them in bubble wrap until they are adults...if even then.

Claire's upbringing was untraditional to say the least - trained to be an operative at the Richter school, she now works for Neil MacBain. Cooper has just returned from a stint in Europe and together they go undercover in a high school to uncover a human trafficking ring. The story is fast paced and sucks you in!!!

The beautiful part of this book is you can read it as a standalone and enjoy every minute. As much as I love a good and steamy romance, this book is a little more focused on the overall mystery, but I still loved the romance between Claire and Cooper (and yes there is some steam). It was so hard to put down, I snuck my iPad to work and read in between waiting for files to open (shhh - keep that between us). On the other hand, if you've read the Weekday Brides series or Sasha's book, Say It Again, you will be giddy that Claire finally gets her HEA and we get a series including many beloved favorites.

I discovered Catherine Bybee a few years ago and I can't recommend her books enough. I can't wait to see what comes next in this series.

Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

This is the first book in a new series, but reunites readers with some characters from the Wives Club series. Don’t worry, you don’t have to have read that series to enjoy this book!

Claire is a young operative for MacBain when she first meets Cooper. Cooper had feelings but was concerned about the age difference, and Neil, the owner of Mac Bain, warned Cooper off and sent him on a prolonged assignment in Europe. Now Cooper is back, Claire is older and so the age isn’t an issue, and the sparks fly.

Claire and Cooper are paired on an assignment in a high school to find out who is responsible for a recent disappearance. They try to hide their attraction but it catches the attention of another “teacher”, Eastman, at the school who starts following Claire and planting a bug at her decoy house.

There is plenty of action, mystery and excitement in this book, highly recommend!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

I'm excited about this series. Claire was a memorable character from one of Catherine Bybee's books and I could hardly wait to read her story. This story pulled me in from the first page and kept me hooked until the last. I loved learning more about the team and hope there are stories for more of these characters coming in the future. There is an instant camaraderie among the members of the team. It is a gift of this author. Each series has characters with strong relationships and it makes it so easy to get immersed in the story.

I wasn't disappointed with Claire's story. She's a unique character and I would love to be her friend. As for Cooper, I've got a crush on him. He and Claire were a perfect fit. I really didn't want this story to end. I was kept guessing until the end. I'm hoping the next book in the series comes quickly. I want more!!!! I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

4 1/2 Stars for this suspenseful romance!

I just loved Claire ... she's a smart cookie who had the capabilities to protect herself, but she also had a quick sarcastic attitude. And Cooper didn't give up easily on the things that mattered to him most. This is a suspenseful story about human trafficking and trying to figure out not only who the bad guys are, but also who the good guys are, This is one of those books that goes into such detail that you really have to keep track of what is what and who is who ... sometimes I got a little lost, but I would eventually figure it out. Even though this is the first book in the series and I was able to follow along, I feel like I was missing something with Claire and Jax's upbringing ... only to find out that this series is a spin-off of the First Wives series and that is where you find their back story. Oh yeah ... how could I forget that Cooper and Claire's romance is a very slow burn!

Cooper had a thing for Claire from the moment he met her but she was too young, so he asked to be transferred overseas to MacBain Security's London office. Six years later Cooper is back and his feelings haven't changed for Claire one little bit ... only now she's a grown woman who can make up her own mind. Claire, Cooper and Jax go undercover in a couple of high schools to figure out how and who are taking students (mostly female).

I received an early copy courtesy of Montlake through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I love just about everything that Catherine Bybee writes and this is no exception.
Changing the Rules brings in characters from her First Wives Series. While it can be read alone., it is always helpful to have the background information.

The book had me hooked from the very. beginning. Bybee brings up a topic that is a little bit taboo, in society and one that you really do not want to hear about in the news, but know that it goes on and that is child sex trafficking.. Neils, team goes undercover at a high school in an effort to catch those in charge of running the organization.. The closer they get the more questions they have The book is engaging and keeps you engrossed from the very start. In classic Bybee fashion, there is sexual tension between two members of the team Cooper and Claire. You really want these two to figure it out and have a happy ever after.

I received an ARC for my honest review of this book.

4 star review of Changing The Rules (Richter #1) by Catherine Bybee

This is more a suspense story with a little romance thrown in which surprised me as I am used to more of a romance story from Ms. Bybee. Claire Kelly works for MacBain Security and Solutions and her only week spot is Cooper Lockman.

Cooper and Claire have history and used to work together. Now he has returned and the attraction and chemistry between them is just as intense as it used to be.

Now they are working undercover at a high school trying to bring down a prostitution ring that is targeting young high school students. As the danger increases, they will put their lives on the line.
I enjoyed the mystery and suspense and was drawn in to the drama. The characters were strong and easy to relate to and the story well written.

I received a copy of this book through the publisher via Netgalley.

Until the night of the charity auction, Claire Kelly had not seen Cooper Lockman for six years. Shocked that he is back in town, she finds out they have been assigned to work a case for their employer, MacBain Security and Solutions. A high school has been targeted by traffickers who lure young girls into prostitution. Although the police have been working the case, they need someone on the inside. Claire looks young enough to be a student “with an attitude” while Cooper is hired as a coach. Cooper has tried to ignore the feelings he has for Claire, but working close together has changed his rules about them as a couple. When Claire’s life is in danger, will Cooper and the team be able to save her in time? Reminded me of a modern version of the television show “21 Jump Street”. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Wow, what a ride this book was.
Changing the Rules by C. Bybee, published by Montlake, is the first book in the Richter Series. This is a stand-alone and tells Cooper and Claire's story.
Both are working for a security company, gets assigned to a tough case. Annn dthey share a past. A past where she crushed on him, he thought of her as too young, you get the picture.
CtR is a story thaat had me from chapter one. It's one of these stories you know will not let go and stay with you.
CtR is an emotional, heart-wrenching read, a aslow burn - fast paced at the same time, packed with action and drama, gave me all the feels.
A great read, can't wait what happens next story, 5 stars.

I have read other Catherine bybee books but never with the suspense this one had! Not only do we see the relationship between Claire and cooper develop, we see some suspense with human trafficking.

The team of Neil’s private investigators have been asked to help detectivewarrenfindthecsuse of teenage high school girls being pulled into the human trafficking ring ..,.,


This story has twists and turns, romance with some natural heat between both main characters.... will they stop the bad guy and stop fighting the pull Claire and cooper have for over another?

3.5 Had To Wait Stars
Changing the Rules (Richter #1) by Catherine Bybee is the first entry to her new series. She has taken the rescued Claire and has her as a Kick-Ass Security operative. The love interest is a man who made sure he left her six years ago...due to the feelings he had for her. There is six years difference between them and when she was 18, the man felt it was too much.

Now the time has passed and they are thrown together to break up a prostitution ring with her as a student and him as her coach. This is a strong entry and beginning of the series.

If I am in the mood for romance and suspense then Catherine Bybee. This is a spin off series from the Weekday Brides series and the First Wives series. This book is the first in the new Richter series. In this book we get more Neil from the Weekday bride series and his crew which includes Cooper. We also get more Sasha and that includes Claire and Jazz whom we meet from Sasha's story. In Changing the Rule we get Claire and Cooper's story.

This story was great because we get more of Neil's group and how they all work together. Claire and Cooper have to work together undercover and this is where Cooper can finally show his feelings for Claire.

The chemistry between the two was great and the story get you reeled in from the beginning.

Liked the story and can't wait for more.

3.5 stars

I was super excited to see the first in this series was going to be about Claire. She was in Say It Again, book 5 of the First Wives series. Watching her as she used her abilities to solve a human trafficking case kept me engaged throughout the story. I loved how this author placed these characters into a setup that is so far out of the expected.

Cooper really had me falling for him. He had feelings for Claire back in the day but left her for her own good. When I realized just how much he still felt for her, I quickly cheered him on. This doesn’t have a lot of romance included but everything that involved Cooper’s feelings for Claire was a winner in my opinion.

This has a lot of sleuthing, down and dirty detective work. I was expecting more of the shoot ‘em up or blow them up variety or mystery solving. Afterall, these characters are students from Richter which is where kids go to learn how to shoot ‘em up and blow ‘em up. Nevertheless, I was unable to figure out who the bad guy was and loved the way this all came together in the end.

This is a lengthy read with lots of great characters, plenty of action and drama wrapped in the mystery, and enough steam to make the romance interesting.

BOOK REVIEW: Changing the Rules by @catherinebybee

4.5 stars

TW: Sex trafficking, human trafficking, dirty cops, talk of violence, rape, murder and date rape drugs.

Smut Scale: 2/5 (Only one scene but well written)

WOW, this blew my socks off! I thought I was getting a romance with a side order of private investigation but what I got was an incredibly unique and gripping story about sex trafficking in High Schools, plus awesome private investigators and a side order of romance!

The characters were awesome. Having two of the three main characters and private investigators being female was also really refreshing. Claire, the lead female was a breath of fresh air. An absolute kick ass female who is incredibly clever, hard working and loyal, plus she never apologises for who she is. She is an fantastic lead and she definitely made this book and I really routed for her! The other lead and love interest Cooper played a great role as well and I loved him from the start. All the side characters played interesting, vital roles and held up the storyline well.

The story was gripping, fast paced and very interesting. Although there is some sensitive content at times, it was very well written and done with care and attention. I couldn't put it down and was filled with adrenaline towards the end!
There is one sexy scene which was well written and suited the book by not being too heavy but definitely a little smutty!

Overall, a fantastic read that I highly recommend! A pleasant surprise and I cannot wait for the next book!

Please note that I was #gifted this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the first in a new series. Claire Kelly works for McBain Security and Solutions. She is twenty-four and eager for more action. I liked learning about her backstory as an orphan from a boarding school for assassins.

When the firm takes a case about sex trafficking in local public and private high schools, Claire and her best friend and fellow agent Jax are chosen to go undercover as high school students. Cooper is chosen to go undercover as a substitute auto mechanics teacher and track coach.

Cooper is just back from Europe. He left six years earlier because he felt he was too old to be romantically interested in Claire. Also, his boss Neil McBain who thinks of himself as a father figure for Claire encouraged the move. They both felt Claire needed some time to finish growing up. Claire didn't agree. She was disappointed that her friend Cooper was suddenly gone.

The case immediately got complicated since there were undercover cops on the scene too who were unknown to McBain and who might be dirty cops. Claire quickly found her way into the crowds she needed to infiltrate and befriended young girls who were potential victims of the scam. She also developed her persona as a smart-mouthed rebel with a talent for track. There are lots of suspicious characters in this one. There are a variety of teachers who might or might not have parts in the sex trafficking. There are students and former students who also behave is suspicious manners.

Cooper and Claire get closer as they work to investigate this trafficking case and as they overcome their miscommunications. There was a lot of tension because they needed to keep their relationship secret or ruin their covers as student and teacher.

I enjoyed the story even though it began by introducing quite a large number of characters who will presumably have larger roles in future books in this seriesbut who made me want to make a list of each one in order to keep track of them. I also had the feeling that some of the characters had fuller stories told in other books by the author which was confirmed by the author's afterward. I enjoyed the story more once the book began to focus on the characters who had large roles in this story.

Changing the Rules is officially the first book in the series - but it’s really more a spin-off from the last series and especially the book Say It Again. While you could start here, I recommend reading that one first.

In Changing the Rules, Claire is going undercover as a high school student to investigate a sex trafficking ring suspected in the area. She’s also reunited with Cooper for the first time in 6 years as he is also undercover as a teacher/track coach.

Much like with Say It Again - I think this book will appeal to Alias fans, especially if you’re also here for the romance.

Thank you to Brilliance Audio, the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading and listening copies.

Catherine Bybee is one of my favorite authors and knowing she had a new series coming out was extremely exciting prospect and I'm thrilled to say that Changing the Rules is by far one of the best books I've read so far this year. I knew early on in this one that The Richter series was going to be a good one!

Claire Kelly works for McBain Security and while she's a private investigator, she's got a host of other skills that make her very good at her job. Cooper Lockman also works for the company and he has just returned to the United States after spending the last six years working on an assignment in Europe. Claire and Cooper have a bit of a history and so working together could prove to be a bit of a challenge.

When the team is hired to help flush out a prostitution and human trafficking ring at a local high school, Claire and Cooper are forced to work together on a daily basis, which only heightens the feelings that continue to grow between them. Will they be able to do the job they need to do without tipping their hand that they are both undercover and also slowly falling for one another all while trying to keep the young girls being targeted safe?

Bybee does a wonderful job of keeping the reader on the edge of their seat while tackling a problem that is more prevalent than any of us would like for it to be. My eyes were opened to how intricate rings like this are and how sick and dangerous they are. I loved the relationship that Claire and Cooper had. Their banter made me smile so many times! I also loved that some of our favorites from previous Bybee books/series were very involved. I am without a doubt already ready for the next book in this series! Do yourself a favor and pick this one up!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Changing the Rules by Catherine Bybee

In this new series, which is a spinoff from the First Wives book “Say It Again”, and we also get some characters from The Weekday Brides. I am sure if you are a fan, you have already read Say It Again, if not I would recommend reading this one too.

Clair Kelly was a student from the Richter school, so she was well trained in many self-defense art forms and she could hold her own with anything that was thrown her way. When she was freed from the RIchter school, she was taken under the wing of Neil McBain and brought into his security business. But when it comes to Cooper Lockman, who also works for McBain, all the rules go out the window.

The two are assigned on the case of high school students disappearing into prostitution rings targeting young girls. She has to play a student and Cooper is a teacher, but things heat up when they are again working on this case, and it’s not your typical “teacher-student” relationship off school property. They do their best to keep it professional but sometimes the chemistry is just more than in class.

When I began reading this book, it was just a tad slow, for me but it soon began to get really, really good and I could not put it down. I read it in a 24 hr period and it was the early hours of the morning when I finished it. Catherine Bybee knows how to keep her readers turning the pages and giving us a great story. I can’t wait to read the next books in this series. I know late nights will be instore for me again..

Thank you Catherine Bybee and Netgallery for giving me the opportunity to read and review this 5+++ Star book.

Update bumped from 3.5 to 4 ☆
cause of the following.

I strongly recommend reading Say It Again as you get the whole backstory of what went on with the super spy school.

I always enjoy picking up a Catherine Bybee book and Changing The Rules was no exception. However in saying that and this is me there is always something that makes it fall flat, I can never really get the five star read that I want.

MacBain Security has been called in to support a taskforce with a teenage prostitution ring. Claire Kelly rescued from the secret assassin school Richter now gets to all 21 Jumpstreet. For all of you young ones, 21 Jumpstreet, the series with Depp (which I loved) and not the film with Tatum (which I refuse to watch why ruin a good thing?) Now that I have made myself feel old, let's get a crackin' on the review.

Claire Porter goes in as a student to see who the players are but she has backup in her track coach Cooper. When Claire was saved from Richter at the young age of eighteen, Cooper from the start couldn't deny his feelings but the age was a problem and six years is still six years. Neil who adopted Claire kindly suggested that Cooper go to London. However Claire was never far from his mind. After six years Cooper is back and can't get over Claire the case brings them closer together. I liked these two together, they work well. Both as a couple and as a team on the job.

Ms. Bybee does awesome Hero's they are patient, strong and alpha but not a-hole alpha. The heroine always has enough time for herself to realise what she wants and is never pressurised into anything. The hereoine is strong and knows what she wants and get this she isn't stupid. However although the plot was strong I personally think that the book could have been a little shorter. For my liking there was just one too many parties as well as being at school. But this is a fine line and well it can't be too much and not enough to wrap the story up properly.

This is the start of a new series about a group of PI's that are connected to a German school called Ricter where they train you to be some sort of spy, Its connected to another series by the author which I did NOT read. Even not readig the previous books I was never lost.

This story stars Claire who is a living with her best friend Jax in Los Angeles and they both work for the PI firm and both are young and graduated from Ricter. Cooper works for their agency and was in Europe for 6 years and is now back in town, he knew Claire when she was 18 and knew he was too old for her but went away to give her time to grow up. Now he is back and he wants her to give him a shot as they reconnect working a tough case.

The case is about high school girls being stolen and sold to men who turn them into hookers. The PI agency is hired by the police to crack the case and so they infiltrate two high schools with Claire, Jax and Cooper all going back to high school.

It was an awesome story and I loved all the characters and the wriiting and story was absolutely wonderful. Bennett, was my absolute favorite character and I kinda wanted to see some extra scenes with him and Claire after the whole plot was resolved.

I love exciting and interesting stories, and Catherine bybee always delivers. This book is a little bit different than her usual book, but I still enjoyed it. Strong female characters are my jam. Claire is definitely a kick butt heroine. Claire and Cooper (hero/heroine) go undercover in a high school to find out who is involved in a prostitution ring. I thought this book was well written and super fun. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me this ARC.