Consuming, fast read.
I went into this book expecting a little bit more plot on how this college student balances school, looking for stolen art, and this hunk of a man. While the storyline did not focus on the whole being a student in college that much, it made up for it by all the spicy scenes in the book. I read this in a day, I just couldn't put it down.
Please check the trigger warnings before reading this book. Suicide.

"He was terrible and frustrating and complicated and then something would crack open, and he'd reveal a different, softer self underneath."

⭐️⭐️.75

Rules of Arrangement follows Adelaide ⏤Addie⏤ Wright, a 22-year-old senior who writes papers for other students to pay her way through Cranst University. Although she has measures in place to protect herself from being expelled, in the form of mutually assured destruction, when she runs into an old friend Declan Jones, her art history teaching assistant, he threatens to reveal her secret and have her expelled if she doesn’t help him recover his paintings from art dealer Jack Nolan.

Addie enters into an arrangement with Jack with the intention of finding the paintings, but as her feelings grow she comes to realize that Jack may not be the person Declan described.

TW: suicide, suicide attempt, grief, loss, blackmail, age-gap

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This is the debut novel from Maren Mackenzie and although I enjoyed the writing and overall thought the story was entertaining I felt like I have read it before and was left a tad disappointed.

It took me some time to really get into the novel, it wasn’t until chapter eight that I really felt myself starting to want to read it. I felt frustrated by Declan’s character, even though he is only two years older than Addie he treats her like a child and is controlling and he often puts her down.

The relationship and vibe between Jack and Addie gave me 50 Shades of Grey vibes but without the “spice level”.

I also felt like Addie’s relationship with her family didn’t always add to the story but hindered it by adding an element that sometimes explained Addie’s flaws but it also felt like conflict for the sake of conflict.

Overall, Rules of Arrangement by Maren Mackenzie was an easy read but left me feeling like something was missing. 2.75/5 stars

Thank you to #netgalley and #MarmackBooks for the eARC in exchange for the honest review, all opinions are my own.

4 stars!

I went into this book with as much of an open mind as I could since parts of the synopsis suggested it would not be my cup of tea. I was not disappointed - the story was engaging and fast paced and FILLED with drama. I find that some books with these tropes can border on cringe-y or eye roll inducing but the drama and the relationships seemed genuine and (for the most part) realistic.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I started off this book not liking it... lets just say we got off on the wrong foot,
I didn't like the blackmailing, the family drama, the main character, or the love interest (IN THE BEGINNING)
but over time, it all grows on you...ok maybe not the blackmailing.
-I loved Adelaide's development and depth, she risked so many things to survive and to stick with what she believed in. I respected her because she defended herself time and time again.
-Jack Nolan wasn't my favorite character in the beginning but he grew on me. I was surprised to see myself emphasizing with him and seeing his walls break down was what kept me reading.
-Declan was just a very interesting character...
-I did like seeing the family drama, it added more to the story and also Adelaide's character.

I just remembered something from the book i really didn't like, it a spoiler so be warned but
CHEATING, how could i forget my least favorite trope? because this book barely talks about the cheating that happened between addie and jack. JACK HAD A WIFE HELLO

Whoa! What a ride. It was very fast-paced. The writing style kept me hooked and I didn't find myself losing any interest. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and how real the story felt. The author did a great job painting the setting, so it was easy for me to visualize the scene played out before me. I recommend giving this one a chance!

This book was a bit like a car crash: I was morbidly curious as to what was going to happen next and couldn’t look away, even though I knew I wasn’t going to like the outcome. All of the secrets and ways these characters dug themselves deeper into their bad situations made me invested in a storyline that I knew from the beginning I wasn’t going to necessarily enjoy due to the fact that I don’t like age gap relationships at the best of times. But Maren Mackenzie did a really good job of creating this plot and these characters because they are definitely not heroes and their actions are shady at best, which made me extremely intrigued because I never knew what was going to happen next or what the right thing to do in the situations was. I would have liked a bit more closure on Adelaide’s family situation as I felt that the reunion was a bit rushed, but other than that I was extremely hooked, even though I didn’t enjoy this book in the traditional sense.

Enjoyed reading this book! So fun and just fast-paced. The flow was smooth and I love the main character in this one. The premise of the book really surprised me because I genuinely finished this book loving it.

This book completely surprised me. The beginning starts off a little slow and I had conflicted feelings about Addy and her conflicetd feelings about Jack, but as the book progressed and we start to see more sides of Jack it wasn't hard to see why Addy felt so confused about him. The ending of the book was fairly easy to predict but their story didn't feel like any other story which I feared it would when I started the book. This book is completely worth the read and will surprise you with how much you find yourself rooting for Addy and Jack

This was hands down the best ARC book I have ever read. I was immediately gripped after the first chapter, and I was ALL FOR some of the fake dating /older sexy rich guy tropes. Adelaide was a great narrator, and I loved her stubbornness, her clever mind, her independence. Her character arc is satisfying, and the relationship in the end is more than satisfying — it’s swoon worthy. I loved this book. 10/10 recommend!

(Pro tip: imagine the sexy older guy as Jack Harlow. Or any celebrity crush of choice. You will fall in LOVE)

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC copy 💕

After a falling out with her sister following the sudden death of their parents, Adelaide has been struggling to make ends meet and scrapes a living by writing assignments for other students at her prestigious college. When Declan - her old neighbour and the boy she lost her virginity to - shows up as a prospective client, she decides to help him for old time’s sake - but is thrown when he reveals he’s actually her new TA. He threatens to reveal her illegal side hustle to the university unless she helps him recover some paintings he claims were stolen by an unscrupulous art dealer, Jack Nolan. To do this, she must become one of a long line of women that Jack pays to be his girlfriend. After she finally manages to catch his eye, she agrees to enter into an arrangement with this older, experienced man, but as she gets to know him better and the rules of their arrangement start to blur, it becomes harder for her to keep to her promise to Declan.

I wasn’t sure about this book when I first started reading it. The beginning is quite slow and it takes a while before Adelaide even meets Jack. But once it got into the swing of it, I really, really enjoyed it. The writing in this novel is very strong: it’s very engaging and personable, and apart from the beginning, the rest of the pacing and plotting felt spot on. The plot is interesting and felt very different for a romance novel - I was never quite sure where the story was actually going and there was a few twists and turns I didn’t expect.

So, the romance part of this book is definitely its main strength. The chemistry between Adelaide and Jack is so good: there’s a lot of sexual tension in this book and the way they interact with each other was just really enjoyable to read. Their relationship unfolds in a very satisfying and genuine manner, I actually felt achey whilst reading this book because it made me feel a lot of things! There was a lot of angst in this book - good, well-written angst - contrasted with some genuinely touching, lovely moments - and some very cute ones, a lot of forehead kisses and booping noses - that just made their relationship feel very satisfying. I felt like I had a lot to sink my teeth into, like this was a relationship I really wanted to root for, to see all of the gritty details of how they would work things out. It was one of those relationships where I was constantly thinking, 'this is going to hurt when this falls apart', and I wasn’t wrong.

It was also a really sexy book - not quite as steamy as I expected, but the love scenes were very well-written. I also liked that I felt like the sex mattered between Adelaide and Jack - I don’t normally care about that, I’m not one for thinking sex should only be in a romance book if it furthers the plot somehow - but I really did feel whilst reading this that the sexual side of their relationship was important.

And there was a plot twist partway through I really admired. I normally hate things like this but I did not hate it in this book. I was completely taken by surprise by this when it happened, but I appreciated the complexity of the situation and the dynamic it added to their relationship. I won’t be for everyone, but I thought it was cleverly done.

I will say there were things I wasn’t so keen on - as I said, the beginning felt very slow and it took a while to get going and I really wish that had been tighter; I also didn’t really enjoy the subplot involving Adelaide’s sister, not because of the content but because I didn’t think it resolved very well. It felt like it wrapped up too neatly and I thought that could have been worked through better.

But overall I just really loved this book. The central relationship just worked so well for me. I loved Jack as a hero, I liked how protective and caring he could be and how he wanted to look out for her, and I loved Adelaide as a heroine, with her resourcefulness being genuinely admirable. But the fire between them was what made this book for me, the way they never quite knew what the other expected or wanted. They just had a really good, interesting dynamic: it was a goldmine for angst and miscommunication. I just could not stop reading this book, I kept on dipping back into it until I gave up trying to put it down.

It made me smile and ache and feel a lot of things, and I just wanted to dive into another book by the same author. Sadly there’s nothing more to read from Maren Mackenzie just yet, but I’m eagerly looking forward to more from her. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a well-written, angsty, age gap, hidden identity romance novel with a determined, resourceful heroine and a stern, wealthy older hero, with a lot of twists and turns and intrigue. I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.

Content Notes: Death of a parent (in past), blackmail, attempted suicide (on-page), serious mental health issues, violence, injuries, hospital scenes, on-page sex, age gap.

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital arc.
Totally engaging read. Good character development, family dynamics. romance (of a sort !) even a mystery thrown in. An easily read story.

RULES OF ARRANGEMENT

Kindle Unlimited: [ ]YES [X]NO
Stand-alone: [X]YES [ ]NO
Author: Maren Mackenzie
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spiciness rating: 🌶🌶🌶/5
POV: Single (Adelaide’s), third person
Main Couple: Adelaide & Jack
Favorite Character: Adelaide
Tropes: College romance; age gap (16 years); blackmail

Review:

“𝘈𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳.”

You know the feeling when you reach the end of a book and wish it was longer? It is what I’m feeling now. I discovered Maren book totally by chance while scrolling through NetGalley. The tittle and the beautiful cover got my eye, then the blurb convinced me fully to request it. I’m so glad I did!

This book captivated me completely. I connected with Adelaide right from the beginning. Her thoughts, her feelings, her struggles, all of that appealed to me. She is blackmailed to seducing an older, rich, charming man in order to get something Declan (the blackmailer) wanted back. I honestly felt sorry for Declan since the beginning. He was really a complex man who needed help. As for the older man, Jack, I had mixed feelings. One time I thought he was the most charming man alive and the next moment he was cold and rude. I really loved his growth arch, in fact, the three characters were incredibly well developed throughout the story.

The plot was also something I had not read yet and kept entertained and enchanted for the entirety of this reading. I would recommend this book to everyone who likes romance, really, this is Maren’s debut novel, but you can’t tell. It’s definitely one of the best books I’ve read in 2022. Please Maren, never stop, you are greatly talented.

*** I requested a copy of Rules of Arrangement on NetGalley and this is my honest review ***

I really enjoyed this story by this first time author. The story kept me captivated the whole time. I liked how Declan the H and Adelaide the h did not have instant fall in love with each other. Don’t get me wrong, their chemistry was off the charts hot. But they were flawed individuals that needed time to accept their love for each other. The pace of this story was spot on. Nothing was rushed and the ending was perfect. Job well done!

This was my first experience with an age-gap romance, and I truly believe Mackenzie's approach made this novel a great introduction to the sub-genre. Mackenzie does an excellent job capturing communication between the characters concerning consent and more emotional topics including mental illness and family death. Addie's character progression from surviving to living was relatable on a human condition level, but her situations were fictional enough that I didn't feel called out by the book. Wonderful for a romance. Jack's guarded character was the perfect balance of hot and infuriating. The insane twists this novel took kept me hooked for the ride, and I couldn't put it down.

TW: please take care of yourself before reading any book. This book covers attempted suicide, family death and sever injury, and mental health issues.

Thanks Netgalley for giving me this book early. I really enjoyed "Rules of Arrangement" by Maren Mackenzie. It was well written and well thought out plot-wise. She made the characters real and raw and I really enjoyed the roller coaster of the plot, secrets and relationships between all the characters. #RulesOfArrangement #NetGalley

I could not put this down. Mystery, spice, personal development, complex characters, a strong female protagonist . . . This truly was *chef’s kiss* superb escapism. I will say that I had no idea what to think about the characters until the end—even if you are turned off by someone’s behavior, I recommend sticking with it! The author tied everything up nicely in the end.

Blackmail can be ugly and this story shows how terrible it can get. Adelaide Wright is estranged from her older sister and brother. More her sister due to a tiff regarding financial matters. The premise of this story sounded interesting and perhaps quite erotic. I found this less erotic and more heartbreaking. I am moved to tears by what Adelaide suffers through. New-to-me author Ms. MacKenzie pulls me into the dirty world of selling body and mind to survive.

The first 25% of the book, I'm infuriated and want to slap every single person hurting Adelaide. I am not sure I am going to be able to finish this book because I am so incensed. Yes, yes, I know Adelaide is breaking laws and going against her own morals. However, she isn't killing anyone or intentionally hurting anyone. She is doing the best she can to pay for her bills and make it through college. One could argue that college is a big waste of money. This is more than just receiving a college education. It is about what Adelaide needs to feel ... whole. Her entire life was turned upside down by one careless act. Instead of staying together as a family, she loses them due to ideological differences. There is so much to unpack here and this isn't a therapy session so I will withhold my comments.

Adelaide's relationships seem to be mostly toxic. The way Declan uses her is not sexy at all. When Adelaide follows through under duress, she finds Jack to be not as expected. Declan's beef with Jack is suspicious and as Adelaide gets to know him more, facts do not add up. Jack isn't a wholesome guy either. As more information unfolds, I'm not sure I like Jack that much. I do like him better than Declan and Adelaide's family. The way Adelaide's world spins out of control is alarming and I feel for her. Seeing from her perspective makes my heart hurt for her. She is so young and so are her siblings. I am not saying Adelaide is in the right for everything, but she is not wrong. Her sister isn't right either but she isn't wrong in some ways.

Jack and Adelaide's interactions are complicated. Sometimes he is a complete jerk. Other times he is empathetic. Basically, I find this entire cast of characters to be immature. Or I guess, quite a bit like most of the "adults" I see in real life. How depressing. Still, there are great moments between Jack and Adelaide. Their sexual chemistry is strong and hot. Their sexual escapades are tame for a jaded hedonist like me.

From beginning to end, I am invested in this book as my emotions are pulled in different directions. I feel for Adelaide and the ending is explosive. I loved it. This erotic romance is recommended to readers who like angst and colouring outside the lines.

College student Addie writes papers for other students in exchange for money, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do to be able to survive on her own. That's how she reconnects with her highschool crush Declan. When he asks her to write his paper for an art class she takes the opportunity for some extra cash, but the twist comes when she realizes that is isn't a student. He's the teacher's assistant. Declan offers Addie an out from getting expelled for misconduct: Woo and trick the man who stole one of Declan's best art pieces in exchange for his silence. But what happens when she starts to fall in love with her mark?

When it comes to romance novels it's not uncommon to have to suspend your belief for the sake of the story. Tropes and cliches come with the genre and for the most part it's not hard for me to find those familiar ideas enjoyable. However when the book becomes so saturated with trope upon trope upon trope, it can begin to feel like you're reading a script for a bad Life Time movie. This is one of the problems with “Rules of Arrangement. It suffers from “too much” syndrome and as I read further and further I just kept rolling my eyes.

There is also the huge issue of using mental health as a plot device and in doing so creating the “bad guy” who is only “bad” because he is mentally ill.And the reaction of the characters who find out is to either pass judgment on his “weirdness” or to make the whole situation about themselves. There is no grace, compassion, or care in the depiction of mental illness nor is there any actual reason the author needed to include it in the story other than for shock value. It would have been simple to rewrite the character's motives without having it based on a mental illness. Instead we are left with the character not receiving love, support, or an ounce of real understanding.
Not only was there just too much drama and soap opera dynamics, there was just the glaring issue of the plot trying to be more serious than it really is. Yes, getting suspended from a college would be devastating. However making it out that she'd go to jail for writing papers for other students made me laugh out loud. The plot just reads as contrived and forced when it really didn't need to be. I agree with the comments of other reviewers who also felt mislead by the cover and synopsis. I was under the impression going in that the plot was going to be more of an art heist situation, but instead it's a watered down soap opera.
I might've been able to deal with a soap opera-esque plot if I had liked any of the characters. But they were equally as disappointing. Our three main players are Declan, Jack, and Adelaide.
From the get go I was not a fan of Declan at all; he's a snob. Rude and materialistic, self centered and completely absorbed in himself. His “problems” scream first world, rich white guy and it's hard to feel anything for him. He can choke. The way he describes Jack is exactly how I'd describe him: “all he cares about is himself and his own success. He's calculating, vengeful and ice cold”. He's another tool in the author's arsenal to dispense misogyny and toxic masculinity.
Jack is our supposed bad guy in terms of what Declan tells Addie. At first I found him the only likable and real character out of the three, but the more the story progresses the less I liked him. He's controlling and fickle. He's the best example of another glaring issue in this book: The personalities for each character change drastically page by page On one page he was kind and patient, but the next he was jealous and angry out of nowhere which made it quite difficult to get a handle on who he was. This constant flip flopping also spreads into the character relationships. One moment Addie likes Jack and she knows he's a good person, but the next he is reduced to nothing but an evil person. It's very disorientating and confusing, not to mention frustrating.
I saved our main female character for last because I have the most to say about her. At first I felt for Adelaide and the situation she was in. Cut off from her family and desperately trying to make her way through college by writing essays for other students for a price. I honestly don't see the problem with what she's doing and if anything the fault lies with the students who are fine with lying their way through college. At first I viewed Addie as hard working and self reliant and I could at least respect her struggle. However, just like with everything else in the story, the further I read the more I ended up hating her. It took until page fifteen for me to loathe her.

Addie is supposed to be smart, both when it comes to other people and also academically, but she isn't smart at all. She comes off quite dumb. Not just with how she interacts with other people but also in the fact that it just suddenly occurs to her after three years of this side hustle that she could face serious consequences for what she's doing. We're supposed to find Adelaide smart and cunning, mature for her age, but she really isn't. She's incredibly immature and foolish, quick to throw tantrums and quicker to judge. Almost every time she gets mad at Jack I feel the same sense of “boohoo”, because she forgets that she's the one lying, deceiving, and ultimately attempting to rob him. But she wants to act as if she has moral high ground. Nothing can be her fault, she's not the one who was in the wrong. She's not a character I want to root for her even read about.
One of the most disgusting aspects of this book and the biggest turn offs to me was the constant (and I mean almost every chapter) slut shaming and the blatant hate for sex workers and escorts. She belittles them, calls them sleazy, sluts, whores, etc. It's disgusting and a huge turn off. Honestly it feels as though the author has a problem with escorts and sex workers, and used the story as a way to express it. There's one single moment in the book where Jack tells Addie that she should do some work on how she sees escorts which was great, but nothing comes of that at all.
For someone who should understand how difficult it can be to be on your own both in terms of relationships and finances, she is judgmental and snobby when it comes to how others get by. Her constant trashing on escorts especially is nasty and her apparent disdain for them is hypocritical. She's a classic example of “I'm not like other girls” female character. We also get some body checking from her in terms early in the book that gave us a great insight into how she views beauty.
If I had picked this book up and not known what year it was published, I would've assumed it was written in the early eighties based solely off of the way women treat women within the story. In 2022 I would've thought we had grown past the need for female characters who treat other women like trash because they express their sexuality differently or because the main female character simply has some unchecked misogyny.
I feel that my critique is harsh, mostly on Adelaide's character, because I am tired of seeing romance and erotica riddled with such old school views on women especially when it comes to sex work and escorts. And even more so when the author is a woman and honestly should know better. I was hesitant at first to write this review, but ultimately I decided to write it for two reasons.
The first being that I feel other readers should be aware of some glaring issues and potential triggers throughout. My reviews are typically meant for potential readers only hence my I believe they should receive an honest and unfiltered review. My second reason is in the hopes that maybe if for some reason the author sees this, that she does better. She is a talented writer and there were a handful of moments that I found myself smiling at, but at the core there were so many red flags. Sex work is real work. Escorts and sex workers deserve respect regardless of the reason behind why they're doing what they do. As long as it is consensual there isn't any reason why we should be shaming them. I implore the author and readers of romance to do better.

This was sort of interesting, though i was not much fan of Addie. Jack was so and so, Declan was the most interesting of the characters that were there.

It is an age gap romance, something I read rarely but the prospect of art heist motivated me to read this. The bad news is there's no art heist (much to my dismay), but the good news is that the book is pretty good without that only.

Our FMC, Adelaide Wright, is 22, and MMC, Jack Nolan is 37. Both have depth and good back stories giving a valid reason into how they are the way they are.

The plot is intriguing and there's something new and unexpected when you think this is it. It kept me hooked and I genuinely liked the characters. I read it in two sittings, and really liked it.

If you're into age-gap romances then you can definitely pick this up.