Thank you to the Publisher via NetGalley for this book in exchange for an honest review

Age Gap Romance
Fake Dating

This book was great. I loved it. While there was drama it did not distract from the romance or the plot.

I found myself loving these characters immediately. The chemistry and romance between Jack and Adelaide was incredible. I really became entranced by their romance and just had to keep reading.

A romance book that will have you wanting more, this book will have you turning the pages wanting more. A great romance with BDSM elements. This book is great for any romance reader.

Rules of Arrangement
Maren Mackenzie
Adelaide Wright is hard up for money so she writes papers for other students; if she is caught, it will mean the end of her college education. If she can just make it until graduation. All looks good until her art TA, Declan, threatens to expose her unless she recovers his paintings from Jack Nolan, a mature and ruthless art dealer. There is only way Adelaide can gain entry into Jack’s world, through an agreement that leaves her at his mercy. She is eye candy on his arm, but the sparks are flying and the relationship is growing.
This book has spice, romance and is hot. I loved watching the relationship between Jack and Adelaide grow. Their characters work well together. This is a fun book. I couldn’t put it down once I started it.

Although I had a difficult time staying connected to the various relationships with numerous characters at times, I found Maren Mackenzie's ability to weave a story together compelling and the chemistry between characters electrifying. More than the relationship between Adelaide and Jack, I was drawn to the relationship between our main character and her siblings and would have loved to read more on that. Overall, I enjoyed this debut novel and look forward to reading more from her.

This was like Fifty Shades meets Pretty Woman. You kind of have to throw your feminism in the closet for this one. It got a bit frustrating to read at times, especially when these men would walk all over the FMC and she acted like it was nothing… Yet she refused to forgive her sister.

I will say that for a smart character, Adelaide is real oblivious and not very likable. Plus, we’re told she’s an old soul, but she definitely acts her young age for most of this novel.

The book was pretty slow-paced and things got repetitive and predictable, but I am excited to see how this author’s work develops. Also, the cover is a bit misleading. I LOVE it, but it gives off a romance/thriller vibe, so I thought there would be way more action and a lot less shopping throughout this story.

Spice: 2.5/5
TW: Suicide, mentions of underage sex

A nice read if you love the genre.
It gives just what it tells you it would give, nothing more and nothing less.
Would recommend it for a quick nice read!

Such a fantastic debut!
I couldn't get into it in the beginning but when it started getting good, I couldn't stop reading. It was amazing with its angst and tension. So many superbly executed tropes and it basically read like a 50 Shades retelling, but better. I adored all the characters and was very impressed with how good the writing was!
Such a terrific read, I will definitely follow Maren and look out for her future books<3

I absolutely loved the book! It was a nice change compared to most books I have been reading. I absolutely love Adelaide! She is so independent and funny. She doesn’t take shit from anyone. She changes so much in the book, she becomes a bigger person, I love that for her! Jack, omg jack. He was beautiful and just everything! He grew so much. You can see Adelaide breaking his walls and all the sweet things he did for her. He is a completely different person at the end. Declan was special, I can see he wasn’t an evil person just needed help, but he frustrated me. It I know deep down he was a good person and once he got help you can see he wants to make amends.

The only thing I will say that bothered me was the ending, it ended so abruptly that it left me like whaaa. I wanted more, to see where they end up and what happens.

Overall I give it a 4.5!!

I loved it and I couldn't put it down. It was fast-paced and catchy, with interesting characters and good plot. It kept me hooked from beginning to end.
Definitely give it a try. It's refreshing and different. You get romance, spice, family trouble, a bit of mystery, a bit of heartbreak and the feeling of authenticity with every page.

SO MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT I EXPECTED!!

Plot- 5/5
Spice- 3/5

It's got romance, spice, drama, an actually engaging plot that keeps the reader hooked and wanting for more. I honestly did not want this to be over.

The plot is pretty simple but the way it's written makes it so special. The pace is fast moving and very smooth, so you'll never get bored of it. The characters are full of personality, especially Adelaide- who's battle with her morals and struggles with money, sibling relationships are shown so well. Jack is HOT, the liking to his character totally depends on the reader. Declan is a typical douche who's battling mental health issues (but what he did to Adelaide is still inexcusable). All the three main characters have battles of their own and depth to themselves.

Adelaide and Jack's relationship is so full of chemistry. I found myself rooting for them almost immediately. If you are into age gap romance and fake dating with a bit of spice, this is the one for you. Don't hesitate to pick this one up. This does have a slight vibe similar to the Fifty Shades of Grey but it's not that extensive (there's a contract but no BDSM). You'll find yourself rooting for the couple pretty soon.

The author has written this remarkably well and I'll be looking forward to read more of her works in the future.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and would recommend!

TW- Blackmail, suicide, sexual themes, age gap romance, mental illness, loss.

eARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review. (Review posted on Goodreads as well)

I have just discovered this Author. This is her first boom. And what a compelling book to read. It was billed as Erotic but it was actually very tamed. I read it in one day, I really wanted to know how Adélaïde and Jack story was going to pan out. I loved everything about it even though it was told only from Adélaïde POV. Some of the scenes towards the end were like coming straight from a movie. Some of the subjects matters were well related.
I can't wait to read more books from this Author.
Book provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

This is a book that makes you forget all about your reading slump. It is compelling, gives you just enough spice, and is glamourous and scandalous all at the same time. I grabbed this off of NetGalley based on the cover, and I'm glad I did. I enjoyed all of the drama and emotions that this brought up. I finished it in one sitting and it was a great way to kill an afternoon and a reading slump!!

Heads up there are a couple of trigger warnings to be aware of: attempted suicide (not graphic), parental death, and blackmail. I apologize if there were some that were present that I didn't include.

If I were to describe this book in five words or less, it would be this: 1989 by Taylor Swift. Just…trust me on this.

Adelaide “Addie” Wright is a broke college student who, after finding herself being blackmailed by a former acquaintance, is thrown into the high-rolling life of art dealer Jack Nolan. Jack is older, wealthy, and powerful, but as Addie grows closer to him, she soon learns he’s not all he’s been made out to be. As the chemistry and angst build, sparks fly. Will Addie rise to the challenge of Jack’s charms, or fall victim to her blackmailer and the life she’s felt forced to carve out for herself.

This book had me in its grips the entire time. This had everything I want in a romance book: a reasonably realistic MC, a chaotic plot full of high stakes, excellent smut, a third act that was true to the characters/plot, and a subsequent reunion that was true to the characters/plot.

I liked the premise and the pace of the plot. The whiplash of emotions between Addie and Jack were a lot sometimes, but seemed on par for the unusual personal-yet-professional relationship tight-rope they were trying to walk – which was the recipe for making the good times good, and the bad times bad.

While the book may not be entirely flawless (I’ll talk about that a little further down), HOWEVER it is completely, 100%, a good time. It’s fun, dirty, and a little out of this world – in a great way. I thoroughly enjoyed reading <i>Rules of Arrangement</i>; I couldn’t put it down and plan on picking up a physical copy ASAP.

<b>Below are SPOILERS</b>

Some critiques that I have about the book include the inclusion of the suicide attempt and the family drama. I felt a little weird about Declan’s suicide attempt; it felt unnecessarily dark and took away from the main narrative of the story. As another reviewer pointed out, the blackmail could’ve entirely been removed from the storyline and Addie would’ve still had a perfectly good reason to enter into the arrangement with Jack.

Additionally, the family drama was leaned into a little too hard for my liking, especially for it to be mostly forgiven by the end. There was 3+ years of bad blood and hurt that seemed to get resolved relatively quickly (not completely, but a bit too much too fast imo). I think a strained/estranged relationship instead of an outright hatred would’ve been more beneficial in this instance.

Neither of these critiques spoiled my enjoyment of the book overall.

So happy with Maren Mackenzie’s debut novel, I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for future publishings.

<b>Suicide attempt – not graphic</b>

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Marmack Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. </i>

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Rules of arrangement is a story about Adelaide, a college student, who runs an illegal business of writing papers for students around campus to finance her livelihood. Right as her business is booming, her old friend and neighbor, Declan, finds out her secret and threatens to spill everything. To save her own skin, Adelaide makes a deal with Declan to seduce the successful art dealer Jack and to retrieve back Declan's stolen paintings. But to get close to Jack, she has to enter a dubious arrangement that will cost her more than just her morals.


I absolutely loved this book. It has everything I expect a good book to have, a fast-paced plot with intrigue, a great romance and interesting characters. Right from the beginning, this book was addictive, so much that I couldn't put it down even though I had no time whatsoever to read. The story didn't get boring, it had the perfect length, and the writing style wasn't unnecessarily complicated. The chemistry between the two protagonists was just perfect, and I must say that this is for certain an impressive debut novel. I will definitely be checking out the author's next book.

This book had me hooked from start to finish! I could hardly put it down. The plot of this book was so captivating - sexy and scintillating, with art and academia? Yes, please.

I really enjoyed the author’s writing style, and I liked the way she developed each of the characters. They all felt very real, with hidden quirks and complexities that I enjoyed uncovering as a reader. I thought the relationships were developed very thoughtfully.

Because I’m primarily a romance reader, I would be remiss if I didn’t dedicate a whole section of my review to the spice. I mean, holy cow. I thought the chemistry between the main characters was sizzling and their banter and interactions with one another were fantastic. Normally I don’t gravitate towards romance novels written in the third person, but something about how this one was written made me feel like I was right there in the story.

This was a quick and caliente read that I feel certain I will come back to at some point.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

it is absolutely crazy how quickly I got sucked into this book! you know it's going to be good when just the first few paragraphs get you - I mean, lucrative hustle of writing your classmates' college papers? I love that for her.

Adelaide needs to make ends meet while finishing her undergraduate degree, and writes essays and papers for her classmates for a price that's better than any other kind of job she can get around campus. but then she runs into Declan, her childhood neighbor, gifted painter and former crush - who also happens to be her TA - and he convinces her to help him get his art back from a wealthy art dealer. turns out this art dealer isn't cold and taciturn like Declan had described him to be, and Addie finds herself falling for Jack Nolan.

let me tell you, I freaking love Jack and Addie, wowee! and I genuinely don't know how she managed to juggle everything going on with her life between writing the papers, her own coursework, seducing Jack, dealing with Declan and trying to process her family trauma related to the death of her parents. and seeing how much Jack and Adelaide slowly start to need one another, realize what they had been missing from each of their lives and finding it, along with healing and a future with each other just really sealed the deal for me.

I cannot believe this is Maren Mackenzie's debut novel - so much to look forward to from her future releases and I'll be one of the first ones in line!

A quick read of a young woman who is blackmailed into seeking an arrangement with an art dealer in order to keep her secret paper writing business a secret. Of course, the art dealer and the young woman fall in love but will the tangle of lies keep them apart?

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this book

I applied for this arc because the cover got me really intrigued, I love when art and paintings are a part of the story.

The story is about a university student called Adelaide, she is 22 and due to financial problems decided to write essays for her fellow students in exchange for money. One day her childhood neighbor and first crush Declan hires her to write his essay and discloses later, that he is a teaching assistent and threatens her to make her business public.
He blackmails her, to help him get his stolen paintings back from a very prestige art dealer named Jack, he is hot, older and wealthy.
Against her will she decides to get in contact with Jack, but him being part of a completely different world with different rules puts her up against unknown challenges. The question is, will she be able to do what Declan wants and which price does she have to pay for it ?

I’m starting my review by saying, that I overall enjoyed the story. It is fast paced, easy to follow and FINALLY a story with plot and not just sex. I’m extremely picky with romance books that include smut and I’m happy that the author gave the reader more than just steamy scenes.

The plot, while being entertaining, was predictable to a degree without ruining the reading experience. I felt like the relationship between the characters actually changed gradually over the course of the story which made it seem quite realistic and believable. Often times romance stories just tell the reader that the characters like each other but don’t show it.

I liked the inclusion of mental health in this story, it was respectfully written and I liked the inclusion at the end which gave resources for people dealing with suicidal thoughts, I didn’t find a trigger warning at the start of the book which I would have liked.

I overall recommend this book to anyone who is is intrigued by stories who center arround immoral arrangements, art and steamy scenes between a young woman and a older, wealthy man. And I'm interested in reading upcoming books by the author.

I rate this book 3.5/5

I expected to enjoy this book but it totally blew my expectations out of the water. This book drew me in quickly and kept me obsessed through to the end. Every time I thought I had things figured out, the book went in a different direction and kept me on my toes. 100 recommend!

Listen, this book was so good! I was perusing the Netgalley catalogue when this cover and title caught my eye. Clicked on it to read the synopsis--instantly sold. One chapter in? Hooked, could not put it down, kept me engaged throughout with the drama, deceit, and darling romance.

This book features a contractural fake dating relationship, blackmail, age gap romance, and some steamy scenes. I enjoyed all the preceding as well as the juxtaposition between the unglamorous college life with the opulent art dealing world. I loved Jack's hot and cold demeanor but Adelaide's actions frustrated me many times. Miscommunication is my least favorite trope, but I surprisingly didn't feel the overwhelming urge to chuck my kindle across the room while reading because I felt invested enough to find out what happens next and to see if there was a HEA/HFN or not.

Overall, a great read! I'm excited to read whatever Mackenzie writes in the future.

This book was one of my favorite arcs of the year so far. This book made me laugh and cry. The steam was pretty good, but I don't know why it was in the erotica section. Erotic romance, yes, straight-up erotica, meh. This book needs some content and trigger warnings in the front matter, but I do applaud the author for including the information for the suicide prevention hotline in the back matter.

I was expecting this book to give me the ick (billionaire romance and age gap), but it didn't. The age gap was not disgusting to me like it usually is, and the sugar daddy vibes somehow made it hotter.

All in all the story was great and even got intense towards the end. I would have liked to see some of that speed pushed into the beginning of the book, but it is completely fine as is. The characters were relatable at most points but I don't think I can forgive her sister or Declan lol.

If you are into the sugar daddy trope, or even age gap trope this is a good book for you.