I had early access to this book through NetGalley. When I requested to read this book I was initially out of my comfort zone. In the beginning of the book I wasn’t hooked right away.. by page 100 I couldn’t stop reading it lol. I read it all in one sitting. Addie is a hard working college senior who is faced with a not so pleasant deal from a certain someone. She meets Jack and their chemistry is immaculate. He takes care of her which is exactly what she needs. There’s unexpected parts and things in here that will pull on your heart strings. I would definitely check trigger warnings before reading this.(talks of suicide) The only reason I didn’t rate this higher is because it felt so short and I wanted more. There was also a few grammatical errors. Some of it felt quite predictable.

This is was such an easy, enjoyable read. The characters were wonderful to get to know and I was hooked as soon as Jack was introduced.

I love me an age gap romance! Adelaide and Jack’s attraction to each other was instant, however as their relationship becomes more complicated, it’s as if their romance goes from a fast to a slow burn as we watch them figure it out.

I absolutely adore Adelaide. A college student who has experienced more than your average 22-year-old, she’s scrappy and has a bit of a chip on her shoulder. So it was really nice to see her become so vulnerable with Jack.

I really loved how many emotions I went through as I got to know Declan. One moment, I sympathized with him and the next, I hated his guts, then back to sympathizing. That’s a sign of a great story, in my opinion!

Overall, I loved this book and I couldn’t put it down. I will absolutely recommend it to everyone I know.

Thank you to NetGalley and Marmack Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book started out a bit slow but quickly picked up and I was not disappointed. The characters were detailed and had emotional depth and the love story between Addie and Jack was on point. I was deeply drawn into the description of the art scene and the scandal and really intrigued by this author’s debut novel. I am honestly looking forward to reading more from Maren Mackenzie.

This was a great read. I loved the development of the relationship between Jack and Addie and the definite chemistry they shared. There were several twists and turns to keep the story exciting and interesting. Perfect beach read!

This novel had me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it. College senior, Adelaide, struggles with having enough money, and to get by she writes papers for other people. It's the only thing helping her make it hopefully to graduation. But when her art history TA, Declan, finds out her secret he threatens to reveal it to the college. The only way he will keep his mouth shut is if she recovers his stolen paintings from a notoriously cutthroat art dealer.

Jack is older, wealthy, and a power player in a world where money, sex, and high art rule. Adelaide’s only way into his exclusive circle is through an arrangement that leaves her at Jack’s beck and call. While being his arm candy she has to be strong in her restraint to not reveal her true motives of why she is actually there. But when chemistry unexpectedly sparks between them it becomes clear that Jack isn’t quite the villain Declan described him to be.

Adelaide is pulled in varying directions as her relationship with Jack intensifies, and so do Declan’s demands. Soon enough the only thing holding her life together is a tangle of secrets and lies that could unravel at any moment.

This book was so incredible, and I absolutely love the way that Adelaide and Jack are painted within this story. The journey Adelaide takes through this story had me holding on tight around every twist and turn this story made. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book.

Adelaide is a college senior with a big secret. A secret big enough to get her kicked out of college months before graduation. When new TA Declan finds out about her secret, he starts to blackmail her: get back his stolen paintings or he will go to the dean. Adelaide is helplessly pulled into this revenge plan, which has only one correct way. She has to seduce art dealer Jack Nolan.

The book took me a while to get into because the beginning was a bit slow. However, once the love interest was introduced, it started picking up. The writing flowed really nice and was able to keep me engaged, even when Declan would pop up on page (ohhh how I hated him). Adelaide was a fun and sassy protagonist to read about. She was so strong willed and transparent, I loved it. Jack was a successful businessman, who consistently invested money in “relationships”. Fake relationship with a billionaire, count me in!

Not going to life but I was a little hesitant about the whole age gap romance hype that was radiating around this book. However, it was really smoothly flowing with the plot that I forgot all about it. After a while, it didn’t really seem like an issue until it was mentioned on page by the characters. The only thing about the romance side that had me cringing was how instant it felt. I would have liked it to be more slow-burn. It also felt like the romance interfered with the whole revenge plan (that was until Declan would pop up *shaking my head*). It was still very thrilling to read because every interaction between Adelaide and Jack had me anxious and anticipating a dramatic confrontation.

Overall, it was a fun and easy read. And I may or may not have stayed up until 2 am reading it.

Adelaide is earning much needed cash by writing papers for other students at college. Declan is her art history TA and has discovered what she is doing. Now he is blackmailing her to recover some paintings that he says have been stolen. Is he telling her the truth? Fast-paced read with loads of drama, suspense and intrigue. Great characters and an entertaining story. I liked it.

(3.5 stars) It felt almost shockingly easy to slip into this book. From the first chapter, I felt quite the pull to get me to keep reading and not stop, so I did just that and devoured every page. The book is immensely compelling, and the academia vibes in the setting and its atmosphere were wonderful. Give me an ivy-covered school and a high-end art world, and I’m pretty much sold. The plot is fun and engaging, and the pacing was very well-done. I was never bored.

But… I’m not so sure how I felt about the characters. Adelaide was at times fascinating, but, at other times, she felt half-written. She’s an incredibly smart young woman who knows enough about a broad variety of topics to successfully write college papers for other students, but she’s somewhat dull in conversations and lets herself be manipulated by the men around her. I wished she had more agency. And then there were the “I’m-not-like-other-girls,” “I-don’t-know-I’m-beautiful” vibes that occasionally emanated from her. Adelaide also falls prey to the whole “hot-guy-with-nice-abs-is-interested-in-me-so-I-forget-everything-else-that’s-important-to me” trope, neglecting both her schoolwork (which she’s made her priority up until now) and her friends (who are the only people she can open up to).

At times, the romance between Adelaide and Jack — which I didn’t expect to take up so much of the story, but I’m not mad it did — was swoon-worthy and gave all the requisite butterflies. But, then, at other times, I’m not quite sure where their connection was coming from. I never really got a good sense of why Jack actually liked Adelaide. Why did they want to be together? To that end, I also felt like they weren’t given much of an ending together, and Adelaide wasn’t given one on her own; a lot is made about her future, and then the book ends rather abruptly.

I think more depth and understanding of character would have made me like this book a bit more, but I still definitely enjoyed reading it. Maren Mackenzie’s debut novel is richly interesting and well-plotted, it’s glamorous and intriguing. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next from this author.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Marmack Books, and Maren Mackenzie for proving me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Im so glad I had the honor of reading this one. I DID NOT expect it to tug at my heart strings like it did. My emotions were running wild. Perfect amount of scandalous if you ask me. I want more Addie and Jack.
Addie is collecting money for writing other students papers at Cranst,when a past fling finds out and takes ahold of her life by threatening to tell the dean. The only way he won't is if she gives him something she needs in return.
and does she....
The twist in this had my head exploding! Loved it.

I saw a good reads friend review this book and it immediately intrigued me. I just knew I had to read it for myself. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me. I can see lots of other people enjoying this though! I DNF’ed the book at 50% for reference.

Personally, the writing is just not my style. I’ve read several books written in this way and can’t say I ever really enjoyed them. It’s very simple writing that feels sterile. I generally like writing that’s more emotion-filled, descriptive, and flowery. Which is entirely up to preference because I know some people hate that.

The actual plot sounds incredibly interesting. Set in an art scene with blackmail? That sounds amazing. Except the actual story turned out to be Insta-lust /insta-love and the art scene wasn’t really as impressive as I thought it’d be. I wanted to feel the passion and the art leap off the pages, but instead I got a bland description of Adelaide at random places where she just focused on showing off to Jack. If the aspect of sugaring were explored more, or there was more sexual chemistry between the characters (ones that I could feel off the page) then it would have been more interesting. But instead everything was just flat for me. And the fact that Adelaide is using her real name in this type of situation is dangerous. At one point, Adelaide judges this other sugar baby not thinking about how she herself is the same. Luckily, she comes to that conclusion, but I can’t help but think her thoughts aren’t actually reflecting just how this type of work can impact Adelaide mentally and socially (if say, someone she knows found out).

Honestly, I just did not like Jack, I never took to him and he’s just rude. There’s no personality behind him and I have no desire to continue to find out the story,

The cover is absolutely gorgeous and I can see this working for some people, but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

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

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense, Spicy Reads
Age range: 18+
Spice: 3/5

Overall: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Writing and Setting: 4.5/5

TW: suicide attempt, mental illness, sex, sexual themes, mentions of underage sex, language, mentions of parental death, grief

I was absolutely FLOORED by this book…!

I was not prepared for how much of a page turner this book was going to be. I was already singing it’s praises after reading only four chapters, and I binged the rest without hesitation.

‘Rules of Arrangement’ gives you everything you want in a book - romance, suspense, some mystery, hits of spice and so much character- driven chaos and drama that I just couldn’t put the book down.

Characters: 5/5

The three main characters in this book are extremely well fleshed out. For instance, you can understand the motivation behind what ultimately dropped Adelaide into the blackmail situation. You can feel just how intense and how completely absorbed Jack is towards Addie, and you can’t ignore the slight feeling of Declan being ‘off-centre’ at different points throughout the book. Although the plot is central to this story, without these characters being as engrossing as they are, this book would not be as good as it is.

Plot: 4.5/5

I really have nothing bad to say about the plot. It was original in its approach as I have never read anything like this book before, however, the only downfall (if you can call it that) is that the ending was little bit predictable (aka - the HEA) .

Writing and Setting: 4.5/5

Very similar to the plot, the writing and settings were damn-near perfect. I loved the third-person narration, and I truely think that the book wouldn’t have been the same written in first person. The only irk I have was that the beginning was a little slow, but from the minute I picked up the book, I knew that it was going to be worth it in the long run.

The setting takes place mainly in New York, but also spans across American and some international travel. Sometimes when the narrative jumps location a lot, the story can feel a bit disjointed, but the travel blended seamlessly with Jack’s lifestyle and it was realistic and believable to plot itself.

Conclusion:

This is one of the most successful debut novels I think I’ve ever come across and I’m so pleased that I was able read and review this book as an advanced reader. I really look forward to reading more from Maren Mackenzie.


I was given this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and this review has been posted on my own terms. Thank you to Maren Mackenzie, Marmack Books and Netgalley for the opportunity.

This book had me hooked from start to finish.

I am a slow reader, even short books take me a couple or days or more. This book only took me an afternoon and an evening. I could *not* put it down. Maren Mackenzie's debut novel is an absolute hit. I wish I could experience it all over again for the first time. I am so happy with it! Her writing is convincing, emotional, sexy, and romantic. The whole package!

I am not used to reading books with quite the age gap this one had, but now I'm eager to discover more-- especially if they're written as compelling as this one.

I felt for our lead Adelaide so much. There was one point towards the second half of the story where I was so scared she was not going to be able to share her truth on her own terms. So many of her choices were manipulated away, leaving her with limited agency, and I was nervous for when and how the truth would come out. The fact I held my breath and my heart was racing as wildly as it did, is further evidence of how compelling the book was. Jack made me feel all things-- frustration and anger; love and exhilaration. I wanted him away from Adelaide, but also needed him to stay with her. Their relationship was one I immediately bought into. There is so much tension, chemistry, and urgency in their attraction to one another. The smut was a total steamy delight, but what I ended up caring more about was when they emotionally connected to one another. Shower sex is a total plus. but I also love scenes of vulnerability. Of soft intimacy. The urgent sex, the soft intimacy, this story balanced it out so well! There was sincere depth I so appreciated.

Some may question the feasibility of Adelaide getting away with 3 years of illegal essay writing, but for me, I think sometimes you have to suspend your disbelief. I fell easily into this story and honestly did not want to leave it. I regret how quickly I read it, if anything.

My only "complaints" are quite minor- I would have enjoyed a lengthier finish or epilogue, with a narrative that paced itself so well, I was a bit bummed with how quickly things wrapped up. On the opposite side, I think I needed more a build-up of Jack's secret. Again,I do consider these minor nitpicks that did not detract any from my overall enjoyment of this book. Like I said, for a slow reader like me-- finishing within a day means a book was freaking fantastic!

Thank you NetGalley and Marmack Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to its release. I am so grateful-- the synopsis had be immediately intrigued and I felt extremely satisfied with this book.
Will 100% recommend to all! I can't wait to see what other stories Mackenzie has in store for us-- I'll definitely be a loyal and eager reader to all future works!

trigger warning: there is discussion of a past suicide attempt as well as a present day suicide attempt.

This book had me hooked from the beginning, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and ended up reading it in one sitting. There is drama, romance, suspense, an emotional journey, and a little spice. I went into the book expecting some kind of heist, but as the story progresses I was proved wrong, but I was pleasantly surprised with the development of the story and the direction of the plot. It gave me some vibes of Gabriel's Inferno, the author did a great job building the story and delivered a wonderful and complicated romance that is not lacking its fair share of tension and slow-burn, accompanied by the further complication of the circumstances, a forbidden love, blackmail, and a self-discovery journey.

However I feel the ending was a little rushed, I would have loved to have had an extra 50 pages for them to resolve all of their issues and start working towards a relationship, instead of instantly forgetting everything, realizing they couldn't live without each other and rushing to get to the happily ever after.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I want to thank NetGalley and Marmack Books for providing me with this eARC.

Rating: 4.25 ★★★★

I loved this book! It kept me on the edge of my seat with anticipation, while it was pretty predictable (with some unexpected twists), I found that I appreciated that and made me enjoy it even more.

“Look, everyone makes it sound like love is this secret little key to unlock everything, and if you have it, things will be fine. But they’re wrong. It’s just step one. The rest is work. Compromise. Forgiveness.”

___________________________

Adelaide is a 22 year old senior at Cranst University in Connecticut. Having lost her parents suddenly 4 years prior and now being estranged from her old sister and brother, she is used to doing what she has to in order to make ends meet and support herself through graduation. And though she isn’t proud of it, in Adelaide’s case this means writing papers for her fellow classmates for cash instead of making minimum wage blending smoothies. Months away from graduation she has an end to her secret hustle finally in sight when her former neighbor Declan Jones asks her for help with his own paper. Having been an art prodigy at a young age, the last contact Adelaide has with him prior to his slow rise to fame was what is lovingly coined as “The Night of the Peach Schnapps” in which she and Declan shared a bottle of Peach Schnapps while he painted her…and then she lost her virginity to him. So now seeing him as a polished, affluent student asking for help is…confusing. However things become painfully clear as she completes his paper for him and then attends her own art class only to find out that he is not a student and in fact a TA for the school.

Upon meeting him after class, Declan uses Adelaide’s illegal paper writing scheme to blackmail her into helping him. An art dealer who had promised Declan fame and fortune has stolen a collection of Declan’s best artwork, crushing his “muse” and his career in the process and now Declan wants it back. Grooming Adelaide into playing the perfect part he then places her exactly where she will encounter the art dealer who has a roving eye for women he can “contract” into escorting him to all social events…and other engagements. With her eye set on the prize, finding the paintings, keeping her secret safe, and graduating college unscathed Adelaide is ready to get the job over with. The only thing she isn’t ready for is Jack Nolan himself.
**Please note there is a nonsexual Trigger Warning for this story - listed it at the end of the review**

This book was a wonderful collection of some of your favorite romance tropes: fake relationship, billionaire romance, age gap, who did this to you, and mistaken identity to name a few. It’s an entertaining read with a satisfying shot of spice and almost as much heart.

Adelaide is a fun protagonist. Smart, sassy, and secure in her vision for her life moving forward, you really do get a sense that she is someone simply down on her luck by tragic circumstances who is simply putting her head down and doing what needs to be done to “make it”.

Jack is everything you want a strong, sensual, successful man 16 years your senior to be. His swoon worthy moments were steamy and getting down to the heart of him and his love for Adelaide was gentle and truly brought his character full circle.

The story came across very insta-love for me which almost nullified the entire vibe the book was going for. While Adelaide’s inner dialog was that Jack was playing a part to keep feelings and emotions out of their arrangement I had a hard time seeing Jack as a cold, dominant male after he clearly went outside of his “norm” for her right off the bat by seeking her out and then meeting her in a cafe instead of wooing her like it implied his character would have. Granted this isn’t what his character truly would have done as we eventually find out, but he didn’t even attempt to put up a front at the start outside of his obsession with always being on time.

The suspense aspect also fell flat for me. I felt like Declan’s character and appearances existed solely to drum up this sense of dread and almost fear that he was going to do something truly terrible to Adelaide which prevented us from getting to know his character at all. This did ultimately feed into his storyline overall, but giving the overbearing, gas lighting, manipulative, blackmailing “villain” of the story such a tragic reason for why he was the way he was almost made that reason sting too deep.

The true shining story in this book was the focus on what it really means to love and be in love with someone…and the work it takes to sustain that. This was echoed in Adelaide and Jack’s relationship, as well as in Jack’s relationship with his own hidden past and Adelaide’s fractured relationship with her older sister and brother. Getting to the heart of what a heart does and the mistakes it can make when struck with grief, and how best intentions can came across as anything but made this a really great romcom-style romance that would be perfect for the big screen over Valentine’s Day weekend.

It might not have checked all of the boxes for me but if you’re looking for 50 Shades of Grey meets How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days (sans comedy) with a bit of Revenge sprinkled on top then definitely grab this one to read on your next trip!!




**TW: Attempted suicide, suicidal thoughts, mental illness, long term caregiver, loss.

It's been awhile since I've read a book that so thoroughly hooked me from the very beginning that I sat and read the entire thing in one day. But that's exactly what Rules of Arrangement did. From the cover art (absolute perfection) to the description (very intriguing and gave me L.S. Hilton Maestra vibes), this book was exactly what I needed as a palette cleanser from my steady diet of romantic comedies. This had everything I could want in a book - romance, a little mystery, a little intrigue, and enough character-driven drama to keep me turning the pages as quickly as possible.

Adelaide Wright is a broke college senior just trying to make it to graduation by writing other students' papers for cash, as she has for the last several years. Until she runs into a old friend of hers, Declan Jones, who reappears in her life after six years. After painting her portrait, having sex with her, then leaving her without a word on his way to becoming a rising star of an artist, she's surprised to see him on her college campus. After convincing her to write a paper for him, she's even more shocked to find out he's the TA for her art history course - the same course he asked her to write a paper for. Knowing that he's trapped her, when he blackmails her into helping him recover some stolen paintings, paintings that he's convinced will help him get his career back on track, she's left with no choice but to go along with his scheme. Sure that his former art dealer Jack Nolan stole his most brilliant paintings and betrayed him, Declan facilitates a meeting between Jack and Adelaide so that she can become his "arrangement" or lover. As she gets more involved with Declan, she begins to question how much she knows about and can trust him. And her arrangement with Jack becomes more and more intense, and when it begins to feel less like an arrangement and more like something serious and real, she's torn between what she wants, what she thinks she deserves, and who she can trust as she walks a fine line of deception, desire, and ambition.

Absolutely brilliant and engaging novel! The characters are well-developed and nuanced, the plot is well-paced with just enough intrigue to be engaging rather than edgy, and the chemistry between Adelaide and Jack was explosive but realistic. Highly recommend this book! Thanks to Maren Mackenzie, Marmack Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is the book you pick up when you need something scandalous and compelling to fall into for an afternoon. There's drama, romance with a touch of spice, a glamorous art scene juxtaposed against your average college campus, but what surprised me the most is the emotional depth that this story pulls off. I'm so glad I requested this on a whim off NetGalley. Sometimes, the best books just have a way of finding you when you need them. What a fantastic debut!



TW: attempted suicide (not graphic, on page), death of a parent, blackmail, slut shaming


Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

3 stars.

Trigger warning: suicide attempt and mentions of death/grief of loved ones.

This book is good! I enjoyed Adelaide and Jack’s relationship. Although for some reason, I did think that something would go on between Adelaide and Declan. The book started off well but halfway through, the progression of the story felt kind of dragged and slow. Don’t get me wrong, it was good but it could’ve been better. The plot was amazing and definitely original. I never read anything like it. I wasn’t expecting some scenes and happenings with Jack and even Declan.

Adelaide goes through some major character development… and in a way, so does her sister Samantha.

There were many issues touched upon in this book such as attempt at suicide and grief of a loved one. They are strong and controversial topics to discuss and in my opinion I thought that they could be talked about and handled better.

Overall, it was a good book. Not one of my favorites but I still enjoyed it. If author Maren Mackenzie wrote a sequel to this book, I’d read it.

Thank you Marmack Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Adelaide Wright finds herself facing expulsion from college, when a former teenage friend, Declan, blackmails her. How? Adelaide has been writing papers for students so that she can pay her college fees and survive. Declan won’t reveal her secret if she recovers his stolen paintings from Jack Nolan, an art dealer. When Adelaide catches Jack’s eye, she finds herself drawn into his world, accepting an arrangement whereby she is at his beck and call, in return for a lucrative fee. As the chemistry between them ignites, Adelaide wonders whether there is more behind the image that Jack projects or if there can be more than their current arrangement.
The premise of this story had me interested but the more I read, the more I found myself thoroughly immersed in the relationship between Adelaide and Jack. At first Jack seems quite aloof and not quite likeable but as time goes on, and their relationship intensifies, we see Jack reveal more of his feelings, very subtly. I enjoyed the gradual transition from their aggressive manner towards each other, to more tender feelings. The conflict between Adelaide and her two siblings, was well integrated into the storyline, as was Declan’s character. For a first novel, the writer deals with the adult themes with tremendous sensitivity, never letting these issues overwhelm Adelaide and Jack’s developing relationship. Even once I finished reading this book, I found myself rereading pivotal sections, and in a way, not wanting to finish the story. A great read!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I struggled with this rating. On the one hand, I found the main conflict of Rules of Arrangement an original idea; on the other, I was neither satisfied with the progression of the story nor the development of the characters.

Reading this novel was not a struggle; Mackenzie’s writing is straightforward—in some sections, too much so, as it sometimes feels as though she aims to hit over the head with her messages. There was also a sentence in the middle of the novel that made me uncomfortable, though I think it's more tone-deaf than it is outrightly intended to offend.

As for the characters, the chemistry between Addie and Jack could have been better developed; while I did admire Addie's compassion towards everyone, I didn't feel that Jack contributed equally to their relationship, and was left unsatisfied with the conclusion of their story. The situation with Declan is also cut a little short; I would have liked his arc to be more grounded in details from earlier on in the story.

The last third of the novel, however, is very redemptive; Mackenzie employs a rich series of twists that, while a bit abrupt, reinvigorates the story. Overall, this novel is perfect for readers looking for a quick fix of guilty pleasure romance, an original concept, and an admirable protagonist.

Thank you to NetGalley and Marmack Books for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.