Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Derek and Nora are college sweethearts who go through a rough breakup only to meet again years later — with Nora as Derek’s sports agent. When the pair gets accidentally married, they have to keep the ruse up so Nora doesn’t lose her job, but also because their feelings appear to reemerge.

Nora’s character took some warming up for me. She’s fiesty and optimistic, but some of her quips felt cheesy — which was the point of her character, and I eventually grew to like her. I was surprised that the actual fake marriage of the story happened so late, but I liked seeing their relationship as just Sports Agent x Client for a while. I really enjoyed the honeymoon scenes and loved their dynamic together. Derek’s for the girls who love a MMC saying “my wife”!! I felt like some things had loose ends, like Nora’s relationship with her father and Derek’s relationship with his parents, but I did like the progression of their relationship together. This wasn’t my favorite from Sarah Adams, but still an enjoyable read.

Tropes:
Grumpy/Sunshine
Sports romance
Fake marriage
Second chance romance
Enemies to lovers

Spice:
2/5

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Sweet and Spicy!! I must admit that I wasn’t sure about this book at the start. Still, as I delved further into it, Nora's wit, intellect, and sassiness drew me in, and Derek's supportive, yet sometimes overly protective, nature was endearing.

Nora, a sports agent, is thrilled when she's assigned her first big client, only to find out that it's her ex-boyfriend from college, Derek Pender, whom she broke up with without any explanation. Derek, now an NFL tight end, is outraged when he discovers that Nora is his agent, as she coldly ended things with him eight years prior.

This is a second-chance romance that sizzles but is also soft. It deals with an adult diagnosis of dyslexia, feminism, workplace misogyny, and female empowerment. I’m not a fan of the bickering that started the novel, but the story swiftly shifts towards the chemistry between Nora and Derek, making it a delightful read. I adore a man who supports a woman's professional success without feeling threatened. Derek is happy when Nora is happy, and I appreciate a female protagonist who can take care of herself. No rescuing necessary.

Derek's teammates, who are endearing and hilarious, must be mentioned! Everyone requires a group of friends like this!

Come along on their journey back to each other. It’s sexy and touching.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC.

I have waited entirely too long for this sequel. I have read most everything written by Sarah and I have always adored her writing. To see one of her first open door romances be so successful and land without miss makes me so happy for her! I loved everything about this book, hilarious and swoon worthy as always. Having the old cast of characters back and be just as engaging was nostalgic in the very best way. I loved, loved, LOVED! 4.5/5 stars!

I have waited entirely too long for this sequel. I have read most everything written by Sarah and I have always adored her writing. To see one of her first open door romances be so successful and land without miss makes me so happy for her! I loved everything about this book, hilarious and swoon worthy as always. Having the old cast of characters back and be just as engaging was nostalgic in the very best way. I loved, loved, LOVED! 4.5/5 stars!

Can Sarah Adams do any wrong? I don't believe she can. The Cheat Sheet was my original catnip of her books, I read her whole backlist, and when I heard this was coming out I could barely contain my excitement.

Second chance romance? Fake dating? A dollop of grumpy sunshine in a sports romance? Dyslexia represention? Sign. Me. Up.

I normally do a love and dislike, but I don't have a dislike. Every Sarah Adams makes me happy, and satisfied. I was shocked she did add a spicy scene but put closed door modifications at the beginning. What a peach.

https://www.instagram.com/pagesandpaperrings/
💛The Rule Book by Sarah Adams - ARC mini review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡ (all the chemistry!)

Well, she did it again! Sarah is a magician of words and master of swoony moments. I absolutely adored Derek & Nora and all of their beautiful flaws and sizzling chemistry. The Rule Book is second chance romance at it's very finest! It wrenches at your heart strings but then Sarah somehow magically soothes it instantly in the most perfect balance of emotion.

There are so many anticipatory moments you are waiting for in this one! Moments you need answers for, words you are aching to hear and you get it all. It delivers.
The Rule Book holds the most incredible micro tropes we book lovers swoon for - it will have you squealing! (and giggling because that is a trademark of Sarah's sweet romances)

I am still freaking out a bit that I was lucky enough to receive this ARC. (Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine)
Sarah's books are a such a treasured happy light in my life. They are my therapy and comfort my anxious self like the biggest warm hug. Sarah, I can not thank you enough for all of your words, all of your biggest warm hugs.🥰

The Cheat Sheet is a favorite of mine.
The Rule Book is the perfect sequel to such a cherished book.

I love Sarah’s Adams books! I was so excited to get this book early and be able to review it. I thought it was good, I felt it was hard to get into at first but it came around. I felt that the main characters needed more Chemistry. But other than that I would recommend it all her books never disappoint!!

Sarah Adams is one of my favorite authors, so when it was announced she would be doing another book in the LA Sharks world, I was extremely excited. Derek getting his own book was perfect. And Nora made the perfect love interest for him.

The Rule Book has some great tropes in it, including second chance love and drunken oops marriage. Nora was a terrific character and I could relate to so many things about her. And Derek, whew! He was so swoon worthy in his love for her.

Thanks so so much to NetGalley for the ARC. Please pick this book up, y’all! You won’t regret it.

Surprisingly, I did not enjoy this book though. I have enjoyed previous Sarah Adams books. To start. The plot was just very unbelievable as a second chance romance. Then I didn't feel chemistry between the characters and then all of a sudden they're playing a game of strip questions and then having sex. I didn't feel the tension. The humor was also lost on me- the jokes just didn't hit.

Sarah Adams does it again! Absolutely loved this book, probably my favorite of hers yet. Can't wait to recommend to everyone I know who reads!

When you open a Sarah Adams book, you just know you’re going to be smiling, giggling, and kicking your feet throughout the adorable story. And that was no different here. This one felt a little heavier than The Cheat Sheet but it was still a very upbeat story and I really loved Derek and Nora. This was Sarah’s first open door release and while I love her other books, it actually fit the characters and storyline very well in this one.
Perfect beach read or middle of winter read if you want to pretend you’re on a warm sandy beach somewhere!
I definitely saw the conflict coming but I thought it was handled pretty well.
Overall, very fun and endearing romance. Can’t wait to see what Sarah Adams comes out with next.

Hello, new favorite Sarah Adams book (and one of my new favorite romances)! If there’s one thing Sarah Adams can write well (and there’s obviously way more than one), it’s PINING. This book had me giggling and giddy and crying - Derek and Nora are just so precious 🥹 This is a second chance, grumpy/sunshine, accidental marriage of convenience romance, and I loved every moment (when he said SHE’S MY WIFE I passed away)! Nora is hilarious, and I love how Derek treats her! He takes care of her and loves and accepts her for who she is, and she trusts him to keep her safe 😭 I also loved the bits of Bree and Nathan’s relationship we got throughout the book, and the rest of the guys on the team made me so happy too! In conclusion, I loved everything about this book and you must get your hands on it immediately!

Huge huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read before pub day on April 2nd!

My Take: 4.5 out of 5. I read this on my way to the Super Bowl and really it could have not been a more perfect book. A beautiful romance starring a perfect NFL tight end! its def giving Travis Kelce vibes and I was here for it. The only mistake is that this should have come out right now and we should not have to wait until April, its the perfect football postseason companion for Swifties who love football like me. But onto the story, its actually really good. An original second chance romance and those are hard. I felt that the reasons why they were not together were not just swept aside to start a new romance, they were thoroughly examined and even felt like a little book therapy. Also the chemistry was oozing off the page. Go get this one as soon as its out.

Why did I choose it: Practice makes perfect and When in Rome are gorgeous books, so I of course jumped at the change of reading the ARC of her new book .

Read this if you like(d): The Cheat Sheet, all the Taylor And travis videos that came after the Super Bowl, Elena Armas The Long Game, All the Hallmark Sport Romance movies

This is the kind of book that I could recommend to my mom, my friends, my coworkers, and I feel like they would all enjoy it.
There are a few characters from Sarah Adams’ previous book “The Cheat Sheet,” but it doesn’t necessarily have to be read first.
This is a second chance, almost enemies to lovers (because there’s some anger from the breakup,) sports romance mixed with workplace romance and Ioved it.
4.5 ⭐️ I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

I’m a huge Sarah Adams fan and a sports romance, drunk and married in Vegas storyline? Please make me more feral for a book…😂

Synopsis:
This goes back to one of my favorite fictional sports teams - The LA Sharks. But this time we’re getting Derek, the team playboy’s story. Derek got his heart broken in college. And hasn’t gotten close to anyone in a romantic way since then. But when he walks into his agents office to meet his new agent, he runs into his college love, Nora. He’ll only sign with her if he sets down a list of rules and makes her life miserable until she quits.

My Thoughts:
This one was so fun. I just adored the tension and the banter in this book. I love a good sports romance and I loved seeing cameos with Nathan and Bree (the characters from The Cheat Sheet).

Read if You Like:
🏈 Second Chance Romance
🏈 Sports Romance
🏈 Drunk and married in Vegas
🏈 Dyslexia Rep
🏈 Pining
🏈 Dual POV

Thanks to Random House for the copy of this book!

THE WHITEBOARD IS BACK. In this sequel to THE CHEAT SHEET, NFL tight end (yes, *that* position) Derek Pender has an injury he’s not sure he’ll recover from, and it’s got him down in the dumps. His new sports agent is Nora Mackenzie, and she’s determined to get him some good PR and help him come back strong… because he’s her first client as a full-time agent. Oh and he’s also her ex-boyfriend.

Gosh, Sarah just kiiiiiilled it with this one. Accidental marriage in Vegas?! YES PLEASE. I love a second chance romance, and this included working through the hard stuff in a relationship, dyslexia rep, the LA Sharks football crew we know and love, and a forced honeymoon for good PR.

This was a fun interconnecting book with The Cheat Sheet and now I want books for all the players on this team. The characters in this book are fabulous.

Forced proximity. Second chance romance. Marriage of....certainly not convenience? Obviously one bed. But mostly the heart wrenching reality of what it's like to realize you never fell out of love with someone and the hope of a future you never dreamed could come true.

“You, Nora, are beautiful, rare magic and nothing less.”

My obsession with Sarah Adams books continues! She just has a way of blending humor and heart that GETS me every single time. I found myself wanting to pick up this book and sneak in another chapter any chance I could, and I would have gladly finished it in one sitting if I had been able to ignore my family that long. 😂

If you’ve read The Cheat Sheet, you’ll be delighted to know that the boys are all back! Derek, Nathan, Jamal, Lawrence, and Price all return and are as lovable as ever. We also get some scenes with Nathan and Bree. And lucky for us, we get a whole new love story with Derek and Nora. ❤️

Nora Mackenzie is a new sports agent who lands Derek Pender, L.A. Sharks tight end, as her first client. Derek has been rehabbing after an ankle injury and his future with the Sharks is in limbo. He also happens to be Nora’s college ex-boyfriend. When Derek agrees to sign on with Nora as his agent, he decides it’s the perfect opportunity to get his revenge on her for breaking his heart all those years ago. But Nora won’t go down without a fight. Then a wild night in Vegas ends with the two of them as husband and wife. Will their new relationship end them or save them?

🌴 Second chance romance
🌴 Sports agent x NFL tight end
🌴 Dual POV
🌴 ice cream + cereal
🌴 Learning disability representation: dyslexia
🌴 Marriage of convenience
🌴 There’s only one bed
🌴 Interpretive hand dancing
🌴 L.A. ✈️ Las Vegas ✈️ Cancun

“Because when we kiss, it feels right. Because when you smile at me my world feels whole.”

I was overjoyed when I got approved to read this book! I recently reread 'The Cheat Sheet' to get ready to read 'The Rule Book', and I definitely recommend that you read that book too. This can be read as a standalone, but it gives some context and backstory to the football players.

Nora is sports agent, and she is excited to finally get her first major client. The other problem is that he is her ex boyfriend, Derek. They dated in college, and she broke things off with him because she wanted to focus on her career. They were both devastated by the breakup, and they haven't spoken since.

Derek has never stopped loving Nora, and he is shocked to see her when he goes to meet his new agent. Derek is a successful NFL player, but he is coming back from an injury. He needs a strong agent to help him through this part of his career, and he decides to give Nora a chance. He wants to give her all of these tasks to complete, and they are really funny- he has her make dinner for him, but it backfires and he is more drawn to her.

There is so much chemistry and history between the two of them, and they decide to make a list of rules that they have to adhere to during their working relationship. Spoiler alert- it's really hard for them to stick to the rules... especially when they drunkenly get married on a work trip! Now, they have to pretend that they go married on purpose, and they try to navigate their careers, friends, and growing feelings for each other.

I loved this story because all of the tropes really hit- second chance, only one bed, tattooed MMC, accidental marriage, nfl player/agent, enemies to lovers, and college exes.

Unlike Sarah Adams' other books, this story has one chapter that is open door, but in the author's notes, the chapter is listed. If you like to keep it closed door, you can easily skip that chapter.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC of this amazing book.

I just can’t help but fall in love with Sarah’s books and this one is no different.

The writing is so cute and fun. It’s effortless to dive into the world of these characters. I’m so happy to be back in the universe that was Cheat Sheet!

Nora is an ABSOLUTELY precious. She needs to be protected! I love her quirks, her confidence, and even though she doesn’t consider herself a boss woman she totally is! How she handles herself against misogyny and adversity with kindness is badass.

Derek is also such a sweetie. Action > words. He is a man that uplifts her. Sigh I need a man like him. Derek’s agent retires and offers a second chance happenstance between Nora and Derek.

I love that miscommunication was not the main roadblock of this story. If anything, the way they communicated and acknowledge their youthful mindset showed such growth. I honestly think this is one of the best second chance romance i have ever read.

Also side note I love all the nicknames Nora comes up with for Derek. I love her positive. Energy. And vibe. This is definitely one of my favorite books by Sarah!!

A MUST READ!!!