★ 4.5 stars

Thank you Hachette Australia & New Zealand and Netgalley for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I've officially found my comfort read, I'll definitely be doing a reread of this book at some point!

You'll love this book if you enjoy:

✔️ Second chance romance
✔️ Sports romance
✔️ Not-so-fake marriage
✔️ Grumpy x sunshine
✔️ Forced proximately / one bed
✔️ Dual POV
✔️ Open door spice 🌶️🌶️

❥ Derek and Nora

Derek was so adorable, he's attentive and remembers everything about Nora despite their time apart. And if he couldn't get any sweeter, Nora taught him how to braid her hair back in college and he did it for her when she was sick. His possessive moments were also a highlight for me.

I loved the dsylexia representation in this book and thought the author dealt with these issues well. Because of Derek's diagnosis, he reads fantasy books on audio. I just wanted to give him a big hug while reading his POV.

Nora is such a great FMC. She's incredibly quirky and awkward but I found her endearing. She uses goofy phrases frequently but she does it on purpose to get under Derek's skin. She was so relatable with her love for all things organising, target and clothes with pockets. You can't help but love her quirks. Most sports romances also have a large focus on the mmc but the majority of this story focuses on Nora's career which I also loved.

I loved this book. It's always the one you go into without any expectations that takes you by surprise. Sarah Adams has now become a favourite of mine and I can't wait to dive into her other novels. It's often the case that contemporary romance novels leave me wanting more or misses the mark but this book fulfilled me completely. The first 30% I read on and off when I had time but the last 70% I binged in one sitting and stayed up to 3 am because I was having so much fun reading this.

Second chance romance is quickly becoming one of my favourite tropes and this book is a great example of it being executed well. There's also nothing more satisfying when the 'fake relationship' starts to feel real. The tension between these two was undeniable, I felt like I was watching a rom com in my head while reading this. Be prepared that it's a slow burn but the tension and buildup was 100% worth it. I did not feel bored for a single second. It's a lighthearted, feel-good read and there's not much I would change about it.

Quotes I loved

"The implication fires up a corner of me that rages for any woman who's ever been told she's lucky to have had a chance with a good guy. Like that is our primary goal in life and once found, he should be her end-all-be-all until he's finished with her.”

”I only lost because I want to show you in a physical way that I’m intentionally and completely vulnerable to you, Nora. That I’ll gladly lose to you every day of my life - because for me, the prize is just being near you.”

"Because when a man doesn't encourage you to reach for the stars, Nora Bug, he's putting you in a glass jar to contain your light. We don't have to settle for air through holes poked in the top of a lid. We get to become stars ourselves.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 🌶️ 1/5
Tropes:
💌Fake marriage
💌Grumpy x Sunshine
💌Forced Proximity
💌Second Chance Romance

Nora is an aspiring sports agent in a male dominated field ( we all know a Marty) and when she gets her shot at her first client, she finds out it’s her football playing ex-boyfriend. Derek’s NFL career is at a standstill, with an injury he’s recovering from and the added stress of his longtime agent retiring and being replaced by a mystery woman.
I loved Nora and Derek.

“I’m yours, Nora. I always have been. Always will be” – Derek being his iconic self

Nora was the sunshine, quirky, positive hurricane that turned Derek’s grumpy world upside down. The tension between these two jumped off the page and I enjoyed their back and forth battling immensely. Derek was prickly to begin with but it became very clear how much he adored Nora and their chemistry was on point. Also important to note the dynamic between Derek and his friends? Very sweet.

I’ve read a lot of sports romance and Sarah Adams is always a yep I’m going be reading the next book as soon as it’s out author and I can’t wait for her next one.

.

This was my first Sarah Adams book, and I quite enjoyed it! It took me way too long to read (things have been hectic lately) but it was honestly exactly what I needed. It was a fun, easy read, and I was able to squeeze in a few chapters here and there whenever I had time.

Though I didn’t connect with them as much as other characters, I did like Derek and Nora. I always love a second chance romance trope, and I really enjoyed seeing them slowly get to know each other again after so much time apart. I also loved the found family aspects of the book, and the ending??? It was seriously so cute.

I can 100% see why people love Sarah Adams’ books, and I can definitely see myself picking up more of them in the future!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"When you smile at me my world feels whole."

The Rule Book can be read as a standalone but is connected The Cheat Sheet and definitely fun to read it first.

Nora is an up-and-coming sports agent, working in a male dominated industry and catches her first break managing with one of the best NFL tight end's. Derek has been unable to play due to an injury for extended period and is struggling to come to terms with his recovery. Nora goes by her surname in her professional life so Derek had no idea that he was signing on his college ex girlfriend who left him brokenhearted to be his agent until it was too late. Due to their complicated history, Derek tries to do everything he can to make Nora quit and they make a rule book to set some boundaries.

"Do I hate her? I hate when your mouth curves into a smile, I can't kiss it. I hate that you hold my heart in a vise grip and you have no idea. I hate that I've never been able to move on from you-not for a single day."

✨ OUT APRIL 2ND! ✨

What you’ll find in The Rule Book:
🌴 Sports Romance
🌴 Marriage of Convenience
🌴 Forced Proximity
🌴 Dual POV
🌴 He falls first
🌴 Second Chances

This was such a cute rom-com full of deep connections. Highly recommend!

"She is sunshine parting the clouds in my miserable day”

I loved this book.

I loved Derek and Nora, individually and together. She is quirky and awesome and he’s grumpy and beautiful. Their past history is a bit heart breaking once you know all the details, but I love that they grow from it. They had some great chemistry and I could not get enough of their banter and Nora’s catchphrases and quips.

The body positivity in this book 🙌🏼🙌🏼 was incredible! Thank you Sarah!! It filled up my heart reading it!

There was a turn I did not see coming and I.Was.Here.For.It! Omg seriously best ever!!! And I loved seeing all the characters from the first book! It was just so freaking good! Highly recommend!

Side note- I love that Sarah has decided to do some open door scenes and it was super sweet of her to let readers who are used to her closed door books the option to skip where it’s at. She did amazing.

Nora can't believe it when her first mainstream client is none other than her ex boyfriend, footballer Derek. What Nora doesn't know is that Derek was so affected by their breakup all those years ago, that he decides to push Nora to do things a normal agent would never think twice to do, in an act of friendly revenge. How far will Nora go to keep her job safe?

If you like romcoms, I feel like you need to go into this blind. I didn't actually read the synopsis before I started and I found myself gasping at some of the things that happened in this book! It is uniquely written and is so sweet and heartwarming. Fantastic characters with sizzling chemistry in a not so common plot - I guarantee you'll be as big a fan of this one as I am!

This book was great. It had so many laugh out loud moments making for a real enjoyable rom-com read.

The Rule Book is the companion story to The Cheat Sheet. Now I haven’t read The Cheat Sheet but I didn’t need to, this book stood all on its own with only minor references to that story made throughout. But now I want to go and read Book 1 in this series!

College sweethearts Nora and Derek cross paths again many years after they dated in College. She is now a rising sports agent trying to forge her own path in a male dominated industry. While Derek is an NFL star on the comeback after a devastating injury and feeling very anxious that he might be replaced. Nora becomes Derek’s agent, but he doesn’t want a bar of it given their history. So they meet in the middle ground and make up a set of rules to ensure their relationship remains strictly professional.

What ensues is a lot of great banter, a fake marriage and promotional story about how in love they are. It makes for a fun and fast paced read.

I've loved every Sarah Adams book I've read, and The Rule Book is just as wonderful as the rest! If you've read The Cheat Sheet and enjoyed it then you'll enjoy this book too. But even if you haven't read The Cheat Sheet this book is a great stand alone too. I didn't think I was into reading sports romances but both of these books were amazing. Sarah Adams could write anything and I'd read it as I love her writing style.

I loved this book and ended up reading it twice. The chemistry between Nora and Derek is perfect! This book is easy to sink into and enjoy, plus is full of humour and heart. I loved the bit about Nora hemming Dereks pants so that one leg was shorter than the other, and the reactions from his teammates about this throughout the book, it was hilarious! Also Nora's power play of looking up the nose to show her authority had me in fits of laughter, and there were many more moments that had me laughing out loud at the situations and interactions. It was very entertaining and I'd 100% recommend this book!

First off, I claim the spot as Nora’s BFF!
Her humour, wit and kindness! I freaking loved her!

This book had me actually laughing out loud, giggling and kicking my feet! Could not contain the joy!

The ups, downs and struggles were so well written, I felt like a close friend watching it all happen with all the emotions along side.

And the banter!!
And the tension!!

I absolutely adored and had the best time reading this book! What a fun second chance romance that had been the right person, wrong time.

Nora Mackenzie is a foundling agent - and she believes that she can be a damn good agent, if only she is given the opportunity to represent someone. When she receives notice of her first client, she is immediately concerned: her career now lies in the hands of Derek Pender, NFL tight end, who is also her ex-boyfriend. When they wake up after a night of drunken debauchery, married, and Derek has posted a photo of them online, could this be what saves their careers?

As I have said before, I don't read a lot of second chance romance but I really enjoyed this! It's a sports romance, yes, but it's also filled with tension and heart and confessions, and overall it was so delightful.

Nora is a go getter, with a bag full of puns and mala​propisms, she just wants to be the best agent she can be and get Derek back into the right headspace to play the game he loves. She's quirky and fun, but very endearing. Derek is also very sweet, and he remembers every single thing about Nora from when they dated. There was even a delightful "my wife" moment 🥵

After this I want to read more of the Sarah Adams books I have unread on my shelf!

For fans of:

🏈 Second chance romance
🏈 Sports romance
🏈 Forced proximity
🏈 Tension
🏈 Romantic comedies
🏈 Grumpy x sunshine
🏈 Dual POV

Thank you Hachette Australia for an e-arc of The Rule Book! All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this read. Loved The Cheat Sheet and was looking forward to this one and It didn't disappoint.
Would definitely recommend

I really enjoyed the Cheat Sheet so was excited to see what I thought of this one, and I think I liked this one even more! 💖 Nora was such an enjoyable main character, she was kind of weird and quirky (but not in an annoying way lol) and she just made every scene so fun and different to other main characters I’ve read 🥰. Derek was an absolutely grumpy football player at the start but turned out to be a massive sweetheart 🥹. Their banter and competitiveness in the first half was so ridiculous and funny to read about. Sarah Adams has never failed to just make me smile and have a good time reading one of her books - definitely recommend this one 🤩.

Easily one of my favourite books of the year so far!! Sarah Adams writes absolute magic, I knew I would love this one and I LOVED everything about it from the stroyline, the romance to the characters.

Go read this one, you will adore Sarah Adams writing I promise you, everything she writes is gold!!

Thank you so much for this opportunity to review The Rule Book, which is one of my most anticipated releases for 2024

Sarah Adams, you have absolutely killed it once again. Nora is a sports agent and Derek is a number one tight end. After spending a night drinking in Vegas, they wind up accidentally married. I found that Nora and Derek felt like extremely realistic people as individuals and a couple. The struggles they faced, her being in a male dominated industry and him having dyslexia, were written perfectly and weren't just glossed over which has been the case in other books I've read. There were so many cute and funny moments throughout the book, and they made me smile, giggle and kick my feet in the air each time. I loved how the guys on the team meddled in Nora and Derek's relationship kind of like they did with Bree and Nathan's (The Cheat Sheet). Speaking of Bree and Nathan I loved the little cameos of them that were included that updated us on their relationship.

Thank you to Sarah Adams and Hachette Australia for the gifted eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Rule Book is set in the same world as The Cheat Sheet. This book follows the story of Derek, a star NFL player, and Nora, his sports agent,
I loved this read so much!! Sarah Adams never fails to create a fun, light hearted rom com! I personally love a sports romance, but what i really loved about this book was Noras quirky nature!

Read if you love
- sports romance
- grumpy x sunshine
- second chance romance
- forced proximity
- one bed

Love Sarah Adams but for some reason this book was a tad more challenging to get into x

“Mainly because my fierce single mum instilled in me at a young age to put my dreams and ambitions first-whatever they were. She made it clear that she would never try to hold me back or laugh at how high I wanted to reach. That she’d always hoist my foot up to help me get to the next level, and that unless I could find someone who treated me in the exact same way… to keep moving”

ARC provided by NetGalley (all thoughts and opinions are my own)
Publishing date: 09/04/2024
Headline Eternal

Thoughts…
I need everyone to go preorder this book immediately because it gave me everything I needed in a sports romance, with some of my all time favourite tropes thrown into the mix to have me giggling and kicking my feet the entire time!!

I am a Sarah Adams stan after this one, because it really was just the best time. It had my favourite tropes: grumpy/sunshine, second-chance romance and marriage of convenience. I was a goner from the get go. I loved Nora so much as a main character- her “I’m going to be who I am and there is nothing you can do about it” attitude was just fantastic and I loved reading about her at every stage of this book. Also, where can I get a Pam? I need this motivational, single mum queen in my life!! I loved our grumpy, brooding Derek, and he just perfectly complimented our bright bubbly Nora. Their relationship had me swooning from start to finish (you should have heard my little giggles while I was reading this book!!).

I loved getting to see the Sharks again because it just gave me all the found family vibes, and I also really enjoyed seeing how they’ve all progressed since The Cheat Sheet. I thought the plot was great and had some wonderful deeper looks at things like misogony in male dominated careers, dyslexia and its effects on a person, and the anxieties that come with life and change.

Overall, I thought this was a great romance read, and I am so excited to pick up more of Sarah Adams books, because after reading and loving 4, she gets the privilege and the honour of being an auto-buy romance author for me.

3 stars!! thank you netgalley for the arc :)

This book is perfect for fans of rom coms featuring a married-in-Vegas scenario, a fake engagement, and a cinnamon roll football star. The banter between the characters is hilariously funny, and the pacing of the story is spot-on. I appreciated the realistic portrayal of Derek's struggle with dyslexia and his journey to understanding his learning profile later in life. However, while I enjoyed the plot, I found the characters, especially the female lead, to be childish and kinda cringe. Her humor and use of quirky phrases felt very very childish, and at times, it almost made me want to stop reading. Despite this, I found myself enjoying the plot, particularly the last 100 pages, if I overlooked the character's dialogue and behavior.

The Rule Book by Sarah Adams

This book gave me all the snuggly feels.

I loved The Cheat Sheet - though the lack of spice was disappointing. Fear not!! The Rule Book has EVERYTHING you want in a romance - including the spice!

Derek and Nora dated in college and are reunited when she is tasked with being his lead agent as he is hoping for a football comeback after an ankle injury.

Second-chance romance mixed with fake-dating lead by two wonderfully written characters. Derek is vulnerable about his past and future and Nora is pushing as hard as she can working in a toxic male heavy sporting industry.

If you loved The Cheat Sheet, you will love this even more.

Derek and Nora used to date in college. They really are the ones that got away... Even now years later they think about each other.

Nora works at a sports representation agency and has been assigned Derek as her new client. Things are clearly unresolved between the two and Derek makes life a bit challenging for Nora.

Cue a drunken night in Vegas and one quickie wedding later and their lives are turned upside down.

The pair decide to stay married to help each other's career, but will old feelings stay burried or come bubbling to the surface?

Loved this cute Rom com. Fans of the cheat sheet will devour this up! Quirky characters with great banter and tension.

What's to love
Sports romance
Second chance romance
He falls first
Marriage of convienence
One bed