Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - The Rule Book

Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

The Rule Book by Sarah Adams

10 reviews

elisabethc01's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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frantically's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Sad to say this was a miss for me! The characters felt so caricature-ish and I couldn't find it in myself to care for them at all. The MMC was particularly infuriating – he says outright he's ready to make the FMC's career hell just so she'll be forced to quit as his assistant. The fuck??? Not the way to make me even want to give him a second-chance.

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sunshinekmp's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

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kim03's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted

4.5

I'm in love.

However. (Only read the spoiler if you've read the book or don't have a care in the world)

Why on earth (!?) would Derek go on a date and then kiss another woman (in front of his apartment, so you know what his original plan was) if he "wasn't over" his ex yet and, most importantly, had bought a proposal ring right before the break up? That's all very fishy to me. And this was ONE singular week after the break up? Come on. You can't tell me he was so very devoted to her if that's what he does a week after "the most devastating break up of his life".

Also (and this doesn't feel like a spoiler): the way Derek behaved at the beginning of this book (maybe even throughout the first half) was UNJUSTIFIED and so fucking uncivilized (and mean, and bully-behaviour and childish and petty). I'm glad this book turned out good but my god that was not easy to get through.

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carlyjoann's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

I usually love books by this author but the alcohol induced mistake trope in this series is not for me. Also the randomly getting married in Vegas trope. To have those same storylines in this one after having them in the first book of the series jumped out at me since I read them back to back. I didn’t love those storylines in the first one and really disliked them in this one.

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justsmileandread's review against another edition

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fast-paced

5.0

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jmelauren's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

3.0

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ella_chu's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

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booksbystephanie's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Rule Book, a novel by Sarah Adams, available April 2, 2024!

The sequel to The Cheat Sheet follows LA Sharks tight-end Derek Pender and his (new) agent Nora Mackenzie, who happens to be his college ex-girlfriend and the one who got away. These two were hot for each other starting on the first page, and I enjoyed this second-chance romance so much it is easily one of my favorites!

The character arcs for these two made me love them even more. Derek, who struggles with a career comeback after a devastating injury, needs to accept that he may not be able to play football anymore. This is particularly tough because his worth has been determined by his career since he struggled with an undiagnosed learning disability his whole life. Nora works in a field riddled with misogyny and an inner monologue that she is “too much” with her quirky need to organize and color-code everything. Despite all that, these two love each other inside and out and are a testament to the “if you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it was meant to be” (although that’s not the phrase…iykyk).

This book was so sweet, and I loved the found football family and their hijinks, as well as updates from Nathan and Bree from The Cheat Sheet. Nora’s work “friend” Nicole was hilarious, and there were several twists I didn’t see coming! (Full disclosure: I did not read the blurb prior to reading the book!). I’ve only read a handful of Sarah’s books, but I think this is the first time she’s included a spicy scene, and it was awesome (but can be skipped; see the trigger warning at the book’s beginning).

Thank you so much to Dell (Penguin Random House) and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced (e-)reader copy and a chance to rate and review this book!

4 ⭐️ 1 🌶

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amateur_bookworm's review

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funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

ARC release date 4/2/24

My summary: Nora MacKenzie just got promoted from intern to sports agent and her first client is Derek Pender, a star tight end recovering from a season-ending injury—who also happens to be her college ex-boyfriend. Derek has struggled with dyslexia his entire life and the only thing that has made him feel worthwhile is football, but he’s on the cusp of losing it all if his injury rehab doesn’t go well. Nora has been trying to prove herself in a male-dominated industry and her career now hinges on successfully representing Derek—despite their history together. Their past seems to be insurmountable before they can move forward, especially since they both still have feelings for each other.

My thoughts: This is a cute and lighthearted second chance romance. At times it’s almost annoyingly cutesy, but it’s also nice to have an easy-reading, feel-good love story, with a side of girl power added in to it. This is a companion to Sarah Adams’s The Cheat Sheet, which I have not yet read but plan to read next! *Bonus: This was a perfect football romance to finish on the morning of Super Bowl Sunday! I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and my summary and thoughts here are fully my own opinion.

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