gwechman's review
4.0
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.
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.
cicialexa's review
4.0
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review. The things that drew me into requesting this book was the description and lovely book cover. After I was approved it took me a little bit to officially pick it up but shortly after I quickly was sucked into this book. You get introduce to three main characters in this series Addie, Jack and Declan. Addie is a college student looking to find a way to afford paying for her schooling. She does so by writing papers for other college students. She eventually gets caught by her TA Declan and instead of turning her in he plans to use her to get back paintings that were stolen from him. This is where Jack comes along a much older man who runs art galleries and expos and the person who stole Jacks paintings. Addie is informed that Jack makes contracts with women so he can have a piece of arm candy and she can get paid. As the story progresses so do the demands and relationships within the book. Everyone in the book has a secret or two and its only a matter of time before something gets out and could ruin everything for Addie.
I really enjoyed the writing in this book and for the most part I enjoyed the characters and getting to know them. I rate this book 4/5 stars and if you like age gaps, blackmailing, contracted relationships this book is for you.
I really enjoyed the writing in this book and for the most part I enjoyed the characters and getting to know them. I rate this book 4/5 stars and if you like age gaps, blackmailing, contracted relationships this book is for you.
dakotasbookshelf's review
3.0
Thanks to netgalley for sending me an arc of this book. This book took me by surprise. It had a really interesting storyline. One that ive never read before that got me HOOKED. I never wanted to stop reading it. The only reason its 4 stars is because the age gap was hard for me to look past. Neverless i loved the characters though.
stephdaydreams's review
4.0
This book had me engaged 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.
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.
caleighlueder's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
brendaa_cuellar's review
dark
emotional
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
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.ย
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.ย
justmyfantasyworld's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
ย โข ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐ โขย
ย
๐ง๐ถ๐๐น๐ฒ: Rules of Arrangementย
๐๐๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ: Maren Mackenzieย
๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด: โโโโ 4/5ย
ย
๐ฃ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ก๐ผ๐๐ฒ: ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ถ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ฎ๐ข๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ด ๐๐๐ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐จ๐ช๐ง๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐๐๐ ๐ท๐ช๐ข ๐๐ฆ๐ต๐๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ๐บ. ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ข ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ท๐ช๐ฆ๐ธ, ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ.ย
ย
This cover and the synopsis are what attracted me to this book in the first place and it did not disappoint! I read the book in one day because I just could not let go. The tension and suspense is so good if you ask me. I liked the build up between the characters a lot. It was with some ups and downs, which made the romance and the attraction between them even more amazing. I totally loved the back and forth between them. It gave me emotional whiplash in the best way lol. The family drama was intriguing as well and it gave to story another layer of depth. Loved how all the issues were resolved in the end. I wouldโve liked to have seen more in regards to the roommates of the main character. It still is a very gripping story, a romance with a contract and lots of secrets! Normally I donโt really put trigger warnings in my reviews, but I canโt remember if it was warned about in the book and I felt it was important enough to mention since itโs a suicide attempt that is happening on page. Overall, a great read that I recommend to romance lovers.ย
A lot of my reviews are also available with photo at my Bookstagram: @justmyfantasyworld
A lot of my reviews are also available with photo at my Bookstagram: @justmyfantasyworld
titalindaslibrary's review
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
kylieshadereads's review
mysterious
slow-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? Yes
2.75
"He was terrible and frustrating and complicated and then something would crack open, and he'd reveal a different, softer self underneath."
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธ.75
ย
Rules of Arrangement follows Adelaide โคAddieโค Wright, a 22-year-old senior who writes papers for other students to pay her way through Cranst University. Although she has measures in place to protect herself from being expelled, in the form of mutually assured destruction, when she runs into an old friend Declan Jones, her art history teaching assistant, he threatens to reveal her secret and have her expelled if she doesnโt help him recover his paintings from art dealer Jack Nolan.
ย
Addie enters into an arrangement with Jack with the intention of finding the paintings, but as her feelings grow she comes to realize that Jack may not be the person Declan described.ย
ย
TW: suicide, suicide attempt, grief, loss, blackmail, age-gap, death of a parent
ย
--ย
This is the debut novel from Maren Mackenzie and although I enjoyed the writing and overall thought the story was entertaining I felt like I have read it before and was left a tad disappointed. ย
ย
It took me some time to really get into the novel and it wasnโt until chapter eight that I really felt myself starting to want to read it. I felt frustrated by Declanโs character, although he is only two years older than Addie he treats her like a child and is controlling and he often puts her down.ย
ย
The relationship and vibe between Jack and Addie gave me 50 Shades of Grey vibes but without the โspice levelโ.ย
ย
I also felt like Addieโs relationship with her family didnโt always add to the story but hindered it by adding an element that sometimes explained Addieโs flaws but it also felt like conflict for the sake of conflict.ย
ย
Overall, Rules of Arrangement by Maren Mackenzie was an easy read but left me feeling like something was missing. 2.75/5 stars
ย
Thank you to #netgalley and #MarmackBooks for the eARC in exchange for the honest review, all opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Mental illness