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tsubramaniam's review
if you told me this had started out as Fifth Shades of Gray New Adult fan fic, I’d have believed you in a heartbeat. Or maybe that’s just where my mind goes when older rich businessmen present college seniors with relationship contracts and then they end up falling for each other but they each have someone in their life who complicates things so that they can’t be together easily at first. That being said, I feel like many books have tried to do what Rules of Arrangement achieved: a fast-paced scandalous little peek behind the scenes of the glitzy art world. If Kat from Heist Society had stayed at her boarding school from the first book I imagine this is what that alternative universe might have looked like: still grifting, trying to figure herself out and determine what family looks like, just in a slightly different milieu. A heist story without a theft. A hardened protagonist you can’t help but root for. Every time Addie wrestled control of her narrative from the men in her life, even if it was just a fraction of choice, I cheered internally.
lynseyscott's review
5.0
I cannot overstate how much I loved this book. I was drawn in by the summary and the gorgeous cover and I was not disappointed.
Some highlights:
- The description and emotion of the family dynamic; families are complicated, especially when dealing with trauma and grief. I thought that the author did a great job of showing three different perspectives from Adelaide, Michael, and Samantha of how humans deal with family loss.
- Balance of the relationship between Jack and Adelaide. I had so much fun seeing Adelaide challenge Jack when he's seemingly surrounded by yes-people. The chemistry was off the charts.
- The pacing and development of the story was wonderful. I was never bored and always looking forward to what the next chapter would bring. I also appreciated the element of mystery in recovering the paintings as well as Jack and Adelaide's past.
- The plot was really unique and I so appreciate a romance book that doesn't have a high degree of predictability through it. Obvi I want an HEA in any book, but this was a serious page turner because I genuinely did not know what was coming next. I was so invested in all of the characters and found myself rooting for all of them.
- Jack. Everything about Jack. Period.
tl;dr: Maren Mackenzie knocked it out of the park with this novel!!
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for a copy of this book!
Some highlights:
- The description and emotion of the family dynamic; families are complicated, especially when dealing with trauma and grief. I thought that the author did a great job of showing three different perspectives from Adelaide, Michael, and Samantha of how humans deal with family loss.
- Balance of the relationship between Jack and Adelaide. I had so much fun seeing Adelaide challenge Jack when he's seemingly surrounded by yes-people. The chemistry was off the charts.
- The pacing and development of the story was wonderful. I was never bored and always looking forward to what the next chapter would bring. I also appreciated the element of mystery in recovering the paintings as well as Jack and Adelaide's past.
- The plot was really unique and I so appreciate a romance book that doesn't have a high degree of predictability through it. Obvi I want an HEA in any book, but this was a serious page turner because I genuinely did not know what was coming next. I was so invested in all of the characters and found myself rooting for all of them.
- Jack. Everything about Jack. Period.
tl;dr: Maren Mackenzie knocked it out of the park with this novel!!
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for a copy of this book!
philatcs's review
3.0
**3.5
thank you netgalley for this arc which I received in exchange for an honest review.
this was SO much better than i thought it was going to be.
the romance was great. i loved addie and jack. it was interesting, steamy and entertaining throughout and overall just a fun read.
there was serious issues discussed which i didn’t expect which gave it some added depth and the characters didn’t seem at all one dimensional.
enjoyed this! would be willing to read other books by this author.
thank you netgalley for this arc which I received in exchange for an honest review.
this was SO much better than i thought it was going to be.
the romance was great. i loved addie and jack. it was interesting, steamy and entertaining throughout and overall just a fun read.
there was serious issues discussed which i didn’t expect which gave it some added depth and the characters didn’t seem at all one dimensional.
enjoyed this! would be willing to read other books by this author.
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.
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.
justmyfantasyworld's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
• 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 •
𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Rules of Arrangement
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Maren Mackenzie
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ☆☆☆☆ 4/5
𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲: 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘓𝘓𝘊 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
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 would’ve 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 don’t really put trigger warnings in my reviews, but I can’t remember if it was warned about in the book and I felt it was important enough to mention since it’s a suicide attempt that is happening on page. Overall, a great read that I recommend to romance lovers.
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