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katebrownreads's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Blood
Minor: Pregnancy
nicolelovesbooks's review
4.75
This was exactly what I was looking for- a super fun sportsy rom-com with Sarah Adams’ clever and delightful writing. I love her books and this new one did not disappoint.
It’s so nice how she gives a content alert in the beginning so that readers could decide if they wanted to read a particular chapter or not.
Sarah isn’t afraid to embrace romance tropes head on and make them just as fun and swoony as they can be. There’s a great supporting cast in this as well (including some old friends of course), and I do mean “supporting”— the friends in this book are deeply supportive.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
It’s so nice how she gives a content alert in the beginning so that readers could decide if they wanted to read a particular chapter or not.
Sarah isn’t afraid to embrace romance tropes head on and make them just as fun and swoony as they can be. There’s a great supporting cast in this as well (including some old friends of course), and I do mean “supporting”— the friends in this book are deeply supportive.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
ashs_bookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
*WARNING! I'm not sorry for the football puns*
~Hot Take~
I love Nora and Derek. I see myself in Nora, a little quirky & different. She does what she loves and isn't embarrassed about it. And Derek, he is a giant teddy bear with muscles.
🏈 Touch Down!
Anyone who loves sports, second chance, close proximity, Rom-Coms with a quirky, fun but determined FMMC and a take no shit, but gentle & caring beast of a MMC, this book is for you!
ExCollege sweethearts are reunited when Nora Mackenzie's career comes to rest on Derek Penders' shoulders, BIG shoulders.
Their breakup in college was not handled well, more like fumbled. But Nora has worked too hard to become a sports agent, and in a world dominated by men who don't want her there, she has to stay focused. She can't let their past get in the way of her career. After all, that blindsided her before. But Derek holds a grudge. When Nora broke it off in college, there was no real explanation. She just left, leaving him heartbroken.So! A little game of revenge is what Derek wants to play.
Nora is given Derek as her first client, and this has to work! But Derek plans to make her quit. Rules are laid out, more so to make Nora's job difficult, but when a night in Vegas sees that Rule Book thrown out the hypothetical window, a new game is put in place to save both their careers.
NOREK (my portmanteau for these cuties) are the ultimate field goal! Their witty banter is fun and a huge part of the tension growing between them. There is burn🔥, I'm not talking grass burn. It's a slow and exciting burn. But the story isn't slow by any means. It is one of those books that holds your attention completely. You WILL shut out your own family to keep reading. Responsibilities? Who has them?
Characters we know and love from The Cheat Sheet return, bringing that comfortable & nostalgic feeling. As always, Sarah Adams writing has pace and immerses you in the characters' world, and makes you wish you could score a touchdown with book boyfriend Derek Pender.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶
*Thank you, @netgalley and @hachetteaus for this ARC for review consideration. These are 100% all my own opinions.*
~Hot Take~
I love Nora and Derek. I see myself in Nora, a little quirky & different. She does what she loves and isn't embarrassed about it. And Derek, he is a giant teddy bear with muscles.
🏈 Touch Down!
Anyone who loves sports, second chance, close proximity, Rom-Coms with a quirky, fun but determined FMMC and a take no shit, but gentle & caring beast of a MMC, this book is for you!
ExCollege sweethearts are reunited when Nora Mackenzie's career comes to rest on Derek Penders' shoulders, BIG shoulders.
Their breakup in college was not handled well, more like fumbled. But Nora has worked too hard to become a sports agent, and in a world dominated by men who don't want her there, she has to stay focused. She can't let their past get in the way of her career. After all, that blindsided her before. But Derek holds a grudge. When Nora broke it off in college, there was no real explanation. She just left, leaving him heartbroken.So! A little game of revenge is what Derek wants to play.
Nora is given Derek as her first client, and this has to work! But Derek plans to make her quit. Rules are laid out, more so to make Nora's job difficult, but when a night in Vegas sees that Rule Book thrown out the hypothetical window, a new game is put in place to save both their careers.
NOREK (my portmanteau for these cuties) are the ultimate field goal! Their witty banter is fun and a huge part of the tension growing between them. There is burn🔥, I'm not talking grass burn. It's a slow and exciting burn. But the story isn't slow by any means. It is one of those books that holds your attention completely. You WILL shut out your own family to keep reading. Responsibilities? Who has them?
Characters we know and love from The Cheat Sheet return, bringing that comfortable & nostalgic feeling. As always, Sarah Adams writing has pace and immerses you in the characters' world, and makes you wish you could score a touchdown with book boyfriend Derek Pender.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶
*Thank you, @netgalley and @hachetteaus for this ARC for review consideration. These are 100% all my own opinions.*
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content, Bullying, Pregnancy, Sexism, Blood, and Cursing
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.75
Finished reading: March 4th 2024
"We all make choices in life and some of them are necessarily more gray than others. This is one of those times."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Headline Eternal in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Sarah Adams' writing, so you can imagine that I was shocked when I discovered that my first Netgalley wish granted in years turned out to be for her newest story The Rule Book. I enjoyed the first book The Cheat Sheet back when I read it in 2021, although I admit it wasn't my absolute favorite among her books... Still, I was VERY excited to receive the opportunity to read The Rule Book early. And WHAT a read it turned out to be! I loved every single minute of this enemy-to-lover slash second chance romance, and it's probably one of my top favorites by her.
While set in the same world as The Cheat Sheet and futuring a lot of the same characters, The Rule Book can easily be read as a stand-alone without missing out on too much. This is because this very much Derek and Nora's story, which is completely new. I can't deny that I loved seeing the rest of the characters again though, and their banter and friendship brought back great memories of the first book. The banter in general is one of the things that makes this story stand out; the interactions between Derek and Nora are simply brilliant and especially Nora uses some extremely hilarious phrases.
The Rule Book is part enemy-to-lover and part second chance romance; while the enemy part was shorter than I hoped it would be, there were plenty of funny moments to be found along the way. The story does feel more like a second chance romance during most of the plot, as it is pretty obvious how the two main characters still feel. The building up of tension is really well done though, and I especially loved the whole fake honeymoon and scenes set in Mexico. The whole story seems like an Easter hunt for romance tropes!
Part of the reason this story works so well (and her books in general for that matter) has a lot to do with its characters. Sarah Adams has a way of creating the most fantastic, relatable, flawed and likeable characters, and it was SO easy to start rooting for both Derek and Nora. True, certain aspects of their appearance and personality are quite cliche, but I personally didn't mind as I was having too much fun getting to know them better. The secondary characters are great as well, and already knowing most of them only made me enjoy meeting up with them even more.
The writing is flawless, and I literally couldn't stop reading. The Rule Book isn't just about the romance though, as there are quite a few more serious topics incorporated along the way. I especially appreciated how the story shone a light on dyslexia, parental pressure and gender inequality in the workspace, although they aren't the only topics discussed. The more serious topics helped balance out the lighter moments and resulted in a richer and dynamic plot. The sports/injury recovery angle also made for a great addition.
I might be biased, but I consider Sarah Adams to be one of my favorite romance authors and The Rule Book is one of her best stories to date. There is so much to love in this book, and I cannot recommend it enough if you enjoy the genre!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Blood, Abandonment, Bullying, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
bookrecsbyjess's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Thank you to Random House Publishing for this ARC of The Rule Book by Sarah Adams. All opinions are my own.
Sarah Adams is my favorite author, and The Cheat Sheet was my favorite book I read in 2022. When I saw that she was writing a sequel to it, I knew that I wanted to read it as soon as possible.
The Rule Book is now my favorite romance book of all time! It’s THAT good!
I don’t know how she managed to top The Cheat Sheet, but this book just had everything I could’ve ever wanted in a romance: witty banter, shenanigans, romantic declarations of love, only one bed, and a hilarious and supportive friend group.
The entire time I was reading this book, I had the biggest grin on my face and was constantly giggling because of how it made me feel.
Derek and Nora are THE couple. They had amazing chemistry and hilarious conversations. Nora is so smart and great at comebacks. Derek is so charming and protective, and I just really enjoyed them together.
Derek’s teammates were so funny, and I loved how they reminded me of the Bromance Book Club from Lyssa Kay Adams’ series. Their constant barging in and advice added to the story so much.
I also loved how Nathan and Bree from The Cheat Sheet were part of this story as well. I loved how they kept trying to help Derek and Nora get together.
Overall, I would recommend this book to everyone. If you only read one book this year, it should be this one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Cursing
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Blood
amateur_bookworm's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny, Sexual content, and Alcohol
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I honestly feel lucky to have gotten to read this so early.
𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘫𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘛𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴.
Dear Sarah Adams, thank you! I have been wanting more of this friend group since devouring The Cheat Sheet and I needed this.
This book was amazing. Sarah Adam’s witty banter is always amazing, but it also worked so well for this second chance romance! I believe this is her first second chance romance and I really need her to write another one. It really was the perfect second chance, with plenty of hurt feelings, but also a lot of fixing of miscommunication, healing, and forgiveness. Derek and Nora really felt like real people finding their way back to each other.
I loved Derek. All of his aspects! Heartbroken Derek was simultaneously devastating and heartwarming, Conniving Derek was simply funny, and Lovesick Derek was sweet. The many stages he goes through made him feel so real.
I related a lot to Nora. Her feelings of never thinking she’s enough while also being “too much” and refusing to change is something I can say I completely understand. It made her feel so real, because I think characters deemed “too much” often try to change and I love that she was unapologetically herself. I also love that Derek loved her for those things, not in spite. I think she grew so much in the book, especially in learning to accept Derek’s love.
Also, I loved this as Sarah Adams’ first open-door. I feel like it made so much sense for this book and these specific characters.
During this entire book, I couldn’t stop thinking of different Taylor Swift songs that fit Derek and Nora so well, so I decided to explain their character arcs in terms of Taylor Swift songs, because why not:
Nora - 𝙈𝙞𝙙𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙣 to 𝙄 𝙒𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙒𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙤𝙬 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙒𝙚 𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙠 to 𝙃𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝘿𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙎𝙪𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙗𝙖𝙣 𝙇𝙚𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 to 𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙡𝙤𝙬 to 𝙊𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨 to 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧
Derek - 𝙋𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙍𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 to 𝙄𝙨 𝙄𝙩 𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙉𝙤𝙬? to 𝙎𝙖𝙮 𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙂𝙤 to 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙏𝙤𝙤 𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙡 to 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙒𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙉𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨/𝘽𝙖𝙙 𝘽𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙 to 𝘾𝙧𝙪𝙚𝙡 𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧 to 𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨 back to 𝙋𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙍𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Ableism
Minor: Pregnancy
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