A review by kaitlyngraced
Rules of Arrangement by Maren Mackenzie

5.0

Addie, a senior in college, sells essays to afford the expensive tuition that her estranged family refuses to pay. When she bumps into her old neighbor, Declan, she thinks he’s just a grad student in need of a paper and willing to pay. Unfortunately for her, Declan’s actually a TA in one of her classes and threatens to turn her in unless she transforms herself into an escort capable of catching and keeping the attention of art dealer Jack Nolan. Her mission: find the paintings that Declan claims Jack stole from him. Addie delves deep into Jack’s world, but it soon becomes a race to see if she’ll find the art before her contract runs out and her educational reputation becomes destroyed.

Sometimes I 100% judge a book by its cover and pick something up just because I think it looks pretty. Thankfully this time around, it really worked out. Rules of Arrangement is gritty and mesmerizing – the kind of romance that had a healthy amount of sub-plot without distracting from the main couple. I also tend to get uncomfortable in escort/contract type relationships, but consent was key here. Furthermore, the novel found ways to surprise me, which I find far more entertaining than the typical ‘by the book’ romance. I’m genuinely looking forward to what’s next from Maren Mackenzie.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Marmack Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!