The Rule Book

I adored Sarah Adams' Practice Makes Perfect (the 2nd book in the When in Rome series) so knowing how much I enjoy her writing, I was expecting to love this book. I liked it but found it to be fine but forgettable. Honestly, I read this book a couple of weeks ago and had to reread its blurb to remember what it was about. 

The Rule Book was a light and easy read that centres around college exes who broke up years prior and are still bothered by how their relationship abruptly ended. Derek now plays for the NFL and Nora is a sports agent who will be representing him which is not happy news for either of them. Let the awkwardness-turned-love ensue!

This RomCom ticked a few boxes (second chance romance, sports romance, disability rep - and unfortunately miscommunication). Its sporty theme and its bunch of sporty, dude bros talking about their relationships, immediately reminded me of Lyssa Kay Adams' Bromance Book Club series. But Derek and Nora's connection was more lust than romance. I loved Derek but Nora was off-putting with her weird one-liners and her inability to be serious.

Overall, this was a fluffy sporty RomCom but it lacked the great banter and connection between the characters that Practice Makes Perfect perfected.

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Sarah Adams

Series: #2 in The Cheat Sheet series

Genre: RomCom

Type and Source: Trade Paperback from public library

Publisher: Dell Books

First Published: April 2, 2024

Book Description from GoodReads: College exes break all the rules when they reunite years later in this enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance, the highly anticipated companion novel to the viral TikTok sensation The Cheat Sheet.

Nora Mackenzie’s entire career lies in the hands of famous NFL tight end Derek Pender, who happens to be her extremely hot college ex-boyfriend. Nora didn’t end things as gracefully as she could have back then, and now it has come back to haunt her. Derek is her first client as an official full-time sports agent, and he’s holding a grudge.

Derek has set his sights on a little friendly revenge. If Nora Mackenzie, the first girl to ever break his heart, wants to be his agent, oh, he’ll let her be his agent. The plan is simple: make Nora’s life absolutely miserable. But if Derek knows anything about the woman he once loved—she won’t quit easily.

Instead of giving in, Nora starts a scheme of her own. But then a wild night in Vegas leads to Nora and Derek in bed the next morning married. With their rule book out the window, could this new relationship save their careers and spark the romance of a lifetime?