written by SARAH ADAMS ／ THE RULE BOOK

SYNOPSIS.         via goodreads : 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?

TRIGGER / CONTENT WARNINGS.         open door spice ( one chapter )

STANDALONE / SERIES.         duology , it could easily be read as a standalone though I highly recommend reading the cheat sheet which is the first book in the duology.

PERSONAL RATING.         ★★★☆☆ / 3.5 stars more accurately

THOUGHTS.         The Cheat Sheet was the first book of Sarah Adams' that I ever read and i immediately fell in love. So when news of a second book spread I was thrilled. And after reading Practice Makes Perfect, another book by Sarah Adams, which didn't live up to the hype in my own personal terms ( no hate towards the book because it was still an enjoyable read. ) I was ready for a redemption. Though I'll be completely honest it took me a while to truly get into The Rule Book. This might partially be due to me having been in a reading slump ( the end of a year always proves to be a challenge for me when it comes to reading. ) The Rule Book did not disappoint once I managed to pull myself out of my slump and truly invest myself.

Nora and Derek were characters I couldn't help falling in love with. Especially Nora. That woman won my heart the second she started rambling about how she prefers a rainbow color system when it comes to organizing things. She was speaking my language as someone who physically cannot function in a messy environment. Her love for colorful fashion pieces, cereal with ice cream, and witty jokes made her relatable in a way that made me smile. Also her mom is the absolute best!! Derek? Falling in love with him is impossible. Though in the beginning I did try simply because I wasn't a fan of how he was treating Nora as his manager but their banter back and forth was hard to resist. It made their dynamic all the more enjoyable. Plus there's nothing better than a male who supports his partner through everything even when he's angry with her.

To those who love Nathan and Bree from The Cheat Sheet you'll be happy to know that they do make a decent amount of appearances throughout the book. Something I personally loved because those two own my entire heart. There's also exciting news shared by them but I'll leave that for you to discover yourself  what that is 😉.

THANKS FOR READING !