The Rule Book
A Novel
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4.4 • 18 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • College exes break all the rules when they reunite years later in this enemies to lovers, second-chance romance, the companion novel to the TikTok sensation The Cheat Sheet—from the New York Times bestselling author of Practice Makes Perfect.
“A really fun, chemistry-filled sports romance you don’t want to miss!”—Hannah Grace, author of Icebreaker
Nora Mackenzie’s entire career lies in the hands of famous NFL tight end Derek Pender, who also 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 or spark the romance of a lifetime?
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
If you’re looking for a sweet and funny second-chance romance, you’ve found it. Nora has finally signed a client who could kickstart her career in the male-dominated world of sports agents. Unfortunately, that client is her ex-boyfriend Derek—and they didn’t exactly part on the best terms. Nora is a smart, awkward, relatable heroine. She’s driven about her career, she loves to stay organized, and, most of all, she isn’t obsessed with finding and keeping a man. And Derek is an absolute treasure. Though he’s out for petty revenge at first, beneath the thin surface of his jockish bravado is a good, caring person who absolutely adores Nora. So when the romantic tension between them begins to reignite, you can definitely feel the heat. You don’t need to know anything about sports to enjoy the play-by-play of this swoon-worthy love story.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Adams (The Cheat Sheet) dazzles in her latest, a saucy second chance rom-com. Quirky Nora "Mac" Mackenzie struggles to make a name for herself as a sports agent. After working her way up through the male dominated corporate ladder, she finally has a chance to represent legendary NFL tight end Derek Pender. There's just one problem: eight years ago, Nora walked away from Derek, her first love, without explanation. Never one to back down from a challenge, she's determined to be the best agent ever to him. Meanwhile, Derek, at a crossroads following a career-threatening injury, is still heartbroken from Nora's abandonment. The pair agree to a list of rules to help them keep things professional, a comically flawed endeavor that goes disastrously awry during a work trip to Vegas, where the pair get drunk, get married, and post the whole thing to Instagram. Derek proposes a radical damage control tactic: they stay married and convince both Nora's bosses and the public that they are deeply in love. Adams injects the fun of fake dating with some serious emotion as the pair revisit their past and bond in the present, validating each other's struggles and realizing they each love who the other has become. Determined Nora and swoony Derek prove a perfect match.
Customer Reviews
Very cute
This is a very cute right person, wrong time, second chance, romance. Derek and Nora are realistic, lovely humans. Their hurts and joys are relatable. The dialogue is funny and the supporting characters added a beautiful depth. The spice was light and poetic, nothing too dirty.
However it was a very, very slow burn… to the point that by the last 4 chapters I had kind of lost interest…
Overall I give it a 4/5. It was a god read, I would read it again but it will not make my favourites list.