I totally judge a book by it's cover. Last year during the pandemic, I had Kindle Unlimited for a hot minute and I kept seeing the covers of The Catch and The Rules, but never could quite get to them. Mind you, this was prior to joining bookstagram, so I was just through as many books as I could get my hands on to make the time pass by. My Kindle Unlimited expired and I sort of forgot about these cute covers.
Fast forward to a couple months ago, and I was reading a book with the Indie Book Club. As we were chatting with the author (it was Melissa Grace), she kept talking about her critique partner, who just happened to be on the chat as well. I immediately looked her up and it was none other that Lauren H. Mae, author of said cute covers that I was eyeing last year. I immediately followed her on Instagram.
One day, she posted to ask for readers to read her second book, The Rules. I threw my hat in the ring and was so excited when I got a e-copy of the book! My only hang up? I have only ever read series in order, but I wanted to read The Rules immediately. So, I set my OCD aside and dove into The Rules. I was immediately obsessed with the characters and the setting and just about everything about the book. I hopped on Amazon and bought the physical copies of both The Catch and The Rules. When I found out there would be a third book, I was stoked.
As life throws you curveballs, my plans to read The Catch went out the window, and I ended up reading The Exception after The Rules. So technically, I read the second, the third and then circled back to the first book. My OCD is slowly dying while typing this. For me, it ended up not mattering, because the series is just so good.
The series is a romance series, but above all, it is about strong friendships. It's about family and the people that you choose to surround you in your life. These couples tackle tough issues together and through it all, this group of friends supports each other to the bitter end. They push one another when it's needed. What else can you expect? Emotionally charged interactions between characters and steamy scenes. You will laugh and you will cry. Seldom do I find entire series where I want to read as fast as I could so I find out what's going to happen next, but at the same time, I want the story to go slower, so I can savor being in this world just a little bit longer. I've become attached to these characters and the lives they've built together. This series is a must read!
The Catch
Can one trip change the trajectory of your life forever? Cat is on a bachelorette weekend trip in Virginia Beach with her girlfriends, when Josh walks into a bar and steps in to help her friend Dani escape a creeper. Cat and Josh are instantly attracted, but Cat is soured by love and thinks Josh is too perfect; the shoe is bound to drop and this will only lead to heartbreak and trouble. But after the pair decide to give their relationship a go back home, they have to learn to communicate, break down their emotional walls, and persevere through the hard in order to give themselves the chance at love that both have denied themselves for so long.
I read this series out of order, so going in, I knew Josh and Cat would end up together, but it was fun seeing how their story started after seeing how it will end. Their story really surprised me!
Seeing where Cat has started, it's incredible to follow her journey from the beginning. At first, Cat made me so mad! She was closed off and skeptical. Shunning all romantic relationships, she made poor Josh put in massive work to break down her walls. However, as the book goes on, Cat grew on me, especially when she started to trust Josh.
Josh is WOW. He's super laid back and chill, with an air of stability that was extremely sexy. Josh has his life figured out, especially after going through a recent divorce. Knowing what he wants, Josh speaks his mind. I adored how chivalrous and polite he was all the time.
There are so many emotionally charged scenes in this book, I felt the rollercoaster of feelings along with the characters. Their chemistry is off the charts and super steamy. The pair overcame obstacles, especially long distance, to build this beautiful relationship. And seeing how the series ends, it's perfect.
The Rules
At her best friend's wedding, Dani realizes that she might want forever instead of being left behind by her coupled up friends. Dylan, the best man, is a commitment phobe and wants nothing to do with the wedding scene. After a one night stand between the two, Dani and Dylan decide to have a friends with benefits situation while Dani tries to find a potential soulmate through a new dating app. It's a limited time deal between the pair, complete with its own set of rules. But what happens when you break the rules that are there to protect your heart?
I cannot gush about The Rules enough! This book is so good, I read it in one sitting. I loved both the main character. Dylan is bold and confident, plus a massive flirt. Dani is quick, sarcastic and knows what she wants. Together, they have easy, electric chemistry. Their constant push and pull was incredibly hot. I loved watching their sweet and tender relationship develop. They call each other on their crap, pushing each other to be better versions of themselves that they thought they could be. They balance each other out. This was such a great friends to lovers romance! I also loved how the friend group felt like my group of friends, not characters in a book. I was invested in their stories, their lives and what would happen next.
The Exception
“Passion is a good thing, but like cake and margaritas, and almost all good things - you don’t get to enjoy it scot free.”
Flying home from Hawaii after her ex-fiance calls off their elopement wedding 20 minutes before the ceremony, Sonya Pope isn't having a great day. When a passenger has a medical emergency on board, she jumps into action, only to have "Dr. Travis" dismissively mansplain the situation to her. Much to her shock and surprise, Travis turns out to be her new intern at the hospital where she is a nurse manager in the psychiatric ward. Travis needs Sonya to pass him through his internship, and Sonya needs Travis to show her boss that she's ready for more responsibility at the hospital. They only need to make it through the internship without killing each other first. But when sparks begin to fly that neither can deny, will Sonya choose to ignore her heart or will Travis become her one exception?
Lauren H. Mae (plus Rosalie Rooks) has done it again. I absolutely loved The Rules, so I could not wait to read this book. Let me tell you, The Exception does not disappoint.
In this slow burn romance, Sonya and Travis start out as enemies to lovers in a pretty explosive meet-hate. But the tides slowly turn and the book morphs into friends to lovers before the pair stop fighting their attraction to each other. I love that they see each other completely for who the other is and they like to challenge and push each other's buttons, but also know when to support each other through rough times. Their date around D.C. had me swooning hard!
I loved Sonya's character. A master list maker, she takes comfort in solving problems. She is regimented, predictable and thrives on routine. This helps her be an amazing nurse, but she finds herself walking on a tight rope between caring for her patients or caring too much. Any person that works in a service industry can definitely relate to this struggle. The journey of self-discovery Sonya goes on is beautiful and Travis is the perfect companion to help her get her there.
Trav was a hero after my heart. A former combat medic in Afghanistan, he is still working to adjust to live in the civilian world after 14 years in the Army. I adored how Trav just wanted to settle down and have a family. Both Sonya and Travis have complicated family lives - Travis will never live up to his neurologist father’s expectations for him and Sonya’s father is in an in-patient facility suffering from PTSD and depression. Their support of each other was sweet and heart-warming.
The Exception was the perfect ending to this fantastic series. Lauren does an amazing job building a world with characters that you find yourself caring deeply about. I loved seeing the journey of not only Sonya and Travis, but also continuing to see where the group of friends goes after their books. The secondary characters compliment the main characters perfectly, making you want to be friends with them.
⚠️ CW: PTSD, alcohol abuse, depression, mental health