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Rulebook #1
The Rules of Love
Maxine Saddler has never been in love.
She knows exactly what it looks like – she’s spent years studying the phenomenon in other people, but her Asperger syndrome makes it far too anxiety-provoking to attempt such a thing in her own life.
Instead, she focuses exclusively on academics. She’s 23 years old, starting grad school, and perfectly content to ignore the world beyond her textbooks. That is, until she meets Ruby Satterwhite, who makes Max want to give love one more shot.
Ruby is the consummate social butterfly – sorority president, extracurricular list a mile long, and stunning to boot. In short, she’s way out of Max’s league, and on top of it all, she kind of hates Max for how she blurts out whatever’s on her mind, no matter how blunt.
But when they’re thrown grudgingly together for a group project in their first class, the heavens open up and the sparks begin to fly. There are only two problems – Ruby’s still pining for her perfect ex-girlfriend.
It’s time to turn on the charm like never before, but can Max master the rules of love?
She knows exactly what it looks like – she’s spent years studying the phenomenon in other people, but her Asperger syndrome makes it far too anxiety-provoking to attempt such a thing in her own life.
Instead, she focuses exclusively on academics. She’s 23 years old, starting grad school, and perfectly content to ignore the world beyond her textbooks. That is, until she meets Ruby Satterwhite, who makes Max want to give love one more shot.
Ruby is the consummate social butterfly – sorority president, extracurricular list a mile long, and stunning to boot. In short, she’s way out of Max’s league, and on top of it all, she kind of hates Max for how she blurts out whatever’s on her mind, no matter how blunt.
But when they’re thrown grudgingly together for a group project in their first class, the heavens open up and the sparks begin to fly. There are only two problems – Ruby’s still pining for her perfect ex-girlfriend.
It’s time to turn on the charm like never before, but can Max master the rules of love?
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2017
171 people are currently reading
490 people want to read
About the author
Cara Malone
68 books478 followersI write stories that explore the thrills – and challenges – of falling in love as a woman-loving woman, including the bestselling Lakeside Hospital medical romance series and Rainbow Award honorable mention The Rules of Love.
My books are for you if you’re a fan of contemporary romance, if you love strong women who aren’t afraid to be vulnerable, and if you like a little heat with your sapphic love stories.
Grab a free copy of Mind Games on my website, CaraMalone.com
My books are for you if you’re a fan of contemporary romance, if you love strong women who aren’t afraid to be vulnerable, and if you like a little heat with your sapphic love stories.
Grab a free copy of Mind Games on my website, CaraMalone.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
March 12, 2020
Max and Ruby were either arguing or making out. While they were very cute, their thing was completely physical with zero emotional connection.
Right after they slept together, Max was all 'I am gonna dropout of the race for her and nothing is more important than her'. On the other hand was Ruby crying over her ex 90% of the time. The book was still very entertaining, I just wish they'd had at least one substantial conversation. Also super cool them being my age and doing masters in a subject I almost went for.
Right after they slept together, Max was all 'I am gonna dropout of the race for her and nothing is more important than her'. On the other hand was Ruby crying over her ex 90% of the time. The book was still very entertaining, I just wish they'd had at least one substantial conversation. Also super cool them being my age and doing masters in a subject I almost went for.
December 29, 2017
Cara Malone reached out to me and offered me the opportunity to read her latest book The Rules of Love. Right off the bat, just reading the story’s description I was intrigued. Which for some of us that read 100+ books a year, intrigued by something new is a whole lot of awesomeness. So, what struck me most about Cara’s story, her main character, Max.
Maxine “Max” Saddler is just beginning her first year of grad school working on dual masters in library science and user experience. What makes Max’s character so interesting in terms of a romance novel is that she has a mild form of Asperger’s syndrome. Max tends to put people on the defensive, she’s blunt and lacks the social etiquette that people expect when meeting someone new. You can see how Max struggles in the friendship department, even though she is a thoughtful and lovely person. You just have to get past the lack of social skills and have patience combined with an understanding of her nature. This is especially difficult because Max is very protective of letting anyone know about her Asperger’s. She wants to be seen for herself and not as someone with a disability.
Ruby Satterwhite grabs Max’s attention like no one ever has. Ruby is gorgeous, fun, super smart and a true social butterfly. She’s the girl that walks into a room and is friends with everyone by the time she leaves. Ruby is one of those magnetic personalities who people just automatically gravitate too. Ruby is immediately struck by Max, right off the bat she is attracted to the beautiful loner. Making a point to introduce herself to Max, Ruby is thrown off by Max’s abruptness and the borderline antagonistic qualities their initial meeting has. Fortunately for Max, Ruby can’t just write her off, they are forced to work together on a group project.
At the thirty percent mark, I was 100% percent invested in the book and completely unsure how Cara Malone was going to get these two ladies to the happily ever after moment. Max continued to rub Ruby the wrong way, and add into the mix that Ruby is still nursing a major heartache after her first love of six years dumped her out of the blue right after undergrad graduation. All I could think is damn we have major mountains to climb to get to true love. Never fear, our author gets us where we need to be in the most unexpected but adorable way. In regards to Ruby and Max, I would love to see more of how their relationship fares as time goes on, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride in bringing them together. The Rules of Love is a delightful read, you can’t go wrong picking this one up.
Maxine “Max” Saddler is just beginning her first year of grad school working on dual masters in library science and user experience. What makes Max’s character so interesting in terms of a romance novel is that she has a mild form of Asperger’s syndrome. Max tends to put people on the defensive, she’s blunt and lacks the social etiquette that people expect when meeting someone new. You can see how Max struggles in the friendship department, even though she is a thoughtful and lovely person. You just have to get past the lack of social skills and have patience combined with an understanding of her nature. This is especially difficult because Max is very protective of letting anyone know about her Asperger’s. She wants to be seen for herself and not as someone with a disability.
Ruby Satterwhite grabs Max’s attention like no one ever has. Ruby is gorgeous, fun, super smart and a true social butterfly. She’s the girl that walks into a room and is friends with everyone by the time she leaves. Ruby is one of those magnetic personalities who people just automatically gravitate too. Ruby is immediately struck by Max, right off the bat she is attracted to the beautiful loner. Making a point to introduce herself to Max, Ruby is thrown off by Max’s abruptness and the borderline antagonistic qualities their initial meeting has. Fortunately for Max, Ruby can’t just write her off, they are forced to work together on a group project.
At the thirty percent mark, I was 100% percent invested in the book and completely unsure how Cara Malone was going to get these two ladies to the happily ever after moment. Max continued to rub Ruby the wrong way, and add into the mix that Ruby is still nursing a major heartache after her first love of six years dumped her out of the blue right after undergrad graduation. All I could think is damn we have major mountains to climb to get to true love. Never fear, our author gets us where we need to be in the most unexpected but adorable way. In regards to Ruby and Max, I would love to see more of how their relationship fares as time goes on, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride in bringing them together. The Rules of Love is a delightful read, you can’t go wrong picking this one up.
June 23, 2017
There are a million and one (or maybe eight) things I thought of mentioning in a review for this book. I think I'll just stick to a few words.
Two young women of 23 attend graduate school at Granville. Both going for masters in library science with the other also going for masters in user . . . um . . something. I'm not sure where Granville is supposed to be though within roughly 5-6 hour driving of Chicago. Conceivable Granville University (GSU) is a stand in for Denison University (which is located in Granville Ohio, which is roughly 6 hours driving distance from Chicago). GSU, though, seems to correspond to Georgia State University, and I know this isn't Georgia State. So, conceivably, the action is taking place in Ohio.
One of the women had been dating their high school sweetheart for the past six of so years, but the girlfriend, Meagan, broke them apart when they graduated college - didn't want to do the long distance thing. Ruby, the woman I've been referring to indirectly, is normally a bubbly chatty type who just loves social situations and making friends. And she turns to that, with her plastic smile on her face, to distract herself from her heart-break.
Meanwhile there's this kind of 'opposite Ruby' type - where Ruby is bubbly, femme, dress wearing socialite, Max is her opposite in most ways. Strong jaw, mannish clothing, bow-tie, short hair, blunt sharp talk. Doesn’t ‘do’ small talk. Or crowds. Or bars, parties, etc. Course, part of that ‘doesn’t’ do’ is the part wherein she isn’t really sure how. For she falls somewhere within the label of Asperger syndrome.
Both women find the other quite attractive, on first glance. Shortly thereafter both kind of dislike the other, with Ruby even telling her mother that she’s developed an arch-enemy. Max falls less into ‘dislike’ but for noticing how Ruby is acting to her. Which is worrying to her for Ruby is the first person who seems worth the effort to figure out what this ‘dating’ and ‘love’ thing might mean.
Then they are forced to work on a project together through a class. And so they have to interact.
They move less from hate to love, than from hate to hate fucking – quite frankly I kind of despised Ruby throughout the book and had no sympathy for her. She used Max as a distraction, to distract her from her broken heart. Ruby keeps thinking that the fucking will be a one-time thing, but she keeps finding herself in Max’s room. Max thinks they have some kind of relationship going on (stupid of her, eh?).
Then, as kind of expected, the ex-girlfriend reared her ugly head up to blink alluringly towards Ruby. So naturally . . ..
The events of the book kept me from rating this less than I did but I wish to again note that I rather disliked the character Ruby put on display.
sex: lots. And graphic.
Rating: 3.66
June 23 2017
Two young women of 23 attend graduate school at Granville. Both going for masters in library science with the other also going for masters in user . . . um . . something. I'm not sure where Granville is supposed to be though within roughly 5-6 hour driving of Chicago. Conceivable Granville University (GSU) is a stand in for Denison University (which is located in Granville Ohio, which is roughly 6 hours driving distance from Chicago). GSU, though, seems to correspond to Georgia State University, and I know this isn't Georgia State. So, conceivably, the action is taking place in Ohio.
One of the women had been dating their high school sweetheart for the past six of so years, but the girlfriend, Meagan, broke them apart when they graduated college - didn't want to do the long distance thing. Ruby, the woman I've been referring to indirectly, is normally a bubbly chatty type who just loves social situations and making friends. And she turns to that, with her plastic smile on her face, to distract herself from her heart-break.
Meanwhile there's this kind of 'opposite Ruby' type - where Ruby is bubbly, femme, dress wearing socialite, Max is her opposite in most ways. Strong jaw, mannish clothing, bow-tie, short hair, blunt sharp talk. Doesn’t ‘do’ small talk. Or crowds. Or bars, parties, etc. Course, part of that ‘doesn’t’ do’ is the part wherein she isn’t really sure how. For she falls somewhere within the label of Asperger syndrome.
Both women find the other quite attractive, on first glance. Shortly thereafter both kind of dislike the other, with Ruby even telling her mother that she’s developed an arch-enemy. Max falls less into ‘dislike’ but for noticing how Ruby is acting to her. Which is worrying to her for Ruby is the first person who seems worth the effort to figure out what this ‘dating’ and ‘love’ thing might mean.
Then they are forced to work on a project together through a class. And so they have to interact.
They move less from hate to love, than from hate to hate fucking – quite frankly I kind of despised Ruby throughout the book and had no sympathy for her. She used Max as a distraction, to distract her from her broken heart. Ruby keeps thinking that the fucking will be a one-time thing, but she keeps finding herself in Max’s room. Max thinks they have some kind of relationship going on (stupid of her, eh?).
Then, as kind of expected, the ex-girlfriend reared her ugly head up to blink alluringly towards Ruby. So naturally . . ..
The events of the book kept me from rating this less than I did but I wish to again note that I rather disliked the character Ruby put on display.
sex: lots. And graphic.
Rating: 3.66
June 23 2017
December 17, 2021
3 Stars - just an ok read for me. I didn't really understand the attraction and I didn't like the middle of the book. I found myself skimming quite a bit to get to the end.
June 4, 2017
This is a sweet romance book where two people try to deal with their issues: Max gets over her lack of social skills and Ruby a painful break up.
February 6, 2023
Really enjoyed this - good to read about Autism even though it isn't full on! Good to reread, read in less than a day. Made me happy.
June 4, 2017
This was absolutely adorable!!
RTC
RTC
June 16, 2017
It's a sweet story, but too short for me. I wish it had a little more depth. I'd say 3.5 stars rounded up.
I forgot to mention that I really enjoyed the use of a non traditional protagonist. I just wish there'd been more depth to it. It seemed a rather simplistic version of Aspergers.
I forgot to mention that I really enjoyed the use of a non traditional protagonist. I just wish there'd been more depth to it. It seemed a rather simplistic version of Aspergers.
September 8, 2018
3.5
I really wish there were half-stars. This novel is definitely not a 4 but it's also way more than a 3. There were things that didn't work for me but the writing was mostly good, the characters had chemistry and I really like that one had mental issues, all the more so as the way it was told was pretty true to what I know about Asperger's.
So, all in all, an interesting read.
I really wish there were half-stars. This novel is definitely not a 4 but it's also way more than a 3. There were things that didn't work for me but the writing was mostly good, the characters had chemistry and I really like that one had mental issues, all the more so as the way it was told was pretty true to what I know about Asperger's.
So, all in all, an interesting read.
January 9, 2018
Yeah, enjoyable but it didn't bowl me over.
December 7, 2017
3.5 rounded up. Enemies to ... well not, heh. Much of it is spent getting the two to quit bickering and have a few conversations. What I found the most interesting was Max has Asperger (a type of autism) which makes her incredibly socially awkward. I'd heard about it before, but I found her intensely interesting. Will definitely give book 2 a shot.
June 2, 2017
A fantastic read!
I really liked this book. Which actually came as a bit of a surprise because lately the books I've been reading ended up not living up to my expectations.
This is the kind of book that I thoroughly enjoy reading. It has everything that will keep me hooked from the first page. Max and Ruby are great character's although to be honest I did want to smack Ruby upside her head every now and then simply because I found myself truly empathizing with Max. They have great chemistry together, the story is well paced and the dialogue flows naturally without it ever feeling stilted. That was actually something I had expected to encounter considering Max's difficulties in dealing with social situation but the author made the relationship between the two MC feel very natural.
The only minor point of critique I have is that the ending felt a bit rushed. I would have loved to have the last 2 chapters extended a bit. It left the book feeling a bit incomplete and i'm actually wondering whether or not there will be a sequel. I surly hope so because I really liked this book.
This delightful read end up with a 4.75* rating.
I really liked this book. Which actually came as a bit of a surprise because lately the books I've been reading ended up not living up to my expectations.
This is the kind of book that I thoroughly enjoy reading. It has everything that will keep me hooked from the first page. Max and Ruby are great character's although to be honest I did want to smack Ruby upside her head every now and then simply because I found myself truly empathizing with Max. They have great chemistry together, the story is well paced and the dialogue flows naturally without it ever feeling stilted. That was actually something I had expected to encounter considering Max's difficulties in dealing with social situation but the author made the relationship between the two MC feel very natural.
The only minor point of critique I have is that the ending felt a bit rushed. I would have loved to have the last 2 chapters extended a bit. It left the book feeling a bit incomplete and i'm actually wondering whether or not there will be a sequel. I surly hope so because I really liked this book.
This delightful read end up with a 4.75* rating.
July 20, 2022
I was astonished at how well the author portrayed a neuro-divergent love story. I listened on audiobook and took it in one gulp. It was sweet, charming and kept me glued the whole time. Malone hits a "hearty" homerun with this one!
August 5, 2019
3.5 stars
January 24, 2019
This seemed like it was going to be my exact thing- autistic main character, popular girl love interest, libraries! But it really... wasn't. Max was completely unrepeatable for me, and I found it kind of offensive as an autistic person that even in her head she was just angry and judgemental, instead of stressed and overloaded. Her entire character was based on trying to act neurotypical instead of autistic, and the book gives this huge feel of her autism making her inferior to the love interest. While the autistic character does huge gestures and works incredibly hard to make the relationship work, the neurotypical love interest makes very little effort, slaps her and uses her autism as a weapon in an argument when it's not even relevant, and yet the narrative acts like the autistic character is soooooo lucky to have her. I appreciated the reference to weighted blankets but otherwise the book and character felt like the stereotypical "rude aspergers nerd who doesn't understand relationships" trope. I'm sure this is representative of someone out there with autism, we differ as much as everyone else, but it isn't mine and it's a problem that it's the only one you see. Especially given how patronizing the book felt about the autistic character, and how her sacrificing her goals for the love interest was portrayed as romantic or even just what she should do instead of deeply worrying. I was excited about this book but honestly the way they portrayed the autistic character ruined it for me; your milage may vary.
June 1, 2017
Delightful story!
What a delightful story! This was a very sweet story and enjoyed it very much. My grandniece is on the Asperger Spectrum and the way Ax's character was developed was very accurate. Ruby was also very sweet. Very good character development and the supporting characters were also very well done!
What a delightful story! This was a very sweet story and enjoyed it very much. My grandniece is on the Asperger Spectrum and the way Ax's character was developed was very accurate. Ruby was also very sweet. Very good character development and the supporting characters were also very well done!
December 4, 2017
2017 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: The Rules of Love Cara Malone
1) I love the two main characters with all my heart. They were extremely well and sympathetically drawn, and I rooted for them the entire way through. A unique and delightful love story.
2) Really good read. I liked the pacing and how the Asperger syndrome was portrait. The writing style is really good. The story is definitely new and refreshing. The characters interesting enough and the story believable. A book that probably I will read again in the future! Well done!
1) I love the two main characters with all my heart. They were extremely well and sympathetically drawn, and I rooted for them the entire way through. A unique and delightful love story.
2) Really good read. I liked the pacing and how the Asperger syndrome was portrait. The writing style is really good. The story is definitely new and refreshing. The characters interesting enough and the story believable. A book that probably I will read again in the future! Well done!
June 17, 2019
representation: lesbian mc's, mc with aspergers, f/f romance
Definitely not a perfect book, but it was - as a wise philosopher by the name of Leslie Knope once said - sophisticated with a hint of slutty.
Max has never been in love, but she likes to think she knows what it looks like, based on her dozens of notebooks filled with observations about human interactions. Studying to be a librarian, she joins a group with her only friend on campus, who desperately wants her to be more social. Except, Mira's idea of making friends is having Max run for president of the club. During the first meeting, Max is drawn to Ruby, the social butterfly surrounded by an enamored group of their peers. It's a great juxtaposition to herself. Except, Max has difficulty responding to social cues and accidentally offends the other girl, causing a rift between them.
Ruby is recovering from the end of a lengthy relationship ended because of long distance. She's struggling with the anxiety of becoming close to another person and accepting that her relationship with Megan is over.
Both girls are begrudgingly thrown together in a group project while simultaneously running for president in their club.
The Rules of Love is god-tier NA f/f romance. There are smutty scenes interspersed - that were actually written well and not awkward - while the author manages to focus on something else other than the romance. I found Max's discussions about her difficulty with social interaction very intriguing. I don't have Aspergers myself, so I can't comment on how accurate or respectful the representation was, but I felt like it was well-researched, by the way it was written. It's obviously not going to be as authentic as it could be from someone who has the disability and I would've appreciated an author's note discussing their researching process or whether someone close to them also has Aspergers. In addition, I appreciated how Ruby researched how to approach certain negative situations with Max, but didn't start treating her with more caution like she was fragile (if that makes sense). Though, please take these comments with a grain of salt because I wasn't able to find an #ownvoices review for this book and therefore don't know whether it was respectful.
First of all, Max is definitely described as butch, so I have no idea why the cover looks like that. Anyway, Max was such an interesting and enlightening main character to follow. She's a social recluse and I liked reading about how she observed other people, then used those notes to interact with others. It's something I've never considered, so it really opened my eyes to how some people need extensive preparation before initiating a conversation with another person. For example, when Max is attempting to patch things up with Ruby in the beginning, she has to theorise hundreds of questions for "small-talk" because it doesn't come naturally to her. Again, this was truly enlightening for me to read.
Ruby was an average main character and I definitely wasn't as warmed to her because of her many mistakes throughout the book. The main complication in the climax is very serious, and it feels like she never truly atones for it. However, a lot of her other mistakes are understandable since she's still recovering from a four-year relationship and experiencing mixed signals from her ex. Again, I liked how she researched Aspergers so she could be more respectful of Max instead of labeling her as rude, but her actions at the end were very questionable.
Their romance, however? Phew. This is definitely superior enemies to lovers (in a real-world setting, at least). If you're sitting on the fence, their first sex scene occurs after an argument, where one says the other is "incredibly annoying", then they start making out against a wall. Again, god-tier NA romance. The sex scenes also felt natural and not disjointed within the plot. I wasn't cringing while reading it because it didn't appear to be some fetish of the author. If you're looking for some nice, but also sweet, f/f smut, this is definitely to way to go.
Overall, The Rules of Love isn't a perfect book, but I loved the experience of reading it. I could overlook the slow-pacing because I loved the characters and the discussions they initiated throughout the story. It's definitely a new favourite NA f/f romance for me.
February 28, 2018
Lo que más me llamó la atención es que una de las protagonistas es autista. De hecho, creo que es el primer libro que leo con una protagonista autista. La verdad es que no tengo ni idea de si la representación es buena o no. Por lo que he visto en las otras reseñas, sí que parece que es bastante aceptable.
Hay varias cosas que no me acaban de convencer, la verdad. La relación empieza de una manera bastante tóxica, pricipalmente, porque no hablan las cosas y no dejan las cosas claras desde un principio. Empiezan a estar juntas porque una de ellas necesita olvidarse de su ex y solo quiere algo casual. Sin embargo, eso no se comunica, eso no queda claro.
Después, hay un momento en el que una pega a la otra y eso tampoco se resuelve realmente. El final es bastante abrupto y poco realista. En mi opinión, toda la parte de la discusión tendría que haberse extendido más para que todo se solucionara de forma sana.
Hay varias cosas que no me acaban de convencer, la verdad. La relación empieza de una manera bastante tóxica, pricipalmente, porque no hablan las cosas y no dejan las cosas claras desde un principio. Empiezan a estar juntas porque una de ellas necesita olvidarse de su ex y solo quiere algo casual. Sin embargo, eso no se comunica, eso no queda claro.
Después, hay un momento en el que una pega a la otra y eso tampoco se resuelve realmente. El final es bastante abrupto y poco realista. En mi opinión, toda la parte de la discusión tendría que haberse extendido más para que todo se solucionara de forma sana.
July 7, 2017
Excellent!
It’s over and it really hurts. Ruby struggles with a breakup but after her move to Granville, she wanted to push all of that out of her mind and was eager to jump into her study. Max is an unique complicated and exceptional woman. Communication is her biggest challenge and she knows nothing about love and relationships. Her focus is only on getting dual degrees. When they meet, they found themselves immediately drawn to each other. At first Ruby finds Max’s behaviour hard to understand and very confusing. She couldn’t work out why Max is behaving like this. Difficulties ensued and a relationship is almost impossible. I quickly became absorbed by this story and I’m very impressed with the storyline and the characters. Well done and I highly recommend it.
It’s over and it really hurts. Ruby struggles with a breakup but after her move to Granville, she wanted to push all of that out of her mind and was eager to jump into her study. Max is an unique complicated and exceptional woman. Communication is her biggest challenge and she knows nothing about love and relationships. Her focus is only on getting dual degrees. When they meet, they found themselves immediately drawn to each other. At first Ruby finds Max’s behaviour hard to understand and very confusing. She couldn’t work out why Max is behaving like this. Difficulties ensued and a relationship is almost impossible. I quickly became absorbed by this story and I’m very impressed with the storyline and the characters. Well done and I highly recommend it.
February 1, 2018
2.5ish? 3? idk, i'll think on it. RTC hopefully by tomorrow or the next day (i'm a couple behind so who knows tbh)
January 19, 2021
I finished this book really glad I had chosen it. Stick with it through the first few chapters: I found the introduction to Max to be… difficult for me. After the first couple of chapters, she felt more like a collection of symptoms or indicators than a person. Especially because so much of our introduction to Max is through the eyes of Ruby, who (at that point in the story) doesn't know Max yet. But as the book goes on, Max felt more and more real to me (and, in some ways, more and more like me).
I am finding myself tongue-tied trying to force myself to comment on the sex scenes. I'll fall back on "detailed without feeling mechanical," even though my feelings about them are more enthusiastic than that description.
And as the relationship overcomes obstacles and begins to grow, I felt connected to both women. And I will definitely be adding the next book to read!
I am finding myself tongue-tied trying to force myself to comment on the sex scenes. I'll fall back on "detailed without feeling mechanical," even though my feelings about them are more enthusiastic than that description.
And as the relationship overcomes obstacles and begins to grow, I felt connected to both women. And I will definitely be adding the next book to read!
May 31, 2017
Reading opposites attract stories can be so fascinating to me. Add in the Asperger's element and I knew I wanted to read this one. I have a close relative with Asperger's so I'm always eager to see that in my reading. Max was dealing with attempts to forge social bonds in the face of her Asperger's symptoms - lacking social cue recognition, etc. Ruby was falling back on her social skills learned in her sorority - a version of "fake it until you make it" with complete wiht plastic smile, all because she's trying to deal with the pain of a recently ended long term relationship. I loved seeing both characters work through obstacles and pain to make the relationship work and find their HEA. It all felt very real and relatable.
Mild frustrations - I received an ARC (epub format) and there were some formatting issues. As an editor at my day-job, I totally understand fighting the formatting beast, but even after some corrections there were still formatting problems. They were easy to read through but I am hopeful that these are corrected in the final version.
Another mild annoyance of mine is when the cover models don't match the characters. Max is described as sort-of butch with a pompadour style haircut which isn't represented. Very minor in the grand scheme but as a visual learner my brain has issues reconciling LOL
*ARC received from the author. Opinions are my own.
Mild frustrations - I received an ARC (epub format) and there were some formatting issues. As an editor at my day-job, I totally understand fighting the formatting beast, but even after some corrections there were still formatting problems. They were easy to read through but I am hopeful that these are corrected in the final version.
Another mild annoyance of mine is when the cover models don't match the characters. Max is described as sort-of butch with a pompadour style haircut which isn't represented. Very minor in the grand scheme but as a visual learner my brain has issues reconciling LOL
*ARC received from the author. Opinions are my own.
October 9, 2018
Ruby and Max(ine) meet as new students in their graduate library sciences program. Ruby is an outgoing, friendly extrovert, highly intelligent and the former president of her sorority. Max is highly introverted and unable to understand social cues, having been diagnosed with Asberger's when she was a child. At first, Max's inability to communicate well makes the two clash, and then their attraction intensifies and they begin a sexual relationship, with Max falling for Ruby and Ruby still not over the end of her long-term relationship and unwilling to make a new commitment.
This is the second romance I've read with a neural atypical MC, and this one just like the other (All the Love Songs by Nicole Pyland) was very well done, especially in the portrayal of Max, her struggles and efforts to overcome them. While there were a few places that could have been more fleshed out (Ruby's reunion with her ex is one), I have to say that the book kept me engaged, the writing on the whole was very good, and I recommend it. Overall 4.5 stars but I'm rounding up to 5.
This is the second romance I've read with a neural atypical MC, and this one just like the other (All the Love Songs by Nicole Pyland) was very well done, especially in the portrayal of Max, her struggles and efforts to overcome them. While there were a few places that could have been more fleshed out (Ruby's reunion with her ex is one), I have to say that the book kept me engaged, the writing on the whole was very good, and I recommend it. Overall 4.5 stars but I'm rounding up to 5.
July 16, 2019
A good beginning for a high potential series
“Most of all, it was a sense of relief that she’d waited twenty-three years to experience. For the first time in her life, Max didn’t need to analyze every expression on Ruby’s face or question the intent of each of her words. She didn’t need her notes on the rules of love or the human experience.”
“It was ironic that her whole life had revolved around imitating the emotional spectrum of others, and now that she needed her stoicism the most, it was a struggle to find.”
• ~ • ~ • ~ •
The storyline was a uniquely different take on the typical girl-meets-girl narrative with characters that were easy to like, appreciate & relate.
I loved following the journey of Ruby & Max & the beginning of their relationship together!!! Felt very realistic in the struggles, difficulties & obstacles in the pursuit of love.
“Most of all, it was a sense of relief that she’d waited twenty-three years to experience. For the first time in her life, Max didn’t need to analyze every expression on Ruby’s face or question the intent of each of her words. She didn’t need her notes on the rules of love or the human experience.”
“It was ironic that her whole life had revolved around imitating the emotional spectrum of others, and now that she needed her stoicism the most, it was a struggle to find.”
• ~ • ~ • ~ •
The storyline was a uniquely different take on the typical girl-meets-girl narrative with characters that were easy to like, appreciate & relate.
I loved following the journey of Ruby & Max & the beginning of their relationship together!!! Felt very realistic in the struggles, difficulties & obstacles in the pursuit of love.
April 29, 2021
Rulebook 1
This is sort of a prequel to “Love in the Stacks”. The characters, Mira, Max, and Ruby attending library school for their masters degrees in this book. We find out how they all met. This is just the beginning of the masters degree programs for Max and Ruby, while Mira is further along. We find out Max has Aspergers. I learned a lot about how some people with Aspergers make their way through life, the challenges of college, a social life and love life. Max has some pretty ingenious ways of trying to figure out and manage the issues she has with Aspergers. Max is a keen observer in even the simplest of social situations, and takes copious notes that she refers back to in an effort to try to help herself handle those situations. I can’t wait to start the 2nd book in the Rulebook series where their story continues.
This is sort of a prequel to “Love in the Stacks”. The characters, Mira, Max, and Ruby attending library school for their masters degrees in this book. We find out how they all met. This is just the beginning of the masters degree programs for Max and Ruby, while Mira is further along. We find out Max has Aspergers. I learned a lot about how some people with Aspergers make their way through life, the challenges of college, a social life and love life. Max has some pretty ingenious ways of trying to figure out and manage the issues she has with Aspergers. Max is a keen observer in even the simplest of social situations, and takes copious notes that she refers back to in an effort to try to help herself handle those situations. I can’t wait to start the 2nd book in the Rulebook series where their story continues.
October 12, 2017
Enchanting
A wonderful portrayal of a high functioning non NT graduate student who has been studying the way people interact, in particular when it comes to that most mysterious of human behavior sets: flirting, dating, and love. However, she's never experienced those things herself. Enter the Chicago socialite, fresh off of the break up with her only girlfriend, who she dated since high school. They have instant physical attraction, but can their polar opposite personalities and the lingering feelings for the ex be overcome?
The chemistry between the characters is excellent. The presentation of the two distinct personalities is fantastic. And the plot and pacing are wonderful. Highly recommended!
A wonderful portrayal of a high functioning non NT graduate student who has been studying the way people interact, in particular when it comes to that most mysterious of human behavior sets: flirting, dating, and love. However, she's never experienced those things herself. Enter the Chicago socialite, fresh off of the break up with her only girlfriend, who she dated since high school. They have instant physical attraction, but can their polar opposite personalities and the lingering feelings for the ex be overcome?
The chemistry between the characters is excellent. The presentation of the two distinct personalities is fantastic. And the plot and pacing are wonderful. Highly recommended!
June 12, 2017
Short but cute
This is the first book I have read by this author. I liked this one enough to seek out her other works. It wasn't very long or a very deep read, but I did get emotionally involved enough to want to witness the ending. There were random grammatical errors such as words left out of sentences, so perhaps a little closer editing should be done in the future. All in all it was ok considering it was a Kindle Unlimited. I wouldn't have wanted to pay full price for it. It passed a little time for me, but I'm not going to rave about it enough that I would go back and read it again.
This is the first book I have read by this author. I liked this one enough to seek out her other works. It wasn't very long or a very deep read, but I did get emotionally involved enough to want to witness the ending. There were random grammatical errors such as words left out of sentences, so perhaps a little closer editing should be done in the future. All in all it was ok considering it was a Kindle Unlimited. I wouldn't have wanted to pay full price for it. It passed a little time for me, but I'm not going to rave about it enough that I would go back and read it again.
August 6, 2020
I was intrigued to read another story with a character on the autistic spectrum; Asperger's. Max's detail in observing others, and taking notes of what she saw, made me smile. Ruby being emotionally entangled still with Megan was troubling. The texts being seen by Max was an 'oh my goodness'. The one detail I found troubling was the sorority Ruby & Megan belonged. Was it Delta Zeta or Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA). Megan referred to the members of the sorority as Zetas. So, as a 'sister' of the AKA sorority, from an African-American university, where did the author glean the research for her characters sorority?
January 19, 2018
A nice story, interesting to see characters that have differences. I liked that the POV was changed in this book, I think if it had just been one or the other it would have probably lost some of the character development since so much was going on inside their heads. The only thing was I unfortunately laughed when I realized their names were Max and Ruby (if anyone had kids few years back or babysat, there was a kids cartoon called Max and Ruby). That made it hard to take seriously at times. Otherwise really cute!
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