Love is a battlefield for a quirky matchmaker and the cocky football star who hires her to find him a wife.As the owner of Perfect Pairings matchmaking service, Maddie McRae earns her living helping others fall in love. And one thing the sweet Southern belle knows for sure is that the foundation of wedded bliss is built on similarities: opposites might attract, but they don’t stay together. Enter … don’t stay together.
Enter Mason Spark.
Rude, arrogant, and notoriously allergic to monogamy, the hottest quarterback in the NFL is Maddie’s polar opposite. He’s also her new client. Her gorgeous, infuriating new client who’s paying her an outrageous sum of money to find him a wife. With his multi-million dollar contract on the line due to his behavior on and off the field, bad boy Mason is willing to pretend to settle down.
But when he starts to fall for the adorkable matchmaker who can’t stand him, the playboy finds himself in the game of his life to keep something he never thought he’d lose—his heart.
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First, I would like to state in J.T. Geissinger’s world; the Patriots don’t make the Super Bowl, and I loved that. This book is so much fun, J.T. has this uncanny knack of creating stories that charm your socks off. Yes, there’s romance and all the other stuff that makes a good book, but with J.T., there is just this level of whimsy and charm that combined with a killer dialog that takes her books to the next level. I have read pretty much everything she’s written, and this latest book is no exception.
Rules of Engagement seemed a bit different when I read the blurb, but knowing how J.T. can create, I knew I just needed to start reading. These characters are hilarious. Maddie is buttoned up so tight she can barely breathe. Mason is a walking volcano just waiting for his Mount St. Helens moment. Then we throw in Aunt Waldine (where the heck did she get that name?), and Dick (Mason’s agent) who looks like he just walked off a used-car lot and this cauldron is ready to produce magic. And it oh so very much does. I laughed at the verbal sparring of all the characters in this book. The mental conversations Maddie had with herself were hilarious. The elements of spirituality added sweetness and honesty that did not detract. It added a dimension to both Maddie and Mason that contributed exquisitely to their character development. All the while, Aunt Waldine (really this name) kept things hilarious and irreverent.
I’d like to see these characters again, particularly Stephanie. I think Aunt Waldine could create some havoc in her life. With all J.T.’s books, I am sad it’s ended. Just like with Burn for You, Melt for You, and Ache for You, you finish, and you want the epilogues to go on and on. You just like the characters that much. Maddie and Mason are like that too, their banter and wit that managed to unbutton one and calm the volcano of the other is just too excellent to leave.
Rules of Engagement was a slow-burn, quirky romance. I loved it.
Maddison McKee is a straight-forward, sassy match-maker who truly believes in love. Mason Spark is a womanizing, grumpy quarterback who doesn’t believe in love— at least not for people like him.
Maddie and Mason are polar opposites but they are a great example of why opposites attract. I adored Maddie and Mason especially their squabbles. The fact that they each found the other infuriating was just so much fun and their ability to push each other’s button lead to so many amusing moments. I also love how they challenge each other.
The slow-burn chemistry not only fueled the sexual tension between them but it gave them time to really start seeing one another on a deeper level. These characters especially Mason, were more than what meets the eyes.
I probably sound like a broken record, but everything that J.T. Geissinger writes is fantastic! This story was hilarious right from the beginning, starting with Mason Spark, a very rich, successful quarterback in the NFL. Mason didn’t come from a very good background, and you really don’t find out the extent of his tainted past until almost the end of the book. At first, I didn’t think I’d like him but changed my mind pretty quickly. Then we were introduced to Maddie McRae, owner of a matchmaking service – Perfect Pairings – where Mason is forced to visit by his agent and only friend, Dick. Maddie’s Aunt Waldine works at Perfect Pairings as well and is a hoot and a half! There are so many memorable quotes and scenes and bumps in the road in this story, and I absolutely loved every single thing about it. I think all readers will fall in love with Mason and Maddie just like I did. A definite read for 2020!
I’m pretty sure I was just saying the other day how much I don’t really like rom com books. I avoid them, because I genuinely don’t enjoy them. But this, I thoroughly enjoyed! Though I’m not sure it’s labeled as a rom com. Now I’m not going to suddenly love these types of books. But this particular book? I’m so glad I was given the opportunity to read it. I was given an ARC for an honest review.
I laughed so much throughout this book I almost cried. It’s that freaking funny. The banter between the main characters is spot on. The whole opposites attract thing was perfect and adorable. And this book is the kind of thing you want after a rough day or when you just want to put a smile on your face.
I really liked this author’s writing style. And I think everything was so well developed. If you’re looking for a funny, sweet read definitely consider grabbing this one.
Thanks for reading guys! Talk to you soon! Adrianna
What an outrageously funny romance — I laughed my way through this book from Page 1! This is exactly what I love about this author’s writing — she can go from romantic suspense to romantic comedy seamlessly. Her recent releases (Dangerous Beauty Series & Perfect Strangers) were incredibly suspenseful and mysterious which I love, but she knows how to write comedic characters just as well. Southern Belle Maddie has met her match with grumpy, arrogant Mason and oh how the sparks fly between these two! Playful, heartwarming, hysterically funny (my stomach hurt from laughing so hard) and surprisingly sweet, this is everything I’ve come to expect and love from JT’s rom coms. Another 5-star read that you won’t be able to put down.
I received a complimentary ARC – early release copy of this book in Kindle format from the author for review purposes.
This is my first read by this author but wow I am impressed. This is a fun, romantic and amusing romance between two very opposite people.
Maddie runs a romance finer/matchmaking business and she is all about love. She is hired by Mason’s agent to find him some dates and a fiancée. He is her total opposite. He has a dark past and does not believe in love at all. And so Maddie is given this impossible task of finding him a fiancée but he is opposed to love.
However Maddie charms and challenges him and her aunt and his agent enjoy watching these two spar and not fall for the other. In the mix we have Maddie’s evil ex who stirs the pot and this story really reminded me a lot of a modern Beauty and the Beast.
Note that this story is told in the POV of all 4 major characters and it was absolutely perfect. I absolutely loved all the characters except for the evil ex and only hated that it ends because it was so much fun and I loved Maddie and Mason.
I loved reading this enemies to lovers, rom-com! The banter between Mason and Maddie had me cracking up. Through their journey together, they discover things about themselves that open a door to what seems unlikely and impossible. With Mason, don’t judge a book its cover. He’s so much more than what he let’s the world see. And Maddie, she hides herself as well, to protect herself from being hurt. There’s something bigger in the works that’s out of their control. This story is swoony, laugh out loud funny, and I need a few minutes to calm myself down, delectably steamy! You need to read it!
This is my first time reading J.T. Geissinger, when the opportunity presented itself to read an early copy I jumped at the chance. Ms. Geissinger has been a constant recommendation from friend of mine who is a fellow reader/blogger. I finally got to read her and I am now hooked on all the words J.T. Geissinger writes! This is a fun enemies to lover story with lots of back and forth. I think this was the best way to be introduced to her writing and I am excited to read all her work. I am kicking myself for not reading her sooner. Definitely a must read! Loved it!!
Overall Grade: 1/2
Rules of Engagement is my entree into J.T. Geissinger’s world of books. As a newer blogger/book reviewer (I’ve only been doing this for two years), there are so many authors whom I have yet to read. I’ve seen Geissinger’s name in various promos over the past year, but Rules of Engagement is the first book of hers that I’ve had the honor to read. I know that she writes both contemporary romance and romantic comedy. When I saw the promotion of Rules of Engagement, the blurb drew me in instantly. I mean, c’mon, a Southern lady matchmaker and a rough, gruff hero who is looking for a wife. This seemed like rom-com dynamite. And it is every bit of it.
The story follows Maddie and Mason (can we acknowledge our love for alliterative pairings). Mason is a professional football player who has found himself in trouble time and time again due to his less than stellar attitude towards life and relationships. As a way to appease his agent and football team, his agent decides that he needs a wife to tame his image. Mason is the variety of hero who is beastly and gruff. Finding him a wife proves difficult. Mason’s agent, Dick, enlists the help of a matchmaker: Maddie. Maddie is every bit the Southern lady, well mannered, a little uptight, and controlled. When these two meet, fireworks ensue as each challenges the thinking of the other. The question of their story becomes will Maddie find a wife for Mason, or will she fall for him herself?
Every single page of Geissinger’s story kept me engaged. There is a depth to the story that underlies the hilarity and aggression of Mason and Maddie’s journey. The only way to describe it lies in the word “dense.” Geissinger lends a density to their hate-to-love evolution. Each word felt intentional whether it was to examine Mason’s underlying motivation in life or to highlight Maddie’s need to control all the details of her life. There is simply an intentionality to Geissinger’s storytelling and prose even when it’s disguised as a witty rom-com.
Rules of Engagement is a modern-day Beauty and the Beast tale. Mason has chosen beastly attributes as a means to hide his insecurity and beliefs about love. From the first page, it’s clear that Mason hyperbolizes his responses to people because he simply doesn’t feel “good enough” for meaningful relationships. This realization can be felt by Geissinger’s readers. Maybe we don’t act as grizzly as Mason, but we hide behind ineffectual coping mechanisms to escape our inner traumas. This is probably my favorite part of rom-coms, especially Geissinger’s. There is always something deeper beneath the surface of the seemingly light-hearted machinations of the hero and heroine. It’s a constant reminder that humor can act as a mask for a deeper issue. It’s the reason that a well-written rom-com holds the same power as an angsty, dramatic contemporary romance.
For me, Maddie is my favorite character. Yes, she’s controlled, and, as her aunt notes, walks as though she has a stick up her butt. However, it’s easy to see that it has become her defense mechanism in life. Beyond that, it becomes clear early in the story that she has the ability to see deeper into other people. She struggles with personal introspection, yet Maddie’s superpower, at least for this story, is “seeing” the real Mason. As such, she pulled at my heart-strings every time she articulated his feelings that he couldn’t tell her. That’s usually one of my favorite plotlines: when a hero or heroine sees his/her love interest completely. Maddie’s ability to move past Mason’s defense mechanism makes her the ultimate hero in Rules of Engagement.
Lastly, this story incorporates points of view other than Maddie’s and Mason’s, offering us context to the progression of their relationship. Incorporating Dick and Aunt Waldine’s perspectives not only helps us better understand Maddie and Mason; they also act as further hilarity in the romance. Aunt Waldine’s seances coupled with Dick’s meddling add the right amount of flair to keep the reader further engaged in Mason and Maddie’s journey.
For my first J.T. Geissinger book, I’m thankful for the opportunity to have read Rules of Engagement for an honest review. In reading her acknowledgments that she wrote this book during a difficult time in her life, it’s amazing that she was able to infuse so much comedy into the gravity of a story about self-love and finding completion by allowing yourself to love fully, and it highlights Geissinger’s storytelling genius. Once I began reading Rules of Engagement, I couldn’t put it down. It’s a story of finding a deep love even when we tell ourselves that our pasts have damaged us too much for anyone to love us. That we can be more than we ever allow ourselves.
Rule of Engagement was a really good read. This story is about Maddie who runs a dating company and Mason is the bad boy football player who is looking to change his image. It took me a little while to get sucked into this book but once I did I could put it down.
Rules of Engagement is the prefect rom-com read for a lazy weekend. It will have you awwing one minute, and laughing the next. If you are a fan of Hallmark or Lifetime files then this will be right up your alley, but of course not rated for TV ;-). In my honest opinion Rules of Engagement is a book you NEED to have on your 2020 to be read list.
There wasn’t anything at all I didn’t enjoy about this book! Nothing!
The banter between this couple was funny and sarcastic and sweet. I loved the storyline of her trying to find him the perfect woman, and she was right under his nose. I was so touched by his background and upbringing and how he was so loyal to the ones he cared for. His gruffness was sexy and his growth very fitting and touching. Loved them both.
If you enjoy a fabulous rom com that has a little twist but loads of wit and sass with plenty of romance, then you can not pass up on this book.
With a lot of emails from newsletters and blogger invites I’m receiving, leaving most of it unread. Most of these are only opened when something on their title catches my eye. And for some reason, Social Butterfly’s invitation for J. T Geissinger’s new book Rules of Engagement catches my attention. It has been long since I found a new author from one of these email that I actually liked.
Rules of Engagement is a Romantic Comedy that would make you laugh out loud yet still break your heart along the way. The fact that it took almost the later part of the book for the smut to come, only shows how good it was. We all like smut on our romance novel, but sometimes, author just put so much too much “action” that I felt they we’re overcompensating for lack of story. Reading thru Rules of Engagement is very enjoyable and even with the lack of action, still makes me feel hot. I like that the story, although a little cliché in a sense, makes you still want to know what happens next. That feeling where you tell yourself “Just One More Chapter”, yeah right. I ended up almost late for work because I kept reading one more chapter (spoiler alert: I was not late). The characters banters are just entertaining to read. I also like that you get a little insight of the side characters POV. The few side characters they have added more fun to the story. Although I did not actually cry, the books emotions we’re just the right amount for you to actually love it.
Although the characters are a little too typical with the other books I read, they still have their own special personality for you to actually like them. I like Maddie’s wit and good-heartedness. Even if she seems to be the “prim and proper” she knows how to hold her own on an argument and does not let anyone just walk over her. I love how she sees good in people yet knows when to stop trusting them altogether if the need calls for it. Mason, with all his macho imperfection, is the typical broken bad boy trying to show the world that he is invincible. Regardless of the persona he is trying to show the world, there’s always something that could break their hard exterior.
So I’d say I’m giving this a 5 star for keeping me entertained and fulfilling the promise of a Romantic Comedy.
Well…this book would have been awesome. But I’m a Pats super fan so…yeah. Lol. In all seriousness though I enjoyed this book a lot. I giggled constantly at the banter with the characters. It was sweet and extremely funny. That twist at the end had me full on laughing! Then I was pissed! Immediately felt all the gratification to be thrown into a WTF moment. Definitely recommend!
Wow, just wow! I am absolutely in love with this new story by Ms. Geissinger.
This the funny, whimsical, swoony story of Madison and Mason.
Madison is my kinda girl. She is adorkable! She has a thriving matchmaking business and tries hard to keep her world as straight-laced as humanly possible. I love her inner dialogue and her spunk, she is a lady through and through. She is so busy trying to match her clients, she doesn’t see the forest through the trees. But that just makes her more endearing to me.
Mason is the ultimate alpha-hole! But you can’t help but fall in love with him as the story goes on and you find out why he is the way he is. He is gruff and a bit of a hothead, but he is the perfect foil to Maddie’s hard-fought poise.
There is a very thin line between love and hate between Maddie and Mason, the dialogue between these two characters what witty, smart and oh so swoony at times! This is a story I couldn’t put down till the end! I laughed out loud so many times when I was reading this and that, to me, is the true testament to a fantastic romantic comedy.
The secondary character’s POVs were fantastic and added so much more to the story! Everybody needs a Dick and aunt Waldine in their lives.
Another fantastic story by Ms. Geissinger! I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next!!
This is a very funny book. The author is new to me so I wasn’t sure what to expect, of course. I am so glad I did! I loved nearly every single thing about it. I loved Mason and Maddie. (They are one of my favorite all time couples.) I loved Dick and Aunt Waldine. I loved the writing, the plot, the intelligent dialogue, witty banter, and wonderful dry sarcasm sprinkled within. There’s only two very small things I would have changed. One was the interruption of a really hot scene and the second is that I think it would have been pretty funny to use a couple kittens in the epilogue. Regardless, I am still giving this book five stars and adding it to my all time favorites list because any book that can make me as happy as this book has, deserves it. Also, I am definitely recommending Rules of Engagement for some great laughs, pink love, and warm fuzzies.
Love every minute
As the saying goes. You pass does not defines you. You can raise from the ash like a phoenix. That is what Mason did, with the help of a guardian angel coach and a good caring woman who saw pass his anger and his pass. Maggie was exactly what he needed to complete the path his coach set out for him. I love the plot and characters, even the bitter ex. He made the story interesting and he also helped Mason to see who he doesn’t want to be. Love every minute.
Maddie runs her own matchmaking service, Perfect Pairings. She’s organized, meticulous about her business and loves pink. Mason is surly, grumpy and in need of a wife so that his organization will get off his back. He’s the local quarterback, but isn’t always in the good graces of his football team.
When Maddie and Mason meet – sparks fly. Maddie and Mason couldn’t be more opposite from one another. Soon their professional relationship turns into a friendship and from there the lines start to blur. But can these two make it work – when they both believe that they’re clearly not suited for one another.
I absolutely LOVED the banter between Maddie and Mason. I’d be laughing one moment and then have my heart pounding in the next. The delicious slow burn had me screaming for these two to finally realize how much they wanted each other.
If you want a romantic comedy that brings the humor but also the sweetness – grab a copy of Rules of Engagement
Definite 4.5 Stars, Rom-Com!
I loved the dry humor that was portrayed in this book. Quirky little Maddie McRae is the perfect match for tough guy Mason Sparks!
When Maddie is set with the task of finding a wife for Mason through her very pink business, she finds herself head to head with this bulldozer of a man. He has a temper but Maddie is quick to put him in his place. I love her innocence throughout the book. She was able to calm this massive creature and help him find who he really is. To help him forget his past and move to the future.
There were parts of this book I loved… I loved the majority of it actually, but I felt the story line was a little predictable and the communication at one point could’ve been better. I know, I know it makes the drama in the book, and if you’re okay with that? Grab it! I’ll still be telling my friends about this adorably cute couple!
Mason is a grumpy, sexy football player. Madison is a smart, obsessive, librarian-esque matchmaker. The two are complete opposites or at least appear that way on the outside. But this isn’t an opposites attract love story. It’s a sweet, witty romance that pulls you in from the beginning and shows you that looks can be deceiving and trust is a foundation that all relationships require. My review makes it sound super serious, but JT knows how to throw in comical and sassy banter to lighten the mood! This is probably my favorite book she has written so far! Everyone keeps getting better!!
Rom-com, opposites attract tropes are a favorite of mine and Rules of Engagement definitely has that in spades! Maddie McRae happens to be a matchmaker who is in love with love. Mason Spark is the jerky, arrogant NFL quarterback who is in need of her services. For the past six years Mason has developed quite a reputation and none of it good. So his agent, Dick found a solution, find him a wife. Unfortunately when Maddie’s company, Perfect Pairings was hired, it was with false pretenses. From the very first meet they were like cats and dogs, but underneath it all the spark was combustible. This was a bit of a slow burn romance but the banter between these two was hilarious and I smiled so much throughout this book. I loved it all and I highly recommend it!