Rock Paper Scissors is my least favorite Alice Feeney so far, but I still enjoyed it. The end had her trademark tornado of reveals. The plot and characters were engaging, but it felt slow in the middle.

I've read boatloads of Regency romance, and wallflower stepping into the light is a classic trope that is not always done well, but Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake is an excellent entry into this HR sub-genre.

Our FMC is a delight, and someone you'd want to be friends with in real life. I really enjoyed her spirit and that she was determined to have her fun even if society didn't value her. The wallflower subgenre can sometimes get a little morose and melodramatic but this FMC takes life on in a very endearing way. I also like that her sister was just as on board to have some Regency-era-inappropriate fun because your story doesn't just end when you get the guy! The MMC's sister was also great, and I am glad she gets her own book down the line.

The MMC was a classic rake with a rather abbreviated character development arc, but that's fine because the FMC really takes the cake. I wish he listened more to the FMC because she was so communicative and clear about what she wanted, which is not always the case in this genre. The MMC and FMC developing a friendship (in addition to romantic tension and relationship) was really fun; I always appreciate when the couple can be true friends and not just want to tear each other's clothes off. The pacing was fairly good and there were only a few lulls in the book. Some bits of the plot were fairly predictable, but it was enjoyable and I've just read too many HRs!

I am so impressed that this was MacLean's debut book! I am definitely interested in more in this series and MacLean's other series. If you like a spinster rejecting societal shackles and taking what she wants in life, you'll enjoy this book!

I really did not enjoy the first couple of chapters, they felt like they were trying too hard, but once it turned into more of a Thelma and Louise style adventure, I got on board. The writing is, generally speaking, a lot better than I expected, and I truly loved the zany small town vibes, the side characters, and the Pawnee vs. Eagleton thing we had going on here.

My main issues besides the rough start were the real cruelty that Cam shows to Hazel, at times when she has done nothing wrong except exist while he is triggered, and the ending. The speed at which a divorcee (who repeatedly snarked about her mother’s many marriages) decided to fast forward through relationship stages did not feel a. realistic or b. true to the Hazel we all got to know, who had done a great job prior setting boundaries and standing up for herself. We can forgive someone without giving them the literal moon all in one shot, girl!

However, I think I would be remiss to focus on Ms. Score’s devotion to the wedding/marriage industrial complex and ignore how much fun I had in the middle. The bulk of the book is not just a romance, it is a celebration of ride or die friendship, creative problem-solving to protect a community, goofy animal content, remembering who TF you are, family that has weathered its fair share of storms and come out the other side still standing, caring for each other, AND holding each other accountable. The parents in this book were incredible, and I’m saying that as someone very skeptical of parents/family generally. So yeah, I am not gonna get hung up on the beginning or end. It’s about the journey, not the destination, right?