| Title | : | Rules of Engagement |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0593439392 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780593439395 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 336 |
| Publication | : | First published May 1, 2001 |
Dr. Raleigh Foster, an operative for a top-secret intelligence organization, knows that her undercover work has its risks. So she doesn't hesitate when asked to infiltrate Scimitar, the terrorist group that has stolen lethal environmental technology. But when she's assigned a partner--brooding, sexy Adam Grayson--to pose as her lover, Raleigh discovers that the most dangerous risk of all...is falling in love.
Adam blames himself for the botched mission that got his best friend killed by Scimitar, and he believes that Raleigh may have contributed to the man's death. But the closer he works with his alluring partner, the more his suspicions turn to trust--and intense desire. Now, as he and Raleigh untangle a twisted web of secrets and lies, the tension mounts between them...until their masquerade as a couple proves too tempting to resist.
Rules of Engagement Reviews
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Rules of Engagement has risk, danger, and suspense to grab readers in this romantic suspense novel written by Stacey Abrams using her pen name of Selena Montgomery. When she adds trust, forgiveness, and romance, the novel is elevated to an intriguing story that keeps one turning the pages.
Dr. Raleigh Foster is an operative for a top-secret intelligence organization. When she’s asked to infiltrate Scimitar, a group that has stolen environmental technology that can be converted to a weapon, she is quickly on board. For this assignment, she needs a partner, Adam Grayson, to pose as her lover. He used to work for the same organization, but left after a botched mission.
Raleigh’s character is well developed. While she can come across as vulnerable as times, she is also brave, intelligent, and capable. However, she can be perceived as cold. Adam has a strong core of honor, loyalty, and integrity, but can find it hard to trust and forgive. Their attitudes and outlooks change and grow as they respond to events as the story unfolds. The dynamic between the two changes as well. Should rules always be followed or are they guidelines to be interpreted as a mission unfolds?
An impactful and memorable opening scene will immediately pull most readers into the book. However, it takes a while to see how this prologue fits into the story. Several needed flashback scenes adversely affected the overall flow. Nevertheless, with exciting scenes as well as plot twists and turns, the story gradually builds momentum to an action-packed mission end. The final chapter takes place four months later and wraps up the loose ends. However, it felt tacked on rather than a smooth continuation of the story. Additionally, I wanted a little more world-building of the fictional island of Jafir in the Mediterranean Sea to satisfy me.
This novel is creative and complex, and it will keep readers guessing. High stakes and an all-too-real situation kept me engaged throughout the story. The people in the story came to life and the pacing is brisk once the mission is underway. Themes include friendship, loyalty, betrayal, attraction, trust, deception, lies, subterfuge, power, and much more.
Overall, this intriguing thriller with romance and suspense has intense moments and action that kept me turning the pages. The story kept this reader on an emotional rollercoaster. Those who enjoy romantic suspense or thrillers with some romance may want to check out this series. I’m looking forward to reading the author’s next romantic suspense novel.
Berkley Publishing Group and Selena Montgomery provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for September 6, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine. -
*Update: I thought this was a recent release. This book was originally published in 2001. It makes Adam’s character at least more understandable bc this book is very old. I still didn’t enjoy the book but it makes more sense.*
I finally finished 😭 I had a minute left and didn’t turn the audiobook back on for 20 minutes because it was that much of a chore to listen to. This is a slump inducing book if I’ve ever read one. The amount of other things I did in order to procrastinate this book was amazing really.
It’s one of those books that you can’t stop bc if you stop you will never pick it back up again but it also feels endless. I was hoping the reviews weren’t accurate but oooof. Stacey is such a powerhouse and this won’t be my last novel by her, but next time I’ll pick one with a better rating.
Adam was far too confusing to be a fucking secret operative agent bc my god that man simply does not understand the job???? He was so hot and cold he felt more toxic than broody and sexy. He simply couldn’t fathom that she was doing her JOB not betraying his life force when she had to keep secrets as a SECRET OPERATIVE AGENT. Maybe Adam should wonder why nobody told him shit.He had to have been so much older than her and he made it WEIRD. It was like a daddy kink without praise, only patronizing comments about her “vulnerable woman-child” innocence. That’s a direct quote by the way.
The way Raleigh was described for this entire book was just so confusing. You’re telling me a secret operative agent is that innocent? That young? That vulnerable? That fragile? I got so fed up with Adam patronizing her and holding her to weird double standards. He could hold things back and not tell her things but when she did it??? It was war. He hung his love over her head at every major fight. He was so immature.**Spoiler** Just because she’s a virgin, it doesn’t mean she’s a delicate flower. She literally has the ability to kill people and save the country. It made me feel so weird and uncomfortable. Like I said, daddy kink without the sexy benefits of a daddy kink.
Don’t even get me started on the suspense part of this book. It didn’t make sense and it wasn’t interesting. I tried to follow along but I simply couldn’t stay engrossed in any of the action or explanation bits. Maybe this wasn’t a book to read via audiobook. I was here first and foremost for the romance and since that was severely lacking, I was simply confused.
I never want to hear these words/phrases again:- Vulnerable woman-child (when referencing the heroine???)
- Tiny teeth (when referencing a grown woman’s (the heroine’s) teeth)
- Small serrated teeth (when referencing the heroine’s teeth and not a steak knife?)
- Loins (so so many times)
- Lover (so so SO many times)
- Male waist, male nipple, male lips (why was every part of him labeled as “male” REPEATEDLY)
⭐️⭐️.25/5 🌶.5*/5
*there was one sex scene and since Adam made me uncomfortable, I did not enjoy it. It was pretty vague.
Thanks to PRH audio for an ALC of the audiobook. All opinions are honest and my own. -
When we were in college together, the author of this book told me I wasn't cultured because I'd never read a romance novel. She made me read one, which was okay, but when she started writing her own, I understood what a romance novel could do. This one has intrigue, spies, and tales of the black bourgeoisie. It asks questions about race, love, and whom you can trust. If you have to read one romance novel, let it be this one.
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
The mission failed, people died, or did they? Now Dr. Raleigh Foster with Adam Grayson posing as her lover are going back to clean up the mess they left.
Notice how short my recap is of the book, too bad the author didn’t realize less can be more.
I have wanted to read a book by this author for a while but boy did I pick the wrong book. I was ready to give up this overly wordy book at the halfway point but I had committed to review this book so I kept going. It didn’t get any better.
The characters were strange and the relationships are muddy. They had no depth. Raleigh and Adam had worked together before. Supposedly Adam fell in love with her. Now three years later readers are to believe he didn’t recognize her. Then when they started working together again they fought like children. He couldn’t handle she was in charge of the operation but still was interested in her romantically. Just too much bickering for me.
As for this espionage plot, it was all over the place and overly complicated, and hard to follow. The romance scenes were okay but seemed off-putting. I didn’t think the characters had any chemistry. I really started to feel the book just went on and on until the author met the necessary word count.
I admire Stacey Abrams’ political strengths and would definitely vote for her if I lived in Georgia but this book just missed on so many levels. She has a lot on her plate running for Governor and her work boosting voter turnout, maybe she should stick to that right now because it seems clear she lost her focus on this book.
Rules of Engagement definitely wasn’t my cup of tea. I was so excited to read it but it just fell flat. Maybe I will read one of her earlier books when she wasn’t so politically involved someday to see if this book was just a misstep. -
Ok, I liked the plot and idea, but the actual story felt chaotic. I am not sure if it was the writing or editing, but there were many times I felt a bit confused by the story. Things bounced back and forth, and there were a lot of extra descriptors that felt unnecessary.
I also didn’t quite but into the relationship between Raleigh and Adam. They hated each other but were also in love?
Basically, this was just enough to keep me engaged and wanting to know the end. But it wasn’t the best. -
Oof, I struggled with this one. I’ve read the author’s fiction before, but let’s just say she’s improved since her debut. This book was so repetitive. The plot was confusing, when it actually made it to the page in between the repetitive inner monologues of the main characters. The action was a distant backdrop. Not my favorite. 2 stars
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Sorry to report I cannot finish Stacey Abrams' romance/thriller as it reminds me of all the reasons I do not read romance novels.
1. Plot holes: How does an international billionaire spy not remember the other international spy he fell in love with in a war zone? It's only been 3 years, dude. Lost weight does not count.
2. Bickering and hormones: how will they ever find the missing computer program the international billionaire spy created if they keep childishly bickering and hating one another, while trying to not take each other down and tear one another's clothes off?
3. Goofball names: Raleigh Foster and Adam Grayson, AKA Chimera and Merlin. Leader's name is Atlas.
4. The past: someone's boyfriend/girlfriend/wife/partner/husband/former band member will always show up and throw an enormous monkey wrench into the soup, causing broken hearts and huge misunderstandings that will last too long. (I'm not sticking around to find out, let me know if I'm wrong. I'll wait.)
5. $100 words/college application words: somebody got a thesaurus for Christmas when they wrote this one.
6. Purple prose: Gahhhhh! Stacey, why???????
I respect this woman for her political activism and would vote her President of the Universe in a heartbeat but this...this is not her finest work.
(Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review) -
This book reads like a blockbuster movie. Dr. Raleigh Foster is a government operative. The job is dangerous and her life is at risk, but so is her heart as she is paired with Adam Grayson.
.
Every turn had me guessing who was double crossing who and who could really be trusted. Fast paced and engaging I would love to see this as a movie!
Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads @prhaudio and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. -
Thanks so much to @berkleyromance #berkleypartner #berkleyig for sending me a gifted copy of Rules of Engagement by Stacey Abrams writing under her pen name, Selma Montgomery.
In this romantic suspense novel, the brilliant chemist Dr. Raleigh Foster, an agent for a top-secret covert government agency, agrees to go under cover to penetrate the terrorist group Scimitar. With the help of a mole, they’ve stolen nanotechnology that can scrub toxins from the environment, but can be repurposed to deploy deadly weapons. Adam Grayson, CEO of the company that developed the technology and a former operative himself, is assigned as Raleigh’s partner. Together, they’ll travel to Jafir as lovers, ingratiate themselves with Scimitar, identify the mole, and neutralize the threat.
Both Raleigh and Adam, though, have secret agendas. Each has a former partner, killed earlier in Jafir, and without informing the other is set on revenge even if they have to disobey the orders from headquarters. Their red-hot attraction to each other, one that is developing into a relationship of trust despite Raleigh’s best efforts, is complicating both their official and unofficial business.
I was so excited when I learned Berkley was reissuing 𝘙𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 originally published in May 2001. About the reissue, Abrams said, “The characters and their adventures are what I’d wished to read as a young Black woman — stories that showcase women of color as nuanced, determined, and exciting.”
I admire Stacey Abrams so much and am impressed with her vision, passion, and commitment. Reading this novel, one she conceived when in college, makes me feel closer to her, and I’ll no doubt read the others when they are released. I did like the book best when it focused on the espionage/spy elements of the narrative, though I found some of it a little confusing. The romance was steamy, but there was a little too much back-and-forth for my taste as the love interests quickly and repeatedly shifted between love and hate. But moles and double-crosses are always fun, and in Zeben, the book has an all-too-creepy and love-to-hate villain! -
Y’all this book was not a let down. If you can say a book is action packed then that was this book! Right out the gate death, explosions, and guns grab you into the story line of Raleigh or chimarya😏 who is basically than an American spy trying to get revenge and save the world all the while learning what love is.
If you’re looking for a book with action, weapons, and a steamy love story..run to your local bookstore to pick up this book. Clear your weekend because you’re gonna want to finish the entire thing.
But for real a dangerous terrorist group is trying to get their hands on a product that could kill millions. It is up to Raleigh and Adam to stop the terrorist group before it is too late. -
*2.8 rating* I think the concept was unique. The whole secret agent, mystery, suspense, mixed in with romance was interesting although the story was so hot and cold/ back and forth with their feelings for each other. The constant shift of emotions was not appealing to me. One second they would be all into each other and literally the next sentence they are enraged or vice versa. There wasn’t an authentic gradual change which made it feel unrealistic especially since it happened non stop throughout the entire book. Seemed forced.
In addition, There were other things that I didn’t like:
1. How he didn’t recognize her at first. (How do you supposedly love someone but then 3 years later you forgot how they look, weird & a reach)
2. The sex scenes were awkward mainly because of their dialogues during those scenes. It just seemed out of place and took away from what was happening. Kind of cringey. Also I feel like she could have built more angst leading to these scenes and more erotic descriptions. (This May just be me though because I like heavy spice)
3. The possessiveness on Adam’s part was a little much for me. The you are mine thing just made me think controlling more than loving.
4. Also the action scene at the end was too short. I wish there was more action. It was just kind of anti climactic.
5. The ending also could have been better. Again wasn’t impressed. -
I loved Raleigh and Adam’s dynamic…their past and their relationship. It made for lots of interesting and exciting tension. I also really liked both of their characters.
However, I did not like how Adam threatened her with violence a lot and the things he said to her that, in my mind, were pretty unforgiving, which he never apologized for. He probably didn’t think he needed to because he doesn’t even consider it. It was always Raleigh’s mistakes that were brought up time and time again as being unforgivable and her traits that were constantly pointed out as wrong but not his traits or the things he did or said. I didn’t like that.
The prologue pulled me in right away, but after reading more, I wish the prologue had been about what happened with the warehouse explosion and Phillip, and then Chapter One could’ve been about what happened with Cavanaugh. With how many times the past was brought up and we’re given their memories of it later, I would’ve liked to have fully experienced their past relationship and what happened the night their world went up in flames.
Since we’re not given that full experience to build their past relationship, there was a lot of repetition and padding throughout the story. I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again about the situation and their thoughts about each other and the past. And that’s because I was.
The head-hopping will never fail to pull me out of a story. Also, there was a moment when Raleigh was thinking back on the past and then all of a sudden it *was* the past, without no indication of a change like a scene break or italics. That pulled me out of the story, too. Again, that could’ve been solved by starting the book with the defining moment in their relationship and the moment that changed everything.
With all that said, I really enjoyed this story. It kept me reading, kept me engaged., but the happy ending, the resolution to their relationship, felt rushed. I would’ve liked a bit more after all that tension and betrayal (on both their parts).
P.S. The cover is deceiving. It looks like a sweet-ish romance but is really romantic-suspense. -
This review was originally posted on
Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I really wanted to try this one because of who the author is. The narrator being a favorite tipped me into trying the audio. Rules of Engagement looked to be just the kind of romantic suspense I enjoy.
There is a complex set of layers in this world and in these characters. The main setting is in a foreign country but also sites in the US like Atlanta. I love all the tech, both in computer software but also chemistry and weapons. The characters are also multi-faceted as they are CIA. They met 3 years ago in Jafir. Raleigh and Adam flirted at love. Each of them has a close friend who has died there. It's much more complicated but I won't spoil you.
There is a trope here for everyone. Is a second chance romance possible now, with the secrets they have, the guilt over their friends deaths? Adam blames Raleigh so they blaze more like enemies to lovers. But for the new mission, as the original mission goes active again, they need to be fake dating.
We get both Raleigh and Adam's point of views which helps to feel their passions. They are both strong, fiery and angry. We get some flashbacks to the original mission and its setup. They work together, bickering and lusting all the while. I thought some things were a bit unrealistic in the way they acted but they were under some serious constraints and beliefs.
I liked Raleigh and felt badly for things she had suffered and how tightly she held herself. Adam was just too entitled for me much of the time; he always seemed to make her do the compromising, although he wasn't shy about saying he loved her.
The mission and mysteries and actions were dangerous and intriguing. They had plenty of close chances at death. Each was a skilled operative and smart with their work. Every phase of the operation was a thrill ride. I enjoyed this heart-pounding thriller romance.
Narration:
January LaVoy is a narrator I have enjoyed many times. It was the fact she was narrating which made me try the audio. Her performance captured the diverse voices and emotional tones to make it so enjoyable. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:
HERE -
This review was originally posted on
Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I really wanted to try this one because of who the author is. The narrator being a favorite tipped me into trying the audio. Rules of Engagement looked to be just the kind of romantic suspense I enjoy.
There is a complex set of layers in this world and in these characters. The main setting is in a foreign country but also sites in the US like Atlanta. I love all the tech, both in computer software but also chemistry and weapons. The characters are also multi-faceted as they are CIA. They met 3 years ago in Jafir. Raleigh and Adam flirted at love. Each of them has a close friend who has died there. It's much more complicated but I won't spoil you.
There is a trope here for everyone. Is a second chance romance possible now, with the secrets they have, the guilt over their friends deaths? Adam blames Raleigh so they blaze more like enemies to lovers. But for the new mission, as the original mission goes active again, they need to be fake dating.
We get both Raleigh and Adam's point of views which helps to feel their passions. They are both strong, fiery and angry. We get some flashbacks to the original mission and its setup. They work together, bickering and lusting all the while. I thought some things were a bit unrealistic in the way they acted but they were under some serious constraints and beliefs.
I liked Raleigh and felt badly for things she had suffered and how tightly she held herself. Adam was just too entitled for me much of the time; he always seemed to make her do the compromising, although he wasn't shy about saying he loved her.
The mission and mysteries and actions were dangerous and intriguing. They had plenty of close chances at death. Each was a skilled operative and smart with their work. Every phase of the operation was a thrill ride. I enjoyed this heart-pounding thriller romance. -
Rules of Engagement by Selena Montgomery, Stacey Abrams
4 stars
M/F Mystery, Romance
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
I assume any typos have been rectified for the final version.
Raleigh, AKA Chimera, is part of a covert government agency, ISA. With a new mission on the horizon, she needs the help of a former operative in order to get her desired outcome. That person is none other than her almost lover, Adam AKA Merlin. She knows it's going to be an uphill battle to get Merlin to help because she knows that he believes she's the reason his best friend, Phillip, is dead.
Adam is doing what he does best. Keeping his company in the black. He's a brilliant businessman and even better with technology. When he's pulled back into ISA's operations, he does so with a chip on his shoulder and cynicism in his heart.
When the operation finally starts to move along, which does take a while, in my opinion, the book clips along in at a fast pace. However, to get to that point, I felt, was a little tedious. There is a lot of background that the reader needs, but it felt almost repetitive at times.
As Chimera and Merlin play their parts in this new operation, secrets and loyalties will be tested. Truths are uncovered and some truths are buried. It will take all of their skills to complete this mission and even more to heal their hearts again.
This is a fairly quick read and I did enjoy it. The spy games were very fun to read. -
Romantic Suspense fans looking for hot romance, intrigue and action will enjoy this new edition of 2001’s Montgomery debut. The writer introduces Pace from the beginning and the rapid page turning is enhanced with the ST (sexual tension) and consistent action sequences move as the Story Line moves along. CHs are sensual, attractive, and flawed but Adam and Raleigh are well-drawn and their conflicts well-described. The other CHs that populate serve their purposes in supporting the plot in various degrees of depth. Place settings and action sequences have cinematic overtones. The spy craft details well placed and imagined for this story and the fabricated International Security Agency. Romantic rating is spicy but not graphic. The violence descriptive but not gory. Two tiny criticisms: Dialogue sometimes gets repetitive to tedious as does the inner turmoil for both main CHs. The over usage of code names, real names, and aliases even while undercover was annoying and, sometimes, unrealistic for the situation. But I would gladly immerse myself in another ISA adventure picturing Idris Elba (He is freakin’ ageless.) as Adam, and Lupita Nyong'o as Raleigh. Fans of Alyssa Cole, Brenda Jackson, and Nora Roberts take note.
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*Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read/review.
This was a pretty good read. There is just the right amount of romance and suspense. The sexual tension and mutual hate between Raleigh and Adam was written so intensely, I honestly thought they would kill each other by its ending lols.
The deception was wild though...like whew! It keeps you on your toes and engaged in the story. There are some lagging moments with the overall story plot and the ending felt a bit incomplete imo BUT at the end of it all. I truly enjoyed Rules of Engagement.
***A more fuller indepth thoughts will be up on my Youtube channel shortly. -
Didn't like the ending, but okay. Enjoyed the intense spy with a sprinkle of romance in the storyline. Anytime I don't guess the culprit, it's a good book! While there is always an air of predictability, I love it when it's minimal.
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Romance thriller is not my usual cup of tea, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!
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Dr. Raleigh Foster is an operative for a top-secret intelligence organization. Undercover work has its risks though she does not hesitate when asked to infiltrate a terrorist group that has stolen lethal technology. The hard part of the assignment is her partner—Adam Grayson, posed as her lover. Adam blames himself for the botched mission that killed his best friend. But he believes that Raleigh also contributed to the death. Nevertheless, his feelings of suspicion and hate turn to trust and desire.
Perhaps I was too excited to read another Stacey Abrams writing as Selena Montgomery novel. Maybe my expectations were too high. I was tempted to DNF at least three times but held on to the hope it would becomes less confusing and finally flow. There are too many characters. The espionage plot is over my head. The objective is hard to follow. The only thing I clearly understood were the clearly stated rules of engagement...I think. A book is just not enjoyable when I am totally lost. It can very well be my own lack of following so please read an excerpt or other reviews first.
Happy Early Re-Pub Day, Stacey Abrams! Rules of Engagement will be available Tuesday, September 6.
Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. -
This is my first book by this author and it certainly won’t be my last one. Rules of Engagement is a thrilling and intriguing romantic suspense novel that will keep you glued to the pages right till the very end.
Having never read anything by this author before, I wasn’t 100% sure what I was getting myself into and I have to say I was surprised in the best possible way. This story is well-written and intriguing. It hit the ground running and captured my interest immediately. The chemistry between Raleigh and Adam was palpable and lept off of the page. I loved their banter and the pull between them and totally dug the enemies to lovers vibe.
Rule of Engagement is so much more than a romance. It’s a story filled with danger and intrigue. It will leave you wondering who is telling the truth and who can be trusted. I loved the mystery, the suspense, and of course, the romance.
All in all, I thought this was a great read and am really glad to have checked it out. I’m looking forward to discovering more books from this author in the future.
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book via the publisher & NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review* -
A special thanks to Berkeley Publishing and Author Stacey Abrams writing as Selena Montgomery for my ARC of “Rules of Engagement” for an unbiased review.
Just recently rereleased of the author’s first romance thriller, “Rules of Engagement” delivers its promised “Love is a game of chance”. Our protagonist Dr Raleigh Foster, is an operative for a top-secret intelligence organization, so I knew there’d be suspenseful twists and turns, and, let’s face it, adding in romance is obviously going to have it’s own tangled mess. This is a fun read but a little dated (it’s over 20 years old since it’s first release). Nevertheless, a good Autumn read in a cozy blanket with a cup of hot cocoa as we enjoy the thrills. -
Check out our full post for
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT on Wicked Reads.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Mystery, Romance
Raleigh, aka Chimera, is part of a covert government agency, ISA. With a new mission on the horizon, she needs the help of a former operative in order to get her desired outcome. That person is none other than her almost lover, Adam, aka Merlin. She knows it's going to be an uphill battle to get Merlin to help because she knows that he believes she's the reason his best friend, Phillip, is dead.
Adam is doing what he does best. Keeping his company in the black. He's a brilliant businessman and even better with technology. When he's pulled back into ISA's operations, he does so with a chip on his shoulder and cynicism in his heart.
When the operation finally starts to move along, which does take a while in my opinion, the book clips along at a fast pace. However, to get to that point, I felt, was a little tedious. There is a lot of background that the reader needs, but it felt almost repetitive at times.
As Chimera and Merlin play their parts in this new operation, secrets and loyalties will be tested. Truths are uncovered and some truths are buried. It will take all of their skills to complete this mission and even more to heal their hearts again.
This is a fairly quick read, and I did enjoy it. The spy games were very fun to read.
Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
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I put off reading this reported romp with Romance I found it in a little used book store in Florida, nearly 4 years ago. Stacey Abrams had made an impression on me when I began to listen to her.
(Abrams was the Democratic nominee in the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election, becoming the first African-American female major-party gubernatorial nominee in the United States. She lost the election to Republican candidate Brian Kemp, but refused to concede, accusing Kemp of engaging in voter suppression as Georgia Secretary of State.)
Rules of Engagement was discribed as: "Love is a game of chance in this romantic suspense novel by New York Times bestselling author and American politician and activist Stacey Abrams, writing under her pen name, Selena Montgomery. I wanted to read it but in 2021 Stacey Abrams wrote a novel under her own name. Was it going to be a Romance? Uh, No! So, I read "While Justice Sleeps"first since it was reviewed as a gripping, complexly plotted thriller set within the halls of the U.S. Supreme Court. More of what I like to read. Here is my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Rules of Engagement was fun! In the beginning I was waiting to be disappointed. But when I tried to put "Rules" onto it's "Bookshelf" I found that this read had everything. It kept me engaged! Sure it had Romance and a bit contrieved but secrets, crime, government intrigue, mystery that just keeps you making up your own ending. I almost added "classic" to the list of genera. But it was written in 2001!
Abrams is an author of both fiction and nonfiction. Her nonfiction books, Our Time Is Now and Lead from the Outside, were New York Times best sellers. Abrams wrote eight fiction books under the pen name Selena Montgomery before 2021. While Justice Sleeps was released on May 11, 2021 under her real name. Abrams also wrote a children's book, Stacey's Extraordinary Words, released in December 2021.
I will have to find the other Selena Montogomery fiction and perhaps dive into her non-fiction. She Can Write! -
While traveling to DC this spring, I snagged a copy of While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams and thoroughly enjoyed it. When I spotted Rules Of Engagement was listed as one of the options through Berkley Romance's Influencer Program, I knew this was exactly what I wanted to read!
I would would categorize Rules of Engagement as a Romance Thriller. If you like espionage, multiple identifies, code names, secret projects, and the likes, you will enjoy this book. I vascillated between the audiobook (thank you Penguin Random House Audio for the gifted copy) and the free e-book courtesy of Berkley Romance via NetGalley. There were a lot code names and characters to keep track of initially so going between the audiobook and the book was helpful. I finished this one up in a day, because I had to find out what happened.
Synopsis: When Dr. Raleigh Foster, an operative for an intelligence organization is brought to for her latest mission, she does not anticipate the old wounds it would poke. Her task is to infiltrate Scimitar, a terrorist organization, and help retrieve stolen lethal technology. Determined, Raleigh is up to the task, but is shocked when she discovers she must work with a partner, Adam Grayson. With a complicated history, these two are downright refusing to work together. When their boss orders them to complete the mission the two reluctantly comply to to infiltrate the terrorist organization together.
The book is spicy, mysterious, suspenseful, and jumps back and forth between now and then to provide snippets of what caused such a rift for these two operatives.
I enjoyed this book and found it to be captivating. I kept turning the pages to find out what would happen next! Although this is a standalone, I think it could easily have been the start of a series. -
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT is at its heart a romance with a side story of espionage and spy games. What Abrams does well with this book is give her readers the heat and tension between her main characters while still maintaining the background of their top-secret mission in a believable way.
I will be honest, the main reason I chose to read this book is that I thought it would be more suspense than romance. I wanted a spy drama with the sexy parts thrown in. However, I wound up getting more of the passion and the liaison. This isn’t a bad thing, but as a reader, I had to change gears and my mindset. Once I did this, the story was more enjoyable.
If you are looking for chemistry that sizzles off the page, an enemies-to-lovers romance, complicated history, and a thread of intelligence work, look no further than RULES OF ENGAGEMENT. It is a fast-paced romance with two lead characters you are rooting for to get out of their own ways to find love.
Reviewer Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Highly Caffeinated Rating of… ☕ ☕ ☕ + 1/2
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Raleigh Montgomery is working on a secret government assignment. She is assigned to work with Adam Grayson to retrieve the technology. However, the two don’t necessarily trust each other after a friend of theirs died. Can they survive being around each other long enough to complete the mission?
The beginning of the book lured me right in. there is so much going on to set up the story for what is to come. However, the connection with the characters and some over-the-top plot points gave me a hard time loving this book. I switch back and forth between my like and dislike throughout the story.
The romantic element of the story needs to be tightened. I didn’t understand their relationship. They had the hate thing down but also the love thing as well. Adam is not as trusting of Raleigh which is expected because of their rocky past. Raleigh kept her cool demeanor towards him as well. Yet, they were all over each other when they got the opportunity. The transition from being pitted against one another to falling in love didn’t flow as smoothly as I had hoped.
The storyline is overly complicated and I got lost a few times while reading. I’m not sure if the author wanted to dive deep into this world but it got lost in translation at times. I found myself questioning what was going on.
Overall, this may work for those who like wordy stories. I need to try another book by this author to determine how well I like her romantic suspense novels.
~ Samantha -
This book was neither bad nor good. There were good parts and not so good parts. Moments where I looked forward to reading this book, and moments where I dreaded opening this book. There were things I liked about this book, and things that I didn’t like about this book.
Let’s start with the things I didn’t like: A large part of the story felt more like a romance than a thriller. To me a good portion of this book read more like a soap opera. I felt like scenes were drug along and that there was so much description of the scenes instead of story. Also, there were times where it felt as though I was reading a crossword puzzle; as if I were being tasked to find 16 across and 12 down to finish the puzzle. Lastly, the male protagonist, Adam Grayson, felt like a master manipulator and that he could’ve possibly been a womanizer, possibly even abusive.
On to the good: when the story was progressing there were some very interesting scenes. They were well written and even allowed me to imagine the story vividly in my mind. Which is what any reader wants and enjoys; to imagine the book we’re reading openly and vividly, to fall into the book only the way a good book can make you do. The strong black female lead was something to revere. Of course Raleigh struggles with her past, but she still persevered the way any strong willed person would and could.
