Book: The Rulebreaker by Piper Rayne
Reviewed by Maggie Hayes
Rating: 4.5/5
ARC REVIEW
The Rulebreaker by Piper Rayne
⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5/5)
Decker and Penelope already loved each other before this book even began, which meant their journey to an HEA had a serious emotional mountain to climb—and honestly, that made the payoff even better.
I have been waiting for this story ever since Decker completely stole scenes in Mr. Charming as Teddy’s fake boyfriend. Then Piper Rayne dropped that reveal in The Wild Card about Foster’s role in Decker and Penelope’s relationship, and by the time I picked up The Rulebreaker, I was fully unwell about it.
Decker absolutely owns my heart. He’s the kind of MMC who seems calm and dependable on the outside while quietly carrying the weight of everything internally. Between trying to figure out if he and Penelope can find their way back to each other, rebuilding his fractured relationship with Foster, and navigating a contract year? The man is stressed. But what makes him so lovable is how consistently good he is. He’s the reliable teammate, the friend who always shows up, the guy volunteering to teach a little girl how to hula hoop just because he wants to make her smile. And his relationship with Hazel? Forget it. Every single scene between them melted me.
Penelope worked really well for me, too. After raising Hazel alone for seven years, her longing for stability and partnership feels incredibly understandable. I especially loved the friendships she’s built with Leighton and Callie from the earlier books. The support and comfort between the women add so much warmth to the story, and honestly, every romance series deserves friendships like this.
The romance itself is definitely a slow burn, but it feels intentional and earned. Decker and Penelope don’t just fall back together because of history—they actively work through the things standing between them so they can build something lasting this time around. Together, they’re both sweet and sexy, and I loved watching them slowly become a real family unit.
And that ending?? The setup for Easton’s book has me already losing my mind a little. This series seriously just keeps delivering.
Thank you to the authors and Valentine PR for providing an ARC!
For fans of:
⚾ Baseball Romance | 🔁 Second Chance | 👩👦 Single Mom Romance | 🐢 Slow Burn | 👨👩👧 Found Family | 💛 Emotional Baggage