REVIEW: The Bad Boy Rule by Maren Moore

The Bad Boy Rule by Maren Moore: Lennon has spent her entire life playing it safe. She smiles when expected, saying the right thing and always keeps the peace. But when a scheduling mistake puts her on the ice with the Hellcats most feared enforcer, Saint, everything begins to crack open. He’s loud, reckless and angry at the world, while she is quiet, controlled and carrying a thousand silent expectations. Their worlds were never supposed to collide but once they do, there’s no going back. On paper they are poles apart and should definitely not work but the undeniable spark that ignites each time they are together, tells a very different story. Soon what started as tension and turf wars quickly spirals into something far more dangerous with truth, vulnerability and a connection neither of them saw coming. The question is, is Lennon finally ready to choose herself, even if that means things could get a bit messy?

The Bad Boy Rule was everything that my romance loving heart was looking for, this book was equal parts cute and saucy and ultimately delivered a really cute sports romance. The combination of the classic bad boy falling for the refined good girl, is always a winner in my books and when you add in the element of fake dating trope you know that you are in for a goodie! The Bad Boy Rule isn’t just a romance, it’s a story about growth, healing and the quiet bravery it takes to let someone in.

I just adored our two main characters, there really was nothing that I did not love about Saint and Lennon. These two might have been total opposites but gosh did they just click like slow burn perfection. Truly I just wanted to give our hero a big hug, Saint has been hiding his hurt and pain behind all of his hard enforced exterior, when really he just needed someone to see him and give him unconditional love and support. Getting a glimpse into his childhood and seeing the lack of care and protection that Saint faced really broke my heart and made me want to wrap our hero up in a warm comforting blanket of love. This only made getting to see him finally opening up and realising that he is worthy or true unconditional love all the more beautiful. Truly Saint was a deep and complex character that lashed out one moment but was deeply protective the next. I loved the way Moore gave him a chance to transform and grow brave rather than simply have a fix him arc for his character. Now on to our leading lady, Lennon, firstly I loved the fact that she was a figure skater, this was such a nice play on sports romance trope. While she gave of the perfect, put together good girl vibe, Lennon was actually trapped by expectations and desperately trying to find her own voice. I just loved getting to follow her as she found her own voice and decided to live for herself rather than what people expected of her. One of the things that I really loved about Lennon was the fact that she didn’t need to loud to strong, she had conviction and she just needed a bit of a push to stand up for herself.

While there is no doubt about the insane physical attraction between Saint and Lennon their connection was just so much deeper. At the heart of it all these two truly saw each other and didn’t want to change or alter each but rather support each other grow into their best versions. The way they challenge, soften and steady one another is what makes their relationship stand out as more than a simple cute love story, it’s messy, tender and built on choice rather than convenience. But gosh do they have some insanely good chemistry, the banter and build up that these two dance around just added to an already beautiful romance.

The Bad Boys Rule delivers the heat you crave from a bad boy romance, but it also gives you heart, feelings and characters who feel real long after the book ends. I loved every single moment of The Bad Boy Rule and would highly recommend reading it!

Book Info:

Publication: June 12, 2025 | Maren Moore | Hellcats Hockey #1

Lennon
Saint Devereaux has a reputation that precedes him.
Orleans University’s resident bad boy on and off the ice.
And I know to stay far away.
Until there’s a mixup and we’re forced to share our ice time.
I can’t stand his cocky attitude, or how annoyingly attractive he is.
He’s the reason the Bad Boy Rule exists.
Because guys like him will break your heart.
But the more time I spend with the hot, tattooed enforcer, the more I realize that being bad… has never been so much fun.

Saint

Lennon Rousseau plays the role of a high society socialite well.
She’s the definition of a good girl.
Valedictorian, president of the esteemed Social Club, a purity pact with her friends.
And I want to ruin her the way that her father ruined my life.
I can think of a hundred ways to dirty her up, and getting her beneath me is the perfect place to start.
I thought she might be the answer to getting my revenge, but now I’m beginning to wonder if she’s the one who’ll bring me to my knees instead.