I really loved this book. First, it's so refreshing to read about an older couple. She worries about the physical toll of her job, he has the life he has built and questions whether the life he mapped out still makes sense. It's great to see these questions wrestled with. It's also great to see a character who has already gone through her self-discovery phase, rather than have it happen in the story. Her challenge is to stay true to the person she's become while navigating this relationship from the past.

I'm a big fan of stories where the conflict arises from who the characters are rather than from misunderstandings or one character hiding something from another. The only thing these two hide are their feelings, and even that doesn't drag out. The story moves at a fine pace, smoother than the first two books in this series. In the end, the solution they work out for themselves rings true to their relationship and who they are. It was very satisfying.

It's also nice to briefly see Magda, the heroine of book two who seems to be the connector between the books. Hope there are more books in this series. ( )

Someone recommended this on BookRiot as a roommates romance and I was interested because it's also a second chances romance. Seventeen years after their divorce, Lana and Simon run into each other at an apartment inspection. With some reluctance, they become roommates in order to rent a decent place in New York.

I liked the bits about their careers (she's a noodle maker in a restaurant, he's a music teacher), their ease with each other, and the sense of place. Things resolved very quickly in the end, and while I wanted more, given their history, that felt believable.

This was a comfortable distraction in a week when I really needed it.

House Rules by Ruby Lang
Uptown #3

Meeting the man you were once married to after seventeen years apart could put a damper on your day or perhaps a spark in your eye. Simon and Lana do meet again at an open house while looking for an apartment to rent in NY. They chat a bit, realize they won’t see one another again and go on their merry way only to end up in the same apartment as roommates. They have rules to follow, a gorgeous place to stay, their own jobs, a rescue cat and increasing difficulty not acting on those embers that that are being fanned from their past relationship. This is a second chance romance with a couple in their forties given the chance to see whether or not they might be able to get it right this time around.

What I liked:
* Both are more mature than they were seventeen years before...mostly more mature
* Muffin – the cat
* The way friends and family are supportive and play a part in the story
* The lack of major drama as they get back together
* Lana – she has made a vow to herself that she will be honest and ask for what she needs/wants – and that is what she does. Also admired her for finding what made her happy and not remaining in a situation that made her unhappy.
* Simon – a bit set in his ways and not one to embrace change easily but he does want to embrace Lana
* The communication between Lana and Simon

What I didn’t like:
* Sometimes Simon was not as open as I would have liked for him to be and perhaps a bit self centered

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars ( )