Rule Number Five

Rule Breaker Series, Book 1

De: J. Wilder

Narrado por: Edward Black, Nikki Grey

I had my whole life planned out... until I met a hockey player obsessed with breaking all of my rules.

My five simple rules for hooking up keep me from being distracted. Now that I'm so close to landing my dream internship, nothing is going to make me break them. Not even a protective hockey player with clear grey eyes, a sharp jaw, and a body that makes my breath catch.

Until Jax wins a bet and one kiss has me breaking them all.

Rule Number Five is book one in the Rule Breaker series from USA Today bestselling author J. Wilder. If you want squishy, warm, happy feelings, and quality spice her books are for you.

©2023 J. Wilder (P)2023 Podium Audio

Read Second

This book should have been the second in the series. The second book should be read first. I didn’t think this book was very good until I read the second book. I read this one again after reading the second book, and it was so much better knowing the back story.

Fabulously Spicey

This book was very well written. The spice was well described and had the heat. The story flowed well and was easy to sink into and follow.

Good story line….

With a hea. I skimmed through the sex scenes but right now that’s my choice. Narrators were very good. I love hockey stories for some reason. lol.

The Story Was Great But The Audio Made It That Much Better

The first time I tried to read this book, I actually gave up on it. Not sure if I just wasn’t in the right headspace or what, but I struggled to get into it. Listening to it in audiobook form? I was hooked from the first chapter. Nikki and Edward brought Syd and Jax to life in a way that had me invested in their romance and rooting for their happiness.

Love the twist totally thought it was going to end differently.

I liked the characters a lot. Felt like there was a few chapters that just jumped around but overall loved the book.

Don't forget to characterize the heroine

Jax sees Sidney and falls, but Sidney is reluctant and has daddy issues. They both connect over being driven, experiencing a death of a loved one, and just plain attraction. However, Sidney just can't give all the way in and the push and pull is a game of hearts that Jax has to decide if he can play til the end.

I didn't get mad at Sidney and didn't feel like she should just give in, though I had hang-ups about how both she and Jax went about their problems. In all, it was a decent college, NA read, with Jax being semi-swoony and Sidney being bland, but genuine; that is, she is cheated by not being characterized past her insecurities and hurt, and not given enough word time on her dreams of being a politician. Maybe if that had been developed more, some scenes would have felt more poignant.

Cookie cutter plot and NA archetypes are present, like in any other dime-a-dozen college romance/hockey romance books. This couple's spice was 🌶 🌶, with Jax being a young budding dirty talker ...a lil' bit.

Very good

I thought that the story line was perfect and lots of steam. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 The naration was spot on as well.

Five Rules. One Kiss. Zero Chance of Forgetting Him

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💚💜❤️
Steam: 🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: ☺️🤣🙁😘
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

🦸🏼‍♀️ Heroine Spotlight: Sidney

Sidney lives by five ironclad rules—no kissing, no repeats, no phone numbers, no hockey players, and absolutely no falling in love. Her heart is off-limits, her future laser-focused: finish college, land the coveted Parliament internship, and build the political career she’s dreamed of. Relationships? A liability she can’t afford. Especially when her past has taught her that love, like politics, can be messy and unforgiving.
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🦸🏻‍♂️ Hero Spotlight: Jax

Jax is the golden boy of college hockey, skating toward an NHL contract and wrapping up his kinesiology degree. But beneath the swagger is a guy quietly disillusioned by the puck bunny scene and still grieving the loss of his best friend. When a bet leads him to Sidney, he’s intrigued—not just by her beauty, but by the challenge. She’s unlike anyone he’s ever met. And for the first time, he’s chasing something more than a win.
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🔥 Plot Snapshot

Sidney’s rules were supposed to protect her—from heartbreak, from distraction, from becoming her mother. But one impulsive night with Jax cracks her armor. He’s kind, observant, and frustratingly persistent. She tries to forget him, but fate (and a brutal class they both need to pass) keeps throwing them together. Jax wants more than a one-night stand, but Sidney’s fear of emotional fallout—and her deeply rooted trust issues—make every step toward connection feel like a risk she can’t afford.

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❤️‍🔥 What Worked

• Jax’s emotional depth surprised me. His grief over Marcus adds weight to his quiet intensity and explains his reluctance to open up.
• I loved the role reversal—Jax as the academic tutor, Sidney as the one struggling. It flipped the usual sports romance dynamic in a refreshing way.
• Sidney’s aversion to hockey players isn’t just a trope—it’s grounded in painful personal history. Her emotional logic makes sense, and that realism adds texture to her character.

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🤨 Room for More

• The pacing dragged a bit during the “slow burn” phase. Their friendship-to-romance arc could’ve used a tighter edit.
• The looming post-graduation separation felt unnecessarily bleak. I wanted more hope, more fight for their future—especially after all the emotional groundwork.

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🎧 Narration Vibes

Dual POVs, dual narrators: Edward Black and Nikki Grey. Nikki’s voice is deeper than I typically prefer for female leads, but her male character work is solid. Edward Black brings vocal variety, but his delivery was louder than expected—I had to adjust my volume more than usual. His tone didn’t quite match the emotional resonance I wanted from Jax, though his technical skill is clear.

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📝 Final Thoughts

This story had heart, heat, and a heroine with real stakes. Sidney’s emotional walls were believable, and Jax’s quiet persistence made him more than just a sports romance archetype. While the ending leaned a little too bittersweet for my taste, the journey was worth it. If you like your romance with emotional baggage, academic angst, and a hero who’s more than just a jersey, this one might just score.

Really cute and sexy story!

Super cute and sexy and I flew through this! It's got all those he falls first vibes, but there's some great angst and tension because she's resistant. The fall so cutely and sweet and slowly but it's also super spicy, they have stellar chemistry, and the spice was spicing.

It's a longer book, perhaps has a few less needed/repetitive bits, but I found it super consumable on audio and really adored it.

Audio performances are fantastic- def worth the price or credit!

Great Story

This was a great love story between two strong characters. The heroine was smart and strong, and I loved that about this story. Too many romance books have cringe worthy heroines. Great book.