I’m the coach’s daughter. Falling for one of my father’s players was never the plan.
Especially not Decker Davis. Chicago Colts third baseman. Dependable. Steady. The guy everyone trusts. And the man who’s spent years keeping his distance—especially from me.
We have history. The kind that ten years and a thousand miles can’t touch. So, this time, I promised myself I’d be smarter. No getting attached. No blurred lines. And definitely, no falling. He broke every last one within the first week.
Because Decker doesn’t just show up for me. He shows up for my daughter. Because he fits into our lives like he was always meant to be there. Because he looks at me like I was never something he wanted to lose.
And suddenly, the walls I’ve spent years building don’t feel nearly as solid as they used to.
But if I let him in, I’m not just risking my heart—I’m risking hers too… and I already know what losing him costs. I won’t let my daughter pay that price.
(ARC Review)
Piper Rayne really said “what if we took years of unresolved feelings, brother drama, longing, baseball tension, and emotional damage and made it impossible to put down?” because WOW. The Rulebreaker absolutely consumed me.
“You like making me wait?”
“I like watching you fall apart.”
Decker and Penelope’s story is the definition of a slow burn done right, in that aching, tension-filled way where every glance, every conversation, and every almost feels loaded with years of history they can’t outrun. These two have loved each other forever, even when timing, circumstances, and fear kept pulling them apart. The yearning in this book was unreal. The kind that sits in your chest and makes you desperate for them to finally figure it out already.
If Penelope Ripley is in the room, I will find her before I find anyone else. I used to think I could fight it. I don’t bother lying to myself anymore.
Decker Davis completely lived up to every expectation I had for him after meeting him in previous books. He’s the dependable one. The steady one. The guy who keeps everything together while quietly carrying the weight of absolutely everything on his shoulders. But underneath all of that control is a man who has never truly gotten over Penelope. Watching him slowly let those walls crack was absolutely delicious. And the way he showed up for Penelope and Hazel over and over again absolutely wrecked me. Not in loud, over-the-top ways either. It was all the small things. The consistency. The protectiveness. The ease with which he fit into their lives like he was always supposed to be there.
“I’ve been fighting this since I was eleven years old, and I’m thirty-four, and I’m so damn tired, Pen. I’m done fighting it.”
Penelope’s daughter Hazel was so easy to love. Her relationship with Decker was honestly one of the sweetest parts of the entire story. Watching him love and care for her so naturally made every emotional moment hit even harder. Penelope’s hesitation made complete sense because she wasn’t just protecting her own heart anymore, she was protecting her daughter’s too. That added such an emotional weight to every decision she made, and it made the romance feel even more layered and realistic.
I also have to talk about the Davis brothers because their relationship ended up being one of the strongest parts of this entire book for me. The healing between Decker and Foster was messy, emotional, complicated, and honestly beautifully done. Years of hurt, distance, misunderstandings, and unresolved pain slowly getting unpacked piece by piece? Piper Rayne handled that dynamic so incredibly well. Some of the most emotional moments in the book weren’t even romantic—they were between the brothers trying to find their way back to each other. I also really enjoyed the added POV from their therapist. The perspective she added was something I hadn’t read before, but I thought it added a different piece of depth to the story that was necessary.
Now listen… I was slightly frustrated that it took so long to fully understand what happened in the past and why Decker and Penelope stayed apart for so many years. Piper Rayne took their sweet time here. Every answer just led to more questions, and at one point I was questioning literally everyone and everything. BUT. The payoff truly was worth it. Once all the pieces finally came together, the emotional depth of their story made so much sense, and all that tension and mystery hit exactly the way it was supposed to.
“I’m tired of fighting this.” His voice is a whisper, as if someone might here us.
I open my eyes and meet his gaze, all the fight having left me. “Then don’t.”
And can we PLEASE talk about Penelope’s dad quietly putting his matchmaking skills to work behind the scenes? I did NOT see that coming!
The man really said “you two are clearly in love and I’m tired of watching this nonsense” and proceeded to put Penelope in charge of the team’s social club so Decker and Penelope would constantly be thrown together. Iconic behavior. The subtle meddling, the bets, everyone watching these two dance around their feelings for YEARS, it made all the tension and longing even better.
The baseball backdrop, the coach’s daughter tension, the found family vibes, the banter, the betting between friends, the emotional growth, the longing—it all worked so well together. If you love second chance romance and slow burns packed with longing and tension, The Rulebreaker absolutely delivers. And Decker Davis? Certified book boyfriend material. Forever.
Release Date: May 14th, 2026
Thank you to Piper Rayne and Valentine PR & Literary Management for the ARC read!