The trouble started when my brother's best friend became the flame, keeping me warm.

At 8, he became my best friend. At 12, he promised my brother he'd look after me. At 14, he made his rules…At 18; he slipped into my bed, and then…he broke my heart.


Jesse Rutherford is the boy next door with blond hair, hazel eyes, and a body gifted by the gods. He has it all—money, fancy cars, a baseball career. His future is bright.

And me? Well, I’m nothing like him. I’m Blake Reynolds, the invisible girl—the nerd next door with glasses who loves her plants.

I’m no one.

Except with Jesse.

He's the boy who found me and brought me back to life after grief tore me down.

And I'm the girl offering him sanctuary.

After years of pinning, my dreams come true, and I give myself to him, only for my world to fall apart the next day when he utters four ugly words.

And shatters my heart.

With my past in the rearview, I run to the opposite side of the country as fast as possible, throwing myself into college and work without looking back.

Ten years have passed since I stepped foot in my hometown. I swore I’d never go back, not after what he did. It’s not until the invitations come—one, welcoming to my father’s and Jesse’s mother’s wedding.

And the other? My high school reunion.

With no choice, I pack up and face the people I left behind.

Can I survive another round with the boy who harshly bruised my heart?

Only time will tell.

For now, you’re invited…

Tropes:

  • Childhood best friends

  • Second chances

  • Brothers best friend

  • Betrayal (the groveling is brief, it's a very small novella).

  • M/F

Trigger Warnings:

Abuse at the hands of a parent, gun violence, childhood trauma, death of a child (13-year-old brother to the FMC died of cancer before the story started, but is featured in flash backs), parental death, alcohol abuse, underage drinking, Please note that there is bullying of a side character with snide remarks about her weight and looks which is a character (Olivia) from another book in the high school series—Color Outside the Lines—and is written this way to stay true to the events of that book and to the shared characters (the bullies) we created together.

What people are saying…

  • Blake and Jesse

    I could NOT put this one down and read it in one sitting!! I loved Four Simple Rules! This one is a feel good, second chance, friends to lovers romance. It was sweet and had lots of flashbacks from years ago.

    I felt for Blake during Jesse’s betrayal, but I loved the unexpected connection that brought them back together. The flashbacks give the story behind their friendship more depth and makes it easy for them to fall back together. LOVED it so much.

    -Jess McDaniel-

  • Sugary Sweet

    This book is full of emotions. I wanted to throttle Jesse those first couple chapters, but then once we got inside his head and saw his side of things, I really wanted to hug him. And tell him he’s a dumba** lol. I love that he knew immediately that he messed up big time, he owned it, and when the time came, he made amends. Blake was right to be wary, but I’m so glad she let Jesse apologize. She heard him out, instead of just avoiding him. I’m so happy Jesse’s mom and Blake’s dad found happiness together. They both went through a lot of unhappy and completely deserve their new start. I really loved when Jesse put the mean girls in their place and claimed Blake to anyone that would listen. All in all, this is low drama, low angst, sugary sweet, and I loved it.

    -Eamacire-

  • Jesse f'ed up

    A departure from the darker contemporary why choose romances Aly is known for, Four Simple Rules is an uplifting second chance, best-friends-to-lovers tale. Another installment in the Brighton High School Reunion shared world; this story features Blake (best friend to Olivia, who we met in Color Outside the Lines) and Jesse. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. There is some angst, but the overall feeling of the story is positive with a focus on healing.

    Jesse f’ed up badly, but he and Blake are endgame, even if he must convince her of his affection. She did the right thing, walking out of his life after that final betrayal; forcing him to see how much he was hurting her with the stupid rules he’d put into place freshman year. I loved that about her - She refused to only be his friend in the background, at night when no one could see. She chose herself.

    Since it is a short story, the grovel is not extensive, though Jesse makes the effort to win back Blake’s trust and love. It was easy to fall back into the feelings they shared before Blake left their school. They had been the other’s soft place to land when all was raging around them.

    As in most second-chance romances (especially when one of the parties has been significantly hurt by the other), it is a medium-burn story. However, there is a good amount of spice once things work out between the lovers.

    -lady_h_reads-