The Rules in Rome

The Rules: Maintain your cover, outwit the Gestapo, and never fall in love with your partner.

With Hitler’s forces firmly entrenched in Europe, countless heroes seek to end the madman’s reign. Bastien Ley is one of the best. Working in Italy for the Office of Strategic Services, he’s been tasked with sabotaging German convoys. When his team kills an officer headed for Rome, the man’s similarity to Bastien is undeniable, and seeing an opportunity to turn the tide of the war, Bastien makes a bold decision: he will assume the dead officer’s identity. He becomes Dietrich, an Iron Cross–wearing German officer—an ideal position from which to infiltrate the Nazi ranks in Rome. To help with his stressful assignment, his superiors send him a reinforcement in the form of the lovely Gracie Begni, an intelligent and eager radio operator with absolutely no undercover experience.

With a gulf of resentment between them, these two agents must find a way to portray a couple in love. Soon their reluctant alliance becomes much more as Bastien and Gracie find themselves getting lost in their feelings for each other. But as they engage in battle against the deadliest foe the world has ever known, the pair quickly realizes their love may be doomed. As the Rome Gestapo threatens to destroy all they’ve worked for, will Bastien and Gracie survive their charade?

Winner of the 2015 Whitney Award for Best Historical Novel.

The Rules in Rome comes in paperback, ebook, and audio book (narrated by Jason Tatom). Available in most LDS bookstores and online at Amazon, Audible, Barnes & Noble, Deseret Book, and Seagull Book.

Here are some pdfs that may enrich your reading: The Rules in Rome Bookclub Questions, The Rules in Rome Pronunciation Guide, The Rules in Rome, deleted scenes, normal text size, and The Rules in Rome, deleted scenes, large text size.

Praise for The Rules in Rome:

“Readers who hunger for a great espionage thriller with an extra helping of romance will devour The Rules in Rome. A. L. Sowards is at the top of her craft with this terrific WWII suspense novel. It is definitely a book not to be missed!”

-Gregg Luke, author of Bloodborne and Deadly Undertakings

“The Rules In Rome has it all. Romance, adventure, and epic themes illustrating the unconquerable human spirit. From the moment Gracie met Bastien, I knew I would love this book. He’s the perfect hero, Gracie is his match. I fell in love with these characters over and over again. Thank you, Sowards, for another fabulous read!”

-Stephanie Fowers, author of the Twisted Tales Trilogy and Jane and Austen

More reviews available on Goodreads, Amazon, Deseret News, Meridian Magazine, My Book a Day, I am a Reader, LDS and Lovin’ It, Katie’s Clean Book Collection, Joy in the Moments, Getting Your Read On, Wishful Endings, Bookworm Lisa, I Love to Read and Review Books, Mel’s Shelves, Rockin’ Book Reviews, Literary Time Out, Min Reads and Reviews, and LDS Women’s Book Review, with interviews about the book on Flashlight Commentary, and I am a Reader.