This is the final book in Piper Rayne's series, The Baileys. I've had hit or miss experiences with this entire series. I had read most of the series before the last two books were available. Once they dropped, I added them all to my Goodreads and give them all another go. I skipped a few this time. I remember being a bit bored during Rome's book (Birth of a Baby Daddy) so I didn't re-read it. I hadn't read Denver's book (Demise of a Self-Centered Playboy), but tried this time around. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into it and ended up adding it to my DNF shelf. And, as much as I enjoy the character of Phoenix, the tropes used in her book (Confessions of a Naughty Nanny) just aren't ones that I usually enjoy (nanny/single dad relationship, Hollywood/entertainer MCs). I did, however enjoy Phoenix so much in this book, I think I might give her book a go.

As for Rules for Dating Your Ex, unfortunately it goes down as one of the misses for me. In earlier books I liked the character of Sedona. We didn't get to know Jamison, but once again, I had high hopes. In this one Sedona is portrayed as a doormat, and Jamison is not all that likable.

The story picks up at a Baily baby shower. Sedona is a surrogate for Austin and Holly. She's also a single mom to Palmer, her 18 month old daughter she had with Jamison. We knew that Sedona was back in town, and pregnant, sans Jamison, when she appeared in one of the previous books. Jamison was a professional soccer player, but due to an injury, his career ended early. He started drinking and pregnant Sedona had no choice but to leave him.

Jamison shows up in Alaska, asking to meet his daughter and with the hopes of winning Sedona back. There's barely any talk between Jamison and Sedona before he's meeting with Palmer. Sedona needed to stand up more for herself and for her daughter. Each time she's upset at Jamison, something happens and she ends up feeling bad. The dude fucked up and yet she's constantly feeling awful for the things she's done. Jamison didn't make Sedona stronger. His showing up seemed to make her feel bad. About herself, about the type of mother she was and about her family.

As for the Austin/Holly/surrogate storyline, I hated this. Austin and Holly didn't seem to care at all that Sedona was giving up nine months of her life to give them a baby. Sedona is alone in the hospital, and Austin and Holly are down the hall with their infant. They don't come to see Sedona. Jamison notices that Sedona's room doesn't have any cards or flowers, because she's "not going home with a baby". Like, what the fuck Bailey family? Not a one of them could send flowers or a teddy bear? No one visits her when she's in the hospital after having an emergency c-section? They basically visit her after the birth and disappear for the rest of the book. And Sedona mentions over and over how she "owed" Austin because he put his own life on hold to raise her, yet there are basically one or two mentions of Austin and Holly being grateful that Sedona gave them a CHILD? Sedona needed a backbone, some self esteem and to demand better of those around her.

I didn't mind Sedona being pregnant. I would have liked it better had she been pregnant with someone else's baby. That would have been something for them to work through. I felt Jamison being an alcoholic was dealt with in a way where Sedona was supposed to sympathize too much for him. He fucked up, yet it seemed like she was the one who was constantly sorry. I also think it would have been great had Sedona tried actually moving on after Jamison. The story included flashbacks of their life together, and even in the FOUR years that they were apart, Sedona never had sex with anyone else. Then she gets back to Alaska and still doesn't have a relationship, sexual or otherwise.

As for Palmer, I did like the storyline of her being deaf. I thought she was written as way older acting than an 18 month old should be. This bothered me to no end, tbh. We’re talking an 18 month old who acts like she’s at minimum three, more like four. They had her “understanding” stuff way past what a toddler gets. I also found it too convenient that Jamison was more fluent in ASL than anyone in Sedona's family. Due to him having a deaf uncle, who had died years before, he knew ASL and pulled up that skill with no problem.

There was a little added drama towards the end. Jamison starts going to AA meeting and, for some reason thinks as someone who's only been clean for a year, he should be a sponsor to another member. He's also trying to get to know his daughter and work on his relationship with his ex. Yet he sponsors a woman who, on top of being incredibly attractive, flirts with him. This is what made me really not like Jamison. He came off as self-centered and stupid.

All in all, I just think Sedona Bailey deserved better.