Romance

Audiobook: Code Violation by Ruth Stilling

September 17, 2026

Synopsis:

I’m in love with my brother’s ex-girlfriend.

After years of acting like Vesper Stone isn’t the girl of my dreams, I owe it to myself to be honest, even if the confession can only ever remain a secret.

There are so many reasons why I should forget about her. As the captain of the Seattle Rogues, I shouldn’t betray my only sibling, and I ought to honor the promise I made to our late mom to stand by him.

But my brother isn’t a good man, and I can’t take my eyes off the stunning bartender with sleek black hair and a smile that falters whenever she gets a text from the guy who never deserved her.

Voicing my feelings is a terrible idea. My brother isn’t only a bad person, but he’s dangerous, too, and my top priority is protecting the one girl I can never have.

But I didn’t make it as a pro hockey player without going after what I wanted, and regardless of who she is to my family, I can’t stop showing up at her apartment.

Maybe we can just be friends. I’d rather have that than lose her altogether. My brother doesn’t need to know we hang out and eat pizza while watching a movie.

But friends don’t hold their breath whenever they catch each other’s gaze, and they definitely don’t do what we did the other night …

Contains mature themes.

Review:

I really enjoyed the first book in the series and had high hopes for this one.

When we meet Vesper at the beginning, she is finally starting to come out of an abusive relationship and looking forward to getting back on her feet. It was clear to me that her ex was not yet ready to accept (he was a real a***). I applauded her for standing up to him and not falling back into old habits.
Enter Silas, who has been in love with Vesper for years and finally sees a chance for himself. There is only one tiny problem: he is the brother of her ex.

The story started out strong. It was a story of personal growth, and I was here for it. Silas being there to support her was also something I could get on board with. Then the story arc took a turn in a direction I wasn’t on board with. I was hoping to see Vesper find herself. Instead, it became too intense, too quickly for me (and the accidental pregnancy trope just didn’t feel right in the context). Some of the things that happened were simply too much for me and had me shaking my head quite often.

It simply wasn’t what I had hoped it would be, and some of the spicier scenes felt a bit off to me when voiced by the male narrator while representing Vesper’s perspective in those moments. Did I enjoy it overall? Yes. It had its moments (the narrators did a good job), but it simply wasn’t my cup of tea this time around.

🌙 Recension: Code Violation (The Rules of the Rink #2) by Ruth Stilling
📚 Genre: Romance
📅 Release Date: September 17, 2026
📖 Publisher: Tantor Media
👤 Narrator: Raven Hawkins, Tristan Josiah
📗 available in various formats – included in Kindle Unlimited
📱 Read as: Audiobook
💸 I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages / Listening Length: 8h 32min
⭐️ 3/5