I really enjoy Emma Lord's writing style. Seb and Sadie had a fun rivalry and while it was not as dramatic as I thought it would be it was fun to follow. I loved their back and forth and how they still had great chemistry even when they "hated" each other. Their romance was very sweet. I was for sure giggling at points because they were so cute and so aloof. The drama with the school budget made the ending very interesting without feeling like a standard third act break up. Overall I really enjoyed this book.

The Rival is a rivals to lovers YA rom-com.

Sadie is starting college. She was so happy to be rooming with her best friend Christina. And to not have to see her long time academic nemesis Seb. But when he turns up on campus the rivalry heats up big time.

I know that rivals to lovers is a popular trope. Unfortunately it's not my favorite. However the author did a good job by adding so much more to the story than just the rivalry and the romance.

Sadie wanted to attend Maple Ridge University because she desperately wanted to get the one new staff position on Newsbag (the college’s very famous zine). This was such an enjoyable part of the story. I liked the challenges set to get the position, the other staff members and the constant battle with the college’s administration.

I like books that focus on academia and I really enjoyed the college campus setting. I really liked Sadie's best friend Christina (an athletic scholarship student). And Sadie's family was chaotic, but so much fun. But my favorite part of the story was everything to do with the student magazine.

A lot of the rivalry was funny. And while I like witty banter I don’t love seeing people try to win at all costs. I definitely preferred the couple when they were friendly. I’m not even sure that I really understand why they disliked each other.

If you love rivals to lovers then you will be enamored with this coming of age YA romance.

Engaging, charming, and fun!

The Rival is an amusing, feel-good, enemies-to-lovers romance that takes you into the lives of both Sebastian Adams, a young man who isn’t quite sure of what he wants to do in life but knows he who wants to do it with, and the driven, reliable Sadie Brighton who may finally have got into the school of her dreams and the opportunity to write for the Maple Ridge University zine with the unfortunate twist of having the one boy who has been wreaking havoc on her life since birth also there.

The writing is humorous and light. The characters are hardworking, passionate, and lively. And the plot is a push-pull tale full of tricky situations, tender moments, humorous hijinks, school-place drama, self-discovery, witty banter, friendship, expectations, chemistry, and love.

Overall, The Rival is another sweet, spirited, highly entertaining read by Lord with characters I couldn’t help but root for and a happy-ever-after ending that left me smiling, smitten, and more than satisfied.

Formal review to follow!

I appreciated the vivid setting and charming characters; Lord's words transport the reader into the collegiate competition field. Emma Lord masterfully crafts a romcom for the ages in this rivals to lovers story set in the tumultuous freshman year at university.

I don't read much contemporary ya, but I have to say I really enjoyed this! I loved Sadie and Seb's rivalry, especially when they started telling us all about what kind of pranks and sabotage they got up to while competing in high school.

Watching them realize what everyone they know, already knows, that they have feelings for each other was super adorable and heartwarming. I also enjoyed seeing Sadie grow and feel free to be herself. Sadie and Seb pushed each other to be better and were truly happy for each other when the other won.

This was a great first book for me to try from this author, I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end, I loved the romance, the relationships, and seeing Sadie and Seb grow and learn who they want to be.

I always know going into an Emma Lord book that I’m going to love it and she still hasn’t let me down. Love me a friends to enemies to lovers story. All of the characters were likable and diverse. I appreciated how the conflict played out. Loved rooting for Seb and Sadie. Loved all the food references (and despite Emma telling us to snack while reading in the dedication, I didn’t). This just felt like a warm comfort read.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ebook and the audiobook to review. I did both and enjoyed both formats!

This was a super cute YA romance, which is generally not my cup of tea, but I still enjoyed it for what it was! I personally felt like there were some inconsistencies throughout the plot, like Sadie choosing not to tell her entire family about her one passion in life and her rivalry with Seb given their lifelong relationship. While I loved the banter, Seb’s come ons also felt inauthentic at times. There seemed to be a lot off page conversations that we don’t really get to see as a reader so I think a story like this would’ve really benefited from a dual POV. I did really find the school dramatics entertaining even if not entirely believable.

Overall a cute, fun book that if I was younger I could probably appreciate more but just missed some marks for me!

Wholesome YA story. Sadie and Seb have known each other all their lives. Their parents were friends and purchased homes next to each other. But throughout their lives they have also feuded, pranked and been as the title says, Rival’s. Sadie thinks she has finally gotten away from Seb as she starts her first week of college. But out of nowhere his waitlist at her school was changed to acceptance. And now they are competing again for a spot on a coveted school zine.

There is some complexity to their characters particularly in how they see themselves in their families. I have an only child like Seb and the dynamics and pressures are different than bigger families. Sadie sees her place as the calm, reliable, peacemaker in her family. And she often sacrifices her own needs for her family. They both want more independence coming into college.

Emma’s writing is sharp witted and funny. I don’t know anyone who actually speaks like some of these characters but it is entertaining to read. The emotions her characters bring do feel real. This is my third book by the author and now I think I need to go back and read some of her earlier works while waiting for something new. (3.5 Stars)

It’s the start of Sadie’s freshman year of college, the start of Sadie allowing herself to fully be who she is, the start of a new era without her longstanding rival by her side continuously upping the ante—or so she thinks.

Seb has basically been by her side since birth. Sure, at one point they were friends, but their near-constant battle of one-upmanship has been going on for a decade. She’s supposed to finally be getting a break from him.

But no, sure enough, there he is also going into the interest meeting for the school’s zine that she has been planning to join for years. And there’s only one open spot on staff and that’s only if the zine can manage to get the proper funding from the school to keep itself in print.

Y’all, this is not how Sadie’s freshman year is supposed to go.

At a glance:
- Single POV
- YA / new adult (kissing only)
- Friends to rivals to lovers
- Coming of age
- People pleaser + the one with charm that seems to effortlessly collect admiration wherever he goes
- Neighbors and family friends
- Straight-laced with a comedic perspective + a “meme lord” with an investigative journalism bent
- Queer rep
- Will absolutely make you hungry

Read it for
- Seb (oh my heart)
- Sadie growing the confidence to share herself with those around her
- The banter
- Some open and honest conversations
- The friendships (even with the bumps along the way)
- The food descriptions
- Betty, the pancake proprietor

Recovering people pleasers, consider yourself forewarned: Sadie has to learn to stop making herself responsible for maintaining the balance for everyone. She has to learn not to always subjugate her own needs to those of her family. It’s a learning process for her.

I received an advance copy of the ebook from Wednesday Books. All review opinions are my own.

"The Rival" is an enemies-to-lovers YA rom-com about two former high school rivals who are now competing for a position on their college zine's staff. This was my first time reading one of Emma Lord's young adult novels. I always enjoy a good rival story, but I didn't totally love this one. It was a slow-burn romance, and some of the story dragged a bit. I really liked Sadie as our main character. Even though she frustrated me at times, she actually reminded me a lot of my overachieving self at her age, so I felt connected to her. I think I would have liked this book a bit more if we had a few chapters from Seb's point of view. Overall, a cute and fun story that I think young adult/new adult readers will really enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emma Lord has her system down, and delivers every time. You know exactly what you’re signing up for in every one of her books, and I can appreciate that.
- Delicious desert and/or breakfast food central to the plot? Check
- Family problems? Check
- FMC with a quirky sense of humor? Check

I knew Emma Lord could do rivals to lovers after her book When You Get the Chance featuring the same trope that I adored (and of course Tweet Cute as well), and she nailed it yet again. The characters are full of so much heart and depth. Emma Lord’s characters always have the perfect amount of contradiction— being bold and brave and chaotic yet serious and subdued at the same time. They always feel so much more realistic than other romances I read, and on that alone I’d recommend this book.
But this book also tackles great points and themes like being yourself around others, funding discrepancies for college sports and organizations, and burn out in college (especially when it comes to keeping scholarships) to name a few. The competition to be a writer for the zine was the perfect back drop to explore those ideas, but I felt like it never really took center stage as the characters spent most of the plot getting up to various shenanigans, like a reverse murder mystery party and dorm food cook off, which wasn’t a bad thing, although the situations were a bit too quirky to be realistic (at least in my experience).

My only complaint is that I thought it felt a bit repetitive and I would have liked more to happen. The characters were pretty much in love with each other for the duration of the book, and I wanted more development or angst. Maybe if they didn’t already have such a history I would have enjoyed the development more, but then so much would be different.

Overall, this was a fun book I’d recommend if you’re in the market for a new YA college book, but it doesn’t stand out against Emma Lord’s other books. Although I will say, as a current college student, I don’t understand how my university doesn’t have an Alphabet Party or interactive theater experiences, I am truly missing out.

This was another fun YA by Emma Lord. I have to add that I am a MUCH older adult and I still enjoy Lord’s books. It was a great twist on the frenemies to more theme. I really liked the family side plots and Sadie’s roommate was a plus. Sadie and Seb were rivals from childhood although their families were best friends. This meant they knew each other quite well, but Sadie was so wrapped up in her own goals that she really didn’t “get” Seb. I have to confess that I really liked Seb so much more than Sadie. Her character was a little too clueless and rather self-absorbed even though he was super sweet to her. They were freshmen in college, so there were a lot of college situations, and of course a competition, along with various misunderstandings. It all untangled satsfactorily and the romance was sweet.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

something about an emma lord ya novel hits every time! they are just so face-paced, bingeable, and filled with the best banter and cutest moments. this was such a fun take on a rivals to lovers story because they had such a deep backstory and so many layers to their complex relationship, seeing as while they have been rivals for years, their families are also best friends and they have known each other since birth. this created such a fun dynamic as you really get to see how well they know each other in such unique and intimate ways and the brief moments of understanding that pass between the two which were just so beautiful. the banter between sadie and seb was too good and there were definitely a few moments that had me giggling aloud with excitement. such a fun and cute read that I simply could not put down!

Fire up your griddle, flip those pancakes, and get ready for a sweet rom-com!

Yet again, Emma Lord delivers another YA (or rather, new adult?) win! The Rival is great for fans of the slow burn / childhood friends tropes. Throw in a healthy dose of family dynamics and college drama, and you have yourself a read. I really enjoyed Sadie's and Seb's back-and-forth banter with an edge of competitiveness. Great dialogue and realistic conflict. Sadie's development made me groan at times but really fit the genre. My only downgrade was pacing... I thought we really could have gotten to it a little quicker. But the characters and setting and plot helped tilt this closer to a 4 star read than a 3 star read. (My true rating falls somewhere between 3.5 and 3.75 stars.)

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. I loved this book and it is my favorite troupe. I enjoyed the storyline and the development of the characters. I would definitely recommend this book.

This rivals to more story has all the charm (and snacks) we expect from an Emma Lord novel. I’m so grateful to @WednesdayBooks for this copy with an autographed bookplate and to @macmillanaudio for an ALC of this one!!

For as long as she can remember, Sadie has been battling next door neighbor and family friend, Seb to be the best. When she got the coveted spot at their dream college, she thought she was leaving the rivalry in the past, so she’s less than thrilled to run into Seb on campus where he informs her he got a spot off the waitlist. And not only is he here, he’s also vying for the one staff job on their college’s famous zine—the zine Sadie has dreamed of working on for years.

There’s a lot to love about this one. Seb is a doll. Sadie is a great friend who works to make things right when she messes up. Sadie’s family is hysterical. There’s a great subplot about what organizations get college funding and why as well as how hard it can be to maintain a sports’ scholarship and the pressure that comes with it. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the pancakes. I definitely enjoyed the ride with Seb and Sadie even though it was obvious where it was headed from the get go. My one quibble was that there was a bit too much ruminating about everything for my taste. There were many moments in the book where Sadie had a mental breakthrough only to not act on it and have a similar breakthrough chapters later. I wished she figured out some of these things sooner, but her process was probably pretty realistic.

Sadie and Seb have been family friends and mates since forever. But along the way they’ve become friends to enemies.

Away from home, they’re both figuring out their new roles as college freshman as well as their new friendship dynamic.

It was a sweet YA rom com with little to no spice.

I enjoyed the little and big revelations our characters had and find that it’s easily relatable.

Emma Lord has such a talent for writing friendships and family with just the right amount of drama to keep is realistic, frustrating and finally heartwarming.

I really enjoyed Sadie and Seb’s story. The way they went from childhood friends, to the funniest rivals ever while maintaining a “friendship facade” to their families, to lovers was so cute and fun to read.

I did read this on my kindle as well as listen and I really loved the audio. Jesse Vilinsky did a wonderful job putting the perfect amount of emotion into this story with her narration. 🙌🏻

Emma Lord writes some of my favorite YA romances. I love the banter, the chemistry, and rivalry in this one. I think it would make the cutest movie. The supporting characters were also hilarious and sweet. Can’t wait to read the next one.

🥞 Happy Pub Day to @dilemmalord 🥞

Thank you @wednesdaybooks for the #gifted copy of "The Rival." Extra big hugs to @just_talking_to_my_shelf and @bookswithnopictures for organizing the super fun traveling book! [PUB DAY: OUT NOW (Jan 21, 2025)]

I will now and forever only eat my pancakes with sprinkles because of this sweet young adult book.

Emma writes the B E S T & S W E E T E S T little books. This one has a special place in my heart because it gave me so much nostalgia from college.

Seriously, it sent me straight back to my dorm room living, sweatpants wearing, Ramen dinner days. It made me want to hug my college besties super big.

I loved that she included all the stresses that we all went through... the freedom... the extracurriculars... getting good grades... discovering independence... taking care of family... mental health... juggling being an athlete... navigating relationships. It's all perfectly composed in this story!

My favorite part had to be all the chaotic antics between the different clubs on campus. (Hint: the antics are for a cause...) You will get a kick out of the mischief that the Random Acts of Chaos get into.

Oh...and don't even get me started on ✨️BETTY✨️

Emma's latest is just the definition of fun. You'll be so happy reading it that your face will physically hurt from smiling.

🥞 Rivals to Lovers
🥞 College Setting
🥞 Best Friends
🥞 B A N T E R
🥞 Slow Burn

❔️#QOTD What's your favorite Emma Lord book? If you haven't read her yet (and you probably should), what's your favorite sweet snack?

Truly... A classic Emma filled with random, unique, and quirky goodness we've all comes to love so so so much.