If you want to know anything about my reading tastes (at least for straight YA romance), all you need to know is that I am an Emma Lord stan first and everything else second.

Emma Lord does many things well. Her friends-to-lovers stories can’t be beat, with You Have a Match, When You Get the Chance, and The Getaway List ranking at the top of my favorite books of hers. However, her enemies- or rivals-to-lovers stories are also strong—Tweet Cute had a online enemies relationship between two people who knew each other in real life, while When You Get the Chance had two rivals from a high school theater department competing for an internship.

The Rival should have been a slam dunk for Lord, combining tropes that she is already well-versed in. It has the long history between the love interests of Begin Again, as Sadie and Seb’s parents are two sets of best friends, and the pair grew up next door to each other and in constant contact. If you like stories where the main couple know each other better than anybody else could even attempt, this is for you. Lord also proved with When You Get the Chance that she can do rivals-to-lovers driven together by a competition effectively, and, indeed, I could see a lot of parallels between these two books.

I’ll begin with the thing the book does best, which is the connection between Sadie and Seb. They have known each other their entire lives, grew up best friends, and were driven apart when a prank turned malicious in middle school. From there, they spent their time competing for all of the same extracurriculars and grades at school, pranking each other at home, and putting on a nice face for their families so that they wouldn’t know about the animosity between them. The story starts with Sadie thinking she has finally escaped Seb’s orbit, as he didn’t get into their first-choice college, until Seb shows up having gotten off the waitlist They now must compete for the single staff position available on their college’s prestigious zine. The tension between Sadie and Seb is palpable—while many rivals-to-lovers stories begin with the protagonists not knowing they have feelings for each other, Sadie knows from the start that she is attracted to Seb but tries to convince herself it doesn’t matter. The deep connection between the two drives the book’s plot, as both work for what they want but know they can’t get it without the other losing. Their chemistry is tangible in every conversation, to a point where the reader truly can’t help but root for them.

The plot falters a little, however, when it comes to Sadie’s character. She wants to be a comedy writer and refers several times to her running internal comedic monologue, but her narrative voice just isn’t funny enough for that to truly be believable. It’s not that I was expecting biting wit from Emma Lord, but the choice to write this book in the first-person meant that the disconnect between Lord’s natural writing style and the personality of this protagonist is striking and disrupts the reader’s immersion. It’s not that the prose is bad, but rather that it just doesn’t quite work for this protagonist.

I’m not quite sure what to say about the most prominent side plot of the book, which is Sadie’s college cutting funding for student organizations. I’m not sure if it’s because Emma Lord hasn’t been in college for a while or if we’re just supposed to buy that this is a very strangely run college, but so much about the budget issues that were a central plot point just did not make sense to me, at least in comparison with how I know my university runs its budget. There was just too much going on, and Lord’s worldbuilding choices seemed strange—why are there no typical clubs (Model UN, Debate, a regular newspaper, etc.) but there’s an Apocalypse Club and a Paranormal Investigation Club? What does Sadie’s roommate’s scholarship and strenuous athletic schedule have to do with cutting funding for clubs? Why can’t the clubs do fundraisers to supplement school funding? There were just so many things going on in this plot that didn’t help much to develop Sadie as a character or drive her and Seb’s relationship forward. It’s fun and chaotic and a good time, but I had so many questions about it as well.

There’s also a smaller note of it being unclear who the target audience is meant to be. It’s marketed as YA, and the plot complexity and maturity of the characters definitely mark it as YA (there’s no mention of sex outside of a poor sexual education system for one), but the characters curse all the time (“f**k” is dropped 42 times), leaving me unsure of whom, exactly, I’m supposed to recommend this to. It’s bridging the gap between YA and NA, so if you like both then you’ll enjoy it, but it’s written in such a way as to be difficult to place in either category firmly.

I want to be clear that this is an excellent read. Emma Lord is at the top of her romance-writing game here, with Sadie and Seb being quite possibly my favorite couple of hers (and, if you can’t tell, I’m very familiar with her work). The competition setting is fun, and the chaotic personalities of the two protagonists makes the book a wholly entertaining read. Lord also uses the opportunity to talk about sex ed, particularly the lack of information for queer teenagers, in a way that I do think is important to address in a book about adjusting to life at college and figuring out how to be an independent person. The things I’ve raised as concerns aren’t dealbreakers at all, and rather are small weaknesses in Lord’s writing that are slightly strange for somebody usually so adept at writing YA contemporary. I would wholeheartedly recommend The Rival to anybody who’s a fan of both YA and NA contemporary books or who’s just looking for a cute romance about transitioning to college life and adulthood. 4/5 stars.

In The Rival by Emma Lord, Sadie finally beats her lifelong academic rival, Seb, by earning the only spot at her dream college—until he gets off the waitlist and forces her to compete again, this time for a spot on the school’s prestigious zine. As she juggles family chaos, self-doubt, and surprising feelings for Seb, they uncover flaws in the school’s system that force them to work together, revealing they may be more evenly matched than they ever imagined.

Emma Lord delivers another delightful hit with The Rival, a charming rivals-to-lovers story brimming with wit and heart. Set against the vibrant backdrop of a college campus, Sadie and Seb are dynamic, well-drawn characters whose personal growth is just as compelling as their fiery competition. The banter and rivalry between them sparkle, making every shared moment feel electric, while the college events they navigate together add a playful and authentic touch to the story. As their chemistry grows, you’ll find yourself rooting for them to drop their guard and finally admit the feelings that are so clearly written in the stars. If you’re in the mood for a fun, feel-good young adult romcom, The Rival is a must-read!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

♡ Thank you for the free ARC, Wednesday Books and NetGalley. Thank you for the free ALC, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. And thank you for the finished copy, Wednesday Books!

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Emma Lord books that I have read, and this was another fun one! And another adorable cover, too. I loved Sadie and Seb together. This story is for fans of Rainbow Rowell and Lynn Painter. If you love a sweet young adult romance with witty banter and a bit of rivalry, this is one to add to your TBR.

Another adorable YA romance from Emma Lord! Sadie and Sebastian used to be friends as children but after an unfortunate puppet incident, they became rivals-one-upping each other at everything. Sadie wants to be a comedy writer and is thrilled to be in the running for her new college's zine "Newsbag" -until she realizes that she's up against Sebastian for the only available spot. As the two spar both personally and professionally, Sadie is forced to figure out who she really is, who she wants to be and who she wants to spend time with. Of course Sebastian is her match. It was fun watching her come into her own. This story made me hungry for pancakes. Just a warning!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Sadie is excited to kick off her freshman year of college as she pursues her passion for comedy writing and gets a break from her chaotic family... until she finds out her high school academic rival Seb got off the waitlist and she's competing with him all over again.

I love Emma Lord's young adult books and especially appreciated the college setting of this one. The characters are trying to find their place in the world, figuring out who they are and who they want to be (with a slow-burn romance thrown in of course). I loved the teasing friendship between Seb and Sadie, and how they supported each other through their complicated homesickness with a secret pancake hangout.

There are fun college antics and a great cast of supporting characters. If you're looking for a heartwarming book with chemistry, pick this one up!

Happy release day to the sweetest college romance I’ve read yet 🥹

This book did such a wonderful job of capturing the roller coaster that is freshman year. On one hand, you’re an adult! You get to make decisions for yourself! On the other hand, you’re an adult but still feel like a kid, and you have absolutely no idea what you are doing!

I loved getting to read Sadie’s POV on this experience. She feels the weight of family and outside expectations, and she wants college to be her fresh start! She has big dreams of joining the school newspaper and figuring out who “college Sadie” is. And this process just felt so real and set a great foundation for all of the other plot points.

Speaking of other plot points, the romance in this story was so fun and sweet!! The rivals to lovers plotline was top tier. Emma does such a beautiful job of creating a rivalry so real you’re unsure how it’ll be anything else, and then she turns it around with small moments over time that make for a realistic transition. They’re such an easy pair to root for, and I had such a sweet time reading their story 🥹

This book is for you if you enjoy sweet and mostly lighthearted coming of age stories! If you’re a fan of rivals to lovers and tender romance! Or if you’ve ever wondered what college freshman Sammy was like haha!! (I have never felt more like a character was written for college Sammy than Sadie 😂🤭)

Thank you Wednesday books and Emma Lord for this early copy! It was such a joy to read :)

3.5 stars rounded up.

I love Emma Lord, and I normally love her books, but this one was just a like for me. The main characters were okay, but Sadie got on my nerves quite a bit in the first half of the book. I felt like she just blamed everything in her life that went wrong on Seb or her family. Honestly, it really seemed like she could have used some time with a therapist to work through her issues.

The romance was sweet, though, so I liked that aspect.

The Rival was such a cute and quick book! It’s a YA following a pair of childhood rivals as they embark on the new world of college life.

The banter between these two was so cute - it was innocent but adorable because it was SO clear from the beginning that Seb was already pining for Sadie and I loved it. It’s such an easy read and the words were naturally flowing, nothing felt awkward at all and I was able to follow the plot. There’s pining, some angst, and some super cute moments between these two.

We also have some family trouble in the background of the book - Sadie is the middle child of the book and has some negative feelings surrounding her family, mainly on how they make her feel like the ‘reliable’ kid since she had to grow up from such a young age. This felt so relatable and I quickly built an emotional connection with her.

My thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books/St.Martin's Publishing for the ARC of "The Rival" in exchange for an honest review.
Now here's a challenge that faces any author brave enough to attempt yet another 'childhood-friends-to-adolescent-enemies-to-at-long-last-sweethearts' YA romcom.
How to you make your book distinctly different from the hundreds upon hundreds of similar titles that came before yours?
My reading hat's off to Emma Lord, who somehow arrives at Mission Accomplished..
How did she do it? To start, she makes sure her 'lovebirds-but-they-don't-know-it-yet', Sadie and Seb, are extra vulnerable and impossibly adorable. Next, she places these lifelong neighbors and rivals as incoming freshman in a college that seems like a Cozy Never-Neverland - awash in all sorts of oddball clubs that receive precious little funding from an administration that lavishes donor money on athletics.
Sadie and Seb, both gifted writers with separate career goals, fiercely compete for coveted positions on 'Newsbag', the school's celebrated zine. Extraordinary wits, the snap-crackle-pop of their back and forth repartee makes whole chunks of this book a laugh-out-loud joy to read.
Is it even necessary for me to describe what develops between them as they do verbal battle with each other while upending the college's corrupt overfunding of sports? But when the inevitable kissing finally arrives, you can't help but happily sigh while turning the pages.
I'm even willing to forgive author Lord for tacking on one of those endless, redundant epilogues, since I did find these characters, their families and pals still fun to hang out with. (Which often isn't the case in lengthy wrap-ups I've encountered in books that wore out their welcome.)
Yes, a well worn storyline for sure, but told with genuine heart and plenty of sharp humor.

This book was a lot of fun. It was laugh out loud funny, and filled with shenanigans, hijinks, and excellent banter. I was expecting a romcom, and this is not that. It does have a romantic subplot though, which was very cute and sweet. Sadie and Seb have known each other for their entire lives, and she’s spent most of that time loathing him. The only way she knows how to interact with him is to compete against him in a cutthroat rivalry that consumes every aspect of their lives. And the only way he knows how to get her attention is to beat her at things and to tease her. They were super adorable together. I’d say this book is less a love story and more of a coming of age story about finding yourself in college and learning where you fit within your family dynamics. It was enjoyable, heartwarming, and cute.
🥞
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️
🥞
Read if you like:
▫️rivals to lovers
▫️she hates him
▫️he falls first and harder
▫️black cat x golden retriever
▫️coming of age story
🥞
Thank you to Wednesday Books, MacMillan Audio, Emma Lord, and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC. I received advanced copies for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Really fun book, it had me smiling all the way through. Sadie and Seb were funny, had great banter and chemistry. Having being frenemies for most of their lives made for a great dynamic, they were relentless in trying to one up each other. As they navigate college life and self discovery they come to terms that maybe they might be more than just rivals. I like that it also showed realistic examples of different relationships, like how she felt being the middle child and thinking like she had to be the buffer between her family members and how that affected her relationship with her sisters. Then her relationship with her best friend Christina and how she had to learn to support and see things from her perspective. Also all the interactions with the university clubs were so fun, I would have been part of the Random Acts of Chaos Club for sure. Their actions and problems were very representative of their age (18) not trying to sound or act older than that which was nice. Overall very enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

3.5 stars
Happy Publication day to one of the most funa nd enjoyable books I've read this year! I am always keen on reading a good academic romance. I loved Sadie and Seb's banter throughout and how they really band together to reveal the truth about their school despite risking everything they've been working towards for so long. This book was witty, charming and heartwarming to say the least.

This is a sweet, fun YA college romance. High school rivals and life-long family friends turned lovers. There's forced proximity while they compete for the same writing spot for their college's newspaper.

Both Sadie and Seb grow up a lot over the course of the book. Sadie knows who she wants to be but has never fully allowed herself to show people that person. A new setting with other people trying to do the same really allows her to blossom.

Seb's parents have certain expectations of him. Attending Maple Ride comes with conditions. If he doesn't get the spot on the paper he needs to transfer mid-year to his father's preferred university. Over the course of the book he learns how to communicate his wants and needs to his parents so he can live the life he wants.

It doesn't do anything new but it's a good time. I really enjoyed it. There is no spice. Perfect for fans of Lynn Painter's Better Than the Movies.

There are so many rivals-to-lovers books out there, they feel like copycats. When something is so predictable, there has to be something to set the story apart. And that’s what Emma Lord does with The Rival. Her bright prose and interesting characters make The Rival stand out.

Lord’s pacing is steady, and her passion for writing is mirrored in Sadie and Seb. The duo’s relationship evolves against the backdrop of a college campus. Campus life is highlighted from all the angles — classes, sports, extracurricular activities, and local haunts. And each of these angles comes with great imagery and supporting characters.

The Rival is a sweet, slow burn romance that will excite readers for the future while offering enjoyment in the present.

Emma does it again!
The Rival by Emma Lord was sweet and shared so much more than a love story.
Emma Lord always writes sweet and fun novels, but I think this one might just be her best yet.
Her characters are always perfectly crafted and the romance swoon-worthy and sweet. I can't wait to read so much more from Emma. She is on fire!
A delightful rivals-to-lovers YA romcom that will warm your heart and leave you with a sense of hope and inspiration.
Lord has been an auto-read author for me for a few years now, and The Rival did not disappoint!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this approved eARC!

Rounded up from 4.5 stars. Let me just start by saying that the banter and dialogue in this are HILARIOUS! I was chuckling while reading. This book had me all in my feels remembering how I felt first going off to college. I loved seeing Sadie grow into her own skin and gain confidence. I do wish we got a little bit more of Seb’s character growth in this. I did like the rivals turned lovers plot line. I liked the shared history and sense of family that they have. I loved the relationships they built with their schoolmates and Sadie’s sisters. I just wanted a little more out of the main plot line and the rivalry and I felt like the ending drug on just a smidge too long for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

I tolerated this one...mostly. I liked the strong female characters but eventually Sadie became pretty insufferable. She's a teenager who has such severe anxiety she definitely should have been in therapy. I also really really got an ick feeling from her relationship with Seb. They were raised like siblings or close cousins and somehow, after a couple weeks, are now in love. This after years of apparently hating each other.

“I think no matter what we are to each other, our lives are Bette reign each other in them than without.”

The Rival by Emma Lord
Release date:January 21, 2024
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Age rating:14+
Spice:none

Thank you Emma Lord and Netgalley for this arc! I had a fun time reading this one. It did take me a minute to get into it but once it got to a certain point I literally couldn’t put it down. The plot was interesting and fun. I found Sadie relatable and loved reading about her trying to figure out how to be herself. Her rivalry with Seb was very entertaining. Their banter and bickering made me laugh so much. I loved watching their relationship go from rivals to friends to lovers. Im happy it was an actual rivals to lovers and not just a ‘this person is kind of annoying to I love them’ if that makes sense. At times I was just screaming at them to hurry kiss because the chemistry was just so good. The way they totally understood each other was just so sweet. I found myself giggling several times. Really enjoyed the college atmosphere and everything with the newspaper it was really fun. If you’re looking for a cute romcom that’s actual rivals to lovers I’d recommend this one!

Sadie is ready to breakout on her college campus as the newest writer on Newsbag, until she discovers her lifelong nemesis has followed her to campus and plans to compete for the same spot.

Emma Lord always does such a great job of focusing on identify in her YA books. This is no different, but I was missing the family element. I feel like most of her books have a really strong family element and while Sadie and Seb's families were mentioned and even made some appearances, they were not as central to the story. Overall, I liked it and think I have some students who would enjoy it as well!

This was a surprisingly delightful read! I’m usually wary of books trying to have explicitly funny characters or characters that try to make jokes because so much of the time it falls flat but this was such a fun, cute, and genuinely funny read. The only downsides were that the end dragged a bit and it lost some of its fun tone near the end when it just right after fight after fight. But it found its way back and ultimately I had a good time. Definitely one to read if you’re into YA romance.