📖+🎧: The Rival, a standalone

✍🏾 Author: Emma Lord- I read The Getaway List and gave it 5⭐

🗣️ Narrator: Jesse Vilinsky voices all the characters with standouts from Sadie and Seb. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.

🏃🏾‍➡️Run Time: 11:16

📅Publication date: 1-21-25 | Read 1-10-25

📃 # of pages: 320 e-book

Genre:
* YA/College
*Rom-Com
*Contemporary

Tropes:
*enemies to lovers
*academic rivals
*coming of age
*family drama
*1st love
* LGBTQIA+rep

👆🏾POV: 1st person

🌎 Setting: Maple Ride, VA

Summary: Sadie has finally beaten Seb getting into Maple Ride University, while he is wait-listed. They have been academic rivals since 3rd grade but are forced to be around each other because their parents are BFFs. Sadie is surprised to find Seb has been accepted to MRU and they compete for a staff writing position on the college zine Newsbag-one of the most prestigious in the country.


👩🏾 Heroine: Sadie Brighton- communication major, family is dramatic, and she is the peacekeeper.

👨🏾 Hero: Sebastian "Seb" Anderson-engineering major, has popular Instagram channel "Adam's Apple"

🎭 Other Characters:
* Christina-Sadie's BFF and roommate-cross country track star
* Amara and Rowan-co staff writers for "Newsbag" magazine.
* Joey-baseball scholarship, entertainment writer, a sophomore
*Marley(oldest) + Hadley (youngest)- Sadie's sisters
*Colby-Seb's father

🤔 My Thoughts: This was a little nostalgic thinking about my first year away at college. I was extremely shy and cried when my mom and sister pulled off and left me. I went home every weekend for months until I found my place as a staff writer on my school paper- The Quad. I loved the competitive spirit between Seb and Sadie and how it evolved. The student activism added a bigger scope to the story-funding for athletes, scholarships, and the magazine. Christina was the MVP arguing with Sadie about her experience at college.

Rating: 4/5⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice level 1/5🔥 kissing only

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books, Macmillan Audio, and Emma Lord for this ARC and ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

I’m usually a big fan of Emma Lord and was surprised this one didn’t do much to captivate me. I almost felt like The Rival was too similar in ways to some of her other books and it left me feeling like it was a struggle to engage. I’m still a big Emma Lord fan and plan to give some of her other books a try in the future.

This enemies-to-friends-to-dating YA story reminded me yet again that Emma Lord writes some of the absolute best young adult books on the market. In this one, our main character (Sadie) is a college freshman at the school of her dreams, getting ready to try out for the school zine she's been following for years, and living in the dorm with her best friend, Christina. She's thrown for a loop when her neighbor/frenemy/soulmate, Seb, suddenly appears at the zine tryout meeting...since he didn't get into the school. Except he did. He got off the wait list and this leads to the two of them competing for the one available spot on the zine staff. There's also family drama, "freshman year at college is hard" drama, and a lot of pancakes in the cutest way possible. And an alphabet party that I now want to try to throw in my 40s.

I feel like a quote from chapter 11 sums it up best: "Keep your friends close and your lifelong academic rivals you've imagined kissing multiple times against your will closer." (This was a review copy so I'm sorry if this line changes slightly in final book!)

Highly recommended to anyone who is getting ready to go to college, who remembers the transition to college fondly and wants to smile, or who hated their transition to college and wants to overwrite it with adorable dialogue.

CW: intense young adult stress, lots of will-they-or-won't-they-or-when-will-they kiss (no adult content)

From the day they met, Sadie and Seb have been competing with one another on every little thing. Sadie through that college was when she would finally be able to escape and reinvent herself outside her competitions with Seb. Low and behold, Seb is also attending the same college and they are competing for the same writing position on the school's famous zine. This one is for the slow burn lovers. Throughout their competition, they discover there are bigger problems that need to be addressed than who will get the spot with the zine. Sadie's journey to embracing her writing and admitting to her family about her writing passions was beautifully written. I found both characters to be relatable throughout the book. The story's pace keeps you immersed and not wanting to put the book down. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the free eARC. All opinions are my own.

Instagram review will be live 20Jan25

The Rival by Emma Lord is a college coming-of-age story that focuses on two academic rivals who are family friends. Our main character thinks she's free of him until she arrives on her college campus and finds herself covered in his smoothie. They're both going for a single spot at the newspaper on campus, and through their competition, they champion greater causes on campus, get to know one another better, and ultimately realize their feelings are less like loathing and more like something else.

While I enjoyed this book, I couldn't help but feel that it was just trying to be far too quirky for its own good. Everything on the college campus felt a bit over the top and unrealistic, a kind of picture-book version of what college is really like.

I gave this book a three-star rating because I enjoyed it and thought it was okay, but I wouldn't read it again or recommend it to a friend.

This was really cute! It felt a bit like a middle ground between YA and Adult. I really loved the story and the characters. I have read every book Emma Lord has written and I will continue to read them until she stops publishing. She is incredible.

First, thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC.

I wanted to love this, but I just didn't. While it was very cute in parts, and very swoony in parts, I didn't feel the stakes in the romance because it was made clear from the first chapter that the main characters were going to get together and everyone in their lives knew it. Even the moments where they had fights or issues felt fleeting because everything was going to get wrapped up beautifully. I realize the HEA is the point, but it would be nice to not see it coming from page one. Additionally, all of the conflicts, like the big fight between Sadie and Christina, felt so thin.

I'll absolutely get this for my library because I know kids who will enjoy it, but it was just fine for me.

**Thank you to Wednesday Books for this free digital review copy.**

Emma Lord's YA rom-com's have been a hit for me in the past, and The Rival was no exception. The characters' snappy sarcasm and comedic timing entertained me from start to finish (and this is coming from a person who notoriously doesn't care for comedy, much to my husband's chagrin). I highlighted lots of lines that make me chuckle, such as, "My carefully chosen floral blue first-day-of-college dress has pit stains deeper than most emotions." Sadie's desperation to make her mark and fit in as she begins her college adventure is what every freshman feels, on some level, and watching each of the characters come into their own was a happy little adventure. I appreciated how the book was able to explore Sadie's relationships with her parents and sisters, her best friend, her new college friends, and Sebastian without it feeling like too much.

There was real, believable conflict, but also a happy ending — exactly what you want from this type of book. The results of the back-and-forth between Sadie and Sebastian was never truly in question, but it wasn't annoying (mostly — I had a few moments of complaint, and a few guesses that I completely missed the mark on). It was actually sweet seeing them fully realize their feelings and want to face them maturely instead of just diving into something without giving it appropriate thought. But it probably helps that everyone around them, both new and old friends, expected the inevitable and was all for it.

This would be a great fall read, but really fun for any time of the year!

A late bloomer, coming of age story about two childhood rivals who continue their rivalry into college to compete for the only slot at the school paper.

Another miss for me. This was a college romance that was (1) too self aware that it was a RomCom, and (2) had almost no relatability for me. The whole thing was quite hyperbolic. I found the conflicts to be petty or nonsensical. I found it required a lot of suspension of disbelief for some plot points, which is hard for me in contemporary stories. The late bloomer aspect was actually kind of sweet, but the take away was weird.

Content : kissing only romantic content, characters are diverse and LGBT+ forward (straight FMC, bi MMC, a married lesbian couple, and a they/them character), quite a bit of profanity.

Thank you for the advance digital copy of this book from the publisher, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for making it available.

My review is currently up on Goodreads.

Sadie and Seb have lived next door to each other for their whole lives. When they were little, they were the best of friends, until a prank went wrong. Then they became the biggest rivals in school, with Sadie coming out on top with the coveted spot at her dream college with a chance to be a staff reporter for their zine, Newsbag. But this wouldn't be a romance if things went the way Sadie wanted, so Seb ends up off the waitlist and competing with her for the writing position...and of course, sparks fly!

This was a great rivals to lovers, frenemies to lovers, forced proximity, boy/girl next door story...pick your favorite trope. The book gets right to the Sadie/Seb rivalry, and doesn't slow down. The pacing was great, and the story was somewhat predictable (what romance isn't?) but it also had an interesting plot. There aren't a lot of college-age romances featuring writers (that I know of, anyway). I really enjoyed this book, it was different from other romances that I've read recently. Sadie and Seb having to work together while also competing against each other played well on the page. They had great chemistry and banter.

I also want to note that there was LGBTQIA+ representation. Seb is bisexual, although it's not a main plotline, only referenced to a few times. There's also a nin-binary character and a lesbian couple, so if that's something you're looking for, this has it.

All in all, this was an excellent read focusing on finding yourself, family, friends, and being a team. If you enjoy a good rival romance with frenemies or a nice boy/girl next door will-they-won't-they story, then this one's for you!

Sadie is finally free of her nemesis, Seb, the boy next door who has been challenging her since birth, as she embarks on her freshman year at Maple Ride University. However she is shocked to find him off the enrollment waitlist and once again competing with her for a coveted spot on the prestigious college zine staff. With a plot that has very few surprises–one could see the enemies to lovers ending playing out from page one–this story dragged in several places, but ultimately left me feeling positive about the book as a whole. It’s worth noting that this ranks about a zero on the spicy scale, so give this to teens who are after a clean rom/com.

I enjoyed Emma Lord's The Rical, but not as much as Tweet Cute. I felt like the protagonist was a bit too whiny in this novel. She was a bit overly focused on the rivalry - it was just too extreme to be believable. Recommended for large romance collections.

Emma Lord does it again! The Rival is another sweet YA romcom with some deep topic relative to young adults (this time, college-aged), crazy situations, and descriptions of food that make your mouth water.

The Rival is a perfect enemies to lovers trope, except that the "enemies" have been forced friends since birth due to their parents being best friends. Sadie and Seb have been pushing each other's buttons and ambitions for years, but it all ends when Sadie gets into Maple Ride College and Seb doesn't...until Seb shows up on campus and threatens Sadie's chances at getting the single spot at Newsbag, the college newspaper. What ensues is a series of delightful antics wrapped around several serious topics, including the pressure of college sports, biased school funding, homesickness, sexuality, and trust. Lord knows how to deftly weave fun and sweetness around more somber, weighty moments, and the back-and-forth between Sadie and Seb perfectly hits the "academic rivals fall in love" itch. Add to that the Random Acts of Chaos Club, funfetti pancakes, and Sexy Shrek, and this read was a lot of fun.

The Rival has Lord's signature cute "will they or won't they" energy, perfect for a screen adaptation. Even though it's a university setting, it still has high school energy. A couple of f-bombs but otherwise a nice little YA that I'll be recommending we order for our library and to some of my students I know will love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday books for the early copy!

The Rival Review

This was my very first Emma Lord book and it was a good introduction to their writing style and see if it aligns with what I currently love reading.

Trope: Rival to Lovers (enemies to lovers)

I won’t lie the little bits of banter between our two characters did make me laugh here and there. Our two characters are Sadie and Seb who was childhood friends turned to rivals. Sadie thinks she finally got rid of Seb and there ongoing off going rivals ship when she gets into a college he doesn’t but atlas that changes when she bumps into him on her way to Newsbag meeting (where of course he’s heading as well) They both competing for the only spot on the Newsbag team. We follow a course of feelings as the book goes on to the end. The beginning had me hooked and through out it I had to keep a bit of forcing myself to read it but atlas I did it. It was overall well written and good.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Rival was everything I hoped for and more—it was absolutely delightful! From start to finish, I found myself fully invested in Seb and Sadie’s journey, cheering for them every step of the way. he perfect mix of witty banter, emotional depth, and insightful reflections on the college experience made this book truly stand out for me.

A huge thank you to the publisher for providing the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

thank you to Wednesday Books + Netgalley for the arc!

this is Emma Lord at her absolute best! she knows how to write the YA rom com like no other, but also talk about things that might feel more vulnerable.

One thing I liked about Sadie which is different from a lot of YA I read —she’s thriving. Especially for a college setting. I feel like they are always struggling to find where they fit in, but in this one Sadie is still learning about herself, but she is having a great college experience.

I did also love the rep. Seb is a bi hero which we always love to see. And the open talk about mental health and relationships was so so sincere. I would’ve loved to read this when I was younger.

I will read anything Emma Lord writes, including her adult romances, but her YA has a super special place in my heart

This is out 1/21 so check it out then!!!!

5/5

Emma Lord does not disappoint when it comes to YA romance. This has all my favorite things:

* enemies/rivals to lovers and their uber-competitive ways
*witty banter
*a fun supporting cast (her BFF, Betty & her pancakes, the Newsbag staff, etc.)
*coming of age
*college life

Sadie thought she got away from her next door neighbor turned rival Seb for college, but at the last minute he was accepted to the same university. Now the two are vying for the same writing spot on the school's prestigious zine. Can the two make it through the competition without fighting dirty and without crushing their hearts.

This was a cute novel that I never truly got into. All of the elements were there, but I never fully found myself invested. I think some of the conflicting drama didn't fit the story and seemed to feel like drama for drama's sake, but in a way that didn't fully mesh with the overall plot.

THE NOSTALGIA.

Emma Lord does an incredible job of making me feel nostalgic for my college aged years. Where things are confusing, live has a lot of new turns and you’re just trying to find out where you want to be and the goals you have to achieve to get there. I adore this setting so much and love that it’s set in college but still YA appropriate.

I loved the dynamic between Sadie and Seb. The banter was fantastic. The quips and pranks back and forth really sold me on how much they care about each other even though they have been ignoring those feelings for so long. The cute pancake dates and tender quiet discussions were sweet and impactful for the storyline.

It’s a genuine and fun read. I also adored the complex family relationships. That there was support and love but issues too. It’s not all sunshine, yet you know who’s in your corner. I love the authentic nature of these kinds of plots.

If Emma writes it, I’m going to read it and this is no different. Another gem and one I am so grateful I got my hands on early.

Overall audience notes:

New adult contemporary romance
Language: low
Romance: kisses