Imagine you go off to college to make a name for yourself just to be surprised with your arch nemesis also showing up during the first week.
Sadie and Seb have been in each other’s orbits their whole life long. Their parents are close friends and they have been at the same school since the beginning. Both of them had made it their mission to one-up another during their school careers and Sadie thought now that she is at Maple Ridge, she can just be herself without the rivalry with Seb. Lo and behold, during the first newsbag meeting, the campus zine Sadie has been wanting to write for forever, Seb is also there and they find themselves once again competing against each other for the one available staff member spot for newsbag.

I have a soft spot for YA novels, especially if they are as sweet as pancakes. The story was a bit drawn out at times and had a bit too much miscommunication for my liking, but it was sweet nonetheless. I can always count on Emma Lord to bring the pop culture references and puns. This is just one of the reasons why I love her writing.

Short and Sweet Review

It’s Sadie’s first semester of college at dream college and she’s excited especially because she thinks she’s left her academic rival Sebastian in the past. The only thing is Sebastian ended up getting off of the waiting list so Sadie and Seb are back at being rivals and they both want the spot on the school newspaper. Not only do these two have to compete but they also have to fight off the feelings they have for each other or maybe not.

The Rival is a cute contemporary romance that follows the competitiveness of our main character Sadie and her rival Seb. It’s very much an enemies to lovers story. Sadie and Seb have known each other since they were kids and we get to see a lot of reminiscing about the past and how they’ve gone up against each other and what takes place in college is no different. Maple Ridge has a pretty popular newspaper called the Newsbag and both Sadie and Seb want the staff reporter position and now they have three assignments to complete to see who wins the spot. I liked the book as I found it to be entertaining but I wouldn’t say that the plot was something big it was mainly a background thing as the romance takes center stage and we spend a majority of the time hearing about the newspaper but also see Sadie and Seb spend time together. Sadie was a good character, she was determined but also a very level headed person. I thought the romance was cute, Sadie and Seb have known each other for a while and I think they’re finally in a place to explore more than a rivalry but an actual romance and figure out their feelings.

Overall, this was a light and enjoyable read. I did like the college atmosphere and the journalism aspect. If you’re in the mood for a quick enemies to lovers romance check this book out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this eARC! The Rival by Emma Lord is out Tuesday, Jan. 21.

“I don’t think I could explain what Seb and I are to each other in any singular word, but friends certainly isn’t it. Whatever we are, it goes so deep that the word feels too flimsy for it. Like there should be a new word, something as crackling and maddening and inevitable as we are.”

I was utterly charmed by this YA romcom from Emma Lord! I thought it would be up my alley when I read the description on NetGalley, but I didn’t expect to fall as deeply in love as I did. The Rival ended up being one of my favorite reads of 2024.

The Rival is a joyous, touching and chaotic-ly funny story – part coming-of-age and part romance. The book follows Sadie and Sebastian, rivals from thick-as-thieves families who end up attending the same university. Once there, they continue their competitive relationship, going head-to-head for a single spot on a prominent campus zine – think The Catullan in The Sex Lives of College Girls. But while vying for the spot, and fighting to preserve student org funding on campus, the duo’s complex rivalry morphs into something new.

I was rooting so hard for Seb and Sadie throughout The Rival, and was so charmed seeing the development of their relationship. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for that first kiss! Sadie in some ways is a classic middle child – she tries to be predictable and low maintenance in her family, working to keep the peace even to her own detriment. She’s actually sassy and sarcastic, creative, smart and a problem solver. She knows how to bring people together, and she’s bolder than she’s let herself realize. Seb is charming but introspective, with an anxiety under the surface of his bright persona. He’s navigating pursuing his dreams and balancing family pressure about what his future should look like. He’s smart, considerate, has integrity and is a good friend.

I really liked how Lord set up their backstory. Their history added significant depth to their relationship; we get to learn about the breakdown of their childhood friendship, experience their care for one another despite the rivalry and see how they offer each other perspective on their lives/family relationships, especially in the case of Seb giving Sadie an outside view on her family.

Speaking of family, Sadie’s navigation of her changing relationship with her family is the other main throughline of the story outside the zine storyline. Sadie’s family is passionate, loud and unabashed, and Sadie alternately loves them and is embarrassed by their lack of inhibition. So much so, that she’s kept her own passion for comedy and comedy writing secret from them as she tries to make herself calm, cool and palatable. Getting distance while at school helps her begin to confront these feelings and chart a new path forward. We get to see changes in Sadie’s relationship with her parents and her younger and older sisters throughout the story.

I felt that Lord captured the conflicting feelings of early college life well: homesickness mingled with joy that you’re away, and gratitude for the freedom to explore new parts of yourself mixed with guilt that you feel grateful to be gone.

The Rival is a classic happily ever after story, with a clear focus on the characters. Everything is going to work out in the end and we see pretty minimal details of their lives at school beyond what’s tied up in the plot – no going to class or having to deal with RAs or handle studying for midterms, etc. but that’s OK! The story has a clear main focus and that’s the competition for the zine spot propelling Seb and Sadie’s relationship forward.

The story is told from Sadie’s POV, which is my only real complaint – I would’ve loved to have Seb’s POV included too!

Here are a couple snippets that I particularly liked:

“He smells the way he always does – a salty, honey sweetness. Equal parts nostalgia, irritation, and something loud and warm in me that doesn’t quite deserve any kind of name.”

“The ache I felt earlier wasn’t just mine. It feels strangely like it led me here – not to this place, but to someone who felt the same kind of lost I do. The weird limbo of not quite knowing where you’re headed but knowing it’s too early to look back.”

“Whatever is happening right now doesn’t feel like our usual game of chicken. Now the challenge isn’t how close we can get before one of us pulls away. The challenge is seeing just how close we can get before one of us crosses the distance.”

“I don’t think I could explain what Seb and I are to each other in any singular word, but friends certainly isn’t it. Whatever we are, it goes so deep that the word feels too flimsy for it. Like there should be a new word, something as crackling and maddening and inevitable as we are.”

“I’ve spent my whole life alternately embarrassed about my family, or embarrassed to be embarrassed about them. Trying to reconcile the way I love them just the way they are with the way I’m scared that the rest of the world won’t. How people might misunderstand them – Hadley’s sensitivity, Marley’s impulsiveness, my parents’ passion – and how they might treat them for it. But then there’s Seb, who has always loved them just as they are. Seb, who is quietly taking care of them, too.”

"It’s rare we’ve ever had a reason to hug, but those moments stick out enough in my mind that I’m already anticipating the way he shifts his arms up slightly, the way he scratches lightly at the base of my neck."

This was so effing adorable and funny!

"Keep your friends close and your lifelong academic rivals you’ve imagined kissing multiple times against your will closer. It’s all just a part of our years-long game."

4.75 stars

I actually went into this with like negative expectations. I didn’t like Tweet Cute but I liked the synopsis on this one and I’m auto-approved, so I grabbed it. OHMYGOOOOD I was shook. This was so good!

“If you say one more word, Seb, I swear on all that is holy, I will bury you. I will pretend to look for you. I’ll shed pretty tears at your funeral and die in bed eighty years from now peacefully and without regret.”

We have childhood friends to rivals in high school and now university, competing for the same prestigious job at the school’s newspaper. I love a good rivals competition.

"Unfortunately, somewhere in the last thirty seconds I got emotionally invested against my will, and if I don’t walk out with a jar of pickles in my hand and a crown on one of these boys’ heads I will simply not be able to live."

The banter. The whit. The funny comments. Everything was just great! I loved both MCs and it had good reps in here as well (bi MMC, lesbian and non-binary side characters). It also had some good family dynamics and emotional parts, so a well-rounded rom-com lmao

“If you say one more word, Seb, I swear on all that is holy, I will bury you. I will pretend to look for you. I’ll shed pretty tears at your funeral and die in bed eighty years from now peacefully and without regret.”

But what really stood out was the fact that this was so funny! I know I mentioned the banter and funny comments but this type of back-and-forth is something I love in books and it’s not always done organically, it can be cringe, but this was *chefs kiss*

“So where are you headed?” Seb asks.
Maybe if I just keep walking he’ll disappear. He’s just a panic mirage, is all. The ghost of academic rivals past. “Apparently hell, if you’re here.”

It loses .25 stars because I wish the rivalry lasted much longer than it did.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, Netgalley, and the author for an ARC!

"I’m starting to feel like Sisyphus. Except instead of lugging a boulder up a hill I’ve been trying to shove Seb off a cliff."

Emma Lord is always and forever one of my favs in the YA romcom space. She just nails the voices of her characters and the lovelorn experience, and I love that this one veers into New Adult. This one begins when Sadie starts college and runs into her high school rival. Don’t we love a meet-again-cute that’s actually an embarrassing disaster? That’s what happens in this case. Just as in high school, Sadie, and rival Seb are pitted against one another in college and might have to team up. And…um…maybe catch feelings for each other? I thought this story was so so cute and I can’t wait until this adorable story is out in the world! Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday for this eARC!!!

This book is a character-driven story centered on Seb and Sadie, childhood friends whose relationship has always been marked by competition. Now in college and vying for a coveted spot on the campus newspaper, they must navigate the complexities of their friendship. The author does a fantastic job of crafting detailed, authentic characters who truly feel like young adults experiencing the ups and downs of college life. I especially loved the depiction of their families—not just close, but deeply intertwined, creating a heartwarming dynamic that added to the charm of the story. The humor sprinkled throughout made it an enjoyable, light, and fun read.

3.5 stars rounded up
A Ya Romance set in their first year of college with two rivals/enemies. They've had a rivalry all through school. Sadie was hoping to be alone at college and away from Seb. She finds out Seb was taken off the wait list. They will be going to the same college as her. He's also going for the same spot on the college newspaper, Newsbag.

This was a cute ya romance. I wish there was a pov of Seb. But it's just Sadie's unhinged whiny inner dialogue. I can't be too annoyed because they are only eighteen years old. Babies trying to figure out who they are. The MC does redeem herself in the end. I didn't hate this book or love it. I did crave Betty's pancakes throughout the book. I also liked the look into scholarship students and what they go through at college to keep their GPA up. Overall a good romance.

This YA rivals-to-lovers rom-com was super cute! It was fun to follow Sadie and Seb, childhood best friends turned rivals, as they navigated their college journey together, competing against each other once again—this time for the coveted solo writers’ spot in the school’s popular newspaper. Their playful rivalry and dynamic were both entertaining and endearing.

This was a fun story with lots of great banter and moments that had me giggling and smiling! The characters were enjoyable but I did find it hard to connect with them for the first 20% or so of the book. Sadie’s character felt very clueless at times and self centered for most of the story but she did grow as a character towards the end. Sebs characters was really enjoyable but I wish we had spent more time with him and seen his growth through his perspective. The plot at times felt predictable but it was entertaining! Definitely worth checking out!

I loved the girl next door to lovers relationship between Seb and Sadie. This was such a cute and easy rom-com to read. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened between Seb and Sadie. I loved all the sweet moments they had together and couldn't wait for their first kiss to happen.

The Rival by Emma Lord is a delightful young adult romantic comedy. Sadie and Sebastion have grown up next door to each other, with parents who are good friends, and who compete with each other on everything. They graduate and end up at the same college, and competing again for a space on the school newspaper. Together they uncover flaws with the school, get to know each other better, and begin to wonder if they are truly on the same page.

I really enjoyed this one. The banter, chemistry, and friendship between Sadie and Seb was magnificent. Both characters grow, become better humans, and change in this coming-of-age story. I felt caught up in the world of Maple Ridge University and was glad I could visit. The story will make you want pancakes and wonder why you have not been eating them regularly. The author did a good job capturing the transition to college, leaving your family, and individuating that happens post high school.

This book is a wonderful treat filled with sweet romance, good banter, and story that will make you smile. I highly recommend you read The Rival by Emma Lord with a plate of pancakes.

I was not required to write a positive review.

Sadie and Seb might just be my favorite Emma Lord characters to date, but then i do say that with every book! This was such a gorgeous book about getting to know yourself and accepting yourself especially as sadie had so many doubts about if she was good enough and it was lovely to watch her and Seb grow as Characters throughout.

Lovely story that took me through a whole range of emotions

Highly recommend!

Sadie went off to college with one goal in mind: write for the schools famous zine. Another perk to going away meant escaping her frenemy and neighbor, Seb. For years Seb and Sadie have been competing in everything imaginable and Sadie is glad to be rid of him. That is until he shows up on campus too and is going out for the same writers position as Sadie. Will they continue their power struggle to end up on top or will the lines between enemies and friends blur into something more?

I have been a fan of everything else I’ve read by Emma Lord so I figured I would like this one too and I wasn’t disappointed. I was pulled in from the first chapter and fell in love with Sadie and Seb instantly. I enjoyed seeing their stories play out on the page and see how they found themselves and each other. The enemies to lovers trope was well done in this book and I could feel the chemistry between Sadie and Seb instantly. This college romance was cute and sweet and I didn’t want to put it down. This book is perfect for anyone looking for a cute enemies to lovers romance!

4-4.5 stars. I *love* Emma Lord’s YA romances. There is so much charm, humor, growth, and love that unfolds throughout them. I really think she thrives in this space.

Sadie and Seb know each other better than anyone else, and for most of their tween-to-teen lives that has been used by them both in a mutual competition of one-upping at any opportunity. Their banter and barbs at each other are funny and pointed, but I always felt an underlying edge of respect, admiration, and flirtation (however much Sadie was in denial about it) between them. Seeing them figure out the shifting perspective they could view their interactions from in the college space away from the pressures of their families was endearing.

Being that the story is single POV, we get to experience Sadie’s outward growth into the version of herself she’s always kept to herself most of all, and I loved that for her. It felt like such an authentic 18-year-old experience, especially as the middle child peacekeeper of her family finally branching out alone. Seb’s role in that growth was one of support and of someone who had always really *seen* her.

Their fall into love was sweet but still filled with tension and a full spectrum of emotions. I think I was pining for their first kiss as much as Sadie was. They had some brutal hurts and arguments that they had to work through, but it made them feel more solid.

This book was a ton of fun. Shoutout to Betty. Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Classic Romcom from Emma Lord. Sadie has spent a lot of her life around Seb, and competing with Seb. She's relieved to get away from him in college, but he shows up on the first day (turns out he got off the waitlist). They, of course, go after the same Staff writing position at the dying college paper. There's supposed to be a lot of tension between them, but Seb seems pretty great from the start, and Sadie is clearly attracted to him. You know where this is going. There's the to be expected banter and hijinks form the two of them as well as the deeper storyline of Sadie learning to find her voice and tell her parents and everyone else about her comedy, which is her real love. Nothing earth-shattering in this book, but if you're looking for something lighthearted on a college campus, this is a good one.

I didn’t love this book. It was cute, and I get the appeal, but I was kind of frustrated because it was YA but I didn’t see a note that it’s also has pieces of LGBTQ+. There was a good bit of harsh language as well. The parts I did like about the book didn’t outweigh the things that left me questioning. I had lots of emotions about Sadie and Seb’s relationship - they are best friends, have known each other forever but also rivals and she seems to secretly love hate him. I don’t know…just not my favorite by Emma.

This book was Emma Lord loveliness to a tee! It was a cleverly done book that was sweet as sugar (or maple syrup if you will).

I thought that Sadie and Seb’s rivalry/friendship/etc. was fun to watch grow as the story went on. This book was very young adult coded however the language was a little more coarse than I would have expected!

Overall, if you want to see the grumpiest pancake shop owner, ridiculously fun sounding student clubs and a writing contest — this could be the book for you!

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for this advanced copy on NetGalley! 🤍

I will read absolutely everything Emma Lord writes. I adore her books.

The Rival follows Sadie and Seb as they begin their college careers. The two of them have been intertwined since birth as children of best friends as well as neighbors. They have competed and challenged each other constantly throughout their youth and when Seb shows up at the same college as Sadie (unbeknownst to her), she’s ready to battle it out for the one spot on the school’s famous zine (I had to google was a zine was because I’m old). As they push each other to try harder, they also realize that there are some times it’s better to join forces.

I have always had an affinity for YA books because I love the coming of age, finding your self themes associated with them. The Rival has this in spades. I loved following Sadie’s journey and as always Emma puts quite a bit of comic relief throughout heavier topics.

This book brought back so many memories of my first year of college and the fun that goes along with discovering life along side your peers. I do think all these characters have their life together a lot more than I did at that age, but it definitely makes for a great story.

A fun and cute YA. Read this if you love rivals to lovers, banter, chemistry and LGBTQ representation. However, i didn’t enjoy the third act fight and miscommunication.

3.75⭐️

I love enemies to lovers. And YA reads in general. This was right up my alley.

I thoroughly enjoyed feeling back in freshman year, trying to find my place. Seb and Sadie were wildly cute and it felt like I watched them find themselves as I read.

Pub Day: Jan 21

Thank you netgalley and wednesday for the earc.