Thank you to #NetGalley, Emma Lord, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sadie has finally gotten away from her lifelong academic rival — her cute and smart next door neighbor, Seb. She is off to her dream college. When Seb is taken off the waitlist and admitted, Sadie has to compete with him all over again. They are once again competing against each other. This time for a coveted spot on the school's famous magazine. Not only is she dealing with her family that she hid her writing talents from, but she has to come to terms with some of her feelings for Seb (both positive and negative)
that are popping up.


"The Rival" is a delightful and heartwarming YA novel that takes on themes of love, rivalry, and self-discovery. Seb and Sadie are both fantastic characters. I enjoyed their bantering and pancake conversations.

I was excited to receive a complimentary copy of the ebook The Rival by Emma Lord from NetGalley. I have honestly enjoyed every book that I have read by this author.

I like a rivals to lovers trope, especially one from high school, as I had a rival in my last year of high school as well, that I competed over everything with: how fast we could take notes, who got a better mark, etc. This made me connect with the way Sadie felt about Seb, although not sure if I ever actually believed I hated my rival.

Also, I liked seeing all of the chaos they helped create at the university in their path to prove they were the better writer. It was neat to see how they challenged yet also supported each other. I also liked that they would end up out for breakfast together; I thought that was a sweet way to fight the homesickness that being away can sometimes bring. Overall, this was another great read by Emma Lord. I will always read and recommend her to my students.

🦇 The Rival Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

❓ #QOTD

🦇 At long last, Sadie has vanquished her lifelong academic rival — her irritatingly charming, whip-smart next-door neighbor, Seb — by getting the coveted, only spot to her dream college. Or at least, so she thinks. When Seb is unexpectedly pulled off the waitlist and admitted, Sadie has to compete with him all over again, this time to get a spot on the school’s famous zine. Added bonus: she's coming to terms with some less-than-resentful crush for Seb while trying to crush him in the competition. But the longer they compete, the more Sadie and Seb notice flaws in the school’s system that are much bigger than any competition between them. Will they finally realize they've met their match in more ways than one?

💜 This story is, in two words, "good chaos." If you've read one of Emma Lord's books before, you know she loves a forced proximity rivalry, but this one is SO elevated in terms of the sizzling chemistry and prose. The witty banter was everything I needed from this ship, and it truly speaks to how well the friends-to-rivals-to-lovers know one another. The quips aren't just one-offs; they're full-on tennis matches, the quick back-and-forth playful yet dangerously exciting. Let's break it down:

✨ Characters: Every character has layered relationships (friends, family, romances), making them real and raw. Their motivations are clear, they have passions outside of those motivations, their voices are distinct. I loved Sadie having a space to find and define herself, Seb's bisexuality feeling natural, Betty and her wife, the zine team. Overall, a great cast.

✨ Plot and Pacing: There's a lot going on in this one, which did affect the pacing, but the plotlines overlap fairly well. I loved seeing how the budgeting issue could affect different people (Sadie versus her best friend, Christina) in different ways. Allowing Sadie to find her own, healthy chaos outside of her family worked well for her character development, and all the antics on campus were a blast to read.

✨ Romance: The transition from rivals to lovers could have been easy, seamless, and instantaneous or exhausting and slow; somehow, Lord found the perfect medium. The obstacles between them are both internal and external, giving readers the perfect build toward this relationship. I adored Seb's dialogue about how we should never feel pressured into firsts, even a first kiss; it made the moment all the more meaningful for them. Seb's patience with Sadie--in waiting for her to process her real feelings for him, in never pressuring her but still making swoon-worthy comments that SEEM like jokes but aren't--was everything. Perfect book boyfriend.

✨ Tone/Prose: Sadie's narration is fun and easy, making this for a quick read. The story explores real issues (our over-focus on sports over arts, self-discovery, family dynamics, college corruption, etc.) while maintaining focus on the characters. However, I do think there's way too much introspection, which slows the pacing.

🦇 Recommended for fans of Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl.

✨ The Vibes ✨
🥞 Friends to Rivals to Lovers
🗞 College Romance / YA / Coming-of-Age
🥞 First Person POV
🗞 Academic Rivals
🥞 Loaded With Witty
🗞 Opposites Attract
🥞 Everyone Can See It
🗞 Queer/Bisexua lMMC

🦇 Major thanks to the author @dilemmalord and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #TheRival

💬 Quotes
❝ “I’ve got a sweater in here you can borrow.” I’m too fixated on Seb following me into the building to consider the offer. “I’ve got a one-way ticket out of my sight you can keep.” “I hope you can get a decent refund, then." ❞
❝ “Just trying to decide if it’s worth it for me to keep paying for all these streaming services when I’m about to have the world’s most ridiculous ‘will they, won’t they, dear god, just kiss already’ show playing out right in front of my eyes.” ❞
❝ ‘Nick Jr. and Netflix fed scripts to a bot and it wrote a cursed rom-com, and made Pancake It or Leave It one of the sets.’ ❞
❝ When we were little there was an inevitability to us. Not one that could be defined by friendship or family or romance, but was undeniably, permanently shared. ❞
❝ "Maybe it was only a matter of time before some catalyst set us off.” What I don’t say but I know Seb hears: Maybe it was only a matter of time before something brought us back together. ❞

After being admitted to her dream college where she hopes to become a writer on their famous paper, the last thing Sadie expects is to see her lifelong rival Seb heading towards her on campus. While each competing for the sole spot on the paper, they learn school organizations are losing funding and, along with their fellow classmates, they pivot to make their voices hear to the donors and school board.

THE RIVAL by Emma Lord was cuuute!

I’ve been a fan of Emma’s work from the beginning - I have yet to read her adult novel, but she writes YA like no other.

I loved that we got to see Sadie’s relationship with Seb and her best friend Christina (both being very fleshed out!), while also getting to see her relationship with her family and how all has changed since she left for college.

Lord made it soo easy to root for these characters and the humor and sweet treats she threw in were perfection.

If you’re a fan of Lord’s work and sweet rivals-to-lovers, then you won’t want to miss this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: January 21

Thanks to Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of The Rival by Emma Lord. I absolutely adored Begin Again, so was looking forward to another college book.

The Rival is a slow burn, very slow burn romance between two rivals who grew up as best friends once they got to college and are competing for the one spot on the school's famous newspaper. Sadie was looking forward to Maple Ridge College, but when she runs into Seb, who she's known since birth because their parents are besties and they live next door. He just got off the waitlist and she is not looking forward to competing with him in college after 4 years of competing in everything in high school.

I love the way she writes college freshman, who are trying to figure out who they are, who they want to be and learning about themselves. This was such a fun book with their competing to get the staff writing spot, trying to save the Newbag and realizing that Sadie might be falling in love with Seb.

The side characters and some plot scenes were great. Betty and her pancakes was such a gem! I loved Sadie's family ! The Alphabet party and so many of the college shenanigans were so much fun. This book made me think of freshman year of college.

If you like YA or books about college freshman you need to read The Rival.

Thank you so much to ST Martins Press for the ARC!

I really wanted to love this one, but sadly it was just too tropey and cutesy for my taste. Right before this one, I read an almost identical book right before this one and maybe I'm just a little sick of the "rivals" that are secret authors/neighbors, etc. but so much of this is SO trendy and common right now that they all start to blend together.

I still have high hopes for Emma's adult novel FOR THE RECORD and think I may need to stick to her adult novels going forward!

I'm sure this will be a hit with the YA crowd though!

“Why do you sound like you’re being chased by a zombie horde? ”
Here are reasons to read the YA Contemporary book:

College - Sadie is finally off to her college of choice
Rival - when she finds out her rival and lifelong friend Seb is off the waitlist and joining her
Newspaper - which would be fairly manageable, except they are the only 2 competing for the one sport on the college newspaper
Competition - so they continue to be frenemies all the while dealing with college politics and ignoring what is brewing under the surface between themselves

I will pick up literally any book Emma Lord writes. She has a way of connecting her characters in the best geeky way, and my past self identifies with them. For example, this book is all about on campus clubs, and as always, some theater is peppered in. Sadie in particular has goals and doesn’t see what’s actually happening around her while she focuses on them. I do think there were some slow parts in this book, but overall, it was a great way to reconnect to my college days and nostalgia.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was a cute enemies/rivals to lovers , coming of age, YA romcom. I enjoyed the story and plot. This is a cute, heartwarming, and very entertaining read.

3.5 Stars rounded up

I love Emma Lord's books, but this one fell a bit flat. I did like reading a YA book that was written for a YA audience. However, I felt like something was missing.

Publication date: January 21st, 2025

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sadie has lifelong rival in her whole academic career her Nextdoor neighbor Seb.
She thinks by going to college she could escape the rivalries but only see him on campus. Not only dealing with him but also her loving yet but chaotic family she hides everything from her family especially her writing talent

Seb is trying to complete with her all except this time it’s different for both of them and learn how important it is to stick together no matter what

But to find out what happens to them and the fun side characters and her family and the friends they both met along the way it’s fun and they really grow through out the book.

Read to find out more 😊

Thank You, NetGalley and St..Martins Press

They had been pushed into each other's lives since birth by their best-friend parents, but Sadie was finally free of Sebastian! Or so she thought. Sadie was ready to conquer Maple Ride when she learns that Seb got off the wait-list and got in. Now, the two rivals are competing for a spot with the university's lauded zine, Newsbag which may have some surprising results.

It's always fun being in a world created by Emma Lord. Her characters are well developed with sharp wit and humor that is bound to elicit laughter from me. She does over-the-top in a way that amuses rather than annoy while still exploring relevant issues.

It may have been a long time ago, but I remember how scary and different it was when I started college. There are a LOT less rules and people trying to keep you in line, so you tend to grow. Some people are lucky, and they are easily able to adapt, but it can be a process for others. They need to find their boundaries, their people, their "home" away from home. Lord explored this first year of college in a thoughtful way, shining a light on the positives and the negatives while also delivering a great rivals-to-more love story.

I absolutely bought into the rivals aspect of Seb and Sadie's relationship, but I am not sure how much "hate" was there. It seems hard to hate someone that you shared so much of your life with. It was sweet the way they gravitated to each other when they were missing home, but it was also obvious that they was/had always been something bubbling beneath the surface for them. It was wonderful seeing it take root and grow as Seb and Sadie also grew. And pancakes. It's as if Emma Lord knew the way to my heart. I couldn't wait to see what kind of pancakes Betty would serve up next.

Speaking of Betty, she was one of many characters who added to the amazing chaos of this story. Like I said, it's always fun to be in a world created by Lord because of her colorful characters, snappy banter, well placed pop culture references, and whip-smart dialog. All that along with a cause to rally behind had me throughly entertained as I waited for all the cards to fall into place for Sadie.

Overall, it was a pleasure accompanying Sadie on her first year at Maple Ride where she found herself, learned to embrace the messy parts, fell in love, and established herself on campus.

In this delightful college YA novel, Sadie and Seb, long time secret rivals, compete for the only spot on a coveted newspaper staff.

Absolutely filled with the charm I have come to expect from an Emma Lord novel. I laughed, I cried, and of course, I swooned. Sadie’s sheer obliviousness to how down bad Seb has been the entire time was so adorable and I really enjoyed the conversations around expectations in your first romantic relationship.

I do wish Cristina’s character had been a bit more fleshed out for us to see her unravel as the book goes on. We see some, but never how serious it is until they fight.

Overall, another BANGER.

3 Stars

Emma Lord has been kind of a wild card author for me—I’m never sure what I’m going to get from her!

Overall, I liked The Rival. The writing style was witty and entertaining. At times though it just felt really busy! So much going on, so many side storylines & characters that I found myself wanting to skim past parts that I didn’t care about. The romance storyline felt a bit underwhelming to me and Sadie’s family drama also seemed really odd.

Despite my issues, I think this book had good messaging though about growing up & coming into yourself vs the ideas people/your family might have about you. I think if you like complex YA stories not just centered on romance then I think you might like this one. I also appreciated that it felt inclusive with the mmc identifying as queer/bisexual and there also being a non-binary side character.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The ultimate best frienemies to lovers story! Sadie and Seb have spent their entire lives (literally, their parents have been best friends for forever) competing and one uping and challenging each other up until college. Except....When Seb is accepted off the waitlist at the college Sadie ended up at, the competition for a coveted spot on the school's we'll known zine starts heating up all over again. Through a series of challenges and upending the status quo, it seems that the only ones who aren't expecting them to kiss and make up already are Sadie and Seb themselves. Are they ready to put their competitiveness aside and lean into their feelings?

This was such a fun read, instead of will they won't they, it was filled with when will they. I love a slow burn and this was just so enjoyable! Sadie and Seb were felt relatable (or nostalgic depending on your age group) scenarios realistic for that beginning of college setting and as a musical theater nerd, the few references thrown in were the absolute best (I couldn't let this review go without mentioning my favorite of them all.... "Can't be trusted with an aux cord on a road trip without going full Elphaba").

This story had everything I enjoy about the YA books from this author and I can't wait to see what comes next from her!


Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my review!

This might be my favourite Emma Lord yet! The banter and callbacks were so deftly woven through with every little detail feeling important. Enjoyed the believable yet over the top plot and enjoyed the sideplots of family.

I love Emma Lord's writing, so I was delighted to receive a copy of The Rival. If this book is any indication, 2025 is going to be a great year in books!

This is a fun college rom-com with an enemies-to-lovers theme. The dynamic between Seb and Sadie is electric, and this is a great addition to the new adult market.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

Sadie is ready to conquer college and get a spot on the campus humor magazine. What she doesn't expect is her high school rival, and family friend, Seb to show up on campus and rain on her parade.

Emma Lord is so good at telling a good romance story! I loved this one. Here's what I loved:

The campus feel: This was a great NA college romcom. I loved the cast of characters on the campus. This honestly felt like I was watching a college romcom. It had humor and the perfect college feel.

Sadie and Seb and the pancakes: this book has so much more than what you think. There are emotional topics like finding who you are and how to navigate life away from your family. All of this was so real. Sadie and Seb both have such a great journey to take and it feels familiar. I adored them both and the way they worked together.

All in all, this was a great college NA romance!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

Emma lord is the queen of YA and she’s done it once again. This is the perfect rivalry palate cleanser for those who love academic setting. Her writing style is perfection as always and I highly recommend

This was so cute! The Rival follows Seb and Sadie, childhood neighbors and friends who spend all of middle and high school trying to one up each other until Sadie finally wins--she gets into her dream school and gets the chance to work at Newsbag--a comedy writing zine. Her dream comes crashing down on her way to the first meeting however, when she runs into Seb and learns he was accepted off the waitlist. As the two fight for the only staff writer position for Newsbag, they bond over shared homesickness, adjusting to college and familial expectations, and realize that they didn't have much to be fighting over after all.

I really loved this, this was a very sweet coming of age story and I love academic rivals and stories set in the comedy world. I really appreciated the perspectives on sex education and feeling ready for different firsts (Sadie has not yet had her first kiss at the start of the book).

Overall, I'd give this 4/5! I don't usually read YA romance, but I liked Emma Lord's other books and this was no different. Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

5/5 stars! emma Lord has done it again! the dialogue is laugh- out- loud funny, the characters are relatable and the romance is giggly and fun. This reminded me so much of Today, Tonight, Tomorrow, which is my favorite book of all time. So obviously, this got a five stars for me. Thank you NetGalley for inviting me to read this book!