One of my favorite tropes is academic rivals and The Rival by Emma Lord perfectly fit the bill! This was such a fun read. Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advance copy!

Emma Lord’s latest, is a delightful academic rivals-to-lovers rom-com that combines wit, charm, and heartfelt moments into an unputdownable story. Fans of Lord’s signature banter-filled romances (Tweet Cute, Begin Again) will be thrilled to meet Sadie and Seb—two fiercely competitive, whip-smart neighbors who can’t help but bring out the best (and worst) in each other.

Sadie is a relatable overachiever whose dream spot at college feels like the culmination of years of hard work—until her lifelong rival Seb unexpectedly crashes the party. Their rivalry is equal parts fiery and fun, with Sadie’s prickly determination perfectly matched by Seb’s easygoing charm. When the competition heats up over a coveted spot on the school’s famous zine, readers are treated to a mix of snarky exchanges, simmering chemistry, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.

What sets this story apart is its deeper exploration of self-doubt, ambition, and systemic flaws in academic environments. Sadie’s growth is both realistic and inspiring as she grapples with her identity as a writer and learns to trust her voice, even when chaos surrounds her. Seb, too, surprises readers with his layers—there’s more to him than just Sadie’s infuriatingly perfect rival.

Emma Lord masterfully balances humor and heart while celebrating the messiness of family, the power of collaboration, and the thrill of discovering someone who truly understands you. By the end, readers will root not just for Sadie and Seb as a couple, but as individuals learning to navigate ambition and connection on their own terms.

Perfect for fans of smart, swoon-worthy YA rom-coms, this book is an irresistible reminder that sometimes the person who drives you the craziest might also be your perfect match. Emma Lord has delivered yet another gem—charming, uplifting, and impossible to put down.

I always enjoy Emma Lord’s books. I enjoyed reading about Sadie and Seb and their changing relationship as they began college. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a sweet and engaging young adult romance. Thank you for allowing me to read an advanced copy!

Finally Sadie bested her rival — childhood family friend and nemesis, Seb — or so she thought when she got the only spot from their school to her dream college. When he unexpectedly shows up after being pulled from the waitlist, their so-called rivalry is back in full force as they compete for a job at the school paper. Their relationship is complicated, playing certain roles depending on who they are around, but when their paper is threatened, they ~attempt~ to put their rivalry aside for the sake of their new friends. Chaos ensues.

I ALWAYS love an Emma Lord wholesome YA romcom! I will say I didn’t love it as much as some of her other books or connect with the characters as much, but it’s still worth a read!

This felt like classic Emma Lord. Her writing style is distinctive and I think this will be a great audiobook. Teens will appreciate Sadie's voice and her struggles adapting her freshman year of college. I appreciate the main characters' ages in this YA book and think we need more books set the first year of college!

Not my favorite Emma Lord book. I felt like the book dragged on and on. Also, to be honest, Sadie drove me crazy. Why does she think she has to calm everyone down in her family? And why does she not think she can be herself in front of them? I felt like this point was just hammered over and over and I was over it. To me, it just felt like she was lying to her family. Also, the way she acted at the beginning of the book with such hatred of Seb but then we find out more about their relationship later on. It just all seemed a little too far fetched to me. I did love the setting and all the different groups at the college, but I found myself not really caring how this ended and just wanted to finish it already.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I can't believe it has taken me this long to read an Emma Lord book. This book was so cute and had my favorite troupe - enemies to lovers. Sebastian and Sadie are rivals competing to be a staff writer for their school paper. Both of these characters were adorable and I loved getting to see their story unfold. The book warmed my heart and the plot was entertaining from the very beginning.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought our MC were pretty interesting in their own ways and added different things to the story that the other didn’t. Reading YA has been getting harder for me because all of the MFCs are getting written very one dimensional or the complexity of their character isn’t fully developed as much as it should be and they come across differently than intended. I found this to be falling into that pattern. I wasn’t very into the MFC very much compared to the MMC. I found her to be pretty stubborn and not very understanding at all. Which was unfortunate because one of her whole character flaws/traits is middle child syndrome but needing to be the perfect person. She just came across as very selfish definitely when it came to her friends and siblings. I honestly had little sympathy for her. It was pretty obvious that our MMC was head over heels for her and having her be so oblivious to it made it even more difficult to enjoy her character because it showed how little she paid attention to him outside of the things that only annoyed her or whatever thing that they were competing with each other over. She just came across unlikable to me. Outside of these little character flaws the story itself was pretty good and had an interesting twist. I would highly recommend this book to readers that want a very YA reading experience about the boy next door/turned rival and figuring out how to navigate the first few months of college and learning about how not everything is as it seems.

Sadie and Seb have been competing since elementary school. While their families are friends, they remain fierce academic rivals. When Sadie begins her freshman year of college, she is shocked to see Seb there. Seb made it off the waitlist and is soon competing with Sadie for a spot on the school's beloved zine. As they experience freshman year together, they get closer than ever before. Can Sadie and Seb ever be more than rivals?

The Rival is a sweet and hilarious rom-com. I especially loved Sadie! She feels very responsible for her family and freshman year is her chance to see who she is without managing others emotions. Seb is charming, though sometimes he and Sadie really misinterpret each other. Emma Lord includes so many fun details in this book from Alphabet parties, rainbow-sprinkle pancakes, and lots of new friends. I really enjoyed how Sadie and Seb went from rivals to friends to more.

The Rival is perfect for readers who enjoy sweet rom-coms with hilarious dialogue. This book was as delicious as all the treats written about inside it! I can’t wait to see what Emma Lord writes next.

Thank you to Emma Lord, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

3.5 stars

The Rival was a fun and cute YA read and exactly what I have come to expect from Emma Lord. The story is about Sadie and Seb- high school rivals who take their rivalry to college while competing for a spot on the college newspaper. Sadie and Seb are both likeable and despite their constant competition and fighting, it's also obvious that they like each other. It was fun to see them figure that out throughout the course of this story.

Emma Lord has a similar novel about a college freshman called Begin Again, which is actually my favorite book by her and I think I was more connected to the characters in that story more than this one. Still The Rival is an easy and entertaining read, and a good fit if you enjoy the YA contemporary genre!

Sadie arrives at her dream college ready to step into a new chapter of her life only to find her rival Seb has suddenly made it off the waitlist. There is only one spot for a staff writer at Newsbag, the school's famous zine and they are both going out for it. But is there more at stake than just the job?

Read if you like:
-Childhood Friends to Rivals to Lovers
-Coming of Age

The Rival was so cute! I love a good YA coming of age romance and this hit all the right notes. Sadie and Seb's dynamic was so relatable.

Two high school rivals find themselves competing for the only open spot on the campus newspaper. Great on audio narrated by Jesse Vilinsky, this was full of snark, humor and the two leads had amazing chemistry. Highly recommended for fans of authors like Lynn Painter or Rachel Lynn Solomon. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

emma lord has done it again! filled with lord's typical humor, heart and tasty food mashups, the rival is a fantastic coming of age story that'll make you laugh and touch your heart

So far, I haven’t met an Emma Lord book that I haven’t liked. The Rival had all the ingredients for a friends to enemies to more than friends cute read. There was good character development in our main characters and I really liked the family development as well. I’m very happy that I had a chance to read this in exchange for my honest review to NetGalley and the publisher.

Hilarious and sizzling! I adore Emma Lord and I adore rivals to lovers. This was such a great novel with a fresh cast of characters and banter for days. The romance was sweet and the writing easy! Ready for the next one!

Emma Lord has a way of writing a beautiful will then won't they with an array of obstacles. The Rival was so cute and fun and made you think about how this is a chance that this generation will stand up for what they believe in.

Need to buy Emma Lord a sweet treat because she has done it again! "The Rival" follows childhood friends turned academic rivals, Sadie and Seb, as they start college. Sadie and Seb are endlessly engaging with their bountiful banter that’s so pristine and realistic. Honestly, they’re what rereads are designed for from their first interaction. Their dynamic is built upon competition and mutual motivation for success, but their truest cornerstones are vulnerability and communication. Emma crafts one of her best secondary characters in Betty, a blunt pancake chef who's charmed by the duo's ritualistic pancake Sundays and vibrant conversations. The rivals to friends to lovers arc is so satisfying, the buildup and tension to their first kiss is divine, but what also shines is the narrative’s focus on the transitional experience of high school to college. There’s so much depth about this complex and confusing time for teens where the sense of unpreparedness and numerous inadequacies feel quite universal, all while everything is laced with so much heart and optimism. Come for the crisp, crackling banter and stay for the thoughtful exploration of authenticity, realizing your dreams, and self discovery. Prepare yourself though, you’ll be wanting to make a batch of Sadie and Seb’s favorite pancakes as soon as you turn the last page.

Another charming, warm, funny, swoony enemies-to-lovers YA romance by Emma Lord. Did not disappoint. Sadie has been in a competition with Seb, her neighbor and family friend, for years and is massively disappointed when he shows up at her college just when she thinks she's finally free of him. Naturally, they find themselves in competition again for the single staff writer role in the college's zine.

Some of the tension between Seb and Sadie did seem a smidge unrealistic, but I really enjoyed both characters and their relationship. The star of this book for me was the exploration and evolution of Sadie's relationship with her family. And Betty.

Emma Lord has done it againnnnnnn!!

The Rival, coming out Jan 21, 2025, was a feel good, sweet, romance that captures everything a YA Romance book should be. I thought the characters and setting had the perfect amount of depth for the atmosphere of the genre and the story. I enjoyed it and will look forward to her next book.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher on Netgalley! Thank you!

Every time I read Emma Lord, I think "I wish this was around when I was a teen," and this one is no different!