4.5 stars. I absolutely loved this story! The childhood enemies to lovers really worked with adorable banter, and the shared history so they actually knew each other better than they knew themselves. The coming of age story through getting to know yourself as they go to college was a nice premise. Another Emma Lord slam dunk!

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

I'm a big Emma Lord fan and this lived up to my expectations! I love how this is really a coming-of-age novel wrapped up in a rivals-to-lovers romcom. The exploits of the Newsbag team were so fun to read about and the stakes of Christina's scholarship added a good amount of depth to the story.

This was a cute one! The story doesn’t take itself too seriously—there are a lot of humorous lines and sitcom-like moments that make this book easy to read. It’s also geared toward a true young adult audience, with the main characters being newly eighteen and out in the world on their own for the first time and dealing with complicated feelings about family, the future, themselves, and their love lives.

And if you like a good almost-kiss scene, this book has got one of the best I’ve read so far. The tension and anticipation was palpable!

The Rival is a cute YA academic rivals story. Sadie and Seb grew up with parents who were best friends, and have just started college at the same school. They're competing for the same spot on the school newspaper, and Sadie is understandably frustrated after having to compete with Seb throughout her whole high school career.

The campus shenanigans were quite fun (even if I spent a lot of time wondering how Sadie was managing to keep up with classes!), and I felt for Sadie's overworked roommate Christina. There's a lot of apt discussion about leaving home and your family for the first time. I enjoyed Sadie and Seb's backstory, even if I didn't quite buy their relationship.

I always look forward to a new Emma Lord book, and The Rival was no exception. For everyone wondering what Emma Lord's signature sweet treat fixation will be in this book, it's pancakes!

In this book you meet Sadie and Seb, who are next door neighbors that have competed with each other their whole lives. Enter college when they are finally separated or so Sadie thinks. Until surprise, guess who got off the the wait list…..Seb! Now him and Sadie are competing for the coveted spot writing for the college zine! Who will win the competition? Read this book to find out.

#slowburn
#enemiestodating
#friendorfoe

I’d give this book 3 stars for its relatable exploration of leaving home for the first time, navigating sibling dynamics, and the ups and downs of budding college relationships. Emma Lord does a great job of capturing the emotions of that transition, and the main characters, especially Sadie, are charming and full of heart. However, some aspects of the story felt outdated, especially the portrayal of dorm life and dining, which felt like a throwback to an earlier generation. The slow-burn romance and frenemies plotline resolved too quickly, and though the story seemed geared toward a clean romance, the frequent F-bombs and casual mentions of underage drinking didn’t quite fit that vibe. Still, it’s an enjoyable read if you don’t mind a bit of wish fulfillment, with Sadie seemingly succeeding in everything she touches. The diverse representation added a nice touch, though it’s more of a fun, feel-good YA than a deep dive into college life.

Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced copy for an honest review.

I really enjoyed The Rival. While I’m not a writer, the peek into the world of journalism at a famous college newspaper was intriguing. Involving so many different college clubs in the story added so much variety, and it was eye opening to read about what these clubs go through to remain on campus - things like budgeting and other restrictions sound like a nightmare.

The characters were also great - rivals from birth but also growing up as extremely close family friends created a really cool dynamic that I haven’t seen in many YA/NA books. I really loved their relationship and seeing it develop while they grew as people was fun.

Emma Lord is one of my favorite YA/NA authors, and I can’t wait to read the next one!

3.5 stars (rounded up to 4) Such a good premise! Sadie and Seb have grown up together (literally, their families are super close with each other and live next to one another) and became academic rivals along the way. They end up at the same college for their freshman year and each grows into their own person. Both Sadie and Seb have their own growing up to do with their own baggage. Seb is an only child and suffers from not living up to his parents’ expectations. Sadie is one of many children in an outgoing and boisterous family. Sadie assigned herself the role of managing her family’s quirkiness, solving their problems and tamping down their over-the-top behavior. Seb has had romantic thoughts about Sadie since the age of 14 and while Sadie may have wanted to kiss him, she doesn’t acknowledge it to herself or others until college. As they work to straighten out their romantic life, they also must figure things out with their families, friends and school.

First, I really enjoy reading Emma Lord’s stories. She always writes such feel-good YA books that I wish I had around when I was younger. This story was a great idea but somehow got a little bogged down along the way. The back and forth between Sadie and Seb before they figured things out was too long and it made it tough to stay focused on the story at times. That said, this is a great coming of age story about college freshman and how challenging it is to adapt to a new and evolving time. I do recommend reading it as it’s cute and does make you think about that time in your life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sharing an ARC. This review is completely voluntary and joyfully shared.

Emma Lord has become a great name in new adult fiction and her stories are always very relatable; however, The Rival missed the mark a little bit for me simply because I had the "when are we getting to the point" feeling versus "I can't wait to see where this is going" feeling. I liked Sadie and Seb's story, but was there was just so much outside stuck going on between their families and the paper and their friends that I found myself getting lost in the story. Maybe this was the headspace I was in when I read it and I need to be back and revisit another time. I will still recommend this to other readers because I do think that that new college experiences that Sadie, Seb, and Christina are going through are super important for kids to read in case it's something that will help them out!

I always eat up an Emma Lord book and this one was no exception! Her writing flows easily and is full of humor and character. She writes fun, believable characters and I loved the college atmosphere of this one!

this was so so so so cute please get this asap!!! emma lord has never failed me so i had high hopes for this book and it was the best feel good, cozy read. do i still love begin again more? yes. none of her books top that one...but this might just be a close second. also - this is set in the same world as begin again, you definitely do not have to read that one first as there really isn't any crossover, but some places sound familiar ;)

There's just something about how Emma Lord writes that just makes me want to re-read all of her other works. The Rival, personally, is her best to date. I enjoyed Sadie and Seb's relationship and watching it progress throughout the book. If you liked Begin Again, You Have a Match, or Tweet Cute, you'll love this one. Can't wait to buy it when it comes out!

Emma Lord is the perfect go to for YA and new adult romance—charming characters, heartfelt stories, witty banter. I recommend this and her other books to teens and young adults who love a satisfying romance!

Thanks so much to Emma Lord and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the eARC of this book. I loved the dynamic between Sadie and Seb. I also love a good rivals to lovers trope. This is a great YA read. Definitely Recommend.

This was super cute! I’ve read and enjoyed a lot of Emma Lord’s books. Most of them have a pretty simple premise but are good, easy reads. If not a little basic. I enjoyed this a lot, especially the aspect of how they’ve basically known each other since birth. I loved the moments of them caring for each other even just as friends, I appreciated how they didn’t immediately just into a relationship. I also liked seeing the aspects of their rivalry as well, though the last 10% dragged a lot.

Even as an adult I enjoy a good YA romance. This was a sweet enemies/friends to lovers with a good childhood backstory and a fun new college experience. I feel like the book started out strong but maybe lost me a little along the way. It was fun, cute and had some sweet moments. I feel like it could have possibly used a bit more direction/development & gotten rid of a few distractions but I enjoyed it along the way. As far as content, I think it’s a good YA, clean except some random language thrown in there.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

ARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, sweet read. Slow burn romance. Loved the romance between Seb and Sadie. Smooth moving plot as well.

LIKE IVE SAID BEFORE my favorite books are books like this one. Books about rivals, enemies to lovers/academic rivals. Love that.

The Rival, by Emma Lord, is a fun rom-com without too much spice (for those who like your romance scenes to be a little less steamy). This one is a quick easy read that will pull you through to discover what will happen. Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

Emma Lord, the woman you are <3 As the self proclaimed leader of the Emma Lord Fan Club, being sent this ARC was an actual dream come true! And The Rival truly did not disappoint! Sadie and Seb had me laughing and giggling and screaming “JUST KISS ALREADY” Armed with so many sweet treats, The Rival is the PERFECT rivals to lovers with just enough sass and silliness that everyone will love it! Perfect for fans of Today, Tonight, Tomorrow and Love, Off the Record, The Rival is not to be missed!