The Rival by Emma Lord is a delightful and witty rivals-to-lovers romantic comedy that will keep readers laughing and swooning. Sadie has always been the top of her class, determined to outshine her charmingly infuriating neighbor and academic rival, Seb. After securing a spot at her dream college, Sadie believes she’s finally won. But when Seb is unexpectedly admitted off the waitlist, her world is turned upside down, and they’re back to competing—not just for academic supremacy but also for a spot on the prestigious school zine.

As Sadie grapples with family chaos, self-doubt, and hidden writing talents, she finds herself battling unexpected feelings for Seb, her longtime nemesis. But as the competition intensifies, Sadie and Seb start to see the cracks in the school’s system, forcing them to team up in ways they never expected.

Emma Lord’s trademark humor, relatable characters, and clever writing shine in this story about rivalry, self-discovery, and the unexpected turns love can take. The Rival is perfect for fans of enemies-to-lovers tropes, with an added layer of heart and commentary on how far competition can go before it reveals deeper truths. It's a fun, fast-paced read full of heart, humor, and just the right amount of tension.

Sadie and Seb have been a part of each other's world since they were kids and thrive on competition. Now in college, they are both vying for the same staff writing position. I enjoy the enemies to lovers trope and these two were fun to read. Their banter and unexpected tender moments kept me listening and the audiobook, narrated by Jesse Vilinsky, is a great way to enjoy this new adult romance.

Thank you net galley for the ARC and thank you Emma Lord for the sweet sweet friends to enemies to lovers /second chance friendship, rom com.

I did not like this as much as I loved her other works I've read. I really connected with previous characters but tbh found Sadie a little hard to connect with but Seb was a 5/5 lovable character.

Emma Lord's writing is so fun and endearing and reading about her characters instantly transports the reader back to being a chaotic teenager. I loved both the friends to enemies to lovers romance and the journalism story lines and how intertwined Sadie and Seb were from the beginning. The family dynamics were particularly moving! I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a fantastic, dessert-laden coming of age story.

This was my second Emma Lord book and I think I am on the fence. I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. I wanted more from it and felt it dragged at times.

The first half of this book was a bit of a struggle for me because I felt a little confusion about the relationship between Sadie and Seb. The first chapter made it seem like they were true enemies, just to find out that they were actually the oldest friends turned rivals and didn't actually hate each other at all. I felt like I didn't know at any given point where they stood until things turned about half way through. Besides that confusion, I enjoyed the plot of the book, the background characters and little family they created at Maple Ridge. It stood true to Lord's previous work of digging into newly independent adults trying to find their way. And the resolution between all the conflicts amongst all the characters was exactly what i hoped for.

This was a cute read! I love that it represented a college girl who isn’t the most experienced in the dating world. I love that representation for readers out there. It was probably my favourite part of the book.

\\\\\ 3.5 \\\\\

This one was quite cute, exactly what you can expect of a young adult romance with all the rom-com vibes.

Read if you like:
Rivals to lovers
Childhood bestfriends
Academic set-up
Coming of age story
Slow-burn romance

My thoughts:
The bond between our two characters was easy to understand, and I enjoyed their friendship quite a lot. Even though they stuck to saying they were enemies, you still could feel how deeply they cared for each other. The fact that they knew one another so well, made for really sweet interactions. It was a bit hard to not get mad at the miscommunication at the chore of their rivalry.

I have to admit that I would have loved for this one to be a double POV because I had a hard time connecting with Sadie, I did not always agree with how she acted, meanwhile, Seb was simply perfect to me. It would have certainly helped my reading experience to get to his POV once in a while.

The first part of the book was more compelling to me and went by far more quickly than the second part. I'm not someone who enjoys conflict and confrontations, and at some point in the book it was all that was happening and that was not appealing to me. While I do appreciate some deeper stuff, it definitely dragged on and I just wanted to get back to the more quirky and fun vibe.

Overall, the plot was interesting with a touch of humour and a heartwarming side as well. I always love seeing characters learning to be their true self and find their path in life.

As for the audiobook, the narrator did a great job and it was an enjoyable one!

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the eARC All opinions are my own.

Thank you @wednsdaybooks for the #gifted copy of The Rival by Emma Lord
This was fun YA romance that follows, Sadie and Seb, lifelong rivals who find themselves at the same college competing for a spot as a writer for the popular college zine.

The story was fun and engaging with opposites attract, enemies to lovers, and slow burn romance. The romance was minimum but sweet. The story was more about Sadie and Seb figuring out what they want/navigating a new life at college, away from home. I’m a sucker for academic setting and the rivalry between Sadie and Seb was fun and flirty. If you’re looking for an easy, delightful read check this one out.

I love everything Emma Lord writes, and this was no exception.

Seb and Sadie are rivals. Born to families who are close, they grew up together and started competing in all areas of their lives, particularly academic. When Sadie and Seb both end of up Maple Ride, the rivalry continues as they compete for a writer's spot on the school's zine, Newsbag. But do they actually hate each other? Or is the rivalry born out of a type of friendship?

Lord writes books that are heartwarming, funny, and keep me interested. I loved following along with Sadie and Seb as they developed into their own people away from their families, and as their relationship changed throughout the novel.

If you already read Lord or are a fan of Emily Henry, this one is for you!

ೃ⁀➷ I’m a sucker for enemies-to-lovers, and in this case of childhood friends to rivals to lovers as described in the premise, I was pretty much hooked right away from the get-go. I was really excited to see the two MCs’ progress throughout the entire story but for some reason and while it was mostly a feel-good story for anyone looking for witty writing, it didn’t capture my attention the way I was anticipating it to for a few reasons 😔

ೃ⁀➷ One of the book’s main themes was the self-transformation that almost every teenager entering a new chapter of their lives struggles to come to terms with. In this case, our FMC, Sadie Brighton, had internal conflict of feeling like she had to remain the responsible, level-headed person in the family along with the nagging feeling of her wanting to branch out into the world as her own unapologetic self and chase after her own dreams that she never had the opportunity to confide in to her family. She went through a lot of growth in the book of deciding to set her own boundaries, learning to not be afraid to come to terms with who she was in front of her family who she cared for the most, and making her voice heard despite her fears. I thought her character was well-fleshed out and the fact that she was so clever enough to help bring light to the issue of their school not treating student organizations and athletes equally was very important 📝

ೃ⁀➷ Her friend-turned-rival, Sebastian Adams, is also on a similar road as she is. I was really pleasantly surprised with the fact that Seb was introduced as bisexual very early on in the story, yet it isn’t emphasized as his greatest personality trait as some books accidentally tend to do. He’s shown as caring and protective towards those he cares about most, especially Sadie. It was really admiring to read about how much he put his heart and all his hard work into helping expose the truth about the corruption of their school, even if it meant his own future would be in jeopardy. I think he’s a character with a lot of integrity and honesty, which is so refreshing to see in new adult and contemporary romances 🔍

ೃ⁀➷ That being said, I’m a little disappointed that it took me a while to actually get through the story itself. I’m not sure if it was the pacing of the events or maybe it didn’t capture my interest enough to continuously keep reading, but I found myself skimming through almost 50% of the book. I was also frustrated that there was so much miscommunication between Sadie and Seb, and as well with Sadie and her sisters and with her best friend, Christina. It almost felt like they were all stuck in their own little bubbles of what they were so focused on and it didn’t feel like the good kind of chaos that made me want to keep reading. There were so many parts of the book that either felt like filler or dragged on too much 😕

ೃ⁀➷ Overall, my favourite part of this book was the banter and chemistry between Seb and Sadie. There are some quirky comebacks and quips between the two of them that made me laugh out loud 😂 It really did feel like they were each other’s person and that they would always find their way back to each other like magnets attracting and repelling just like Sadie mentions. I think it was really interesting to see them tackle on their school’s corruption issue and expose them for what they were doing to all the students, and to know that they eventually found what they truly needed wasn’t exactly what they wanted was a good ending all on its own. I just wish I really remembered most of the book from the inconsistent pacing and the fact that I struggled to connect with both MCs, but maybe it’s just me.

<i>Thank you to Emma Lord, NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for my honest review!</i>

<b>Tropes:</b>
- Childhood best friends to academic rivals to lovers
- Slow-burn romance 💘
- University life 🏫
- Found family
- Coming-of-age
- Student advocacy, academic and social issues ⚖️

Sadie has gotten the coveted spot at the college of her dreams, and finally gets to leave her high school rival, Seb, behind. However, Seb is unexpectedly pulled off the waitlist, and Sadie’s and Seb’s high school rivalry is reignited as they compete for a spot on the school paper.

Emma Lord always delivers wholesome, feel-good stories geared toward teens and adults alike. While I have loved most of Emma Lord’s other novels, I struggled a bit with this one, and ultimately it was a slow read. I typically do love YA novels, however with the campus setting, perhaps those currently in college would connect to and enjoy the book more. It was still an “okay” read, just not the best match for me personally.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for my gifted e-ARC!

The Rival was my first 5 star read of the year, and I am so happy about it. While reading I was grinning and swinging my feet around, it was sooo good.

I loved the connections within the book. Between family, friends, Seb, new friends at school, and herself, Sadie’s connections evolved and grew which was so nice to see. It also made me reminisce on going away to school at first, how I felt, my connections with my family and the people around me.

I say this every book but I just love Emma Lord!! Her books are quirky, happy, contain special little treats, and lovable characters. Sadie and Seb had the perfect amount of “frenemie” energy and chemistry. Childhood rivals heat up when they decide to be a bit nicer to each other in college. Can they be competitive without being cutthroat? Will their feelings for each other take over? You'll have to find out!

I will continue to read everything Emma writes as her books bring me joy!

I just loved this book! Long-time family friends, birthday buddies, growing up together, and just being a pain in the butt to each other. They are both competitive, and always upping one another; but, they are always there for each other. After graduation, Sadie is off to one college, and Seb off to another. Well, so Sadie thought, until she sees Seb on campus, and both vying for a spot on the campus newspaper, Newsbag. Loved the book from beginning to end! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, Netgalley, and Ms. Lord, for the advanced reader copy! All opinions are my own. Will be getting a copy of this one for our classroom library.

This was a cute story that was pretty upbeat most of the time while dealing with some stressed out college students and their coming of age story.

Sadie and Seb grew up together, their parents are best friends. They went from friends to rivals. They competed all through school. Sadie went to her dream college and is ready to go for her ultimate dream of working on the school zine. But Seb shows up at the school too and also wants the spot on Newsbag. Only one of them can get the spot so the rivalry is on and it is elevated.

While competing for the spot, they help uncover something sketchy going on at the school and their new mission becomes making everyone aware of the problem and getting it fixed. If they don’t fix the problem then Newsbag is likely to crumble.

There were lots of interesting things going on. There was the fun stuff with the two finding a pancake place and going to parties and having fun. But there were also stories about growing up and finding yourself. Sadie has never really been herself around her family and finally opening up in college. And of course all of this causes them to explore their feelings for each other too.

My only little pet peeve is that I found it really hard to believe that Sadie’s biggest dream was writing comedy and that she actually kept secret from her family how funny she is. She has her reason and I actually really relate to her reason, I relate to being the family peacekeeper. If this 18 year old can figure out how to be less of a people please maybe she can tell me lol

Seriously though, a very sweet, enjoyable story. Please for the love of God and all that’s holy, have some pancakes while reading this book! The author even says in her dedication to have a little treat while reading and she sure made me cry pancakes!

Emma Lord’s books never disappoint. I have her next two books all queued up and ready to go.

I got to read an early ebook copy of this book. Thank you NetGalley!

Emma Lord has done it again in this read perfect for present and future fans. I could live in her romances forever!

The Rival by Emma Lord in quick, rapid fire thoughts.

-this dedication is on point! (Obviously I need a snack now!)
-eeekkk! Love when there's a backstory for our characters
-wish I had attended this fun college
-a fresh start and new attitude give us a heroine to root for!
-rivals to lovers vibes with a hint of jealousy
-a diverse group is in Sadie's life - we love to see it!
-multiple college experiences portrayed means everyone can relate
-found family representation both at school and at home
-Sadie's character arc!!! (Also, Sadie's parents get gold stars!)
-loved the message and theme so much it hurts
-ummm... also pancakes!

I'm not sure if I should really say this or not... but the voice Jesse Vilinsky used when narrating Seb's voice was so swoon worthy! Vilinsky perfectly captured the emotions Sadie was experiencing, summing up her character wonderfully! I absolutely loved the monotone voice used for Rowan; it was phenomenal!

All in all, this is exactly what I've now come to expect and love from Lord's writing: fun plot and lovable characters! Can't wait for her next book!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, Macmillan Audio and Macmillan Young Listeners for the complimentary copies to read and review.

Thank you St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC of The Rival.

It absolutely pains me to say that I didn't like this book. The premise sounded so cute - academic rivals to lovers, in the same vein as Divine Rivals, but set it at a college? SIGN ME UP. Except...rivals where? Our main characters kept saying they hated each other...is the hate in the room with us? At MOST, they were competitive friends.

This book starts off on the right foot. We meet Sadie on her first day of college on her way to a club meeting for the school zine. Writing for the zine has been, quite literally, her dream her entire life, and no one - not even her high school academic "rival" (who by the way was waitlisted and is going to a completely different school) - was going to get in her way. Except of course Seb, her "rival" actually got in and wants the coveted zine editor position as well.

Maybe I would've believed more in the story if either of our main characters felt real to me. As our main pov character, Sadie never felt like she had any real depth to her, and no amount of the author telling us how cool and funny and engaging Seb was could actually make me believe it. When he wasn't actively engaged in the story, I forgot about him. And when he was on page, I found him bothersome and wished he would just leave Sadie alone.

ALl in all, this rivals to lovers book just wasn't for me. 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.

I liked this. but feel it was definitely geared toward a less mature audience. The main the character was a bit..much. This was probably my least favorite Emma Lord book.