I am Irene. She is me. Susan Lee... you're such a mastermind!! Being a reader and reviewer, I definitely felt seen here. Irene is incredibly relatable despite her being 18 and me being 28. This type of book deeply resonates in my soul. Absolutely binged this book in one day. It felt a bit short for me because I didn't want the book to end at all.

The glossary at the beginning actually had me dying cackling, and I understand why it's included because it is very pertinent to the book itself. This is a true trope book done right. I was eating up every epigraph chapter, especially once Aiden was introduced.
I really enjoyed every aspect of this book. The epigraph reviews, the chapter tropes, the trope challenge itself, relatability as an Asian American attending college (I have already graduated but currently back in school for my masters).

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!

This had all the ingredients for a great story, but it didn’t quite stick the landing. The concept overall felt hurried and the chapters went by so quickly that there wasn’t enough time to fully flesh out the characters or give key moments the weight they deserved.

Maybe I’m just not the right demographic for this book but Irene was not someone I could root for or relate to… She was kinda insufferable and the romance moved way too fast, skipping over the slow burn that makes the enemies-to-lovers trope so satisfying.

While the concept was strong, the story leaned too heavily on all the wrong areas, making it feel more like a commentary on tropes than a fully realized romance. The conclusion also felt abrupt, leaving me wishing for a more satisfying resolution and deeper character growth. In the end, this book had all the right ingredients but didn’t quite come together. A great idea that just needed more space to flourish.

As a bookstagrammer, I felt like this book was written to heal my soul. I have genuinely been looking for a book like this for so long that I was about to write one but then Susan Lee DELIVERED. the concept is so cute. Two rival romance reviewers ending up attending the same college, continuing their rivalry through fake dating and competitions? Literally best idea ever. I felt so inspired. I literally read this book in one sitting.
But it also felt too fast. It wasn’t very realistic. There’s a fade to black spice scene that was kinda random. The character development was fine but it all felt rushed. Like as a slow-burn reader the timeline seemed unrealistic. And I wish Aiden’s character was explored more. Inget that most of this book was written from Irene’s POV but Aiden’s family life felt more like an afterthought, a plot filler, than a real background.
I really wanted to love this book and I was so excited— I do still love this book, but it’s not one of my top reads. however, I will be reading Susan Lee’s other works. Aiden was such a cutie and I loved the romance. Literally every chapter title was a trope. And it was so cool how the banter/epigraph showed how Irene and Aiden’s relationship is progressing. When Aiden didn’t reply that one time? My heart broke. But this is a guaranteed HEA and the sweetest college love story. The jealousy? Perfection.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

I love a good romance - especially a rivals to loves. The romance rivalry is the perfect book to curl up and read.

Holy moly! I’m obsessed with this book. In this book, we meet Aiden and Irene. Two Korean teen (older teen) booktubers in a silent feud online. This feud is fostered by Aiden’s perceptions and disagreements on Irene’s posts which are then double downed on by Aiden’s subscribers. Fast forward and the teens are out of H.S and meet again!

This book is so enchanting. While it feels like an enemies to lovers, each chapter aligns to a typical romance trope which makes the scenes in the chapters so endearing. This book is a love-letter to romance tropes and books. I loved it! I love Susan Lee’s writing. I was giggling and kicking my feet.

This was so sweet! The concept of romance reviewers using tropes to find love was so charming. I loved the found family aspects of the friend group too.

Really my only complaint was hard not to feel nitpicky about how reviewing romance and brand deals actually work in real life. I can't say I've ever heard of a brand selecting only one influencer to work with and it being such an exclusive thing or book reviewers or their audience competing in this way. But I do tend to offer a bit of grace for YA books with things like that.

Ultimately was very fun and adorable, and I had a great time.

I always love a cheesy, feel-good rivals to lovers romance, and this didn’t disappoint. Was it a bit cliché? 100%, but I think it gave the novel charm.

Irene was a relatable FMC to follow, and she really shows that college freshman experience where people need to remember that they will struggle. And that’s okay! Irene’s character arc was nice because she finally grew and realized it’s okay to ask for help.

Aiden made me swoon constantly, but I wanted more from him. I wish we had gotten more in his character arc because his internal motivations and struggles weren’t fleshed out as much. It’s discussed a little, but I wanted more. Especially being the MMC, he just deserved more.

Irene and Aiden’s banter was fun and entertaining to read, and I loved their dynamic! As cheesy as it was, it was still cute and gave me the feel-good moments I love in romance novels.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book, and I think anyone who just wants an easy, feel-good romance read could enjoy this! Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC :)

This had a cute idea but the characters fell flat to me. I found myself cringing at what she was doing and saying a bit more than I wanted to. The writing read a bit young to me however there were adult topics discussed so I had some cognitive dissonance there.

Thank your HarperCollins for the ARC!

As someone who loves romance books, Irene Park’s character felt like a kindred spirit. She’s a book reviewer who’s all about finding love through the tropes she reads, which made her journey to real-life romance both hilarious and relatable. I loved how Irene's quest for love, modeled after her favorite book tropes, became a fun (and messy) adventure when she crossed paths with her online rival, Aiden.

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Irene and Aiden was pure gold. Their fake dating setup felt like the perfect rom-com plot, and the chemistry between them kept me hooked. What I really appreciated, though, was how the book also delves into Irene’s personal growth as she navigates college life and the pressure of living up to her own expectations. This book is full of witty banter, swoony moments, and plenty of humor. It’s a fun, sweet read that reminds us that sometimes the best love stories are the ones that happen off the page.

If Susan Lee writes it I will read it.

What a truly phenomenal read😭 this book doesn’t come out until 2025 but it was Lowkey my top read of 2024. HOW DOES A BOOK MANGAE TO BE THIS GOOD? Like hello? The was I was giggling and blushing the whole time.

Everyone needs to read this. I’m going to make evreyone I know read this. TRUST ME.

So fun and cute! I love how they’re both romance readers! Using the tropes to find love and then turning into a competition was a good idea. I wanted to give both these characters a hug and tell them everything would be okay with their family problems. Feeling worthy in the face of love is tough. Loved Irene and Aiden. Would have loved to have seen an epilogue into the future, but the one from the past was good.

The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee is a YA romance and what I term a love letter to romance readers and book reviewers/infleuncers. I felt seen! "I read for vibes not structure". Quite relatable. I also love how so many tropes were showcased in one book. I've always wondered why the MMC is usually the grump in the grumpy-sunshine trope, so it was great to see the FMC as the grump in this book. I enjoyed reading this.
Thank you, Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins, for the ARC. All opinions expressed are mine.

DNF 80% First I'd like to thank the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts are my own. I started out really liking the concept of this book as well as all the book lingo and references but unfortunately it fell flat for me. Our MC's priorities are so messed up I just ended up being frustrated with her even though I found a lot of her personality very relatable. The romance also felt like it went from 0 to 100 way too fast. Slight spoiler but they finally admit to having feelings for each other and then two chapters later they jump in bed together. All romantic tension gone. Just no. There's also quite a few F-bombs and other language. Not something I'd recommend especially to a YA reader.

Have I read books that were more of a literary masterpiece than this? Yes. But do I often round up a rom com to 5 stars? No. This is one of these books that despite the corniness and cringe moments, it feels REAL. And I think that’s why those corny and cringe moments throughout the book just worked with this one. The FMC was so personally precious and real to me. Her feelings, her inner dialogue were just so raw and hit so close to home. The idea of reading a rom com based on Rom com tropes should, in theory, not be as profound as this ended up being, but wow did the author outdo herself. I found myself giggling, getting misty eyed, and having to take a moment to re-evaluate my own thoughts and entire young adult phase from the past. It was one of these books that I believe healed some tiny part of me from my youth. This may not be my most eloquent review, but wow did this book absolutely gut me and piece me back together at the same time. I loved it so much and would recommend it to anybody. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an advanced copy of this book 🥰

♾️⭐️
Wow, where do I even start? This was the first book I’ve read by Susan Lee, and trust, I will be reading her entire backlog of novels. Before I dive into the relationship between Irene and Aiden, I first want to acknowledge how SEEN I felt. I’ve always loved romance books; I love them all: contemporary, dark, sci-fi, historical, shifter; give it a heavy romance plot-line and I’m down. Maybe it’s growing up in a house where the focus was sports and never having any friends or family who enjoyed reading the way I do, but I always felt like maybe I loved them a bit ~too~ much. It impacts me in so many ways past being a “hobby” that until I started a bookstagram and made friends who I got to gossip and scream and giggle with about books, I rarely talked about them with others because no one else seemed to feel the all-consuming rush of feelings I get when I read. The way I cry and laugh and scream into my pillow and how they follow me around all day in the back of my mind. The way they have lasting, impressionable effects on me. To read Irene and Aiden talk about the ~why~ behind their book accounts and their love of literature was really everything. (Shoutout to the Wattpad and then A03 comment sections- you guys were always the real MVPs)

I think something I particularly enjoyed was the reviews we got from both Irene and Aiden. I never gave much thought to the reasoning for the differing perspectives and opinions two people can have reading the same book. I always just chalked it up to people liking different things, which, like, yeah, sure, but also? Our own personal desires and insecurities trickle down into the most minute moments, such as how you perceive a book and the characters actions, so to see both Irene and Aiden’s fears and hopes speak through their reviews of the romance books they reviewed was EVERYTHING. And god, poor Aiden, man was going THROUGH it with his reviews, and I was giggling with every one. How can love be so obvious in the most inconspicuous sentences? The fake dating one?? The Miles Miller one?? Like, come ON😭

Irene’s struggles with balancing school were incredibly realistic and really got to the crux of why, when everything else in your life feels like it’s falling apart, the embarrassment can make you curl into yourself more rather than accept help. I loved that she saved herself, even though we saw Aiden wanted to help her and would have if given the opportunity.

Aiden was absolutely, hands down, in love with Irene from the very beginning, and Irene was so clueless:,) I genuinely think 90% of this book is highlighted.

The scenes with Irene, Aiden, and Taejin made me SCREAM. Irene and Aiden are going to be traumatized for the rest of their lives every time they hear the words “I’m premed” LMAO

ALSO one of the best meet-cute(meet-dread?) scenes EVER and the best, best, best first kiss scene:,) Also them cuddling in bed did NOT get the page time it deserved. I needed more😭

Random quotes that had me putting my kindle down and screaming into my pillow because really, I mean seriously, when will it be my turn?
“I’ll play the three wise men with you any day.”
“You haven’t figured it out yet?”
“I want to be Miles Miller when I grow up.”
“I wish”
“The fake dating was just a ploy to get her to realize she wanted him back. And my hot take is that every fake-dating story ever told runs on this unspoken premise: Someone has already fallen before the fake dating even starts.”
“Don't ever want you getting hurt," he says. "Not here..." He raises my hand and kisses it. I feel a slight sting and realize my palm is scraped. I hadn't even noticed earlier. "Not in here," he says as he kisses my temple. "Not in here," he says as he bends a little to kiss right over my heart.”

I need to get my hands on a physical copy right this very second because I’m pretty sure over 85% of the book is highlighted on my kindle, and I want to reread and annotate it all pretty IMMEDIATELY😭

𝟹.𝟻⭐

*+:｡.｡𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓲𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝔀𝓸 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷’𝓽 𝓯𝓲𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝔂 𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓯𝓲𝓽 𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻. 𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽’𝓼 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽’𝓼 𝓶𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓽.｡.｡:+*

A light and easy read Irene wants so bad to have a boyfriend so nobody can call her an imposter and as the romance reader that she is she's going to fall in love according to book tropes but the reality is so different from books and Susan please gimme Aiden's manuscript I'm willing to read it

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

𝘈𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯 (𝑀𝐿): your typical K-drama hero, in other words a dream, he's so patient so loving get him outta this book now I need him

𝘐𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦 (𝐹𝐿): she's a hopeless romantic w̶h̶o̶ i̶s̶n̶'̶t̶ her self-esteem is a little bit low but she's a middle child so 🤷🏻‍♀️

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕿𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖘˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
🌸 𝚁𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚕𝚜? 𝚃𝚘 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜
🌸 𝙲𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚗 𝚁𝚘𝚕𝚕 𝙼𝙼𝙲
🌸 𝙺𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚗 𝙳𝚞𝚘
🌸 𝙲𝚞𝚝𝚎 𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

I love K-pop and K-drama so I think I'm gonna love this thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the eARC 💕

Unfortunately, this book did not hold my attention. I never wanted to pick it up to read more. The concept is cute but I never really felt connected to Irene and it became overly referential to the genre in a way that made it too much about the tropes and not enough about the story it was telling. I also wish the characters had been aged up a year or two because I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to believe an 18-year-old would have a million people following her romance book reviews (also I'm not a prude but I find the concept of someone under 18 years old writing reviews on smutty books kind of uncomfortable). The conclusion also felt really rushed and I wish we'd seen Irene work harder to resolve things. I wish I could have liked this book more but it just didn't hit like I wanted it to.

3.5 ⭐️. This book was sweet and cute like every YA romcom should be. The plot was unique, two "rival" book influencers competing to see who can fall in love first using romance tropes and be deemed the romance expert so they are chosen for some brand deal. We can all see where this will end lol. The chapter titles each being a different trope was also fun and something new. I also enjoyed the depiction of college and life in general for Irene; things weren’t easy for her yet she was still able to acknowledge that she still has so many people around her that care about her and she’s actually not as alone as she thought. Even though Irene could be a bit pick me at times, I found her to be very relatable. I LOVED Jeannette, she was such an amazing character and their friendship was definitely one of my favorite things about this book.
I will say that I was able to predict most of the story 1/4 of the way into the novel, but it didn’t annoy me too much since I was speeding through it wanting to see if my predictions were right. There were also a few random loose ends about Aiden that I thought would be cleared up by the end but weren’t, I don’t know if it was intentional or not.
Finally, thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the e-arc of this book!

Thank you, NetGalley for this arc!

3.5 stars

The Romance Rivalry is my first introduction to Susan Lee. I thought this book had a very interesting concept. I liked how each chapter was titled with a romance book trope and was concurrent with the story, and was followed by an epigraph of a review from our MCs about the trope. Irene was a completely relatable FMC and worthy of rooting for. Aiden was a great MMC and I too love his dimples.

This felt like a K-Drama in book form which I am not upset about. I did love the mentions of various K-Pop groups/songs.

I did not love this book. The main reason was that I really didn't like the female lead. I felt she was immature, self-centered and kind of callous. I liked Aidan a lot and found it a bit hard to believe that he would put up with Irene. So this story did not work for me.