A beautiful ode to all romance readers that delivers on the promise of providing plenty of tropes along with a very satisfying emotional payoff.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a breath of fresh air. I loved it from start to finish!

A generous 2.5; Heavily carried by the cute academic rivalry vibes. The concept of finding love outside of pages and fiction, finding it through the flaws of reality, was what had me excited, but ultimately, Lee's writing fell flat. Not only was the execution subpar, but it read like there was no plot. It was just scene after scene to fulfill tropes for the readers, which was supposed to be the book's selling point. Because of Lee's choice to make The Romance Rivalry tropey, as a reader, I felt little connection to the characters. There were attempts made with Irene (FMC) being a people pleaser and Aiden (MMC) with family problems, but it was either underdeveloped or the writing was just repeatedly telling, not showing. (TLDR; my personal opinion was that the story could've done better with more plot and less tropes.) That, and also, pop culture references in stories were always an ick for me, so each time a gen z reference popped up, I had to take a lap around my room.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this book!!! It was the perfect ode to contemporary romance and I loved all the romance book references in the book. This romance had me kicking my feet and giggling! I loved these characters and their love of romance novels and reading. It is wonderful to see main characters who love to read as much as I do. I loved how the romance developed throughout this book and how it started out as a challenge. I could not get enough of this book and the characters. I will be reading Susan Lee’s back list ASAP!!

This took a while to get cute but when it did, it was SO CUTE. THE ROMANCE RIVALRY was my first Susan Lee novel and while I liked it more than loved it, it was still a delightful and unique experience overall. This book is a love letter to Romance readers, there were so many little Easter Eggs and references that book lovers would recognize and every single time I caught one, my heart gave an excited little leap (from the BDB recommendation to the Tamlin usernames, it was just so much fun discovering these breadcrumbs Susan Lee scattered for readers to discover).

The way this book was sectioned was nothing short of clever. How each chapter coincided with a trope that was the theme for the respective chapter with an Epigraph of Irene and Aiden’s reviews to introduce the trope. It was such a fun way to give us a glimpse of how Irene and Aiden shared their thoughts and wrote their reviews (because both were Romance-centric book content creators), with each having a distinct voice. And I must say, my favorite chapter was the last one. Seriously, what a way to finish this book off. I kind of wish Susan Lee had spread the magic that she used to end this book throughout the rest of it so that everything would be equally special.

As someone who is an extreme introvert, there were many moments wherein I saw myself in Irene, socially awkward and has difficulty in new environments. And though we do get to see her start to bloom and allow herself to expand her previous boat of one, it was evident that Irene was very inexperienced with people and there were times that her immaturity showed. She was very dependent on her roommate and her very first official friend, and while they were both great friends to each other, so much of Irene being stuck in her own head made her neglect Jeanette at times (Jeanette was an incredible friend and I honestly would have loved to see more of her and Charles, they were so sweet). And she was stuck in her head a lot. I understand that college is tough but I found it hard to believe that she was struggling that much in just her freshman year, and that she would let it get that bad. It’s normal to adjust but to completely disregard all that school work… it’s like she forgot she was there to study or something. Just the way she handled her school related struggles was really frustrating for me, especially with how it blows up later on.

This may make me sound like a terrible person but there were times wherein I felt like Irene did not deserve Aiden, and not because she was inadequate in any way, but because of how she treated him. From the beginning, she had this one-sided beef with him and was antagonistic while Aiden was out there just trying to do his best at school and be friendly and she snarked at him most of the time. And yes, the banter was cute but it was because Aiden indulged her and was playful despite how she acted around him. There was no obvious turning point for Irene and her feelings but once it did shift from rivalry to attraction, it did get cute, but they still weren’t cleared from Irene’s insecurities. It was hurdle after hurdle and Aiden deserved to be sainted with how he stayed so kind and patient with her. This boy was so obviously in love from the beginning.

All their baggage and hang ups weren’t magically solved by the end but I did appreciate how hopeful the ending to Irene and Aiden’s story was. Like, they are solidly in the Happily Ever After category (and I am so happy that they both found their own versions of happiness) and in my delulu world, I would love to see a timeskip of how they are in the future. They both still have so much room to grow and I just know that their personal growths will help make their romance bloom even more.

Also, I’m going to need Susan Lee to actually write Aiden’s book/s (yes, there was a book within a book in THE ROMANCE RIVALRY and it was delicious) and for a publisher to make Aiden’s dream come true by picking up his stories and publishing them.

Thank you, HarperCollins and NetGalley, for the review copy!

If I'm being honest, the premise had me rolling my eyes a bit, but once I started reading...I was sucked in! A very sweet romance that I zoomed through--I also loved seeing the Korean rep! Also the romance-reading men rep!

A cute romance from Lee, but fake dating-rivals is difficult to pull off, and this one didn't really stand out to me. Lovers of the genre and the tropes will be pleased, but I didn't feel as connected to Irene and Aiden as I would have liked. I also don't really enjoy pop culture references in books, as I find they age poorly and limit the enjoyment of rereading it down the line.

The Romance Rivalry is a stand-alone, new adult romance by Susan Lee. Two rival influencers find out they're up for the same brand sponsorship. They're also newly academic rivals who have been assigned to be project partners for the entire semester in their contemporary literature class. They decide to start a competition to both go on dates (separately) through popular romance tropes, with a scoring system judged by their friends. Whoever wins gets the brand sponsorship and the other has to stop all their social media. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and it's my favorite of Susan's, so far. Dating through the tropes is a clever idea and I was really impressed on how she got the chapter titles, and the theme within the chapters, to fit all the romance tropes. And I mean ALL the romance tropes. There's even a "Secret Baby" chapter that I had no issues with, which is probably a first. 😅  I loved the message of finding someone who wants to save you even though you can (or want to) save yourself. 
 
It was also fun having the best friends get together and their shenanigans. Very K-drama-esque.

4.5 stars, rounded to 5

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Irene Park is a perpetual people pleaser. She enrolls at her dad’s alma mater, Brighton, to follow in her mom’s career path: book editing. But her passion is reviewing romance novels. She has a successful online following with brand deals and adoring followers. When her online rival, Aiden, also enrolls at Brighton and is up for the same brand deal, they engage in a competition that grows very friendly.

This was cute overall, but the romance is such a slow burn that when the author tries to add additional conflict with the relationship, it feels rushed and not fully fleshed out. Irene was frustrating at times, but she is a realistic and relatable character. She is also frustrated with herself and her inability to do what makes her happy, so I enjoyed her growth throughout the novel. I liked Aiden’s character as a love interest, but he’s too…perfect. At one point Irene says he’s like a romance character, and it’s true—always saying and doing the right thing, which contrasted Irene well but felt too fictional. I wish more would have been explored with his troubled relationship with his parents. It’s a good read to get you out of a funk or to cleanse your palette. Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins, and Susan Lee for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was so good 💓 i just finished it, i ashray want to read it again.
✨ Rivals to lovers
✨ Social media celebrities
✨ Book influencers / reviewers
✨ College romance
✨ Grumpy x sunshine, girl is grumpy
✨ Korean American MCs
✨ Fake dating
✨ He falls first
✨ Challenges
✨ Amazing friendship circle
✨ Lots of romance book and tropes talks
✨ 🌶️.5 (Only kisses and one slightly more scene)
Irene and Aiden are both well known book influencers with mostly clashing opinions about the same books. Irene would prefer reading over going out on any day. But the comments and fans can be little dramatic and Irene started taking some of them personally, especially when it started questioning her ability to review romance books when she has no experience in love herself. So she plans to find love when she starts college, utilising her experiences from reading romance book and various tropes. Guess who goes to the same college - yess!! It's Aiden!
This was fun, it was so up my alley because I am a romance reader myself and it was like talking in our special language. I really enjoyed the whole romance genre, tropes talks.
Irene was kind of self centred and grumpy, and thinks she deserves nothing. I can totally relate to get, although I won't admit it loudly. 😅 Aiden was bit more mature. I loved their chemistry, I loved the transition between rivals to lovers.
This was bit low stakes and characters were only surface level. But perfect for a good comfortable light romance.

*Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This is an homage to romance novels and bookstagram, full of tropes and banter. This definitely felt like it toed the line between YA and New Adult as Irene and Aiden competed to find love and win a coveted sponsorship from a dating service. Things got a little steamy (think fogging up the glass), but overall it was very cute. I could see how people could find Irene a little annoying, but I didn't personally. I think she was just a college freshman trying to find herself, all while putting on this persona for her followers online. Overall a really cute and fresh romance story.

Also I absolutely loved Aiden's romantasy story too, especially with Eric Yang reading it. Can this please be a real book??

This book had me giggling and kicking my feet. I loved Aiden and Irene from the beginning and loved getting to see them come together through out the story. I loved how every chapter was a different romance trope and I felt like it was unique. It is a lighthearted read that made me feel good. I also loved seeing the characters over come some of the generational expectations that parents put on their kids. I wish I could have read this book when I was a freshman in college. Very cute story and I would love to read more by this author.

The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee is a hilarious, unputdownable book about how two young adults who love the romance genre use it to start their dating life.

Can Irene Park fall in love and get everything she wants?

Irene Park
The main female character is Irene Park, and I love everything about her. Sure, she has some moments where she falls into the whole trope of, she-doesn’t-realize-the-guys-feelings-about-her but that is endearing. I love how she grows into her own person in college and, with her newfound friends, realizes she needs to voice her own opinions at home to make her family see that maybe what they want her to do isn’t what she wants to do. It also doesn’t help that she is the middle child and feels like she isn’t good enough, like her older and younger siblings are. To me, and Aiden, she comes alive when talking about her romance books, and even in college, that shows.

Irene deserves to make her family and herself see that Irene matters and what Irene has to say matters. I loved Irene as a character, and I feel like we would get along even if she reads more spicy romance novels than I do.

Aiden Jeon
Aiden Jeon is Irene’s nemesis online. Okay, that’s more of how Irene sees him, since really, he’s just a follower who got inspired by Irene to read the genre and realize that he loves it. I honestly love how he is handling himself and how he is paying for his college education. Aiden’s dream is amazing, and I hope he succeeds and that Irene promotes him on her channel.

Another thing I like about Aiden is that he isn’t afraid to show his emotions, which is rare for a guy.

The Romance
Aiden and Irene’s romance definitely wasn’t expected to happen. Let alone for Irene to realize that maybe things can change in college for the better than for the worse, and that she can’t let fear dictate how she can live her life to the fullest. The best thing about these two is that they both fall into the trope of the he-falls-first-but-she-falls-harder one, and I loved seeing that play out in this novel. Their romance was cute to read while it was unfolding, and how Aiden slowly let his feelings show around Irene, even if Irene never noticed it.

Five Stars
My rating for The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee is five stars. I loved the story and couldn’t put it down once I started to read it. As soon as I did, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Irene and Aiden were the cutest pairing, and of course, their two friends helping them out were amazing. I loved the references throughout the story that just had me chuckling the entire time. Ms. Lee, you are a fantastic writer, and I can’t wait to read more books from you in the future.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee.

Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

I have always been a Susan Lee fan. I love all of her books thus far I am looking forward to her adult Read as well. This was a very nostalgic and romantic young adult Read five out of five stars.

This is a very adorable read! I think it will absolutely find its audience with YA readers and the social media aspect was used very well especially compared to other similar books! I found myself really enjoying how each of the characters social media comments and the classic romance tropes really showed how they evolved.

Overall this was a cute fun read with quality representation and depth. I wouldn't find myself rereading it but I can see why it will be popular!

This book is perfect for those who love K-dramas and sweet romances with a little enemies to lovers. It was honestly a cute story about a young girl figuring out that sometimes your best plans don't go as planned especially when you believe you know everything about love because of the books you read. Sometimes love is those unexpected little things you experience.

An enemies-to-lovers YA romcom written for the girls who read romance like it’s religion, blog their hearts out, and secretly wish their rivals had dimples. This book isn’t just cute—it’s a pitch-perfect love letter to romance readers and Bookstagrammers who know every trope in the book... and still melt when the grumpy one secretly falls first.

🏷️ Tropes You’ll Find:
Rivals to friends to lovers (online beef to on-campus banter)

Fake dating with “real” feelings 😏

Forced proximity (hello, group project hell)

Grumpy sunshine (he’s her snarky match)

He falls first, hard, and with his full chest

Book blogger vs. book blogger 📚💻

Coming-of-age meets coming-of-romance

Trope breakdowns as plot structure?? ICONIC

College freshman awkwardness with extra seasoning

Blush Meter 💖💖💖💖🤭/ 5
For a YA, this was toeing the line in the best way. Not explicit, but whew—the vibes are ✨adult-level pining✨. There’s a tension to Irene and Aiden’s dynamic that practically fogged up my glasses. The slow burn is delicious, the almost-kisses are timed like poetry, and their eventual connection is sweet, tender, and totally earned.

🌟 TAK Girlie Rating: ★★★★★
Five sparkly stars for making me feel seen as a romance reader and reviewer. Irene Park is my spirit animal in combat boots, and Aiden Jeon? Chef’s kiss for a book boyfriend who reads the tropes and then rewrites them with feelings. This book is heartfelt, hilarious, and emotionally smart—it gave me butterflies and a new journal entry.


First of all—Susan Lee? Thank you for writing a heroine who reads like she could be in the Tropes & Kisses DMs debating whether “he falls first” counts if the guy is in denial about it.

Irene Park is the girl who knows romance. She’s got a blog, a following, an eye for tropes, and a brain that won’t turn off when it comes to analyzing every beat of a love story, which makes it extra cruel when fate tosses her into college life, where she immediately meets her snarky, infuriating book review rival Aiden Jeon—in the flesh. He’s smug. He’s hot. He hates her takes. Obviously, she’s obsessed.

Their “love-off” wager? Whoever can secure a trope-perfect love story first wins. The loser gives up their blog. Stakes: high. Emotions: simmering. And just like that, they’re “fake dating” (because, of course, they are) and accidentally becoming real-life protagonists in the kind of swoony story Irene usually critiques.

I adored how this book took every trope we love and played with it in a meta, self-aware way—but without being cynical or overly tongue-in-cheek. It wasn’t mocking romance; it was celebrating it. The chapter titles alone had me screaming. And if you’ve ever gotten into a semi-heated Instagram Story debate about the ethics of second-chance romances? This book is for you.

Irene is layered. She’s confident in her niche but deeply uncertain in real life. Her struggle with people-pleasing, anxiety, and negative self-talk hit me hard in the chest. She's exactly the kind of YA heroine I wish existed when I was younger—funny, analytical, scared to disappoint the people she loves, and terrified of letting herself want something real.

Aiden, meanwhile, is peak MMC perfection: charming but thoughtful, snarky but sincere, soft but not simpering. The boy is out here catching feelings in real time, and Susan Lee lets us watch it happen. He challenges Irene, not in an alpha-male “I know better” way, but in a “you deserve more, don’t shrink yourself” way. Ugh. I need a moment.

And while the central romance shines, I also want to highlight the friendship subplot and the college setting. Irene is navigating the isolation of being new, trying to find community, and wrestling with “should I change to fit in or stay exactly who I am?”? SO real. Her dynamic with bestie Jeanette and the lovable Charles? Top tier. This book doesn’t pretend college is all frat parties and cozy libraries—it shows the messy, awkward, sometimes lonely in-between.

Bonus points for how bookish this book is without ever being gatekeep-y. The nods to romance trends, fandom debates, and blogger life felt so authentic. As someone in the rec/review game, I felt SEEN. Irene is not a caricature—she’s a book girlie trying to live what she’s always read, and it’s complicated and beautiful and often hilarious.

🎓 Final Thoughts:
The Romance Rivalry is the YA romance I wish I’d had in my first year of college. It's smart without being smug, romantic without being saccharine, and full of characters that feel like real people you could DM about your latest book boyfriend crush. Irene and Aiden’s story is for the readers who love love (like me lol) but also need a reminder that they’re worthy of it in real life, too.

Come for the fake dating, stay for the self-actualization and witty banter that hits harder than a Taylor Swift bridge. This is one rivals-to-lovers romance I’ll be recommending to everyone who ever wrote a love letter to the genre—and meant it.

📚 For Fans Of:
Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter

XO, Kitty meets Book Lovers

Grumpy/sunshine + academic rivals

Blog wars with feelings

Stories that love tropes and then subvert them

Characters who read romance and grow in real time

Until the next swoon-worthy story… happy reading and happy romancing! 💕

T.A.K. Girlie 💋

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher, HarperCollins Children's Books for this early advance reader copy! I feel like this book is a solid 3.5 - I feel like this is perfect for high school 10th graders. I feel like it started off really strong for me, and then fell a little flat, but it was still super cute! It was cheesy and adorable in all the best ways. It was a really quick read and an ode to book content creators & influencers.

One sentence summary - Irene is off to college to reinvent herself AND fall in love, with the help of her nemesis and bestie, Irene embarks on a journey to try out as many romance tropes that she can, all while balancing her first semester of college.

There was a lot that I liked in this one: I feel like the realistic pressures of trying to recreate yourself after going largely unnoticed in high school was portrayed so well! I also loved Jeanette and Irene's friendship - sisterhood in college is so important! I also love the experiences with the various tropes, even if it was somewhat short-lived! I truly loved Aiden. He was just such a sweet-heart and a well-balanced foil to Irene's kinda chaotic personality. He was so level-headed and just wanted to love that girl. I also loved that we got a little bit of his perspective towards the end!

What did not work for me: There are some parts where Irene is just insufferable, like above and beyond what I would expect for an incoming freshman. Like I understand that she was a people pleaser, but like... she wasn't really. And she consistently blamed Aiden for internet trolls that literally had nothing to do with that man. Like she has ONE MILLION followers and is upset about comments - it's giving unrealistic. But She does eventually come around, so I will give points for that.

I would recommend this book to high schoolers and college freshmen, people who enjoy Meta storytelling, folks who enjoy characters that go thru a redemption arc, Cand lovers of the following tropes - he falls first & harder, enemies/rivals to lovers, slow burns, & grumpy x sunshine!

The Romance Rivalry is an easy and enjoyable read.

I think a lot of young women can relate to Irene and her determination to be seen and valued.

Those who love to read and gush about the romance genre, give this YA novel a go.

this story is a true celebration of romance as a genre and the romance community itself💞 this story follows irene and aiden, two rival romance reviewers, who find themselves competing to be the first to find love by way of romance tropes. this was such a fun way to incorporate their love of reading into their own love story! their banter was so fun and i just loved the way he was always there for her. i also loved watching irene slowly find her footing in this new college environment, with her new friends, new responsibilities, and new entry into the dating pool. found family you will always be famous!