It feels pretty meta to be writing a romance book review about two romance book reviewers, but this book truly is like stepping into my head as a person who reviews books on the internet. I was increasingly frustrated by Irene for most of this book, until I realized Susan Lee just knows all of our secrets too well, and I was basically just reading all of my insecurities through Irene. I saw a lot of myself in her people pleasing tendencies, self sabotage, procrastination, worrying about her image while also simultaneously worrying about her lack of vulnerability online, her struggle with college and even her feelings about not knowing how to translate her love for romance to her real life relationships.

This book really was a love letter to romance readers. I loved that each chapter was structured around a popular trope, but there were still surprises with how they played out. I think this further proved (possibly the whole point of the story) that tropes are a great foundation for connection between characters and readers, but no matter how many times I read the same one, it’s always new and surprising in its own unique way.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book was fairly enjoyable but it was a bit difficult for me to get through. I think it was because it was a bit TOO realistic, which I probably should have expected with the summary mentioning Irene being a book reviewer. The romance dynamics were cute but I think the implementation of romance tropes into real life setting was a bit too much for me and I found it a bit cringy. Unfortunately this one really wasn't for me

⭐⭐⭐⭐ THE ROMANCE RIVALRY by Susan Lee

✏️ Rivals-to-Lovers
🛏️ Forced Proximity & One Bed
🎭 Fake Dating
🌞 Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
💻 Bookish Influencers

Two rival book reviewers - one sunshine, one snark - end up at the same college and challenge each other to find love using romance tropes before the semester ends. But when their own story starts looking suspiciously like the books they review, all bets (and hearts) are off.

This one was a giggle-kick-your-feet kind of read with a super cute premise and banter that absolutely delivered. I loved Irene’s people-pleasing heart and Aiden’s secretly-soft vibe, but the plot dragged a bit in places and some storylines felt underdeveloped. It’s marketed as YA, but with the college setting, fake dating steam, and exploration of identity - it reads much more like New Adult. Still, the joy of watching two readers fall in love through the language of tropes? Chef’s kiss.

3.5 stars, rounded up. A fun, fluffy win for fans of rival banter and trope-filled romance.

Overall, this was a cute Rom-Com that will definitely be appreciated by readers (especially romance readers)! Unfortunately, as someone who's not a die-hard romance reader -- while I did enjoy a good number of aspects of the book -- there were some parts that were just a bit too cringey for me (I genuinely cannot take it seriously that the MMC's book that saved his and the FMC's grade was an Omegaverse book).

I generally liked the characters (even when I was highkey screaming at Irene for (1) being a supposed romance expert without having ever read Jane Austen and (2) whenever she didn't do her coursework) and think they overall felt like pretty realistic depictions of college students! I also liked the overall plot structure and book set-up -- the implementation of different romance tropes both in the chapter titles themselves, and in the competition between Irene and Aiden was really fun and will definitely be appreciated by romance readers!

I think, in all, this was a fun quick read, and will surely be enjoyed by people who, like Irene and Aiden, are big romance fans. While I'm definitely not fully the target audience for this book, it was still a fun time (even if I, again, found myself cringing at many (many...) of Irene's actions)!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

🌟🌟🌟🌟 Review: The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee

Irene Park knows her tropes. As a romance book reviewer with a huge online following, she’s built her identity on dissecting meet-cutes, swoony moments, and happily-ever-afters. But when it comes to real-life love? She’s still stuck in the prologue.

Enter college…and Aiden Jeon.

Aiden isn’t just Irene’s academic rival—he’s her rival in the book review world too. So when the two butt heads over who understands romance best, it sparks a hilarious and heartfelt challenge: who can “win” at love first, using nothing but romance tropes as their guide. The twist? One very tropey twist—fake dating. And suddenly, the rules of the game start to feel dangerously real.

What I loved:
✨ A modern rom-com that leans into the absurdity and beauty of loving books a little too much
📝 Witty, fast-paced banter that had me grinning
👩‍💻 A heroine who's learning that living is messier—and better—than anything she’s read
📚 So. Many. Book references. (Romance nerds, you’ll feel seen!)

Irene’s growth was such a highlight—watching her navigate first love, college stress, and self-doubt while learning how to write her own story (instead of just reviewing everyone else’s) gave the story real heart.

Why 4 stars instead of 5? Some moments felt slightly too meta or over-explained, especially around the trope-talk. But overall, this was clever, sweet, and full of charm.

Read if you love:
💘 Enemies to Lovers
🎭 Fake Dating (but with feelings, obviously)
🧠 Nerdy romance with bite
🎥 Pop culture meets heart

The Romance Rivalry was a fun audiobook and at first I loved all the nods to romance and tropes but it began to get old. I struggled to understand why Irene was still reading and reviewing books but was failing her classes? I feel like one of those things needed to go and it was obvious which one.

This book is just so full of love. I suggest it for fans of dramas and sweet, unapologetic love stories. I loved The Romance Rivalry now, and as a teen, especially around the time I was going to college, I would have really loved this fun, trope-forward YA Romance.

How was our cast of MCs? Irene was a great main character, Aiden was the perfect leading man, and the side characters were so darn lovable. Honestly, if this were a kdrama, I’d immediately rewatch it. (Yes, we comfort rewatch here.)

Irene is going into her freshman year of college. She loves romance novels so much that she’s already started a career as a reviewer with a massive following. Her experience with romance IRL, on the other hand? None. With a mission to gain credibility and find romance for herself, Irene sets one goal: to find love this year. When Irene realizes her online nemesis and fellow romance reviewer, Aiden, goes to the same college, they launch a competition to see who can find love first, using nothing but romance book tropes to guide who they go out with. How perfect is that for romance fans?? Fake dating, age gap, fated mates, one-bed? Susan Lee thought of it all! Not only does it encapsulate the tropes we all know in love, but she made it fun for that elder YA age range and above in a way that feels really realistic for the emotional maturity and realistic nature of a pair of college freshmen.

This is Irene’s first year on her own. Can she handle the stress of college, making real friends, and a deadline on finding love? Happily Ever Afters seem easy on page, but finding her own means she must step away from the romance books and finally be the main character in her own story.

Quick Summary: A YA/NA bookish romance

My Review: The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee is a lighthearted contemporary. It is categorized as "An Enemies-to-Lovers Fake Dating Bookish College Rom-Com." It is scheduled for release on 5/13/25.

About the Book: "Irene Park loves romance novels--so much so she's made a career of them as an online book reviewer with a massive following. But Irene's real life dating story? Non-existent.

Enter Aiden Jeon, Irene's online book review rival and ultimate nemesis.

...for Irene to find her ultimate HEA, she'll have to get her nose out of the book and become the main character of her own story."

In My Own Words: Transitioning from high school to college is no small feat. For two romance readers, who just so happen to be rivals, it is a monumental task to find their footing, as well as their HEA. Will they be able to work together to find their own special brand of happy? What will be their final trope by the year's end?

My Final Say: How sweet! This story was so adorable. Irene and Aiden were great characters. They both had challenging home life situations that shaped them. Those situations followed them into their first year away from home. Even as they tried to discover who they were and what they wanted, they were able to find time for each other in such a remarkable and memorable way. I was all for it.

I also super loved the connection between the roomies/friends. It was so organic.

The competition angle was genius!

Other: Readers who enjoy YA turned NA novels, college romances, and rivals to romance love stories will love this.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: T/OYA/NA
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Status/Level: 💘
Note: While I would label this as a pretty clean read, I should state that it does have a bit of "petting and parking" behavior (Second base activity).

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins), and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting access to a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest critique. It was a pleasure to review this work. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I loved this Korean YA romance from Susan Lee! I think this might be my favorite of Susan's books so far. This book was truly a love letter to the romance book community and a special thank you to romance readers and reviewers. I loved all the nods to popular romance books and lingo. The rivalry that Irene and Aiden shared was also super cute. And their romance was SOOO SWOONY omg. I honestly think this book is catered more towards older YA readers because I was truly sweating reading some of those scenes. Susan knows how to write eye-catching MMCs, let me tell you that!

I definitely recommend this book for YA romance readers everywhere!

I don't have words for how much I loved this book. It literally felt like I was 17 again, falling in love before I knew what that felt like yet. As the great Ali Hazelwood said on the cover of this book, it feels like "a love letter to love stories," and I couldn't agree more. I laughed, I related, and I fell in love. I hope you go out today and support Susan by purchasing this book on the queens birthday of all days. My bestie is getting me a copy on Saturday, and i can't wait to hold this in my hands. I hope I can share books like this with my daughter someday

This was just okay. I don't think it really reads as new adult, probably closer to young adult. I think the concept was interesting but maybe not executed the best way. I feel like all the tropes got in the way of the actual romance. Because of that, I just really didn't feel that connected to Aiden and Irene as a couple. While I will say, Irene made some good changes to herself by the end. I'm in the minority but unfortunately, this didn't completely work for me.

The Romance Rivalry was such a fun and charming read! We follow Irene, a new college student juggling the pressures of making everyone around her happy while quietly hoping to find a romance of her own. Things take a hilarious turn when she discovers that her online book review rival, Aiden, also goes to her college. Cue the ultimate bet: whoever can go on the most romance trope-inspired dates wins the brand deal of a lifetime. The only problem? Not falling for each other in the process.

This book is perfect for a younger audience—it's full of laugh-out-loud moments, classic rom-com tropes, and plenty of overthinking and insecurity that feels all too real. Irene is messy, relatable, and frustrating in equal measure. There were a few moments I wanted to shake her for her selfish choices (disguised as selflessness), but that added to her flawed, human charm.

Overall, The Romance Rivalry is a sweet and silly escape—perfect if you’re in the mood for a feel-good story you don’t need to take too seriously. Big thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!

Tropes:
-Rivals to friends to lovers
-College romance
-Grumpy & Sunshine
-Fake dating
-Forced proximity

Oh my goodness did I love this YA romance!! Squeeeel... I have become such a huge fan of Susan Lee! Oh my gosh Aiden... loved this character so much!!!

Could not get enough of the sassy banter between Irene and Aiden. I found myself giggling out loud so much and just brought me back to my college days. Filled with bookish charm and such a fun and easy romance that will sweep you away between these two.

Loved it!

4.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Thanks to Netgallery and Harper Collins for the ARC of The Romance Rivarly by Susan Lee.

While the premise had potential, and the writting was ok, I am sad to say this book was NOT for me. I love YA romances, so I was excited to get into this one, but I I grew tired of the constant use of tropes, while trying to be self-aware of the use of them. I understand this is a huge part of the story, I just couldnt find myself to connect in any way to any of the characters. At times Irene (the FMC) got on my nerves and Aiden, just was there. The whole concept of them being "enemies" was also just too cringy for my liking. Again the book had potential and the writing was ok but this was sadly not for me.

I will still read more from this author and recommend this to some friends because I know there are aspects of the book they would enjoy more than me.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷・❥・“𝓘 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓼𝓸 𝓪𝓫𝓼𝓸𝓻𝓫𝓮𝓭 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓼, 𝓘'𝓿𝓮 𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓶𝔂 𝓰𝓻𝓲𝓹 𝓸𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓽𝓱, 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝔂𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯.”・❥・ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

➸4 stars ~spoiler-free review💫~
Happy Reease Day!!

Have you all ever wanted to read a book where all your favourite tropes existed in one single book?! well you are at the right place!! If I have to say in simple words, this book is THAT book we all wished and wanted to read for years with all our favourite tropes from enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, forced proximity etc. in one single book 😩💓 OMG, I was soo hooked from the beginning up until the end, this was so so GOOD. Given it's my first book by the author to read, I instantly fell in love with the beautiful writing. Susan Lee, you've outdone yourself with this book!!😍🔥

Read this if you like 💌:
💘 rivals-to-lovers
💘 passionate book reviewers
💘 college romance
💘 forced proximity
💘 fake dating
💘 reverse grumpy x sunshine
💘 he falls first
💘 she's a people pleaser
💘 one bed
💘 middle child syndrome

✨ Let's meet the cast 🎬 ✨

Irene Park~ Born as a middle child to her korean parents, she is often ignored or not taken seriously, which makes her an introvert. She is also a famous book reviewer online, and loves to rave about books, but that is often overlooked by others. She has a people pleasing personality through and through, and often put others first instead of herself when needs to. It's why she's now on her way to her dad's university to pursue her mother's dream of being an editor. She is scared of disappointing her parents, and pursues something she's not sure she loves anymore. That's it, I'm her, she's me 🤧

Aiden Jeon~ Aspiring writer, he is also a famous book reviewer, mostly because he reads what irene basically reads and then disagrees with her on opinions about the books 😆 Because of this Irene hates him. This man right here omg, he made me wish I had a rival who has dimples like him, secretly actually likes me, would scheme into making me fake date him and make me fall in love with him aaaa 😩✋🏻

What are the odds that both of them are in the same college, and that too for the same class? and also meeting for the first time face-to-face? feels like fate was against Irene's desperate prayers because the next moment she finds herself with Aiden as her partner for the semester. They challenge each other that before the semester ends, they would find a person to fall in love with using the tropes list they made. I WAS ACTUALLY GIGGLING AND KICKING MY FEET SEEING THEIR ANTICS AND BICKERINGS 🤭

Overall, I would say this book was such an easy cutesy fun read. I went into this book without much expectations, but yes, I loved reading about Aiden & Irene 🥰💗 Although this book is categorised as Young Adult, I feel it's more New Adult because of somethings that shouldn't be on a YA book. I'm writing this review in the middle of the night, and I'm pretty sure I missed some points to add, so I will come back later if I remember anything to add.

Thank you to the Author, Harpercollins Publishers, and Netgalley for this wonderful ARC inexchange for an honest review 💞

“Romance is the genre of love, yes. But it’s also the genre of hope.”

The Romance Rivalry is a college enemies-to-lovers (sorry Irene) fake dating story about two romance book lover rivals… Could this get any better? Now sit down, it’s time to review a book about book reviewers.

The tropes, the romance glossary, the characters, the mini book reviews. Susan you did not miss with this one! Aiden babe, never change, I love you. This man was PINING for his woman, and we all know how I love a man who pines. Irene, sweetheart, come here, I’ll be your other bestie and we can talk about Twilight. Their romance was giving many tropes, but golden retriever x black cat is really coming to mind for me. I love it!

Can we talk about Aiden’s book by the way? The omegaverse novel was not what I expected from him and that made it even better. I was giggling the whole time. Oh, you precious little bean. Let’s not forget our side characters Jeanette and Charles, these two were so sweet and pushed story along (which I love to see) and I knew what was going to happen from the start but I loved how it played out.

I am so grateful that I was able to read an early copy of this novel. While reading The Romance Rivalry I started Susan Lee’s other title The Name Drop and I fell in love with her writing. I’m so excited to read Seoulmates and whatever work comes next!

Thank you so much HarperCollins Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

First off, thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

The premise of this book really interested me. As someone who posts about books, it was interesting to think of two rival book influencers coincidentally meeting in real life and having a competition about finding love using tropes in order to decide who can stay in the running for a brand deal. While the premise was interesting, I think the execution could’ve been better.

This book was overall cute and quick! I finished it all in one sitting, but I do think that while it had so much potential, it fell a bit flat for me. There could’ve been more development with the characters and with the competition. I was definitely interested enough to keep reading and wanted to see how Irene and Aiden would get together, but it didn’t reach my expectations.

I also understand that it’s YA, but I think this could’ve been better as New Adult. I do like that we saw how difficult and overwhelming it can be when you’re first starting college and trying to figure out what it is you want to do. I think many college students can relate to that feeling. I also like that Irene and Jeanette became such fast friends.

Overall, it was a cute read, and I think there are others who would really enjoy it, but it wasn’t a favorite of mine.

3.5/5 stars

AHHHHHHH!!!! This was so cute!!

I’m a huge Susan Lee fan and a huge romance lover, so this College Rom-Com dedicated to all the tropes we romance addicts love was so incredible. The idea of a romance reader using the tropes she knows like the back of her hand to try to meet the love of her life in college was just too cute!! Throw in the competition aspect (i.e. rivals to lovers), and it was even better!

I liked that at the very beginning of the book, the FMC tore down the concept of smut and romance books being less than. While the Booksta community may be big into romance, this is a very common thing us romance readers get when someone learns what we read, and I loved how Irene addressed this at the very beginning of the book.

Speaking of Booksta, I loved that they are rival romance influencers! It was a unique concept and one that I enjoyed! I especially loved how the beginning of each chapter held part of the review of the same book by both handles, often conflicting in opinion. That was a fun breakup in the format and gave us greater insight into the two of them in a non-traditional way.

I loved how all the chapter titles were a different romance trope and definitely fit appropriately with the flow of the book. This was such a unique concept and I ATE IT UP!

This book definitely had me giddy and kicking my feet, and it was 100% because of the characters. The plot was great, but Irene was so relatable with her snarky and competitive nature and Aiden was so swoony and so in love with Irene it was blinding (I mean, LOOK AT THAT COVER AND TELL ME HE’S NOT A DREAMY MMC!!). ISTG he takes Irene to a bunch of places she’s been before to give her a better experience at each of those places, and if that isn’t PEAK book boyfriend, I don’t know what is!

I loved the little friend group that grew as part of the competition: Irene, her roommate Jeannette, Aiden, and one of his dormmates Charles. It was fun seeing them start this as a competition, but become a close-knit group of friends. Jeannette and Charles added so much to the story and I really loved them as much as I loved Irene and Aiden.

There is a little bit of spice in here (not too much, but definitely not a total “clean romance”). I enjoyed the spice that was present and definitely felt that it added as opposed to took away from the plot...not that you’ll ever see my complaining about a good spicy book 😉

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins, and Susan Lee for the opportunity to read a copy of this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.

4.5 stars

Much like Irene, I love love. And so, naturally, I loved this book.

It touches on the nuances of first love and first relationships, the struggles of navigating new environments, and the weight of others' expectations for us, along with our own unrealistic expectations.

This book also serves as a reminder to pursue your passions, because you are always your truest, happiest self when you're honest about what you want out of life.

The romance, of course, was so sweet and swoon-worthy. Irene and Aiden are the embodiment of rivals to lovers, and I ate up every delightful morsel of them we were fed.

This book absolutely had me invested.

The competition, the banter, the tropes, the best friends. I was hooked. YA Perfection.

The self doubt and constant need to please everyone by Irene was a bit exhausting and like, okay, ask for help already. Growing up in a family where support was given freely and judgement never occurred it is a bit harder to see where she is coming from but she got there!! Finally but she did it.

Aiden however with the he falls first and never giving up. For getting her and getting through to her when she was hardest to love. That is what had me sucked in and devouring this book.

So cute and will recommend to anyone with ears.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.