*3.5 stars rounded up
This book was somewhat unexpected. I didn't see some of the more explicit parts coming or the love interest writing an A/B/O self-insert novel, but I was really enjoying the book itself most of the time. These two reminded me so much of Rowan Roth and Neil McNair, protagonists of one of my absolute faves, so I got a lot of nostalgia from T3. I felt like the main characters were purposefully obtuse sometimes, but they had consistent characterization, and the plot flowed quickly, both romantically and otherwise. The connection seemed to be so physical the second the two main characters got together and actually a little less romantic, but I do understand there were a lot of blurred lines from the fake relationship trope. Overall, I'd recommend to fans of the rivals/aren't-they-more-like-begrudging-friends to lovers trope and those who just want some cute romance to brighten their day. WARNING: BURNT OUT COLLEGE STUDENTS DO NOT READ.

FUN & FRESH
For a book about tropes, it's not cliche-y at all. Every chapter leaves me a gasp. It was a satirical joke on romance tropes but it never makes fun of the romance genre. It wasn't just there for jokes sake. It helps Irene and Aiden grew closer together.

I don’t read much YA romance because I do prefer some spice, but a lot of my favorite authors have been promoting this book so I was excited to read it. Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was a quick, cute, lighthearted read. I thought the concept of each chapter being based on a trope was very creative and I loved it. Almost an ode to book lovers with the focus on tropes and literary references throughout.

The FMC Irene did get on my nerves a little and I wish her character was a bit more developed so I could connect with her more. Aiden was such a golden retriever cutie but I think a dual POV could have been beneficial to add more depth to his character, too. (And also so we could feel him pining for Irene!) It all came together a bit too quickly in the last third but it was still a satisfying ending.

This book was a trip for sure. I'm pretty conflicted on the rating being because character plot and writing were not necessarily bad but I had a few issues with this book.

First and foremost, this book is clearly labeled as YA. I in no way agree with this. The young adult genre includes twelve year olds, there was one scene in particular that is for sure not appropriate for younger ya. (the on bed trope chapter in case anyone wants a warning)

Which brings me to my next point, every chapter in this book was named after a romance book trope and the whole point of the book was who could score the most points by completing the most tropes kind of thing. I'll admit it was my fault for requesting the book without super looking into the summary but I hate the over tropifictaion of books. Like common sometimes it's a situation not a trope. But also it makes every book feel the same and I imagine writing has became more of a game on how to include as many or the most popular romance tropes into your book. I'm very much of the opinion that writing the book comes first and then upon reflection readers or publicists can find the 'tropes' when recommending them to readers. Not to mention that half the time it feels like a spoiler anyways.

Finally, (minor spoiler) the mmc writes a book that is supposed to be pretty impactful to the ending of the book as being rather profound. Tell me why it was poorly written fan fiction of the main characters as wolves, alpha and all. My jaw was on the ground I felt like I had been pranked, it felt so completely out of place like huhhhh. (made the 2.5 a solid 2)

With all that said I read 50% of this book in one day and the other 50% in another so it wasn't unreadable or anything. Thank you net galley and the publisher for approving my request!

I love me a good rivalry romance. Especially a cute YA one that has me kicking my feet and giggling the entire time. Well, most of it.

I loved the relationship build up and the character arcs. I disliked very few things, and even then I don’t think I can say I disliked any of it. The moments I was cringing were apart of the plot and I appreciate them now.

Definitely a five-star, and now I want to read the rest of her books!

A light easy read. The story has a great concept either sweet moments but moves slow. I had a hard time immersing myself in the novel.

This book was so cute. I absolutely loved that the two main characters review books in their spare time (they’re one of us!!). I also thought it was so funny to see the two of them compete on how many tropes they could cross off on dates with other people (all the while pining for each other). It was also so great to see their friendships bloom coming into college. Fair warning though, Irene did get on my nerves, especially in the third act, but it all turned out good. My only real complaint was the “epilogue”, which just felt odd and unnecessary (although I guess it was kind of cute??). Anyway. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves books, especially if you are a reviewer.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The idea of this book being "find love based on tropes" was executed very well. Having each chapter centered on a trope? LOVED IT. Irene’s checklist of dates in the first quarter of the book were so fun! It was shenanigan-y, which is my number one thing about rom-coms ACTUALLY BEING rom-coms.
However, my excitement falters there. Irene felt underdeveloped, as did her supporting characters. I thought they had good relationships and banter, but I didn’t believe in Irene’s motivations. As a middle child myself, I get her struggles with her identity, but I knew next to nothing about her otherwise. What made her turn to social media and how did she get good at it? Does she feel more herself online or is it all a front and why? And based on the bit I knew, she seemed to me like someone VERY slow to trust, but she buddied up to Jeanette quickly and without much backing.
I liked the idea of the dating app brand deal, but we never know what it is about the dating app that makes it compelling. Why this app? Because it’s Korean and so is she? Okay cool but WHY does she want it, besides to grow her following? Additionally and a bit spoiler-y, none of it pays off. They email her about wanting to speak face to face about the deal, but we never see that scene or what came of it.
Then there is Irene’s schooling, which I probably had bigger gripes with than I would have if I wasn’t 29. Does she go to class? Why isn’t she doing any of her homework!! Why doesn’t she care! The "reasoning" being that she can’t bring herself to do it for no discernible reason is pretty close to me when I was in college and depressed as shit, which is a whole other ball game to go into. And when she meets with her professor and he asks her to make him a video like she would for social media about her favorite trope…we never see that on the page. It’s referenced eventually, but did she learn anything from it?
Also why did she never read any classics in high school?? Pride and Prejudice was summer reading for me but we definitely covered stuff! So what was the curriculum lol
After the initial trope dates, once she joins forces with Aiden, we lose what they are all DOING. We never see any more dates or how it’s influencing their social media. We never see them working on their Lit project. And we never see Irene reading or making content (except the Live they do), so I’m sitting here like, well why isn’t she doing her schoolwork if she’s not making videos or reading? So much happens off page that I was left wanting so much more.
Aiden was sweet but also a bit underdeveloped, and their fake dating turned to real so quickly that the tension didn’t get to breathe. And then when it all falls apart, it gets resolved before we get to sit with it. She forgives him before she’s done the work on herself.
Also, correct me if I’m wrong, but "anyways" isn’t actually a word, no? Not technically?? It was used so much I couldn’t quite get past it.
Wow, it sounds like I really hated this book. I didn’t, I swear!!! I thought it was cute and had heart and warmth. But it left me wanting more. I wanted to be so much more immersed in these characters because I thought they were sweet and funny and had potential. This book has BONES and I love it! It just didn’t have the muscle for me.

A romance novel about romance readers who do reviews on books…what’s not to love! I enjoyed following Irene’s journey from HS book worm to active college student on her quest to find love. And finding out her arch nemesis is going to the same college as she is and does everything he can to be apart of her life. There were a few moments I was not a fan of the downward spiral of thoughts, anxiety and low confidence but that might be because I am drawn towards more stronger minded people.

📚 Every.Single.Trope. (by design)
📚 Rivals to Friends to Lovers
📚 Slow Burn
📚 He falls first
📚 Self Deprecating FMC
I think or a YA romance, The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee, checks off all the boxes. It is a pretty quick, lighthearted read. Irene and Aiden are both college freshmen at the same college and just so happen to be book reviewer rivals. At least that’s what Irene thinks. A literature class project gives us a forced proximity trope that gets Aiden’s foot into the door of Irene’s life. When a friendly competition leads us to our fake dating trope, Irene must decide is she can put her insecurities and people please aside.
I really enjoyed the chapters reflecting the romance tropes and tying it into the storyline. The supporting best friend characters were great and I wouldn’t mind a duology if we got to see more of them.
For all the slow burning and build up the resolution seem to come on very fast at the end. I think there was still some room for some character development but in terms of a short and sweet YA novel it works.

I was giggling and squealing throughout the book! I loved the concept of both the main characters competing to see who will find love through romance tropes. The fact the chapters represent those tropes is clever! Well done! I am also a sucker for the MC's banter! It gives me so much joy! I loved all the literary references and bookish inside jokes. It made me laugh. Lastly, their friends/roommates were such a riot. They could both see Irene and Aiden's chemistry from the get-go.

This book has my heart. I can't wait to have the physical book in my hands!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for this earc

This book was so cute. It’s been so long since I’m read a YA romance with two 18 year olds who do not have it all figured out. Irene is that main character who spends a little ( a lot) of her time in fictional world and has very little experience in real life romance. She is messy and confused and overwhelmed. Which is totally normal because she’s 18, it’s her first time being away from home and she has no idea how to deal.
I liked this story because it was honestly, a little extra and very sweet. Aiden gets all the book boyfriend point.
Just don’t pick this book up as your first romance read because you’ll for sure get super confused with all the acronyms.

Thank you to NetGalley, Susan Lee, and HarperCollins Children's Books for allowing me access to the e-arc.

3.5 stars

This was such a cute read. I enjoyed the rivals-to-lovers romance. Rival Book Reviewer was something I had never read about before. I enjoyed their bantering over their love for romance books. I just wanted more about the characters.

What a lovely surprise! The Romance Rivalry had me LOL’ing and squealing with delight. Such a fun take on romance tropes and so many nods to the genre. Loved it!

The Romance Rivalry had all the makings of a fun, trope-filled romance, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to its potential. The concept of a book reviewer trying to find love through romance tropes was clever, but the story felt rushed and underdeveloped, leaving me disconnected from both the characters and their journey.

Irene, the protagonist, came off as insufferable at times, and her motivations—like finding a boyfriend to secure a brand deal—felt flimsy and hard to root for. Aiden, her rival-turned-love-interest, had moments of charm but suffered from a lack of depth. Their enemies-to-lovers arc skipped over the slow-burn tension that makes the trope satisfying, with their relationship escalating too quickly to feel authentic.

Additionally, the conclusion was abrupt, with loose threads (like Aiden’s family issues) left unresolved. A pivotal fade-to-black scene felt forced and emotionally unearned, which detracted from the overall story. While there were some cute and clever moments—like the witty chapter titles—the book leaned too heavily on being a commentary on tropes without delivering a satisfying romance.

Ultimately, The Romance Rivalry is a quick read with potential, but it didn’t stick the landing for me. Fans of trope-heavy romances may still find it enjoyable, but this one fell flat for me.

○ Trope City
○ Slow Burn
○ Fluff Romance
○ Friendship Heavy
○ Golden Retriever MMC / Self Deprecation FMC
○ Rivals to Friends to Lovers
○ So many more...

Susan Lee has done it again, I first read SeoulMates and absolutely loved it and now that I've read The Romance Rivalry I honestly just want more of her books. This book alone was interesting since Irene wants to experience love in a whole new way, she's a romance reader and reviewer so she knows a lot about tropes but has never dated anyone. So, now that she's headed off to college her whole goal to experience love through tropes. Little does she know that her rival reviewer is closer to her than she thinks. Aiden is the true definition of Golden Retriever character, he's just always so happy for Irene and wants to support her even when she feels like she doesn't deserve it.

Susan can we possibly get Charlie and Jeanette's story next?

this was actually so fun
my only critique and the reason I'm rating it 4 stars is because it was just a little cringe and it wrapped up really fast. I think the ending could have been a bit more drawn out and thought out.
In the end, it was very enjoyable in the moment, but I'm not sure how memorable this will be in the long run
(jeanette was the star of the show though)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book.

I've been enjoying a lot of YA and NA romances recently, so I was excited for this one. I would give this a 3.5 stars rounded up.

There were plenty of cute moments that I absolutely fell for, but the ending really let me down. From the beginning, I was slightly confused as to where this would go as I wasn't feeling too solid on Irene's characterization. However, once we got to the actual plot of the novel, I found myself intrigued and invested in Irene and Aiden's relationship. Honestly, the most compelling character for me was Irene's roommate, but I still enjoyed the cute moments that Irene and Aiden shared.

It was their individual character developments, though, that needed the most work. The third-act breakup felt overdone and unnecessary, and the way it was resolved was even worse, in my opinion. Irene wasn't a character that I see myself being friends with, so it made it hard to connect with her. Without that connection, I didn't really care for the ending.

Ultimately, it was a sweet novel, if a tad immature. I enjoyed it.

And I'm out.

This cute college romance is the story of two book reviewers who end up paired together for a lit class their first semester. It's a love letter to romance and romance readers filled with tropes and book discussion and all the things that we as romance lovers love to love. Susan weaves culture and romance and community together in a way that's just so much fun. I loved her previous work on audio and while I read this with my eyes, I am certain that the audio will be fantastic.

this book is for the READERS!!! and not just any readers, but the fanfic loving, Bookstagram babes who would much rather be reading than attending a social event (unless it’s bookish).

This book is absolutely everything to me and I was hooked from the glossary! Susan definitely understands her audience and rather than being embarrassed and cringing from her love for reading, she embraces it, her characters, and most importantly the audience. I’ve never felt more love for readers from a book than in this one.

It’s giving whisper of the heart where the MMC reads the same books as the FMC to get her attention AHHHHHHH

I loved the banter between Irene and Aiden. The dialogue was very realistic and flowed so well I didn’t even realize how fast I was reading. They had such amazing chemistry and I loved how he was very clearly into Irene while she was blind to it (at least for a little while). While originally rivals, I loved that they both were able to work through Irene’s one sided beef and talk about life as book reviewers and how it affected them.

Irene’s development was very well done. I was annoyed by how focused she was on her dating plan to fall in love because it seemed so shallow and not genuine, which I felt was the opposite of her as a person. She clearly cares for everyone close to her on a deep level and her people pleasing side bled into her online life. But it was the plan that was annoying, not Irene herself. It was also so relatable for her to be overwhelmed with college life and have her passion for reading fall to the side, but also be so focused on her love for reading that her scholarly work was suffering. I think their author did a great job in noting both parts of a reviewers life affects each other. What’s great is that Irene had a solid support system and was able to work her way through finding out what she wants.

This read is perfect for fans of Tashie Bhuiyan (Counting Down with You) and Ann Liang (If You Could See the Sun).