
Member Reviews

This one wasn’t for me, and took me a long time to finish. I didn’t connect with either main character, and didn’t get their relationship. Plus they weren’t even rivals! They were fellow writers who were physically attracted to one another - or that’s all that I got from it. Some of it even felt like objectifying/icky to me. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Rivals to Lovers is a heartfelt book that follows the journey of how the books we read bleed into our lives and shape who we are. How the story can be interpreted by each reader differently and the personal relationships we can create through books.
The writing is witty, with the right amount of banter and tension between the characters. It had me laughing from early on and wanting to learn more about the story and how it would unfold. Reading about Wes and Mo turning from rivals to something different and much deeper was wholesome and had me entranced in the story.
This is book is for readers, it tells the story of finding solace in a book and how the story shapes you as a person. If you are someone who reads and feels stories deeply, this book is for you 🫶🏼
Thank you NetGalley & Alcove Press for the ARC

This was a cute romance with a creative, interesting concept. Maureen and Wes are each pouring their heart and soul into their own adaptations of their favorite classic novel, The Proud and the Lost. The author’s estate has agreed to consider one of their projects to move forward with - but only one. When they’re both invited by the author’s aging daughter to visit the estate and pitch their adaptations, the rivalry and tension starts to feel more like chemistry.
I love books about book people. This was such a fun look into the world of authors, agents, and publishers. I really enjoyed reading about the process of writing, editing, finding representation, and trying to sell and publish books. What made this one special for me was getting to know the plot and characters of the original story, and then hearing about Mo and Wes’ specific interpretations, inspirations, and reasoning behind their individual adaptations. I thought the story of The Proud and the Lost, as well as EJ and Estelle’s life stories, were really interesting and added a lot to the book. The competition aspect reminded me a little of Emily Henry’s Great Big Beautiful Life, especially in the beginning when they both travel to the estate to pitch their novels to Estelle. I think fans of that book would enjoy this one as well!
For me personally, the romance didn’t fully land. I was rooting for them, but I didn’t feel particularly connected to either Mo or Wes. Wes made a bad first impression on me and never fully dug himself out of the hole, and Mo sort of lost me as the story continued. Mostly, however, I think I can put it down to personal preference - I prefer more of a slow burn, with lots of tension and build up. Mo and Wes got together pretty quickly, and when that happens, I feel like all I do is await the dreaded third act break up. Again - that’s just me. Some people loathe a slow burn and will eat this right up!
To summarize, this one is for the books about books lovers! Great insights into the publishing world, and an interesting “book within a book.” Rivals to Lovers is out on August 12!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Alcove Press for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for my review, and congratulations to Elise Wayland for a great debut!

It was a decent read. The beginning was good, i became confused in between. I loved the end. I mean, who does not love a happy ending??

If you love your romance smart, bookish, and packed with sizzling tension, Rivals to Lovers by Elise Wayland is one for the TBR!
Mo and Wes are competing writers with dueling adaptations of the same beloved feminist classic, and the stakes are sky-high: only one of their versions will get approved by the author’s estate. What follows is a weekend of witty banter, quiet longing, and unexpected emotional depth as they clash, connect, and slowly start to see each other in a whole new light.
This story is a love letter to books, creativity, and second chances. Mo is passionate and fiery, Wes is brooding with hidden depth, and their chemistry is off the charts. Think Emily Henry meets Ali Hazelwood with a literary twist! Complete with secrets, forced proximity, and a charmingly eccentric estate setting.

This was overall a cute read, but I felt a bit disconnected while reading this, not really being able to connect with the MCs. Overall it was a nice, but didnt feel like a strong hitter for a R2L romance, to the point it feels like reading it was a blur. I didnt DNF this.
Im a sucker for a good rivals/ enemies to lovers, and while they were competing the stakes and tension just didnt feel like they were there.

I was really excited to read Rivals to Lovers, as I’m a big fan of the trope and the blurb sounded right up my alley. While the story had potential, I found it a bit hard to fully connect with the characters and the pacing didn’t quite work for me personally. There were some promising moments, but ultimately I decided to set it aside around the halfway point. I’m sure this will resonate with the right audience—it just wasn’t the best fit for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book! Unfortunately I ended up DNFing this read. I was looking forward to a light hearted, rivals to lovers (as promised by the title!) romance and it fell a little short. The two main characters never felt like rivals - they had an instant connection and there was never any animosity between them. The premise of the story was interesting but the pacing was so slow it just didn't keep my attention. I liked the writing style though so I hope to try something else by this author in the future.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book! The title and this beautiful cover drew me in and i was excited to read this book! I will be recommending this book to others for readers advisory.

I got Rivals to Lovers as an eARC.
I finished this book yesterday, and I don’t think there was anything that truly felt like it stuck with me.
One thing that took me out of the book the entire time is the simplicity of the title and how in the book they weren’t really “rivals”. Yes, they were competing for the same thing, but I don’t think there was actual hatred for the other person.
I thought Mo was a bit childlike throughout the book and wish she kinda grew up more as I was reading. I did like Wes a lot though. He was the best part of the book.
I did enjoy their mutual respect for each other and how even though they were competing, they still were rooting for the other person.

I think this was just a case of wrong timing for me to read it.
There was nothing wrong with the book and the writing was good I just really couldn't get into it! I feel like so many romance books are currently following similar plots of the whole authors competing for book rights etc and so I really needed this one to stand out and it just wasn't for me. So l've had to pass it up but what I did read was well written so maybe one day in the future when it's a less saturated subgenre in the market l'll try again and enjoy it more.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’m a little unsure about this one. My first struggle was that it’s written in third person, which I personally find harder to connect with. The pacing also felt a bit off—it dragged in places and then wrapped up very quickly at the end, which left the story feeling unbalanced.
There were moments where I found myself losing interest and tempted to skim. It actually took me around three weeks to finish, when normally I’d get through a book like this in three or four days. I just didn’t feel that pull to pick it up.
That said, the premise was solid—it’s a strong plot idea—but for me, the execution didn’t quite land. I’d definitely be open to reading more from Elise Wayland in the future, though, as I think she has potential and I’d love to see how her writing develops.

Thank you to NetGalley & Alcove Press for providing a digital copy to review
Also I love the rivals to lovers trope and I feel like this book done it very well!
Would 100% recommend this to anything who loves the trope

*3.5 stars*
*Thank you to NetGalley & Alcove Press for providing a digital copy to review*
Rivals to lovers is a trope I adore, so when I saw it was the literal title of the book, I requested it straight away.
Two writers, Mo & Wes, have written an adaptation of the same book and must spend the weekend together while also selling themselves and the book to the granddaughter of the original novel's author. She decides if and whose book gets the green light.
I did enjoy the development of Mo and Wes’ relationship and their characters. Both of them have their issues and backstory, which were nicely fleshed out, and I really enjoyed all the side characters. They added something substantial that allows us to understand Mo & Wes more, and just makes them more well-rounded.
There was great banter, which is always amazing to have. We get the POVs of both Mo & Wes, so we can see just how into each other they were.
This book is called Rivals to Lovers, and unfortunately, I didn't feel like it was living up to the trope's full potential. I just felt like the rival tension was lacking, and they were just too cordial towards one another. That was my only real issue with the book; it was still a solid romance.

This was cute but not memorable. The premise seemed great but fell flat for me in different parts.
Were they actually even rivals?? And was this open door or closed door? Haha some of the scenes seemed to jump around like it was closed yet….

This is possibly the slowest-paced book I've ever read. I don't like to be super negative in reviews, because I always think reading enjoyment is pretty subjective. But I found the plot of this book so boring and predictable, I feel like there are more books than ever set in the book publishing industry and this one completely missed the mark for me.
I found it weirdly confusing at points, didn't attach to any of the characters and this was a struggle to get through. This might be someone's cup of tea, but for me it fell very flat.

I liked the concept and title of this book, anything enemies to lovers instantly draws me in. Sadly this book wasn’t for me. I found it hard to connect with the characters.

4star read for me, really enjoyed this book, including the plot and characters, would love to read more from this author

***I received a free ARC copy of this book through NetGalley but my review is still unbiased 🫶🏼🫶🏼***
I absolutely adored this book, we have Wes and Mo (our main characters) who are layered, relatable and funny. Honestly with my boys of tommen binge this was the perfect palette cleanser for my brain 😂.
I never like giving any spoilers with arcs but this really is a book for book lovers, and I thought it was really good!

I really liked the concept of this book—it had so much potential, and I was excited going in! Unfortunately, it didn’t quite land for me the way I’d hoped.
My biggest struggle was with the characters. They felt a bit flat and underdeveloped, and I found it hard to connect with them. At times, I even felt a little frustrated by their choices or lack of growth.
That said, I can absolutely see this book finding the right audience—especially readers who love a lighter romance and enjoy college settings. While it didn’t fully work for me, I still think the idea behind the story is solid and charming. It just needed a bit more depth and emotional pull to really hook me.