4.25stars--RUTHLESS RIVAL is the first instalment in LJ Shen’s contemporary, adult CRUEL CASTAWAYS erotic, romance series focusing on three friends: Christian Miller, Arsène Corbin, and Riggs Bates. This is thirty –two year olds, attorney Christian Miller, and publicist Arya Roth’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Arya and Christian) RUTHLESS RIVAL focuses on the second chance relationship between thirty –two year olds, attorney Christian Miller, and publicist Arya Roth. Approximately twenty years earlier Arya Roth fell in love with the forbidden, the housekeeper’s son but a stolen kiss destroyed both of their lives. Fast forward to present day wherein Arya Roth’s father has been accused of sexual harassment, and the opposing council looks familiar yet not. Enter attorney Christian Miller aka Nicholai Ivanov,the boy turned man with whom Arya shared a painful past. What ensues is the building but tempestuous relationship between Arya and Christian, and the potential fall-out when the truth is revealed.

Before entering Harvard, Nicholai Ivanov changed his name to Christian Miller, and his former life all but died in the wake of the new start. Having endured years of abuse and rejection. Christian refused to revisit the past until a sexual harassment case brought up a chance for revenge but more so a chance to seduce the woman he believed all but destroyed his life. Arya Roth never knew what happened, after that fateful night, to the boy with whom she had fallen in love. Believing Nicholai Ivanov was dead, Arya kept her love and her emotions close to her heart, having watched from afar as her parent’s relationship continued to implode. Desperate to defend her father’s reputation, secrets reveal a dark and dangerous past, and a betrayal that broke her heart.

The relationship between Arya and Christian is one of second chances, of a sorts: former best friends who were betrayed by the adults in their lives, adults whose own lives are lost or out of control. Christian’s slow seduction of our story line heroine borders on the unethical but Nicholai has not stopped loving the girl that broke his heart. The $ex scenes are intimate,seductive and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Christian’s best friends: Arsène Corbin, and Riggs Bates, as well as their former guardian and mentor Alice Gudinski and Nicholai’s mother Ruslana Ivanova; Christian’s assistant Claire, and Arya’s parents Conrad and Beatrice Roth, and Arya’s business partner Jillian. Arsène’s storyline is next.

RUTHLESS RIVAL is a story of betrayal and vengeance, abuse and harassment, power and control, acceptance and love. The premise is dramatic, emotional and heart breaking; the romance is seductive and provocative; the characters are broken, charismatic,determined and intense.



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I really liked this book. For me it started off a bit slow, nothing really was grasping my attention about it. It took me over a week to finish which is out of my norm but I am a slow reader lol. I will say I loved the second half of the book much better. It’s definitely got the LJ Shen vibe, which I love. She always wins when it come to character development. Including secondary characters. In my opinion she really can’t write a bad book. Their chemistry was there and the back story was fire, but I am not one that normally goes head over heels for a kind of office romance… maybe it’s not that since they really don’t work together per-say but I feel like I got a little bored with the legal parts lol. I would recommend it because Christian Miller is definitely worthy of being known,

When Arya sets out to defend her father against sexual harrassment claims, she doesn't expect to feel so strongly about the attorney determined to put her dad away. There's something about Christian that Arya can't quite put her finger on, why does he seem so familiar? Christian has hidden his past for such a long time. He's not surprised Arya doesn't recognise him but he is determined to put her father away. Can he do that and get Arya on his side?

Enemies to lovers is my favourite romance trope. LJ Shen is the queen of romance writing. Put the two together and you have the makings of a damn good book. I devoured this one almost in the one sitting (arrgh kids! 😂) and absolutely adored it. The chemistry between our two characters was intense, the banter was witty and fun and there were a few surprise twists too.

Ruthless Rival by L.J. Shen is a story only she could write. This second chance enemies to lovers story is great. It does everything you want it to do and then some. Arya and Christian/Nicky are a great couple that complement each other well. And even though there is tension and conflict you are just waiting for them to realize the truth that they still and will always love each other. Great read!!

I really really like this author!
When she was young, Arya Roth became best friends with her housekeeper’s son. Soon, friendship turned to young love, and when Arya dared him to kiss her, everything changed. Now, two decades later, Arya is an on-the-rise publicist with her beloved father as one of her biggest clients. So when her father is sued by a former employee, Arya sets out to prove that her father is not the monster he is accused of being. The only problem is the attorney who is determined to destroy her father’s good name. Christian Miller is charming, ambitious, and devilishly good looking, and Arya has no idea he is that same boy who kissed her all those years ago. Past and present collide as Arya falls hard for Christian. But when she finds out who he really is and about his obsession with getting revenge on her father, can she choose love over family?
This book is engaging and full of aghast moments. The sexy times are amazing and the dialogs smart and witty. Christian is an acquired taste. It’s a definitely ruthless and intense. Ayra is smart, resilient and strong. They’ve been in love with each other since forever. They are really good together.
There were a few moments it seemed to me the story dragged a bit too much. But the writing is flawless and deep. I also enjoyed the side characters a lot and I’ll be waiting for their’ story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This one was a 3 star read for me. I wanted to love it and the storyline had so much promise and I was certainly in the mood for some angst but it fell a bit flat for me. The timeline jumping isnt my favourite style and I found it hard to get invested in the storyline because of it.

“Just remember, to become king, you must dethrone someone first.”

For all her life there has only ever been one consistent person for Arya Roth and that has been her father so when some hot shot lawyer goes all out to defame her fathers good name Arya makes it her mission to stop him. To bad there is just something about the magnetically charming Christian Miller that keeps pulling her back into his space. But what happens when Arya learns that Christian and her actually have a lot more in common than just this lawsuit? Is Arya to face some ghosts from her past?

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One kiss changed his life forever and after that moment he vowed to get his revenge and so Christian Miller was born. After being cast out by the posh upper east side society as a child Chris has made it his mission to not only become one of them but to be even better. It would just so happen that fate would throw Conrad Roth into his path and with him Arya, talk about a recipe for revenge. The only thing Christian didn’t factor in were his feeling for Arya coming back full force.. the question now is will their past demons cloud what could possibly their future?

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"My soul . . . it feels calm when it’s next to yours.”

Perfection!! Ruthless Rival was everything and more that I could have ever wanted from a Shen book. This steamy angst packed second chance romance will have you dying to find out what is going to happen next while desperately hoping this couple find their way to each other.

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Arya was interesting in a lot of ways, there were moments that I wanted to just slap her but for the most part I really liked her. I will say my heart did break for her once she realised what an asshat her father was and for the lack of relationship with her mother. Though I have to say I loved getting to see her and her mum rebuild their relationship towards the end.

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“We’re good together. We have chemistry. We make sense. Doomed things are always sweeter, don’t you know? This thing”

Now for Christian/Niko well simply put I loved this guy. Not only did my heart break for all that he was put through but I loved that he proved everyone wrong, got to love a good underdog story! I just loved the bond that he formed with Riggs and Arsène and the makeshift family these three boys formed. I just can not wait to get my hands on their books next!

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Together Arya and Chris were HOT!! There chemistry was on their point, the hate love only made you want them to get it on faster and once they finally did it was crazy! I loved getting to see them connect even after all this time apart. The banter between these two was pure perfection.

..

Ruthless Rival is the perfect combination of angsty second chance goodness, steamy enemies to lovers fire and one heart melting love connection. This is a definite must read!

Release Day : 3 May 2022
Rating : 3.5/5 Stars
Tropes : Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Revenge Plot, Unrequited Love, Grumpy Hero, Slow Burn, Second Chance Romance.

In true LJ Shen fashion, she had me hooked from the first word. Christian Miller, who in my head is Harvey Spector in another life has left his old life behind. The life where he was the son of a housekeeper who could barely keep them both fed. Said housekeeper who works for the Roth Household, where Arya Roth resides. Christian's biggest mistake was touching their precious gem and being banished to boarding school for it.
He met his family at this school, reinventing himself into the Ruthless mf he is today and a successful lawyer who longs for nothing.
The banter in this book was through the roof. I love the smart ass writing, and absolute angsty nature of it all.

I did take a way a star because of the slow burn, I have nothing against this but it was so slooooow and that is definitely something I am not used to with Mrs Shen.

Thank you to Social Butterfly PR for the arc.

You guys! This book was absolutely amazing! If you loved Vicous, than be prepared to love Ruthless Rival. I was on an emotional ride right from the start. Christian Miller aka Nicholai, is absolutely everything I look for in a book boyfriends! He was charming, smart, had a dirty mouth, and he’s a hot lawyer!

Yes, this was a slow burn, but there was tension!! I really devoured every page because I couldn't put the book down.. Arya and Christian were seriously so perfect for each other. Whenever they had a close interaction, I couldn’t take my eyes off the page. The sexual chemistry was just of this world, it made the spicy scenes so hot! So trust me when I say you’ll become obsessed with this book as every other Lj Shen book!

What a fantastic story. Christian and Arya’s story kept me riveted, my heart breaking for them because of their trials and tribulations wrought by those who are supposed to love them most. I adored so many of the supporting characters, especially Christian and Arya’s closest friends, who I really need HEAs for as well. The romance was believable and well paced and the tension and chemistry leapt off the page.

I actually listened to the audiobook as well because while I received an early copy via NetGalley (my thanks to them, the author and the publisher ), I couldn’t resist an audiobook narrated by Stella Bloom and Joe Arden. These narrators brought the story to life. That was a fantastic way to live through the story!

Another must read from L. J. Shen.
I loved These character from the beginning. Amazing storyline and growth..
I felt a soft spot for Christian from the very beginning. He was one tough kid. One of my favorite moments was when he asked Arya out on a date.
Arya, I liked then I changed my mind then I liked again. Which makes for a better ride.
I would describe this as a friends to enemies to lovers. The banter is amazing and the story even more. It is told in dual POV which I enjoy immensely. This always helps me connect better with the characters.
It’s definitely a hurry up and read it kind of book

omg this book was so good. LJ Shen never disappoints and this was no let down. I was not able to put this book down and read it all in one sitting

This book was exactly what I hoped it would be. A quick read, an interesting love story, characters with depth, and good writing. L.J. Shen never disappoints.

LJ Shen's talent is in the delivery of her stories and Ruthless Rivals reminds me of how great she is at her job!
This book has to be one of the most frustrating stories I've read in a long time - but in the best way!
Christian and Arya were fun as they shot verbal barbs at one another in the beginning.
Then, with the help of the story going back in time here and there, we learn that there is a HUGE secret that one of them is keeping from the other.
Everytime I thought it was about to be solved or revealed and then it wasn't, was like a rollercoaster for me. The suspense was killing me!
In LJ Shen style, these two's story was complex to say the least and I loved it!
I loved how Christian and Arya challenged each other. They may come from two different worlds but their minds operated the same.
If you are looking for a enemies-to-lovers book, I highly suggest this one but GO IN BLIND! Don't read the spoilers! The blurb tells you all you need to know.
Enjoy!

Ruthless Rival by LJ Shen was absolutely AMAZING!
I was in a book funk, and this one brought me out of it. It was so good that it physically hurt me. I sound super dramatic, but this is the only accurate way to describe this book. LJ, your books keep getting better and better, and I am so happy that I found you. Thank you for all of the amazing reads! 💋💋

Christian and Arya are so amazing. I cannot wait for you to meet them.. I was amazed at how LJ portrayed them and their relationship. It was a truly beautiful thing!
There was so much tension and animosity between the two that you felt like someone would explode at any moment. Of course this explosion did happen, and I absolutely cannot wait for you to read it. It was awesome, and the reactions were mwah!
Read Ruthless Rival to meet Christian and Arya.

Another fabulous book by LJ Shen! 👏

4.5/5 ⭐ OVERALL
2.5/5 🌶 STEAM

Hope was a drug, I realized. And Arya had just given me my first, free-sample hit.

If you enjoy:
- Frenemies With Benifits
- Hidden Identity
- Second Chance
- Revenge

This book was so good, y'all! I loved the plot, the characters, and the impending climax was perfect. As always, LJ Shen blew me away with a book that I couldn't put down.

I enjoyed the relationship between Arya and Christian, both past and present. I should note that the Author did an amazing job with going back and forth between the two, by the way. I do wish the characters had more chemistry, but overall their story was completely satisfying and the drama was an added bonus that I look forward to in revenge books, which was also well done.

So if you enjoy the tropes above this book is a MUST READ and available with Kindle Unlimited!

HAPPY READING! 💗

Nicky knows there’s one rule in the Roth household. You don’t touch the girl. Despite how gorgeous and perfect and tantalizing she may be. When he breaks this rule and is caught by her father it triggers a chain of events that will forever change both their lives.

Years later Nicky has reinvented himself as Christian Miller, the hot shot lawyer who easily rubs shoulders with the upper crust he grew up resenting. After all his hard work he thinks he finally has it all. But when the opportunity arises to take a case that will guarantee his partnership in the firm and the chance to take down the man who ruined his childhood he leaps headfirst. It doesn’t hurt that this also gives him a chance to check in on his old crush turned enemy, Arya Roth.

When she doesn’t recognize him he can’t resist his chance to take another shot at finally having Arya despite knowing that when she finds out the truth it’ll destroy them both. He may be a grown man now but he still can’t resist the temptation to make the untainted, untouchable golden girl his once and for all.

I don’t say this lightly when I say this may be my new favorite LJ Shen book. It’s also easily a contender for best book of the year. This story has that classic old school LJ Shen feel that made me fall in love with her stories and characters in the first place. Christian is such an enduring hero. Prepare to feel your heart break and soar with his as you dive head first into the chaos he creates.

Arya is such a strong and powerful heroine that you fall head over heels for her right along with Christian. She may not have suffered the same way Christian/Nicky did but her family was far from sunshine and roses especially when the truth comes out about the past and her father’s real role in everything. And I loved the redemption arc we got for her family despite what miserable excuses for parents they were.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Don’t make plans because you’ll want to consume this one as quickly as possible. I can’t wait for more from Christian’s guy group. I can already tell they are going to emotionally destroy me. It’ll be very difficult to top Christian, but I have a feeling that they are up for the challenge.

Thanks so much to LJ for providing me with an early copy to review!

Another slam dunk by Shen. I really liked the history behind Arya and Christian's characters, but I especially loved their interactions. It was great to see what shaped Christian into who he is. I would love LOVE to read about Riggs and Arsene. :D

“Maybe there was something wrong with me. Could love make you sick?”

I was in such a book funk and picked up so many books that I couldn’t finish but Ruthless Rivals was not one of them!!! Friends to enemies to lovers surrounded in mystery, this book was incredible!! I’m not sure that I have ever read a book quite like this before.

“My soul . . . it feels calm when it’s next to yours.”

Ayra is a silver spooned princess and has always been provided with everything she could ever want materially but she does know what heartache and longing feel like. Christian is harsh, severe and unforgiving. He has had to work for every single thing he has and despite all the horrible and unjust things that have been thrown his way he has made it to the top. Even though they came from different backgrounds they have similarities and an unique bond that could never be broken.

“Nothing could prepare me for the pain I felt in that moment. Like someone had reached into my chest, breaking my rib cage in the process, and clawed my heart out, twisting it ruthlessly in their fist.”

There is so much betrayal and heartache in this story from all sides. One character in particular I was not expecting to like at all but my feelings for them did thaw and I really felt for their situation. There isn’t much more I can say without giving everything away so I will say if you like enemies to lovers and the feeling you get trying to anticipate when the ball was going to drop (because you know it is) with some betrayal thrown in, you should read this book! Highly recommend!

“Life is uncertain, Arya. Love is not. Love is the concrete beneath your feet. It’s the anchor when you’re in the eye of a storm.”

Ruthless Rival is the first book in the Cruel Castaways series by L.J. Shen. This is a second chance/ enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance that can be read as a standalone. This story is filled with angst, need for revenge, slow-burn and swoon-worthy moments and I admired how independently strong these characters were through out the story.
The main characters in this story are Arya Roth and Christian Miller aka Nicolai Ivanov. These two were from completely different social classes. Arya came from wealth while Christian was raised by a single migrant mother who struggled to provide for him. These two met while Christian's mom worked as a cleaner/maid for Arya's parents. With no real friends, they would often spend the summers together reading and hanging out. As they got older, their bodies, hormones started developing causing their feelings for one another started to change but Christian was always forbidden to touch Arya. An incident resulted in Christian being relocated to a boarding school. Far away from Arya and his mom. The years away at school caused him to become resentful but also gave him the motivation to reinvent himself to become someone. Now a powerful lawyer, the perfect case has just dropped in his lap. One that could kill two birds with one stone. Become partner in his firm and get revenge on the man be blames for ruining his life, Arya's father. But what happens when he sees the girl he loved after so many years? Will she remember him?
This story is told in dual perspectives and bounces from past to present scenes. I enjoyed reading how the characters connected as kids, how they grew as individuals and how they reconnected as adults. L.J. Shen wrote an amazing story filled with chemistry, banter, angst and humor. The romance and passion is intense and the overall plot and storyline will have your emotions in a twist with all the secrets and suspense. I can't wait for Riggs and Arsene's books. Ruthless Rival is such a fitting title for this story.