Arya and Christian are amazing. There’s no other way to put it. Their story is emotional and angsty and steamy and so good. They formed an unlikely friendship as kids only to be ripped apart in the cruelest of ways. Arya struggled with the loss for years while Christian suffered immensely, both physically and emotionally. There’s so much loss in their young lives and they bond over the emptiness they live with every day, finding so much common ground despite being from radically different worlds.

When they meet again, nothing is as it seems and the roles are reversed. Christian has spent the years nursing a grudge and is ready for his revenge. He holds all the cards and she has no idea who he is. He’s at the pinnacle of his career while Arya’s world has been turned upside-down in every way. I adored these characters from the start. They’re both damaged and real in every way. The story of their childhood is heartbreaking, making me want so much for these two and the author truly delivered. This is a slow-burn HEA with family drama, evil fathers, jealous exes and so much more. I loved every minute of it and couldn’t put this book down. Christian and Arya made me so happy, I didn’t want this story to end but it was the perfect ending for them.

Woah! I think I just found my new fave LJ characters, Arya and Christian are…wow!

It’s always a great moment when I pick up a new LJ Shen book, the excitement of not knowing what’s going to come and what emotions will follow it is exhilarating and honestly, Ruthless Rival gave it all. The aching heart, the laughing out loud, just all the feels.

Arya is incredibly fierce and independent. She goes above and beyond for those she loves and even though she came from money she knew she wanted to be independent and fend for herself so she did. I absolutely adored that about her, she wanted something so she made it happen.

Christian my heart hurt for this guy. He was wronged by many and that in turn made him the man he is today. He’s an absolute shark in the courtroom and a man of steel outside. He knows what he wants and he’s clear about it. He’s sharp, demanding and incredibly handsome.

Now I loved Christian, I truly loved everything about him but there’s a moment or two in this book when he irritated me over certain things but even though he did, he earned the love back. This guy was incredible considering the things he had to go through. I had a lot of admiration for that guy.

And I just have to say I can not wait to get Riggs and Arsène’s stories. I just know they’re going to blow me away as much as Christian’s did.

Ruthless Rival was packed with all the fun bits. It’s an exciting enemies to lovers slow burn romance, filled with angst and accompanied with some major swoon worthy moments and I could not have loved it anymore than I did.

I have to say LJ Shen truly outdid herself with this book and the characters. Her writing is impeccable and had me captivated from the get go. I am in awe of LJ and her incredible knack at writing stories that keep me hooked.

Remember not to touch or taint the forbidden fruit; if you dare to take a bite, your fate will be sealed. The rules are in place, but dishonesty lurks around every corner. Gather your evidence and witnesses, and decide whether you want to be on the Plaintiff's or Defendants' side.

With Ruthless Rival, LJ made a winning statement, bringing me back to OG Shen memories like Vicious and our favorite Mr. Fixer.
At every step, the angst will destroy you, and the slow burn will have you seeking for release. The chemistry between Aria and Christian is palpable on the pages and will eventually consume you.

So, hookers, what are you waiting for? It's time to meet the man of your dreams.

If you have ever read and books by L.J. Shen, then you know anything she writes is going to be a great read and Ruthless Rival is no exception.

Arya Roth and Nicholai Ivanov met in the Cemetary. Arya was visiting her borther's grave and Nicholai had found a place to go while his mother was doing the housekeeping at the Roth household. His mother Ruslana made sure to remind Nicky constantly the one rule, "DO. NOT. TOUCH. ANYTHING". But he soon found that meant no touching Arya Roth. Unfortunately Arya and Nicky became fast friends and eventually the rules were forgotten.

When Conrad Roth, Arya's father came home unexpectantly, all hell broke loose and Nicky found himself at The Andrew Dexter Academy, courtesy of Conrad Roth. Nicky learnt to grow up quickly here after beatings and abuse but a chance encounter with Riggs Bates and Arsene Corbin changed his life and instead of spiralling out of control and thanks to his brialliant mind and scholarly results, Nicky reinvented himself and was on the way to becoming a partner at the legal firm of Cromwell & Traurig. His accomplishments were a testament to the person he became and when presented with a case that he would normally not take to court and the persons involved were Conrad and Arya Roth, well what was he to do but exact his revenge on the person who imprisoned him and the one girl who had once held his heart.

Thanks to Netgalley, L.J. Shen and Montlake Publishing for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.

Started to read this, and was very meh about it. After looking into other titles by the author I found some very unbecoming behaviors by the author and could not continue to read and support this person.

This story is sort of a modern re-telling of Atonement by Ian McEwan but with a HEA for the protagonists, Arya and Christian. The book itself is referenced throughout the story as it’s a favorite of Arya’s and it’s also what initiated the chain of events that lead to lots of misunderstandings and heartaches for Arya and Christian. Though between the two, Christian definitely got the short end of the stick when it comes to life. Years later when they meet again, things got even more complicated and I enjoyed the two of them butting heads while also trying to deny their attraction to each other. I also appreciated how strong of character Arya was and that she doesn’t back down easily in any situation. The parents were all self-absorbed people and just bad all around for everyone. However, Arya’s mother was at least redeemable by the end of the story.
It’s also worth saying that I like LJ Shen’s writing style and her storytelling but most times I hate the majority of the characters in those story but that’s not the case here. I love Arya and Christian, and their friends, especially Riggs and Asène. Definitely looking forward to their individual story.

Overall, this was a good start to a new series.

Thanks Montlake via NetGalley for this ARC copy.

WOW!
It’s the first book I read by LJ and I’m knocked off my feet. Her writing is exquisite! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book as well written as this. The story plot was phenomenal, yes! But the writing was the cherry on top. The way LJ described what the characters were feeling, the places they were at. It was all outstanding. This story will leave rent free on my mind for a while. Christian is methodical, ruthless, ambitious and sinfully hot! Arya is his match to a T. Love them and can’t wait for more in this world!

I could smell what was going to happen as if it were sitting right in an alley dumpster in NYC.

Arya Roth and Nicholai Ivanov were summertime friends, harboring, unknown to each other, crushes, when they were teenagers. Since Nicholai's mother is the housekeeper for the Roth's, Arya is deemed off limits. As you can imagine, it does not go very well when Conrad Roth walks in on their first kiss.

Arya is a successful PR firm owner. She never thought she'd have to help her own father when he's accused of sexual harassment in his workplace. She just can't believe the man that raised her, mostly by himself, could be guilty of such a thing.
Side bar ~ surely this lady that gets $500 haircuts has heard of a Brazilian blowout? Girl, tame that unruly hair.

From a poor boy named Nicky to a millionaire hot shot lawyer named Christian. When Amanda Gispen walks into Christian's office and tells her story of harassment by his nemesis, Conrad, he can hardly believe that he'll finally be able to get his revenge by taking him down.

Of course there's an attraction when these 2 see each other again after 20 years, but the problem is that Arya has no clue it's her teenage crush because she thinks he's dead. And Christian takes way too long to tell her the truth because he thinks she's to blame, too, for him being sent away all those years ago.

The story goes back and forth between Arya and Nicky/Christian's perspectives and in both the past and present, which I loved.

Most of the characters are quite unlikable for most of the book. I did warm up to some of them towards the end though.
I LOVED the epilogue!

Overall, this was a great friends to enemies to lovers, second chance, slow burn romance full of family secrets, cockiness and revenge.
This is my 2nd book by LJ and I will for sure be looking for the rest of this series.

I love LJ Shen books and this one doesn't disappoint. I love alternating viewpoints/narration. I loved the set-up going back to when Arya and Christian are kids. I loved Christian and Arya's story. The pacing was good and really enjoyed the book overall. I am looking forward to the next installment.

Second chance enemies to lovers mixed in with wrong side of the track goodness! There's history between these two that slowly unravels piece by piece throughout the story. The slow burn and angst had me turning page after page, it was simply unputdownable while there is nothing simple about their story. Christian won my heart and Arya is a strong, fierce leading lady that I just adored as well. Definitely pick up this book because it was phenomenal!

Je me suis lancée avec plaisir dans ce nouveau roman et si j'ai bien compris, il sera d'une trilogie. J'ai passé un excellent moment de lecture avec ce récit où j'ai retrouvé tout ce que j'adore chez les héros de LJ Shen. Nous sommes donc dans une romance ennemies to lover où les héros pourraient saisir une seconde chance en amour, à condition qu'ils laissent derrière eux leur passé.

Christian Miller est un héros de 32 ans comme je les adore. Il est imbu de sa personne, hautain, sûr de son charme et il a un charisme de folie. Il mettra tout en oeuvre pour devenir associés à part entière du cabinet Cromwell & Traurig. Il rêve d'avoir son nom en haut de la fiche et on va vite comprendre qu'il ne reculera devant rien. Quand le destin semble lui apporter sur un plateau d'argent l'affaire qui risque de le propulser au sommet, il va remonter ses manches et jouer le rôle de sa vie. Nous avons des indices à son sujet que ni l'accusé, ni notre héroïne ne détiennent et cela rendra donc cette partie encore plus savoureuse. Nous allons comprendre sa démarche au fur et à mesure que nous assemblerons les pièces du puzzle que son passé formait. Il a réussi dans la vie mais il revient de loin. On sait qu'il peut compter sur ses deux amis Arsène et Riggs car même s'ils ne viennent pas du même milieu, ils l'ont accueillis à bras ouverts et ils forment un duo indissociable. J'ai donc aimé les joutes verbales entre nos héros car nous allons compter les points entre eux. Il a trouvé une adversaire à sa taille mais dans sa quête , nous espérons qu'il ne va pas dépasser les limites et ne pas se tromper de combats. Tout comme nous savons des choses à son sujet, nous avons aussi des éléments qu'il n'a pas étant donné que le roman est écrit d'un double point de vue.

On sent donc que l'impact risque bien d'arriver plus vite que prévu car le choc sera inévitable. Tous les ingrédients sont réussis pour que le chaos règne car toute vérité n'est pas bonne à dire ou à dévoiler. ON voit donc que Christian évolue dans un monde de rapaces et il n'hésitera pas à aller creuser pour dénicher les informations, aussi glauques soient elles. L'accusé Conrad Roth n'est pas un enfant de coeur mais le déballage dont il sera la "victime" aura des conséquences sur sa fille. En voulant frapper fort, notre héros fera des dommages collatéraux. J'ai aimé les moments de "détentes" qu'il va partager avec ses amis car aveux eux, il est lui même et ne joue pas un rôle. Quand il est au travail, il doit rester dans le paraître et je n'ai ni aimé l'attitude des deux patrons ni celle de Claire Lesavov. Je n'ai pas eu confiance en elle dès le début. Avais je raison ou tort? Seule la lecture de ce roman pourra répondre à cette question. Je reste évasive à ce sujet car certains détails ne doivent pas être révélés pour ne pas vous gâcher la lecture. En tout cas, j'ai adoré le personnage de Christian car il a beau arborer une carapace, il a des failles qui ne demandent qu'à être comblées.

Arya Roth est donc notre héroïne et mon coeur s'est souvent serré quand j'ai lu les épreuves qu'elles a vécues. D'un point de vue extérieur, elle a une vie rêvée mais sa cage dorée l'empêchera de vivre sa vie comme elle l'entend. Conrad, son père, est son héros et son Dieu vivant. Elle va donc le défendre tête baissée quand les accusations vont tomber mais au fil des pages et des chapitres, elle va se rendre compte qu'elle a été trompée à bien des égards. Béatrice, sa mère, est aux abonnées absentes depuis tellement longtemps qu'elle ne la considère pas comme une mère. La relation qu'elle a avec son père est fusionnelle et laisse donc peu de place aux autres. J'ai aimé son histoire quand elle avait 14 ans car elle a vécu ses premiers émois et cela a clairement laissé des stigmates. Ce que j'ai aimé chez elle, c'est le fait que malgré son milieu sociale, elle s'est faite elle même et a créé sa propre entreprise. Son amitié avec Jillian Bazin sera d'ailleurs plus que primordiale. Elle a su trouver en elle une oreille attentive qui ne la jugera jamais et qui l'aidera à y voir clair quand elle ne parviendra plus à discerner les mensonges de la vérité. Elle a donc souffert et ce n'est pas fini. La confiance est une chose qu'elle aura du mal à accorder et on ne peut que le comprendre. Elle saura se défendre et rendre les coups mais il est évident que l'alchimie entre nos deux héros est bien réelle. Il s'agira donc d'une lutte de pouvoir mais aussi de caractères. Que le meilleur gagne en espérant qu'ils n'y laissent pas des plumes.

Bref, j'ai adoré Ruthless Rival car j'ai retrouvé ce qui m'avait manqué dans les précédents romans VO de LJ Shen. L'intrigue est forte, rondement menée et on attend avec effroi les rebondissements et les révélations fracassantes. Des héros aux passés tourmentés, des comptes à régler mais et l'amour dans tout cela?

CHRISTIAN MILLER IS MY NEW FAVOURITE BOOK BOYFRIEND 🥹🤧 .

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
Book :- Ruthless Rival
Author:- Lj Shen

Thank you so much @socialbutterfly_pr and @netgalley @authorljshen for giving me a chance to read this in advance

I can not get enough of them . Is there any chance that there is an another prologue in which they are going to be parents and all that sweet things? 🥺 If yes then I'd like a copy of it too .

This book has it all . Tears , happiness, grief, death , sorrow, Alpha male - female , anger , banter, resentment, love ❤️and our favourite SMUT 🥵🥵😁 .

IT'S AN ALL IN ONE BOOK .

You are absolutely going to love it 💕 . @authorljshen you outdid yourself in this one . Be it writing, or the maturity of content or the thoroughness . You gave all your 100% into this and that's why you are my favourite author because you never disappoint me .

Ayant lu tous les romans de Leigh, je ne pouvais pas manquer celui-ci. Ruthless Rival se passe en deux temps, la relation d’Arya et Christian commence quand ils sont encore des enfants, avant un arrêt brutal de plusieurs années. Ils se retrouvent dans des circonstances particulières quand ils sont des adultes.

L’auteure a construit son roman avec des chapitres au passé, d’autres au présent et au milieu des flashbacks de la vie de Christian qui nous aident à comprendre pourquoi il est ainsi aujourd’hui et comment il en est arrivé là.

L’alchimie entre eux est indéniable, mais l’auteure joue la carte du slow burn, nous faisant patienter avant que leur relation ne prenne un nouvel envol. La tension est omniprésente et certains personnages secondaires sont très intéressants. La romance reste au premier plan même si elle entraîne pas mal de frustration.

J’ai vraiment adoré Christian, sa répartie, sa façon de gérer ses émotions et sa relation avec son entourage. La vie n’a pas été simple pour lui et j’ai vraiment aimé le découvrir et le suivre dans cette aventure. J’ai eu un peu plus de mal avec Arya, elle est plus difficile à cerner et son incertitude est parfois agaçante.

En bref, une romance en deux temps, avec des personnages qui rencontrent bon nombre de difficultés et s’en servent pour s’en sortir. Si vous aimez les romances enemies-to-lovers et les slow burn, les couples avec de la répartie et les amis protecteurs et comploteurs, vous allez adorer l’histoire d’Arya et Christian !

I want to preface this review by admitting that I completely devoured this book in less than 24 hours. From the first paragraph, this book felt different than previous LJ Shen books. I was impressed by the depth of the characters, as well as their growth. The heat and tension between Christian and Arya was nearly palpable. I’m excited to see where the rest of the series takes us!

Thank you for the opportunity for an e-ARC!

Arya Roth is a successful PR maven and the daughter of wealthy businessman Conrad Roth. As a teenager, she was in love with the son of her family’s maid, Nikolai Ivanov. Arya’s father caught the two in a compromising position and sent Nikolai to live far away from his daughter. Following his time at an abusive boarding school, Nikolai legally changes his name and becomes Christian Miller, a ruthless and cunning lawyer determined to exact revenge on Conrad Roth. Arya and Christian are reunited as adults when Christian agrees to take on a sexual assault case against Conrad. The two battle their attraction to one another while Arya struggles to understand the familiarity of Christian, whom she doesn’t realize is actually her teenage love, Nikolai.

This was my third book by L. J. Shen. I was a little hesitant to read it after reading some rumors about negative reviews being deleted by an overzealous PR team. My review is based entirely on the content of the novel. Of the novels of Shen’s I have read, they all share a common type of male character - very alpha, cold, and commanding. These characteristics fit Christian well because of his past experiences at boarding school and his desire to get revenge. I liked that Arya was a spitfire and successful in her own career and not reliant on her trust fund income. I did feel that Arya very quickly flipped from believing her father was innocent to not doubting his guilt. I also had to suspend disbelief in just how easily both characters came into success and money. It seemed improbable that Christian would find a wealthy benefactor to pay his way through Harvard, become a successful lawyer and make partner at a firm by 31 years old, and then open his own practice in less than 6 months. I also feel like the trial that takes place was over way too fast to be realistic; generally those take years, but it was only a few months in the book. Other than these complaints, I enjoyed the chemistry between Christian and Arya and how they almost seemed like the contemporary romance version of “fated mates.” I also liked that the case of Christian’s true identity wasn’t cut-and-dried; while he did keep it a secret, he constantly dropped hints as to his past in the hopes that Arya would come to the realization herself. Overall, a 4 star read.

CW: sexual harassment and assault trial is a big part of the plot. Also physical abuse at a boarding school. Suicide is mentioned briefly.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Christian Miller is out for revenge. He’s reinvented himself. He’s no longer the poor, unworthy kid Arya knew growing up. He’s a smart, successful cut throat lawyer and he wants nothing more than to take down Conrad Roth, Arya’s father. When a big sexual harassment suit ends up in his desk against no other than Conrad Roth, Christian knows just how to hurt them both.
This book is/has:
Enemies to lovers
Lots of banter
Chemistry and spice
Slow burn
LJ Shen fans will enjoy this one!

Thank you to netgalley and Montlake for the opportunity to read this book!

This book was everything I could have ever asked for in a book! It was angsty and it was heart wrenching and in the end it was beautiful! I fell in love with Nicky he hated the world until he found one person he could be himself with well maybe he did still hate the world be he no longer hated her Arya. Arya grew on me she was a rich girl who had it all without realizing that some of that happiness was fake and she found happiness in Nicky! Later in life when Christian became the man he always dreamed to be well that? It was perfect to see the man was great at what he did and when Arya came back into the picture? Well the angst the push and the pull she knew she had known him but not why, the chemistry between the two was so hot! It was a wild ride between losing and gaining eachother multiple times and it was worth the wild ride! I can’t wait to read the next books in this stand alone series.

Ahh this is a tough one i liked the book but didn't love it. I really couldn't get on board with Arya she just didn't grow as a character through the book and i wish she would become a side character.

Anyway, i am not sure how i feel it had a good plot but then it felt like the story was dragging a lot.

Thanks to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Ruthless Rivals was a perfect LJ book! She has the amazing talent of creating the perfect characters. You fall in love with who you are supposed to and want to take a pitchfork to those you loathe. Christian and Arya are goals! First love always finds a way if it truly was meant to be. This story was about love and loss, but the rebirth and personal growth of the characters on all levels was on point. I love love love Christian and Arya’s besties as well and am really praying we will get more of them in the future! Loved it!

This book was so much more than I was expecting, which I honestly don’t know why when LJ Shen always delivers an amazing read. First and foremost Arya’s dad is a dirtbag extraordinaire, the worst of the worst. He didn’t get nearly what he deserved, even if what he got was a lot. Now that that’s out of the way. Christian Miller and Arya Roth. Separately they are the best, but together they are off the charts and just everything. From the way that they began and how they met to the beginning of their end, I just loved it! I also completely fell in love with Arya’s mother, she had the best 180. This book will stay with me for a while and I highly recommend it!