Emma Lord’s newest book, The Rival, is packed with her signature wit, quirky characters, and melt in your mouth, cavity inducing dessert descriptions. I enjoy a rivals to lovers romance, and the addition of the two main characters having grown up as best friends not only added dimension to the couple, but felt extremely believable. Saddie and Seb traversing their new college experience while figuring out who they were was not only fun and relatable, but had a kick of Lord’s signature quirkiness. Betty, delectable pancakes, alphabet parties, and too many clubs to even know where to begin. I did struggle a bit at times with the family relationships between both main characters. At times it felt a little more tell than show. I also was not a fan of Sadie’s best friend, and thought they’re tension was contrived and unnecessary. Overall though this was another hit from Lord, and I will be coming back for more! Until then I will be waiting for my invite to an alphabet party.

4.5 stars. I adored this book. Emma Lord is a must-read author for me, and she never disappoints. Lord does banter extremely well, and it's impossible not to fall in love with Sadie and Sebastian as they battle it out for a spot on Maple Ride's Newsbag. Their antics and the silly college events make for a delightful reading experience.

emma lord is such a solid young adult author and she brings such classic style YA vibes. i love sadie and seb so much it was such a fun coming of age

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press/Wednesday Books for the E-Arc!

This was a cute YA romance set on a college campus! I thought it was cute read, but it definitely took me a while to get into the story. The characters were funny and relatable— there were times where I would be reading in public and I would struggle to not laugh out loud! Overall, I thought it was a cute read!

This enemies-to-friends-to-dating YA story reminded me yet again that Emma Lord writes some of the absolute best young adult books on the market. In this one, our main character (Sadie) is a college freshman at the school of her dreams, getting ready to try out for the school zine she's been following for years, and living in the dorm with her best friend, Christina. She's thrown for a loop when her neighbor/frenemy/soulmate, Seb, suddenly appears at the zine tryout meeting...since he didn't get into the school. Except he did. He got off the wait list and this leads to the two of them competing for the one available spot on the zine staff. There's also family drama, "freshman year at college is hard" drama, and a lot of pancakes in the cutest way possible. And an alphabet party that I now want to try to throw in my 40s.

I feel like a quote from chapter 11 sums it up best: "Keep your friends close and your lifelong academic rivals you've imagined kissing multiple times against your will closer." (This was a review copy so I'm sorry if this line changes slightly in final book!)

Highly recommended to anyone who is getting ready to go to college, who remembers the transition to college fondly and wants to smile, or who hated their transition to college and wants to overwrite it with adorable dialogue.

CW: intense young adult stress, lots of will-they-or-won't-they-or-when-will-they kiss (no adult content)

I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. FWIW, I'll be buying this one for my shelves for sure.

Likes:

+ I love a rivals to lovers romance and this offers all the fighting and chemistry between two people who are trying to ignore the attraction between them. I especially love that Sadie and Seb have known one another since they were little! I loved seeing them go from frenemies to lovers.

+ This is a coming of age story as well as a romance. Sadie and Seb both are in their first year of college and though Sadie knows what she wants, she’s not sure what her family would think of her dreams of being a comedic writer. As for Seb, he’s not sure what path is right for himself but though he and Sadie are rivals, they definitely do push one another to be better versions of themselves – usually.

+ I thought the college experience was captured really well in this story – I loved all the antics, campus life, and shenanigans with the clubs. Also, Betty was awesome.

Dislikes:

~ There were times I wished Sadie would let up on the competition with Seb and their little falling out felt a bit overdramatic on Sadie’s part.


Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one because I loved the college campus life portrayed in the story. The rivals to lovers romance was full of fighting, banter and chemistry. Overall, I thought it was a fun story!

Emma Lord is one of my favorite YA authors for her sweet stories that don't have anything overly dark or depressing in them. This one focuses on Sadie and Seb - rivals who have been trying to one up the other for years. Now they are both at the same college and trying to get the same coveted role as a staff writer with the college paper. At the same time, it gives a look into what going away to school can feel like and how that looks different for different people. For some, like Sadie, college becomes a place to shed the mask that you felt like you had to wear around family. For others, like Seb, it is a place where you have to prove yourself to your parents who think they know what is best for you, even when it isn't. At the same time, Lord shines a light on some of the unfair treatment of student athletes and the disproportionate amount of money some sports get vs other sports as well as other clubs. For those looking for a light hearted, clean, romance, this is a definite win.

*Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

The ABCs of Emma Lord: Antics, Banter, and Cookies. And good news, The Rival has all 3! Take me to an alphabet party and pass me a cheesy mug cake, I'm all in.

It's a cute and cozy college romcom, with more of a focus on the com. Sadie and Seb have competed their whole life, but Sadie didn't expect she'd have to fight him for a staff position at her college's Zine. But quickly, they find that they'll need to work together to save the school's newspaper. And of course, there's also a local restaurant with fictional food I'm dying to try. Betty is easily the best character in this book and this book made me want pancakes.

Unfortunately, in my personal opinion, not all of this author's books are created equally which meant that "The Rival," as much as I wanted to love it just fell sort of flat. This book felt short in length and was hard to get into, in my opinion. However, I can't deny that this author still brought her hallmark compelling language to tell this rivals-to-lovers New Adult romance. It's fine, let's leave it at that, but are there other books in the writer's catalogue I'd go back to first? Definitely.

The queen of YA has done it again! I loved the college setting in this one. It took me back to fond memories of my time there. I enjoyed the relatability of the characters and the chemistry between them. Another Emma Lord not to miss!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Really fun book, it had me smiling all the way through. Sadie and Seb were funny, had great banter and chemistry. Having being frenemies for most of their lives made for a great dynamic, they were relentless in trying to one up each other. As they navigate college life, self discovery they come to terms that maybe they might be more than just rivals. I like that it also showed realistic examples of different relationships, like how she felt being the middle child and thinking like she had to be the buffer between her family members and how that affected her relationship with her sisters. Then her relationship with her best friend Christina and how she had to learn to support and see things from her perspective. Also all the interactions with the university clubs were so fun, I would have been part of the Random Acts of Chaos Club for sure. Their actions and problems were very representative of their age (18) not trying to sound or act older than that which was nice. Overall very enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

Emma Lord’s books are pure joy. Even when they’re tackling tough stuff, I feel happy while reading them. The Rival follows Sadie, a college freshman who is ready to redefine herself… that is, until her longtime rival shows up at her new school. Rivals to lovers at its best!

This YA contemporary romance is a perfect pick for readers approaching the end of high school or just beginning college (it reads the age it is advertised for). Lord captures the thrill and uncertainty of stepping into a new phase of life, as Sadie and Seb wrestle not only with their budding romance but also with self-discovery and personal growth. The way they push each other, evolving from fierce competitors to supporters, brings out the best in both of them, adding depth to their relationship.

The book also cleverly weaves in a subplot about university funding and politics, injecting a layer of real-world tension that keeps the story engaging. Sadie’s journey is filled with “good chaos,” as she learns to navigate new challenges and redefine herself beyond academics. Overall, The Rival is a sweet, relatable read that will resonate with anyone who’s ever felt challenged by competition—and found growth in the process.

Sadie goes off to college thinking she has finally shaken off her lifelong next-door neighbor and nemesis, Seb. She's going out to the first informational meeting for her absolute dream that she's been working toward for years, the student-run zine Newsbag, she has a literal run-in with none other than... Seb. Their rivalry rekindles as they compete for the one open writer spot on the team, but as they're both away from home for the first time and exploring who they are as individuals apart from their families, they also realize that they really are a team of rivals, bettering each other's work, and coming together to fight some flaws in the school's funding system I loved the idea for the plot, the quirky clubs, and all the incredibly fun, nostalgic, quintessentially college happenings Sadie and Seb engaged. However, the slow burn was too much, too long, and felt so dragged out. I did not like the third act drama at all, especially because it was resolved as soon as they made eye contact the first time after their fight. Our male lead felt extremely one dimensional and I just didn’t buy these characters as interested in each other at all. I have so many questions about plot decisions and strongly disliked every single character. It was so dramatic for a romance and not what I had hoped. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher.

Sadie thinks she's finally beaten her lifelong rival, Seb, after getting into her dream college—until he gets off the waitlist and joins her. Now they’re up against each other again, this time fighting for a spot on the school’s zine.
It’s a sweet and fun read, though it feels a little younger (cheesier) than some of her other books.
She’s still auto buy/auto read for me.
Thanks netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

I will read anything by Emma Lord!! Once again she hit the nail on the head and created a book that will appeal to so many! I loved the story, the rivalry and the friendships in this story. It was a quick read that I know my students will enjoy. I can’t wait to purchase this for my shelf soon. Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced read. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

I always look forward to reading Emma’s latest book, and this one did not disappoint. Her writing is witty, charming, and engaging.

The Rival is a great frenemies to lovers romance that really goes into the struggles and mixed emotions college freshmen go through as they face their first year away from family and get their first real taste of freedom. It was great read and very on par with what I have come to expect every time I crack open a book by Emma Lord.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Rival by Emma Lord. The story tackles many timely issues that people encounter as they prepare for college, including the pressures of funding, navigating college admissions, and the impact these challenges have on families and friendships. Watching Sadie grow into her own, while also discovering the meaningful relationship she's always had with Sebastian, added depth to the journey. Emma Lord beautifully captures the complexities of this stage in life, making it a relatable and engaging read.

Thank you, #netgalley and #MacmillanYoungListeners, for the ARC

One of the better books written by Emma Lord. I absolutely adore the academic rivals to lovers trope and this exceeded all my expectations. It was fun and wholesome — I absolutely adored the main couple and am looking forward to reading more of Lord's books in the future.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Rival
Author: Emma Lord
YA Romcom

Thank you so much Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC! In true Emma Lord fashion, this was a sweet YA romance read. Sadie and her lifelong rival end up in college competing for a spot on the Zine. It was fast paced, and a feel good read. The hatred for Seb turning into something else was super fun to read. I love a good competition and especially in my books. The college setting was fun and took me back to my college days. I enjoyed reading about them trying to become journalists. There was also a side plot regarding the schools corrupt system, and exposing it. Overall it was a good read and I’d pick it up if you like light hearted, more geared towards YA romance reads. Thank you for the ARC again. 💕