Sadie thought that she beat her academic rival Seb finally by getting into the dream college. But Seb got pulled off the waitlist and they are back to their competition again. They notice flaws in the school system and start working together....etc

Love Seb and Sadie together. Being an A type myself, I totally get them. Charming and funny. Funniest banter.
Really enjoy it.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Emma Lord's books are an auto-read for me and they never disappoint and always make me hungry. I really enjoy how her books have you take an inner look at yourself right along with the characters and really enjoy watching the main character come into their true selves as the book progresses on. I have always enjoyed a good enemies to lovers, and while I wouldn't say these characters were ever truly enemies, they were best friends turned academic rivals, I could definitely feel the tension between them from the start of the book to the end.

Also...now I really want pancakes.

Well, I think I’ve outgrown Emma Lord’s books and that sucks to admit. I really enjoyed her older releases, but her recent ones have completely missed the mark for me. I’ve only graduated college two years ago, but her books make me feel so old. I’m just cringing at the dialogue and the shortened words. It takes me out of the story because I can’t imagine someone actually saying this in real life. I had a hard time relating to the characters as well because everything felt one-dimensional. The romance also was not rivals to lovers at all. The rivalry was one-sided. I would classify this book as having the friends to lovers trope instead. All in all, this book didn’t work for me at all.

***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review***

Lord takes a turn with the academic rivals trope and marries it with the 'we've known each other since we were in diapers' relationship. Sadie and Seb are basically family, but they have a rivalry that Sadie assumes she is free of until Seb shows up at her university. Lord's attempt to make sure this isn't a complete copy/paste of rivals to lovers puts them is this strange semi-frictionous (yes I made that word up) tension doesn't quite have the payoff I was hoping for. I would add that the more prominent conflict is that they are both trying to come-of-age and being there together is both a help and a hindrance and the main rub is them working out how they can both grow while they are egging each other on. All that said, I'd give this a mid-range rating. There is nothing scandalous, so if you're like me in an unkind to libraries region, this little romance should pass muster.
Thanks so much for the ARC!

This is the quintessential Emma Lord book. I loved it. It has everything: banter, quests, side quests, emotional revelations, belligerent sexual tension, unhinged snack foods. THE RIVAL is Emma Lord operating at her highest capacity.

This was an adorable YA romance book. As is the case with every romance book, it was a predictable storyline but the characters were fun to read and the plot was enjoyable. It was a great easy and fun read with a nice parallel plot that kept it interesting to read.

Cuuuuuute!

I am a *complete* Emma Lord fan girl through and through, and I was lucky enough to get to read an ARC of The Rival. The book does a good job of capturing the angst of being 18 and discovering yourself, apart from your family, and navigating relationships and love. I'm quite a few years out of collegez and some of the cliches may be dated, but I loved the heart of this story.

Emma Lord seems to be hit-or-miss for me. I LOVE Tweet Cute and Begin Again, but the rest of her catalogue falls flat––these other books often feel like roads not taken, and ideas she didn't have time and space to explore in her more successful novels. The Rival, for instance, feels like a B-side of Begin Again. Same vibe, similar characters, but far less depth and imagination and precision. I would love to see more fresh and consistent work by this author, even if that means publishing at a slower pace. I've seen what Emma Lord can do! I'm willing to wait for it.

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=4.75 | 😘=2.5 | 🤬=3.5 | 14+

summary: rivals who have known each other their whole lives and competed and “hated” each other that long compete for a spot at their college newspaper but it’s much more than that and more emotional and poignant and sweet

thoughts: I really enjoyed this! so, so good at having a relevant, high-stakes plot line outside of the primary relationship drama, and the characters feel so real and lifelike and like actual scared college freshmen who have known each other their whole lives. Emma Lord is, in general, very skilled at clever banter and, significantly (!!!), writing in social media and modern Gen Z-isms in that vein in a way that, miraculously, does not make me want to tear my own eyeballs out. they feel real!! anyway. very, very good. almost made me cry, actually.

also, for the record, I think the title is super lame. like, you could have done better here. it sounds (said lovingly) like a self-published kindle unlimited romance, and it's not at all!! it's really good!!!!

I love a good friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story, and this one had all the added fun of a nostalgic romp, taking me straight back to the college campus where I studied journalism in undergrad. I love Emma Lord's stories and how they capture the teenage experience while showing satisfying character development and emotional depth. Would definitely recommend!

Just as I expected, this book was absolutely delightful. I was wholly rooting for Seb and Sadie the entire time. I loved the family dynamics for Sadie, the coming of age angst, and of course the swoons. Emma Lord is a treasure.

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my review.

This book is like a combo of The Paper (short-lived MTV reality show) and the "Damn the man, save the empire" vibes of Empire Records. This reference makes my elder millennial status quite clear, and with that, it also tells you I'm beyond the target age group of this book. This book is former/current rivals finding love during their freshman year. It's also them figuring the university experience, including some "stuff" that just doesn't make sense about the system, and they decide they're going to take it on. Overall, it was just a nice, fun read. Thanks to NetGalley for the look at this January 2025 release.

The Rival is a charming, lighthearted read that delivers Emma Lord’s signature wit and warmth. The story brings together a fun blend of competitive tension and emotional growth as the characters navigate their evolving relationships. While the rivalry aspect creates some fun moments and clever banter, the plot can feel a bit predictable at times, and I found myself wanting a little more depth in certain areas. That said, the characters are likable, and the story moves along at a good pace. It’s an enjoyable read with just the right amount of heart and humor, perfect for fans of Lord’s previous books.

Thanks to NetGalley for advanced access to this book. The Rival felt a little different from what I’ve come to expect from Emma Lord. She still wrote a cute story highlighting friendships and romantic relationships. Like Begin Again, we found ourselves on a college campus with likable characters and an intriguing plot of college activity. But instead of grief undertones, it had hard to picture or rationalize family relationships that definitely affected the main character and plot.

This is Emma Lord's strongest entry in the YA romance genre yet. Academic rivals to lovers is always a special treat to me as I daydreamed about it as a teen. Lord is also pushing into an older age bracket with these college aged characters. I'm excited to read what she writes next.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing and eARC for a honest review.

Love love loved! Not my usual read but I really enjoyed the rivals trope (similar to my fav enemies to lovers). Really enjoyed the character development and plot!

If you’ve been following me and/or reading my blog, you know that I am an Emma Lord super fan. I adore Lord and her work. Every piece of her writing sparkles off the page with her signature blend of wit, emotion, and humor. The Rival is no exception.

I love that Lord has moved into the college-age YA space. Her last three young adult books have all taken place either right after high school graduation or at the beginning of college. It is such a transitional period of life often full of self-discovery, which is a space where Lord thrives.

Sadie has always felt like she needs to be the peace maker in her family, which has often led her to push down her feelings and hide pieces of who she really is. When she arrives at Maple Ride college, she is able to come into her own. She fights for a spot on the campus magazine, and she makes her mark as she tries to save it when it looks like it will lose its funding. She shows creativity and leadership in a way that those around her admire. Sadie is able to bring this newfound self-confidence into her relationships with her sisters, and they respect it as well.

Family is so important in all of Lord’s books. Both Sadie and Seb are deeply affected by their family relationships and worry about how their actions will be viewed by their family members. Seb is an only child, but he feels very close to Sadie’s family, and they are very important to him as well. Their families have a joint tradition of pancakes on Sunday mornings that Seb and Sadie continue at college, which I found so cute.

It wouldn’t be an Emma Lord novel without some food-related shenanigans. The Rival contains a Dorm Food-Off where Seb and Sadie end up making a cheesy mug pancake. Other items concocted in this competition include mini-cheeseburger pizzas and a mix of popcorn, nerds, and Sour Patch kids. I love all of the whimsical food creations that appear in Lord’s work, and these in particular made me smile. Of course, we can’t forget the sprinkle covered pancakes Sadie and Seb eat at Pancake or Leave It either.

I loved following Sadie and Seb’s journey in this book. They’ve known each other their whole lives and have a deeply entrenched dynamic. Sadie’s sister loves Seb and considers him a brother. They are set up immediately as rivals for the coveted spot on Newsbag. However, even though Sadie repeatedly says that she hates Seb, it’s clear she respects him. She knows that he is a good writer, and they share their work with each other before submitting to Newsbag. There is a sense that they make each other better. I also appreciated that they decide not to kiss while they’re competiting with one another. They want to make sure that when they get together, it will be right.

The Rival is Lord’s seventh book, and I’ve read her other six books multiple times. I’m already looking forward to my reread of The Rival, which will likely come when the book is officially released. Of course, I also can’t wait to read For the Record, her next adult novel, that will be released in August 2025. If you have never read an Emma Lord novel, do yourself a favor and pick one up. You will not regret it, but you mind end up wanting a sweet treat.

A fun read! I enjoyed the well-rounded nature of the Seb and Sadie characters and there were lots of creative and quirky additions to the storyline that kept me engaged in the story. I did feel like the tension between the main characters and the writing dragged a little in the second half of the book, but there was enough going on in the secondary plotlines to keep the pages turning the pages til the very end!

This is my first Emma Lord book and I was not disappointed! Sadie and Seb have the whole rivals to lovers down to a tee and the way their character development unfolds is fantastic. There is a depth to them that you won’t get unless you keep reading. For me, the book started off a little too chaotic (I might have been comparing it to the start of a Lynn Painter book which usually hooks me right away) but after a few chapters I was in love with the MCs, their backstories and sprinkle pancakes (Betty for the win!). The banter between Sadie and Seb was fantastic so I wish there had been a bit more dialogue. Recommend if you’re a fan of YA novels, Lynn Painter or writing for college newspapers. Solid 3.75 stars!

Emma Lord is an autoread author of me and she will continue to be, but this story just wasn't my favorite. I liked the characters, but I had a hard time getting past the very beginning when Sadie was surprised by Seb being on campus (if their families are truly as close as you learn they are, there's NO WAY she didn't know this!). I liked their banter and the wittiness of Sadie and her best friend/roommate.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.