I really enjoyed The Rival. While I’m not a writer, the peek into the world of journalism at a famous college newspaper was intriguing. Involving so many different college clubs in the story added so much variety, and it was eye opening to read about what these clubs go through to remain on campus - things like budgeting and other restrictions sound like a nightmare.

The characters were also great - rivals from birth but also growing up as extremely close family friends created a really cool dynamic that I haven’t seen in many YA/NA books. I really loved their relationship and seeing it develop while they grew as people was fun.

Emma Lord is one of my favorite YA/NA authors, and I can’t wait to read the next one!

3.5 stars (rounded up to 4) Such a good premise! Sadie and Seb have grown up together (literally, their families are super close with each other and live next to one another) and became academic rivals along the way. They end up at the same college for their freshman year and each grows into their own person. Both Sadie and Seb have their own growing up to do with their own baggage. Seb is an only child and suffers from not living up to his parents’ expectations. Sadie is one of many children in an outgoing and boisterous family. Sadie assigned herself the role of managing her family’s quirkiness, solving their problems and tamping down their over-the-top behavior. Seb has had romantic thoughts about Sadie since the age of 14 and while Sadie may have wanted to kiss him, she doesn’t acknowledge it to herself or others until college. As they work to straighten out their romantic life, they also must figure things out with their families, friends and school.

First, I really enjoy reading Emma Lord’s stories. She always writes such feel-good YA books that I wish I had around when I was younger. This story was a great idea but somehow got a little bogged down along the way. The back and forth between Sadie and Seb before they figured things out was too long and it made it tough to stay focused on the story at times. That said, this is a great coming of age story about college freshman and how challenging it is to adapt to a new and evolving time. I do recommend reading it as it’s cute and does make you think about that time in your life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sharing an ARC. This review is completely voluntary and joyfully shared.

Emma Lord has become a great name in new adult fiction and her stories are always very relatable; however, The Rival missed the mark a little bit for me simply because I had the "when are we getting to the point" feeling versus "I can't wait to see where this is going" feeling. I liked Sadie and Seb's story, but was there was just so much outside stuck going on between their families and the paper and their friends that I found myself getting lost in the story. Maybe this was the headspace I was in when I read it and I need to be back and revisit another time. I will still recommend this to other readers because I do think that that new college experiences that Sadie, Seb, and Christina are going through are super important for kids to read in case it's something that will help them out!

I always eat up an Emma Lord book and this one was no exception! Her writing flows easily and is full of humor and character. She writes fun, believable characters and I loved the college atmosphere of this one!

this was so so so so cute please get this asap!!! emma lord has never failed me so i had high hopes for this book and it was the best feel good, cozy read. do i still love begin again more? yes. none of her books top that one...but this might just be a close second. also - this is set in the same world as begin again, you definitely do not have to read that one first as there really isn't any crossover, but some places sound familiar ;)

There's just something about how Emma Lord writes that just makes me want to re-read all of her other works. The Rival, personally, is her best to date. I enjoyed Sadie and Seb's relationship and watching it progress throughout the book. If you liked Begin Again, You Have a Match, or Tweet Cute, you'll love this one. Can't wait to buy it when it comes out!

Emma Lord is the perfect go to for YA and new adult romance—charming characters, heartfelt stories, witty banter. I recommend this and her other books to teens and young adults who love a satisfying romance!

Thanks so much to Emma Lord and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the eARC of this book. I loved the dynamic between Sadie and Seb. I also love a good rivals to lovers trope. This is a great YA read. Definitely Recommend.

This was super cute! I’ve read and enjoyed a lot of Emma Lord’s books. Most of them have a pretty simple premise but are good, easy reads. If not a little basic. I enjoyed this a lot, especially the aspect of how they’ve basically known each other since birth. I loved the moments of them caring for each other even just as friends, I appreciated how they didn’t immediately just into a relationship. I also liked seeing the aspects of their rivalry as well, though the last 10% dragged a lot.

Even as an adult I enjoy a good YA romance. This was a sweet enemies/friends to lovers with a good childhood backstory and a fun new college experience. I feel like the book started out strong but maybe lost me a little along the way. It was fun, cute and had some sweet moments. I feel like it could have possibly used a bit more direction/development & gotten rid of a few distractions but I enjoyed it along the way. As far as content, I think it’s a good YA, clean except some random language thrown in there.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

ARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, sweet read. Slow burn romance. Loved the romance between Seb and Sadie. Smooth moving plot as well.

LIKE IVE SAID BEFORE my favorite books are books like this one. Books about rivals, enemies to lovers/academic rivals. Love that.

The Rival, by Emma Lord, is a fun rom-com without too much spice (for those who like your romance scenes to be a little less steamy). This one is a quick easy read that will pull you through to discover what will happen. Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

Emma Lord, the woman you are <3 As the self proclaimed leader of the Emma Lord Fan Club, being sent this ARC was an actual dream come true! And The Rival truly did not disappoint! Sadie and Seb had me laughing and giggling and screaming “JUST KISS ALREADY” Armed with so many sweet treats, The Rival is the PERFECT rivals to lovers with just enough sass and silliness that everyone will love it! Perfect for fans of Today, Tonight, Tomorrow and Love, Off the Record, The Rival is not to be missed!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC!
I’ve enjoyed some of Emma Lord’s YAs before, and this was no exception! It wasn’t my number one favorite of hers, but I still really liked it overall.
I feel like there aren’t as many YA college romances, and I was excited that the MCs were in college! That aspect made it a little different and so fun. The MCs are also childhood rivals to lovers, and I thought this trope was done so well!
All in all, I definitely recommend!

Emma Lord is a comfort author for me. I feel a kinship with her as I love her references and relate, despite not being in the YA group anymore. This book was no exception. So fun and quick, the romance was adorable. Highly recommend.

This was a lot of fun! I really enjoyed the rivalry between these frienemies and was rooting for that first kiss! Kudos to Emma! I’ll be recommending to book club for sure!

Sadie thinks moving to a new school without her lifelong rival, Sebastian, will be the fresh start that she wanted. However, on her first day of college, she runs into him. To make things even better, Sebastian and Sadie are competing for the same position at the school's journalism program.

I was obsessed with this book from the first page. The story sucked me in. Sadie and Sebastian had such an enjoyable dynamic. The banter was hilarious and had me giggling. The other thing I loved was quite literally all of the characters. Sadie was my favorite, though. She was interesting and had a ton of character growth by the end.

I am so thankful that I was able to read this ARC copy! Thank you so much to @stmartinspress, @netgalley, and @dilemmalord.

Adorable. Even in my 40’s I can appreciate a good YA. This reminded me a bit of Today Tonight Tomorrow which I loved. I have not read any of the authors backlist but I will now!

3.5 stars, rounded down

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Emma Lord's books I have read and was pumped to start this one! It didn't disappoint, per se, but it wasn't the same quality as her other books. With that said though, I think my biggest gripe about it was it was a college set book, and the college setting was so out of touch with how college actually is. It took away from the book for me.

I did really enjoy that it wasn't just about the romance, it focused on leaving family for the first time and how that changes your relationships. I found that refreshing and different from most YA books I've read that are set in college.

While this one fell a little flat for me, I still enjoyed the quick read and I will always pick up the next Emma Lord book that comes out. She is hands down an auto-read author for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.