The Romance Rivalry is an ode to romance readers of all styles! Irene Park is a romance afficionado and book review with one caveat: she's never been in love, herself. With a brand deal on the line and the ever enticing allure of a fresh start in college, she sets out to find love in the way she knows how, book tropes! When she discovers her online archnemesis is not only at her school but in her same classes, things get a little complicated to say the least. Readers will love how immediately relatable Irene's character is and and root for her journey every step of the way!

between the insta-love, corny tropes, choppy writing, and non-memorable characters, this book was not it for me. I was really into the idea of the girl who loves romance books and is an "expert" reviewing love, but the actual execution of the book fell flat for me.

this is probably more personal to me, but I'm a bit sick of how forward tropes are pushed on us in bookish community now. the book's plot was also incredibly obvious to the point that everything was a bit too predictable for me. I think I would've liked this a little bit better if there was actual tension between the MCs instead of the MMC instantly being into the FMC.

overall, not for me!

Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley for this ARC! This was very cute but something was missing for me. I loved the idea of two romance book lovers using tropes but I didn’t really feel connected to them. I also find it a bit unbelievable that this all transpired before Thanksgiving break in the first semester of college. I understood Irene’s struggles with dating but then when they did get it together, she wasn’t super shocked. Unfortunately my relationship to this book is the “it’s not you, it’s me” trope. I think maybe college romance just isn’t for me. I loved the cover though and hope to read more from the author!

DNF @ 22%

I love a good romance novel that’s self-aware enough to lightly, and in good fun, tease what the genre is all about, and I was hoping that’s what this book would be–kind of like The Calculation of You and Me. Instead, The Romance Rivalry felt uncomfortably meta, using slang BookTok terms and dividing each section into different tropes that the main character uses to find her first boyfriend IRL, which only leads to every interaction she has with a guy to feel stilted and awkward. When Irene goes into every conversation hoping that this guy will be The One, it makes it hard to feel any sort of chemistry or natural spark.

This was going to be one of my most anticipated reads of the year, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

I thought this was such a cute YA book. I feel like I could relate because I also post book reviews online for fun. I did feel like the romance felt a bit rushed. But other than that I really liked this. This is a book about loving books so of course I love it.

Thank you, Susan Lee, Harper Collins Children's Books, and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This comes out on May 13.

The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee

Cue witty banter, a relatable FMC who struggles with not being seen and then actually being seen in Irene, a swoony love interest who says all the right things in Aiden and so many tropes. I felt like this book was written for the romance girls not only with the overall plot, but also the convenient ploy of the MCs meeting. However, it made for a delightful book, with witty epigraphs, lovely friendships, and self-discovery. There was a scene in it that tethered on the line between YA and NA. Overall, it was a fun, chaotic, humorous, and cheesy read just like a rom-com.

The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee is an absolute delight! Irene and Aiden are rival book reviewers who clash online, but when they end up as college project partners (because fate is so funny), their dynamic starts to shift. Add in a fake-dating scheme, some classic romance tropes, and the chaos of freshman year, and you’ve got a story that’s both fun and heartfelt. Irene can be a little dramatic at times, but the found family vibes, sharp banter, and slow-burn romance more than make up for it. If you love rivals-to-lovers with a bookish twist, this one’s a must-read!

Full review on blog: https://brewsbooksandbffs.blog/

The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee is an absolute delight! Irene and Aiden are rival book reviewers who clash online, but when they end up as college project partners (because fate is so funny), their dynamic starts to shift. Add in a fake-dating scheme, some classic romance tropes, and the chaos of freshman year, and you’ve got a story that’s both fun and heartfelt. Irene can be a little dramatic at times, but the found family vibes, sharp banter, and slow-burn romance more than make up for it. If you love rivals-to-lovers with a bookish twist, this one’s a must-read!

Full review on blog: https://brewsbooksandbffs.blog/

This book was the most adorable book I’ve read this year. It’s such a feel-good romance that quite literally touches all of our most revered and favorite tropes.

The author does a great job in showing what it’s like to be a romance fan in today’s world: a review for everything. By the end of the book, we realize how perfectly the two MCs fit together, as they get each other in ways that no one else does.

I will say I wish we got to see more of Aiden’s family and their relationships with each other. It also felt like Irene’s familial “issues” almost got resolved a little too quickly.

Overall, I love this book. I love Susan Lee. And I thank the author and NetGalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

As romance novel reviewer Irene Park would say – this one was not for me. I’m usually good at suspending my belief but I tipped into the hole of too many things were unbelievable for me. Irene is the type of character that I can’t understand why any boy would fall for her. Especially a nice understanding one, instead of one that would prey on her lack of self-esteem. I still read the whole thing so it does some good stuff. I do love a good trope and the secondary friend characters were great.


Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for this DRC.
#TheRomanceRivalry #NetGalley

This was so fun and cute ❤️ I love Aiden to bits, and I saw a lot of myself in Irene - a good reminder to be easier on myself. I love how each chapter opened with a different trope as the theme!

As soon as the "game" started, I was hooked. I loved the group banter and the banter between Irene and Aiden. Irene's character was so real to me, I really felt for her struggle with her anxiety. It was very fun to be reading a romance book about two book reviewers - inception level!

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

First off, as a fellow romance, K-pop, and keeb lover, I was so excited to receive an ARC for Susan Lee’s upcoming book! I know all of her books read K-Drama so I couldn’t wait!

I think overall there were both things I loved about the book as well as things I didn’t quite as enjoy. Obviously, this book has a lot of romance and it’s quite fun seeing all the different tropes explored, especially with the little mini trope/book reviews (I thought that was the cutest addition). There are so many fun little mentions for all the romance fans (the Tamlin username was hilarious).

Additionally, the main character had some very relatable moments (fear of love/disbelief someone would love them in return, fear of disappointing others), but at some points I wanted to throttle her for her insecurities/ girlie really needed to get her priorities straight and study lol.

Aiden was also the perfect MMC, but a little too perfect? It felt unfair that he was so perfect and had everything together/had all the answers while the FMC was such a struggle bus.

What an interesting concept! Two romance reviewers compete to be the first to fall in love? Sign me up! In fact, I'll even participate if y'all want, because this was so cute!
Rivals to lovers?
He falls first and harder? Absolutely perfect.
I also really liked the epigraphs in between each chapter. It really solidified their characters in my head, as I felt like it was giving us a sneak peak of what Aiden and Irene are like outside of their dialogue with each other. It was also something I could relate to, as I am obviously reviewing a book right now. What is the irony in that? Am I breaking the fourth wall? This concept is giving me a headache haha. But the tension in this book was high, and the tropes were perfect.
Brilliant, Susan Lee.

enemies to lovers & he falls first & fake dating! all i need in a romance book! irene and aiden, are “rival” book reviews. and when they meet at college they are thrown into a world of book tropes.

seeing all the popular book tropes play out was so much fun. getting to see bts of book reviewers and how hard it is at times. seeing some growth of our fmc is always something i look forward to. our mmc was DOWN BAD! and down bad hard!

I absolutely adored "The Romance Rivalry"! It’s a self-aware, trope-filled delight that perfectly blends college coming-of-age vibes with a fresh take on romance. Irene Park—romance book lover, online reviewer, and queen of literary analysis—decides to apply her favorite tropes to her own love life. Naturally, chaos (and hilarity) ensues.

I love how Susan lee use the meta-commentary on romance tropes —it fully embraces the clichés while also flipping them in the best ways. Irene’s rivalry with Aiden Jeon, her book-reviewing nemesis, brings just the right amount of tension, setting up a classic enemies-to-lovers arc that had me hooked. And let’s talk about the fake dating trope—it’s used so well here, forcing Irene and Aiden to challenge their own assumptions and actually see each other beyond their online personas.

Irene’s character growth is one of my favorite parts. At first, she’s almost too caught up in how romance “should” happen, but as the story unfolds, she realizes love (and life) don’t fit into neat little story beats. It’s messy, unexpected, and so much better when it’s real.

Beyond the romance, the novel also nails the college experience—the pressure to succeed, finding your identity, and figuring out what you want beyond what’s expected. The humor, the pop culture references, and the witty banter make this such an enjoyable read, but it also has real emotional depth.

At its heart, this book is a love letter to romance lovers and a reminder that our stories don’t have to follow a script. Sometimes, the best “happily ever after” is the one we write for ourselves.

I can't say this enough, I LOVED this book! I was here for the vibes and they were there. Susan Lee is incredible, where has she been? Irene is so cute and her growth was amazing. She is so funny, I was laughing and giggling the whole book. Her blaming her obsession with veins on Twilight immediately made her one of my favorite people ever. OMG Aiden, I'm not even going to talk about how he is literally Irene's perfect match and ideal type because I will cry. I mean he was so perfect that she began suspecting that something had to be wrong with him or that he was plotting something. I am trying so hard not to spoil anything because there are so many moments that I want to rave about! This is was exactly what I needed to read! Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the arc.

This book was a truly enjoyable read. The writing flows effortlessly, drawing you into the story from the very beginning. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and their experiences feel authentic and heartfelt. The plot unfolds at a steady pace, with moments of reflection that keep you engaged without feeling rushed.

This book was super cute! Irene is a romance book lover who has gained a significant following on social media for reading and reviewing romance books. She is the middle-child of her family and feels like she doesn't measure up to her model older sister and golf pro younger brother. But she's on the verge of landing a huge sponsored deal with SKCupid, a Korean dating app and about to start her freshman year at college to follow her mother's dream of becoming an editor. Her problem? A rival romance reviewer/influencer, Aiden, who always disagrees with Irene's bookish opinions and whose followers start trolling Irene's personal lack of romance experience to undermine her book reviews.

Her idea: to use romance tropes to land a boyfriend at college and to secure the sponsorship with the dating app. But lo and behold - Aiden is ALSO attending her college, in her intro to lit class, AND is competing for the same sponsorship! Irene's plan to land a boyfriend becomes a competition between the two: who can successfully use romance tropes to fall in love? The loser drops out of the running for the sponsorship. Of course Aiden and Irene grow closer over the competition, while both of our characters have more at stake than the other realizes. Irene finds herself struggling to stay afloat in school and Aiden relies on his sponsorships to fund his college education.

I enjoyed that this was set at college. I still frankly think there aren't enough romance books out there set at college. This was super fun, and I'm obsessed with Aiden's obsession with Irene, even when she can be a LOT. Romance lovers will love Irene and Aiden's love of the genre. And the tropes abound, but in a fun way and somewhat tongue-in-cheek. So cute.

This was so cute and tender. It's definitely an upper YA/NA romance, so if you normally stay away from YA romance, don't write this one off! There's a coming-of-age component, but the characters and the romance are fairly mature. I think if you liked Check & Mate by Ali Hazlewood, you'll love this one too.

Two rival romance booktokers in a competition to see who can experience the most romance tropes while dating? Sign me up! The ultimate goal of this competition is to see who can find love first, and our FMC & MMC are in for quite the unexpected outcome.

This was a fun, cute story that romance enthusiasts will get a kick out of.

I’d like to thank Harper Collins and NetGalley for this ARC, which I received for free in exchange for my honest review.