This was just too cute. I enjoyed so many things about this book. So many times the rom-com piece is so prevalent and everything else is ignored. However this tackled so many other issues and subplots. Sadie's family dynamic. Freshman issues. College administration issues. Scholarships. Family pressure. All of which were so incredibly well thought out and well written. The audiobook narrator was great as well. 4.5 stars.

A late bloomer, coming of age story about two childhood rivals who continue their rivalry into college to compete for the only slot at the school paper.

Another miss for me. This was a college romance that was (1) too self aware that it was a RomCom, and (2) had almost no relatability for me. The whole thing was quite hyperbolic. I found the conflicts to be petty or nonsensical. I found it required a lot of suspension of disbelief for some plot points, which is hard for me in contemporary stories. The late bloomer aspect was actually kind of sweet, but the take away was weird.

I love, love loved the narration by Jesse Vilinski. It made the audio experience quite enjoyable.

Content : kissing only romantic content, characters are diverse and LGBT+ forward (straight FMC, bi MMC, a married lesbian couple, and a they/them character), quite a bit of profanity.

Thank you for the advance digital copy of this book from the publisher, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for making it available.

My review is currently up on Goodreads.

First thing’s first: thank you Netgalley for the ALC of this book!
I have loved everything I’ve read by Emma Lord so when I saw The Rival by her available through Netgalley, I HAD to request it!! This one fell more on the YA side and followed lifelong rivals Sadie and Seb. Their parents were best friends and they grew up next door to each other. Being the same age, they spent their life competing with each other all through school. Now they’re going to the same college and find themselves competing with each other again for the last spot on the school’s newspaper staff.

Emma Lord does such a good job at making me remember what it was like to be 18 and for everything to be new and difficult and messy and often dramatic. I occasionally found myself annoyed at Sadie for making a big deal out of something that wasn’t really a big deal, but then I remembered who I was at 18 and thought “no wait that tracks”. I loved watching her and Seb see each other in new lights- choosing to work together instead of against each other. I loved watching them carve out space for themselves and discover who they were away from their families. I also always love Jesse Vilinksy’s narration. All in all I really enjoyed this one.
4⭐️

I have both physically read and listened to many Emma Lord novels and have enjoyed them all. The Rival is no exception. It was a fast-paced book with likeable characters. I am looking forward to reading more from Emma Lord in the future.

The Rival is an enemies to lovers slow burn Romance where the main character Sadie and Her childhood friend Seb go from best friends to enemies after a misunderstanding causing their need to compete over everything to grow stronger.

I loved this book, absolutely loved it, it is a book I am going to actively go out and buy after it’s published I enjoyed this book so much.

The book was well written and kept me reading to the point where I just didn’t want to stop reading it, honestly if you get the chance to pick this book up it’s a fantastic read.

I loved how easy it was to connect to the characters and fall in love with them not only for their positives but also for their flaws

Jesse vilinsky absolutely killed at the narration of this book, she did such a fabulous job bringing the characters to life especially Sadie .

Thank you Netgalley Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners for the arc

Emma Lord delivers again! She has written another great YA novel. This one takes place in college, but it is easily can be a high school. Full of drama, the whole will they-won't they, and lots of fun complex characters. I enjoyed listening to this book and it really made me crave pancakes when I was done with it!

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced listening copy of this book.

I will admit that my enjoyment of this was completely impacted by the timing of my read. That said, I do feel like a lot of Emma Lord’s books are just the same characters/plot points being recycled and changed ever so slightly.

The books are cute, but after a while the formula gets old. So while I enjoyed this one for what it was, it is definitely not her best work or my favorite of hers by any means.

I listened to the audio for this which is narrated by Jesse Vilinsky who did a fantastic job as usual.

I love Emma Lord's writing, so I was delighted to receive a copy of The Rival. If this book is any indication, 2025 is going to be a great year in books!

This is a fun college rom-com with an enemies-to-lovers theme that veers a little more YA than new adult. The dynamic between Seb and Sadie is so charming, and this is a great addition to Lord's catalog.

Told from Emma's perspective, Jesse Vilinsky does a great job with narrating the audiobook.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

Before The Rival, I had read two books by Emma Lord. I loved one of them, so I was excited for another book by her. Unfortunately, this book struggles with the same thing the other books do: it’s simply too long. Begin Again was the book by Lord that I loved, and even that one I can agree was too long. Being that I did love Begin Again, I did appreciate the connection to The Rival, mentioning the same school as Begin Again.

The Rival is an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story, but I never fully got on board with their love story. It’s very cliché in the sense that the guy always liked her, but she didn’t notice it, but of course, everyone else did. In high school, Sadie and Seb were rivals in everything. Their competition brought the best out in each other. Now they are at the same college competing for the one position on the prestigious college journalism program.

I did like Seb for most of the story, but Sadie rubbed me the wrong way from start to finish. There is a difference between being goal-oriented and selfish, and Sadie was always selfish. She never thought about the people close to her when considering any of her actions. Even in the end, when I normally would come around on a character, Sadie never won me over.

I’m now two for three with not loving Lord’s books, and I hate that. I can’t wait until her next book comes out so I can even up the score.

So, last year, i swore to myself that i wouldn't read anymore from this author because i never gave her anything above a 3 stars but i couldnt help but request an arc because of the cover and im glad i did. I gave this 4.75 i actually really enjoyed and liked this book a lot. The characters were easy to like. The plot was enjoyable. And i loved the narrator

I was excited for a new Emma Lord book and unfortunately this one fell flat for me. I was not a big fan of the main character but enjoyed the side characters. I believe people will like this book but it just wasn't for me

My first foray into audiobooks from NetGalley, but likely not my last. It shows how desperate I am to have Emma Lord's sweets-focused narratives injected directly into my veins.

Seb and Sadie basically grew up together, and yet they have a huge secret: They hate each other and have been enemies slash rivals since about middle school. Sadie thinks college will be a clean break, until she sees Seb going into the same meeting she is. Throw in some homesickness and trying to separate herself from who her family thinks she is and who Sadie is becoming, it's pretty great.

I requested an ebook version from NetGalley, and was too impatient to try and get before I had to wait forever for my library to get it. I need Emma Lord's words in my January that badly. Overall, I liked it. I appreciate how she can portray people on the precipice between childhood and adulthood well. I thought the narration was well done, and since I sometimes zone out during audiobooks, I'll probably reread this as a print book.

Thanks, NetGalley!

THE NOSTALGIA.

Emma Lord does an incredible job of making me feel nostalgic for my college aged years. Where things are confusing, live has a lot of new turns and you’re just trying to find out where you want to be and the goals you have to achieve to get there. I adore this setting so much and love that it’s set in college but still YA appropriate.

I loved the dynamic between Sadie and Seb. The banter was fantastic. The quips and pranks back and forth really sold me on how much they care about each other even though they have been ignoring those feelings for so long. The cute pancake dates and tender quiet discussions were sweet and impactful for the storyline.

It’s a genuine and fun read. I also adored the complex family relationships. That there was support and love but issues too. It’s not all sunshine, yet you know who’s in your corner. I love the authentic nature of these kinds of plots.

If Emma writes it, I’m going to read it and this is no different. Another gem and one I am so grateful I got my hands on early.

Overall audience notes:

New adult contemporary romance
Language: low
Romance: kisses

Thank you Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Summary: When lifelong academic rivals Sadie and Seb end up at the same dream college, their fierce competition for a spot on the school’s zine leads to unexpected teamwork, self-discovery, and a realization that their biggest rivalries might not be with each other after all.

My review: The Rival is a sweet and charming YA romcom that expertly blends the enemies-to-lovers and opposites-attract tropes. Set against the vibrant backdrop of college life, the story follows Sadie and Seb as their competitive dynamic evolves into something deeper and more heartfelt. Beyond its delightful romance, the novel tackles themes of leaving home for the first time, navigating sibling relationships as teens grow into young adults, and the awkward yet exciting beginnings of new connections. The narrator’s engaging and relatable voice adds an extra layer of warmth and makes the story easy to follow and enjoy.

Genres/Themes: Young Adult Fiction / Romance - Romantic Comedy / Coming of Age / Social Themes - Emotions & Feelings

The Rival is scheduled for publication on January 21, 2025, by Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners.

I always look forward to a new Emma Lord book, and The Rival was no exception. She has created another adorable enemies-to-lovers and opposites-attract love story set in college. This is an entertaining, incredibly cute, and heartwarming read you shouldn't miss!

this was a fantastic YA book. it involved characters who were figuring themselves out and understanding that a balance is needed in life. family traditions and understanding it is ok to take different roles in different situations. Every family is different but that doesn't mean bad. Overall I thought this book was fantastic.

I plan to share this book on my instagram on Tuesday, January 21st to celebrate the release.

Emma Lord does it again. I absolutely loved this sweet YA book. This is a tale of Sadie and Seb, who grew up neighbours, and their families were best friends but they were secret rivals and lived to outdo each other. This continues right into college where they are competing for the only position on the schools comedic paper. This is a hilarious and heart warming enemies to lovers story. The author has fun with this trope. Everyone surrounding this couple knows it just a matter of time before they get together. It becomes a running joke throughout the book.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy. The audiobook narrator Jesse Vilinsky was an absolute delight to listen to. I highly recommend this book, it's a lot of fun.

Of course this is just like you expect an Emma Lord book to be; a little bit of humour, heart and growing up.

The problem I had was that this was a lot like her other books to a detriment. It just didn't give me much to look forward to while reading it and I just feel like I'm kind of Emma Lord-ed out.

This is a cute book though to its core and I think a lot of people will enjoy it. It's solidly YA, and the characters are pretty relatable.

I guess I wasnt really aware how much "young adult" this was going to be. I feel like it didnt have as much romance as I wanted in it. Cute but corny plot.

Having loved and enjoyed some of Emma Lord’s previous books, I basically hit play on The Rival after seeing the cover and enjoyed this fun little rivals to lovers romcom that made me laugh quite a bit with fun characters that are fleshed out and well built conflicts that kept me listening from start to finish.

As a side note, I feel this book is more New Adult for the college setting and copious amounts of swearing and some innuendo. There’s no explicit sex though, nothing beyond kissing, so this is good for the spice-free crowd and upper YA readers.

The story’s simple: For years, Sadie has seen herself as the peacemaker of the family, wanting everything to be in her control and sees Maple Ridge College as her first time away from the drama. She’s dreamed of writing for Newsbag, a student run newspaper, to develop her comedy writing. But two problems, her life long rival, Sebastian Adams is competing for the job, and second, Newsbag might be going under in a matter of weeks due to budget issues.

Overall, the vibe of this story is heartwarming and chaotic fun. We explore Sadie’s first semester as she balances classes, social life, friendships, and family. The other major plot line is Maple Ridge College’s budget issues, which intertwine with the Newsbag competition, as well as just about everything else Sadie does at school. Sadie herself is an interesting protagonist, having to learn some harsh lessons about control and her life as she navigates through everything.

I loved the character dynamics between just about everyone in this book. Each character had their own version of energy, especially Amara and Rowen, the pair of editors at Newsbag that come off with a grumpy/sunshine vibe. I especially love Sadie and Sebastian’s relationship as they get closer, there’s quite a bit of dimension to the whole thing. There were also segments of the story that was just hilarity and made me smile or laugh, or both. Also, pancakes!

The narrator, Jesse Vilinsky, added to the chaotic vibe with her narration style.

If you’re looking for a college rom com with some laughs and a valuable life lesson, or just more Emma Lord, check this out.