The Rival
A Novel
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Jan 21, 2025
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Rivals-to-lovers gets an academic send-up in this charming and irresistible romantic comedy from Emma Lord, New York Times bestselling author of Tweet Cute and Begin Again.
At long last, Sadie has vanquished her lifelong academic rival — her irritatingly charming, whip smart next door neighbor, Seb — by getting the coveted, only spot to her dream college. Or at least, so she thinks. When Seb is unexpectedly pulled off the waitlist and admitted, Sadie has to compete with him all over again, this time to get a spot on the school’s famous zine. Now not only is she dealing with the mayhem of the lovable, chaotic family she hid her writing talents from, as well as her own self doubt, but she has to come to terms with some less-than-resentful feelings for Seb that are popping up along the way.
But the longer they compete, the more Sadie and Seb notice flaws in the school’s system that are much bigger than any competition between them. Somehow the two of them have to band together even as they’re trying to crush each other, only to discover they may have met their match in more ways than one.
"If you haven’t read a novel by Emma Lord before, you’ve been missing out on something spectacular." - Paste
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
For Sadie's entire life, she and "nemesis" Sebastian have been competing in every way. When she's accepted into Maple Ride University—and Seb is waitlisted—Sadie is convinced that she's won. Not only that, but she might finally be able to get her first kiss and make a name for herself among the comedy scene without her family drama dogging her at every turn. Then, arriving late to an interest meeting for Newsbag, "arguably the most famous college zine in the country," she encounters Seb, fresh off the waiting list and newly moved into his dorm. Worse, Sadie's dream of snagging a staff position at Newsbag is made more complicated by Seb's assertion that he's gunning for the spot as well. The protagonists' childhood friendship and the new and unexpected variables presented in their first year of college are particularly well drawn. Via Sadie and Seb's rapid-fire jokes, quips, and jabs, Lord (The Getaway List) nimbly plots a cheeky and gentle romance full of murky, unexplainable feelings; depictions of messy burgeoning adulthood; and the excitement of first love. Main characters read as white. Ages 12–up.
