What do you think?
Rate this book
Spearcrest Kings #3
Spearcrest Saints
My life looks perfect from the outside.
But it’s all a lie, a perfect illusion crafted to hide the sad truth: my life is a beautiful cage, and my father holds the key.
Especially when it comes to dating, which is strictly forbidden. Not that it would matter much to me.
If only it wasn’t for Zachary Blackwood.
The heir to the centuries-old Blackwood fortune, my academic rival for the past six years… and the only person capable of seeing through the cracks in my facade.
Theodora Dorokhova is beautiful, intelligent, elusive—and the only student in Spearcrest I can’t best.
No matter how long I try, no matter how hard I work.
But this is our final year in Spearcrest, and we’ve both been selected for an academic excellence programme. This time, there can only be one victor. And it’s going to be me.
I won’t let anything get in my way—not even my heart.
Because I love Theodora. I love her completely, overwhelmingly, desperately, even though we’ll never be together.
Our love is written in the stars—Theodora is just afraid to look up.
But it’s all a lie, a perfect illusion crafted to hide the sad truth: my life is a beautiful cage, and my father holds the key.
Especially when it comes to dating, which is strictly forbidden. Not that it would matter much to me.
If only it wasn’t for Zachary Blackwood.
The heir to the centuries-old Blackwood fortune, my academic rival for the past six years… and the only person capable of seeing through the cracks in my facade.
Theodora Dorokhova is beautiful, intelligent, elusive—and the only student in Spearcrest I can’t best.
No matter how long I try, no matter how hard I work.
But this is our final year in Spearcrest, and we’ve both been selected for an academic excellence programme. This time, there can only be one victor. And it’s going to be me.
I won’t let anything get in my way—not even my heart.
Because I love Theodora. I love her completely, overwhelmingly, desperately, even though we’ll never be together.
Our love is written in the stars—Theodora is just afraid to look up.
422 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2023
261 people are currently reading
6757 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 664 reviews
January 6, 2024
“I love you atrociously.” He smiles, the hue of desire in his expression shifting, darkening into a sort of yearning melancholy. “I love you with every atom of my being, and I love every atom of yours. I love you desperately, like a starving man. I love you to distraction.”
MY PRECIOUS POOKIES. MY LOVES. MY SWEETHEARTS. THIS BOOK WAS A DREAM FOR ME. THE PERFECT WAY TO END 2023. i loved it with all my heart. theozach have me giddy and melting for them. they had me clutching my heart and sighing. like shut up they’re true soulmates and it’s not often i say this about a couple ⸺ but i love them more than life. this isn’t the conventional academic rivals to lovers ⸺ they in no way hated each other, they simply wanted to one-up each other and the author was so upfront about that. i loved the way these two adored each other ⸺ they got each other and they got each other’s backs, but they would also never miss a chance to win against the other. true love indeed. so slow-burn, so beautiful, so enthralling, so enchanting, so captivating. the way zach slowly unraveled the mystery that was the form of theo, the way theo kept trying to resist him because of external factors (*cough* her fucking dad) but couldn’t. they have my whole and entire heart, these two. 💘💗
i loved the way they waged war simply with their conversations. you know those conversations where you feel like you’re missing something when two people spar and don’t even spare a glance to you?? that’s how theozach make you feel; like you’re an outsider. that you’re simply witnessing the grand moment that is their romance. their discussions and arguments made my lil scholar heart burst with happiness. they truly saw each other and had these intensely academic conversations that only they could understand. was it insane? yes. did i love it? also yes. i’m kinda crazy about them don’t mind me. theodora was zach’s angel, rival, beloved. zach was theodora’s savior, love, adversary.
“We’re something.”
Something like love and hatred and desire, something like the inky depth of an abyss and the soaring breath of a zephyr. Something painful and exhilarating, the golden palaces of heaven and the dark wastelands of hell. Something like soulmates and lovers and enemies.
Something imperfect and sublime.
“Yes, Theo.” I extend my hand between us. “Let’s be somethings again. Let’s not let anything get in the way of our somethingship.”
She takes my hand and smiles, finally. “Best somethings forever.”
there’s something so beautiful about two young adults just sharing their first kiss and opening up to each other and it makes me melt. the way zach slowly earned theo’s trust enough for her to let down her walls and let him in ⸺ i don’t know what else to say but they have me in their clutches i fear. i will never be the same. the pining in this simply made my heart ache like THIS BOOK HAD NO RIGHT TO DO THIS TO ME. (i loved it for that.)
“Because I know you, Theodora. I know you better than I know my own soul. I know every expression on your face like they are the lines of my favourite poems. Everything you think you keep hidden from the world, you can never quite hide from me. The beautiful things—your determination, your strength, your gentle soul—but the ugly things, too. Your ambition, your pain, your fear. Your desire. They’re naked to my eyes.”
i thought the way theo and zach were mirrors of each other was done perfectly. zach was trapped by the limitations of his own brain, because of the fact that he suffered with anxiety and panic attacks, while theo was trapped by the world around her, by choices the people around her made on her behalf. one was trapped in his own head, the other by the whims of other people. they truly were two parallel lines that can never converge ⸺ which is such a tragic thought to have. (i love being sad.)
zachary blackwood. ?!?!%#&@#$!? literally the most perfect man ever. a man who loves theo through everything and anything. you’ll understand. he waited for her, he kept waiting for her, and he would wait for her for the rest of his 🥹 there is no love purer than that. he even saved himself just. for. her. and he has dimples. DIMPLES, Y’ALL. he’s the sweetest gentlest smartest most intelligent man on the fucking planet. his points of view had me blushing and crying LIKE WHAT DO YOU MEAN I DON’T GET A GUY WHO CALLS ME “MY DEAREST RIVAL” “MY BEAUTIFUL NEMESIS” “MY FORMIDABLE ADVERSARY”??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE DOESN’T SAY “MY VICTORIES ONLY EVER TASTE LIKE VICTORIES WHEN THEY’RE WON AGAINST YOU”? he truly has a way with words 🫠 i’m absolutely on my knees for this guy. he’s so soft so sweet so polite. the perfect fucking gentleman (in the streets, a freak in the sheets).
I feel none of those things. Mostly, I feel tired and numb. Sometimes, if I’m reading poetry good enough to move me, I sense the emotions of it, but not directly, not fully. I sense them like ghosts. the emotions are real, but I can only feel their shadows.
theodora dorokhova. i just cherish her so much. did someone say ice queen? that’s her. i understand her reluctance of speaking up to her father for fear that he might hurt her in some way. i just got the way she tried repressing her own desires because the aristocracy (yes that’s how i’m gonna refer to her dad and the rest of the rich families from now) were forcing her to be a certain way and she had to grin and bear it. she was so brilliant, so meek and fiery at the same time, so bright, such an angel fr. her feeling like she had to hide who she truly was, because the world would not accept her? ugh. she annoyed me at certain points, i’m not gonna lie, cause how could she doubt the devotion of zach ⸺ who never, not even once, gave her the cause to do so. but also fair enough. i can blame it on the way she was raised.
“I only ever wanted to love you.”
“I only ever wanted to be loved by you.”
i love academy settings in general and i find high school/college settings super relatable, but they aren’t always executed the way i want them to be. however this one had my whole and entire heart. i adored the way the other characters played into the story and i loved seeing iakov again 🥺 my beloved. i don’t particularly like zahara but i still liked the glimpses we got of her here; she’s such an amazing friend to theo and just what she (theo) needs. also!! sev’s glimpses had me so intrigued and i wanna read his book even though originally i wasn’t interested at all. we’ll see how that goes though. LUCA 💘💗💝💖💓💞💕 that’s all. willow’s gonna bring him to his knees and i simply. cannot. wait.
i do believe this author likes writing about men who’re more gone for their women than vice versa, which is a nice change !!! i like it. role-reversal somehow. however, i do like an equal dynamic in my relationship which is why i could never quite believe theodora loved zach as much as he loved her 😭 sadly enough. that was one of my qualms. another one was the way the conflict with theo’s dad was dealt with. i would’ve loved more closure with that topic, rather than him just disappearing like that. it felt so weird. but i would’ve probably put it on my all time favs shelf had these things not happened ⸺ i actually ate it up that fast.
“I adore you,” he breathes in my ear, his lips against my hair. “I adore everything about you, and I want you, I want you laughing and victorious and happy, I want you kiss-drunk and wet and breathless with pleasure. I want you so much I could die from the hunger of it.”
regardless, this was just such a perfectly lovely read and i will treasure it for the rest of my life. a stunning, enthralling experience.
MY PRECIOUS POOKIES. MY LOVES. MY SWEETHEARTS. THIS BOOK WAS A DREAM FOR ME. THE PERFECT WAY TO END 2023. i loved it with all my heart. theozach have me giddy and melting for them. they had me clutching my heart and sighing. like shut up they’re true soulmates and it’s not often i say this about a couple ⸺ but i love them more than life. this isn’t the conventional academic rivals to lovers ⸺ they in no way hated each other, they simply wanted to one-up each other and the author was so upfront about that. i loved the way these two adored each other ⸺ they got each other and they got each other’s backs, but they would also never miss a chance to win against the other. true love indeed. so slow-burn, so beautiful, so enthralling, so enchanting, so captivating. the way zach slowly unraveled the mystery that was the form of theo, the way theo kept trying to resist him because of external factors (*cough* her fucking dad) but couldn’t. they have my whole and entire heart, these two. 💘💗
i loved the way they waged war simply with their conversations. you know those conversations where you feel like you’re missing something when two people spar and don’t even spare a glance to you?? that’s how theozach make you feel; like you’re an outsider. that you’re simply witnessing the grand moment that is their romance. their discussions and arguments made my lil scholar heart burst with happiness. they truly saw each other and had these intensely academic conversations that only they could understand. was it insane? yes. did i love it? also yes. i’m kinda crazy about them don’t mind me. theodora was zach’s angel, rival, beloved. zach was theodora’s savior, love, adversary.
“We’re something.”
Something like love and hatred and desire, something like the inky depth of an abyss and the soaring breath of a zephyr. Something painful and exhilarating, the golden palaces of heaven and the dark wastelands of hell. Something like soulmates and lovers and enemies.
Something imperfect and sublime.
“Yes, Theo.” I extend my hand between us. “Let’s be somethings again. Let’s not let anything get in the way of our somethingship.”
She takes my hand and smiles, finally. “Best somethings forever.”
there’s something so beautiful about two young adults just sharing their first kiss and opening up to each other and it makes me melt. the way zach slowly earned theo’s trust enough for her to let down her walls and let him in ⸺ i don’t know what else to say but they have me in their clutches i fear. i will never be the same. the pining in this simply made my heart ache like THIS BOOK HAD NO RIGHT TO DO THIS TO ME. (i loved it for that.)
“Because I know you, Theodora. I know you better than I know my own soul. I know every expression on your face like they are the lines of my favourite poems. Everything you think you keep hidden from the world, you can never quite hide from me. The beautiful things—your determination, your strength, your gentle soul—but the ugly things, too. Your ambition, your pain, your fear. Your desire. They’re naked to my eyes.”
i thought the way theo and zach were mirrors of each other was done perfectly. zach was trapped by the limitations of his own brain, because of the fact that he suffered with anxiety and panic attacks, while theo was trapped by the world around her, by choices the people around her made on her behalf. one was trapped in his own head, the other by the whims of other people. they truly were two parallel lines that can never converge ⸺ which is such a tragic thought to have. (i love being sad.)
zachary blackwood. ?!?!%#&@#$!? literally the most perfect man ever. a man who loves theo through everything and anything. you’ll understand. he waited for her, he kept waiting for her, and he would wait for her for the rest of his 🥹 there is no love purer than that. he even saved himself just. for. her. and he has dimples. DIMPLES, Y’ALL. he’s the sweetest gentlest smartest most intelligent man on the fucking planet. his points of view had me blushing and crying LIKE WHAT DO YOU MEAN I DON’T GET A GUY WHO CALLS ME “MY DEAREST RIVAL” “MY BEAUTIFUL NEMESIS” “MY FORMIDABLE ADVERSARY”??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE DOESN’T SAY “MY VICTORIES ONLY EVER TASTE LIKE VICTORIES WHEN THEY’RE WON AGAINST YOU”? he truly has a way with words 🫠 i’m absolutely on my knees for this guy. he’s so soft so sweet so polite. the perfect fucking gentleman (in the streets, a freak in the sheets).
I feel none of those things. Mostly, I feel tired and numb. Sometimes, if I’m reading poetry good enough to move me, I sense the emotions of it, but not directly, not fully. I sense them like ghosts. the emotions are real, but I can only feel their shadows.
theodora dorokhova. i just cherish her so much. did someone say ice queen? that’s her. i understand her reluctance of speaking up to her father for fear that he might hurt her in some way. i just got the way she tried repressing her own desires because the aristocracy (yes that’s how i’m gonna refer to her dad and the rest of the rich families from now) were forcing her to be a certain way and she had to grin and bear it. she was so brilliant, so meek and fiery at the same time, so bright, such an angel fr. her feeling like she had to hide who she truly was, because the world would not accept her? ugh. she annoyed me at certain points, i’m not gonna lie, cause how could she doubt the devotion of zach ⸺ who never, not even once, gave her the cause to do so. but also fair enough. i can blame it on the way she was raised.
“I only ever wanted to love you.”
“I only ever wanted to be loved by you.”
i love academy settings in general and i find high school/college settings super relatable, but they aren’t always executed the way i want them to be. however this one had my whole and entire heart. i adored the way the other characters played into the story and i loved seeing iakov again 🥺 my beloved. i don’t particularly like zahara but i still liked the glimpses we got of her here; she’s such an amazing friend to theo and just what she (theo) needs. also!! sev’s glimpses had me so intrigued and i wanna read his book even though originally i wasn’t interested at all. we’ll see how that goes though. LUCA 💘💗💝💖💓💞💕 that’s all. willow’s gonna bring him to his knees and i simply. cannot. wait.
i do believe this author likes writing about men who’re more gone for their women than vice versa, which is a nice change !!! i like it. role-reversal somehow. however, i do like an equal dynamic in my relationship which is why i could never quite believe theodora loved zach as much as he loved her 😭 sadly enough. that was one of my qualms. another one was the way the conflict with theo’s dad was dealt with. i would’ve loved more closure with that topic, rather than him just disappearing like that. it felt so weird. but i would’ve probably put it on my all time favs shelf had these things not happened ⸺ i actually ate it up that fast.
“I adore you,” he breathes in my ear, his lips against my hair. “I adore everything about you, and I want you, I want you laughing and victorious and happy, I want you kiss-drunk and wet and breathless with pleasure. I want you so much I could die from the hunger of it.”
regardless, this was just such a perfectly lovely read and i will treasure it for the rest of my life. a stunning, enthralling experience.
October 15, 2023
it’s always “ily” and never:
”i love you atrociously, with every atom of my being, and i love every atom of yours. i love you desperately like a starving man. i love you to distraction.”
”i love you atrociously, with every atom of my being, and i love every atom of yours. i love you desperately like a starving man. i love you to distraction.”
February 15, 2024
3.75 stars
This book is coded in premium English vocabulary, and i had a hard time decoding it. It had poetic descriptions for even the smallest things that I was in tears, but I enjoyed it. The slow, gradual falling in love was beautiful. ✨
Zachary Blackwood — is literally the politest, kindest, and most amazing boyfriend ever. He's literally just perfect. He's perfect in every sense and I just love him. He loved Theodora fiercely and would've died loving her. I want someone to be obsessed with me just like Zach, in the most unhealthiest healthy way. He stayed a virgin for her and would've waited for her till the end. He's her first in everything and he just understood her better than anyone, noticed every little thing about her. There are so many thoughtful things I can count on that he did for her. It was so cute 💕🤭
Theodora Dorokhova — I felt bad for what happened to her because of her father, but I never got why she let her father rule so much over her life when all he did was sneer or brutally grip her? It's a fear, and she doesn't understand that either. Lol i mean i do understand, but she should've stood up for herself before. and when she did, we didn't even get a proper scene 😑 nvm she's a genius and Zach's rival through and through. One thing I really liked is she's kind, never behaved rudely or did anything bad because she's traumatized.
The academic rivals turned lovers didn't fail, though we didn't get to see those "debate-just-like-fucking" as everyone called it. Tbh, there should've been subheadings for years because one moment we're at the start of year 8 and the next we're in year 9 quickly like wtff?? I got that in the middle of chapters and i also wanted more scenes from year 12. like give us some more 😩
There weren't cringey and sexual thoughts when they both were in middle school and i seriously would've lost it if 14-year-old Zach thought something sexual about Theo because I just don't like it 😭 can't imagine a KID having these random dirty thoughts about another Kid. Their love was beautiful. Zach had too much respect for her and they didn't have the bully thing either. It was when they were 17-18ish that they kissed and it was worth it. Their love was cute ✨
FRIENDSHIP — the friendship in this book is literally the worst. They're not friends, PERIOD. Iakov & Sev might be some kind of friends with Zach but Luca? Nope. They all don't know shit about each other and I'm not even talking about deep internal things, Zach didn't even know Iakov belonged to a middle-class family and he's not rich as fuck??? Theodora's friends are fishy, and even if they're the mean popular girls, they're all not friends. They just had some scenes and Theo's only real friend turned out to be a snake.
• Luca has me intrigued with the whole PSYCHO personality. also he's a fencer with white freaking hair? I'm down. BUT he loves to sleep with the girls his friends want? 😭✋🏻 That's wild. No bro code nothing. He's an anti-hero like this and I seriously want to read his book.
•Severin didn't have much in this book, but he seems normal and almost cute, besides his whole fiancee thing is too interesting to miss out.
• Iakov is literally the silent and softie of the group. It's already sad he has an abusive father and Zaro treats him like shit? Whatever her stupid reasons are, i hate her already. She's fr a bitch like you're 16 years old and doing weird shit and she was always the NICE one? 🙄 Iakov is a soft person, and I'm definitely gonna read his book.
❝Mr. Dorokhov, I’ll be the man who marries her.❞
He lets out an ugly laugh. ❝I’ll be cold in my grave before I let that happen.❞
❝That can be arranged.❞ I reply.
This book is coded in premium English vocabulary, and i had a hard time decoding it. It had poetic descriptions for even the smallest things that I was in tears, but I enjoyed it. The slow, gradual falling in love was beautiful. ✨
❝I didn’t need options. I made a choice and that choice was you. That’s all.❞
Zachary Blackwood — is literally the politest, kindest, and most amazing boyfriend ever. He's literally just perfect. He's perfect in every sense and I just love him. He loved Theodora fiercely and would've died loving her. I want someone to be obsessed with me just like Zach, in the most unhealthiest healthy way. He stayed a virgin for her and would've waited for her till the end. He's her first in everything and he just understood her better than anyone, noticed every little thing about her. There are so many thoughtful things I can count on that he did for her. It was so cute 💕🤭
Theodora Dorokhova — I felt bad for what happened to her because of her father, but I never got why she let her father rule so much over her life when all he did was sneer or brutally grip her? It's a fear, and she doesn't understand that either. Lol i mean i do understand, but she should've stood up for herself before. and when she did, we didn't even get a proper scene 😑 nvm she's a genius and Zach's rival through and through. One thing I really liked is she's kind, never behaved rudely or did anything bad because she's traumatized.
❝My victories only ever taste like victories when they’re won against you, Theodora.❞
The academic rivals turned lovers didn't fail, though we didn't get to see those "debate-just-like-fucking" as everyone called it. Tbh, there should've been subheadings for years because one moment we're at the start of year 8 and the next we're in year 9 quickly like wtff?? I got that in the middle of chapters and i also wanted more scenes from year 12. like give us some more 😩
❝She isn’t worth everything. She is everything.❞
There weren't cringey and sexual thoughts when they both were in middle school and i seriously would've lost it if 14-year-old Zach thought something sexual about Theo because I just don't like it 😭 can't imagine a KID having these random dirty thoughts about another Kid. Their love was beautiful. Zach had too much respect for her and they didn't have the bully thing either. It was when they were 17-18ish that they kissed and it was worth it. Their love was cute ✨
❝Beauty for me is a quiet girl with a brilliant mind, a debate team captain with a calm voice and textbooks covered in color-coded annotations. Beauty for me is a girl with cold skin and a faraway gaze, a girl who loves children’s books but rarely laughs. Beauty for me is sage-green silk and soft white wool and forget-me-not eyes. My definition of beauty starts and ends with Theodora.❞
FRIENDSHIP — the friendship in this book is literally the worst. They're not friends, PERIOD. Iakov & Sev might be some kind of friends with Zach but Luca? Nope. They all don't know shit about each other and I'm not even talking about deep internal things, Zach didn't even know Iakov belonged to a middle-class family and he's not rich as fuck??? Theodora's friends are fishy, and even if they're the mean popular girls, they're all not friends. They just had some scenes and Theo's only real friend turned out to be a snake.
• Luca has me intrigued with the whole PSYCHO personality. also he's a fencer with white freaking hair? I'm down. BUT he loves to sleep with the girls his friends want? 😭✋🏻 That's wild. No bro code nothing. He's an anti-hero like this and I seriously want to read his book.
•Severin didn't have much in this book, but he seems normal and almost cute, besides his whole fiancee thing is too interesting to miss out.
• Iakov is literally the silent and softie of the group. It's already sad he has an abusive father and Zaro treats him like shit? Whatever her stupid reasons are, i hate her already. She's fr a bitch like you're 16 years old and doing weird shit and she was always the NICE one? 🙄 Iakov is a soft person, and I'm definitely gonna read his book.
❝Mr. Dorokhov, I’ll be the man who marries her.❞
He lets out an ugly laugh. ❝I’ll be cold in my grave before I let that happen.❞
❝That can be arranged.❞ I reply.
April 17, 2024
how am I supposed to live love laugh when they exist
I’ll be here choking on my own tears. theozach have engraved themselves into my brain I fear.
“Did you want me? Back when I kissed you?”
“I always want you. I just can’t have you.”
I’ll be here choking on my own tears. theozach have engraved themselves into my brain I fear.
July 13, 2023
– 3.5 stars
the academic rivals to lovers trope is so underrated & unterrepresented in the romance genre! the mental sparing, verbal discussions, rivalry for the top spot in class is so *chef's kiss* and the best foreplay. sitting in the corner crying my eyes out that no man will ever call me his beautiful nemesis, his formidable adversary and his dearest rival 😭✋
✦ Zachary Blackwood (H) ✦
the simp energy with this one was big. Zach was sooo gone for Theo it was so cute and prob the best part of this book for me. the devotion he had for her since day one i can't. it felt like it already simped for her since kindergarden 🤣 Zach saving all his first for Theodora was so dskdksdk 🥺 it killed me that Zach tried to best Theo this whole book academically, but the only time he really succeded was in the self-sabotaging contest they had ajajajaj BYYEE that was so funny king behavior honestly.
✦ Theodora Dorokhova (h) ✦
i love the ice queen heroine trope so much, but Theo had the personality of a wet blanket. girl gave me nothing except that she is an excellent student and obedient girl scared shitless of her dad. this whole book she turned in a scared gray mouse every time her father was near and then towards the end when her father took her back to Russia, we didn't even get to read a scene where Theo stood up for herself for the first time. no real confrontation scene with her dear old dad, just skipping forward and suddendly she ran away from home and was hiding from him like ???? that was so anticlimactic
"Don't forget, son."-his voice deep and gravelly like I hope mine will be one day-"being great is good, but being the best is better."
the academic rivals to lovers trope is so underrated & unterrepresented in the romance genre! the mental sparing, verbal discussions, rivalry for the top spot in class is so *chef's kiss* and the best foreplay. sitting in the corner crying my eyes out that no man will ever call me his beautiful nemesis, his formidable adversary and his dearest rival 😭✋
✦ Zachary Blackwood (H) ✦
the simp energy with this one was big. Zach was sooo gone for Theo it was so cute and prob the best part of this book for me. the devotion he had for her since day one i can't. it felt like it already simped for her since kindergarden 🤣 Zach saving all his first for Theodora was so dskdksdk 🥺 it killed me that Zach tried to best Theo this whole book academically, but the only time he really succeded was in the self-sabotaging contest they had ajajajaj BYYEE that was so funny king behavior honestly.
I'm not insignificant-I have never been nor will ever be. Especially not to her.
Theodora can pretend I am the shadows she treads on the ground or she can pretend I'm the wall she passes by without seeing, but she cannot pretend I'm insignificant.
✦ Theodora Dorokhova (h) ✦
i love the ice queen heroine trope so much, but Theo had the personality of a wet blanket. girl gave me nothing except that she is an excellent student and obedient girl scared shitless of her dad. this whole book she turned in a scared gray mouse every time her father was near and then towards the end when her father took her back to Russia, we didn't even get to read a scene where Theo stood up for herself for the first time. no real confrontation scene with her dear old dad, just skipping forward and suddendly she ran away from home and was hiding from him like ???? that was so anticlimactic
"I wish I existed in this world as the version of me that exists in your mind," I tell him.
"You would," he says, voice full of tenderness, "if only you saw yourself as I see you."
July 29, 2025
i’m so sad this is over😔
theodora dorokhova and zachary blackwood deserve the world🌎 and they have my heart💘💝
“Have I kept an eye on Theodora? Of course—it was my sacred duty, wasn’t it? And how could I not keep an eye on her when my gaze is drawn to her like a moth to a flame?”
zachary has such a way with words
the way he described her?? the way he?? i love him.
“I’m patient, though. Like two celestial bodies bound by the same gravity, Theodora and I can never quite escape one another.Of that, I’m certain.”
🫠🫠
“I would have preferred my name to stand alone at the top—a confirmation of my intellectual superiority over my peers—but seeing my name next to Theodora’s feels right, somehow.Our names look good together.Important. Significant. Powerful.”
i love academic rivals to lovers and the fact that it’s set in an English boarding school just made me love it so much more🤭 (i am very biased- i’m english🤗)
“Spearcrest is a furnace, and the heat of it is forming Zachary into a diamond—strong and brilliant.As for me—I’m just burning alive.”
i love theodora sm- she also has such a way with words snjsnsamwmemd😚😚 i wanted to reach through the book and give her the biggest hug🤧🫂🤍
“Who are you dressed as?” I ask lightly, pointing at him.He raises his right arm, showing me the gleaming hook at the end of it. There’s a slight grin on his face. “Captain Hook? Thought you weren’t a fan of children’s literature.” He shrugs. “So? It’s your favourite book, isn’t it? I thought it might amuse you.”
PLEASEEE he’s so perfect.🥹🥹
“Yes, my darling adversary. I’m yours. For now and forever.”“Promise?”“I swear it.”
UGHHH i love them ’my darling adversary’
this man and his words🤭🤭
“The book of Theodora sits in the middle of my heart. It’s not going anywhere, and I’m very patient. I’m going to learn its language, and I’m going to decipher its code. I’m going to read every page until I know the text better than I know myself, until every word of it is inscribed on every part of me.”
i may or may not have cried a little because why is he not real??😪😔💞
their love for each other is so pure.
i love them so much.
zachary blackwood🧎♀️🧎♀️🧎♀️
theodora dorokhova🤗🤗🤗
my favourite smarties🥹🤍
theodora dorokhova and zachary blackwood deserve the world🌎 and they have my heart💘💝
“Have I kept an eye on Theodora? Of course—it was my sacred duty, wasn’t it? And how could I not keep an eye on her when my gaze is drawn to her like a moth to a flame?”
zachary has such a way with words
the way he described her?? the way he?? i love him.
“I’m patient, though. Like two celestial bodies bound by the same gravity, Theodora and I can never quite escape one another.Of that, I’m certain.”
🫠🫠
“I would have preferred my name to stand alone at the top—a confirmation of my intellectual superiority over my peers—but seeing my name next to Theodora’s feels right, somehow.Our names look good together.Important. Significant. Powerful.”
i love academic rivals to lovers and the fact that it’s set in an English boarding school just made me love it so much more🤭 (i am very biased- i’m english🤗)
“Spearcrest is a furnace, and the heat of it is forming Zachary into a diamond—strong and brilliant.As for me—I’m just burning alive.”
i love theodora sm- she also has such a way with words snjsnsamwmemd😚😚 i wanted to reach through the book and give her the biggest hug🤧🫂🤍
“Who are you dressed as?” I ask lightly, pointing at him.He raises his right arm, showing me the gleaming hook at the end of it. There’s a slight grin on his face. “Captain Hook? Thought you weren’t a fan of children’s literature.” He shrugs. “So? It’s your favourite book, isn’t it? I thought it might amuse you.”
PLEASEEE he’s so perfect.🥹🥹
“Yes, my darling adversary. I’m yours. For now and forever.”“Promise?”“I swear it.”
UGHHH i love them ’my darling adversary’
this man and his words🤭🤭
“The book of Theodora sits in the middle of my heart. It’s not going anywhere, and I’m very patient. I’m going to learn its language, and I’m going to decipher its code. I’m going to read every page until I know the text better than I know myself, until every word of it is inscribed on every part of me.”
i may or may not have cried a little because why is he not real??😪😔💞
their love for each other is so pure.
i love them so much.
zachary blackwood🧎♀️🧎♀️🧎♀️
theodora dorokhova🤗🤗🤗
my favourite smarties🥹🤍
July 15, 2023
Get you a man who caresses you with his eyes, embraces you with his verbal sparring and calls you:
╰┈➤ ❝ “My beautiful nemesis. My formidable adversary. My dearest rival.” ❞
One moment pls ☝️ . . .💃🚂
This was academic rivals done well. There was years of evidence with them competing parrying challenging each other. Phew this trope = foreplay of the highest quality, it’s true 😌🫦 it’s one of my favs for a reason so naturally I devoured their story before I’ve read any of the others in the series 🤭
Before I started the book I had no idea it was based in the UK and I was afraid there would be excessive emphasis on their British accents and slang words but there wasn’t! I only cringed once and I’d call that the most success I’ve ever had.
The education system being accurate was chefs KISS. Made me relate to them sm (a bit too MUCHHHHH If I do say so myself- the war flashbacks were not appreciated ✋). The pressure on these kids was insane tho bc i kept imagining myself in that situation and I don’t think I would’ve survived half a day like that ❤️🩹
Zach, my adorable melodramatic pookie, had me swooning EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER without fail.
Whenever his povs would come up, my highlighter would be out and READYYY to spotlight every word that came out his mouth 🤭 him simply admiring her every move, every word, every breath had me going feral for him.
Me the entire time i read Zach’s povs: 🤭💗🦋💘😩✋❤️🩹
It’s such a tragedy he’s fictional bc he’s the biggest green flag to ever exist 😭🙏 I can’t even articulate hm he’s a slave for her existence- pls I want one it’s not fairrrr
Theo kinda paled in comparison to zach but I still adored her love for education and verbal sparring. I can see why she was very detached and stoic in the book but I wish that she was freed from it earlier than when it happened in the book. The ending felt too rushed to be fully satisfying. Plus there was no real closure to the conflict between her and her dad?? Why was it all skipped over? smh.
All that aside I cannot wait for Iakovs book pls I’m dying I need it NOWWWW- his book is gna be my fav in the series even if I’ve not read the other ones yet- I just know 😋
𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
I don’t really care about the other guys in the books before this lol so Idk if I’ll read the them except the novella but time will tell…
𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
I’ll be there — che ecru
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:
“Her voice is hard and cold. It has the satisfying texture of icicles, sharp but smooth.”
~ Nahh if he doesn’t describe my voice like this I don’t want him
“Her voice is pleasantly sharp. I want to press it against my skin and see if it’ll draw blood.”
~I love this quote sfm
“All this just to get me to say something nice about you?”
“If that’s you being nice, Theodora, I’d hate for you to insult me.”
‘Nobody builds a wall unless they’ve got something to protect. Nobody wears armour unless they fear pain.‘
~love this
“I’m always desperate for a compliment from you, Theodora.” His smile is easy and guileful. “They are the rarest of treasures. How could I not want to collect them?”
~shut up ur not real ur not real ur not real
“I specifically advised you to ask someone else.”
“And I specifically told you I only ever intended to ask you.”
~be quiet
“Goodnight, Theodora.”
“Goodnight, Zachary. Sweet dreams.”
I cast her a look of surprise, taken aback by this gentle goodbye, but she’s already turned away.
That night, I fall asleep fast, and my dreams, not daring to disobey her, are sweet indeed’
~if his dreams aren’t whipped like this I don’t want him
“My victories only ever taste like victories when they’re won against you, Theodora.”
~Stop it
“Three compliments in almost seven years. That’s how stingy you are with them.”
~he literally kept count of them I’m gna cry
“Is that a yes or a no?”
“Have I ever said no to you, my revered nemesis?”
“I’m not your nemesis.”
“Bring your essay over. My adored adversary.”
“Just say Theodora.”
“Yes, my sublime Theodora.”
~he’s such a simp I love itttt
‘Now and again, though, Theodora’s head rests against my shoulder as she concentrates on one of her books, or I find myself resting my hand on the low of her back, caressing it with a thumb while I re-read through whatever paragraph I’ve just written.’
~I feel so single rn
‘She shuts me up with a kiss.
It’s an effective method.
If only she had discovered it earlier.’
~my heart: *sigh*
╰┈➤ ❝ “My beautiful nemesis. My formidable adversary. My dearest rival.” ❞
One moment pls ☝️ . . .💃🚂
This was academic rivals done well. There was years of evidence with them competing parrying challenging each other. Phew this trope = foreplay of the highest quality, it’s true 😌🫦 it’s one of my favs for a reason so naturally I devoured their story before I’ve read any of the others in the series 🤭
Before I started the book I had no idea it was based in the UK and I was afraid there would be excessive emphasis on their British accents and slang words but there wasn’t! I only cringed once and I’d call that the most success I’ve ever had.
The education system being accurate was chefs KISS. Made me relate to them sm (a bit too MUCHHHHH If I do say so myself- the war flashbacks were not appreciated ✋). The pressure on these kids was insane tho bc i kept imagining myself in that situation and I don’t think I would’ve survived half a day like that ❤️🩹
Zach, my adorable melodramatic pookie, had me swooning EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER without fail.
Whenever his povs would come up, my highlighter would be out and READYYY to spotlight every word that came out his mouth 🤭 him simply admiring her every move, every word, every breath had me going feral for him.
Me the entire time i read Zach’s povs: 🤭💗🦋💘😩✋❤️🩹
It’s such a tragedy he’s fictional bc he’s the biggest green flag to ever exist 😭🙏 I can’t even articulate hm he’s a slave for her existence- pls I want one it’s not fairrrr
Theo kinda paled in comparison to zach but I still adored her love for education and verbal sparring. I can see why she was very detached and stoic in the book but I wish that she was freed from it earlier than when it happened in the book. The ending felt too rushed to be fully satisfying. Plus there was no real closure to the conflict between her and her dad?? Why was it all skipped over? smh.
All that aside I cannot wait for Iakovs book pls I’m dying I need it NOWWWW- his book is gna be my fav in the series even if I’ve not read the other ones yet- I just know 😋
𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
I don’t really care about the other guys in the books before this lol so Idk if I’ll read the them except the novella but time will tell…
𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
I’ll be there — che ecru
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:
“Her voice is hard and cold. It has the satisfying texture of icicles, sharp but smooth.”
~ Nahh if he doesn’t describe my voice like this I don’t want him
“Her voice is pleasantly sharp. I want to press it against my skin and see if it’ll draw blood.”
~I love this quote sfm
“All this just to get me to say something nice about you?”
“If that’s you being nice, Theodora, I’d hate for you to insult me.”
‘Nobody builds a wall unless they’ve got something to protect. Nobody wears armour unless they fear pain.‘
~love this
“I’m always desperate for a compliment from you, Theodora.” His smile is easy and guileful. “They are the rarest of treasures. How could I not want to collect them?”
~shut up ur not real ur not real ur not real
“I specifically advised you to ask someone else.”
“And I specifically told you I only ever intended to ask you.”
~be quiet
“Goodnight, Theodora.”
“Goodnight, Zachary. Sweet dreams.”
I cast her a look of surprise, taken aback by this gentle goodbye, but she’s already turned away.
That night, I fall asleep fast, and my dreams, not daring to disobey her, are sweet indeed’
~if his dreams aren’t whipped like this I don’t want him
“My victories only ever taste like victories when they’re won against you, Theodora.”
~Stop it
“Three compliments in almost seven years. That’s how stingy you are with them.”
~he literally kept count of them I’m gna cry
“Is that a yes or a no?”
“Have I ever said no to you, my revered nemesis?”
“I’m not your nemesis.”
“Bring your essay over. My adored adversary.”
“Just say Theodora.”
“Yes, my sublime Theodora.”
~he’s such a simp I love itttt
‘Now and again, though, Theodora’s head rests against my shoulder as she concentrates on one of her books, or I find myself resting my hand on the low of her back, caressing it with a thumb while I re-read through whatever paragraph I’ve just written.’
~I feel so single rn
‘She shuts me up with a kiss.
It’s an effective method.
If only she had discovered it earlier.’
~my heart: *sigh*
September 2, 2024
Why do I feel like I just read a historical romance? 😅 The writing was somehow poetic, the words, description, dialogue and tbh, I liked it but also didn't at the same time. I feel like this style is more suited to a regency romance. But what do I know? 🤷♀️
Anyway, it was a good story. I love their academic rivalry and how they're sooooo in love with each other. Although it's a slowburn, the chemistry and tension are very palpable between these two. Zach is one of the best Hs I've read in a high school romance (among the Hs in the Savage Academy series). And Theo is one of the smart, fierce, and headstrong hs I've come to love.
I did enjoy seeing them through the years and how they grow as the people they are in the present time. There are a lot of things that change, but one thing that remained is their respect for one another. Their competition was not toxic, and they pushed each other to be the best version of themselves. They were on par with everything, and I had fun reading them both excel with their studies.
Of course, I enjoyed the romance, and while it took Theo quite a while to come around and admit her feelings, it was still freaking sweet when she finally did. I love Zach's patience, dedication, and faithfulness to her. Not once did he waver, and I love how he knew she's it for him and that no one else compares. 🥹 I know Theo felt the same; she just had to work through some things, but I sincerely felt her feelings for him were genuine and ran as deep as his.
Anyway, they were just adorable together. I just wish this had an epilogue with a glimpse of their lives years later. Sorry, kinda greedy about that. Ignoring that minor issue, this was really a sweet read and had me swooning and rooting for the MCs HEA. 🫶 Definitely worth reading. 🤭
Book info:
- High school romance
- Academic rivals
- Controlling parent
- Grooming (side char)
- Abuse (side char)
- Dual V 🫶
- No cheating, OPD
- Separation (weeks???)
- HFN (in a relationship)
Anyway, it was a good story. I love their academic rivalry and how they're sooooo in love with each other. Although it's a slowburn, the chemistry and tension are very palpable between these two. Zach is one of the best Hs I've read in a high school romance (among the Hs in the Savage Academy series). And Theo is one of the smart, fierce, and headstrong hs I've come to love.
I did enjoy seeing them through the years and how they grow as the people they are in the present time. There are a lot of things that change, but one thing that remained is their respect for one another. Their competition was not toxic, and they pushed each other to be the best version of themselves. They were on par with everything, and I had fun reading them both excel with their studies.
Of course, I enjoyed the romance, and while it took Theo quite a while to come around and admit her feelings, it was still freaking sweet when she finally did. I love Zach's patience, dedication, and faithfulness to her. Not once did he waver, and I love how he knew she's it for him and that no one else compares. 🥹 I know Theo felt the same; she just had to work through some things, but I sincerely felt her feelings for him were genuine and ran as deep as his.
Anyway, they were just adorable together. I just wish this had an epilogue with a glimpse of their lives years later. Sorry, kinda greedy about that. Ignoring that minor issue, this was really a sweet read and had me swooning and rooting for the MCs HEA. 🫶 Definitely worth reading. 🤭
Book info:
- High school romance
- Academic rivals
- Controlling parent
- Grooming (side char)
- Abuse (side char)
- Dual V 🫶
- No cheating, OPD
- Separation (weeks???)
- HFN (in a relationship)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2025
TOTALLY DEVOURED THIS!!!!
If only Zachary could be mine😭😭😭🤌🤌🤌
This was soooo sweet 🧁
My favourite quotes:
“I love you atrociously. I love you with every atom of my being, and I love every atom of yours. I love you desperately, like a starving man. I love you to distraction. And I think maybe you love me too, Theodora Dorokhova. You just aren’t quite ready to say it yet.”
“And as for the value I give her, it’s immeasurable. She is worth dying for, living for. Killing for, probably, or at least poisoning for. She is worth every academic failure, every restless night, all the suffering and yearning and hopelessness. She isn’t worth everything. She is everything.”
“My beautiful nemesis. My formidable adversary. My dearest rival.”
Commentaries:
Oh this is getting so good<3
Can Zachary be mine already?😭😭 Please!!
God, how is it that I found a guy in a book who is actually my type??
Okay Zachary, you're mine.
A music for my own Zachary🤧🤧❤️
▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။|||| |
now playing- Enchanted
Please don't be in love with someone else
Please don't have somebody waiting on you
If only Zachary could be mine😭😭😭🤌🤌🤌
This was soooo sweet 🧁
My favourite quotes:
“I love you atrociously. I love you with every atom of my being, and I love every atom of yours. I love you desperately, like a starving man. I love you to distraction. And I think maybe you love me too, Theodora Dorokhova. You just aren’t quite ready to say it yet.”
“And as for the value I give her, it’s immeasurable. She is worth dying for, living for. Killing for, probably, or at least poisoning for. She is worth every academic failure, every restless night, all the suffering and yearning and hopelessness. She isn’t worth everything. She is everything.”
“My beautiful nemesis. My formidable adversary. My dearest rival.”
Commentaries:
Oh this is getting so good<3
Can Zachary be mine already?😭😭 Please!!
God, how is it that I found a guy in a book who is actually my type??
Okay Zachary, you're mine.
A music for my own Zachary🤧🤧❤️
▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။|||| |
now playing- Enchanted
Please don't be in love with someone else
Please don't have somebody waiting on you
December 18, 2024
"i love you with every atom of my being, and i love every atom of yours. i love you desperately, like a starving man. i love you to distraction."
sometimes i'm like "omg four stars" other times i hate this shit. why am i constantly reminded they're so young.. im talking they're 15 under talking about they’re horny... i draw the line at 17 and under please. theyre in their 20s in my head. note: guys towards the end they were like 18-20 and most of the quotes were said when they were 16-17 maybe not sure but just pretend they’re 20 cus the quotes are worth it
absolutely despised when he called her "my cruel goddess" i beg stfu please ew asf. also felt lowk one sided... he loves her more and i'm normally for that but i usually just felt attraction from her not love- also her quick to assume the worst of him was so weird of her because he's been honest and open about loving her for years, so idk- justice for zach !
･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.
➺ "i absolutely, undeniably, inexorably love you."
➺ "i'd give you anything you'd ask for. if your love demanded my prostration, i'd get on my knees for you, i'd kiss the ground at your feet."
➺ "because being around you is like standing in sunlight and because i don't believe any harm could ever come to me when i'm by your side. because parting ways with you is going to feel like having the heart torn out of my chest, and every rending heart string is going to be a death of its own."
➺ "i don't have dreams- i just try to stay on top of things. i barely have time for the things i love, only the things i must do. i don't have anyone i talk to about anythig real, even though i'm almost never alone. i'm clever enough to understand this but not clever enough to know how to fix it."
"i know you better than i know my own soul. i know every expression on your face like they are the lines of my favorite poems."
September 7, 2023
the hero made me want to annotate my book and save all of his quotes. I've NEVER wanted that before 🙌👑💓
Reasons why you should read this book (SPOILERS AHEAD ❌):
- academic rivals ✅;
- always been you vibes ✅;
- virgin hero✅: he SAVED himself, because he only wanted the heroine and anyone else would not do 👑🥹❤️ what a King 👑 🔥
- intellectual sparing as foreplay 🥵 🔥 who doesn't love an intelligent man! ✅
- hero is a POC who's also an English aristocrat, smart, capable, thriving in his environment, has a great future ahead 🙌💕
- green flag hero: NOTHING was wrong with him and I think this is one of the best heroes out there 💓💓💓💓
That being said I didn't always enjoy the heroine, Theodora. For someone so smart and intelligent (as the book claimed) she did a lot a stupid things: thinking the hero betrayed her trust, when the answer was right under her nose, passively suffering the whole book because of her father instead of telling the hero the truth and DOING something about it...
Plus the fact that the MAIN CONFLICT OF THE BOOK, the resolution of the father-daughter drama was so anticlimactic and happened without the heroine present??? And then we got some halfass explanation after she mysteriously escaped him? How did she do it? We were made to believe he's some rich russian mobster with security, private plane etc. If it was so easy to do, why was she so scared the whole book?
Plus, the hero ADORED the heroine, loved her more than life itself, and she wasn't generous in her emotions towards him AT ALL.
❤️Some quotes the hero said/thought about the heroine❤️:
1) “I adore you,” he breathes in my ear, his lips against my hair. “I adore everything about you, and I want you, I want you laughing and victorious and happy, I want you kiss-drunk and wet and breathless with pleasure. I want you so much I could die from the hunger of it."
2) I want to hold Theodora and make sure nothing bad ever happens to her.
3) “Listen to me, Theodora Dorokhova, and listen well. You are not difficult to love—you have never been difficult to love. Whatever happened in your life to make you believe you might be is a tragedy and a betrayal, a crime against truth. Whoever told you or made you believe you’re difficult to love is a liar. You’re not difficult to love. You are so easy to love that I fell in love with you without even meaning to, I fell in love with you even when you wouldn’t let me, and I keep falling in love with you every day. I don’t even think I’ll ever stop falling in love with you. In fact, I fell in love with you earlier, when I saw you in that summer dress, and I fell in love with you five minutes ago when you were talking about James Hook. And I believe I shall fall in love with you in a few minutes when I take your hand and take you into the tree to kiss you where nobody can see us and get on my knees to worship you the way I know best. And I’ll fall in love with you this summer, when we go swimming in the lake and take road trips to Oxford, and I’ll fall in love with you every night when I take you to my bed or when you decide to be stubborn and take me to your bed instead. And I’ll fall in love with you when you finish that damnable pirate romance book, and I’ll fall in love with you when we’re in university and you’ll be angry at me for looking down my nose because I’m studying philosophy and you’re not. I’ll keep falling in love with every part of you because every part of you is perfectly, utterly lovable.”
4) “Ah—my apologies, maybe I was mistaken. If you do wish to caress something with your gaze, you know I am forever your servant in all things.”
5) My beautiful nemesis. My delicious, darling adversary. My Theodora.”
6) She taps her finger over my lips. “Less judging, more ravishing.”
“Yes, my beautiful darling.”
“Thank you, my handsome love.”
I stop, and we stare at each other for a second.
“Too much?” she asks.
“No. Never.”
Reasons why you should read this book (SPOILERS AHEAD ❌):
- academic rivals ✅;
- always been you vibes ✅;
- virgin hero✅: he SAVED himself, because he only wanted the heroine and anyone else would not do 👑🥹❤️ what a King 👑 🔥
- intellectual sparing as foreplay 🥵 🔥 who doesn't love an intelligent man! ✅
- hero is a POC who's also an English aristocrat, smart, capable, thriving in his environment, has a great future ahead 🙌💕
- green flag hero: NOTHING was wrong with him and I think this is one of the best heroes out there 💓💓💓💓
That being said I didn't always enjoy the heroine, Theodora. For someone so smart and intelligent (as the book claimed) she did a lot a stupid things: thinking the hero betrayed her trust, when the answer was right under her nose, passively suffering the whole book because of her father instead of telling the hero the truth and DOING something about it...
Plus the fact that the MAIN CONFLICT OF THE BOOK, the resolution of the father-daughter drama was so anticlimactic and happened without the heroine present??? And then we got some halfass explanation after she mysteriously escaped him? How did she do it? We were made to believe he's some rich russian mobster with security, private plane etc. If it was so easy to do, why was she so scared the whole book?
Plus, the hero ADORED the heroine, loved her more than life itself, and she wasn't generous in her emotions towards him AT ALL.
❤️Some quotes the hero said/thought about the heroine❤️:
1) “I adore you,” he breathes in my ear, his lips against my hair. “I adore everything about you, and I want you, I want you laughing and victorious and happy, I want you kiss-drunk and wet and breathless with pleasure. I want you so much I could die from the hunger of it."
2) I want to hold Theodora and make sure nothing bad ever happens to her.
3) “Listen to me, Theodora Dorokhova, and listen well. You are not difficult to love—you have never been difficult to love. Whatever happened in your life to make you believe you might be is a tragedy and a betrayal, a crime against truth. Whoever told you or made you believe you’re difficult to love is a liar. You’re not difficult to love. You are so easy to love that I fell in love with you without even meaning to, I fell in love with you even when you wouldn’t let me, and I keep falling in love with you every day. I don’t even think I’ll ever stop falling in love with you. In fact, I fell in love with you earlier, when I saw you in that summer dress, and I fell in love with you five minutes ago when you were talking about James Hook. And I believe I shall fall in love with you in a few minutes when I take your hand and take you into the tree to kiss you where nobody can see us and get on my knees to worship you the way I know best. And I’ll fall in love with you this summer, when we go swimming in the lake and take road trips to Oxford, and I’ll fall in love with you every night when I take you to my bed or when you decide to be stubborn and take me to your bed instead. And I’ll fall in love with you when you finish that damnable pirate romance book, and I’ll fall in love with you when we’re in university and you’ll be angry at me for looking down my nose because I’m studying philosophy and you’re not. I’ll keep falling in love with every part of you because every part of you is perfectly, utterly lovable.”
4) “Ah—my apologies, maybe I was mistaken. If you do wish to caress something with your gaze, you know I am forever your servant in all things.”
5) My beautiful nemesis. My delicious, darling adversary. My Theodora.”
6) She taps her finger over my lips. “Less judging, more ravishing.”
“Yes, my beautiful darling.”
“Thank you, my handsome love.”
I stop, and we stare at each other for a second.
“Too much?” she asks.
“No. Never.”
January 27, 2024
“my beautiful nemesis. my formidable adversary. my dearest rival.”
“because i know you, theodora. i know you better than i know my own soul. i know every expression on your face like they are the lines of my favourite poems. everything you think you keep hidden from the world, you can never quite hide from me. the beautiful things—your determination, your strength, your gentle soul—but the ugly things, too. your ambition, your pain, your fear. your desire. they’re naked to my eyes.”
“did you want me? back when i kissed you?”
“i always want you. i just can’t have you.”
zachtheo r my roman empire 💌
“because i know you, theodora. i know you better than i know my own soul. i know every expression on your face like they are the lines of my favourite poems. everything you think you keep hidden from the world, you can never quite hide from me. the beautiful things—your determination, your strength, your gentle soul—but the ugly things, too. your ambition, your pain, your fear. your desire. they’re naked to my eyes.”
“did you want me? back when i kissed you?”
“i always want you. i just can’t have you.”
zachtheo r my roman empire 💌
April 15, 2024
“Theodora Dorokhova is going to be the most important person I meet in Spearcrest.”
I thought it would be a 5 star but it didn't happen, however I'm not disappointed. It was a good read.
I can't remember the last time I read a book with the trope academic rivals to lovers, but this one was just delightful.
I'm not sure where to start because
“I'd give you anything you'd ask for. If your love demanded my prostration, I'd get on my knees for you, I'd kiss the ground at your feet.”
God, I wish I could express the same sentiment for Theodora Dorokhova... When I started reading, I thought I'd connect with her first; her pain resonated with me. But truth be told, she came across as rather bland, despite the fact that I enjoyed her POV. While I have no doubt about her love for Zachary, there were instances when it seemed one-sided, which bothered me.
Now, before wrapping up this review, let's all give a round of applause for this moment.
“I'm the man who loves her. The man who's going to spend his life making sure she's safe from harm－safe from you.
And one day, Mr Dorokhov, I'll be the man who marries her.”
He lets out an ugly laugh. “I'll be cold in my grave before I let that happen.”
“That can be arranged,” I reply.
May 7, 2023
a couple that FINALLY quenched my thirst for academic rivals whilst having such a natural story and development.
zach and theo have always had my attention from the first moment they were introduced. zach is the perfect man ever😭 i loved how he loved theo. he was such a perfect gentleman. he knows how to treat his girl and i enjoyed every moment i was in his head to know about his thought process.
theo is my girl, my queen, my world. aurora reed never misses while writing her female characters. they are treated with love and respect and u can definitely feel it. theo's struggles and feelings really spoke to me. she was such a beautiful character, i was enchanted.
the romance b/w zachtheo was immaculate. we get to see a journey of theirs from when they were quite young and it was ADORABLE. i was shaking crying throwing up. their bond and story felt so natural and never over the top and i loved that. they are one of my fav couples of all time now✊
I'll start the narration of my life with before zachtheo and after zachtheo. i think I've just found my best couple of the year
(the thorne is being shared by lucaval and zachtheo rn tbh)
rtc
zach and theo have always had my attention from the first moment they were introduced. zach is the perfect man ever😭 i loved how he loved theo. he was such a perfect gentleman. he knows how to treat his girl and i enjoyed every moment i was in his head to know about his thought process.
theo is my girl, my queen, my world. aurora reed never misses while writing her female characters. they are treated with love and respect and u can definitely feel it. theo's struggles and feelings really spoke to me. she was such a beautiful character, i was enchanted.
the romance b/w zachtheo was immaculate. we get to see a journey of theirs from when they were quite young and it was ADORABLE. i was shaking crying throwing up. their bond and story felt so natural and never over the top and i loved that. they are one of my fav couples of all time now✊
I'll start the narration of my life with before zachtheo and after zachtheo. i think I've just found my best couple of the year
(the thorne is being shared by lucaval and zachtheo rn tbh)
rtc
July 20, 2023
3.5 stars
zachary blackwood and his words >>>>>
“I’m just being tactical, Theodora. Keeping my enemies close and my rivals closest.”
“Don’t you mean closer?”
“No. That’s not what I mean. I know exactly where I ought to keep you.”
“I love you atrociously. I love you with every atom of my being, and I love every atom of yours. I love you desperately, like a starving man. I love you to distraction. And I think maybe you love me too. You just aren’t quite ready to say it yet.”
“I’d give you anything you’d ask for. If your love demanded my prostration, I’d get on my knees for you, I’d kiss the ground at your feet.”
“Love me like I love you. In every way possible. With your mind and your heart and your soul.”
“I adore you. I adore everything about you, and I want you. I want you laughing and victorious and happy, I want you kiss-drunk and wet and breathless with pleasure. I want you so much I could die from the hunger of it.”
“You are not difficult to love. You are so easy to love that I fell in love with you without even meaning to, I feel in love with you even when you wouldn’t let me, and I keep falling in love with you.”
if a man doesn't profound his love like zach does to theo then i don't him 🥹❤️
zachary blackwood and his words >>>>>
“I’m just being tactical, Theodora. Keeping my enemies close and my rivals closest.”
“Don’t you mean closer?”
“No. That’s not what I mean. I know exactly where I ought to keep you.”
“I love you atrociously. I love you with every atom of my being, and I love every atom of yours. I love you desperately, like a starving man. I love you to distraction. And I think maybe you love me too. You just aren’t quite ready to say it yet.”
“I’d give you anything you’d ask for. If your love demanded my prostration, I’d get on my knees for you, I’d kiss the ground at your feet.”
“Love me like I love you. In every way possible. With your mind and your heart and your soul.”
“I adore you. I adore everything about you, and I want you. I want you laughing and victorious and happy, I want you kiss-drunk and wet and breathless with pleasure. I want you so much I could die from the hunger of it.”
“You are not difficult to love. You are so easy to love that I fell in love with you without even meaning to, I feel in love with you even when you wouldn’t let me, and I keep falling in love with you.”
if a man doesn't profound his love like zach does to theo then i don't him 🥹❤️
September 13, 2024
4 ★
This book and the romance aspect of it is literally poetry that takes place in a part of my soul. I would get certain lines tattooed on my skin if I could🤭
*⁀➷
main thoughts:
the romance is literally 5 stars in itself idc what anyone says however the book as a whole is four stars,but trust me I enjoyed it and don’t regret reading this book one bit. There was only one thing I didn’t like and that was just the fact that even though I know Theodora was scared of her father and rightfully so, I just wish she tried to get out sooner. Especially because towards the end when she finally stood up for herself (which we didn’t get to see) I was proud of her but like after that her father just disappeared and was never seen again I feel like it wasn’t really a conclusion and was a bit rushed on the authors part. The ending made me happy for the characters but I felt like I still needed more.
characters:
Zachery Blackwood: new fictional bf alert guys🫣 this man is actually everything to me and I wish he was real so bad because it’s not fair, like the way he spoke about theodora and admired her from the second he layed eyes on her just had me swooning. He is the greenest of green flags and even when he did make small mistakes or misunderstood things he would also resolve the problem or work to understand theodora better and never pushed her to be a different version of herself. I could write a six page essay for the cute things he did for theodora and just why I love him so much!!
Theodora Dorokhova: I love her but I wish we got more from her character, i think her sadness was relatable at times and she was definitely one of the kindest people,but I also think we didn’t get to see more of the person she was inside because of her stupid father that wanted to make her the shell of a person she used to be. Either way I love that she started becoming herself again at the end and I think zachery was definitely the warmth to her coldness and was able to thaw the pieces of her heart that felt nothing at all. She deserved so much better.
*⁀➷
Honestly there isn’t really much side characters to talk about all I know is that the father can actually die I hated him with my entire being.
none of theadora’s friends actually deserved her and they were all fake which made me sad for her and zachery’s friends are questionable i definitely think they all should have gotten closer. The only one I care and love so far is iakov and now I’m tempted to read his book for sure.
zachary’s sister was okay I just think she definitely needs some more maturity to her but she’s still a vibe at times although I question all of her choices she makes.
romance:
This was the type of love that poets write about and the massive speech at the end made me tear up they are just everything.
extra:
if you get anything from this review it’s to read this book for the romance and zachery blackwood himself😅
quotes I loved: 💗
“Because I know you, Theodora. I know you better than I know my own soul. I know every expression on your face like they are the lines of my favourite poems. Everything you think you keep hidden from the world, you can never quite hide from me. The beautiful things—your determination, your strength, your gentle soul—but the ugly things, too. Your ambition, your pain, your fear. Your desire. They’re naked to my eyes.”
”Mm-hm. All my firsts are yours, Theo. My first crush, my first fantasy. My first kiss. My first love. My first time”.
“I’ll be cold in my grave before I let that happen.”
That can be arranged,” I reply.”
“Theodora isn’t another girl,” I grit out through clenched teeth. “She’s the girl. She’s my match, my equal, my partner in fucking greatness. And if she let me, I would marry her, not for her name or her father’s power or the worth of her body. I would marry her because her mind and soul are worth more than all the money in the world, all the stars in the fucking sky. I would marry her if she had sex with another man, and if she had sex with a hundred other men—it wouldn’t matter. I would marry her because there’s nobody else in this world I love more than her and because she deserves that love more than anybody else.”
There’s so many more ughh just read the book!!!
pre review:
this was everything to me🤭🥲 rtc!!
pre read:
I’m starting with this one instead of the first or second book because I’ve seen better reviews for this one and I feel like everyone loves this book. So I just decided I’m probably only going to read this one unless I’m convinced otherwise! Btw I have no idea what I’m getting myself into😭
This book and the romance aspect of it is literally poetry that takes place in a part of my soul. I would get certain lines tattooed on my skin if I could🤭
*⁀➷
main thoughts:
the romance is literally 5 stars in itself idc what anyone says however the book as a whole is four stars,but trust me I enjoyed it and don’t regret reading this book one bit. There was only one thing I didn’t like and that was just the fact that even though I know Theodora was scared of her father and rightfully so, I just wish she tried to get out sooner. Especially because towards the end when she finally stood up for herself (which we didn’t get to see) I was proud of her but like after that her father just disappeared and was never seen again I feel like it wasn’t really a conclusion and was a bit rushed on the authors part. The ending made me happy for the characters but I felt like I still needed more.
characters:
Zachery Blackwood: new fictional bf alert guys🫣 this man is actually everything to me and I wish he was real so bad because it’s not fair, like the way he spoke about theodora and admired her from the second he layed eyes on her just had me swooning. He is the greenest of green flags and even when he did make small mistakes or misunderstood things he would also resolve the problem or work to understand theodora better and never pushed her to be a different version of herself. I could write a six page essay for the cute things he did for theodora and just why I love him so much!!
Theodora Dorokhova: I love her but I wish we got more from her character, i think her sadness was relatable at times and she was definitely one of the kindest people,but I also think we didn’t get to see more of the person she was inside because of her stupid father that wanted to make her the shell of a person she used to be. Either way I love that she started becoming herself again at the end and I think zachery was definitely the warmth to her coldness and was able to thaw the pieces of her heart that felt nothing at all. She deserved so much better.
*⁀➷
Honestly there isn’t really much side characters to talk about all I know is that the father can actually die I hated him with my entire being.
none of theadora’s friends actually deserved her and they were all fake which made me sad for her and zachery’s friends are questionable i definitely think they all should have gotten closer. The only one I care and love so far is iakov and now I’m tempted to read his book for sure.
zachary’s sister was okay I just think she definitely needs some more maturity to her but she’s still a vibe at times although I question all of her choices she makes.
romance:
This was the type of love that poets write about and the massive speech at the end made me tear up they are just everything.
extra:
if you get anything from this review it’s to read this book for the romance and zachery blackwood himself😅
quotes I loved: 💗
“Because I know you, Theodora. I know you better than I know my own soul. I know every expression on your face like they are the lines of my favourite poems. Everything you think you keep hidden from the world, you can never quite hide from me. The beautiful things—your determination, your strength, your gentle soul—but the ugly things, too. Your ambition, your pain, your fear. Your desire. They’re naked to my eyes.”
”Mm-hm. All my firsts are yours, Theo. My first crush, my first fantasy. My first kiss. My first love. My first time”.
“I’ll be cold in my grave before I let that happen.”
That can be arranged,” I reply.”
“Theodora isn’t another girl,” I grit out through clenched teeth. “She’s the girl. She’s my match, my equal, my partner in fucking greatness. And if she let me, I would marry her, not for her name or her father’s power or the worth of her body. I would marry her because her mind and soul are worth more than all the money in the world, all the stars in the fucking sky. I would marry her if she had sex with another man, and if she had sex with a hundred other men—it wouldn’t matter. I would marry her because there’s nobody else in this world I love more than her and because she deserves that love more than anybody else.”
There’s so many more ughh just read the book!!!
pre review:
this was everything to me🤭🥲 rtc!!
pre read:
I’m starting with this one instead of the first or second book because I’ve seen better reviews for this one and I feel like everyone loves this book. So I just decided I’m probably only going to read this one unless I’m convinced otherwise! Btw I have no idea what I’m getting myself into😭
July 4, 2023
“My beautiful nemesis. My formidable adversary. My dearest rival.”
No, you don't understand- I'm OBSESSED. This was probably one of the best academic-rivals to lovers book that I've read in a while. I genuinely loved it. TheoZack have me in a chokehold.
I think the thing that I loved the most about this book, was how natural the romance developed and felt. The love that Theo & Zach have for each other is literally what I dream about. He was so unbelievably in love with her (he genuinely worshipped her)- that it made me feel SO single.
If he doesn't savor every single word that comes out of your mouth 🧍♀️- just no:
“I’m always desperate for a compliment from you, Theodora.” His smile is easy and guileful. “They are the rarest of treasures. How could I not want to collect them?”
-=-
There was something that felt so gentle about their love for each other. Don't get me wrong, I love myself some physical angst and smut, but the fact that Zack had confessed love to Theo before they even kissed (they had known each other for years by this point), made their whole relationship feel so special. Like the emotional development was THERE. Their love for one another just felt so genuine and pure and I'm obsessed.
“I could spend a fortune of flirtation on you, Theodora, and it would still not be a waste. I could lay treasures of compliments and tenderness at your feet like offerings to a cruel goddess, and you could ignore them all, and I would never once regret any of it.”
You don't understand how whipped this boy was 😭😭 Theodora had him by the THROAT (and on his knees 🤭).
-=-
In terms of the writing, I actually really liked it. It was very flowery and poetic, but it just worked so well with the characters and their personalities- and as I said earlier, just flowed really naturally.
The only thing that I didn't love about the book was the ending- and I say this very lightly. I just wished it was a bit more complete/ gave some closure to certain aspects of the story, and different characters. Tied in with the fact that there was no epilogue- it felt absolutely CRIMINAL.
But having said that, the ending was very sweet, and had me swooning and laughing (the office scene at the end omfg 😭).
Anyways, this book was so cute and I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for an academic-rivals story. The book was quite long, but I read it in one sitting because it flowed really nicely. it was so sweet.
-=-
Also side note: the British school/system rep was SO accurate 😭 like it was scary and I was getting flashbacks 💀.
June 24, 2023
read June 23, 2023 - June 23, 2023: 5 stars
January 7, 2024
“I love you atrociously. I love you with every atom of my being, and I love every atom of yours. I love you desperately, like a starving man. I love you to distraction. And I think maybe you love me too. You just aren’t quite ready to say it yet.”
★ 3.5 stars rounded to 4 ★
if coballoway was thrown into private uk school at eleven years old — that's how they would've turned out. i'm hundred percent sure, you can't convince me otherwise.
i’m honestly so obsessed with theozach! they are the definition of academic rivals to lovers, zachary and theodora basically invented this trope. it was so well-executed, their rivalry blossomed throughout this book, but it wasn't based on hatred or despise — their rivalry was based on the mutual desire to prove that one is better than the other. i loved that rivals to lovers was in now interfered with enemies to lovers cause theo and zach never were enemies in the first place.
the slowburn was slowburning 🥹 even though we had a love confession on page 87, even though it was pretty obvious that theodora and zachary loved each other since the beginning, still their get together was executed mesmerizingly. i can't even say how many times a was kicking my feet when they simply accidentally touched or looked at each other. their structured journey to each other, their stolen looks, hidden thoughts — everything played so well in retrospective that it's absolutely hard to even point my favorite moments from this book. i was so obsessed with the characters since the beginning.
“My definition of beauty starts and ends with Theodora. And as for the value I give her, it’s immeasurable. She is worth dying for, living for. Killing for, probably, or at least poisoning for. She is worth every academic failure, every restless night, all the suffering and yearning and hopelessness. She isn’t worth everything. She is everything.”
zachary blackwood, the man you are! since his first pov he was desperately obsessed with theodora and he immediately knew that she would become the most important person in his life. literally, connor cobalt walked, so that zachary blackwood could run. zachary had me in tears every time he talked about theo, he worshiped her, he always considered her as his equal, his greatest contestant. zach was pressured to be the best, but he never complained about sharing the spot with theo, he even said that he loved seeing their names side by side, together, like the universe cannot allow them to be apart.
whenever zach's pov started i was crying immediately because of the things he was saying. he's so well-written and charming, his sophisticated manners are one of the hottest things about him. he's not shy, he's very confident in himself and it makes you love him immediately.
find you a man who would call you his beautiful nemesis, his dearest rival. find you a man who would give you all of his firsts — first crush, first fantasy, first kiss, first love, first time. find you a man who would madly annotate every single line from your favorite book. find you a man who would get a panic attack even from the thought that he might never see you again. find you a man who would be so concerned about your education that he's willing to sacrifice his biggest accomplishment. literally find you a zachary blackwood 🫠
“Because I know you, Theodora. I know you better than I know my own soul. I know every expression on your face like they are the lines of my favourite poems. Everything you think you keep hidden from the world, you can never quite hide from me. The beautiful things—your determination, your strength, your gentle soul—but the ugly things, too. Your ambition, your pain, your fear. Your desire. They’re naked to my eyes.”
now, theodora dorokhova, my biggest conflict in this books is with her. don't get me wrong, i loved how intelligent and sophisticated she was, i loved how icy, but at the same time kind she was. she's a good character, but that ice queen interior wouldn't let me see through it even knowing her thoughts. it's like her whole personality was being an ice queen and i get that the issues with her father caused her to act like that, but still it wasn't enough for me. she was getting so bland anytime her future or her father was mentioned. again, i get it, but there was no evolution from that reaction to something else throughout the whole book.
i was irritated with theodora's behaviour quite often, but what made me very annoyed the most is her doubt of zach in the last part of the book. he literally never gave her a reason to not trust him, he was exceptionally honest with her every time, he had no intention of showing off her and he never pressured her into doing anything she didn't want to do. he never complained about keeping their relationship a secret, so i really will never understand how she was able to doubt zachary in any way.
“I only ever wanted to love you.”
“I only ever wanted to be loved by you.”
theozach's bond is beautiful and complicated, their mind work differently than other people's. the way their dialogues were written made me feel like i'm eavesdropping on something very intimate. their banter was also top tier, but unlike a lot of rivals to lovers couples, their banter was not the main form of communication that they had. and maybe that's why they are so special to me ❤️🩹
so you would think, why four stars? well, the plot duh. it was basically non-existent for me. the only conflict characters had was caused by theodora's father and you know how they resolved this conflict? i don't really know because it happened behind the scenes. i hate when books do that, i hate when resolution is magically presented with no explanation. i also hate when books end abruptly without answering basic questions. like, what's theo's status now? how would she get money, would zach now pay for everything for her? what about her mother? i understand that this is a book series, so i might just get those answers on other character's books, but i feel like essentials questions had to be answered here.
also, i want to specifically talk about eating disorder theme here. i hate that it was such a minor storyline without any resolution. like suddenly theo magically healed? ed doesn't work like that, it's a long recovery road that cannot be completed just by removing the trigger of your ed. also, the way no one, not even zach, tried to offer theo help with her eating disorder. it felt like people were just playing along with theodora's ed without any intentions to offer some comfort or even talk about it with her. i honestly see no point in adding this storyline if it got so sidelined without any resolutions. again, another abandoned storyline here.
“Love me like I love you. In every way possible. With your mind and your heart and your soul.”
overall, i loved this book. i'm rounding this rating to 4 stars just because it delivered me one of the greatest explorations of academic rivals to lovers i've read. the writing style was mesmerizing, it reminded me so much of jessa hasting's writing because of the amount of quotes i highlighted. also, lowkey dark academia vibes played very well with the whole story. should i even start again about theozach?
would i read books about other young kings? i'm not sure. i was kind of intrigued about iakov because of his background and his personality. and also him and zaro? i ship it! other kings were not as present, but after reading some reviews on their books i really doubt that i'll read about anyone other than iakov 👀
and, please, i highlighted so many of zach's quotes in this book, so it would be a crime to not include them in my review. give me a man who would say that shit to me and i'll be dead immediately.
“My beautiful nemesis. My formidable adversary. My dearest rival.”
“I adore you. I adore everything about you, and I want you. I want you laughing and victorious and happy, I want you kiss-drunk and wet and breathless with pleasure. I want you so much I could die from the hunger of it.”
“I could spend a fortune of flirtation on you, Theodora, and it would still not be a waste. I could lay treasures of compliments and tenderness at your feet like offerings to a cruel goddess, and you could ignore them all, and I would never once regret any of it.”
“We’re something.” Something like love and hatred and desire, something like the inky depth of an abyss and the soaring breath of a zephyr. Something painful and exhilarating, the golden palaces of heaven and the dark wastelands of hell. Something like soulmates and lovers and enemies.
Something imperfect and sublime.
“Yes, Theo.” I extend my hand between us. “Let’s be somethings again. Let’s not let anything get in the way of our somethingship.”
She takes my hand and smiles, finally. “Best somethings forever.”
“I’d give you anything you’d ask for. If your love demanded my prostration, I’d get on my knees for you, I’d kiss the ground at your feet. I’d do everything you’ve ever thought about in those secret midnight moments and everything you’ve never even dared to imagine. I’d melt all that ice in your skin, Theodora Dorokhova, and replace it with flames. All you need do is ask.”
“You’re the only person in this world who’s my perfect equal—the only person who is worthy of me. Two beings like us cannot exist without a battle—we’ve been fighting it all along, and we’ll keep fighting it until there’s a victor.”
July 9, 2024
Wow.
I love this. I love when two geniuses fall in love and they do crazy shit.
I love every word in this book. It reads so poetic. I love these two dorks in love, love it!
• I just wish it was longer, I need scenes where both leads are having fun w their friend group.
• The h's father situation, was executed in a way that i feel like, it needed more resolution as well as the h's bestie one. It ended abruptly.
• I needed the h to apologize to Iakov ( I was rooting for their friendship tbh) For a smart girl like her, she sure had a lapse of judgement here.
• Zach, the Hero was not only a green flag. He is surely the whole forest.
• low steam (the scenes were not fade to black but personally felt like they are not explicit at the same time. It feels neutral which I think is good for a YA bordering to NA novel) honestly, I hoped it was more explicit haha
Academic Rivals
He falls first and harder
Both V | each other's first and only in everything including first kisses
Safe with little unwanted owd
There is a separation, unclear if weeks only or months | both celibate {not explicitly stated but very obv. both are vv faithful }
HFN ( No Epilogue) ++ I wish we had gotten an epilogue or a glimpse of their lives after years! that would make the novel feel really complete.
Highly recom!
-------------------------
First reread ++
Still love them so much, maybe even more after rereading!! notching up my rating to 3.5 ✨
I love this. I love when two geniuses fall in love and they do crazy shit.
I love every word in this book. It reads so poetic. I love these two dorks in love, love it!
• I just wish it was longer, I need scenes where both leads are having fun w their friend group.
• The h's father situation, was executed in a way that i feel like, it needed more resolution as well as the h's bestie one. It ended abruptly.
• I needed the h to apologize to Iakov ( I was rooting for their friendship tbh) For a smart girl like her, she sure had a lapse of judgement here.
• Zach, the Hero was not only a green flag. He is surely the whole forest.
• low steam (the scenes were not fade to black but personally felt like they are not explicit at the same time. It feels neutral which I think is good for a YA bordering to NA novel) honestly, I hoped it was more explicit haha
Academic Rivals
He falls first and harder
Both V | each other's first and only in everything including first kisses
Safe with little unwanted owd
There is a separation, unclear if weeks only or months | both celibate {not explicitly stated but very obv. both are vv faithful }
HFN ( No Epilogue) ++ I wish we had gotten an epilogue or a glimpse of their lives after years! that would make the novel feel really complete.
Highly recom!
-------------------------
First reread ++
Still love them so much, maybe even more after rereading!! notching up my rating to 3.5 ✨
January 31, 2025
My belief in love is restored. All thanks to Zachary Blackwood! There is something so pure and innocent about their relationship. What Zach feels for Theo is not only love or lust. He admires her. He deeply respects and adores her.
He was yearning for her so much it made my heart ache. The writing was somewhat poetic, the dialogues were philosophical and deep. I felt inspired and touched.
The tension between them, the rivalry, the looks they gave each other and how they both wanted each other so bad.... I'm truly in love with these two. I was rooting from the first page and wanted nothing more than them to be together ❤️
He was yearning for her so much it made my heart ache. The writing was somewhat poetic, the dialogues were philosophical and deep. I felt inspired and touched.
The tension between them, the rivalry, the looks they gave each other and how they both wanted each other so bad.... I'm truly in love with these two. I was rooting from the first page and wanted nothing more than them to be together ❤️
October 6, 2024
PEOPLE DIED. LIVES WERE CHANGED. HISTORY WAS MADE.
March 30, 2024
422 pages simply isn’t enough to satisfy my love for Zach and Theodora.
There simply aren’t enough words in the English dictionary to describe all feelings I felt reading this book and the feelings I’m feeling now as I write this review. The things I would do to simply read this book for the first time all over again is unimaginable.
For starters, Zachary’s mouth was PHENOMENAL. The things he said and did for Theo..wow. It’s the little things and little details that he did and said for her that really just solidified this as a 5 star read in my eyes. I had a feeling I would love Zach and Theodora, but definitely not as much as I do now. I wish I could highlight the entire book because that’s honestly what I felt like doing as I read.
The love, desire, and devotion Zach had for Theo since the beginning of the book to the end and from the first day they met, god it literally radiated brighter than the sun. Add on to it the whole “academic rivals” aspect to these two and it was like putting a cherry on top of a sundae. In a way, this is both happy but bittersweet as well because I kinda feel as though Theo simply didn’t love Zach as much as he loved her. However, Theo unfortunately experienced so much trauma I’m her childhood to her turning into a woman and it literally shattered my heart. No one, no matter who you are, should ever have to experience the things Theo did and my heart continues to break as I think back on it all as I write this review.
“My Theodora. Angel, Rival, beloved. Beautiful, broken Theodora, whose existence is more precious to me than my own.”
Theo and Zach hold a deep connection in my heart and I think it’ll forever remain that way. Their love has permanently altered my brain chemistry. To this day, I can’t think of any man - both in real life and fictionally- who has expressed such thorough and passionate love for their girl as Zach did. Every girl needs a Zach in their life. Every one.
“You’re not difficult to love. You are so easy to love that I fell in love with you without even meaning to, I fell in love with you even when you wouldn’t let me, and I keep falling in love with you every day.”
There simply aren’t enough words in the English dictionary to describe all feelings I felt reading this book and the feelings I’m feeling now as I write this review. The things I would do to simply read this book for the first time all over again is unimaginable.
For starters, Zachary’s mouth was PHENOMENAL. The things he said and did for Theo..wow. It’s the little things and little details that he did and said for her that really just solidified this as a 5 star read in my eyes. I had a feeling I would love Zach and Theodora, but definitely not as much as I do now. I wish I could highlight the entire book because that’s honestly what I felt like doing as I read.
The love, desire, and devotion Zach had for Theo since the beginning of the book to the end and from the first day they met, god it literally radiated brighter than the sun. Add on to it the whole “academic rivals” aspect to these two and it was like putting a cherry on top of a sundae. In a way, this is both happy but bittersweet as well because I kinda feel as though Theo simply didn’t love Zach as much as he loved her. However, Theo unfortunately experienced so much trauma I’m her childhood to her turning into a woman and it literally shattered my heart. No one, no matter who you are, should ever have to experience the things Theo did and my heart continues to break as I think back on it all as I write this review.
“My Theodora. Angel, Rival, beloved. Beautiful, broken Theodora, whose existence is more precious to me than my own.”
Theo and Zach hold a deep connection in my heart and I think it’ll forever remain that way. Their love has permanently altered my brain chemistry. To this day, I can’t think of any man - both in real life and fictionally- who has expressed such thorough and passionate love for their girl as Zach did. Every girl needs a Zach in their life. Every one.
“You’re not difficult to love. You are so easy to love that I fell in love with you without even meaning to, I fell in love with you even when you wouldn’t let me, and I keep falling in love with you every day.”
March 23, 2024
zachary's mouth was CRAZYYY
August 8, 2024
This was adorable :)🥹
• Genius x Genius
• Academic rivals 🥵
•Dual virgin + first kiss
• No OW/OM drama
•Hea
• Genius x Genius
• Academic rivals 🥵
•Dual virgin + first kiss
• No OW/OM drama
•Hea
June 29, 2023
3.5 stars ⭐️
December 8, 2025
4 ⭐️
Enjoyed this solely because of how devoted the MMC was to the FMC without shame. Will absolutely NOT be reading any of the other books in this series because of the disgusting MMC’s and the annoying FMC’s, this book included enough of them for my taste.
Dual pov
Dual virgins
Academic rivals (high school)
He falls first AND harder
No cheating or OW/OM drama
HFN ending - no glimpse of the future which was really disappointing and the reason for docking my rating
Enjoyed this solely because of how devoted the MMC was to the FMC without shame. Will absolutely NOT be reading any of the other books in this series because of the disgusting MMC’s and the annoying FMC’s, this book included enough of them for my taste.
Dual pov
Dual virgins
Academic rivals (high school)
He falls first AND harder
No cheating or OW/OM drama
HFN ending - no glimpse of the future which was really disappointing and the reason for docking my rating
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2025
If this isn’t love, idk what is. The high this book gave me will forever be better than the high any drug gives 💘
thank you elara for this s-tier book recommendation 💗💗
thank you elara for this s-tier book recommendation 💗💗
September 18, 2023
academic rivals to lovers excellence they really made me believed in love for 420 pages.
i loved every second of zachtheo, my favorite people in the whole world & the prince and princess of spearcrest (no one gets them like i do fr🔐) they’re perfect for each other every single one of their quotes will forever be engraved in my mind. i truly
i don’t remember the last time a book made me feel so many emotions at once.
zachary blackwood a breath of fresh air! just a genuinely good good man, we need more characters like him.
theodora dorokhova the love of my life & my new favorite girl who deserves all the love in the in the world. she just means so much to me on a very personal level❤️🩹☹️🧸
iakov a #REAL man... need him so bad, can’t wait for his book next!!!
“My definition of beauty starts and ends with Theodora.
And as for the value I give her, it’s immeasurable. She is worth dying for, living for. Killing for, probably, or at least poisoning for. She is worth every academic failure, every restless night, all the suffering and yearning and hopelessness.
She isn’t worth everything. She is everything.”
i loved every second of zachtheo, my favorite people in the whole world & the prince and princess of spearcrest (no one gets them like i do fr🔐) they’re perfect for each other every single one of their quotes will forever be engraved in my mind. i truly
i don’t remember the last time a book made me feel so many emotions at once.
“Like two celestial bodies bound by the same gravity, Theodora and I can never quite escape one another.”
zachary blackwood a breath of fresh air! just a genuinely good good man, we need more characters like him.
“There’s a sadness inside Theodora, a sadness that was there the first time I saw her, sitting stiffly in her blue felt seat, a sadness that seems to cling around her like a heavy mantle, trailing behind her wherever she goes.”
theodora dorokhova the love of my life & my new favorite girl who deserves all the love in the in the world. she just means so much to me on a very personal level❤️🩹☹️🧸
“I only ever wanted to love you.”
“I only ever wanted to be loved by you.”
iakov a #REAL man... need him so bad, can’t wait for his book next!!!
September 4, 2023
Considérame absolutamente parcial para libros con academic rivals (trope favorito), ok realmente disfrute leer este libro, a veces era un poco dramático con la escritura y el desarrollo del conflicto final pudo ser mejor pero en general me gustó mucho, fue justo lo que necesitaba. Para Zach no existe otra mujer en el mundo aparte de Theo, ella es el centro de su universo desde que tienen como 12 años y para él es ella o NADA!!! 💗 Frases acá:
☆ “𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙡𝙮. 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨. 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮, 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙖𝙣. 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤, 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙖 𝘿𝙤𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙝𝙤𝙫𝙖. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣'𝙩 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙩 𝙮𝙚𝙩."
☆ “My definition of beauty starts and ends with Theodora.”
☆ “𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙙𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙤𝙥 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙. 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚.”
"You're mine?".
"Yes, my darling adversary. I'm yours. For now and forever.
"Promise?"
"I swear it.”
☆ “𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙡𝙮. 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨. 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮, 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙖𝙣. 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤, 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙖 𝘿𝙤𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙝𝙤𝙫𝙖. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣'𝙩 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙩 𝙮𝙚𝙩."
☆ “My definition of beauty starts and ends with Theodora.”
☆ “𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙙𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙤𝙥 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙. 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚.”
"You're mine?".
"Yes, my darling adversary. I'm yours. For now and forever.
"Promise?"
"I swear it.”
Displaying 1 - 30 of 664 reviews