The Romance Rivalry

by Susan Lee

She’s read every romance…except her own…

Irene Park loves romance novels—so much so she’s made a career of them as an online book reviewer with a massive following. But Irene’s real life dating story? Non-existent. So when she starts her freshman year of college, she sets her sights on finding true love using the one thing she really understands…romance book tropes.

If only it were that easy.

Enter Aiden Jeon, Irene’s online book review rival and biggest nemesis. When Aiden challenges her to see who can find love-by-trope first, he becomes the one person standing in her way to getting everything she wants both professionally and personally, too. So when the competition takes an unexpected turn, forcing the two of them to have to partner in the ultimate trope, fake dating, Irene is not prepared for everything she believed about romance, and Aiden, to flip on its head.

As Irene tackles the challenges of college life, struggles to figure out what she really wants for herself, all while trying to win the race for love, Irene realizes the answers may not be found in a romance novel. Happily Ever Afters seem so easy on page. But for Irene to find her ultimate HEA, she’ll have to get her nose out of the book and become the main character of her own story.

Perfect for fans of:
📚 Enemies to Lovers
💘 Fake Dating
🏫 College Rom-Coms
💬 Banter for Days
🎥 A+ Pop Culture References
✨ Books about loving books

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Audiobook, Enemies To Lovers, Fake Dating, Contemporary Romance

368 pages, Paperback

First published May 13, 2025

About the author

Susan Lee is the author of the critically acclaimed and reader favorite young adult romantic comedies SEOULMATES and THE NAME DROP. Her work has been featured in national outlets such as Buzzfeed, NPR, and Pop Sugar. Kirkus Reviews calls Susan’s voice “honest, fresh and thoughtful”. A graduate of UC San Diego, Susan built a career as an HR executive at some of today’s hottest companies, until she realized that writing stories was a more impactful and powerful form of change. Now she channels her energy into writing Happily Ever Afters for those historically underrepresented in Romance. When she is not writing (or painfully procrastinating from writing), Susan can be found down the rabbit holes of her many obsessions including listening to Kpop, binge watching K-dramas, collecting sneakers, building mechanical keyboards, and obsessing over her two adorable, but ill-behaved chihuahuas.

Reviews

[Nancy •͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ · Rating 2 out of 5]

──⟡⋆˙✩ 2 stars ✩ ⋆˙⟡──

I had to physically restrain myself from DNF’ing this book. I forced myself to continue. I started this book with HIGH HOPES, and it let me down. Reading 200 pages has never been this difficult for me. This book felt NEVER-ENDING.

𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕀𝕤 𝔸𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥: ℕ𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕪 𝔼𝕕𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 ᯓ★

Irene is a voracious romance reader and reviewer with a huge number of followers. BUT despite reading so much romance, she has no IRL experience of it. Stuff happens, and Aiden—also a romance reader, reviewer, AND her nemesis—proposes they FAKE DATE for complicated, legitimate reasons you’ll know if you read the book.

WHAT A FUN CONCEPT. But it fell flat. The execution was poor. I left disappointed.

𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝔾𝕆𝕆𝔻 ᯓ★

★ Aiden. Just. Aiden. I was into him from the moment we were introduced. He’s got that tall, lean, dark-haired, DIMPLED charm (also important: he has TWO dimples, one on each cheek. TWO. AHHHH). He also wears dark-rimmed glasses. Fanning myself rn. AND he’s very playful and mischievous.

AND HE FALLS FIRST AND HARDER.

I was going to give this book 1 star, but then I reconsidered and gave it an extra—just for HIM.

𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝔹𝔸𝔻 ᯓ★

★ Irene. I feel like a woman-hating brat as I write this review (especially since I was swooning over the guy). But let it be known: I really did TRY.

Did you know she’s a people pleaser? I KNEW. You know how? Well, she mentions it in the FIRST SENTENCE and then keeps consistently mentioning it from then on—just in case I happened to forget such a crucial detail.

I think all I know about her character (aside from the romance obsession) is that she’s a people pleaser. How is she a people pleaser when I’m SO DISPLEASED WITH HER? I am PEOPLE, aren’t I?!

She’s just so insufferable and whiny. She reads RANDOM COMMENTS ONLINE and gets pissed at Aiden over it. She jumps into conclusions based on ONLINE COMMENTS and thinks Aiden is using her. Girl has ONE MILLION followers. Does she think all the comments she gets are going to be SPARKLY and SWEET? Why is she even reading thousands of comments under all her videos, anyway?!

And she’s failing her classes.
(Okay, that’s not the dig here—I also fail my classes sometimes.)
But she and Aiden are PARTNERS, which means her not studying or submitting her essays on time will not only negatively impact her, but she’ll also drag him down with her. And he cannot afford to fail—or even barely pass.

Also, she acts like she's the biggest victim in the world. Like NO ONE has it worse than her. She continuously pushes Aiden away because "she's not good enough for him" and "She's unworthy of being loved". If she spent less time whining and more time studying, maybe her life would be better?!

★ The Writing. One thing I hate about myself? I can never ignore less-than-stellar writing. I just can't. I'm too snobby. And it’s weird ’cause my own writing is trash but we’ll examine my flaws another day.

It just felt like the author wasn’t able to adequately describe anything. I was never able to immerse myself into any scene. And a lot of the tense, dramatic moments pulled zero emotions from me. No—that’s not right. I ROLLED MY EYES. So it did pull annoyance from me. That’s an emotion. Because I knew I was supposed to be, oh I don’t know, breathing hard in anticipation? But instead I was just quickly scrolling, hoping for the book to be over already.

𝕀ℕ ℂ𝕆ℕℂ𝕃𝕌𝕊𝕀𝕆ℕ ᯓ★

If you aren’t a snobbish, woman-hating, mean bitch like me, you’ll probably enjoy it!
I mean, it was a fun book? I guess?
...If I upgrade the writing and take away Irene?

Now I’m depressed. Why am I like this...?

[fadheela ♡ (mid-terms ia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷・❥・“𝓘 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓼𝓸 𝓪𝓫𝓼𝓸𝓻𝓫𝓮𝓭 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓼, 𝓘'𝓿𝓮 𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓶𝔂 𝓰𝓻𝓲𝓹 𝓸𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓽𝓱, 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝔂𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯.”・❥・ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

➸4 stars ~spoiler-free review💫~
Happy Release Day!

Have you all ever wanted to read a book where all your favourite tropes existed in one single book?! well you are at the right place!! If I have to say in simple words, this book is THAT book we all wished and wanted to read for years with all our favourite tropes from enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, forced proximity etc. in one single book 😩💓 OMG LIKE WHAT IN THE KDRAMA SHIT WAS THIS BOOK?! I was soo hooked from the beginning up until the end, this was so so GOOD. Given it's my first book by the author to read, I instantly fell in love with the beautiful writing. Susan Lee, you've outdone yourself with this book!!😍🔥

Read this if you like 💌:
💘 rivals-to-lovers
💘 passionate book reviewers
💘 college romance
💘 forced proximity
💘 fake dating
💘 reverse grumpy x sunshine
💘 he falls first
💘 she's a people pleaser
💘 one bed
💘 middle child syndrome

✨ Let's meet the cast 🎬 ✨

Irene Park~ Born as a middle child to her korean parents, she is often ignored or not taken seriously, which makes her an introvert. She is also a famous book reviewer online, and loves to rave about books, but that is often overlooked by others. She has a people pleasing personality through and through, and often put others first instead of herself when needs to. It's why she's now on her way to her dad's university to pursue her mother's dream of being an editor. She is scared of disappointing her parents, and pursues something she's not sure she loves anymore. That's it, I'm her, she's me 🤧

Aiden Jeon~ Aspiring writer, he is also a famous book reviewer, mostly because he reads what irene basically reads and then disagrees with her on opinions about the books 😆 Because of this Irene hates him. This man right here omg, he made me wish I had a rival who has dimples like him, secretly actually likes me, would scheme into making me fake date him and make me fall in love with him aaaa 😩✋🏻

What are the odds that both of them are in the same college, and that too for the same class? and also meeting for the first time face-to-face? feels like fate was against Irene's desperate prayers because the next moment she finds herself with Aiden as her partner for the semester. They challenge each other that before the semester ends, they would find a person to fall in love with using the tropes list they made. I WAS ACTUALLY GIGGLING AND KICKING MY FEET SEEING THEIR ANTICS AND BICKERINGS 🤭

Overall, I would say this book was such an easy cutesy fun read. I went into this book without much expectations, but yes, I loved reading about Aiden & Irene 🥰💗 Although this book is categorised as Young Adult, I feel it's more New Adult because of somethings that shouldn't be on a YA book. I'm writing this review in the middle of the night, and I'm pretty sure I missed some points to add, so I will come back later if I remember anything to add.

Thank you to the Author, Harpercollins Publishers, and Netgalley for this wonderful ARC inexchange for an honest review 💞


ˏˋ°•*⁀➷・❥・𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀・❥・ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

⤿💌 11/05/25
In need of a cute read after the week I had, so I'm starting this arc. I have been in an everything-life-slump lately. Hope this one cheers up my spirits 🤞🏻💕

life update: thank you to all those who have been checking up on me, I'm so grateful to be part of this community, ily all so much. As they say, time heals everything. I know my life won't be the same after losing my grandfather, but I have been taking tiny steps to get back to some normalcy in life, so I'm back to my reading den again 🤍

[Mira ♡(Hiatus (◕ᴗ◕✿) ♪♫)]

Guys, pls promote this book and the books of other bipoc authors. Even after they sign deals with huge publishers like Harper Collins, they suffer from lack of promotion and end up losing thousands of dollars...

To know more, watch Cari's short:-
https://youtube.com/shorts/tEeLrhTMLq...

[Noi (in & out) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started with me smiling, then it fell a little bit for me, but it was a cute read.
-------------
Gimmie

[gavie (busy with nursing school) · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝟑.𝟕𝟓🌟!! This book was such a fun and cute read. The Romance Rivalry gave me everything I love in a college romance: tension, banter, a little angst, and characters who slowly let their walls down. I was giggling and kicking my feet like I wasn’t spiraling about finishing college with no college romance in sight—because yes, this book made me feel all of that.

Irene Park is someone I related to deeply—she’s a people pleaser, avoids confrontation, and just wants to feel seen. She’s a romance book reviewer (and a Swiftie!), but despite all her love for stories, she struggles to be the main character in her own. Aiden Jeon, on the other hand couldn’t be more opposite. He’s smart, confident, cocky, charming, wears glasses, has dimples—and also a romance book reviewer. Their online rivalry turns real when they end up in the same college class, and from there, it’s forced proximity, slow-burn tension, and one of them (Aiden) very clearly falling first. And harder.

Watching two book reviewers with wildly different personalities clash, compete, and slowly connect was such a treat. Irene was incredibly relatable, and I adored Aiden’s character—he’s genuinely one of the most charming love interests I’ve read in a while. Irene and Aiden’s chemistry is electric, but what made the story shine for me was the emotional undercurrent—the way Irene’s need to be understood is treated with care, and how Aiden sees her in a way no one else does. Getting his POV in a chapter toward the end was a perfect touch and gave the romance a satisfying payoff. Also, I loved the side characters. Jeannette and Charles were hilarious, cute and added so much charm and made the world feel full and lively.

This book felt like the rom-com I wish I got to live out in college. It was funny, warm, and just the right amount of messy.I genuinely would’ve read this in one sitting if not for being in a reading slump and y’know, real-life stress😭. Definitely one I’d recommend for anyone who loves rivals-to-lovers and bookish main characters with a lot of heart.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: Saw a review and read the synopsis of this book which immediately convinced me to pick this book up.😭✋🏼

[Anna (annareadit) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tropes:
- rivals to friends to lovers
- college romance
- fake dating
- forced proximity
- slow burn
- grumpy & sunshine
- he falls first

I love this book. I enjoyed the characters, the way college life and the difficulty of balancing everything were portrayed, and the need to prioritize. I love that in Irene, I could see similarities despite the difference in our ages. Her quite mature views, yet with a touch of childlike innocence. The idea with the tropes is brilliant 🤌 Sweet Aiden... thank you, Susan Lee, for such a wonderful character.

This book beautifully weaves together the best parts of Better than the Movies and XO, Kitty. If you're a fan of either of these stories, I can't recommend this one enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Cami✯ (hiatus — school ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ)]

dnf literally on the first chapter. let's abolish the phrase “growly alpha” from the literary lexicon. even worse when it's said by the MOM.

[summer⁎ ˚ ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super cute! Definitely for all the romance readers & even the bookish content creators. I really enjoyed how meta it was and yes, while it was cheesy and cliche, it was still sweet & a quick, fun read.

[Yusra ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was rllyyyy cute like I ate it up in the span of a few hours, I rlly enjoyed it.

the vibes were a 5/5, the writing? not so much 😭 susan’s writing was so good in ‘seoulmates’ and even better in ‘the name drop’ but it sort of…relapsed? idk but it wasn’t even close to the great writing in the name drop. i would give it a 3/5.

it was also very tropey, which I understand is the point of this book, but I kinda wanted more plot, ykwim?

but irene was very very very relatable to me, both of us being hopeless romantics but longing for love but not believing we can’t find it ourselves and not trusting in others because our high expectations tend to let us down 💔

aiden was also so cute. i loved him. find me a man who reads romance books pls 🙏🏽🙏🏽


final rating: 4 stars 🧸

[Clare Gilmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irene, respectfully, I need your man

[MillennialMomReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way I raced through this! 😍I was able to both read my preordered paperback and listen to this (thanks to Harlequin Audio and the Hive) and I was head over heels for this love letter to romance books right from the start. Susan Lee manages to capture acutely that feeling that only being truly understood by another bookish person can give you-and how powerful it is to see yourself in your favorite books. Both MCs are so absolutely lovable and also complex and a little broken in the way that most college freshman are before they figure out who they want to be. Even as someone nearly two decades removed from that experience, this book brought me right back in the warmest, fuzziest way. I 1000% recommend the audio, the narrator really embodies our FMC well and delivers the book with so much heart and in a very genuine fashion. I can’t wait to read more of this author!

[Kimmi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee
Narrated by Shannon Tyo & Eric Yang

Irene Park is, without a doubt, one of the most insufferable and irresponsible female leads I’ve encountered in a while. It's rare that I actually wish the male lead didn’t end up with the female lead, but this was one of those times.

Irene comes off as a brat, whiny and constantly blaming Aiden for things he can’t control. Aiden is on a scholarship, and Irene doesn’t seem to care about their joint project. She doesn’t do her homework, doesn’t submit her part, and has no regard for the impact on Aiden’s grade. I get it, balancing life, work, and school is tough but failing a group project because you can’t be bothered to contribute is selfish, especially when it affects someone else’s future.

Then, Irene has the audacity to blame Aiden for her failure. GIRL, YOU’RE IN CHARGE OF YOUR OWN HOMEWORK! Her self-pity only deepens when she tries to break up with Aiden because she feels unworthy of his love. Maybe, just maybe, if Irene put in some effort to improve herself, study harder, and become a better person, she’d find the happiness she’s looking for.
I had high hopes for this book, especially since I enjoy the author’s writing, but unfortunately, Irene’s character was a huge letdown. I struggled to keep reading because I couldn’t stand her. The only thing that kept me going was Aiden, he’s the only reason this isn't a 1 star rating for me.

On a positive note, the audiobook was fantastic. Shannon Tyo does an amazing job with the narration, seamlessly switching between Irene and Aiden’s voices. Eric Yang’s contributions were also a nice touch.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

ah, college. SO CUTE

[Sarah (bookofsari) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Romance Rivalry had all the makings of a fun, trope-filled romance, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to its potential. The concept of a book reviewer trying to find love through romance tropes was clever, but the story felt rushed and underdeveloped, leaving me disconnected from both the characters and their journey.

Irene, the protagonist, came off as insufferable at times, and her motivations—like finding a boyfriend to secure a brand deal—felt flimsy and hard to root for. Aiden, her rival-turned-love-interest, had moments of charm but suffered from a lack of depth. Their enemies-to-lovers arc skipped over the slow-burn tension that makes the trope satisfying, with their relationship escalating too quickly to feel authentic.

Additionally, the conclusion was abrupt, with loose threads (like Aiden’s family issues) left unresolved. A pivotal fade-to-black scene felt forced and emotionally unearned, which detracted from the overall story. While there were some cute and clever moments—like the witty chapter titles—the book leaned too heavily on being a commentary on tropes without delivering a satisfying romance.

Ultimately, The Romance Rivalry is a quick read with potential, but it didn’t stick the landing for me. Fans of trope-heavy romances may still find it enjoyable, but this one fell flat for me.

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

[Steph ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

Firstly, thank you to Harper360 for sending me an ARC of this book. I truly appreciate it.

I picked this up the day it came in and smashed my way through 180 pages of it. It's such an easy read and so much fun. As a book reviewer myself, that reads romance books and is heavily involved in the bookish community, this was such a relatable read. I had so much fun with it and I just didn't want to put it down.

My first book from Susan, but definitely won't be my last.

[Madison (madinotmaddiereads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was cute as heck and so very romance book lover coded! i feel like anyone with a corner of the internet where you yap abt books needs to meet irene because she really is just like us 🤭

the romance rivalry sheds a realistic light to freshman college life: feeling overwhelmed, insecure, disorganized…and aggressively horny lol…while trying desperately to stay afloat in academics and social life.

these characters were so relatable in their journeys while still packing a healthy serving of humor and acknowledging some of the truths of being freshly 18 and independent.

i loved the formatting of every chapter beginning giving a trope overview alongside the MC’s relating book reviews as a foreshadowing tool. it definitely made some plot points predictable but i thought this storytelling method was so engaging, clever and fun!

this *might* be my only complaint and idek if this should be a complaint since the MCs are both 18 and in college, but there was surprisingly more on page spice than i was anticipating for a YA marketed book. was a littttle weird there for a second, i can’t even lie 😅 YA is vastly different now compared to when i was actually in the targeted reading demographic so perhaps standards have changed but i’d probably only recommend this for older (16+) young adult readers. i did like how the topic of consent was approached and respected!

this is my first book to read by Susan Lee and i’ll definitely be checking out more! she’s a fellow army after all 🫰🏻💜

i read this via audiobook and could not recommend more! shannon tyo and eric yang are fantastic narrators and gave this story so much personality. literally had me giggling so much 🤭

[Anniek · Rating 2 out of 5]

This sounded so cute, but unfortunately it didn't entirely work for me. I loved the emphasis on romance books and both characters' love for the genre. But as someone who's been active on bookstagram for almost 10 years, I found it very hard to believe they would each have almost ONE MILLION followers, and there were other aspects I struggled with. This took me out of the story a lot. Combined with the way the characters interacted with each other, my cringe meter went firmly into "too much". I can appreciate a certain level of cringe if the book balances it out with cuteness, but it was too much for me here.

[Sandy (Sandy.Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ – The Ultimate Love Letter to Romance Readers

The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee is an absolute gem for anyone who eats, sleeps, and breathes romance novels. This book isn’t just a romance—it’s a celebration of the genre itself. From the very first chapter, I was hooked and finished it in a single sitting. It’s the kind of story that feels like a warm hug wrapped in your favorite rom-com.

The premise? Two rival romance reviewers who unknowingly cross paths in real life—pure magic. It’s packed with every romance trope you can imagine: enemies-to-lovers, mistaken identities, grand gestures, forced proximity… and somehow, it never feels overdone. Susan Lee crafts each moment with so much heart and humor that you find yourself grinning, swooning, and maybe even tearing up a little.

This is the perfect palate cleanser: light, fluffy, blush-worthy, and full of every cheesy, cliché, wonderful thing that makes romance so irresistible.

Side note: There is one chapter that gets a bit spicy—not explicit, but just enough that I wouldn’t recommend it to my 8th grade students. Otherwise, this would’ve been an instant classroom favorite.

So seriously—why are you still reading this review? Go add The Romance Rivalry to your TBR and get ready to fall in love. 💕

[McKenzie (taken🤭) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

The only reason it isn’t a solid four is because I’ve read way better endings. Still solid though

[dee ౨ৎ [ia] · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars ☆.
⤿ arc review ⊹ ࣪ ˖

: ̗̀➛ “most people in my life don’t get my passion for reading, and they definitely don’t respect my right to do it wherever and whenever i want.”

this book was so cute but i also unfortunately had so many issues with it. it’s such a cutesy and cheesy rom com book to read to get you out of a funk

writing. the writing actually wasn’t too bad, i wasn’t expecting anything crazy good anyways. my problem was the gen z references, respectfully, never again! ”and the entirety of taylor swift’s dating history and its correlation to her music catalog.” ooh how about no! saying stuff like this is simply cringe and not necessary

plot. the plot was cliché but cute “oh no i got paired up with my enemy!” we all know where this is going. i still enjoyed it a lot though, one complaint the pacing was a little off sometimes way too slow and sometimes it went so fast??

the romance. THE POTENTIAL. THE POTENTIALLLL. i’m actually so mad because irene and aiden are such cuties together but this was way to insta lovey for me. one second they were paired up and the next they were nearly kissing in an elevator like huh?? and the random “spicy” scene was so odd and cringe ”his hardness meeting my wetness” how about no! this book was supposed to be ya and sex was so explicitly talked about, huge disappointment. other than that i actually loved them together i just wish we’d taken the time to build their relationship correctly.

“i love you, irene. i won’t use flowery prose to describe it so you won’t think I’m just trying to say the right things. i’ll just be honest and clear. i love you. i have from the very beginning, and i will till our Happily Ever After.”

ok i must admit i was giggling and kicking my feet what about it

ೃ⁀➷ thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange of an honest review.

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

An utterly adorable love letter to romance readers, The Romance Rivalry is everything I love in a YA romance. It’s an uplifting, fun and heartwarming story of first love, friendship, books and taking the steps to discover who you are outside of what’s always been expected of you.

I flew through this book in two sittings, unable to get enough of it. It was truly a delight to read and a reminder of just how wonderful the YA romance genre is.

what to expect:

• all the tropes (in the best way)
• rivals to lovers
��� he falls first and hard
• rivalling book reviewers
• korean rep (fmc & mmc)
• familial expectations
• found family
• female friendship
• college romance
• first love
• fake fake dating
• all the love for the romance genre

[ari ⋆˚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

unfortunately this was really not for me, rtc 🥺

thank you to harper collins and netgalley for the arc


⋆˚࿔ the romance rivalry review 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

┆ ⤿ 💌 ┆ 2 stars

this unforunately fell flat for me! I loved the premise and idea but it felt like bookstagram brain rot, the book constantly references book tropes which was fun at first but quickly got maddening when even during fights or arguments tropes were being thrown out to latch on to. I love a good trope but it felt like this story commpletely solely relied on them, and makes it clear to reader as well.

rather than being a cute romance between readers to me it felt like a trope-off to see how many tropes could be mentioned or get fit into the book.

I also didn't see much of a conclusion to the integral plot point of skcupid and the brand deal, and the fmc was constantly being hyprocritical which was getting increasingly annoying.

overall, it was a good idea and premise but unfortunately read as a bit too cringy. however, if youre a huge fan of tropes and bookish humor this may appeal to you!

[audrey ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was SO fun. I’m a fan of cheesy and cliché in romance when it’s done well, and this WAS. The main characters are both bookfluencers, and the references and chapter breaks showing their reviews were fun and added a lot to the characters.
Aiden and Irene fit together like puzzle pieces, I could read 5 more books about these characters. Their banter was off the charts and made for a quick and fun read. Susan Lee knows how to write characters with great chemistry, I look forward to reading more of her books.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for the ALC!

[Moon_child31 · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5⭐

I wanted to give this 2 stars mainly because of the FL but Aiden... he deserved better. She was so insufferable and annoying that I wanted to tear my hair out. And again, I picked this up because of the cover lol

[Flirting with Fiction💕 · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee
Narrated by: Shannon Tyo and Eric Yang
Thank you to NetGalley, Susan Lee, and Harlequin Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great audiobook! Props to both of the narrators. The main narrator’s phrasing, intonation, and pacing were spot on and brought Irene to life in such a vivid, nuanced way. She accurately captured Irence’s often racing thought. I also loved the male narrator voicing Aiden’s reviews and chapters: he blended seamlessly into the storytelling and gave his sections their own distinct feel without pulling me out of the experience.

In The Romance Rivalry, Susan Lee has written a love letter to romance readers. The entire book felt like an inside joke I was lucky enough to be in on, but it is still totally accessible to non-fans. I even listened to parts with my non-romance-obsessed boyfriend, and he could follow along (and secretly enjoyed it!). The nods to classic tropes, online book culture, and fan favorite ships and OTPs were sprinkled in just right…clever and funny without ever distracting from the heart of the story.

From page one, I really liked Irene. Lee doesn’t shy away from her complexity: Irene is passionate, book-smart, and confident online but she struggles with anxiety and self-doubt in the real world. Lee writes this anxiety with such care and compassion that it made Irene incredibly relatable, and I found myself rooting for her, not just in her quest for love romance, but in life as she begins college.

The plot was balanced in a way I really appreciated. It wasn’t just a love story between Irene and Aiden (though their chemistry was spot on); it was also a story of self-growth and learning to believe in your worth beyond likes and follower counts. The tension and unspoken truths kept me engaged. Still the ultimate payoff was in watching Irene come into her own. And get her hea. Obviously.

All in all, this was a feel good, cozy read with just enough angst and swoon to keep me hooked. I’m giving it 4 stars, not because anything was lacking, but because it didn’t quite hit that deep emotional punch I personally need for a full 5.

Still, it’s one I’ll be recommending both to fellow romance lovers and high school students.

[jagodasbooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf 35%

this book is everything that pisses me off on booktok

pop culture reference, tiktok slang and overuse of acronyms made it impossible to read at times, even tho I knew all of them very well, but while I was listening all I heard of was: matcha labubu acotar dubai chocolate mmc fmc brat summer strangers to lovers to enemies to friends insta love

main character was so male centered, her only focus was finding a man and her biggest arch enemy is a man, but the way she would describe them ewww girl please touch some grass, it would fit better if she was 15 and not starting collage literally pick me choose me love me

also what rubbed me the wrong way - call me pretentious idc - but she claims she's the biggest romance reader yet haven't read Jane Austen novel? because she doesn't understand it??? please it's not rocket science and I'm also not saying you have to love and read every classic ever to call yourself a reader, but if she's so knowledgeable about the genre I think she should at least be familiar with its roots? but that maybe just my opinion

plus the fact that she doesn't rate any book low "because she can find sth good in every book, even if this wasn't for her" is crazy to me and feels like she only has 1M followers and brand deals, because she reads the most popular cartoon cover booktok books and raves how fantastic they are, even tho it's the same trope recycled over and over again, but she eats it every time, without any deeper thoughts

the tropification of books needs to stop, I'm begging on my knees

[Sharm ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute, I felt like I was watching a K-drama 💖

[Kelsie ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to HarperCollins Children’s for letting me read this book early. All thoughts are my own!!

I was genuinely so excited for this book, but I really did not like it. From the cringey dialogue to the complete lack of relationship development, this book reads like a first draft. I understand it’s a YA book, and I did keep that in mind while reading. I love YA books, and I read them often!! I was expecting some cringe and a small amount of outdated quips and references. However, the actual amount of both of these things in this book was so overwhelming, I’m surprised I didn’t DNF at multiple points. I genuinely thought it was satirical at some parts because of how these character spoke to each other. These are COLLEGE KIDS, COME ON NOW.

Starting with my biggest issue, I have to mention that every time Irene and Aiden would go to have an interaction that would help build their relationship dynamic the story would cut to the next scene. We barely saw them interact, but we were told that they did. It made the jump to them being in love so unbelievable. This book was full of telling and not showing, which was so detrimental to these characters and their dynamics.

I’ve never read a book so obviously written by someone who is trying to appeal to the younger half of Gen-Z. This book constantly references things that date the story. It also had a random text thread between two characters who are not the main character. The entirety of the book is from Irene’s POV, but we all of a sudden get texts of her friends’ private text thread?? Don’t even get me started on THE OMEGAVERSE FANFIC!! And she’s in COLLEGE, but she is so beyond clueless to social cues and how to interact with people because she wears these romance novel glasses that blind her. A guy in book club gestured to her to she could introduce herself, and she went on a tangent in her head wondering if he meant for her to sit in his lap?? COME ON!!

I also found it so strange that Irene, a bookish influencer, was surprised to find out that a brand was considering multiple influencers for the same brand deal. Many brands offer multiple influencers the same deals because it helps spread the word even more. The whole plot, or I guess lack of plot, was so confusing to me that I gave up trying to follow it after about a third of the book.

It you’re looking for a YA romance that is so campy it’s LITERALLY IN THE WOODS, then this is for you!! Unfortunately, it was not for me.

[Azanta (azantareads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan had me kicking my feet with this one! i laughed out loud so many times reading this, it was genuinely so fun. Irene and i definitely had very different college experiences though LOL 😭 this is definitely upper YA, maybe even bordering on NA, just to keep that in mind! also, i’m still not sold on BOTH MCs being booktokers, i don’t think that’s something i’ll ever get over in any book but i loved Irene and Aiden’s banter!

[✮demi✮]

DNF @ 54%
2 ⭐️

Nope. This just wasn't for me. Too cringe moments and too immaturish for 18 year olds 😭 i had such high expectations bc i LOVE a good rivals to lovers but bro wdym she sniffs at him aggressively when she just met him bc he smells good and she keeps throwing a hissy fit at him bc his followers sometimes troll her account and its NOT his fault?? Wdym she tells him if he loses the competition between them (who can fall in love by trope first) then he has to DELETE ALL HIS REVIEWING ACCOUNTS?? HOW PETTY CAN YOU GET?
Also Irene's whole personality is literally just "oh im a people pleaser and have middle child syndrome"
She whines a lot. Constantly refers to Aiden as her "enemy" and "rival" and yada yada. Its not that deep girl. End of story.
Aiden was actually ok tho, i will say that.