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Rival Love #2
Rival Hearts
Caleb is ticked off. Skylar hasn’t answered any of his calls, texts, or emails since her move to New York, virtually cutting him out of her life without warning. So Caleb decides to go after her—and convince her to come back home.
But even when Skylar realizes her heart does belong at home with Caleb, her uncertainty lingers. Is it safe? Have things changed?
After the mysterious vandalism to the pool at Delmont High, everyone is desperate for answers they believe Skylar can provide. At first, she’s determined not to run. But when Caleb’s ex-girlfriend unleashes a vengeful surprise, Sky's love for Caleb is threatened.
Are these two rival hearts ready to fight for their love, or will they have to throw in the towel?
RIVAL HEARTS is the sequel to the bestselling teen romance novel RIVAL LOVE by Natalie Decker.
But even when Skylar realizes her heart does belong at home with Caleb, her uncertainty lingers. Is it safe? Have things changed?
After the mysterious vandalism to the pool at Delmont High, everyone is desperate for answers they believe Skylar can provide. At first, she’s determined not to run. But when Caleb’s ex-girlfriend unleashes a vengeful surprise, Sky's love for Caleb is threatened.
Are these two rival hearts ready to fight for their love, or will they have to throw in the towel?
RIVAL HEARTS is the sequel to the bestselling teen romance novel RIVAL LOVE by Natalie Decker.
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 9, 2014
63 people are currently reading
275 people want to read
About the author
Natalie Decker
15 books455 followersNatalie Decker is the author of the bestselling YA series Rival Love, YA series Offsides, and NA series Scandalous Boys. She loves her family, her awesome dog, friends, carefree days, football, fuzzy blankets, traveling, reading, cooking, writing, and is a huge Denver Broncos fan. Her imagination is always going, which some find odd. But she believes in seeing the world in a different light at all times. An avid reader of everything. If she's not at a Target or Starbucks because those are her favs, she might be typing away on her laptop, reading a book, hanging out with her amazing family, or she's off having an adventure. Because Natalie believes in a saying: Your life is your own journey, so make it amazing!
She loves interacting with fans. Feel free to follow her on any of her social media accounts. If you would like a chance to get exclusive material & ARC's visit her website:www.authornatdecker.com and sign up for her mailing list. No Spam or unsolicited material will be sent
She loves interacting with fans. Feel free to follow her on any of her social media accounts. If you would like a chance to get exclusive material & ARC's visit her website:www.authornatdecker.com and sign up for her mailing list. No Spam or unsolicited material will be sent
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 31, 2017
And yes you better believe I bought all of them before reading the first one. I seriously feel as if the second and probably third book shouldn´t exist, they could all be compressed into one and probably make more sense.
December 23, 2014
Three and a half stars.
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I was really excited when I was invited to read this sequel to Rival Love, a book I read earlier this year and really enjoyed. This is a solid continuation of Caleb and Skylar's story that has the same great pacing and writing that readers loved in the first book.
I really enjoyed having the chance to see how Caleb and Skylar continued their relationship, since the first book just wasn't enough of the couple. It's nice seeing the characters grow and mature as they figure themselves and the rest of the world out. It's fairly easy to relate to, since growing up is something we all have to do. That being said, I wasn't as attached to them in this book as I was in the first one. I know that they have growing up to do (don't we all?), but they still seemed a bit immature for their age group. I felt like I was reading about kids who were younger than high school. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is something that I noticed. This made me feel a bit more disjointed, and while I related to the book as a whole, it was harder to relate to namely Skylar as a single character. I did, however, continue to love Caleb. He's why I enjoyed book one so much, and he's vital to my liking of this book as well.
I also really love the cover. Look at how cute it is! It definitely drew me into the story and would look really cute on a physical shelf.
I think that fans of the first Rival Love book will enjoy this addition to the story. While I did find it a bit harder to connect to the characters, I'd still recommend this to fans of Rival Love as well as those who enjoy young adult romance in a contemporary setting. Thanks so much to Swoon Romance for giving me a copy to read for my honest opinions.
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I was really excited when I was invited to read this sequel to Rival Love, a book I read earlier this year and really enjoyed. This is a solid continuation of Caleb and Skylar's story that has the same great pacing and writing that readers loved in the first book.
I really enjoyed having the chance to see how Caleb and Skylar continued their relationship, since the first book just wasn't enough of the couple. It's nice seeing the characters grow and mature as they figure themselves and the rest of the world out. It's fairly easy to relate to, since growing up is something we all have to do. That being said, I wasn't as attached to them in this book as I was in the first one. I know that they have growing up to do (don't we all?), but they still seemed a bit immature for their age group. I felt like I was reading about kids who were younger than high school. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is something that I noticed. This made me feel a bit more disjointed, and while I related to the book as a whole, it was harder to relate to namely Skylar as a single character. I did, however, continue to love Caleb. He's why I enjoyed book one so much, and he's vital to my liking of this book as well.
I also really love the cover. Look at how cute it is! It definitely drew me into the story and would look really cute on a physical shelf.
I think that fans of the first Rival Love book will enjoy this addition to the story. While I did find it a bit harder to connect to the characters, I'd still recommend this to fans of Rival Love as well as those who enjoy young adult romance in a contemporary setting. Thanks so much to Swoon Romance for giving me a copy to read for my honest opinions.
January 14, 2018
This one, though.
Okay. This one dragged a little for me. There was so much back and forth, pushing and pulling at each other, that at times I needed to walk away. But I always came back. I remember high school, the drama and the heartbreak and the egos. Oh, god, the egos. She thinks he’s mad, so she’s mad, then he doesn’t say exactly the right thing so she blows up and then he blows up, then everyone is on silent treatment for a week, followed by more misunderstandings and idiocy. This book captures that perfectly.
I liked the fact that there is foreshadowing weaved all through, not just this book, but the previous one. It’s fun to see stuff click into place. I liked the backbone and steel all the characters showcase. This isn’t a normal, sappy, “I just CANT live without you so I’ll over look all your disgusting flaws” book. This is a “own your shit, take responsibility or don’t even talk to me” kind of story. I dig that.
What I didn’t like was my own personal annoyance that yet another book paints all nerds the same. There was a small running theme through out that chicks hate nerds, and that chicks can’t be nerds. Honestly? It was the only stereotype I saw, and that was refreshing, even if annoying.
Okay. This one dragged a little for me. There was so much back and forth, pushing and pulling at each other, that at times I needed to walk away. But I always came back. I remember high school, the drama and the heartbreak and the egos. Oh, god, the egos. She thinks he’s mad, so she’s mad, then he doesn’t say exactly the right thing so she blows up and then he blows up, then everyone is on silent treatment for a week, followed by more misunderstandings and idiocy. This book captures that perfectly.
I liked the fact that there is foreshadowing weaved all through, not just this book, but the previous one. It’s fun to see stuff click into place. I liked the backbone and steel all the characters showcase. This isn’t a normal, sappy, “I just CANT live without you so I’ll over look all your disgusting flaws” book. This is a “own your shit, take responsibility or don’t even talk to me” kind of story. I dig that.
What I didn’t like was my own personal annoyance that yet another book paints all nerds the same. There was a small running theme through out that chicks hate nerds, and that chicks can’t be nerds. Honestly? It was the only stereotype I saw, and that was refreshing, even if annoying.
November 13, 2017
Cute continuation of the previous book ( rival love ). The story took a sharp turn in the middle and totally messed with my head. That's a good thing with these type of books. The ending was adorable. A little more language than what I prefer, but it was well written. Look forward to reading the next book.
November 5, 2017
😭😭😭
I am about to cry. 😭 😭 😭 😭 this is so so so so so good! 😭 😭 😭
I am about to cry. 😭 😭 😭 😭 this is so so so so so good! 😭 😭 😭
October 30, 2017
A-MAZING
I honest to god just liked every part of her books so far.
She's a great author who string words together perfectly
I honest to god just liked every part of her books so far.
She's a great author who string words together perfectly
November 6, 2017
Worth the read
Definitely a great continuation of the first book. Love how every emotion of the characters feel so very real. Read it you won’t regret it
Definitely a great continuation of the first book. Love how every emotion of the characters feel so very real. Read it you won’t regret it
May 31, 2018
Good book to read
Took forever to get to the climax of the book but was worth it. I need six more words ugh!
Took forever to get to the climax of the book but was worth it. I need six more words ugh!
May 2, 2016
Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
Rival Hearts is the second book in the Rival Love series by Natalie Decker. This book continues the story of Caleb and Skylar and should be read after Rival Love. While I enjoyed the first book in the series, I did have a few problems with it. One problem was that I felt like Caleb and Skylar's story was unfinished, and at the time I had no idea if there would be more. I was glad to see that Natalie Decker decided to continue the series and couldn't wait to see where these two would go next. That being said, this book was not what I was expecting or hoping for.
Rival Hearts picks up right after Rival Love with Skylar living in New York with her father because of what happened with the school's pool being damaged. She doesn't want to put Caleb through a long distance relationship, so she pushes him away and refuses to talk to him. But Caleb isn't going to let her go easily and decides to head to NY to convince her to return home with him and give their relationship a chance. But with the person still out there who damaged the pool, Skylar isn't safe even when Caleb vows to protect her. Soon, Caleb and Skylar realize that there are those that would do anything to get rid of Skylar and keep the two of them apart.
With Skylar and Caleb both being in high school, I expect a certain amount of immaturity and poor choices. But I was not expecting to start to hate Skylar so much in this book. She was beyond immature and wishy-washy, and it drove me nuts! She was so different from the first book, and I really got tired of the back and forth. I am not sure why with this story it felt like she had a complete personality shift. Caleb on the other hand was great in this story. While he did have some moments of indecision, he was more mature and committed to being a good person. He had grown up a lot and changed for the better. He was determined to show Skylar how much he loved her, and I thought that he did a great job of trying really hard to prove what they shared was real. He was patient with her and kind, and he stood by her no matter what happened.
While I did like Natalie Decker's writing in this story, I just had a lot of problems with Skylar and the constant hot and cold. I also felt as though the surprise obstacle in this story was pretty overdone and predictable. I wasn't really surprised that it went there, but I was hoping it wouldn't. I figured as soon as Skylar and Caleb returned home that Danielle was up to something, and I just wish that it hadn't been so similar to so many other stories out there. I did think that this book had a great pace and was a pretty quick read though. I think that fans of the first book will definitely want to read this story to get more of Caleb and Skylar. But I am not sure that I would read these if I hadn't already started the series. At the end of this book though, Natalie Decker does let the reader know that there will be another book in the series called Rival Dreams. It appears to be set a few years later when Skylar and Caleb are in college, so I will be interested to read it and see if Skylar has grown up any and actually deserves Caleb after everything she did in this one.
**ARC Provided by Swoon Romance PR**
Rival Hearts is the second book in the Rival Love series by Natalie Decker. This book continues the story of Caleb and Skylar and should be read after Rival Love. While I enjoyed the first book in the series, I did have a few problems with it. One problem was that I felt like Caleb and Skylar's story was unfinished, and at the time I had no idea if there would be more. I was glad to see that Natalie Decker decided to continue the series and couldn't wait to see where these two would go next. That being said, this book was not what I was expecting or hoping for.
Rival Hearts picks up right after Rival Love with Skylar living in New York with her father because of what happened with the school's pool being damaged. She doesn't want to put Caleb through a long distance relationship, so she pushes him away and refuses to talk to him. But Caleb isn't going to let her go easily and decides to head to NY to convince her to return home with him and give their relationship a chance. But with the person still out there who damaged the pool, Skylar isn't safe even when Caleb vows to protect her. Soon, Caleb and Skylar realize that there are those that would do anything to get rid of Skylar and keep the two of them apart.
With Skylar and Caleb both being in high school, I expect a certain amount of immaturity and poor choices. But I was not expecting to start to hate Skylar so much in this book. She was beyond immature and wishy-washy, and it drove me nuts! She was so different from the first book, and I really got tired of the back and forth. I am not sure why with this story it felt like she had a complete personality shift. Caleb on the other hand was great in this story. While he did have some moments of indecision, he was more mature and committed to being a good person. He had grown up a lot and changed for the better. He was determined to show Skylar how much he loved her, and I thought that he did a great job of trying really hard to prove what they shared was real. He was patient with her and kind, and he stood by her no matter what happened.
While I did like Natalie Decker's writing in this story, I just had a lot of problems with Skylar and the constant hot and cold. I also felt as though the surprise obstacle in this story was pretty overdone and predictable. I wasn't really surprised that it went there, but I was hoping it wouldn't. I figured as soon as Skylar and Caleb returned home that Danielle was up to something, and I just wish that it hadn't been so similar to so many other stories out there. I did think that this book had a great pace and was a pretty quick read though. I think that fans of the first book will definitely want to read this story to get more of Caleb and Skylar. But I am not sure that I would read these if I hadn't already started the series. At the end of this book though, Natalie Decker does let the reader know that there will be another book in the series called Rival Dreams. It appears to be set a few years later when Skylar and Caleb are in college, so I will be interested to read it and see if Skylar has grown up any and actually deserves Caleb after everything she did in this one.
**ARC Provided by Swoon Romance PR**
March 1, 2017
DISCLAIMER: The author gave me this entire series for my reader's pleasure, and of course, I simply have to share my thoughta!
First of all: WTF Danielle?! You queen bee! You . . . you! *snarls* She's a bee! Good riddance, Caleb!
This book just got better. I honestly did not think the author would have pulled something like that from her sleeve, but she did and it worked and totally threw me in front of the bus. Like, seriously. I'm still cleaning my blood off the floor. Sorry to be so graphic, but this is my honest reactions. Almost afraid to read the next book because this one ends on such a heartwarming and reassuring note. But all the same, I need more!
First of all: WTF Danielle?! You queen bee! You . . . you! *snarls* She's a bee! Good riddance, Caleb!
This book just got better. I honestly did not think the author would have pulled something like that from her sleeve, but she did and it worked and totally threw me in front of the bus. Like, seriously. I'm still cleaning my blood off the floor. Sorry to be so graphic, but this is my honest reactions. Almost afraid to read the next book because this one ends on such a heartwarming and reassuring note. But all the same, I need more!
May 12, 2016
4 stars
I preferred the first book over this. It seems like Rival Hearts revolved around Caleb and Sky's argument over something that is so... doubtful. I mean, there were signs already but they, especially Caleb, refused to acknowledge those signs. And the result of that is misery worth of one whole book.
Seriously, I didn't get it how Caleb, Skylar, Kayla, and others never doubted when the girl is known for being obsessed over Caleb. I also had a clue that she was the one to destroy more Sky's reputation and presence in the rival territory.
But I have a better feeling about the last book, Rival Dreams, I can't wait to get started on it.
I preferred the first book over this. It seems like Rival Hearts revolved around Caleb and Sky's argument over something that is so... doubtful. I mean, there were signs already but they, especially Caleb, refused to acknowledge those signs. And the result of that is misery worth of one whole book.
Seriously, I didn't get it how Caleb, Skylar, Kayla, and others never doubted when the girl is known for being obsessed over Caleb. I also had a clue that she was the one to destroy more Sky's reputation and presence in the rival territory.
But I have a better feeling about the last book, Rival Dreams, I can't wait to get started on it.
March 20, 2016
Rating: 3.5 Stars
A good continuation of Sky and Caleb's story. If you thought the drama was real in the last book, it reaches Jerry Springer levels in this one, but to me, that's part of the fun of reading these kinds of books. I thought this book was better than the last book, because I found the rivalry to be a little too over the top, and it is toned down quite a bit in this book. In fact, we find Sky mending fences, making friends, and trying to live in the moment. The real surprise here, is Caleb. He experiences a lot of growth and you can't help but feel something for the poor guy. An enjoyable addition tot he Rival family
A good continuation of Sky and Caleb's story. If you thought the drama was real in the last book, it reaches Jerry Springer levels in this one, but to me, that's part of the fun of reading these kinds of books. I thought this book was better than the last book, because I found the rivalry to be a little too over the top, and it is toned down quite a bit in this book. In fact, we find Sky mending fences, making friends, and trying to live in the moment. The real surprise here, is Caleb. He experiences a lot of growth and you can't help but feel something for the poor guy. An enjoyable addition tot he Rival family
January 3, 2015
Loved it just wish it was longer. I felt like they spent the entire book fighting and then right at the end they made up. can't wait to finish the third one
December 29, 2014
Eek!
This was the ending I was looking for!! This book had plot changes even I didn't think of! I'm so glad with the outcome of this book.
This was the ending I was looking for!! This book had plot changes even I didn't think of! I'm so glad with the outcome of this book.
January 24, 2015
Can't wait to see what happens next
Read
April 22, 2015Awesome
Loved the characters and the story line! They had there trials and tribulations but in the end they came together like they belonged!!
Loved the characters and the story line! They had there trials and tribulations but in the end they came together like they belonged!!
September 16, 2015
Oh the drama!
October 30, 2015
Wow, way more drama in this book. I really hated Danielle and I wished she would have gotten a good smack-down...sorry, just saying.
February 11, 2018
One star because this book... ugh. I never write reviews for books, but ugh. This book was not what I assumed. I’m not going to go into full length with this book, but I can tell you one thing I didn’t like:
SKYLAR
She was so undeceive and thought she was doing something good when we all know she wasn’t. It was so frustrating reading this book.
One time, Skylar and Caleb were having a great time swimming at the pool and then Skylar just randomly cries out of no where.
UH WHAT?!??
She is crying and blaming Caleb for taking her to the pool because he apparently knows she wont be able to do that ever again. How was he suppose to know you were going to be a baby and cry.
AND THEN THEY HAVE THIS BIG ARGUMENT OUT OF NO WHERE DURING THIS SCENE.
So now their having this big argument in the middle of everyone, admitting their life struggles and what happened, all after having a good time at the pool.
THEN THEY ADMIT THE “I LOVE YOU”. WHAT. THAT WAS NOT SPECIAL AT ALL. I guess if they truly love each other then they dont need it to be special.
Anyways, this book was not what I expected and I would not recommend it for people who get frustrated easily about books like myself.
SKYLAR
She was so undeceive and thought she was doing something good when we all know she wasn’t. It was so frustrating reading this book.
One time, Skylar and Caleb were having a great time swimming at the pool and then Skylar just randomly cries out of no where.
UH WHAT?!??
She is crying and blaming Caleb for taking her to the pool because he apparently knows she wont be able to do that ever again. How was he suppose to know you were going to be a baby and cry.
AND THEN THEY HAVE THIS BIG ARGUMENT OUT OF NO WHERE DURING THIS SCENE.
So now their having this big argument in the middle of everyone, admitting their life struggles and what happened, all after having a good time at the pool.
THEN THEY ADMIT THE “I LOVE YOU”. WHAT. THAT WAS NOT SPECIAL AT ALL. I guess if they truly love each other then they dont need it to be special.
Anyways, this book was not what I expected and I would not recommend it for people who get frustrated easily about books like myself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2019
Good series
December 12, 2025
I wanted a quick high school romance drama and this scratched that itch 😁
February 6, 2015
Rival Hearts was a complete DNF for me (20% of the book).
I had a good time reading the first book, Rival Love, and I think I mentioned when I thought that the first book was a standalone novel that it needed a different ending, that the characters deserved a better ending. Having this second book, I thought I was going to finally enjoy their relationship and really see how these two would get their happy ending, but the characters were way too immature for me. I was always frustrated with Skylar because no matter how hard Caleb tried, she was always whining and trying to create drama. At least that's my opinion.
I think that the main thing that made me drop this story is that there was too much unnecessary drama. Like okay, people have problems. Teenagers even more. And a teenage relationship? Sure! There's bound to be drama in it. However, I didn't connect with the characters anymore and their problems seemed vain to me. Like they made a fuss over small things when they could be together and tried to solve their differences and the obstacles they had.
That's why I ended up skimming the whole story and reading the ending to see if Skylar and Caleb finally get their happy ending. That's why I think these books would have been a mind-blowing story if there would have been a fusion of the two books and have only a standalone novel.
Maybe I was not in the mood or probably this second book was not meant for me, but I didn't finish it. However, this does not mind that you won't like it. If you think you will end up liking the story, I encourage you to read it..
I had a good time reading the first book, Rival Love, and I think I mentioned when I thought that the first book was a standalone novel that it needed a different ending, that the characters deserved a better ending. Having this second book, I thought I was going to finally enjoy their relationship and really see how these two would get their happy ending, but the characters were way too immature for me. I was always frustrated with Skylar because no matter how hard Caleb tried, she was always whining and trying to create drama. At least that's my opinion.
I think that the main thing that made me drop this story is that there was too much unnecessary drama. Like okay, people have problems. Teenagers even more. And a teenage relationship? Sure! There's bound to be drama in it. However, I didn't connect with the characters anymore and their problems seemed vain to me. Like they made a fuss over small things when they could be together and tried to solve their differences and the obstacles they had.
That's why I ended up skimming the whole story and reading the ending to see if Skylar and Caleb finally get their happy ending. That's why I think these books would have been a mind-blowing story if there would have been a fusion of the two books and have only a standalone novel.
Maybe I was not in the mood or probably this second book was not meant for me, but I didn't finish it. However, this does not mind that you won't like it. If you think you will end up liking the story, I encourage you to read it..
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews