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Kindred Rivals
A clash of rivals.
A hidden passion.
An everlasting bond.
Ambrose Somerset feels trapped among Everdeen's elite. Burdened by his father's expectations, he plans to court one of the town's esteemed ladies—until he unexpectedly reunites with his former best friend and lover, who is vying for the same woman. As fond memories resurface, their reunion also unleashes a whirlwind of emotions that Ambrose can't escape.
Zeth Washer grew up in the shadow of Everdeen's elite until his family moved away, forcing Zeth to leave behind the boy who crushed his heart. Now, he returns home with just his sister, a tailored suit, and a daring plan—to con the town's richest woman into marriage. But entering the elite circle proves complicated when Zeth crosses paths with Ambrose again, and Zeth finds his adorable ex-lover is determined to ruin his plan.
As Ambrose and Zeth compete for the same woman, their rivalry stirs past heartbreak and ignites new passions. Will bitter rivalry tear them apart, or can their undeniable bond connect them once again?
Anne of Green Gables meets Bridgerton in this MM cozy historical fantasy with spice. Kindred Rivals is the first book in the Everdeen Boys series but can be read as a standalone. HEA guaranteed.
A hidden passion.
An everlasting bond.
Ambrose Somerset feels trapped among Everdeen's elite. Burdened by his father's expectations, he plans to court one of the town's esteemed ladies—until he unexpectedly reunites with his former best friend and lover, who is vying for the same woman. As fond memories resurface, their reunion also unleashes a whirlwind of emotions that Ambrose can't escape.
Zeth Washer grew up in the shadow of Everdeen's elite until his family moved away, forcing Zeth to leave behind the boy who crushed his heart. Now, he returns home with just his sister, a tailored suit, and a daring plan—to con the town's richest woman into marriage. But entering the elite circle proves complicated when Zeth crosses paths with Ambrose again, and Zeth finds his adorable ex-lover is determined to ruin his plan.
As Ambrose and Zeth compete for the same woman, their rivalry stirs past heartbreak and ignites new passions. Will bitter rivalry tear them apart, or can their undeniable bond connect them once again?
Anne of Green Gables meets Bridgerton in this MM cozy historical fantasy with spice. Kindred Rivals is the first book in the Everdeen Boys series but can be read as a standalone. HEA guaranteed.
407 pages, Paperback
Published September 27, 2025
6 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Jordan Lee
7 books64 followersJordan's first love is high/epic fantasy. Throw in a love story and it's the perfect mix. Writing primarily MM Romantasy, Jordan loves tackling the emotions and hardships within characters, and delving into those deep parts of the mind that make us all who we are.
Hailing from Atlanta, GA, Jordan spends time with family, playing penny rummy, writing, reading, playing videogames, and walking on trails through nature.
Hailing from Atlanta, GA, Jordan spends time with family, playing penny rummy, writing, reading, playing videogames, and walking on trails through nature.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 6, 2025
COMMUNICATION IS KEY PEOPLE!!! I loved how they dealt with the communication by the half way mark and then were working together to handle their internal emotional struggles. Amby and Zeth were absolute delights. Millie and Anna were MVPs all the way. I hope that Hattie gets her own (sapphic? maybe? please?) book! Damien or whatever his stupid name is can eat wiggling worms.
December 1, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! It took everything I love about those Bridgerton style, historical romances but made it queer. Ambrose and Zeth are fantastic characters. Their angst and yearning was just perfect!! And the way they learned to actually communicate; amazing!! I’m glad this is going to be series!
September 6, 2025
✨️ARC Review✨️
I went into this ARC without any expectations—and honestly, I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying it. Usually, history-based books and I don’t get along all that well (the curse of being a historian, I guess 😅), but this one felt different.
The book, and especially the dynamic between Amby and Zeth, reminded me a lot of Bridgerton. So, if you loved the light, romantic feel of Bridgerton, I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy this story too.
Since I’m reading this ARC to give you my honest thoughts, here’s one thing that bothered me just a little: at times, the pacing felt a bit slow. It also took quite a while for Amby and Zeth to finally admit their feelings for one another. But trust me, lovies—the wait is worth it. 💜
I went into this ARC without any expectations—and honestly, I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying it. Usually, history-based books and I don’t get along all that well (the curse of being a historian, I guess 😅), but this one felt different.
The book, and especially the dynamic between Amby and Zeth, reminded me a lot of Bridgerton. So, if you loved the light, romantic feel of Bridgerton, I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy this story too.
Since I’m reading this ARC to give you my honest thoughts, here’s one thing that bothered me just a little: at times, the pacing felt a bit slow. It also took quite a while for Amby and Zeth to finally admit their feelings for one another. But trust me, lovies—the wait is worth it. 💜
September 13, 2025
This was such a great cozy-comfort read!
Zeth and Ambrose won my heart with their lustful pining and sassily-flirtatious banter.
And I especially loved how the fact that they stemmed from different economic backgrounds (Ambrose as the creative, kindhearted rich boy; and Zeth as the clever, super protective "bad boy" with hardly a penny to his name) played a central role in the story and wasn't brushed off or easily dismissed.
Their struggles were their own, but they learned to overcome them together—interspersed with lots of steamy fun in the barn!! 🥵
And the siblings!!
As much as this is a love story between two men, this is also a love story between siblings. The care and support both of these boys got from their sisters was honestly one of the most endearing parts of this whole experience.
Millie was the standout sister for me. Her playful snarkiness with Zeth always had me grinning whenever the two of them shared the page together. Such great—and genuine—portrayals of siblings.
My only caveat is that I was expecting a little more of the "Bridgerton-vibe". I imagined that there would be ballroom moments and maybe some inter-family drama, but the story feels more like an old-timey small town romance set in an alternate universe where same-sex relationships are accepted and commonplace.
That said, it was still a beautiful and deeply emotional story that I adored! 😄
Zeth and Ambrose won my heart with their lustful pining and sassily-flirtatious banter.
And I especially loved how the fact that they stemmed from different economic backgrounds (Ambrose as the creative, kindhearted rich boy; and Zeth as the clever, super protective "bad boy" with hardly a penny to his name) played a central role in the story and wasn't brushed off or easily dismissed.
Their struggles were their own, but they learned to overcome them together—interspersed with lots of steamy fun in the barn!! 🥵
And the siblings!!
As much as this is a love story between two men, this is also a love story between siblings. The care and support both of these boys got from their sisters was honestly one of the most endearing parts of this whole experience.
Millie was the standout sister for me. Her playful snarkiness with Zeth always had me grinning whenever the two of them shared the page together. Such great—and genuine—portrayals of siblings.
My only caveat is that I was expecting a little more of the "Bridgerton-vibe". I imagined that there would be ballroom moments and maybe some inter-family drama, but the story feels more like an old-timey small town romance set in an alternate universe where same-sex relationships are accepted and commonplace.
That said, it was still a beautiful and deeply emotional story that I adored! 😄
September 14, 2025
Kindred Rivals was a beautiful nod to queer romance. Amby and Zeths character development was well written, their personalities flushed out, and their storyline well thought out. There were so many amazing parts to this story where I laughed out loud, I gasped, or I got teary-eyed. Amby's dichotomous nature was greatly appreciated. The hardships both of them faced are very real and made them even more able to connect with.
My only complaint is *spoiler* I need to see all of the future weddings!!! ❤️
Thank you for another amazing queer novel. 🏳️🌈
My only complaint is *spoiler* I need to see all of the future weddings!!! ❤️
Thank you for another amazing queer novel. 🏳️🌈
September 11, 2025
Okay, I am absolutely OBSESSED with Amby and Zeth!! Their story and character development throughout the book is so amazing, especially when it comes to their relationship and history together. I had been looking forward to this book for a WHILE and it was SO worth the wait!
Miscommunication was a big thing for Ambrose and Zeth- relatable, to be honest- but I loved how they were able to work through the hurt of the past and were able to actually talk to each other.
Jordan Lee has been a favorite author of mine for a while now, and this book they created with Spara is yet another reason why. The depth of the characters, their story, and how they wrote it in such a way where you can FEEL Amby's and Zeth's hurt, pain, longing, and love as if it were your own.
I absolutely love how sassy Amby is, and Zeth's responses to him were GOLD. The banter was hilarious, flirty, and sometimes down right dirty. Here. For. It.
Millie is my spirit animal, by the way. Absolutely adore her and her mischievous ways.
The boys' relationships with their sisters were incredible to read, especially Zeth and Millie. It never failed to make me think of my little sister and how ACCURATE the sass and bickering is.
Honestly, I could go on and on, but I'll stop before I accidentally leave spoilers. Thank you for blessing us with this amazing story! I can't wait for more!
Miscommunication was a big thing for Ambrose and Zeth- relatable, to be honest- but I loved how they were able to work through the hurt of the past and were able to actually talk to each other.
Jordan Lee has been a favorite author of mine for a while now, and this book they created with Spara is yet another reason why. The depth of the characters, their story, and how they wrote it in such a way where you can FEEL Amby's and Zeth's hurt, pain, longing, and love as if it were your own.
I absolutely love how sassy Amby is, and Zeth's responses to him were GOLD. The banter was hilarious, flirty, and sometimes down right dirty. Here. For. It.
Millie is my spirit animal, by the way. Absolutely adore her and her mischievous ways.
The boys' relationships with their sisters were incredible to read, especially Zeth and Millie. It never failed to make me think of my little sister and how ACCURATE the sass and bickering is.
Honestly, I could go on and on, but I'll stop before I accidentally leave spoilers. Thank you for blessing us with this amazing story! I can't wait for more!
October 27, 2025
Reading this felt almost poetic. I couldn’t get enough of Ambrose and Zeth’s love story… all that angst, all that longing. It’s such a beautifully written friends-to-lovers to enemies-to-lovers to second-chance romance. I also adored Zeth’s sister Millie (she gave me total Sybil from Downton Abbey vibes!) And Ambrose’s sisters? Each one added their own charm. This story was such a joy to read, and I can’t wait to see where the series goes next.
October 25, 2025
Kindred Rivals by Jordan Lee and Spara Solace is a second chance historical style MM romance filled with yearning, banter, miscommunication, and teasing (my favorite form of flirting).
Friends to lovers? Enemies to lovers? Both! Ambrose and Zeth were friends who became lovers before Zeth left. When Zeth returns, the two end up courting the same woman, Amby to please his father and Zeth to save himself and his sister from poverty. This creates a conflict between past hurt and current feelings, and emotionally charges their interactions, making their slow burn romance that much more satisfying.
One thing to note is that, even as children, they were this daring duo who got into trouble and we're competitive. This means that their present competition over the same woman was balanced with something more natural and playful between them than just pure antagonism. This helped give the story a more cozy feel than what I was expecting. In fact, I enjoyed it better a second time through because the first time I was expecting all these horrendous things to happen.
From the very first introductions of Ambrose and Zeth, their sisters were right there with them and there was history with the woman they were competing over. This means the girls never felt like forgettable background characters but actually had their own storyline unfolding despite the dual POV being Ambrose and Zeth. Without spoiling anything, there's something I was rooting to happen with those characters that I was so excited about.
Another important thing to note is that, although they're competing for a woman and Ambrose's father wants him to marry a woman, it's actually a somewhat queernormative alternate past. This again helped add to the cozy feel as well as show other queer relationships. At least one I'm pretty sure will appear next in this series.
Yes, that's right, this is the first book in series, but although there's the potential for more, like redeeming the person who ended up being the real end villain and exploring the other relationships, the story of Amby and Zeth comes to a beautiful and satisfying ending both for them and those they love. If I didn't know it was part of a series, I'd call it a standalone, so no worries for those nervous about staring a series that's not complete yet.
Kindred Rivals will appeal to both fans of friends-to-lovers and enemies-to-lovers and may break your heart in parts, but is an ultimately joyous read that is even better the second time through.
Friends to lovers? Enemies to lovers? Both! Ambrose and Zeth were friends who became lovers before Zeth left. When Zeth returns, the two end up courting the same woman, Amby to please his father and Zeth to save himself and his sister from poverty. This creates a conflict between past hurt and current feelings, and emotionally charges their interactions, making their slow burn romance that much more satisfying.
One thing to note is that, even as children, they were this daring duo who got into trouble and we're competitive. This means that their present competition over the same woman was balanced with something more natural and playful between them than just pure antagonism. This helped give the story a more cozy feel than what I was expecting. In fact, I enjoyed it better a second time through because the first time I was expecting all these horrendous things to happen.
From the very first introductions of Ambrose and Zeth, their sisters were right there with them and there was history with the woman they were competing over. This means the girls never felt like forgettable background characters but actually had their own storyline unfolding despite the dual POV being Ambrose and Zeth. Without spoiling anything, there's something I was rooting to happen with those characters that I was so excited about.
Another important thing to note is that, although they're competing for a woman and Ambrose's father wants him to marry a woman, it's actually a somewhat queernormative alternate past. This again helped add to the cozy feel as well as show other queer relationships. At least one I'm pretty sure will appear next in this series.
Yes, that's right, this is the first book in series, but although there's the potential for more, like redeeming the person who ended up being the real end villain and exploring the other relationships, the story of Amby and Zeth comes to a beautiful and satisfying ending both for them and those they love. If I didn't know it was part of a series, I'd call it a standalone, so no worries for those nervous about staring a series that's not complete yet.
Kindred Rivals will appeal to both fans of friends-to-lovers and enemies-to-lovers and may break your heart in parts, but is an ultimately joyous read that is even better the second time through.
December 1, 2025
˗ˏˋ ꒰ 𝟒/𝟓 ★ ꒱ ˎˊ˗
this was so Bridgerton – but ✨queer✨!! the fun part is that it actually read like i was watching a tv series; the settings & sceneries appeared so vivid in my "mind-cinema" and with an amazing cast of characters! it was brilliantly written!
so while the Bridgerton vibes were quite apparent it still felt different plus it was also set in an alternative historical world with a bit of a high fantasy vibe (there were only some myths mentioned that the authors plan to further develop in later books so there could be more magical elements in the future, but not in this one), there was also a drawn map in the beginning of the book✨ which i lovee, books with maps just make me happy, lol🙈
i'm a sucker for second-chance romances when it's between ex-besties/past lovers so on that front this book def delivered but add in some rivalry, schemes & courting the same person!!??!! - oh, the drama!🫢💃🏻 oh, the feels!!💔❤️🩹❤️🔥 gimme all!!!🫠
i loved both MCs & how fleshed out they both were, Zeth & Amby (Ambrose/'Rosie') were characters i couldn't not rooth for even when they were being silly for not realizing what were in front of them, but that just added to the fun of seeing them fumble through, well, life (lol😅) including trying to impress the same woman, Anna - whom i loved sm!! (i'll get to the side characters in a bit, but i must mention how i absolutely LOVED the female characters in this book, every single one of them were awesome, smart, well-rounded & added soo much to the story👏👏😭💓 they were not shallow puppets nor some dreaded villainous portrayal of women! this book is a great example how it should be done!!)
there was plenty in this book: some angst, tension, rivalry, fun banter, resisting (that never works🤭), plotting & scheming, undeniable chemistry, scorching hot moments.. once Zeth & Amby stopped resisting what was always meant to be, they were so adorable, it was heartwarming how much they supported each other & wanted the best for one & another. their courting was really heartfelt, i love how they tried to navigate their life & find solutions to be together while also keeping the other's needs & happiness in mind. on the contrary of how i felt, there were some predictable things & sometimes it came across rather fustrating how blind they were to some of the solutions to their predicaments when they were *so* obvious. but i also get that sometimes it can be hard & scary irl as well to take a leep of faith.. keeping this in mind, however, did not help me not wanting to scream the obvious to them, lol.
(this is connected here, i don't really wanna get into it too much, but i gotta get it off my chest: Amby's dad was driving me crazy sometimes & how he made Amby feel as well as how Amby & every other character let him. the obsession with carrying on a heritage & bloodline was disturbing. queer ppl *can* have children of their own! (if they want to - that goes without saying) there are various ways, not just adoption, but also blood does not make a family on its own! ik this is a fictional world where their society & whatnot might work differently, and it was one of the driving points of a plotline, but still.. i *hated* this whole situation & its implications)
back to all the sweet moments: Amby & Zeth were perfect for each other, and their setting really added to their story. there was a sort of 'slice of life' vibe to their courting and how they were enjoying life together, with some strolling in fancy gardens, horse riding, poetry reading, house restoration.. - all these, coupled with facing some challenges life presented as well as some outside drama added to the feeling of watching a fascinating tv show🥰🤭🍿🎭👯♂️
the amazing cast that i mentioned already have to be emphasized again as all the side characters really shaped this story to be better & have more depth. all the female characters were a delight, Zeth's sister, Millie & Amby's siblings, especially Emiline & Hattie were my faves, along with Anna. i have to say the sisters were really giving real, authentic sibling vibes with their loving bickering! i loved how they also had their own little side stories too that connected to Zeth & Amby's story so well & made this book more multidimensional and even more entertaining! it felt really cleverly planned & executed, the authors did a great job👏 (this was my first book by Jordan Lee & this book is the debut of Spara Solace so that's an obvious first too♡ i'll definitely keep an eye out for future books in this series👀)
⇲ ʀᴇʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ: September 30, 2025
⇲ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʟᴏʀᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ/sᴇʀɪᴇs: The Everdeen Boys website
【 જ⁀➴ 𝓲 𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓐𝓻𝓬 𝓲 𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓮𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓭 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓼.ᐟ 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓼𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓸𝔀𝓷, 𝓰𝓮𝓷𝓾𝓲𝓷𝓮 (𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓬) 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 ⊹˙✧ 】
➥ ᴍᴍ
➥ ғɪʀsᴛ-ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ, ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴘᴏᴠ
⚘ ᴀʟᴛᴇʀɴᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ ʜɪsᴛᴏʀɪᴄᴀʟ/ʜɪɢʜ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ
⚘ ǫᴜᴇᴇʀ ɴᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ sᴏᴄɪᴇᴛʏ (ᴍᴏsᴛʟʏ)
⚘ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʜᴏᴏᴅ ʙᴇsᴛɪᴇs/ʟᴏᴠᴇʀs ᴛᴏ ʀɪᴠᴀʟs ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀs
⚘ ʜᴇɪɢʜᴛ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ/ʀᴇᴠᴇʀsᴇ (sᴍᴀʟʟ ⇄ ᴛᴀʟʟ)
⚘ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ
⚘ sᴍᴀʟʟ ᴛᴏᴡɴ
⚘ ʀɪᴄʜ × ᴘᴏᴏʀ
⚘ ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʙᴏʏ × ʙᴀᴅ ʙᴏʏ
⚘ ᴋɪɴᴋs: ᴘʀᴀɪsᴇ / "ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʙᴏʏ", sᴘᴀɴᴋɪɴɢ
➽ ᴄᴡ: ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢs ᴏғ ʀᴇᴊᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ/sʜᴀᴍᴇ/ʟᴏss, ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ɪssᴜᴇs, ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴏғ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛ, ɢʀɪᴇғ, ʜᴀʀᴀssᴍᴇɴᴛ (ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴍᴄs), ᴍɪʟᴅ ᴀʟᴄᴏʜᴏʟ ᴜsᴇ, ʙʀɪᴇғ ᴘʜʏsɪᴄᴀʟ ᴀʟᴛᴇʀᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ (ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴍᴄs)
₊˙ ⌇ 𝑴𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔; 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒎𝒚 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓. ⌇ ˚⭒
this was so Bridgerton – but ✨queer✨!! the fun part is that it actually read like i was watching a tv series; the settings & sceneries appeared so vivid in my "mind-cinema" and with an amazing cast of characters! it was brilliantly written!
so while the Bridgerton vibes were quite apparent it still felt different plus it was also set in an alternative historical world with a bit of a high fantasy vibe (there were only some myths mentioned that the authors plan to further develop in later books so there could be more magical elements in the future, but not in this one), there was also a drawn map in the beginning of the book✨ which i lovee, books with maps just make me happy, lol🙈
i'm a sucker for second-chance romances when it's between ex-besties/past lovers so on that front this book def delivered but add in some rivalry, schemes & courting the same person!!??!! - oh, the drama!🫢💃🏻 oh, the feels!!💔❤️🩹❤️🔥 gimme all!!!🫠
₊˙ ⌇ 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒎𝒆, 𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅. 𝑴𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒖𝒓𝒚. 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒖𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒖𝒑𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒆’𝒅 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆.
𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚, 𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒐 𝒆𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓. ⌇ ˚⭒
i loved both MCs & how fleshed out they both were, Zeth & Amby (Ambrose/'Rosie') were characters i couldn't not rooth for even when they were being silly for not realizing what were in front of them, but that just added to the fun of seeing them fumble through, well, life (lol😅) including trying to impress the same woman, Anna - whom i loved sm!! (i'll get to the side characters in a bit, but i must mention how i absolutely LOVED the female characters in this book, every single one of them were awesome, smart, well-rounded & added soo much to the story👏👏😭💓 they were not shallow puppets nor some dreaded villainous portrayal of women! this book is a great example how it should be done!!)
₊˙ ⌇ 𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎? 𝑯𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑯𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕. ⌇ ˚⭒
there was plenty in this book: some angst, tension, rivalry, fun banter, resisting (that never works🤭), plotting & scheming, undeniable chemistry, scorching hot moments.. once Zeth & Amby stopped resisting what was always meant to be, they were so adorable, it was heartwarming how much they supported each other & wanted the best for one & another. their courting was really heartfelt, i love how they tried to navigate their life & find solutions to be together while also keeping the other's needs & happiness in mind. on the contrary of how i felt, there were some predictable things & sometimes it came across rather fustrating how blind they were to some of the solutions to their predicaments when they were *so* obvious. but i also get that sometimes it can be hard & scary irl as well to take a leep of faith.. keeping this in mind, however, did not help me not wanting to scream the obvious to them, lol.
(this is connected here, i don't really wanna get into it too much, but i gotta get it off my chest: Amby's dad was driving me crazy sometimes & how he made Amby feel as well as how Amby & every other character let him. the obsession with carrying on a heritage & bloodline was disturbing. queer ppl *can* have children of their own! (if they want to - that goes without saying) there are various ways, not just adoption, but also blood does not make a family on its own! ik this is a fictional world where their society & whatnot might work differently, and it was one of the driving points of a plotline, but still.. i *hated* this whole situation & its implications)
back to all the sweet moments: Amby & Zeth were perfect for each other, and their setting really added to their story. there was a sort of 'slice of life' vibe to their courting and how they were enjoying life together, with some strolling in fancy gardens, horse riding, poetry reading, house restoration.. - all these, coupled with facing some challenges life presented as well as some outside drama added to the feeling of watching a fascinating tv show🥰🤭🍿🎭👯♂️
₊˙ ⌇ 𝑨𝒎𝒃𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚. 𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒂𝒍. 𝑰 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉. 𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒇𝒕 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒏 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒉𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒆… 𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒔. 𝑰 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒐𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒚. ⌇ ˚⭒
the amazing cast that i mentioned already have to be emphasized again as all the side characters really shaped this story to be better & have more depth. all the female characters were a delight, Zeth's sister, Millie & Amby's siblings, especially Emiline & Hattie were my faves, along with Anna. i have to say the sisters were really giving real, authentic sibling vibes with their loving bickering! i loved how they also had their own little side stories too that connected to Zeth & Amby's story so well & made this book more multidimensional and even more entertaining! it felt really cleverly planned & executed, the authors did a great job👏 (this was my first book by Jordan Lee & this book is the debut of Spara Solace so that's an obvious first too♡ i'll definitely keep an eye out for future books in this series👀)
₊˙ ⌇ (...) 𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅, “𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒆.”
𝑬𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑯𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒅 “𝑨𝒘𝒘” 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒉 𝒂𝒔 𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒁𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒚. 𝑰’𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆. “𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒁𝒆𝒕𝒉. 𝑰 𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎.”
“𝑰’𝒎 𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐,” 𝒁𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒕. “𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖.”
“𝑶𝒉? 𝑰𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕?” 𝑰 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒔 𝑰 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒏𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎.
𝑯𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒕𝒐𝒐. “𝒀𝒆𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒘.”
...🌹...
“𝑳𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖.” 𝑰 𝒏𝒖𝒅𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚. “𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒘𝒐𝒐𝒏𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔. 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒏. 𝑾𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆.”
“𝑭𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒎𝒆,” 𝒁𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒙𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒃𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒌. ⌇ ˚⭒
⇲ ʀᴇʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ: September 30, 2025
⇲ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʟᴏʀᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ/sᴇʀɪᴇs: The Everdeen Boys website
【 જ⁀➴ 𝓲 𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓐𝓻𝓬 𝓲 𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓮𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓭 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓼.ᐟ 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓼𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓸𝔀𝓷, 𝓰𝓮𝓷𝓾𝓲𝓷𝓮 (𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓬) 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 ⊹˙✧ 】
➥ ᴍᴍ
➥ ғɪʀsᴛ-ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ, ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴘᴏᴠ
⚘ ᴀʟᴛᴇʀɴᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ ʜɪsᴛᴏʀɪᴄᴀʟ/ʜɪɢʜ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ
⚘ ǫᴜᴇᴇʀ ɴᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ sᴏᴄɪᴇᴛʏ (ᴍᴏsᴛʟʏ)
⚘ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʜᴏᴏᴅ ʙᴇsᴛɪᴇs/ʟᴏᴠᴇʀs ᴛᴏ ʀɪᴠᴀʟs ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀs
⚘ ʜᴇɪɢʜᴛ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ/ʀᴇᴠᴇʀsᴇ (sᴍᴀʟʟ ⇄ ᴛᴀʟʟ)
⚘ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ
⚘ sᴍᴀʟʟ ᴛᴏᴡɴ
⚘ ʀɪᴄʜ × ᴘᴏᴏʀ
⚘ ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʙᴏʏ × ʙᴀᴅ ʙᴏʏ
⚘ ᴋɪɴᴋs: ᴘʀᴀɪsᴇ / "ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʙᴏʏ", sᴘᴀɴᴋɪɴɢ
➽ ᴄᴡ: ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢs ᴏғ ʀᴇᴊᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ/sʜᴀᴍᴇ/ʟᴏss, ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ɪssᴜᴇs, ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴏғ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛ, ɢʀɪᴇғ, ʜᴀʀᴀssᴍᴇɴᴛ (ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴍᴄs), ᴍɪʟᴅ ᴀʟᴄᴏʜᴏʟ ᴜsᴇ, ʙʀɪᴇғ ᴘʜʏsɪᴄᴀʟ ᴀʟᴛᴇʀᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ (ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴍᴄs)
December 16, 2025
I could not put this book down. The sexual and romantic tension between leads Zeth and Ambrose was so delicious!
Childhood best friends and former lovers Zeth and Ambrose reunite as adults and quickly find themselves in unfamiliar territory. Where once they were open and sweet with each other, now the pressures of adulthood lead them to lie, hide their feelings, and worst of all: to compete for the hand of a woman neither of them could ever love. It’s only when they rediscover the reasons behind their friendship that they realize the beautiful future they once dreamed of might just be possible.
Check out Kindred Rivals for a delightful lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers story with emotional sex, soft kink exploration, and genuine caring between two men who are very bad at falling out of love.
Childhood best friends and former lovers Zeth and Ambrose reunite as adults and quickly find themselves in unfamiliar territory. Where once they were open and sweet with each other, now the pressures of adulthood lead them to lie, hide their feelings, and worst of all: to compete for the hand of a woman neither of them could ever love. It’s only when they rediscover the reasons behind their friendship that they realize the beautiful future they once dreamed of might just be possible.
Check out Kindred Rivals for a delightful lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers story with emotional sex, soft kink exploration, and genuine caring between two men who are very bad at falling out of love.
January 28, 2026
Reading Kindred Rivals was like eating luxurious chocolates and drinking rich red wine in a bubble bath. I loved the main characters, faults and all. The vibrant cast of side characters were fully developed and multi-dimensional and existed in their own right, far beyond simply facilitating the romance of the main characters.
In the first book of a fantasy series, world building can be incredibly difficult, and authors often struggle to find a balance between explaining things and unnecessary exposition. Lee and Solace achieve that equilibrium wonderfully. I'm fascinated to know more about the world in which Everdeen is situated, but I feel like I learned just the right amount about it for this particular story.
I truly enjoyed this sweet, swoony and slightly spicy love story in its cosy fantasy setting and eagerly await more in the series.
In the first book of a fantasy series, world building can be incredibly difficult, and authors often struggle to find a balance between explaining things and unnecessary exposition. Lee and Solace achieve that equilibrium wonderfully. I'm fascinated to know more about the world in which Everdeen is situated, but I feel like I learned just the right amount about it for this particular story.
I truly enjoyed this sweet, swoony and slightly spicy love story in its cosy fantasy setting and eagerly await more in the series.
September 29, 2025
I didn’t know what to expect going into Kindred Rivals but it turned out to be such a heartfelt and engaging read. Ambrose and Zeth’s story is full of longing, rivalry, and second chances. The class difference between them adds real depth to the plot and their sisters bring warmth and humor that makes the book even more enjoyable.
If you’re hoping for a Bridgerton-style setting with a touch of Anne of Green Gables, you won’t be disappointed. The pacing drags a little in the middle, but the payoff is worth it. Overall, it’s a beautifully written queer romance about love, ambition, and family.
If you’re hoping for a Bridgerton-style setting with a touch of Anne of Green Gables, you won’t be disappointed. The pacing drags a little in the middle, but the payoff is worth it. Overall, it’s a beautifully written queer romance about love, ambition, and family.
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