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Broken Rival
Not yet published
Expected 6 Oct 26From #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey comes a gripping, heated romance about a girl trapped in a new reality, forced to make a choice between two brothers—one who is the high school golden boy, the other sworn to hunt down her kind—time travelers. This is Tessa Bailey as you’ve never seen her before.
Magnolia Brown loves Friday night football games, volunteering and dominating at high school swim meets. Just your average everyday eighteen-year-old. Except for one thing:
She’s from fifty years in the future.
Magnolia’s parents, two brilliant scientists, are the inventors of time travel, but due to widespread destruction and rampant abuse of the technology from a corrupt few, time travel is outlawed and punishable by death. When Magnolia’s parents are seized and executed for illegally traveling to the past, they leave Magnolia stranded in 2026 without a way to get home.
Now Magnolia has nowhere to turn but a complicated Kansas family with two sons—Fallon, her high school sweetheart with secrets of his own, and Ramsey, the brooding militia commander who hunts and kills criminals like her. Magnolia knows Ramsey resents and hates her, but how can he be her true enemy when he looks at her with such hunger, despite his callousness, and guards her with his very life? Which brother can she trust and is the real danger coming from inside the house?
Magnolia Brown loves Friday night football games, volunteering and dominating at high school swim meets. Just your average everyday eighteen-year-old. Except for one thing:
She’s from fifty years in the future.
Magnolia’s parents, two brilliant scientists, are the inventors of time travel, but due to widespread destruction and rampant abuse of the technology from a corrupt few, time travel is outlawed and punishable by death. When Magnolia’s parents are seized and executed for illegally traveling to the past, they leave Magnolia stranded in 2026 without a way to get home.
Now Magnolia has nowhere to turn but a complicated Kansas family with two sons—Fallon, her high school sweetheart with secrets of his own, and Ramsey, the brooding militia commander who hunts and kills criminals like her. Magnolia knows Ramsey resents and hates her, but how can he be her true enemy when he looks at her with such hunger, despite his callousness, and guards her with his very life? Which brother can she trust and is the real danger coming from inside the house?
416 pages, Paperback
Expected publication October 6, 2026
About the author
Tessa Bailey
110 books68.7k followersNew York Times Bestselling author Tessa Bailey can solve all problems except for her own, so she focuses those efforts on stubborn, fictional blue collar men and loyal, lovable heroines. She lives on Long Island avoiding the sun and social interactions, then wonders why no one has called. Dubbed the “Michelangelo of dirty talk,” by Entertainment Weekly, Tessa writes with spice, spirit, swoon and a guaranteed happily ever after. Catch her on TikTok at @authortessabailey or check out tessabailey.com for a complete list of books.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 12, 2026
Infinity stars. Truly. ♾️✨
I went into Broken Rival not knowing what to expect with Tessa Bailey stepping outside the rom-coms that we know and love, and I’m still sitting here trying to process how much this story unabashedly moved me!
I had my first round of tears on page 62, and from there it just didn’t let me off the rollercoaster. I giggled, I gasped, I guffawed, I cried. I experienced an absolute full range of emotions, no warning, no breaks. And I loved it!😅
I was engulfed by this story completely. I love these characters in a way that made me feel attached to them, like I was right there living it with them. Their growth felt natural, messy, real, and even though this is a dystopian time travel story, the emotions felt so grounded and human that it almost caught me off guard how hard it hit me at times.
There were moments that genuinely hurt my heart to read. The kind where you have to pause and just sit with it for a second. There were also moments that made me smile and giggle like a buffoon, and I couldn’t get enough. It just balanced everything so SO well!
I stayed up until 3AM and read this in one sitting because I could not put it down. I needed to see it through, and I wasn’t ready to leave it when I got there. It’s definitely a book I wanted to savor and draw out just so it never ended, but in the same breath, I HAD to know what happened next.
This felt different. Deeper. More emotional than I expected, and it completely hit every mark for me. And the loveeeee, oh mylanta, the romance in this one was top notch, let me tell you…🪭
But now I have to just, what…exist until October before everyone else gets to experience it?? 😅
Unwell. Completely unwell.
Thank you SO much to Tessa and Avon books for this incredible arc copy!
I went into Broken Rival not knowing what to expect with Tessa Bailey stepping outside the rom-coms that we know and love, and I’m still sitting here trying to process how much this story unabashedly moved me!
I had my first round of tears on page 62, and from there it just didn’t let me off the rollercoaster. I giggled, I gasped, I guffawed, I cried. I experienced an absolute full range of emotions, no warning, no breaks. And I loved it!😅
I was engulfed by this story completely. I love these characters in a way that made me feel attached to them, like I was right there living it with them. Their growth felt natural, messy, real, and even though this is a dystopian time travel story, the emotions felt so grounded and human that it almost caught me off guard how hard it hit me at times.
There were moments that genuinely hurt my heart to read. The kind where you have to pause and just sit with it for a second. There were also moments that made me smile and giggle like a buffoon, and I couldn’t get enough. It just balanced everything so SO well!
I stayed up until 3AM and read this in one sitting because I could not put it down. I needed to see it through, and I wasn’t ready to leave it when I got there. It’s definitely a book I wanted to savor and draw out just so it never ended, but in the same breath, I HAD to know what happened next.
This felt different. Deeper. More emotional than I expected, and it completely hit every mark for me. And the loveeeee, oh mylanta, the romance in this one was top notch, let me tell you…🪭
But now I have to just, what…exist until October before everyone else gets to experience it?? 😅
Unwell. Completely unwell.
Thank you SO much to Tessa and Avon books for this incredible arc copy!
May 11, 2026
I fear I am obsessed. Like BEYOND obsessed. I am so grateful to have gotten this ARC thanks to being on the street team for this book and Tessa never fails to disappoint!!
"Goodbye, sweetheart. I'll think of you until the last second."
This books follows Magnolia whose parents re-created time travel to go back in time and warn people of a severe drought that occurs in the future but then their time travel device gets stolen and it spins out of control with people from the future infiltrating the past. Magnolia's parents are then caught in the year 2024 and Magnolia turns herself in, unexpectedly then being taken in by a kind family with two sons. What happens when one of those sons hates everything she is and his father is the leader of a force killing all people who escape into the past from the future?
"Look me in the eye and tell me it wouldn't have been us, if I'd stayed. He didn't know the first thing about you. I fucking live you. Day in and day out."
This dystopian romance novel was everything to me. The romance is absolutely amazing as always, but the dystopian elements in this book elevated it. I loved how this storyline felt like a race against time and self discovery at the same time. Magnolia felt real, she felt lost and alone and she felt like a character I can easily see myself in at times. I just wanted to give her a hug and take her pain away. It was beautifully written and set up and I need more Tessa Bailey in my life now.
"I'm his last meal before an execution; his texture and taste like a favorite meal I haven't prepared in decades. He kisses me the way I've been fantasizing about since I've been living alone."
THE ROMANCE!! I love love loveeee the romance in this book so much. I have a whole notes app dedicated to just quotes that I adored from this book. I was literally giggling and kicking my feet this entire book from how cute it was. It makes me want to go back and re-read Tessa's Big Shot series because I am having a romance withdrawal at this point. This was a romance that makes you feel like you are missing the other half of your heart.
If you want a book that will fill your heart up and then rip it out and then make you cry, you have so come to the right place and need to get this book when it releases!
"Goodbye, sweetheart. I'll think of you until the last second."
This books follows Magnolia whose parents re-created time travel to go back in time and warn people of a severe drought that occurs in the future but then their time travel device gets stolen and it spins out of control with people from the future infiltrating the past. Magnolia's parents are then caught in the year 2024 and Magnolia turns herself in, unexpectedly then being taken in by a kind family with two sons. What happens when one of those sons hates everything she is and his father is the leader of a force killing all people who escape into the past from the future?
"Look me in the eye and tell me it wouldn't have been us, if I'd stayed. He didn't know the first thing about you. I fucking live you. Day in and day out."
This dystopian romance novel was everything to me. The romance is absolutely amazing as always, but the dystopian elements in this book elevated it. I loved how this storyline felt like a race against time and self discovery at the same time. Magnolia felt real, she felt lost and alone and she felt like a character I can easily see myself in at times. I just wanted to give her a hug and take her pain away. It was beautifully written and set up and I need more Tessa Bailey in my life now.
"I'm his last meal before an execution; his texture and taste like a favorite meal I haven't prepared in decades. He kisses me the way I've been fantasizing about since I've been living alone."
THE ROMANCE!! I love love loveeee the romance in this book so much. I have a whole notes app dedicated to just quotes that I adored from this book. I was literally giggling and kicking my feet this entire book from how cute it was. It makes me want to go back and re-read Tessa's Big Shot series because I am having a romance withdrawal at this point. This was a romance that makes you feel like you are missing the other half of your heart.
If you want a book that will fill your heart up and then rip it out and then make you cry, you have so come to the right place and need to get this book when it releases!
April 13, 2026
Incredible book. Review to come.
April 12, 2026
I absolutely loved it and was in a total chokehold the whole time. This is definitely Tessa Bailey as you have never seen her before and is her best work yet! The premise is so unique and intriguing, the plot is addictive and will keep you on the edge of your seat with all the surprises, and I promise you that Ramsey will be your next fave book boyfriend 🔥. Highly recommend! 🤍✨
𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆:
🤍 Enemies to lovers
✨ Time travel romance
🤍 Dystopian vibes
𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆:
🤍 Enemies to lovers
✨ Time travel romance
🤍 Dystopian vibes
Want to Read
April 13, 2026A dystopian time travel romance?! YES!!!👏🏻 I’m so excited for this! And Tessa said, “It’s got all the same heat. Maybe even more heat than my contemporaries. So, there’s dirty talk.” 🥵🔥
Want to Read
April 12, 2026If she writes it, I will read it and I cannot wait to time-travel with Tessa!
Want to Read
February 19, 2026I'M READY! frigging large popcorn! Hot dog! Damn slurpy dammit! Don't talk to me when I sit down to watch this! Don't touch me! Don't breathe in my direction! This is it!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Stop everything you’re doing because Tessa Bailey is officially entering her high-stakes, sci-fi era and I am absolutely losing my mind! 😱✨
🕰️ THE REVEAL: Broken Rival by Tessa Bailey
I am so incredibly excited to share this stunning cover for Broken Rival. Just look at that moody, floral aesthetic! But don't let the pretty petals fool you; this story is a total departure from Tessa’s usual rom-com vibes. We are talking high stakes, life-or-death secrets, and a love triangle that is already making my heart race.
✨️Why I’m Obsessed with this Premise:
▫️The Hook: Magnolia Brown is a 2076 girlie stranded in 2026. Her parents were executed for time traveling, and now she’s stuck in the past with no way home. Talk about a bad day at the office.
▫️The Conflict: She’s caught between two brothers. One is Fallon, her high school sweetheart who is definitely hiding something major. The other? Ramsey, a brooding militia commander whose literally job is to hunt down and kill people like her.
▫️The Tension: Ramsey supposedly hates her, but the way he looks at her? The way he protects her? I can already feel the enemies-to-lovers tension radiating off the page.
I’ve always loved Tessa’s writing, but seeing her tackle a world where love is rebellion and memory is a weapon is everything I didn't know I needed. Is the real danger the time-travel hunters, or is it coming from inside the very house she's hiding in? I need answers and I need them now!
"She’s from fifty years in the future and she’s running out of time."
This is Tessa Bailey like we’ve never seen her before darker, grittier, and intensely gripping. Magnolia’s choice between the golden boy and the hunter is going to destroy me in the best way possible!
✨️Thank you Avon Books, The Collective and Tessa Bailey for allowing me to be apart of this reveal and for sharing the Broken Rival with me!
🕰️ THE REVEAL: Broken Rival by Tessa Bailey
I am so incredibly excited to share this stunning cover for Broken Rival. Just look at that moody, floral aesthetic! But don't let the pretty petals fool you; this story is a total departure from Tessa’s usual rom-com vibes. We are talking high stakes, life-or-death secrets, and a love triangle that is already making my heart race.
✨️Why I’m Obsessed with this Premise:
▫️The Hook: Magnolia Brown is a 2076 girlie stranded in 2026. Her parents were executed for time traveling, and now she’s stuck in the past with no way home. Talk about a bad day at the office.
▫️The Conflict: She’s caught between two brothers. One is Fallon, her high school sweetheart who is definitely hiding something major. The other? Ramsey, a brooding militia commander whose literally job is to hunt down and kill people like her.
▫️The Tension: Ramsey supposedly hates her, but the way he looks at her? The way he protects her? I can already feel the enemies-to-lovers tension radiating off the page.
I’ve always loved Tessa’s writing, but seeing her tackle a world where love is rebellion and memory is a weapon is everything I didn't know I needed. Is the real danger the time-travel hunters, or is it coming from inside the very house she's hiding in? I need answers and I need them now!
"She’s from fifty years in the future and she’s running out of time."
This is Tessa Bailey like we’ve never seen her before darker, grittier, and intensely gripping. Magnolia’s choice between the golden boy and the hunter is going to destroy me in the best way possible!
✨️Thank you Avon Books, The Collective and Tessa Bailey for allowing me to be apart of this reveal and for sharing the Broken Rival with me!
April 24, 2026
The rare 6/5 ⭐️
3 🌶️/5
I swear, every time I read a new release by Tessa Bailey I say it’s my new favorite book of hers…. And really it’s not fair to compare this book to her rom coms, but I’m still going to say it… THIS IS MY FAVORITE TESSA BAILEY BOOK EVER.
I am not a dystopian reader. I’m a lukewarm romantasy reader. And with this one book, Tessa altered my brain chemistry completely. I devoured this book in 2.5 days. I didn’t want to do anything else but read.
The turns this story took along the way had me on the edge of my seat til the very end. After reading so many of Tessa’s books, I was able to guess some of the romance twists immediately, because her hero is always going to be the most down bad for his heroine, every time… but the rest of the story unfolded in ways I never would’ve guessed! I was anxious at several moments for the health of our heroine and second guessing my belief in our hero, but Tessa did not disappoint.
This novel was so nicely told and wrapped up that it honestly seems crazy to think anything should come after… but I would 100% be down for a Gizzard book. And to go into another dystopian book by Tessa. She has my absolute trust.
I cannot wait to re-read this book and honestly I think I’ll probably read it at least once more before Pub day.
3 🌶️/5
I swear, every time I read a new release by Tessa Bailey I say it’s my new favorite book of hers…. And really it’s not fair to compare this book to her rom coms, but I’m still going to say it… THIS IS MY FAVORITE TESSA BAILEY BOOK EVER.
I am not a dystopian reader. I’m a lukewarm romantasy reader. And with this one book, Tessa altered my brain chemistry completely. I devoured this book in 2.5 days. I didn’t want to do anything else but read.
The turns this story took along the way had me on the edge of my seat til the very end. After reading so many of Tessa’s books, I was able to guess some of the romance twists immediately, because her hero is always going to be the most down bad for his heroine, every time… but the rest of the story unfolded in ways I never would’ve guessed! I was anxious at several moments for the health of our heroine and second guessing my belief in our hero, but Tessa did not disappoint.
This novel was so nicely told and wrapped up that it honestly seems crazy to think anything should come after… but I would 100% be down for a Gizzard book. And to go into another dystopian book by Tessa. She has my absolute trust.
I cannot wait to re-read this book and honestly I think I’ll probably read it at least once more before Pub day.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received this ARC from the publisher and want to leave an honest review!
This was my first ARC and I was so happy I got this! I really wanted to love this because the core concept and plot are so interesting. The premise has a lot of potential, but the execution didn't quite land for me. Unfortunately, I DNF'd this 25% through.
The main issue I ran into involved significant world-building discrepancies. In a post-apocalyptic setting, internal logic is everything, and things weren't matching up. For instance, it was established that cell towers were down and GPS was non-existent, but, in a chase scene, the FMC is suddenly able to text and drop a pin of her location to the MMC while chatting with him on a cellphone. These kinds of technical inconsistencies made it hard to stay immersed in the story.
I also found it difficult to get invested in the characters. The story moves into high-stakes emotional territory very quickly, but the initial setup didn't give me enough reason to care about their motives or the outcomes of their fates yet.
While the bones of a great story are definitely there, the logic gaps and the lack of early character development meant I couldn't finish this one. I appreciate the opportunity to read an early copy, but it just wasn't a good fit for me.
This was my first ARC and I was so happy I got this! I really wanted to love this because the core concept and plot are so interesting. The premise has a lot of potential, but the execution didn't quite land for me. Unfortunately, I DNF'd this 25% through.
The main issue I ran into involved significant world-building discrepancies. In a post-apocalyptic setting, internal logic is everything, and things weren't matching up. For instance, it was established that cell towers were down and GPS was non-existent, but, in a chase scene, the FMC is suddenly able to text and drop a pin of her location to the MMC while chatting with him on a cellphone. These kinds of technical inconsistencies made it hard to stay immersed in the story.
I also found it difficult to get invested in the characters. The story moves into high-stakes emotional territory very quickly, but the initial setup didn't give me enough reason to care about their motives or the outcomes of their fates yet.
While the bones of a great story are definitely there, the logic gaps and the lack of early character development meant I couldn't finish this one. I appreciate the opportunity to read an early copy, but it just wasn't a good fit for me.
May 3, 2026
Thank you to the publisher for the free book - out October 26!
Rating: 5/5 stars
Magnolia Brown just wants to live a normal life as a high school student, attending football games, volunteering, and spending time with her boyfriend. Unfortunately for her, she’s also the daughter of two of the most notorious criminals in the country, and a time traveler from decades in the future.
Tessa Bailey is a name synonymous with rom-coms for me, so while I was excited for this one I really had no idea what to expect. Fortunately, this book proves that Tessa can write whatever the hell she wants. I absolutely loved every second of this, and rooted SO HARD for the FMC/MMC. The pining, the yearning, the angst??? All A+ and beyond.
I also thought the world building here was so interesting and the political undertones were fascinating and so well-done. There was a great balance between romance and the action part of the storyline, which I really appreciated, and I was blown away by twists more than once. I’ll definitely be thinking about this one for a while, and suspect it may end up being my favorite read of May!
CW: Death/death of parents; war/violence; injury; fire; toxic relationship
Rating: 5/5 stars
Magnolia Brown just wants to live a normal life as a high school student, attending football games, volunteering, and spending time with her boyfriend. Unfortunately for her, she’s also the daughter of two of the most notorious criminals in the country, and a time traveler from decades in the future.
Tessa Bailey is a name synonymous with rom-coms for me, so while I was excited for this one I really had no idea what to expect. Fortunately, this book proves that Tessa can write whatever the hell she wants. I absolutely loved every second of this, and rooted SO HARD for the FMC/MMC. The pining, the yearning, the angst??? All A+ and beyond.
I also thought the world building here was so interesting and the political undertones were fascinating and so well-done. There was a great balance between romance and the action part of the storyline, which I really appreciated, and I was blown away by twists more than once. I’ll definitely be thinking about this one for a while, and suspect it may end up being my favorite read of May!
CW: Death/death of parents; war/violence; injury; fire; toxic relationship
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Tessaaaaa! I never doubted the queen of contemporary romance could bust into dystopian time travel and STILL bring the longing and heart squeeze moments only she v knows how to give.
If you want a technical break down of the science… skip to another review because that was just a “setting” for me - Not something I looked at super hard.
And you don’t need to if you don’t want to! Because there are so many exciting and thrilling moments to keep your heart and mind reading!!
Highly recommended!
If you want a technical break down of the science… skip to another review because that was just a “setting” for me - Not something I looked at super hard.
And you don’t need to if you don’t want to! Because there are so many exciting and thrilling moments to keep your heart and mind reading!!
Highly recommended!
April 28, 2026
Sooo good couldn’t put this book down! Loved every moment of this, enemies to lovers, time travel, high stakes intense romance, love triangle with two brothers dystopian romance with spice! Enjoyed this book so much and so thankful to have received this ARC bookmail from Avon & Tessa release October 6, 2026! Just what I needed ❤️🔥🔥
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
ALL THE STARS!
NEW FAVORITE TESSA BOOK!
I was a little nervous going into this because Tessa is so good at romcoms and this seemed so different, but dang, did she crush this. Some moments of Tessa banter and humor pop through occasionally, but overall, it's an emotional journey full of twists. Bonus, Ramsey is 🤌🤌
NEW FAVORITE TESSA BOOK!
I was a little nervous going into this because Tessa is so good at romcoms and this seemed so different, but dang, did she crush this. Some moments of Tessa banter and humor pop through occasionally, but overall, it's an emotional journey full of twists. Bonus, Ramsey is 🤌🤌
May 10, 2026
Thank you Avon for the #gifted arc!
🗓️Oct 6
📚Standalone Novel
👉🏼Time Travel
I am obsessed with this story. I’m a huge fan of time travel by itself—but add in the dystopian vibes and I am hooked.
This book is filled with desperate love. A man obsessed and edge of your seat action—I kid you not, I was on the edge of my seat. My heart was in my throat and would not stop racing. It was hard to breathe at times.
Magnolia is a girl out of time. Stuck here without her parents, a pariah—blamed for the current destruction that time travelers have brought to the current time. Going through the motions but not really living. Until disaster strikes and her only refuge is the one person who wants to destroy her the most.
Obsessed. Did I mention that I’m obsessed? I want everyone to read and love this book like it do. The desperate love… I’m weak for it. The training to fight—love that too. The realizing that things are not what they seem 👀 AND THE YEARNING!!!! All of it. This book is so good.
It’s a sharp deviation from Tessa Bailey’s normal rom-coms. But I love it when an author flexes and shows us they are capable of multiple genres. This is my new favorite from her 😍
🗓️Oct 6
📚Standalone Novel
👉🏼Time Travel
I am obsessed with this story. I’m a huge fan of time travel by itself—but add in the dystopian vibes and I am hooked.
This book is filled with desperate love. A man obsessed and edge of your seat action—I kid you not, I was on the edge of my seat. My heart was in my throat and would not stop racing. It was hard to breathe at times.
Magnolia is a girl out of time. Stuck here without her parents, a pariah—blamed for the current destruction that time travelers have brought to the current time. Going through the motions but not really living. Until disaster strikes and her only refuge is the one person who wants to destroy her the most.
Obsessed. Did I mention that I’m obsessed? I want everyone to read and love this book like it do. The desperate love… I’m weak for it. The training to fight—love that too. The realizing that things are not what they seem 👀 AND THE YEARNING!!!! All of it. This book is so good.
It’s a sharp deviation from Tessa Bailey’s normal rom-coms. But I love it when an author flexes and shows us they are capable of multiple genres. This is my new favorite from her 😍
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews