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The Boyfriend Rivalry
Boyfriend VS Boy Friend
CURTIS
My relationship with my girlfriend, Kennedy, is almost perfect. The only problem is Kennedy’s best friend, Liam, who hates me. Well, I hate him too. I hate that he’s taller than me, I hate that he’s so confident, and I’m sure he’s trying to ruin my relationship because he’s secretly in love with Kennedy.
When Kennedy invites me to her family’s beach house for the school holidays, I think it’s the perfect opportunity to spend quality time with my girlfriend. Until I find out Liam is coming too.
LIAM
If spending two weeks with Curtis wasn’t bad enough, Kennedy has also made me promise to be nice to her boyfriend. I won’t let her down, even if trying to be friends with Curtis makes me want to pull my hair out.
But through sharing a bedroom, beach soccer games and sailing disasters, I realise that I might have been wrong about Curtis. But I can’t get too close to him. That would be dangerous.
CURTIS
My relationship with my girlfriend, Kennedy, is almost perfect. The only problem is Kennedy’s best friend, Liam, who hates me. Well, I hate him too. I hate that he’s taller than me, I hate that he’s so confident, and I’m sure he’s trying to ruin my relationship because he’s secretly in love with Kennedy.
When Kennedy invites me to her family’s beach house for the school holidays, I think it’s the perfect opportunity to spend quality time with my girlfriend. Until I find out Liam is coming too.
LIAM
If spending two weeks with Curtis wasn’t bad enough, Kennedy has also made me promise to be nice to her boyfriend. I won’t let her down, even if trying to be friends with Curtis makes me want to pull my hair out.
But through sharing a bedroom, beach soccer games and sailing disasters, I realise that I might have been wrong about Curtis. But I can’t get too close to him. That would be dangerous.
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 25, 2021
199 people are currently reading
858 people want to read
About the author
Milana Spencer
13 books168 followersMilana Spencer writes steamy slow burn MM romance.
She's in her early twenties and has an existential crisis every other week. She lives in Australia and loves matcha lattes, cats and to-do lists.
Her favourite tropes include oblivious characters, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers and forced proximity.
Sign up to her email list via her website for latest updates about new books and giveaways!
Contact her via her website!
She's in her early twenties and has an existential crisis every other week. She lives in Australia and loves matcha lattes, cats and to-do lists.
Her favourite tropes include oblivious characters, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers and forced proximity.
Sign up to her email list via her website for latest updates about new books and giveaways!
Contact her via her website!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
February 2, 2024
Did you know that the Sisyphus myth was originally inspired by this book, The Boyfriend Rivalry? Yeah, they were reading this, trying to get past the first fifty pages, and were like, “damn, this is just like pushing a boulder up a mountain for eternity!” Okay, maybe I’m being too harsh, because after I finished with all the yawning, I quickly shifted into different, more complex emotions. Granted, those emotions were mostly anxiety and annoyance, but it’s a step! Not in the right direction, but a step all the same. Ugh, has anybody noticed that it’s kind of hard to find a good fight in a book? I don’t mean people punching each other or anything like that, but rather simply two people who are just incredibly pissed at each other, Before Midnight style. I was so disappointed because this book has the absolutely perfect set-up for a big blowout argument! I mean, come on, a girl’s boyfriend and her bestie fall in gay love with each other? That’s a recipe for disaster if I ever saw one. It’s not like I even love argument scenes all that much, it’s just that this book almost needed that kind of situation in order to earn its happy ending. The growing attraction between Liam and Curtis had me so nervous the whole time that the only real way my anxieties could have been alleviated was with a fight. Instead, everything resolves itself a little too neat and tidy. With everyone being so considerate and careful with each other that I felt sick. Where’s the screaming, the selfishness, the regretful words!? This is why I love music, by the way. You can create the most angry and immature song and get away with it because it conveys the feelings we need to feel. I’m just tired of books that feel the need to wrap everything up in a pretty little bow. This is a book about good people in an ugly situation when it would have been infinitely better if were about bad people in an ugly situation. Well, maybe not better, but it sure as hell would have been a lot more entertaining. Instead, what I got was a bore that unfortunately got increasingly gaudier and weepier as it went along. Anyway, I think I’ve properly exhausted this point now.
Because now we can move on to my minor annoyances. Yay! Firstly… what’s up with how Curtis is always “chuckling.” Without a doubt it’s supposed to endear him to Liam (and us), but I couldn’t help but think about the fact that I’m pretty sure I’ve never chuckled in my life. I’m a wheezer, a cackler, I'd maybe even let out a chortle or a guffaw, but you’d never catch me chuckling. I’ll move on because this is starting to sound like a bad Seinfeld bit, but I just thought it was weird how the guy never actually laughed in the whole book. And then what’s up with the fact that Liam keeps talking about how nerdy he is by being into anime but never mentions the names of anything he watches!? I can’t even go one review without name-dropping whatever movie or show that pops into my brain! Like, I get that he’s probably watching Haikyu!!, but I only know that because I’m a nerd. He seriously started to sound like an alien trying to replicate human speech. Like some kind of pod person. You know what, I’ve got it… He’s a fake fan! Gasp! It makes sense when you think about it... he watches dubbed anime and not subtitled! Haha! I’ve found you out faker! Okay, I’m way off topic now, so let’s try to end this on a more chill note. Yeah, so I didn’t really like this. I think it wants to have some kind of dangerous and messy appeal but then does nothing of substance with that premise. I guess Kennedy wanting her boyfriend and her boy friend to be nicer to each other only for them to end up falling for one another instead is pretty funny... in a Greek tragedy, curling of the monkey’s paw, kind of way. But other than that, I think I’m okay with not continuing this series. I probably would have liked this a lot better (okay, well at least as much as Secret Obsession) if the last sixty pages didn’t feel like an extended, patronizing exercise. Pamphlet therapy. “How about we all discuss our feelings?” How about we just end the damn book already.
Though your girlfriend's a friend of mine / Here's my number and a dime, call me anytime (Call Me – Skyy)
Because now we can move on to my minor annoyances. Yay! Firstly… what’s up with how Curtis is always “chuckling.” Without a doubt it’s supposed to endear him to Liam (and us), but I couldn’t help but think about the fact that I’m pretty sure I’ve never chuckled in my life. I’m a wheezer, a cackler, I'd maybe even let out a chortle or a guffaw, but you’d never catch me chuckling. I’ll move on because this is starting to sound like a bad Seinfeld bit, but I just thought it was weird how the guy never actually laughed in the whole book. And then what’s up with the fact that Liam keeps talking about how nerdy he is by being into anime but never mentions the names of anything he watches!? I can’t even go one review without name-dropping whatever movie or show that pops into my brain! Like, I get that he’s probably watching Haikyu!!, but I only know that because I’m a nerd. He seriously started to sound like an alien trying to replicate human speech. Like some kind of pod person. You know what, I’ve got it… He’s a fake fan! Gasp! It makes sense when you think about it... he watches dubbed anime and not subtitled! Haha! I’ve found you out faker! Okay, I’m way off topic now, so let’s try to end this on a more chill note. Yeah, so I didn’t really like this. I think it wants to have some kind of dangerous and messy appeal but then does nothing of substance with that premise. I guess Kennedy wanting her boyfriend and her boy friend to be nicer to each other only for them to end up falling for one another instead is pretty funny... in a Greek tragedy, curling of the monkey’s paw, kind of way. But other than that, I think I’m okay with not continuing this series. I probably would have liked this a lot better (okay, well at least as much as Secret Obsession) if the last sixty pages didn’t feel like an extended, patronizing exercise. Pamphlet therapy. “How about we all discuss our feelings?” How about we just end the damn book already.
Though your girlfriend's a friend of mine / Here's my number and a dime, call me anytime (Call Me – Skyy)
December 12, 2021
me reading a contemporary, clean, fluffy romance about high schoolers and actually enjoying it? who would have thunk...
October 27, 2021
this was quite charming and a very fast, fun read. i think this is the quickest i’ve finished a book in ages, actually.
i had a few niggles, though. first and most importantly, this book definitely could’ve used another edit; there were a lot of typos, missing words, etc. to the point where it was sometimes distracting and took me out of the scene. i noticed this mostly in the first half of the story, but it got better in the second half. the writing in general sometimes felt like it lacked a bit of polish, too. it wasn’t bad, just very green. i felt a little too old to be reading this sometimes, as well. it’s definitely a YA book nn. however, i think there’s a lot of potential with this author, though, so i’ll def be keeping an eye on them in the future.
overall, i liked this a lot. it was cute, the character were likable and nicely fleshed out, and the story never dragged or got boring. 3.5 stars rounded up.
i had a few niggles, though. first and most importantly, this book definitely could’ve used another edit; there were a lot of typos, missing words, etc. to the point where it was sometimes distracting and took me out of the scene. i noticed this mostly in the first half of the story, but it got better in the second half. the writing in general sometimes felt like it lacked a bit of polish, too. it wasn’t bad, just very green. i felt a little too old to be reading this sometimes, as well. it’s definitely a YA book nn. however, i think there’s a lot of potential with this author, though, so i’ll def be keeping an eye on them in the future.
overall, i liked this a lot. it was cute, the character were likable and nicely fleshed out, and the story never dragged or got boring. 3.5 stars rounded up.
December 27, 2021
***3.0 rating***
"At least you now know who my secret crush is," I whisper. My voice is light, trying to lighten the mood, but Curtis just shakes his head, a little amused look on his lips. "And you know mine," Curtis answers."
Its currently 3:21 am, I should be sleeping but obviously I have nothing better to do but write a review 😂
I blame caffeine, that shit is powerful I tell ya lol.
But back to this book.
This was a very cute story. Very innocent, pure and tame. Its definitely YA.
Basically, boy is in a relationship with girl but falls for his girlfriend's best friend, who is a guy that likes other guys😉. The best friend, also falls for his friend's boyfriend.
All in all, a very sweet and cute story. So why the 3.0 rating?
From the bio of the author in the book, it's stated that they are currently a student in university. I am sensing that the author is young, which is great! I mean to have your work published at a young age? Amazing! But unfortunately, it was obvious also in the writing. This book needed some more editing and revising. There were spelling and grammatical errors. That, unfortunately is a turn off for me. Nothing against the author, I am sure as she writes more books she will improve on her craft. She has great potential. I just wish there was more effort put into the editing.
I have been reading a lot of angsty books lately so I appreciated a sweet fluffy book. But it lacked romance and it was sadly short. I do wish it was longer with more romance.
Overall thoughts:
If you like cute, sweet, and tame YA "romance" then give this book a shot.
"At least you now know who my secret crush is," I whisper. My voice is light, trying to lighten the mood, but Curtis just shakes his head, a little amused look on his lips. "And you know mine," Curtis answers."
Its currently 3:21 am, I should be sleeping but obviously I have nothing better to do but write a review 😂
I blame caffeine, that shit is powerful I tell ya lol.
But back to this book.
This was a very cute story. Very innocent, pure and tame. Its definitely YA.
Basically, boy is in a relationship with girl but falls for his girlfriend's best friend, who is a guy that likes other guys😉. The best friend, also falls for his friend's boyfriend.
All in all, a very sweet and cute story. So why the 3.0 rating?
From the bio of the author in the book, it's stated that they are currently a student in university. I am sensing that the author is young, which is great! I mean to have your work published at a young age? Amazing! But unfortunately, it was obvious also in the writing. This book needed some more editing and revising. There were spelling and grammatical errors. That, unfortunately is a turn off for me. Nothing against the author, I am sure as she writes more books she will improve on her craft. She has great potential. I just wish there was more effort put into the editing.
I have been reading a lot of angsty books lately so I appreciated a sweet fluffy book. But it lacked romance and it was sadly short. I do wish it was longer with more romance.
Overall thoughts:
If you like cute, sweet, and tame YA "romance" then give this book a shot.
July 21, 2022
Cute and sweet. I got a little bored in the middle because the girlfriend story lasted way too long, but otherwise I enjoyed it.
October 18, 2021
[𝟮.𝟳𝟱 / 𝟱 ✩]
The Boyfriend Rivalry, in a word? Cute, very very cute. Which, while not a bad thing, is a bit disappointing. I think TBR had the potential to be so much more than just, cute. But alas…
Despite such a strong start, The Boyfriend Rivalry ended up being a cute but unfinished feeling story.
♥… enemies-to-lovers
♥… Curtis and Liam as characters.
🅾🅺... the romance
✘… the OW drama
✘… pretty much ONE location
✘… the side-characters (very forgettable)
🅾🅺... the lack of drama
♥… the first thirtyish percent
🅾🅺... the epilogue
✘… i was bored
♥… the sailboat scene
✘… show don't tell
🅾🅺... Kennedy was almost TOO chill
✘… slooooow burn
✘… gimme me more please
♥… Curtis drinking his green tea
♥… the hammock scene
Talking to Liam is like going to the gym. Sometimes it's painful, but it's almost always cathartic. And after a while, I decided I liked the gym.
The Boyfriend Rivalry, in a word? Cute, very very cute. Which, while not a bad thing, is a bit disappointing. I think TBR had the potential to be so much more than just, cute. But alas…
Despite such a strong start, The Boyfriend Rivalry ended up being a cute but unfinished feeling story.
❝Do you have to go on your tippy-toes to kiss me?❞
❝Not my tippy-toes,❞ he says, and I'm distracted by the way his lips are still parted.
❝I saw you.❞
❝I have to lean upwards a little. It's your fault for being so tall.❞
My lip curls. ❝You like it.❞
His eyes over me shamelessly and I shiver under his gaze. ❝Yes. I do.❞
♥… enemies-to-lovers
♥… Curtis and Liam as characters.
🅾🅺... the romance
✘… the OW drama
✘… pretty much ONE location
✘… the side-characters (very forgettable)
🅾🅺... the lack of drama
♥… the first thirtyish percent
🅾🅺... the epilogue
✘… i was bored
♥… the sailboat scene
✘… show don't tell
🅾🅺... Kennedy was almost TOO chill
✘… slooooow burn
✘… gimme me more please
♥… Curtis drinking his green tea
♥… the hammock scene
July 30, 2022
Immature, boring and entirely predictable. Typos galore. I will not be continuing this series. 👎
October 28, 2025
3☆
The best thing about this book was the blurb.
After reading said blurb, I went into it expecting drama, angst and most importantly, some hate-to-love TENSION. Sadly, it was pretty non-existent throughout the book.
I don't think this book/author is for me…
I would call this a cute and fluffy YA-story. It had a somewhat decent build-up between the main characters, and I appreciated the slow-burn aspect of their relationship. I also kinda liked Liam and Curtis together as a couple. But there was just too much wasted potential here, especially with the forced-proximity trope! So, all in all, this ended up being a very lacklustre read.
The best thing about this book was the blurb.
After reading said blurb, I went into it expecting drama, angst and most importantly, some hate-to-love TENSION. Sadly, it was pretty non-existent throughout the book.
I don't think this book/author is for me…
I would call this a cute and fluffy YA-story. It had a somewhat decent build-up between the main characters, and I appreciated the slow-burn aspect of their relationship. I also kinda liked Liam and Curtis together as a couple. But there was just too much wasted potential here, especially with the forced-proximity trope! So, all in all, this ended up being a very lacklustre read.
October 29, 2021
3.5 piercing blue eyes stars
SWEET AND WELL ROUNDED
It was a nice forbidden and bi-awakening romance, with a hint of forced proximity - some of my favorite tropes. I loved the characters, but the pacing was a bit erratic and so did my attention.
First thing first, there was no cheating! I hate when there's, so it's important for me to make it clear. OW stories aren't necessarily something I like, but I think it was well done. Kennedy wasn't depicted as a bitchy girl and I was all for it - even if it meant there wasn't real drama. I still felt angsty because of their complicated situation. Two guys, one of them her boyfriend, the other her best friend. It wasn't as if they could all easily part ways... Considering Kennedy's feelings, the way Milana Spencer wrote it felt more realistic.
Curtis and Liam were my main interest in the book. I had trouble connecting with them at the beginning because their antagonism looked petty, but when we learned why Liam didn't like Curtis - around 30% of the book - it made more sense. After that, it was sweet seeing them slowly understanding what they felt for each other. I clarify here that, in my opinion, they didn't act badly towards Kennedy during this time. There were friendly interactions with everyone and Curtis stayed honest with her until the end.
It took Liam and Curtis so long to think about it - especially Curtis - I got a bit bored. Of course they shared a few nice scenes, like the hammock one, and the time helped create an emotional tension mixed with some deserved guilt. But it took forever to see them have a real moment together. Okay, when they did, I fell in love with them, but still! I've seen multiple times people talk about it as a slow burn and I could agree because of the book's snail pace. However everything happened in the course of two weeks (more or less), so..... How could it feel so slow then?!
Overall I enjoyed this romance and its good characters. It was a fast reading and will easily find its public.
SWEET AND WELL ROUNDED
It was a nice forbidden and bi-awakening romance, with a hint of forced proximity - some of my favorite tropes. I loved the characters, but the pacing was a bit erratic and so did my attention.
First thing first, there was no cheating! I hate when there's, so it's important for me to make it clear. OW stories aren't necessarily something I like, but I think it was well done. Kennedy wasn't depicted as a bitchy girl and I was all for it - even if it meant there wasn't real drama. I still felt angsty because of their complicated situation. Two guys, one of them her boyfriend, the other her best friend. It wasn't as if they could all easily part ways... Considering Kennedy's feelings, the way Milana Spencer wrote it felt more realistic.
Curtis and Liam were my main interest in the book. I had trouble connecting with them at the beginning because their antagonism looked petty, but when we learned why Liam didn't like Curtis - around 30% of the book - it made more sense. After that, it was sweet seeing them slowly understanding what they felt for each other. I clarify here that, in my opinion, they didn't act badly towards Kennedy during this time. There were friendly interactions with everyone and Curtis stayed honest with her until the end.
It took Liam and Curtis so long to think about it - especially Curtis - I got a bit bored. Of course they shared a few nice scenes, like the hammock one, and the time helped create an emotional tension mixed with some deserved guilt. But it took forever to see them have a real moment together. Okay, when they did, I fell in love with them, but still! I've seen multiple times people talk about it as a slow burn and I could agree because of the book's snail pace. However everything happened in the course of two weeks (more or less), so..... How could it feel so slow then?!
Overall I enjoyed this romance and its good characters. It was a fast reading and will easily find its public.
October 27, 2021
It's mostly me, not the book! I'm not into YA, but I loved the prequel so I thought I could love this one too, yet the imaturity of the story killed it for me.
February 19, 2023
Nostalgic read
I actually enjoyed reading this book, so clean and it totally took me back to my high school years 🥹 gosh what a time 🤭
I actually enjoyed reading this book, so clean and it totally took me back to my high school years 🥹 gosh what a time 🤭
August 16, 2021
It was so adorable. I honestly didn't expect that I wouldn't get bored before I was halfway done.
August 4, 2025
Not sure if this was supposed to be YA or not, but it's a very tame story. Just kisses and an off-screen jerking off session in the shower (solo). But it's not bad, although it could have been tightened up a bit.
Main problem is that there are lots of typos and misplaced words. Very distracting.
Main problem is that there are lots of typos and misplaced words. Very distracting.
July 23, 2021
This book is a *long* slow burn, but that's exactly my kind of thing! I think for the enemies-to-lovers trope, it can be super unrealistic if the two characters fall in love too quickly, but in this book we get to see the two main characters, Curtis and Liam, slowly grow feelings for each other.
This book has a super interesting concept, where it's a girl's boyfriend and best guy friend falling in love, so it's a sticky situation. Of course, the ending deals with all of this in a satisfying way. One thing is that the characters are in high school and while sexual stuff is discussed in the book, there aren't actually any spicy scenes. That didn't bother me, though, because I still loved the story.
ARC provided in return for an honest review.
This book has a super interesting concept, where it's a girl's boyfriend and best guy friend falling in love, so it's a sticky situation. Of course, the ending deals with all of this in a satisfying way. One thing is that the characters are in high school and while sexual stuff is discussed in the book, there aren't actually any spicy scenes. That didn't bother me, though, because I still loved the story.
ARC provided in return for an honest review.
September 6, 2024
Was this book the best? No, it was not. In fact, it was a bit weird, it could have been shorter and it had some typing mistakes at the beginning.
And yet, I read it in one sitting so I'd say it fulfilled its purpose of escapism.
The story in itself it's good, I mean a forbidden relationship between the girl's best friend and her ex-boyfriend with an enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity trope? The thing is that it dragged a bit and the drama could have been better and angstier but I guess that was not the point of this book.
I'll still probably continue with the series when I'm in the mood to not think.
And yet, I read it in one sitting so I'd say it fulfilled its purpose of escapism.
The story in itself it's good, I mean a forbidden relationship between the girl's best friend and her ex-boyfriend with an enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity trope? The thing is that it dragged a bit and the drama could have been better and angstier but I guess that was not the point of this book.
I'll still probably continue with the series when I'm in the mood to not think.
November 26, 2022
Wow a soft hs M/M romance with not a hit of filthy sex and I loved it.
August 19, 2021
i really like slow burn but god this was too much slow burn even for me. but the end was kinda cute though
August 18, 2021
3.5*
Good summer read. There's a realism to these young relationships that makes the rivalry palpable, and delectable as it evolves into attraction, disrupting one romance and one friendship.
Kennedy invites her bf to her cousins' shorehouse over Easter break with the hope of losing her virginity. Unbeknownst to her bf Curtis, she has also invited her best friend and his archenemy, Liam. Curtis and Liam have promised Kennedy they will tolerate each other for their getaway to the Australian shore. But there are other underlying tensions that no one seems to want to acknowledge, least of all the oblivious rivals.
Although blindsided by both her bf and her best friend, Kennedy is no mere foil for her boys. Her intelligence and refusal to accept those cliche utterances that pass for reason in other romances prove once again that women are the more mature as well as fairer sex :).
Good news: there's a sequel due out come October. Lets hope Milana Spencer hires a more experienced copy editor for The Enemy Benefit. Her writing deserves it.
Good summer read. There's a realism to these young relationships that makes the rivalry palpable, and delectable as it evolves into attraction, disrupting one romance and one friendship.
Kennedy invites her bf to her cousins' shorehouse over Easter break with the hope of losing her virginity. Unbeknownst to her bf Curtis, she has also invited her best friend and his archenemy, Liam. Curtis and Liam have promised Kennedy they will tolerate each other for their getaway to the Australian shore. But there are other underlying tensions that no one seems to want to acknowledge, least of all the oblivious rivals.
Although blindsided by both her bf and her best friend, Kennedy is no mere foil for her boys. Her intelligence and refusal to accept those cliche utterances that pass for reason in other romances prove once again that women are the more mature as well as fairer sex :).
Good news: there's a sequel due out come October. Lets hope Milana Spencer hires a more experienced copy editor for The Enemy Benefit. Her writing deserves it.
December 3, 2021
Aggressively average YA-type romance. Way, way more boring than the blurb makes it out to be.
July 18, 2021
3.5 I received and ARC in exchanged of an honest review. This book was a sweet YA bi/awakening story with minimum angst, which takes place in Australia. Overall I enjoyed this book, I read it one seating and it was perfect for a Saturday afternoon. This book had a lot of potential and there is a lot to like about it. First I enjoyed the Australian setting and the author does an amazing job of giving us the sense that we are right with them on that beach holidays.
I also enjoyed the characters, first let me start by saying that there is no cheating in this book, however at some point it does turn into a love triangle. I do appreciated that the author didn’t turn the female character into a complete bitch, which often happens in books with that sort of trope. Overall I liked how she approached the enemies to lover/ bi awakening storyline, felt believable.
My biggest issue with this book is probably the editing, I felt there was a lot of unnecessary scenes, that could have easily been delated and the sort would have been perfectly fine without them and the dialogues didn’t flow as it should, it felt a bit forced and the characters ended up sounding a lot younger that was probably intended.
This was a new to me author and I see potential, I would read her again , no doubt.
I also enjoyed the characters, first let me start by saying that there is no cheating in this book, however at some point it does turn into a love triangle. I do appreciated that the author didn’t turn the female character into a complete bitch, which often happens in books with that sort of trope. Overall I liked how she approached the enemies to lover/ bi awakening storyline, felt believable.
My biggest issue with this book is probably the editing, I felt there was a lot of unnecessary scenes, that could have easily been delated and the sort would have been perfectly fine without them and the dialogues didn’t flow as it should, it felt a bit forced and the characters ended up sounding a lot younger that was probably intended.
This was a new to me author and I see potential, I would read her again , no doubt.
March 29, 2022
This was such a cute and sweet book. It doesn't reinvent the wheel or do anything new particularly, but it had a lot of heart and it had a lot of tropes that I'm just a sucker for, so I really liked it. There were some typos and errors here and there, but overall... it was just cute! I'm not sure what else to say lol, I really liked it.
April 12, 2024
That was cute! I wish I could read more of them. It didn't feel like a novella.
July 22, 2021
*ARC provided by Author in exchange for honest review*
3.5/5
This book was one of the sweetest enemies to lovers tropes I have read in such a long time. Going in I was understandably scared about how the love triangle would be handled - but I'm very pleased to say that it was executed in a very respectful manner. The characters were very enjoyable - Curtis & Liam had some great characterisation allowing me to really understand them. It also made their love story feel that much more authentic. As the book is a slow burn - their romance did not feel rushed in any way.
This brings me to my one gripe with the book - I was not a huge fan of the editing on this. Slow burns are great however, at some points in this story, a lot of scenes felt completely unnecessary. The scenes didn't add to the characterisation or romance and were just filler. I read in anticipation of some minor plot points having a bigger role in the future but they were just throwaway points in the end. It was very sad when I realised there was only a chapter or so after Curtis & Liam got together - I'm a sucker for romance and this book didn't have a lot in it. However, after the first half, the book did flow a lot better and I couldn't put it down.
That being said, The Boyfriend Rivalry was still a sweet, light-hearted read that I enjoyed. I think the author has a lot of potential and I look forward to reading her future works.
3.5/5
This book was one of the sweetest enemies to lovers tropes I have read in such a long time. Going in I was understandably scared about how the love triangle would be handled - but I'm very pleased to say that it was executed in a very respectful manner. The characters were very enjoyable - Curtis & Liam had some great characterisation allowing me to really understand them. It also made their love story feel that much more authentic. As the book is a slow burn - their romance did not feel rushed in any way.
This brings me to my one gripe with the book - I was not a huge fan of the editing on this. Slow burns are great however, at some points in this story, a lot of scenes felt completely unnecessary. The scenes didn't add to the characterisation or romance and were just filler. I read in anticipation of some minor plot points having a bigger role in the future but they were just throwaway points in the end. It was very sad when I realised there was only a chapter or so after Curtis & Liam got together - I'm a sucker for romance and this book didn't have a lot in it. However, after the first half, the book did flow a lot better and I couldn't put it down.
That being said, The Boyfriend Rivalry was still a sweet, light-hearted read that I enjoyed. I think the author has a lot of potential and I look forward to reading her future works.
July 15, 2021
I received the book as a free arc and I'm happy to say I enjoyed it very much!
At first I was a bit surprised that the MCs are only 18, because somehow I had expected more of a mature setting. However, that did not turn out to be a problem, but made me even more curious to see how the author resolves this love triangle. And I was not disappointed! The Enemys-To-Lovers-Theme was explained well so that it didn't feel inauthentic (although I would have preferred to read about their first acquaintance on-page).
All characters are written very relatable and complex, so their age didn't matter as much. I could put myself in everyone's shoes and there wasn't anyone I didn't like.
The romance between Curtis and Liam was written very believably and I found their development very interesting to read. Especially Liam was a treasure :) I pretty much loved their Hollywood-Movie-Moment! ♡
All in all a great book that I would definitely recommend. It is a wonderful, light-hearted Story about friendship and first love.
One star deduction only because I would have liked to have had more chapters after the MCs got together (and maybe I would also have liked to see a few intimate scenes hehe).
At first I was a bit surprised that the MCs are only 18, because somehow I had expected more of a mature setting. However, that did not turn out to be a problem, but made me even more curious to see how the author resolves this love triangle. And I was not disappointed! The Enemys-To-Lovers-Theme was explained well so that it didn't feel inauthentic (although I would have preferred to read about their first acquaintance on-page).
All characters are written very relatable and complex, so their age didn't matter as much. I could put myself in everyone's shoes and there wasn't anyone I didn't like.
The romance between Curtis and Liam was written very believably and I found their development very interesting to read. Especially Liam was a treasure :) I pretty much loved their Hollywood-Movie-Moment! ♡
All in all a great book that I would definitely recommend. It is a wonderful, light-hearted Story about friendship and first love.
One star deduction only because I would have liked to have had more chapters after the MCs got together (and maybe I would also have liked to see a few intimate scenes hehe).
June 19, 2022
Liam e Curtis sono nemici/amici. Curtis esce con la migliore amica di Liam. Ma i due non si sopportano finché non sono obbligati a passare del tempo insieme durante le vacanze.
E vivendo sotto lo stesso tetto, passando giorni insieme, e facendo attività di gruppo quasi sempre insieme il loro legame si trasforma in qualcosa che di sicuro li prende alla sprovvista.
Ho trovato questo libro un po' troppo lento per i miei gusti. C'erano troppi personaggi che potevano essere tralasciati o anche dimenticati. Le situazioni che si creano con i 2 personaggi Le trovo un po' forzate a volte perché è non sembrano spontanee.
Quello che invece mi è piaciuto di questo libro è stata la relazione di amicizia E l'amore che si crea piano piano tra i due maschi. Quello mi è piaciuto molto. Come detto sopra certe situazioni certo che sono forzate, ma altre sembrano del tutto normali e potrebbero capitare nella vita reale.
Non è un libro erotico dunque chi ama i romance puri può leggerlo molto volentieri questo libro e non rimarrà deluso!
E vivendo sotto lo stesso tetto, passando giorni insieme, e facendo attività di gruppo quasi sempre insieme il loro legame si trasforma in qualcosa che di sicuro li prende alla sprovvista.
Ho trovato questo libro un po' troppo lento per i miei gusti. C'erano troppi personaggi che potevano essere tralasciati o anche dimenticati. Le situazioni che si creano con i 2 personaggi Le trovo un po' forzate a volte perché è non sembrano spontanee.
Quello che invece mi è piaciuto di questo libro è stata la relazione di amicizia E l'amore che si crea piano piano tra i due maschi. Quello mi è piaciuto molto. Come detto sopra certe situazioni certo che sono forzate, ma altre sembrano del tutto normali e potrebbero capitare nella vita reale.
Non è un libro erotico dunque chi ama i romance puri può leggerlo molto volentieri questo libro e non rimarrà deluso!
September 2, 2025
curtis & liam - 3.75 stars 🐥 this was cute!! i haven’t read a YA romance in a looong time and this definitely reminded me that i still love them, i flew through it pretty quickly. still my favourite by milana remains a tent for two (where are the other two books in that series ?!😅) but i really did enjoy this one! from my understanding the rest of this series is actually NA and explicit??? i’m ready to dive in to those too☝🏼
also i’m not the biggest fan of slow burn tbh, BUT it definitely worked for these two, would’ve been less believable if they had gotten together so quickly considering all the circumstances lmao
also i’m not the biggest fan of slow burn tbh, BUT it definitely worked for these two, would’ve been less believable if they had gotten together so quickly considering all the circumstances lmao
July 26, 2022
so ... I had to read a YA book for the Hunt, and this was my find. and I have to say, I quite enjoyed it. I liked how the relationship developed because it was obvious that there was a true development there.
I would have liked to see more of them together but it was ok as it was
a nice find, which I really enjoyed
I would have liked to see more of them together but it was ok as it was
a nice find, which I really enjoyed
February 20, 2022
cute, want more fluff though❤️❤️
July 16, 2025
It’s not terrible but it is a little slow and in desperate need of an editor. It feels like it was severely reworked from an earlier draft and a lot of artifacts were left behind.
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