The Rival, Emma Lord
The Rival, Emma Lord
List: $26.99 | Sale: $18.89
Club: $13.49

The Rival
A Novel

Author: Emma Lord

Narrator: Jesse Vilinsky

Unabridged: 11 hr 16 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/21/2025

Synopsis

"Jesse Vilinsky’s narration captures Millie’s emotional voice expertly throughout, animating the story through the narration." —School Library Journal on When You Get the Chance

Rivals-to-lovers gets an academic send-up in this charming and irresistible romantic comedy from Emma Lord, New York Times bestselling author of Tweet Cute and Begin Again.

At long last, Sadie has vanquished her lifelong academic rival — her irritatingly charming, whip smart next door neighbor, Seb — by getting the coveted, only spot to her dream college. Or at least, so she thinks. When Seb is unexpectedly pulled off the waitlist and admitted, Sadie has to compete with him all over again, this time to get a spot on the school’s famous zine. Now not only is she dealing with the mayhem of the lovable, chaotic family she hid her writing talents from, as well as her own self doubt, but she has to come to terms with some less-than-resentful feelings for Seb that are popping up along the way.

But the longer they compete, the more Sadie and Seb notice flaws in the school’s system that are much bigger than any competition between them. Somehow the two of them have to band together even as they’re trying to crush each other, only to discover they may have met their match in more ways than one.

"If you haven’t read a novel by Emma Lord before, you’ve been missing out on something spectacular." - Paste

A Macmillan Audio production from Wednesday Books.

About Emma Lord

Emma Lord is a digital media editor and writer living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn't writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. Her sun sign is Cancer and her moon sign is whatever Taylor Swift song is about to pop up on shuffle. She is the author of Tweet Cute, You Have a Match, When You Get the Chance, Begin Again, The Getaway List, The Break-Up Pact, and The Rival.

About Jesse Vilinsky

Jesse Vilinsky is an award-winning narrator and accomplished voice actress. She has recorded over 350 audiobooks, and is known for her ability in bringing forth the strength, truth and vulnerability of her expertly voiced characters, as well as the depth and nuance of each narrative she tells. She is also known for her comedic timing, and quirky YA styling. She strives to make an author’s deftly created world 3D in the listener’s mind, and to aid them, and herself, in disappearing into their stories. She has been nominated for and won two Audie Awards, nominated for five and won two Voice Arts Awards, and has won 14 Earphones Awards.As a voice actress, she has been featured in many films and television shows, including The Giver, The New Mutants, Yellowstone and Rick & Morty, can also be heard in many major video game projects, such as Dead by Daylight: Dungeons & Dragons, Call of Duty 6: Black Ops and Alone in the Dark.

Reviews

Goodreads review by mimi (taylor’s version) on March 10, 2025

There's something truly poetic in writing a book that’s the complete opposite of the one you published around the same time last year and, somehow, making them about the same thing: the arduous path of finding yourself. If The Getaway List is about following your dreams and not being crushed by e......more

Goodreads review by Nilufer on January 30, 2025

Emma Lord reigns as the queen of sweet YA romcoms! She has created another adorable enemies-to-lovers and opposites-attract love story set in college, where rivals compete for the college newspaper's staff writing position while uncovering administrative secrets. The plot is well-executed, and Sebas......more

Goodreads review by Jillian on January 09, 2025

For their entire lives, Sadie and Seb have battled to outshine one another. Finally, Sadie feels like she’s won, landing a spot at their dream college while Seb was rejected. Now she just needs to land a spot at the ultra-competitive student magazine and she’ll be on her way to her dream career in c......more

Goodreads review by Christy on December 24, 2024

3.25 stars Sadie and Seb were best friends, turned rivals. These two had parents that were best friends and grew up together. They are always competing and trying to one up one another. Sadie is now starting her freshman year of college, without Seb, but suddenly, he shows up. He got off the waitlis......more

Goodreads review by Hannah on March 05, 2025

I can always trust and Emma Lord book to be Exactly What I Need 🥞......more

Quotes

Praise for The Rival:

"Lord (The Getaway List) nimbly plots a cheeky and gentle romance full of murky, unexplainable feelings; depictions of messy burgeoning adulthood; and the excitement of first love." - Publishers Weekly

"A clever and entertaining college campus romance." - Kirkus

Praise for The Getaway List:

 "Emma Lord is a rom-com goddess." - In Between Drafts

"Emma Lord knows her way around the romcom space." - B&N Reads

"Lord (Begin Again) enriches a familiar “bucket list” premise with leaps-off-the-page atmosphere...depictions of family, friend, and romantic relationships are riddled with humor and rambunctious energy in this inspired carpe diem romp through the city of dreams." - Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"An entertaining friends-to-lovers story that will have readers laughing and reflecting in equal measure." - Kirkus

"Lord continues to break and mend hearts." - Booklist

“Hopeful, inspiring and escapist in the most wonderful way, The Getaway List is the joyous coming-of-age story that is a must-read for fans of the friends-to-lovers trope and Taylor Swift’s Welcome to New York.” –The Nerd Daily

"Filled with unforgettably sweet moments and charming characters." - Woman's World

Praise for Begin Again:

"This grumpy-sunshine rom-com features a grouch with a secret heart of gold, an eternal optimist with plenty of depth beneath the surface, a healthy dose of banter, and a generous helping of Lord’s laugh-out-loud wit." - School Library Journal

"If you haven’t read a novel by Emma Lord before, you’ve been missing out on something spectacular." - Paste

Praise for When You Get the Chance:

 "A shot of joy in book form." - Marie Claire

"Chock-full of musical theater references and humor, the novel includes high-stakes emotional drama that is balanced by supportive friendships and strong, deep family connections...An entertaining personal journey with plot twists galore." - Kirkus Reviews

" A fully joyful story...Readers who love the theater—musical or not—and anyone craving a happily ever after will want Millie to take a series of curtain calls." - Booklist

"With the perfect mix of a bubbly drama queen protagonist that will steal your heart and a delicious rivals-to-lovers romance with a Broadway twist on top, Lord proves herself to be a necessary staple in the YA contemporary genre with When You Get the Chance—a fresh, uplifting voice that invokes excitement of what’s yet to come!" - The Nerd Daily

"Brimming with energy, rapid-fire banter, and affectionate theater references, this memorable Mamma Mia! retelling by Lord (Tweet Cute) explores the meaning of family." - Publishers Weekly, (Starred Review)

"An exuberant celebration...this gender-bent Mamma Mia! retelling is a touching exploration of what family really looks like, and a powerful reminder that sometimes everything we need is already right in front of us." - BookPage

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