Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Rivals

Rivals was easily one of my most anticipated books of the year, and while I enjoyed the book, I didn't like it as much as the previous books in the series.

This installment is very character driven so it doesn't feel like there's a ton that happens plotwise. I missed seeing Teddy and Bea together, they made so many strides in Majesty and it felt like so much of that went backward in Rivals. I'm also extremely over the Nina-Daphne-Jeff love triangle, I really hope this gets resolved and Daphne is revealed for who she truly is.

My favorite storyline was Sam and Marshall. Out of all of the characters, I feel like Sam has stayed the most true to all of the character growth she's had this far in the series. It was nice to see that Sam and Beatrice's bond as sisters retained the growth from the previous books too. Sisters are so much stronger when they support one another and I love that they can be there for each other even though their personalities are so different. I also liked Nina and Daphne working together, I thought we were going to see some true change in Daphne from this but then she ends up even more horrible than before.

The book ended in a huge cliffhanger so I obviously can't wait for the next one, I just hope it lives up to the standard of the first two books.

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Picking up where book two left off, we find the three youngest members of the Washington family, their partners, and friends at the League of Kings — a conference (of sorts) that takes place every five years for royalty and heirs from around the world.

To say this book was a disappointment would be a bit of an understatement. It took me nearly six weeks to finish this book because there was nothing engaging happening. Everyone was rehashing the same drama from book 2.

What bothered me the most about this book is that every woman in this book was pitted against another. Don’t get me wrong, I do not subscribe to the brand of white feminism that says all women must support one another. But creating an entire book and universe about young women in power only to have them backstab and hurt one another is not what we need in 2022.

On top of that, we have Sam and Marshall (future Duke of Orange) serving as the face of interracial relationships and race relations in America. But outside of one conversation between Sam and Nina, this book is completely devoid of actual commentary about race. Additionally, making Marshall’s family out to be the “mean guys” for not immediately embracing Sam and not following it up with a true apology from Sam is racist. I cannot recommend this book to people of color based on the portrayal of Marshall’s family. Again, it’s 2022 here. The real America is faced with white supremacy from top to bottom and people of color are being killed for the color of their skin. This felt completely out of touch. Readers, especially readers of color deserve better.

I’m not sure what the goal of the book was here. The plot was extremely drawn out - so much so that I felt the last 50 pages of the book could have been the first 50. There were far too many perspectives and main characters to keep track of what was going on. This book needs a single main character, a clear plot, and a goal.

My main question for the author and publication team is - you had an opportunity to reinvent America, and in this book, monarchies around the world, why did you choose to stick with one that’s overwhelming white, sexist, and full of unlikeable people?

I received this as a ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

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