Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Rivals

I liked this book way more than the second book of the series. I feel like the plot was a lot more cohesive and built up the characters and character development rather than breaking it down (like the previous book). There was a lot of mature growth in individuals and relationships that made it more realistic. I love the theme of what people are willing to sacrifice for love, and the question of honoring love over duty. This was a fairly quick read, it was pretty interesting and had some bigger twists that I didn’t see coming! I will continue to read this series as more books come out. I’m excited to see what becomes of these characters.
Age rating: probably 13+

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emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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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