The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee

The Romance Rivalry

An Enemies-to-lovers Fake Dating Bookish College Rom-com

Susan Lee

Harlequin · Print & ebook · May 13, 2025

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Who it’s for
For romance readers curious about what happens when tropes meet the messier business of real life.
Themes
Love of romance novels, Self-discovery, Finding love
Genres
Contemporary YA Romance, Romantic Comedy for Teens, Dating & Sex for Teens

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About this book

USA TODAY BEST SELLER! She’s read every romance…except her own. “Clever and delightful; a standout in the genre.” – ⭐KIRKUS STARRED REVIEW “A must-have flirtation-via-tropes tale with all the swooning and joy readers want in a love story.” – ⭐SCHOOL & LIBRARY JOURNAL STARRED REVIEW “Susan Lee has written an ode to all romance readers.

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It’s the kind of book I’ve been wanting to read for decades: a love letter to love stories and an instant favorite!”–Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis Irene Park loves romance novels—so much so she’s made a career of them as an online book reviewer with a massive following. But Irene’s real life dating story? Non-existent. So when she starts her freshman year of college, she sets her sights on finding true love using the one thing she really understands…romance book tropes. If only it were that easy. Enter Aiden Jeon, Irene’s online book review rival and biggest nemesis. When Aiden challenges her to see who can find love-by-trope first, he becomes the one person standing in her way to getting everything she wants both professionally and personally, too. So when the competition takes an unexpected turn, forcing the two of them to have to partner in the ultimate trope, fake dating, Irene is not prepared for everything she believed about romance, and Aiden, to flip on its head. As Irene tackles the challenges of college life, struggles to figure out what she really wants for herself, all while trying to win the race for love, Irene realizes the answers may not be found in a romance novel. Happily Ever Afters seem so easy on page. But for Irene to find her ultimate HEA, she’ll have to get her nose out of the book and become the main character of her own story. Perfect for fans of: Enemies to Lovers Fake Dating College Rom-Coms Banter for Days A+ Pop Culture References ✨ Books about loving books

Romance, Read Differently

For romance readers curious about what happens when tropes meet the messier business of real life.

Come here for

  • A book-loving heroine who knows every romance trope—except how to live one
  • Rivalry, banter, and fake dating in a college rom-com

Expect

  • A playful nod to romance readers and the stories they love
  • A love story that questions whether real life follows the page

Where it sits

Romantic Comedy for Teens66%
Contemporary YA Romance50%
Dating & Sex for Teens26%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • YA Books About Libraries
  • Coming of Age
  • Funny YA
  • Asian American YA
Show all 8 publisher categories
  • Contemporary YA Romance
  • Romantic Comedy for Teens
  • College & Uni YA
  • Friendship for Teens
Authors
Susan Lee
Publisher
Harlequin
Published
May 13, 2025
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Love of romance novels · Self-discovery · Finding love
Reading lane
YA Books About Libraries