Rival by Penelope Douglas

Posted August 28, 2014 by Silvia in Books / 16 Comments

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
This does not affect in any way my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.

Rival by Penelope DouglasRival by Penelope Douglas
Series: Fall Away #2
Published by Piatkus on August 26, 2014
Genres: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
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four-stars

Madoc and Fallon. Two estranged teenagers playing games that push the boundaries between love and war . . .
She's back.

For the three years she's been away at boarding school, there was no word from her. Back when we lived in the same house, she used to cut me down during the day and then leave her door open for me at night.
I was stupid then, but now I'm ready to beat her at her own game . . .
I'm back.
Three years and I can tell he still wants me, even if he acts like he's better than me.
But I won't be scared away. Or pushed down. I'll call his bluff and fight back. That's what he wants, right? As long as I keep my guard up, he'll never know how much he affects me . . .

This was the first book I read for this series, and it certainly won’t be the last . . . As a matter of fact, I feel really motivated to go back and read the first instalment just to enjoy Tate and Jared more! They may not be the main characters in here but oh, if they rock the scene when they’re on. Put them together with Madoc and Fallon and you have quite the perfect company.

The story flows so well that as soon as I was telling myself ‘just another chapter’, I was already three more in. Madoc and Fallon are strong characters with issues mostly caused by their parents. They have a background that puts someone—especially at such a young age—in a very difficult position, and what I particularly liked and appreciated were their reactions. There are certain situations in which you would expect hysteria and drama—like it usually happens—but besides the inevitable fights and misunderstandings (which can only make the read more interesting, by the way), they handle the whole situation in a better way than you’d believe. Thanks Penelope Douglas for such a refreshing turn!

It’s an addictive read with great twists, touching but even funny moments and hot-damn-hot scenes . . . If I were you, I wouldn’t think twice and I would be already on my way to get my own copy!

Rival Official UK Blog Tour


Silvia

About Silvia

A passionate reader, enthusiastic gamer and lover of the East-Asian continent, Silvia finds inspiration in the small wonders of life. Through her creativity and blogging, she has connected with people from various industries and collaborated with them on different projects over the years. Anything that sparks her creativity makes her truly happy and gives her the right push to do more and better!

16 responses to “Rival by Penelope Douglas

  1. Rival sounds so good! It's awesome to hear that starting on the second book in a series worked out so well. I'm always concerned that I'll end up lost, or thinking I've missed something really important. I'll definitely be moving Bully up my TBR list, great review, Sylvia!

  2. Bookworm Brandee

    Ooh, I love addictive reads, Silvia. I one-clicked Bully a few weeks back and I'm now even more eager to get started on it! I'm so glad you enjoyed Rival. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. 🙂

  3. Marilyn

    Great review, Silvia. I have this series on my TBR list. I wish there were more hours in the day.

    Thanks for stopping by my Swoon. Hope you have a great weekend.

  4. Andrea Thompson

    Oh, I love this cover much more than the US version.

    I really enjoyed Rival, too, as you know. I was blown away, really, bc I thought I would hate these characters. So intense and passionate. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.

    Great review!

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