Rival Darling

🌶️ Spice Level: 1/10

Description:
Violet has one rule after having her heart broken by her school's hockey captain: never date a jock again. But when she needs to prove to her ex that she's moved on, she turns to the last person anyone would expect—Reed Darling, the captain of his biggest rival team. Reed has a reputation for being a gorgeous, mysterious bad boy, making him the perfect fake boyfriend. What starts as a simple arrangement soon becomes much more complicated as Violet discovers there may be more to Reed than the rumours suggest. With fake dating, hockey, he-falls-first romance, playful banter and plenty of sweet tension, Rival Darling is a fun, wholesome YA romance.

Reviews:
Readers have particularly enjoyed the cute chemistry between Violet and Reed, with their banter, humour and fake-dating relationship being some of the biggest highlights. Reed's determination to win Violet over has also been popular, especially with readers who love the "he falls first" trope. Many readers describe the book as adorable, entertaining and easy to read, although some found the romance quite predictable or felt the relationship developed very quickly. Overall, it's a great choice for readers looking for a sweet, clean hockey romance with plenty of romantic tension but very little spice.