by Emma Lord
First published 2025
Sadie finally defeated Seb, her brilliant and annoyingly appealing next door neighbor who has competed with her academically for years. She won the single acceptance spot to her dream college while he landed on the waitlist. Victory tastes sweet until Seb gets pulled off that waitlist and shows up on campus. Now they must compete again, this time for a position on the school's renowned zine. Sadie faces pressure from multiple directions. Her chaotic but loving family never knew about her writing abilities. Self doubt creeps in as the stakes rise. Worse yet, her feelings toward Seb start shifting from pure rivalry toward something she cannot ignore. As their competition intensifies, both students notice serious problems with how their college operates. These institutional issues dwarf their personal contest. Sadie and Seb must work together while simultaneously trying to defeat each other. They discover their connection runs deeper than academic rivalry.
Genres: romance, contemporary, contemporary-romance, academia
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, rivals-to-lovers
Setting: College
320 pages · Hardcover · Wednesday Books