Review: Ruthless Rival

 

Title: Ruthless Rival

Series: Cruel Castaways

Author: LJ Shen

Release Date: May 3

From Wall Street Journal bestselling author L.J. Shen comes an enemies-to-lovers romance about the fine line between seeking revenge and finding love.

When she was young, Arya Roth became best friends with her housekeeper’s son. Soon, friendship turned to young love, and when Arya dared him to kiss her, a chain reaction of disastrous events led to the boy being sent away and out of Arya’s life.

Now, two decades later, Arya is an on-the-rise publicist with her beloved father as one of her biggest clients. So when her father is sued by a former employee, Arya sets out to prove that her father is not the monster he is accused of being. The only problem is the attorney who is determined to destroy her father’s good name. Christian Miller is charming, ambitious, and devilishly good looking, and Arya has no idea he is that same boy who kissed her all those years ago.

Past and present collide as Arya falls hard for Christian. But when she finds out who he really is and about his obsession with getting revenge on her father, can she choose love over family?

Arya spent the summers with her house keeper's son. Their friendship started to blossom into something more- and when Arya dared the boy to kiss her, it set off a chain reaction leading to the boy being sent away out of Arya's life. 

Now, two decades later- her father is being sued by a former employee, and Arya is trying to prove that her father isn't the monster he is accused of being. But there is just one problem and that is the attorney who is set out to destroy her father. 

What happens when past and present collide when Arya starts falling for the attorney, finding out who he really is? 

So... I really don't know what to say about this book. I loved quite a few of LJs works in the past, and always looked forward to reading them. But recently... They just don't bring me the same joy. 

It took a couple days to read Ruthless Rival with everything going on in my life currently, but... Honestly it wasn't really that remarkable. Nothing really stood out. I didn't like or care for either of the main characters, the parents were horrible and we didn't really see anything of the side characters. Their lives were pretty bland- I don't even care to know more about arsene even though he probably would have been my favorite of the three. 

 And we are made to believe that these two characters had fallen in love when they were 13 or 14 (they had their first kiss with each other at 14), and then after that one kiss and not seeing or hearing from either one for nearly twenty years that what? They still love each other? 

Neither had a successful relationship (not surprising for the male lead though he was aweful). And they clashed. The so called chemistry between them was non-existent. And the whole "we can't" but do it anyways knowing full well it would basically ruin each of their lives. He not only tears her father down, ripping everything from him- which given the circumstances was probably warranted, BUT he lies to her, and basically messes with HER life too. He comes out with one speech about being sorry and what? She forgives him just like that? 

They don't see each other for two decades and fall back in love in a matter of weeks with a "no strings attached" relationship that was always doomed to fail since he was the attorney against her father and held the secret of his real identity from her almost up to the very end, despite having MANY opportunities to come clean. 

All, in all I felt the story was bland. The characters were cookie cutouts of what they were "supposed" to be. They didn't have a spark or chemistry between them. And the romance was practically non-existent. 

Honestly, this book wasnt for me. Wasn't worth my time reading it. I loved the IDEA of it. The friends to lovers to rivals to second chance romance. I wanted to love this one.  But alas, I wanted to escape the book and return to my real life drama and dumpster fire rather then the other way around unfortunately. 

But, just because I personally didn't enjoy this book doesn't mean you won't like it. There is plenty of banter between the characters, which I enjoyed. But there are also so many of LJ's works that are better in comparison, and would recommend if you wanted to read an LJ Shen book to pick up one of her earlier works over this.  2⭐ out of 5⭐.