Rival by Penelope Douglas

Fall Away #2

Synopsis

Madoc and Fallon. Two estranged teenagers playing games that push the boundaries between love and war…

She’s back.

For the two 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.

Two 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….

I have been waiting for what feels like a really long time for this sequel. If only, I must admit, to see more of Jared and Tate. They are two pretty fantastic characters. And even though they weren't the focus of this story, they also didn't fade into the background the way it happens most of the time with these companion series romances.

Fallon and Madoc are two very complicated people. We first meet Madoc in Bully (Review here) and see more of him the semi-sequel Until You (Review here). I always saw him as this held together, confident person who knew what he wanted in life. And next to Jared, he really did seem that way. But in this book, we get to see what he hides from everyone. He still acts like he's put together in front of his friends, but underneath he is just as pissed off as his best friend was before he got Tate.

This is the first time we get introduced to Fallon, she was barely referenced in the last book, and I wasn't sure what she'd be like. I didn't know if she would be a Tate clone, or a prissy snob. She was neither. While she had a similar "take no shit" attitude to Tate, she wasn't much like her. She skate boarded, had a pierced face, and multiple tattoos. But she isn't as put together as she likes to pretend either. She still has scars that her conniving mother gave her when she was 16.

As the lies that were told unravel the two start to realize how much they care for each other and how skewed the blame they put on each other was. I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did. I was interested in learning more about Madoc's character and his story, but I loved Jared and Tate that I wasn't sure if another couple could win me over. And while I did love both of these characters, Jared and Tate still are my favorites, but I think that's because I got two books for Jared and Tate, Madoc and Fallon only got one. This series is definitely one of my favorite contemporary romances. I look forward to reading Jax and KC's story next.