Thank to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to partiipate in the blog tour for Falling for the Competition by Jen Smith!
Falling for the Competition
It’s going to be the best summer ever for ambitious, overachieving Quinn. A huge history buff, not only has she landed her dream job interning in the archives department of the local castle, but her best friend will be working there too.
However, Quinn isn’t the only one to be working in Archives this summer; Quinn’s academic rival, Patrick, is sharing her office in Muniments. They’re competing for the Letter of Recommendation (singular) from the research historian that Quinn needs to get her dream future placement.
Their emotionally-loaded and competitive rivalry turns into a reluctant friendship, as they spend every day working together in silence (and sharing the occasional Twix). Until the Re-Enactors arrive. Between Patrick and Harry – the Golden Knight of the jousting team – Quinn’s carefully planned summer is thrown into complete disarray. Meanwhile, her best friend’s relationship may look perfect on the outside, but Quinn is starting to realise that there’s more going on than there seems.
Although Quinn is determined and single minded about planning every detail of her sparkling future, she comes to discover that the best things in life are the spontaneous ones – and that some people are more important than any Letter of Recommendation (singular) could ever be.
Purchase Links
My thoughts:
Enemies-to-lovers is one of my favourite tropes! You can’t beat the tension of the ongoing daily ‘battle’ between two nerdy teenagers who think getting or not getting a Letter of Recommendation for the British Society of Medieval History is the end of the world… Well, you know sooner or later they will recognise how sweet and considerate their competition is and how important they have become for each other.
Quinn Taylor has all her life planned out and getting a Letter of Recommendation from the museum where she is working this summer is a huge deal for her. She loves every thing about the work she is doing in the Archives and the author does a great job showing how passionate Quinn is about British history. The only thing she didn’t count on is having to do the same project as Patrick, annoyingly perfect Patrick, who her teachers have always been using as an example for her. Quinn has her own original ideas, although she might be a tiny bit overambitious in what she is trying to achieve. You guessed it, it’s a slow-burn romance, as both Quinn and Patrick get to know each other in the forced proximity of their shared office.
The book is full of topics relevant to YA- working out what you want to do in the future and adjusting your ideas, relationships with divorced parents, BFFs and exes who still take an important place in your life and your heart, learning how to deal with all kinds of people who may not always be what they appear to be on the surface. This is a character-led story told from the point of view of Quinn and you can see how much this single-minded girl learns over the course of one summer.
Add the fascination of a medieval castle setting and you get a lovely, entertaining YA romance. I would definitely like to read more from this author!
Thank you to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
Author Bio – Jen lives in the Midlands with her husband and two children. With a Masters Degree in Medieval History, Jen loves castles and King John a little too much. Strangely un-British, she does not like tea, oranges or marzipan, but adores French cheese, guava juice and Chinese food (not together).
When not writing, Jen can often be found pointing out historical inaccuracies in period dramas, being a Lady that Lunches with close friends and playing board games with her family. Note: her handbags are always heavy due to multiple books (just in case she needs them).
Social Media Links –
@jensmith950 Twitter
readingtonic 
Great review! Seems like an entertaining YA romance. Thanks for sharing.
LikeLike