The Romance Rivalry Summary, Characters and Themes
The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee is a lighthearted yet deeply insightful romance novel that explores the challenges of love, self-worth, and personal growth. The story follows Irene Park, a college student who reviews romance books, navigating her way through college, relationships, and family dynamics
Despite her online success, Irene struggles with social anxiety and the overwhelming expectations placed on her. As she interacts with her rival, Aiden Jeon, she finds herself drawn into an unexpected romance that tests her fears and insecurities. With her best friend Jeannette by her side and a growing connection with Aiden, Irene learns that love is not always as straightforward as the novels she reviews.
Summary
Irene Park, a high school senior, is known for her passion for reviewing romance books online, which has earned her a significant following. Despite her online success, Irene struggles with social anxiety, feeling like an outsider in her own life.
She is also constantly overshadowed by her older sister, Cybil, a successful skincare model, and her younger brother, Eugene, a golfing prodigy. Her life takes a turn when her cousin Jamie invites her to prom, an event that Irene is not particularly excited about.
She reluctantly agrees to go but ends up feeling isolated, stuck in a limo with strangers, including Liam, a guy she rejected earlier. Amid the chaos, Irene escapes into her romance novels for comfort.
Feeling out of place, she ends up leaving the prom early and returning home to her books, where she feels safest.
At home, Irene is reminded of her role as the overlooked middle child, as her family continues to focus on her siblings’ accomplishments. Despite her feelings of inadequacy, Irene is proud of her work as a book reviewer.
Her success in this field leads to an opportunity with SKCupid, a dating app that offers her a potential brand deal. This development represents a chance for Irene to gain more recognition for her work and to step out of her shadow.
Irene’s journey continues as she begins her freshman year at Brighton College. There, she meets Jeannette, her new roommate, and shares her goal of experiencing a romance that mirrors the tropes found in the books she reviews.
Jeannette is supportive of Irene’s plan and encourages her to pursue love in the same way the characters in her favorite novels do. Irene’s quest for romance seems promising until she encounters Aiden Jeon, a fellow romance reviewer and online rival.
Their rivalry is fueled by their differing opinions on books, and their interactions are often filled with tension.
Aiden is charming yet frustrating, and he quickly becomes an irritating presence in Irene’s life. Despite her initial resistance, Irene begins to see Aiden in a new light, realizing that her plan for a perfect romance may not unfold the way she imagined.
As she navigates her freshman year, Irene begins to question her preconceived notions about love and whether the perfect romance can truly exist in real life.
Irene’s romantic journey becomes even more complicated when she starts dating Garrett, an older student at Brighton. Initially, their relationship seems promising, but Irene can’t help but feel distracted by her growing attraction to Aiden.
As she juggles her feelings for both Garrett and Aiden, Irene struggles to understand what love truly means. Through these experiences, she learns that love, like the romance novels she cherishes, is messy and complicated.
As the semester progresses, Irene continues to struggle with her anxiety and self-doubt. She finds comfort in her online community of book lovers, where she can escape from the pressures of her social life.
Despite her fears, Irene begins to accept that her journey to love may not be as straightforward as she hoped. She realizes that her search for the perfect romance may need to be replaced by an understanding of what it means to love and be loved in a real and imperfect way.
Irene’s evolving relationship with Aiden is marked by both playful rivalry and growing affection. Their competitive dynamic gradually shifts from animosity to something more, and Irene starts to question whether her feelings for Aiden are as real as she thought.
Their shared moments of vulnerability help Irene understand that love doesn’t need to follow a script or be perfect to be meaningful. Aiden’s unexpected kindness and honesty gradually break down Irene’s defenses, and she begins to let go of her fears of emotional vulnerability.
As Irene continues to navigate her college life, she learns valuable lessons about herself and her emotions. Her relationship with Aiden challenges her to confront her insecurities and embrace her own worth.
Despite her doubts and anxiety, Irene begins to see that she is worthy of love and that her story doesn’t need to follow the conventional romance novel plotlines she’s always relied on.
Ultimately, Irene comes to terms with the messy, beautiful nature of love and relationships. She learns to accept both the challenges and joys that come with love, realizing that her journey isn’t about fitting into a perfect narrative but about embracing her own unique story.
By the end of the novel, Irene understands that love is about growth, understanding, and acceptance, both of herself and others. Her journey is a testament to the complexities of love and the importance of self-discovery along the way.
Characters
Irene Park
Irene is the protagonist of The Romance Rivalry and is a college freshman navigating both the challenges of academia and the complexity of her personal relationships. She is an introverted, socially awkward young woman who feels overshadowed by the success of her older sister, Cybil, and the accomplishments of her younger brother, Eugene.
Irene’s passion for romance novels plays a central role in her life and acts as both a comfort and a source of alienation. As a successful book reviewer with a large following, she is often more comfortable interacting with her online community than with her real-life peers.
Throughout the story, Irene’s journey is one of self-discovery. She grapples with her insecurities, her fear of vulnerability, and her conflicting feelings toward romance.
While she desires a love story of her own, she struggles to align the ideals of romance novels with the messy reality of relationships. Her journey of personal growth is central to the plot, as she learns to embrace her complexities and accept love in its many forms.
Aiden Jeon
Aiden is Irene’s online nemesis and, later, her romantic interest. He shares a similar passion for romance novels, but his outward confidence and charm are a sharp contrast to Irene’s reserved nature.
Aiden’s initial rivalry with Irene stems from their differing opinions on books, but this tension quickly evolves into a deeper connection. He is witty, competitive, and charming, and at times can be frustrating to Irene, yet his vulnerability and openness about his personal struggles make him more relatable.
Aiden’s social media following adds an extra layer of pressure to Irene as she compares herself to his popularity, but his genuine support for Irene through her academic and personal challenges reveals his deeper feelings. As the fake dating arrangement between them progresses, Aiden’s feelings shift from playful rivalry to genuine affection, though he too struggles with his own emotional walls.
His growth throughout the story mirrors Irene’s, as they both come to terms with their fears, insecurities, and the complexities of love.
Jeannette
Jeannette is Irene’s best friend and college roommate. She plays a supportive yet sometimes overwhelming role in Irene’s life.
Jeannette is outgoing and exuberant, providing the emotional support that Irene needs as she navigates her academic pressures and romantic entanglements. Although Jeannette is invested in Irene’s journey to find love, she sometimes adds pressure by encouraging Irene to follow romance tropes and embrace the idea of a “perfect” relationship.
Despite these well-meaning pushes, Jeannette’s friendship remains a crucial part of Irene’s growth. She offers a contrasting perspective to Irene’s more cautious and introspective nature, showing that love and life are not as tidy as they often seem in the books Irene loves.
Jeannette also embarks on her own romantic journey, which further complicates Irene’s feelings of loneliness and insecurity, but ultimately, she remains a steadfast supporter of Irene’s self-discovery.
Cybil Park
Cybil is Irene’s older sister, and her success in the beauty and fashion industry casts a long shadow over Irene’s self-perception. Cybil’s career as a skincare model serves as a reminder to Irene that she feels like the overlooked middle child, always falling short of her sister’s achievements.
Despite their differing paths, Cybil’s presence in Irene’s life serves as a point of comparison, fueling Irene’s insecurities. However, Cybil also plays a subtle role in Irene’s emotional development.
Their conversations about college and career goals help Irene realize that she might be pursuing her interests to please her family rather than herself. Though Cybil is not a central figure in the narrative, her relationship with Irene adds depth to the protagonist’s struggle with self-identity and familial expectations.
Garrett
Garrett is an older student at Brighton College with whom Irene initially goes on a date. He represents the “ideal” romance hero that Irene believes she should be attracted to, given the romance tropes she adores.
Despite their initial chemistry, Irene finds herself distracted by her growing feelings for Aiden, which complicates her feelings towards Garrett. He serves as a contrast to Aiden’s charm, but Garrett is ultimately not the right match for Irene.
His role in the story is pivotal as it helps Irene realize that her understanding of love is evolving, and that true romantic connection cannot be forced into a perfect mold. Garrett’s presence serves to highlight Irene’s internal conflict about what she truly desires in a relationship.
Cybil and Eugene Park
Although Cybil and Eugene are not central to the plot, they represent the pressures Irene feels to live up to expectations in her family. Cybil’s success in her career and Eugene’s prowess in golf highlight Irene’s sense of inadequacy and her belief that she is always in the shadows of her more accomplished siblings.
Their roles in the story are more symbolic, illustrating Irene’s internal struggle with being the overlooked middle child, and they indirectly contribute to her desire to carve out her own identity, both academically and emotionally. Through her interactions with them, Irene begins to question her self-worth and what she truly wants from her life, paving the way for her growth throughout the story.
Themes
Self-Discovery and Personal Growth
Irene’s journey of self-discovery and personal growth is at the heart of The Romance Rivalry. Throughout the story, Irene grapples with self-doubt, insecurities, and the weight of societal and familial expectations.
Initially, she sees herself as the overlooked middle child in her family, feeling overshadowed by her more accomplished siblings. Her passion for romance novels, which she often uses to escape her reality, further distances her from her peers, making her feel like an outsider.
As Irene navigates her college years and interacts with new people, she starts to confront the fact that her life doesn’t align with the perfect, fictionalized narratives she has grown accustomed to. Her initial desire to find love through romance tropes reveals her naive understanding of romance.
She soon realizes that love, like life, is not a neatly packaged story—it’s messy, complicated, and full of unexpected twists. Through her interactions with Aiden, Jeannette, and others, Irene learns to embrace her flaws and her vulnerabilities.
By the end of the story, she has shed the illusion of a perfect romance and accepted that her journey—however chaotic—is uniquely hers. Her emotional growth mirrors her academic progress, where she learns to balance her personal life with her responsibilities, a significant shift from the self-criticism she experiences early on.
Love and Vulnerability
The theme of love in The Romance Rivalry is explored through Irene’s evolving relationship with Aiden. At first, Irene enters the fake dating arrangement with Aiden with skepticism, seeing it as a way to build her online presence and win a competition.
However, as the story progresses, Irene is forced to confront the vulnerability that comes with real emotions. Initially, she avoids allowing herself to be open with Aiden, fearing rejection and emotional discomfort.
Her trust issues stem from past disappointments and her belief that love is something fictional, not something that can be authentically experienced in real life. The fake dating scenario, however, forces Irene into situations where she must face her emotions head-on.
Aiden, too, has his own struggles with vulnerability, particularly in regard to his strained relationship with his family. As they begin to share their fears and insecurities, Irene starts to understand that true love is not about adhering to perfect scripts or following certain tropes—it’s about showing up, being imperfect, and still loving each other despite the messiness.
This realization helps her shed her preconceived notions about love and embrace the beautiful complexity of human connection.
Identity and Expectations
The theme of identity is strongly woven into Irene’s journey in The Romance Rivalry, especially as it relates to the expectations placed on her by her family, friends, and even her social media following. Irene begins the story feeling as though she is constantly trying to measure up to others’ standards.
Her family’s success only amplifies her sense of inadequacy. She is defined by her position as the “invisible” middle child, her worth tied to her family’s expectations rather than her own ambitions.
As the story unfolds, Irene becomes increasingly aware of how much of her self-worth is tied to external validation—whether it’s from her family, the online community of book lovers, or her social media status as a romance reviewer. When Irene starts to break free from these expectations, she faces a conflict: should she pursue a career in book reviewing because it aligns with her passion or should she continue to follow a path that pleases her family?
Ultimately, Irene decides to embrace her own identity, unburdened by others’ expectations. Her decision to focus on her love for romance books and acknowledge the importance of self-acceptance is a key turning point in the story.
It signals her shift from living to meet others’ standards to creating her own definition of success and happiness.
Rivalry and Competition
The theme of rivalry and competition in The Romance Rivalry plays a critical role in shaping Irene’s relationship with Aiden. Initially, their rivalry is framed through a dating competition where both are trying to check off romance tropes, like “opposites attract” and “grumpy/sunshine.”
What begins as a lighthearted contest soon evolves into something deeper as both characters realize that their rivalry is more about personal growth and vulnerability than winning a simple game. Aiden and Irene’s rivalry becomes symbolic of their internal struggles.
As they engage in the competition, they are forced to confront their own feelings—Aiden with his fear of emotional intimacy, and Irene with her self-doubt and fear of rejection. Through their interactions, the competition becomes less about proving who can fall in love first and more about understanding one another.
Their initial animosity transforms into mutual respect and, eventually, a romantic connection. By the end of the story, the rivalry is no longer a contest—it becomes a catalyst for their emotional growth, showing that sometimes the most important victories are the ones we win in ourselves, not against others.
Online Personas and Reality
In The Romance Rivalry, the theme of online personas versus reality is explored through Irene’s role as a popular romance book reviewer with a large social media following. Irene’s online persona is an integral part of her identity, yet it often contrasts with her real-life experiences.
On social media, Irene is confident, poised, and seen as an authority in the romance community, but in reality, she is self-conscious, socially awkward, and struggling with academic pressures. Her growing online following leads her to feel both empowered and vulnerable, as she feels the weight of her online image and the expectations that come with it.
This pressure to maintain her social media presence conflicts with her desire for real connections and a genuine romance. Throughout the story, Irene’s internal struggle with her online and real-life selves highlights the complexity of digital identity.
As she navigates her relationship with Aiden, she begins to realize that true connection cannot be confined to curated online personas. Her growing relationship with Aiden encourages her to embrace authenticity, both online and offline, and to find peace with who she truly is, rather than the image she projects to the world.
Friendship and Support
Friendship is a central theme in The Romance Rivalry, with Irene’s relationship with Jeannette providing a solid foundation of emotional support. Jeannette, despite her sometimes overwhelming presence, plays a crucial role in Irene’s growth.
Throughout the story, Jeannette remains a constant source of encouragement, even when Irene is unsure of herself. The bond between them highlights the importance of having a supportive friend to rely on during difficult times.
However, as the story progresses, Irene begins to realize the complexity of their friendship. Jeannette’s well-meaning support sometimes crosses boundaries, reminding Irene that while friendship can be a great source of strength, it is also important to have space for personal growth and individual experiences.
The evolving nature of their friendship is a reflection of Irene’s own growth, as she learns to balance the need for support with the need to stand on her own. Through her relationship with Jeannette, Irene learns the value of both giving and receiving support, and the importance of nurturing friendships that allow for personal development and self-discovery.