Ali Vali has penned another very well written novel. This romance falls under the second chance at love genre.

In this novel, the MCs see each other after having not spoken for a few years. Their first face to face is at the engagement party of one of the MCs. One can literally feel the angst that both MCs feel at this meeting. The author has penned such complex characters that when the reader starts unraveling them, it is a wonder to finally realize why certain actions were taken and their consequences. Additionally, the supporting characters have their own stories to tell, which make for such an interesting read.

It is always nice to visit with characters from other books and the author does this in a smooth and subtle way.

This romance is a drawn-out one, with plenty of aggravation and angst. The part where the family betrayal happened was captivating, and the way they resolved their issues was practical. Despite this, the ending was predictable.

Ali Vali is a must read for me. So I was once again happily satisficed with her latest novel. it was able to balance the angst and drama with spicy romance. I was a little put off by the description as I am not a fan of stories about cheaters. But I should have had more faith as Brooks and Fallon romance was true to heart. I can't say the same for their families though. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC for an honest review.

This is a long drawn out romance with lots and lots of aggravation and angst. The problems that were keeping the 2 MCs apart was so easily solved but noooo, it took 60% of the story. I kept yelling at the book..."Just tell her why you left"...Just tell her you're not really engaged".
That part was really aggravating.
The family betrayal was interesting. And how they worked things out was reasonable.
The ending is predictable.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rivals for Love by Ali Vali delivers us into a world of intrigue, family disputes, betrayal, rivalry, lust, and love. All of this is set in the erotically steamy world of New Orleans.

This story revolves around the Boseman family, specifically Brooks Boseman, the eldest daughter who had been tossed out by her father when she was in college. Now, a successful businesswoman in New York, she is called back to New Orleans to try and save the family business which is in dire trouble. Brooks finds that thanks to her brother, the Boseman business and fortune is in danger of disappearing. She also finds that her brother Curtis is engaged to marry the only woman she has ever truly loved, Fallon Goodwin.

As you can tell, this tale has a lot going on. It’s full of both family and legal drama. The threat of betrayal lurks around almost every corner. There’s also the love that Brooks and Fallon once had for each other that, in spite of the years apart, still remains.
In this book you will find bold characters, especially Brooks and Fallon. There will be lots of drama and emotional trauma. There is also a satisfying amount of erotic love scenes.

This novel, like almost all of the author’s published works, is set in the same “world” as her other books. Fans of Ali Vali’s stories will find many familiar people and places mentioned in this tale. Her New Orleans really is a small place, as she always says.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I highly recommend it to everyone.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for giving me the chance to read and honestly review this book.

Knowing the writer is Ali Vali and having a swampy pretty cover I knew this book was going to have a New Orleans setting. This is a dramatic second chance romance. Brooks Boseman and Fallon Goodwin are both from wealthy New Orleans families. Fallon’s family manufactures boats, Brooks runs a fleet of fishing ships. The two were pledging their love in college only to have Brooks leave the country for work before going on to get her MBA. She broke Fallon’s heart by never giving her an explanation or closure.

Fast forward several years and Brooks is called home to find the family business in trouble and her brother engaged to Fallon. I’m more fond of Vali’s lighter romances but I know she is popular for her gritty crime family series. This story throws in elements of both. There is a ridiculous amount of family loyalty posturing and Fallon’s mom is over the top pushy trying to marry off her daughter. Both leading women are very business smart. I was genuinely annoyed with Fallon for continuing her engagement to Curtis when he shows her more than once he isn’t being honest. I don’t think Vali can write a bad book. This story has good moments, re-kindled heat and a business mystery. But the overtop behavior of the villain and a few other characters was a bit too much for the realist in me. Others may enjoy it more. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC and I am leaving an honest review. (3.5 Stars)

It gives me absolutely no joy to give books less than 3 stars (which is my 'that's okay, I guess. I would read it again, it didn't offend me or anything' grade). I'm sorry to say...this book didn't quite make it there.

I've actually been an Ali Vali fan for AGES, when I saw that there is an ARC of this available, I was excited to have a chance to read this. (Thank you Netgalley and Bold Stroke Books, by the way) The premise sounded good. I'm into second chance romance any day. They used to know each other when they were younger and somehow HAD to separate and there were some drama/heartache that went along with it? Okay, sign me up! I'll read the crap out of that.

SPOILER alert? This is my criticism to the story line... if you don't want to know, turn around now...



I'm all for 'conflicts' in books, you need them to create drama. Discovering the 'reason to leave' maybe a third of the way in was like 'um, okay...yeah family stuff, dad's a bit of an a-hole, I get that'.... but the two main characters continue to have these weird deep seated belief in 'how they need to honour the pact they have with others or themselves' - which blinded their 'can't you see you're meant for each other' stuff was ... TOO MUCH.
I'm all for an honourable character who is all self sacrificing and stuff. But no, no... this is way way way too much. I contemplated on DNF, but I thought I owned it to the ARC to finish it.
And the cherry on top of that was the protagonist - why so evil? The unveiling of 'the secret' which makes them do all sorts of unsavoury stuff and made them an absolute lunatic ... was just like WHAT? and ... the Fallon's MOM!! AHHHHHHH!

Anyways, you get why I can't give this a passing grade. The characters (yes, plural, many) bothered me so much. I'm sorry to say this is not my favourite.

I hit an early roadblock while reading this book and found it hard to ignore something that I found completely unbelievable. Fallon and Brooks have the perfect relationship until Brooks is given an ultimatum by her father. She reacts by running to Europe with no explanation to Fallon. Fallon then reacts by becoming friends with and then becoming engaged to Brooks' brother Curtis. I would have no problem if Fallon were written as bisexual, but she wasn't and had no romantic interest in Curtis at all. She wasn't doing it for revenge either - it was simply a case of "well, I like him and he likes me" which I found ridiculous. The storyline would have been improved if it were a sister of Brooks that Fallon had moved on to.

Apart from that fact, the story was okay and the writing was good.

The secrets of Southern families
A typical Ali Vali. Set in New Orleans it explores the enduring ties of family - one of Ali Vali‘s favorite topics. Brooks who was shunned by her father and had to make her own way far away from family comes back and has to set aside all grudges to save her family and the family business. I loved her best friend, Bria, a mafia princess, and the business they build up and honestly expected any moment Cain Casey to make an appearance (a bit disappointed here). I think there is an opening for more.
The decision of Fallon, her first love, to stick with Brooks‘ brother Curtis though explained several times was for me hard to believe and esp. how long it took her to reconsider or them to have a good ole talk.
Ali Vali has a gift of telling the story of families and family drama - the good and the bad - and Rivals for Love is no exception. Sometimes I was overwhelmed to keep track of all the siblings though. Alas, the proofreading did not do justice to Ali‘s skilled story-telling.

I received an ARC via netgalley. The review is left voluntarily.

So much angst and drama in this story kept me riveted. I enjoyed the various siblings apart from extremely toxic entitled Curtis, obviously, although his presence in the book does add to the drama in an interesting way. I liked the back story for Brooks and especially the life she built for herself as told by Bria another great character. The delights of New Orleans also shine through. Ali Vali writes riveting stories of family drama extremely well.

With thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I always get excited when I get to read one of Ali’s books. And. and this one didn’t disappoint. I loved the setting in New Orleans and the character development. I definitely recommend this one!

This is a story about Fallon Goodwin and Brooks Boseman who were in love in college. They broke up when Brooks left for England without contacting Fallon to say goodbye. Brooks left to save Fallon and her family but didn’t tell her because she was partly in shock over learning a family secret and partly because she didn’t want to get talked out of it.

The majority of the book takes place after Brooks comes back to NOLA and they meet up at Fallon’s engagement party. And they sort of get back together. Fallon was a bit of a dumb ass and the second half of the book. I didn’t like how long it took her to make up her mind on her feelings for Brooks. But I love all of Vali’s books being set in New Orleans. Lots of plot twists and some action in this story too.

ARC received from Net Galley for an honest and voluntary review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Brooks left home after having a major argument with her father in process does something selfless that causes her heart to break and vows never return unless her father beg. Brooks made a life for herself but never let anyone romantically close but she has bestfriend/sister Bria that she lets close. When her mother begs her to come home she reluctant comes and finds her father is sick and the family business may not survive. Fallon helps runs her family company she was in love with Brooks but never could understand why Brooks left her. Fallon is engage to Brooks brother Curtis even though she lesbian and she cares for Curtis but never really gotten over Brooks as her mother pushed the wedding the more she realizes this isn’t what she wants. This was a good read there are some secrets that comes to light and I love how supportive Brooks and Fallon siblings were and don’t get me started how many siblings each MC have I almost forgot who was talking at times and I love cameo of Keegan hope we getting story with her and Septa.

4.5 stars - The angst and drama kept me riveted until the end.

Brooks, estranged from her family by her father who could not accept her, is called back home by her mother. Her father's health is failing, and the family business is in trouble. Brooks wants to figure out what's going on and get out as soon as possible because she not only left her family but also the love of her life without any explanation. It's a decision that continues to haunt her.

Fallon works with her siblings in the family boat-building business. She has never really recovered from Brooks' ghosting her and their relationship years ago. Brooks' brother Curtis has recently befriended her, and in a moment of weakness, she agreed to marry him. Now she feels stuck with the decision she regrets.

I really enjoyed all the angst and family drama. This is the first book in a while that kept my attention. I definitely was not looking for reasons to watch TV or engage in other entertainment. I really wanted to know what happened next!

If you like a very charming, handsome, and gallant masc character who has money, then you're going to love Brooks Boseman. She and Fallon really fall into the butch/femme dynamic that I enjoyed, while at times it still made me feel a little weird. Not sure how to explain it. Curious if anyone else ever feels that way? Let me know in the comments. Maybe it's because Brooks is almost too perfect?

While I did enjoy the angst and drama, I will say that a lot of it could have been solved by having honest conversations a little quicker, or at the very least, finishing those conversations when they start. A lot of things got drawn out because the characters would get interrupted in the middle of a serious discussion. It happens so many times, as to become noticeable, which is never a good thing because it starts to feel artificial.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable roller coaster of a story with likable characters (and a few despicable ones too!) and a lovely HEA. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who finds the premise interesting. I found it highly entertaining.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Bold Strokes Books, for the opportunity to read and review this book.

"Rivals for Love" is a captivating tale of intense family rivalries and the profound consequences of poor communication. The sheer level of angst and lack of open discussion among the characters creates a tension throughout the narrative, drawing readers deep into the story. Ali, masterfully weaves turmoil into the plot, evoking frustration and moments of sheer exasperation I can’t tell you the amount of times I screamed at a character.

The central characters' relationship is a rollercoaster of emotions, with a significant buildup of tension that keeps you eagerly turning the pages. However, it often feels like they spend most of the story evading each other, or running away from each other which was frustrating.

The story doesn't hold back on drama and unexpected plot twists, which add depth and intrigue. Yet, it leaves you yearning for a bit more resolution and detail in the ending to tie up the loose ends.
It does offer a gripping narrative, but its constant back-and-forth might leave some readers desiring a smoother, more conclusive pacing. It's a story that will keep you on your toes, even as the characters struggle to find common ground amidst their tangled emotions.

This story is quite typical of this author, with a butch protagonist and a femme protagonist, set in New Orleans, in families with important businesses, in this case fish preserves and shipowners. The female protagonist of the family of shipowners is Fallon, who has just gotten engaged to Curtis, who is Brooks' brother. Brooks left her family for unclear reasons and now works as a financial advisor or something similar, for companies related to the mafia mostly. With great success. Brooks, in her escape from her family, abandoned Fallon, with whom she had a relationship as a teenager. And Fallon still hasn't been able to forgive her. So, when Brooks returns home for her father's health reasons, Fallon just wants revenge and make Brooks pay for abandoning her without giving her an explanation. As there are murky issues related to Curtis and the environment of the two families, the story becomes complicated and interests and passion intermingle. But overall the story is entertaining and easy to follow. A pretty good story in my opinion.

Rivals for Love is a tantalizing story of a family in chaos. Our two main ladies, Brooks and Fallon once shared the world and then they were ripped apart. Brooks is now back to try and put her family’s business back together while trying to cope with Fallons recent engagement. Fallon wants answer as to why Books up and left her.
This story does not disappoint. The characters and story draw you in from the very beginning and keep you reading until the end.
I highly recommend this as well as any other books by Ali Vali, you will not be disappointed.

Thank you #NetGalley #BoldStrokesBooks #RivalsForLove for this ARC.

If you like something particularly vicious within the family, this is the place for you.
This family drama was often full of difficult personalities and some unbearable situations.
I don't really like stories where the main characters have barely met each other in Chapter 8...but that's just my opinion!
Initially there is a lot of talk about the business and the family dynamics.
Fallon and Brooks used to be made for each other.
They had been together since they were teenagers and still would be if Brooks' father hadn't ruined everything.
However, I have to admit that I will never understand why people don't talk to each other before making a decision and leaving.
The way Brooks did and left Fallon behind without a word!
You'll have to read the rest yourself...
A lot of things often happen at the same time and one thing is guaranteed, it is never boring or long-winded!
One of my favorite characters is Bria - she so tough and full of protective love for Brooks!
The story is full of fear and longing and anger. Romance comes relatively late, but it comes.
In the end everything is clear, after a lot has to be unraveled beforehand.

Thanks to the author and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC!

I’ve never read an Ali Vali book that I didn’t adore. This is no different. A bit of a twist on a typical trope which made for an interesting read. Anything by Ali Vali should be at the top of your reading list!

This book has SO much going for it I didn’t want to stop reading it once I started so I could see how the story unfolded but I also didn’t want to get to the end!!

There’s the impact of family ‘tradition’ mixed with sibling envy creating family division plus doing the right thing versus losing love. Literally explosive moments, sculduggery, a side of ‘ The mob’ and chosen family all mixed in with a love story….phew!!! Ali Vali strikes again!

I also loved reading about familiar places that have appeared in her other books.
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.