Review: Rival Hearts by Maggie Rawdon

RIVAL HEARTS
Author: Maggie Rawdon
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 29, 2024

Pro football might see me as their favorite underdog, but Madison Westfield would rather see me six feet under.

My ex-best friend’s little sister has every reason to hate me. I took her boyfriend’s spot on this team, her brother might lose his too, and our short-lived engagement years ago is part of the reason our families are locked in a grudge match that has the whole league on edge.

Ruining me would fix most of her problems, but she’s stuck trying to work a PR miracle with my career instead.

Making my way through her build-a-better-image checklist is the kind of torture I’ll gladly sign up for, especially if I get to help her prove everyone wrong.

But it means we’re spending a lot of time alone together, and when it comes to Madison, I’ll take any chance she gives me. Even if it means there’s hell to pay—on and off the field.

AMAZON

I’ll jump through all the hoops you want me to.” He closes the distance between us, so close his lips are at my ear, and his body ghosts over mine. “But you should know I have ulterior motives. There’s only one thing I want.”

I’m a sucker for a second chance romance, sucker I tells you. What I’m usually not a sucker for, though, is a cinnamon roll hero. It’s no secret I love the mean ones. What? We all have our kinks, ok? But I digress. When I tell you it took me all of two pages to fall in love with Quentin, I mean I am entirely obsessed with this man. Why? Let me paint you a picture, shall I?

Then let me watch.”
“Excuse me?”
“I want to watch you come while you think about another man, Madison. Let me see it. It can cure me of this sick fucking obsession I have over you for good. Remind me why I can’t ever have you because you want fucking Ivy League cock instead of me. You won’t forgive me. Fine. Punish me then, and let’s get this fucking over with.”

I mean, C’mon. This man. THIS MAN is just perfection. The pining. The obsession. Ten years apart did nothing to dilute his absolute obsession with Madison. Now if you haven’t read the prequel, I highly recommend you read Before the Chaos first. It’s the story that takes place 10 years before this one and gives you all the delicious details of how they first got together and ultimately fell apart. Can you read this book without the prequel, sure. But you’ll enjoy it that much more if you do. But back to my love of Quentin.

Do you love her?” He gives me a pointed look.
“Always have. Always will.”
“You won’t deserve her, you know. Ever—no matter what you do. Guys like us never do.”
“I know. But I’d rather spend the rest of my life trying and failing than not have her in my life.”

C’MON! Is everything that comes out of this man’s mouth perfection. ABSOLUTELY. Not only does he pine hard, but he has a dirty mouth to boot. And he enjoys being a good boy. And what a good boy he is. Don’t get me wrong, the man is pure alpha. But he also doesn’t mind giving his woman control and I loved him for it. But what I loved most about this man is his heart. His sweet, romantic heart that had me swooning at every turn.

My fingers make their way down his chest as the water falls over both of us, and I pause at a set of tally marks that sit directly over his heart.
“What are these?”
“A reminder.”
“Of?”
“You.” My heart skips in my chest, and I look up at him. His eyes meet mine and they go soft as he studies my face.
“One for each year we were apart. All because I fucked up. I was giving myself until ten to do something about it. The last one would have been added when the season started this fall.”
“The last one?”
“I figured if I had ten years to fix my shit, find you, and make up for it and couldn’t do it, that I deserved to live without you.”

Madison is the perfect boss girl and she definitely knows how to boss. I loved seeing her growth from the shy insecure girl in the prequel to the boss babe she is in this book.

If you love an incredibly romantic second chance romance with plenty of heat, swoon, and all the feels then you need this in your life. Trust me. You need a Quentin in your life.