With every book I read by Jennifer Dugan, I like her more and more. And I’m always a fan of the rivals to lovers trope.

Cass & Birdie knew each other as children, though their lives are very different, which is part of the reason they drifted apart.

Cass’s family comes from a moderate background and lives in the beach town year-round. Her father works for Birdie’s dad, though also works against him with is Affordable Housing Coalition. Cass looks up to Birdie’s father and works with him a lot, planning to intern for him while in college. She works hard, cares about her friends, is very open about her bisexuality and knows what she wants from life.

Birdie’s family is very wealthy and influential. She doesn’t see a lot of her father and is a character in her mother’s online influencer life, dictating pretty much every aspect of Birdie’s life around what “their” followers want. Birdie has tried to come out to everyone about being bisexual, but her parents and best friend pretty much ignored it, to the point where her mother told her that dating boys would be better for their views. She doesn’t really know what she wants, but knows that things aren’t as they should be in her life.

When Cass and Birdie are thrown together again, there is a lot of tension, with both of them expecting the worst from the other. Birdie is jealous of the attention her father gives Cass. Cass thinks Birdie is shallow. Forced proximity helps them to get to know each other better, though Birdie struggles to stand up for herself when her family and “friends” start putting pressure on her.

I loved the dynamic that developed between Birdie and Cass when they finally started letting down their guards. And I loved how their friends each had their backs, even when made things worse by not understanding the situation. I also loved Cass’s family dynamic and how much her parents supported her. I did not like Birdie’s family, however. Her dad was questionable at best, but redeemable; her mom, however, was terrible, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC for review consideration though NetGalley, on behalf of the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.