Ashwood Anthology - Ruled by Rivalry: English Edition by LYX

This book found me at a very particular moment in my life. Maeve’s backstory contains something deeply painful that I can personally relate to, & because of that, certain parts of her story hit much closer to home than I expected. It wasn’t an overly heavy romance, nor was it just a light & fluffy love story. For me, it found that perfect balance of carefully addressing deeper themes & difficult emotions without letting them completely consume the story. Set around the prestigious fashion house Adeline Ashwood, the story follows Maeve, who has worked her entire life for the chance to intern there & hopefully secure a permanent position. The only problem is that Elliot Ashwood (one of the company’s heirs) is suddenly forced into the same internship after a scandal, & there’s only one full-time position waiting at the end. If you like tropes such as forced proximity / roommates, rivals to lovers, office romance, slow burn & high society, this book is definitely for you!! The effortless & charming banter was one of my favorite parts. Elliot initially comes across as an entitled little rich boy, & I absolutely understood why Maeve couldn’t stand him. But what I really appreciated was that his snide remarks never crossed into outright disrespect. Their dynamic felt sharp & competitive at first without becoming unnecessarily cruel. The transition from rivalry to something softer was beautifully paced. Nothing felt rushed or like it was thrown in just to check off a certain trope. Even the forced proximity was incredibly well executed, especially bc it wasn’t entirely there from page 1. It developed naturally as the story progressed, alongside their growing understanding of each other. Maeve never apologizes for how determined she is or for doing everything in her power to make her & her late mom’s dream a reality. And Elliot is such a thoughtful person, with so much love to give, even though he never really received that kind of love from his family. I think the characters work beautifully together & complement each other in all the ways that matter. Beyond all of that, there were all the little things. The nonchalance, humor & those tiny moments that reminded me of scenes in shows I love. As someone who loves noticing those little details, I absolutely ate them uppp!! Overall, this was such a refreshing take on a trope combination I thought I already knew. Maeve & Elliot genuinely surprised me, & I think that’s what I loved most: beneath all the rivalry, ambition, expectations, & privilege, this is ultimately a story about learning to look beyond the version of someone you think you’ve already figured out. :)