Review: Rival (Fall Away, #2) by Penelope Douglas

3 stars! ***

Author: Penelope Douglas

Title: Rival (Fall Away, #2)

Madoc and Fallon. Two estranged teenagers playing games that push the boundaries between love and war…

She’s back.

For the two years she’s been away at boarding school, there was no word from her. Back when we lived in the same house, she used to cut me down during the day and then leave her door open for me at night.

I was stupid then, but now I’m ready to beat her at her own game…

I’m back.

Two years and I can tell he still wants me, even if he acts like he’s better than me.

But I won’t be scared away. Or pushed down. I’ll call his bluff and fight back. That’s what he wants, right? As long as I keep my guard up, he’ll never know how much he affects me….

After reading (and loving) BULLY and UNTIL YOU I was pretty excited about RIVAL. Mostly about Madoc, who we've met before and to be honest I'm totally rocking my crush on him. Who wouldn't right? (even though Jared is stil my #1). It was hard to imagine who would fit him and most importantly, who could handle his ego and huuuge personality.

Madoc just finished highschool, he plans to party all summer long before ha has to go to the college his father had chosen him. But those plans fall apart when his father tells him to move to Jared's house because his stepsister Fallon will be in town for a while.

Two years ago they used to hook up and then one night she just disappeared. And she made it sound like he forced her. And now she's back. She's changed a lot. She got rid of her many piercings, stopped skating and got more tattooes.

She didn't come back to reunite. She came back for revenge. Her feelings of love for Madoc turned to hate but the chemistry is still there. Only couple of days with him made her realize how wrong she was about him. He's not as selfish and self-centered as she portrayed him in her mind. She thought her leaving didn't affect him at all but that wasn't even close to the truth.

She sleeps with him and disappears once again. But she blackmailed his father before that. Madoc leaves early for college and for a while he drowns in a self-pity.

Fast forward couple of months and it happens all over again. This time Madoc's got enough. She doesn't want him. Fine. She doesn't love him. Fine. It doesn't bother him. He doesn't even love her. Or at least that's what he tells himself.

Both Madoc and Fallon were portrayed as mature adults even thought they just graduated from highschool. They didn't seem like teenagers at all. They weren't eighteen but twenty-eight. Not really beliavable.

To me RIVAL was a bit of a let down. It was mostly created by Fallon who I didn't connect with. She was all over the place and couldn't make up her mind. But it also caused by the whole storyline. I just didn't feel it. Madoc changed from a big bad boy into a puppy. Or into a pussy. That's more accurate.

While BULLY almost light me up on a fire, RIVAL left me cold.