A Rival Most Vial – the book I was looking the LEAST forward to in SPFBO9. I groaned when I saw this fantasy romance make a finalist because please don’t make me sit through some fluffy feelings, I beg! And there better not be a love potion, grumble-grumble.

And well, I joked about it to the team, that if I did end up liking it, I would have to ‘man up’ and admit it. So here I am, admitting the fact that I LOVED this book so hard! It was cute, fun, the right amount of quirky, and not over-the-top graphic with the intimate scenes. It was perfectly balanced, like Ambrose’s potions!

A Rival Most Vial is an ‘opposites attract’ kind of story. I wouldn’t say it’s ‘enemies to lovers’ because I wouldn’t call the opposing sides of a healthy business rivalry enemies. Besides, Eli really doesn’t have it in him to hate anyone, I think. He has a very warm, open personality, he is bubbly and one of those people that just adventure through life, restlessly, day at a time, only planning for a short time and hoping they’ll make it. Ambrose, on the other hand, is exactly the kind of eagle-eyed perfectionist that can drive a non-perfectionist simple in the head. Ambrose is the opposite of fun. He does not allow himself to feel joy. 

Ambrose and Eli both have quite the development arc during this story. Their respective ‘figuring it out’ moments were one of the reasons I loved this book. It was so pleasantly human. We all have internal conflicts that hold us back from any number of things and to witness both Ambrose and Eli having to take a hard look at their ‘default settings’ to then make a step towards an improvement added that layer of emotional depth for me. 

In addition to the main plot and main characters, there were two things that made this book an absolute joy to read… The writing and the setting. 

Sometimes it happens that the idea in a book is good, but I just seem to stumble over words to get to the end. It’s like skipping along a riverbank on rocks of different sizes. Enjoyable and fun, but oh, so much work. A Rival Most Vial was a smooth sandy beach as far as the eye can see. When reading simply happens automatically, because the connection in between the words, your eyes and your brain is seamless. I don’t know how else to describe it. A Rival Most Vial is a polished piece of work, and it deserves the acknowledgement. It also deserves to be one of the SPFBO9 finalists!  

Regarding the setting, I adored the atmosphere in this book. The secondary set of characters is made up of merchants, each as unique as you can imagine. If I was to describe the feeling I got from the wholesome friendships on the ‘shopping street’ then I would compare it to the camaraderie one can feel in A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. The warm feeling of found family and lifelong friends. And when this emotion is done well, there truly is no need for anything overly dramatic to happen. Someone doesn’t have to die a death, someone doesn’t have to be sacrificed, someone doesn’t have to escape mercenaries or save a country from war… None of that awful, grim stuff. Sometimes there is beauty in simplicity. For me, A Rival Most Vial is a ‘stop and smell the roses’ kind of read, and it is purely about people – human and non-human. The glorious synchronicity of living together in a close-knit community, helping each other, celebrating each other’s successes, and helping each other in difficult times. I would recommend this for anyone looking for a book to take them away from the harsh realities, because A Rival Most Vial will wrap you in a comfy hug and make you smile. 

Oh! PS! I LOVED the chapter headings! Brilliant little touch that made the essence of this book complete.

PPS! There’s no love potion! Yay!