TL;DR: A Rival Most Vial was a sweet, heartwarming and delightful cosy fantasy! I loved everything about this from the rivals-to-lovers romance and the found family community to the potion-making and slice-of-life vibes. This is the perfect read for those looking for a low-stakes magical story about finding your path, recognising what family means, and embracing success on your own terms. Plus, it provides a wonderful escape from reality. The setting is a fun magical world and I can’t wait to read more about the shopkeepers of Rosemond Street in future books!

All of the characters in this book were easy to love and root for. I’m glad we got dual POVs from Eli and Ambrose, but we also got a good glimpse into the lives of the supporting characters. I loved Dawn, Grim, Sherry and Banneker (and his obsession with baked goods and card reading)! They were all so endearing and if you enjoy the found family trope, you’ll love this crew because they made a wonderful family that I wished I could be a part of! 🥹 The addition of illustrated pages showing the items that each shopkeeper is known for was lovely too.

While I loved both our MCs, I have a real soft spot for characters like Ambrose: the grumps with soft hearts who are too afraid to show emotion out of fear of abandonment and rejection but who yearn to feel that connection with others. So it’s no surprise that I loved Ambrose and felt immediately protective of him! Even if it took time for him to realise that he wasn’t alone—the Rosemond Street crew has always had his back—I loved how he came to that realisation and allowed himself to show affection and to give as good as he got. 💜 Despite being new, Eli was the enthusiastic sunshine member of the group and it wasn’t hard to love his bright personality. I adored his relationship with his large family and how close-knit they were. I also loved Tom so much! 😍 I wish I had a Tom in my life because it would be amazing to have such an adorable little companion to get through the days with.

Eli and Ambrose had quite a contentious beginning and I was worried how they’d overcome their rivalry, but I enjoyed how their relationship evolved. From a tentative truce to dependable colleagues to great friends and eventually to lovers, it was a slow and comforting build-up! It was genuinely adorable how much they enjoyed being around each other and how they were both slightly oblivious to their feelings and attraction for each other. 😂 That said, I liked that even as we see their arcs slowly intertwining, the author doesn’t skimp out on their personal growth. They both have insecurities, personal issues and goals that they want to achieve and it’s not sacrificed for the romance arc. Also, while their interactions are based on a “quest” of sorts, the story follows a “slice-of-life” arc that I’m particularly fond of. This type of low-stakes story may not be for everyone but it’s my favourite type of cosy fantasy and A Rival Most Vial did not disappoint!

Overall, this was a wonderfully cosy fantasy romance with main characters I loved, a found family I adored and a world that I can’t wait to revisit for more adventures ASAP!

Have you read A Rival Most Vial or is it on your TBR?

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