Rivals With Benefits

It's hard to ignore the irresistible chemistry that can exist between two enemies. We've got the book team here to prepare us for Rivals With Benefits -- y'all know how this goes:

Can you start us off with a quick bird's eye view of Rivals?

Jayne: Of course! When the best house on Greek Row opens up, you apply right away, knowing this will cement your legacy as the greatest Lambda president of all time. But on move-in day, you find the house already occupied by the Omegas and their infuriatingly charming frat president. When you and the Lambdas face off against the Omegas for control of the house... Only one can end up on top.

Oo, here we go again -- ready for more competition! By the way, is this a sequel to Roommates with Benefits?

Jayne: Rivals With Benefits is actually a spin-off! It takes place at the same college as Roommates With Benefits, so you’ll see some familiar faces, but we’ll be following a whole new group of characters.

Same setting, new friends (and enemies). Got it! What inspired the concept of this book and how did it evolve over time?

Bre: Rivals with Benefits was initially supposed to be about a couple who had broken up and were finding their way back to each other– after making each other jealous, of course. But, because it’s a spin-off, we wanted to make sure the world felt the same even though the characters would be different, so we pulled back, gave it some more thought, and changed gears to MC and Riley’s story.

Jayne: We wanted to put a fresh spin on the concept of a close-quarters romance, and we thought a fraternity vs sorority showdown at Villa Chevalier State University, the same college as Roommates, would be a fun, new direction to take.

Speaking of fun! What did you enjoy the most about creating this book?

Jayne: Coming up with the ridiculous shenanigans our characters get up to during this story was such a blast.

Tom: There are a lot of, um, “creative” outfits in this book ;) One in particular might make you think twice before ordering a pizza!

Haha, I think some of Choices Insiders subscribers know what you mean. IYKYK. And if you don't know... You're about to find out! Which leads to our next Q: What new characters are you excited for fans to meet? 

Jayne: I’m excited for fans to meet the Omega president, Riley. They’re bold, charming, dedicated to their own… and a thorn in the side of their nemeses.

We are READY for you, Riley! Were there any characters or plot twists that surprised you when you were writing?

Jayne: The character of Dahlia was originally conceived as another rival for MC, but eventually developed into MC’s best friend and fiercest defender as the ideation process went on. We all need a friend that isn’t afraid to give us a little tough love, after all!

Bre: In the creation process, MC’s dad surprised me a lot. He wasn’t intended to be a big character, but as we went, he got a bigger role in the story and ended up going through quite a bit of development. 

I'm guessing both our Daddy and Bestie will be giving us some tough love. Real. Off to our next Q: If you could enter this story, which character would you be and why?

Jayne: I’d want to be Trevor, one of the Omegas – just having fun and creating chaos day in and day out.

Bre: I’d be Drew or Aneesa. Now that they’re no longer front and center in the spotlight, they’re living their best, most drama-free lives.

We love that for them! Last Q: What message or emotion do you hope readers will take away from this book?

Jayne: Mostly, we hope everyone will have as much fun reading this book as we had creating it, but if this story inspires someone to reexamine an initial impression they have of someone else, all the better!

Bre: If I’m honest, this book is just pure college shenanigans. Laughter, enjoyment of the chaos, and having a good time are all I hope readers get from it. 

We're ready for the chaos and good times! 

We would like to acknowledge and thank everyone who worked on Rivals. This story wouldn’t be what it is without your hard work, creativity, and talent. We are so grateful for the passion and care you put into this project and others.

Thank you all for your hard work and joy you put into this project! To our readers, we can’t wait to see what you all think about Rivals!

<3 The Community Team