Rival Darling

Alexandra Moody’s 2024 young adult sports romance, Rival Darling, is the first installment in the bestselling Darling Devils series. Set in Minnesota, the novel centers on Violet Sinclair, a high school senior who, after being betrayed by her hockey-star boyfriend, strictly adheres to her lifelong “no-jock” rule. To convince her ex that she has moved on, she impulsively kisses his biggest rival, Reed Darling, the notorious and intimidating captain of the Ransom Devils hockey team. The two agree to a fake-dating arrangement to serve their own social purposes, forcing them to navigate their towns’ bitter socioeconomic rivalry and their own developing feelings. The novel explores themes of Overcoming Preconceptions to Find True Character, The Tension Between Public Persona and Private Self, and Betrayal and the Difficult Path to Rebuilding Trust.

This guide is based on the 2024 Avon A e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide feature depictions of substance use, sexual content, and cursing.

Plot Summary

Violet Sinclair, a high school senior who recently relocated from California to Sunshine Hills, Minnesota, lives with her uncle Luke and cousin Mia. Her mother, who was abandoned by Violet’s superstar football player father, instilled in her a strict “no-jock” rule for dating. Despite this, Violet is dating Jeremy Hoffman, the captain of the Sunshine Hills Prep Saints hockey team, whom she met over the summer and believes is an exception to her rule.

Running late for Jeremy’s first game of the season, Violet and Mia accidentally attend a game for the Ransom Devils, the Saints’ biggest rivals who are sharing the rink this season. Violet is impressed by the skill of a player wearing number 23, whom Mia identifies as Reed Darling, the notorious captain of the Devils and one of three infamous brothers. Realizing she has missed Jeremy’s game entirely, Violet tries to call him but gets no answer. As they leave the arena, Reed overhears Violet commenting on the disgusting nature of hockey players in both Sunshine Hills and Ransom.

Later that night, Violet’s car, Betty, breaks down on the way to a party. Reed, out for a run, finds her just after she has kicked her car in frustration and fallen in the snow. Though hesitant due to his bad-boy reputation, she accepts his help. Reed calls his father, Danny, who owns a local garage, to tow the car. When Reed walks Violet to the party, he reveals he remembers her comment from the game, nicknaming her “Sunshine.” The narrative then shifts to Reed’s perspective, revealing his intrigue for Violet. When his father calls to say Violet left her purse in her car, Reed uses it as an excuse to see her again, returning to the party with his twin brother, Grayson, and younger brother, Parker.

At the party, the arrival of the three Darling brothers creates a tense stir. Mia warns Violet to stay away from Reed, revealing that he broke Jeremy’s nose during a game in their freshman year. To avoid Reed, Violet heads upstairs, where she discovers Jeremy passionately kissing Heather, a girl he had claimed was just a friend. Devastated, Violet flees the party and takes her anger out on Jeremy’s car. Reed finds her again and comforts her. His brothers join them, and they give her a ride home. On Monday morning, Violet breaks up with Jeremy. He lies about what happened with Heather and becomes angry and threatening when she ends the relationship.

The following Saturday, Violet attends a bonfire party, where Jeremy is present with Heather, trying to make her jealous. In a moment of anger, Violet impulsively kisses Reed in front of Jeremy. When Jeremy confronts them, Violet claims she and Reed are together to make him believe she has moved on. Reed plays along, confirming he is her boyfriend. Afterward, Reed proposes they pretend to be in a relationship. He argues it will get Jeremy to back off and will help him ward off female attention before his school’s winter formal. Violet agrees.

Violet and Reed meet at the coffee shop where she works to establish rules for their fake relationship, including no flirting, kissing, and above all, no true feelings for each other. For their first “date,” Violet attends Reed’s hockey practice, and they later get pizza, where his best friend Matt joins them. Reed invites Violet to his family’s Sunday dinner, partly to appease his mother and partly to take photos to make their relationship look serious on social media. He returns her fully repaired car, claiming his father covered the costs, but Violet is unaware that Reed secretly did all the work himself. She meets his family, and in his room, they share a moment of intense connection before being interrupted. Feeling her real emotions for Reed growing, Violet tells him she is too busy to see him during the week.

By Friday, Reed is desperate to see Violet, so he insists that they need to go bowling to show off their relationship. Reed and Violet have another near-kiss moment, but when he admits he missed her, she panics and reminds him of their “no feelings” rule. The next night, they attend a victory party at Matt’s house, where Paige reveals that Reed fixed Violet’s car himself, working extra hours to cover the costs. The party is broken up by a prank from Saints players pretending to be cops. Reed ensures Violet gets home safely and asks to meet her the next morning to tell her the true story behind his prominent scar.

At the rink, Violet arrives early and sees Reed teaching a children’s figure skating class. He explains his scar is from an accident years ago while practicing a routine with his sister, Cammie. He performs part of the routine for Violet, and they share a passionate, genuine kiss. Later that day, Jeremy intercepts Violet at the rink. He lies, claiming he and Reed were best friends until a girl named Natalie chose him over Reed, and that Reed is only using Violet for revenge before the big Saints and Devils game. To support his story, he shows her a photo of them as childhood friends.

Filled with doubt, Violet ends her arrangement with Reed at the rink. Later, Grayson finds Violet and tells her Reed’s feelings are genuine. The next day, during the game, Paige finds Violet at work and reveals the truth: Natalie was Reed’s girlfriend, and Jeremy cheated with her behind Reed’s back, breaking his heart. Realizing she was wrong, Violet rushes to the game. Reed, heartbroken and distracted, is playing terribly. On the ice, Jeremy taunts him, confirming he lied to Violet. Reed then sees Violet in the stands and, to prove she is more important than the game, he performs his sister’s figure skating routine in the middle of the match. The crowd erupts in cheers, and Reed is sent to the penalty box. Violet, now wearing Reed’s jersey, goes to him, and they confess their real feelings for each other.

Energized, Reed returns to the ice and leads the Devils to a dramatic victory. After the game, they confront Jeremy, confirming they are a real couple. They share a kiss in the snow, solidifying their new relationship.