The Upper Crush by Evie Alexander

A Romance Novel published by Emlin Press (04/17/24)

Summary:

“Because we’re leaping into the unknown and hoping the other person will be there to catch us.” (Kindle edition, 94%).

Lady Estelle and James must work together to make the Foxbrooke festival a success for both their sakes. Estelle knows James to be a bully while James secretly likes Estelle but doesn’t think she’ll be able to see past his reputation. Can Estelle keep herself in check or will her personality and feelings get in the way of the festival planning? Can James redeem himself in her eyes so that she sees him as anything other than a bully?

Keywords:

Romance, Contemporary, Standalone, HEA, Enemies to Lovers, Small Town, Lady, Estate, Rich, Forced Proximity

My Review:

I love a good slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance with dueling POV. The book includes some other good romance tropes like forced proximity, small town, bully turned nice guy, and a bit of love at first sight.

I loved the main characters. I loved the side characters. I even loved the animals/pets. Both Estelle and James are the main characters you can’t believe are single but also can very much understand why they are single. They are both stubborn, strong, and big personality types. Both characters have a different but similar purpose intertwined with their forced proximity situation. They each also had their own backstory that made them very compelling. I really liked how both main characters were completely independent people and didn’t need the other to complete themselves, which made their love even more captivating. They have their flaws but are also the most caring and heartfelt people. Estelle will not hesitate to stand up and protect a woman she thinks is being abused. James will go out of his way for others without a second thought.

The romantic element makes this book so good, especially the slow buildup of the enemies-to-lovers romance that makes the eventual romance so very satisfying. The sexual attraction is always there, even from the beginning. There are a lot of falling-in-love montage moments and overcoming inevitable obstacles before getting to the first of the steamy parts.

The plot holds together the romance well and the dialogue is witty and super fun to read. The climax felt real and well-integrated into the story’s plot and the ending was satisfying with its HEA.

I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

This novel was published by Emlin Press on 04/17/2024 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.0

Links for more information

Goodreads