The Upper Crush

This book was so much fun to read, I was totally hooked from the very beginning. Lady Estelle Foxbrooke is trying to stage a music and arts festival in Foxbrooke and finds out that she has to work with James Hunter-Savage, who happens to be her mortal enemy. She attempts to drive him crazy during this process but realizes that although her brain hated him, her heart was interested, and funny enough his heart was interested too. Their chemistry was undeniable and explosive. But there were a lot of road blocks, least of which was Estelle’s twin brother Henry, and more importantly, James was only supposed stay in Foxbrooke for this event, then he was going back to London. This book gives you family, friendship, forgiveness and love. This is another excellent story from Evie Alexander. You are going to love this couple and I cannot wait for more to come in the Foxbrooke Series.

I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Upper Crush is a contemporary romance novel written by Evie Alexander. It is the third book in the Foxbrooke series but could be read as a standalone.

From enemies to lovers, Estelle and James had a rocky beginning to say the least. However, when they are forced to work together in close proximity to each other due to certain circumstances, they cannot deny their attraction.

Would I recommend this? Yes! It is full of fun banter between Estelle and James. The family is also hilarious.

Estelle in the beginning of the book drove me insane. She was contrary just to be difficult it seemed. She had a very black and white view of the world in which people cannot change, grow or develop. Her entire being centred on those around her being placed in the categorized box she had for them and when that faltered her world collapsed.

James had been living a facade since he was a child. Trying to convince the world he is old nobility even whilst there was a divide between his home life and his public one. As it tends to happen these worlds collide in a hilarious explosion. Watching the two main characters navigate the development of their feelings is one of the reasons I love reading Evie Alexander books. The character development is always sublime and as the story progresses you tend to fall in love with both characters as they grow emotionally.

I will also note it was wonderful to have a black female lead character. Understanding where Estelle’s sense of determination and stubbornness came from made this such an enjoyable story. As a woman of colour I understand why Estelle needs to be so tough and unforgiving. She has to be strong and at times intense in order to be taken seriously in a world of old money as a mixed race woman. I respect her position and why she acts the way she does. I’m so glad over the course of the book we see a softer side of her. One that showcases her transition towards feeling safe enough to be at ease and at peace.

This story began about misconceptions and preconceived notions and blossomed into this amazing journey of two very strong and independent characters willing to bend and compromise for one another. How taking a leap of faith, while scary brings about the best rewards.

This is honestly one of Evie’s best works. The depth and emotion felt throughout this story is unmatched in any of her other novels. Even Jack and Eveline’s story did not grip me and evoke the same level of emotion that James and Estelle’s did. I cannot begin to express how fantastic a read this was. Truly a marvellous work and I’m so happy I was able to be on the ARC team.

Thank you for all the hard work you do Evie! You bring so much joy to the world and this book takes the cake. Absolutely fantastic!