Review: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5 stars)

Second Position by Sydney Madison is a quick read that continues the storyline from the previous book in the Astor Hill series. While it maintains the momentum and offers some satisfying moments it didn’t quite reach the emotional depth or complexity of the first installment. The pacing makes it easy to get through in one sitting and has continued development from the first book.

3.5* rounded down. after reading the first book a few months ago I had to jump back in for the second!

second position is a dual 1st pov story that follows gen and grant. it’s the second book in the ‘astor hill’ series and can be read as a standalone. the timeline of this occurs at the same time as the first book, and for continuity it’s good if you read both.

I really enjoyed this and was intrigued to know more about gen from the glimpses and appearances of what we saw in astor hill.

the portrayal of gen’s relationship with her mother and the dynamic they had was so heartbreaking to read. in the end I wish we got to see some reconciliation, or at the very least, some accountability. but as a woman so stuck in her ways, it’s not surprising that didn’t happen.

grant is, while flawed, a good guy to his core. we need more men like him

I can understand why people would find gen’s relationship with will frustrating, but how can you expect gen to act a certain way, if he’s all she’s ever known? unrequited love can do that to a person, and I’m glad in the end she stood her ground

overall I really enjoyed this and like the first instalment finished it in less than a day.

big thanks to the author and publisher for letting me read in exchange of an honest review. I’m looking forward to a potential third book with sloane!

Really enjoyed this book! I personally think the first book must be read before this one for it all to make sense but this is a great addition to the series! Easy to love the characters and it certainly made me eager for more!

This is my first read from Sydney Madison and I LOVED this book. I ate it UP and finished it in one sitting. It was so easy to read and care for the characters. It loosely reminded me of Wildfire by Hannah Grace... except BETTER.

There is no way you can not like Grant and Gen together and separately. Gen & Sloane's connection felt so pure and genuine.

The writing was outstanding. I have so many highlights for this book! The authors have a great way of describing feelings youve had but didnt know how to put into words.

I attempted to post my review to amazon and it said it cannot be reviewed. I have a screenshot if needed

**Not posted in my review on GoodReads and Fable:**
I noticed 1 Typo:
“Because now I know. I know this insane secret, and you just expect me to keep if for Will fucking Chapman?”
It not if!

✨️Ballerina + Basketball Player
✨️Slow Burn
✨️Pining/He falls first MMC
✨️She falls harder
✨️HEA
✨️Sports Romance
✨️Academia Setting

I absolutely loved Grant and Gen. Their story was so emotional and complex. Grant has a hard time letting anyone in due to past traumas, and at his core, he's still that little boy waiting for his mom and wishing he came first. Genevieve is icy on the outside but has such a big heart on the inside. She has spent years pining after her best friend, and just like Astor Hill, Will is at the center of it. Her choices and the fear of losing the one person that puts her first force her to make a decision and ends up seeing that for once, she should do what is right for her putting herself first. In the end, all the yearning and the tough choices that Grant has to make help him see that he either has the choice to close himself off or lose the one good thing he's had since his parents found him.
Astor Hill is quickly becoming one of my favorite series, and Sydney Madison are such a dynamic duo they have built characters with such complex back stories that affect their personal lives, but watching them navigate those problems and feelings make these stories worthwhile.

3.75 ⭐️

I absolutely adored this book! It had me giggling and kicking my feet.



Characters 🎀

FMC was quite annoying the first 10-20% of the book, however the more I read the more I started to understand her and love her, and by the end of the book I absolutely adored her! The character development in this book definitely deserves some applause. MMC was very cute even though sometimes his actions were dumb af. Overall the characters were written amazingly and beautifully

The friendship and friendgroups play a huge part in the plot and they were so wholesome to follow.

Plot 📌

I was on the edge of my seat though out the whole book, also I was mostly worried about the third act breakup and how that whole this is going to turn out. Safe to say I was pleasantly surprised by how well our FMC held her ground and everything along those lines, however the third act breakup itself was a little bit predictable and had my anxiety spiking.




This was the first book that I’ve read from these authors and I’ll definitely be reading the first part of this series and all of the following parts!

Astor Hill series - yes, please! I love Madison's writing, and this is book 2. It's entertaining and a great story to get lost in, and I loved it! Also props for the book's cover work. Very inviting. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Once I picked this book up, I couldn't put it down. I read it in less than a day. It's so emotional, and heartbreaking, and just all the emotions. This was my first book by this author duo, but it won't be my last.
I will say at times, the FMC did annoy me with her seemingly never-ending patience and commitment to her frankly awful guy best friend Will. The way she couldn't see how toxic and mean he was, was so annoying. I get that they went through a lot together, but at some point, she really needed to choose herself. And I didn't appreciate how she got angry with Grant and expected him to apologize after she chose to check on Will over him during the Halloween party. She literally brought back his own worst childhood fears of abandonment, but she is upset because "I want someone to choose me"? I wished she had had to grovel a bit more.
Grant is almost perfect. He is the quintessential good guy. I will also agree with Gen's point on how he needs to work on his foster/ bio mom abandonment issues himself, and she can't fix him, but that is his one issue. Otherwise, he cares about people so much, not just Jen, but his sister, Ben, and his family. But also his flirting is top-tier. I loved his banter with Gen.
And overall, I really loved Grant and Gen together. The chemistry practically flew off the page. Can't wait for more books in the Astor Hill series.

5 amazing stars. if sydney madison writes it im reading it. I love astor hills and everything about it

thank you for this arc

Been obsessed since Astor hill! And I'm more invested now!
Emotions are messy and hearts will break! At the end of the day the way you grow up truly affects everything in your adult life!! Genevieve and Grant are perfect examples that you can learn to trust again and definitely worthy of being loved