The Upper Crush by Evie Alexander is a charming and steamy romance that blends humor, heart, and sizzling chemistry. The story follows a woman who finds herself falling for a seemingly perfect man, only to uncover unexpected challenges and complications in their relationship. Alexander’s writing is engaging and witty, with well-developed characters and plenty of romantic tension. With its blend of lighthearted moments and emotional depth, The Upper Crush is a fun and captivating read for fans of contemporary romance.

Lady Estelle Foxbrooke is determined to take charge of her family estate and clean up the mess left by her reckless parents. She has a clear plan until she’s forced to partner with James Hunter-Savage, the one man she’s loathed all her life. James, once a successful businessman in London, has seen his life crash and burn, forcing him to retreat to the Somerset countryside. Now, living with his parents, he’s expected to work with Estelle, his nemesis. Their personalities clash from the start, but their simmering tension quickly escalates into fiery passion. As Estelle’s plans teeter on the edge of disaster, and James’ reputation is on the line, both must confront their feelings. Will they overcome their rivalry and realize their love is worth fighting for?

Tropes
- Enemies to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Small-town setting
- Steamy romance
- Opposites attract

The Upper Crush is a delightful enemies-to-lovers romcom with all the right ingredients for a perfect escape. Estelle and James’ chemistry is electric, and their journey from animosity to passion is both entertaining and swoon-worthy. The book masterfully combines humor, heart, and heat, creating a small-town romance that’s as charming as it is steamy. The rivalry between Estelle and James adds an irresistible spark to the story, while the picturesque setting of the Foxbrooke estate brings the perfect amount of warmth. Fans of enemies-to-lovers tropes will enjoy the snarky banter, the tension-filled moments, and the ultimate payoff when the characters finally give in to their undeniable attraction.

If these are your go-to books, then Upper Crush is right up your alley
- The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
- The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
- The Dating Playbook by Farrah Rochon
- Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey
- Beach Read by Emily Henry

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

The third book in a series in which I had not first two. I feel that in the story though between Lady Estelle Foxbrook who is being pulled away from her own business to handle a function of the family, she finds out that it is so much more and begins to change her view altogether. She is also forced to work with James Hunter Stewart who is her brother's friend. The two of them banter back and forth and it is a slow burn not just fast get into each other. That and the back and forth between her and the parents all make for a good story. Many good characters and overall a really good book, very much worth the read.

I recently read "The Upper Crush" by Evie Alexander and found it to be an engaging and intriguing story. The dynamic between Lady Estelle Foxbrooke and James Hunter-Savage is intense and compelling. Their clashes and undeniable attraction kept me hooked from the beginning.

The setting of the Somerset countryside adds an interesting backdrop to the story, and the conflict between the characters is well-developed. The way the author portrays their explosive personalities and the development of their relationship is captivating.

The book beautifully captures the struggle between love and ambition, and it kept me guessing until the very end. Overall, "The Upper Crush" is a delightful romance novel with strong character development and a compelling plot. I would highly recommend it to fans of the genre.

This was a fun enemies to lovers romance. I had not read the first two books in the series previously - while I was able to follow along with this book, I think the first two books would be helpful to learn the family dynamics and backstory with the hero. This was also very much a rom-com (in my opinion) - so if you're looking for that, this fits the bill.

This was such a good slowburn filled with nice tension and chemistry. Evie Alexanders writing is so great.

This was such a fun, light hearted read! Strong female character, attractive business partner, forced proximity, enemies to lovers… what’s not to love?!

I know i say this with every single one of Evie’s books but oh my goodness what does she put in these?! Because I’m addicted I find myself going back to my favourite parts and just smiling at the story! The talent it takes to pick up a characters for all intents and purposes was absolutely awful and make him the absolute sweetest love interest how?? I just feel like if you want to read a series that is going to make you feel so comfortable and happy and make you cry ugh this is it! I literally laughed at this one minute then the next I was crying, the cameos from other characters in this series also are a huge reason for why I have so much love for this, we get to see their stories continue without taking away from the new main characters! Truly I am a massive fan of Evie’s and her writing, if she was to publish a shopping list I’d be there ready to read it!! Please go check this out if you want a grumpy fmc and golden retriever mc at heart, a story of change and how love is the biggest desire!

I wont rate this because I technically DNFed, and I just did not have the time to dedicate and read and rate this fairly. But I really adored the set up and the begging's of the characters.

It's not often that the third novel in a series makes me backtrack to read the previous two, but The Upper Crush did just that. These are quick witted, fun stories that play with their respective tropes in fun and engaging ways!

James’ story was so perfect. I couldn’t imagine how Estelle could fall in love with the jerk from earlier books. I don’t want to say anything that would spoil the story for subsequent readers, so I’ll just end by encouraging all to buy/ read this book. It’s a fast read and a beautiful story.

This was an enjoyable, witty enemies-to-lover romance set in a small town. Estele and James go from enemies to reluctant business partners who simultaneously can't stand and can't resist each other. It was a funny, well-developed, entertaining story and a lovely addition to the series.

The Upper Crush was a light, fun read. I really enjoyed Estelle and James and watching their enemies to lovers relationship develop. I'll definitely be reading more by Evie Alexander!

dnf @ 30%

Okay, I was really excited for this book, this premise seemed like a dream, but honestly I struggled a lot to get to 30% of the book and I couldn't get past that. Why on earth did the protagonists act so much like they were 16 year olds? Impossible to continue reading until the end. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Let me just start by saying thank you to NetGalley for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to enjoy this one, really. This was my first Evie Alexander book and it sounded so promising. I mean, enemies to lovers, steamy romance with a strong FMC... I was genuinely hoping this was going to be a perfect fit for me. However I DNF it around the 40% mark. I just didn't seem to connect with the characters and the pacing felt a little weird to me. To be honest I should probably have stopped reading before but I trying so hard to push through because the writing was good and I liked the premise. But the enemies part of it all didn't really hit the way I wanted it to and I was even kind of confused as to how they were really enemies... Idk the reasoning just felt bizarre and more so with the characters' behaviour, which was a little too childish for me at times. Overall just not the book for me.

I loved this book. I was drawn to the cover first and foremost as I had not read anything from this author before —and I was not disappointed. I loved the characters and their rivalry, and the writing was also very pleasant and easy to read. The story was engaging, if not a little long at times. I have given it 4 stars because of that last bit; as I sometimes struggled to keep on going with the story with how drawn out it was at first, and how long it took the characters to finally get over their differences. Still, I really liked it and I had a great time reading this!
Thank you again NetGallery for the advanced copy.

James and Estelle’s story is a sexy one with old family rivalries and a driving force bringing them together against their will. It was interesting to see how these two bounced off each other, with the sparks flying, and to see how they’d misunderstood each other. As they begin to open up and learn more about each other, feelings grow, though the fighting isn’t over! Estelle’s “gifts” for James were funny and kept the story light but I did find the whole thing was incredibly slow and could easily have been 20% shorter as it seemed that there was a lot of miscommunication which dragged out in the book but not much really happened for most of it. It was good fun seeing these two together and how their relationship developed but I needed it to be shorter or have more going on for it to be a higher rating from me.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

3,5/3,75⭐️

Tropes:

-Enemies-to-lovers (kind of)
-Small-town romance
-Office romance

First of all, thank you NetGalley and Emlin Press for the ARC.

"The Upper Crush" by Evie Alexander is the third book of the Foxbrooke series.

This was my first book written by this author and, even though it can be read as a standalone, I suggest reading the previous books before in order to understand better the characters and their relationships.

Honestly, it took me a bit to get into this book, but I'm glad that I didn't DNF it.

I loved the banter between Estelle and James and the family dynamics.





(Spoiler)

At the same time, I don't really consider them enemies and James fell for Estelle right away, but nevertheless, it was still a pretty enjoyable read for me once I got into it.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Alright, this book was truly captivating! I adored Estelle and James/Kevin - his instant affection and her internal conflict were brilliantly portrayed. While the book was quite lengthy, I truly found it interesting to read, the characters quirky, humorous, and supportive, and the narrative beautifully highlighted various forms of love - from self-discovery to friendships, family bonds, and romantic entanglements.