Astor Hill was… fine. It wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t particularly good. The story felt messy for no reason, like it was trying to juggle too many elements at once without tying them together in a satisfying way.

The premise had promise, but the execution fell flat. The characters were decent, but I found it hard to connect with them. The plot tried to do a lot, and while some moments worked, others felt like they were thrown in just to add drama—drama that didn’t really lead anywhere.

I will say, Sydney Madison has a nice writing style, and there were a few standout moments where I thought, “Okay, now we’re getting somewhere.” But then the story would shift gears again, leaving me more confused than invested.

Overall, Astor Hill wasn’t terrible, but it didn’t leave much of an impact, either. It’s worth a read if you don’t mind a chaotic plot, but it’s not something I’d be rushing to recommend.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. While I enjoyed certain aspects of the story and found moments where the authors' writing shined, especially in the second half, and I appreciated the exploration of complicated grieving and female friendships, I had a lot of issues with the book as a whole. There was a lot of telling and not showing, and the pacing and plot were off. The best part of the book is Ben and Olivia's relationship, but even that fell a bit flat for me. It would have been easier to buy into their insta-love soulmate-type connection if Ben at least had a conversation with her before pining after her for years.

I think maybe these authors have a way to go in terms of their writing, but I could see a lot of potential. Also, the cover for this book is absolutely GORGEOUS. 2.5 stars rounded up.

I had good hopes for this book, the synopsis feel right into some of my favorite tropes and storylines but something in this fell flat. It took me awhile to get through it due to the lack of attachment to really of any of the characters, the sheer messiness of the dynamics for what seemed to be for not and the lack of buy in to what was going on. I think this story could have been even better without a lot of the drama and extras added in and more character development to get readers to love them, while being more open to excusing some of the imperfections.

Thank you to Netgalley & Sydney Madison for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

This book has been compared to Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill and I can definitely see that. I enjoyed this story with the insta love and mental health rep.

I was here for the love triangle and felt for all the characters. I will definitely read the next book.in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

First, the cover art is stunning! Love the fall portrayal and kind of wish I had read this during the cozy fall season to up the vibes. It took me a minute to fall in to this book - but once I did, I couldn't put it down. Astor Hill was a cute college romance that tied in a lot of different aspects. I loved Liv and Will and how Lily hung out throughout the story. Definitely recommend giving this book a chance and adding it to your TBR.
Favorite Quote: "I want you now, I want you tomorrow, I want you always, anyway that you are.”

This is not your typical college romance and even in the first chapters, drama has ensued.

Plot:
It was a drag in the first 40% of the book. A drag not because of the slow burn, but because the toxicity in Liv and Will's relationship was frustrating. I just want to shake Liv up to wake up and leave! The repeated cycle of her relationship was making me mad. Then enter Ben who made the next half of the book much more bearable.

Trigger: Loss of loved one, Cheating, Relationship abuse, Miscommunication

Main:
Plus factor for me though- the book was beautifully written. Not cringy, not flowery, nor flat. Ben's words were raw and genuine, and pulled off the butterflies perfect for romance. I actually connected more with Ben than Liv. Liv, I try to understand her character, but there was a part of me thinking Ben deserves someone better. The emotions were high in this book, yet it showed more of the deeper intricacies oft5 relationships. Ben, on the other hand, his anxiety was established well in the book, I felt seen through his character - his panic episodes, vulnerability,
Supporting:
What slightly stole my attention from the main was Gen and her character reveal. I thought at first she's annoying and stealer, she burst through in the last half of the book with her character growth.


Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.

While diving into Astor Hill, I found myself captivated by the familiar themes of college-age romance, but with a deeper layer woven in—grief and mental health. As we peel back the layers of the main characters, one common thread ties them together: pain. Each character grapples with their inner struggles, and it’s this turmoil that fuels the drama and conflict throughout the story.

However, the love story left me wanting more. Olivia is portrayed as a strong, commanding presence who won’t tolerate nonsense, yet she tolerates Will, who, quite frankly, is infuriating. Even after uncovering the trauma that shapes his actions, it’s hard to excuse his behavior over the two years they’ve been involved. Then there's Ben, whose character seems to embody the cliché of insta-love. He quickly dives headfirst into the relationship without a solid foundation, and while they develop a bit of friendship, it hardly evolves into the kind of bond that inspires true love.

Overall, Astor Hill has its merits, but it does leave some important aspects of the romance feeling a bit empty. I wished for a more nuanced exploration of the relationships to create a more satisfying emotional journey.

Thank you Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me this opportunity to read this story!

Unfortunately, this one did not hit for me like I had hoped. I expected some drama but not to the extent that I read. Some topics were also a big triggering for me and I just couldn’t get past it. Other than that, everything is written in a nice flow and I think so many readers will enjoy it. Like the synopsis says, it gives magnolia parks and gossip girl vibes for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity to read this novel early. I’m very grateful.

This one’s for the og fans of the Gossip Girl / One Tree Hill universes with the Maxton Hall vibes! My cup of tea 👑

I used to be a huge fan of college romance a few years ago, but this trope didn’t hit as hard for me as I grew older… Astor Hill though, is in another league 🏆

The characters are surprisingly mature even through all the drama (love that). Real and sensitive topics like grief and mental health weave the story altogether and it was beautifully done! ❤️‍🩹

For the romance addicts here on booksta, this one’s main tropes are boyfriend’s stepbrother (hello one tree hill) and a bit of sports romance (hello one tree hill🏀). I would have loved if there was a bit more spice, but the tension between the characters was still unreal 🔥

Astor Hill is projected to be the first book in a series of interconnected stand-alones and I just can’t wait to see what the authors have in store!! 🫶✨

2 stars ✰
ꕀ this was not my cup of tea.. unfortunately.

tbh. im not going to fault the author for why I could not entirely connect with this—it’s more so a me problem, and my personal taste. the tropes were not for me, I don’t like cheating or lying, or lack of communication between characters. and that’s literally all this was.

🤎 my thoughts 🤎

🍂in general. obviously, when I heard it was going to be similar to ‘gossip girl’ and ‘one tree hill’ I know I was gonna deal with some controversial complex characters, but i expected them to have a redeeming quality. something to make them likeable or make me root for the couple and see that they’re meant to be, but i genuinely had no hope. they were just horrible people, and I did not want to see them happy 😭

💔the cheating. okay so there wasn’t any actual cheating, in terms of physically, but olivia knew she had feelings for ben, but whenever will (her literal BOYFRIEND) called her out on it, she would gaslight him into thinking he was crazy for even thinking that and would LIE, LIE, LIEEE. also ben is not the best brother considering he was literally pining over his bro’s gf with no shame. flirting endlessly, trying to get close to her.. what is wrong with them ohmygosh.

🩰 the romance. im not gonna lie, the cheating wasn’t even worth it. like sometimes you’ll see it in a show or something, and they cheat but they’re so clearly made for eachother, im just like they’re clearly soulmates and while they shouldn’t have done that i still want them to be together. but I didn’t even see the love between ben and liv. IT WAS SO DEAD. atleast give us a good couple if you’re gonna make them shitty human beings 😭😭 idk it definitely lacked.

📚writing & world building. this was the only good part of the book. for 200 pages, there was a lot of story. I don’t wanna spoil but I just expected the depth of the story to be very-surface level and shallow, but in that aspect the author really excelled. the writing also wasn’t cringe at all, I think it was really done well for a debut (??) author. I just didn’t like the characters, the couples, or anything really LMAO or I would’ve appreciated it a bit more bc I think she has potential. so if u like the premise of the book definitely go for it!

🫂 conclusion 🫂

i really don’t like being a hater, and i hate writing negative reviews they make me feel so guilty. but in the end, i said I would give an honest review and i definitely did! im not opposed to checking out this author’s other future works bc i did like the writing, but this book was not for me sadly ❤️‍🩹

thank you to netgalley and PS published for this arc in exchange for an honest review!!

"Astor Hill" captured the beauty of personal growth, struggles, grief, friendship, and toxic relationships so perfectly that it had me crying every other page. This REALLY put a lot of things into perspective for me when looking back onto my personal experiences with love and friendship. Olivia's thoughts were so relatable sometimes, especially her grief and her trauma.
The writing style was so beautifully done and I enjoyed both Olivia and Ben so so so much. Although I did feel like their relationship happened quite quickly in the second half of the book, but that mgiht just be me because I did read the second half all in one night (oopsies). I could not for the life of me put it down and once I got to the 60ish% mark, I was so done for. The tension between these two was so good, and I actually didn't mind the closed-door spice for once.
The breaking, the healing, the grieving... wow, I felt this book in the very core of my soul and half the time I was either flabbergasted or screaming "omg this is so me!!".
The first half was a bit slow, whereas the second half really took things to a different level for me. Lilly's and Will's story was so heartbreaking and devastating, but I feel that the friendship between Olivia and her best friend truly represents so many friendships in this coming-of-age time, especially when starting college.

ALSO can we PLEASE talk about Gen and Grant?????
I need their book like NOW! I feel like I'm going out of my mind lol

So yeah...
Was this a very much gut-wrenching, healing, and beautifully written read? Absolutely.
Was the storyline something truly original and inventional? No.
This storyline (brother's brother x fmc) was definitely used similarly before in other books I have read before, but nonetheless, I loved this read, only not for the storyline this time, but the writing and all the differenct facets of human life.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Astor Hill.
All of my opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sydney Madison for allowing me to ARC read for ‘Astor Hill.’

Unfortunately, I really struggled reading this one, and everything felt very ‘drawn out,’ to the point where I felt bored reading it.
Olivia, the main character, is extremely unlikeable, I didn’t relate to her at all, she was needlessly catty and gave off ‘pick me’ vibes.

The story didn’t really go anywhere for the first 60% of this book, and I found myself thinking ‘get to the point.’ The pay off of the ‘secret-reveal’ was really lacklustre.

I’m all for a love triangle, but there was absolutely no chemistry between Ben, Will or Olivia, and it unfortunately didn’t feel believable at all.

I was drawn in by the claims that this is a perfect book for fans of ‘Magnolia Parks’ or ‘Gossip Girl,’ but I didn’t really get those vibes, either.

The cover art is stunning, and the spice was done well, but I think everything else needs a lot of work, and I think this could have been summed up in around 200 pages or so.

I’m very grateful for the opportunity to ARC read for this book, but it really fell short of my expectations.

Sydney Madison’s Astor Hill is a fantastic blend of mystery and small-town intrigue. From the very first page, the atmosphere grabs you, pulling you into a place that feels like it holds a hundred secrets. The pacing is a bit slow at times, but it works—every detail and conversation feels like it’s building toward something big. The characters are layered and interesting, with motives you can never quite figure out. If you’re a fan of dark, atmospheric reads with twists and turns you didn’t see coming, Astor Hill will definitely keep you hooked. It’s a slow burn, but the payoff is totally worth it. Thank you netgalley for arc review

I wanted more from this book. I had no idea what to expect going into this as I've never read this author before. I'm sad to say it felt like there was no depth to the characters. I ADORE flawed characters. They're more real. However, these characters were just entirely unlikeable. The first chapter didn't start off strong with the FMC having some weird jealousy over her "best friend" and it just kind of went down hill from there. I feel like the description portrayed to make the book more interesting by comparing it to well loved stories like Magnolia Parks, One Tree Hill, and Gossip Girl. But those stories have depth and character development. With my dislike for the characters, I just was not invested in their story and getting through to the ending was not easy. I would not recommend this book.

This is my first DNF. I started this ARC a few months ago and could not get past 30%. I tried but made resolution to only read what suits me and this wasn’t it.
The pace of the book felt slow to me. I didn’t enjoy the cheating and third act breakup. I didn’t enjoy Olivia as a character. She was too entitled and toxic. Ben was favorite character, he seemed like a genuine guy.
The cover of the book gave me cozy fall vibes but this book didn’t portray the same vibes to me while reading.
Thank you for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and PS Published for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about Olivia, who is attending Astor Hill College. But when tragedy strikes, Olivia ends up having to deal with the loss of her best friend Lily.
While dealing with grief, Olivia is also dealing with a toxic relationship of 2 years with her boyfriend. Will. What complicates this even more is Will's stepbrother Ben returns to school after taking time off for mental health reasons, and he has secretly been in love with Olivia.
This book definitely contains a lot of drama it reminds me of 2000s sitcoms like gossip girl. I definitely think a lot of people would enjoy this book, but for me personally, it was just an OK read.

I really hope this book blows up because it deserves it! It give gossip girl vibes and it really captured my attention.

Olivia’s best friend Lily passes away after their first college party together at Astor Hill college. This leave Olivia feeling lonely and sad so she leans on Will, the guy she met the night Liv passed. Their relationship over the next few years is toxic and wrong. Then she meets Ben, Wils older brother that has recently came out of “hiding”. He has secrets he’s kept hidden that’s been taking a toll on his mental health.

The charecters were written beautifully and I really connected with one of them. Olivia is a smart girl who is confident but insecure—something I very much am. The fake it til you make it type. I love when I can relate to a main character because it gets me more involved in the book.

Ben and Will are brothers who have a really rocky relationship. Ben wants to fix the bad blood between them but Will seems like he couldn’t care less. Watching that relationship unfold was pure drama.


Overall I loved Astor Hill and I can’t wait until I read Gen and Grants story!!

This book is gorgeous all the way through. It’s deep and real. I do honestly believe this will be the next big book, gave me huge gossip girl vibes. Definitely a slow burn so be ready for that. there is also a lot of secrets so it just makes the whole book a little unpredictable and exciting!

This book truly changed me. I am a student athlete on my way to play my sport at the college level, struggling with anxiety and depression. For the male main character to have these tropes as well was a connecting factor that made this book so much more impactful for me personally. This book surrounds very difficult subjects, such as death, grief, emotional abuse, among others, but the people who grow from their adversity, are truly something to read about. I have never read a story so eloquently written, but yet still feel so grounded in reality. These characters felt like mirrors of myself or people I could know. Seeing their emotions and their struggles play out in messy, emotional, human ways, was something I found to be unique. I think a lot of novels who bring such difficult elements into their story have a hard time making it realistic, or having the characters reaction/growth portray what this overwhelming grief and feelings of anxiety and depression does to them. This book is purely fictional, showing college relationships and their ups and downs, but creating a fmc struggling with grief, and a mmc athlete struggling with anxiety and depression, is such a nuanced idea I rarely see. To tackle these issues in such a raw way made me reflect on my own life. The authors do an amazing job at showing these tough subjects in their reality, but also showing the reader how one overcomes such adversity, that there is light at the end of the tunnel. And this hits so much harder because the characters feel so real. This book has truly changed my outlook on life and my relationships with my friends, family, and significant other. Always remember, whatever you’re going through, “all the goodness in the world that you’re so quick to see in others, you are.” - Ben Cabot🫶🫶🫶

I can see why people are saying a mix of Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill (both of which are some of my favorite comfort shows), so I had to read this.

Olivia and Will have an incredibly toxic romantic relationship, both using the other to avoid feeling the full grief of losing Lily. And while grief can be so consuming and confusing, it isn’t an excuse to routinely cheat on or gaslight your girlfriend. To me, Olivia and Will stayed together way too long.

Lily was a complex character, but she mainly seemed like a really bad friend, more like frenemies than actual friends with Olivia. There were a few things that should have been cleaned up a little, such as the whole “32” thing. It was great for the angst of the plot, but when it was explained it just felt lacking.

I really appreciated the importance put on mental health in this book, mainly on panic attacks and depression, and the importance of therapy - I love a man who goes to therapy and ACTUALLY listens and implements information from his therapist. Ben’s growth and practicing emotional intelligence was super attractive.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded to 4.