"I think I loved you that first night I saw you because there hasn't been a day that's passed that I haven't thought about you.”

Olivia is learning how to navigate Astor Hill’s campus after the loss of her best friend Lilly, with her boyfriend Will by her side. When Ben arrives on campus, Olivia begins to question everything she once knew as her world gets turned upside down. Will Olivia be able to keep her head above water with life’s secrets collapsing around her?

I was so excited to receive the ARC of Astor Hill. I had seen the promotional posts on Instagram and I was not disappointed! This is similar to your typical college romance, but has a component that many books can often lack, deeper emotions. The authors highlight pain and emotion in such an amazing way and positively highlight mental health representation. It’s not often that i feel emotionally connected to characters, but they were able to evoke that connection and cause the reader to emphasize and feel the emotions of the characters. This book kept me guessing what was going to happen next and rooting for love and friendship the whole time.

Rating: 2.5 🌟
Spice: Barely there

Firstly, it was the cover that drew me in to read this book, followed by the blurb. Magnolia Park and Gossip Girl fans, that was definitely me. Sadly, this book didn't deliver for me. From the confusion of what was happening at the start, to the ick boyfriend and the FMC's lack of self-worth left me underwhelmed.

Ben was a beautiful character, who was torn between his brother and the girl he loves, but even he couldn't make it a higher rated book.

It is nothing against the author, but I just didn't vibe with this book or the story. I do truly appreciate Netgalley and Sydney Maddison for allowing me to read this ARC.

3.5 ⭐️ A dramatic romance with many problematic characters and toxic relationships. While intentional, it enraged me a bit too much and no amount of character development could redeem these people in my eyes. Plot was also a bit all over the place. But college kids do be messy, the chemistry was good, and I couldn’t stop reading the train wreck. Gave strong season 1 of One Tree Hill vibes.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc!

Thank you Netgalley and Sydney Madison for my review copy. These are my thoughts:

This was intense. I almost didn't finish this book because I wasn't hooked from the start. I felt a bit confused at the beginning with all that was happening and slightly uncomfortable with how toxic these people were. But ultimately, decided to see this through.

These characters came (mostly) from privileged families and attend an elite college. They all have issues and secrets but are also arrogant and honestly, mean. Carefully crafted facades and plastered smiles hide the pain and grief that these young adults are hiding.

Olivia and Will got together after Olivia loses her best friend. Their relationship is not the healthiest and his brother Ben, feels like a breath of fresh air. I'm not a fan of love triangles but at least there wasn't any blatant cheating. I did like Olivia and Ben together.

You get some "Gossip Girl vibes" - the intrigue, secrets and toxic behaviour.

This is the first book in the series and I would be curious to see whose book comes next.

3.5 ⭐️

💭 i really enjoyed this. To be honest at the start i had no idea the importance of the prologue but I was here for the ride anyway. It definitely picked up and I got really invested in the middle third. The end was a bit slow but non the less it was a great story. I have absolutely no idea why liv was friends with lily, she seemed a complete ass hole to be honest. Here for Ben though 🤍 swoooooon!

🤍

'Here I am, staring after my brother's girlfriend with the realization that I will never get over her and I haven't even had her yet.'

"You are always on my mind, even and especially when you shouldn't be."

"There isn't a world where I wouldn't want to wait for
you, Liv. Least of all this one."

⭐️ 3
Enjoyable read! A feel-good romance with drama, mystery, and real-life portrayals of anxiety, grief, and loneliness. I appreciated the complexity and growth from the characters in this book. I especially appreciated Olivia’s grief and healing journey, Ben’s healing journey from his anxiety and trauma, and seeing the beginning of Will’s healing. I absolutely loved how head over heels Ben was for Olivia. I’m not normally one for “insta-love” but Ben can do no wrong😍 He has a lot of really good lines, very *swoon-worthy*!! I actually hated Will for the majority of this book, but the authors did a very good job at making me feel for him towards the end. I love a redemption arc, and I’m all for humanizing the “villain” and I thought it was done well with Will.

**some spoilers below!**
I wish I could have seen more of Olivia being a journalist, it’s talked about how amazing her instincts and writing are, but we don’t get to see any of that. I also wish the reader could have seen more of Olivia’s gradual healing of grief, with emphasis on Lily’s positive attributes. I felt as though Lily was an extremely toxic friend because of the way Olivia discussed her, but in the same breath Olivia would talk about how amazing Lily was. I didn’t witness any of those good attributes. I also feel there could have been more developments of Olivia’s confidence following leaving Will. I also wanted more from Ben. There was lots of alluding to him continuing to struggle with anxiety, but I wish I could have seen more of this. With how strongly mental health was highlighted in this book, I feel as though Ben’s journey should have been more realistic, with some bumps in the road.

This book sadly wasn't my cup of tea.

I liked the story in genral. Love after loss and a love triangle with the (ex)boyfriends brother promised a lot of drama. (What I absolutely love!)

Ben was a very realistic MMC. He acknowledged his mistakes and flawd and worked on himself. He wasn't too proud to apologize and gave the FMC room when she asked him to.

What I also loved was that this book showed that toxic relationships are not just limited to lovers. Some friendships can be just as toxic.

My biggest issue was the writing style. The story didn't have a good flow. I couldn't follow some of the conversations because the MC's were in their heads a lot and there was so much thinking between the "spoken" sentences that it was very confusing. There was also a lot of talking and little acting. Like the FMC always said that she was sad and still grieving but we never got to SEE her actually being sad.

There was also a big secret and the buildup was okay but the reveal could have been better placed in the story.

Thank you to the authors and PS Publishing for the e-ARC.

So I was really excited about this book because I was a huge gossip girl fan and for me I feel like this didn't really meet that and I also don't like insta-love connections. But other than that the book was a decent read

I was excited to read a college sports romance about rediscovering yourself after loosing a loved one. Unfortunately the synopsis did not match what I was reading. Some major themes were left out of the synopsis that, if they had been made clear, I wouldn’t have requested this ARC.

This book is marketed as a slow burn, but it’s fairly insta-love from very early on.

What I liked:

Grant. He is a ray of sunshine who deserves the world. How he thoughtfully considers others and checks in on them, without needing to know what is wrong.

What I didn’t like:

I didn’t like any of the main characters to be honest. They were elitest, entitled, selfish, and shallow. And while there was significant growth- that didn’t occur until much later in the book.

Lily was a terrible friend who kept secrets and didn’t care who she hurt.

Will constantly degrades Olivia publicly, and shamelessly flirts with other women. Among other things…

Olivia doesn’t have any respect for herself, but also doesn’t care about anyone else feelings or the consequences of her actions. Her heart is drawn to Ben while she is currently in a monogamous relationship. That my friends is infidelity of the heart. Which is just as bad as committing physical infidelity.

Ben acts like he deserves to win Olivia’s heart because he saw her first. But also didn’t really try to hide how attracted he was to Olivia while she was still in a relationship with his brother.

On the topic of grief, I believe the authors tried their best to depict what it is like to go through grief. But it just didn’t hit for me. There was so much more going on, that the grief plot fell short. It was tacked on at the end to wrap things up.

It seems like the book focused more around infidelity, narcissism, and misogyny- rather than grief or self discovery. Again, there was some character growth, but the progression felt quite sudden for most of the characters. Suddenly everyone was hashing out their feelings and getting along. It didn’t make sense to me.

There was just too much infidelity in this book that it kind of shocks me that it wasn’t mentioned in the synopsis. And because of that, I wasn’t excited when the two MCs got together. How they acted on their feelings was wrong, and there were little to no consequences at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and PS Publishing for receiving this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

When reading the blurb for Astor Hill I thought I would be overjoyed to read this book. I am a huge gossip girl fan and tend to be a fan of “messy” relationships in books.

This book however could not connect to me. I had an issue with the “instant connection” between our FMC and MMC. I also felt like there was a lot of filler at certain points of the story. I was not a fan of the cheating and there was definitely points of the story where I was slightly furious with our FMC (which is a good thing for me because it helps the connection with characters). This was a good read overall. The story and writing picked up around 50% for me.

If you like toxic, messy type relationships especially around college age you’ll enjoy this!!

- arc review -

When SM reached out via instagram DM’s offering me an arc copy of their new book, I got so excited because the tropes sounded right up my alley.

This was so fun! I really enjoyed all the secrets and lies. The love triangle(s) (bc yes there are a few) reminded me of gossip girl with a bit of one tree hill. Add in the suspense and I’m sold.

Ben, Olivia, and the whole crew had me so entertained and I can’t wait for book 2!

Thanks again for the arc! 🫶🏼

- college
- love triangles
- basketball
- boyfriend’s brother
- slow burn
- secrete, lies, drama
- he falls first

Loved this one! I thought some of the characters could be annoying af but eventually they all redeem themselves. I think the story kept me hooked from the beginning but towards the 50% mark, I could not put the book down. I knew that at some point, Liv was going to find out about the secret and the fallout would not be nice but man, the story was still good.

Astor Hill by Sydney Madison is an enticing addition to the world of angsty romance and coming-of-age drama, drawing comparisons to Magnolia Parks, Gossip Girl, and One Tree Hill. Madison expertly weaves a tale of elite college life where ambition, heartbreak, and passion collide in a whirlwind of emotional turbulence. The story is set in the exclusive world of Astor Hill, a place where every decision holds the potential to unravel the carefully constructed life of Olivia Beckett.

Olivia enters Astor Hill with big dreams—she wants to become editor of the prestigious campus newspaper, win the heart of basketball star Will Chapman, and experience college life to the fullest with her best friend, Lily. However, tragedy soon shatters her seemingly perfect life, leaving her dealing with unresolved grief and a reputation that feels increasingly hollow. Madison delves deep into Olivia’s internal struggles as she grapples with the weight of her past, exploring themes of grief, identity, and the pressures of maintaining appearances.

Two years after a life-changing event, Olivia’s world is turned upside down by the return of Ben Cabot, a charismatic and unpredictable basketball player. Ben’s mysterious absence and return create tension, and his undeniable chemistry with Olivia forces her to confront difficult choices—should she continue her safe path, or dare to embrace the risk of something more dangerous and unknown? The evolving, complex relationship between Olivia and Ben is the emotional core of the novel, perfectly capturing the thrill and agony of forbidden attraction.

Astor Hill expertly portrays the high-stakes drama of young love, filled with emotional depth and raw vulnerability. Madison’s writing is atmospheric and evocative, drawing readers into the privileged world of Astor Hill while exploring themes of ambition, loss, and self-discovery. Olivia is a compelling protagonist whose emotional journey is both relatable and intense, making her internal conflict between desire and responsibility incredibly engaging.

For fans of messy, emotional romance and stories filled with status, secrets, and complicated relationships, Astor Hill is a must-read. Madison’s exploration of love, loss, and finding one’s true self amidst the chaos of growing up will captivate readers, offering a poignant and modern take on navigating heartbreak and resilience.

Astor Hill by Sydney Madison was a great slow burn romance.
I absolutely loved this cover art. It’s so stunning.
This was perfectly paced and the character growth and writing was amazing.

3.5/5 ⭐️

I loved the mental health/anxiety rep in this book! There was a lot of fun drama thrown in.

While it was entertaining, this one was just okay for me. It was cute, but fell a little flat. I didn’t really connect with the characters. I wished we would have gotten more with Olivia and Lily.

The blurb said Magnolia Parks, Gossip Girl, and One Tree Hill vibes, so I was excited. Unfortunately, I didn't get those vibes. Maybe because of the blurb, I had high expectations because Magnolia Parks is my jam. Idid get Gilmore Girl vibes, though. Tbh, I was sold on the cover alone.

✨️Slow burn
✨️He falls first
✨️dual pov
✨️mental health representation.
✨️sports romance

A big thanks to Netgalley and PS Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. The cheating and the lying made no sense in my opinion and the characters just weren’t likable. They lacked depth and that really ruined it for me. Everything felt very surface level and I didn’t feel we got any depth in the story which just made it very hard to connect with. This might be a read for someone else and I definitely believe there are people who will love this but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

The novel addresses important themes such as grief and mental health, but without real depth. Emotions are often told rather than truly experienced, and scenes that should carry emotional weight sometimes feel forced, as if designed to be cinematic rather than authentic.

The characters are shaped a little too closely to genre clichés, and the comparison to *Magnolia Parks*, *Gossip Girl*, and *One Tree Hill* ultimately exposes the novel to greater criticism, paradoxically highlighting the weaknesses in its storytelling.

Despite the smooth writing style and the book’s overall readability, *Astor Hill* lacks the narrative strength needed to leave a lasting impact. It is a good choice for those looking for a light, polished read, but less compelling for readers seeking stories with genuine emotional depth.

4.0 stars

Surprisingly enjoyed this one more than I thought I would! I don’t normally go towards preppy, Gossip Girl themed books but was pleasantly surprised by this one.

The authors did a really great job pulling back the layers of Olivia throughout the book. Really showing how complex she was as a person and her grief from losing Lily. Will was a complete POS at the start of the book and I was so upset with her being with him.

This book is great for readers who like, academic settings, dealing with grief, MCs finding themselves, lots of really great dialogue between the two love interests. The spice scenes weren’t overly descriptive but were more romantic which I loved.

I felt the plot got kinda lost with her article. Like that was her main focus at the start of the book was getting an in the paper and getting the assignment to interview Ben but then it just fell to the wayside. Which I get why, but I think there could have been more conflict with her and Ian about her not delivering.

Ben was such a SWEETIE. We love a man who is going through therapy, working on himself and wanting to be better

I loved the idea of this story. A mix of gossip girl and one tree hill inspired favorites from my early years. But I felt the written story to somewhat choppy for my liking.

It read a bit messy for the love triangle and cheating trope between two brothers. It was all a bit much. But I did still find some parts to be fun and enjoyable just wish that was more the focus than what I got.

I did love Olivia’s character as worry and smart kind of like Blair in gossip girl. Who currently is dating Will a very lost boy who makes a lot of bad decisions. Then similar to a Serena reappearance in gossip girl enters older brother Ben and here likes a mess of heeping drama and a lot of secrets.

I wanted to like this, but the writing I couldn’t connect to like I wanted.

Although this may not have been my favorite, it still had some great side storylines about life, loss and growth.