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The Highlight

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After years of alienation in her small town, Violet is finally getting out. Equipped with a can-do attitude and a fondness for silver linings, she’s determined to reunite with her older sister, Mel, who left to go “find herself” nearly a decade ago. Easier said than done. Mel’s new upscale life is a far cry from the way they grew up, and her sister’s entitled, self-important whatever-he-is doesn’t help matters—especially when Landon Blair seems more content to glower and grimace than roll out the welcome wagon.

Though Violet tries to see the best in Landon, it’s difficult. He makes little effort to hide his aversion to her unyielding optimism, and she finds his arrogance and his ego kind of offensive. She is confident, though, that with her people-pleasing nature and ability to befriend anyone, she can navigate this new world of wealth, reconnect with Mel, and win over Landon in no time.

But the longer she spends in their lives, the more secrets she uncovers, and she suddenly finds herself in the last place she ever wanted to be…smack dab in the middle of their turbulent relationship. When new discoveries about the past threaten her idealistic views, her confidence, and her entire reality, she finds an ally in the most unlikely person. The question is, can she really trust Landon, or will he destroy her (and her heart) altogether?

524 pages, ebook

First published April 1, 2024

108 people are currently reading
1214 people want to read

About the author

Alyssa Wilde

2 books199 followers
Alyssa Wilde has an obsession with forbidden romance and doesn’t care who knows. Designer by day and writer by night, she currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her amazingly supportive husband and their cat, Kevin. When she's not reading or writing, she likes to watch reality tv, consume an insane amount of sushi, and, occasionally, step out into the light of day. Her new book, The Highlight, is available now!

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5 stars
460 (43%)
4 stars
374 (35%)
3 stars
164 (15%)
2 stars
34 (3%)
1 star
25 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 201 reviews
Profile Image for Mika Auguste.
256 reviews2,510 followers
July 27, 2024
i literally couldn’t put this book down it was so good
Profile Image for Yesterdays Chapter.
65 reviews10 followers
August 3, 2023
Wow! Warning: This book will control your life. I stayed up sooo late, I canceled plans, I ignored my cat when she wanted to play. I could NOT put this book down. I absolutely 100% recommend this book.
First of all the main characters were written so strong and with such depth and emotion. The plot was different and not common and I loved that. It wasn’t too corny, it wasn’t too fluffy, and I wanna add that I yelled NO a few times (my husband doesn’t bother asking “what?” anymore 😂). My one complaint to this book is that I could have used a couple more steamy scenes. But I love the slow burn 🔥, if you like Mariana Zapata you will love this story.
Profile Image for Olga 🌺.
490 reviews8 followers
May 4, 2024
I truly madly deeply hate the sibling’s ex trope. If I knew this were the case I wouldn’t have bothered reading this book. It’s so wrong on so many different levels. I just can’t!

No matter how toxic his previous relationship with her sister was. Matter of the fact remains that at one time, they were enamoured enough to live happily for two years and actually get married. Moving from one sister to another just doesn’t do it for me.

On a different note, I just hate it when FMCs don’t have a backbone. Girls and women should be taught how to defend themselves both verbally and physically. No woman should be anyone’s doormat. We have more dignity and self respect than that.

Finally, it was such a sloooooow burn that it’s not even funny.

All in all, Alyssa Wilde is a good writer but I would not recommend this book.
Profile Image for Bre.
397 reviews351 followers
January 19, 2025
I loved the grumpy/sunshine, air of mystery, slow burn, forced proximity, travel one bed and her neurotic nonstop rambling.
My one qualm was how a character or group of characters would be brought up for a good portion of the story but then for the book rarely ever mentioned again. Kinda like when a tv show would have a guest character on for a couple episodes but then left off and you’re left wondering what happened to them. (Hilary Duff on GG anyone?!)
Profile Image for Alyssa Wilde.
Author 2 books199 followers
Read
June 21, 2023
COVER REVEAL & PRE-ORDER

I am so excited to reveal the cover and blurb for my new book, The Highlight!

PRE-ORDER EBOOK HERE: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C8V5CRHY

What to expect:
✨ Grumpy / Sunshine
✨ Slow Burn
✨ Enemies to Lovers
✨ Forbidden
✨ Opposites Attract
✨ Standalone
  
Release Date: August 5, 2023

I've been working on this book for sooo long, and I can't wait to finally share Violet and Landon's story with you. August can't come fast enough! ✨☀️🌊

BLURB

After years of alienation in her small town, Violet is finally getting out. Equipped with a can-do attitude and a fondness for silver linings, she's determined to reunite with her older sister, Mel, who left to go “find herself” nearly a decade ago. Easier said than done. Mel's new upscale life is a far cry from the way they grew up, and her sister's entitled, self-important whatever-he-is doesn’t help matters—especially when Landon Blair seems more content to glower and grimace than roll out the welcome wagon.

Though Violet tries to see the best in Landon, it's difficult. He makes little effort to hide his aversion to her unyielding optimism, and she finds his arrogance and his ego kind of offensive. She is confident, though, that with her people-pleasing nature and ability to befriend anyone, she can navigate this new world of wealth, reconnect with Mel, and win over Landon in no time.

But the longer she spends in their lives, the more secrets she uncovers, and she suddenly finds herself in the last place she ever wanted to be…smack dab in the middle of their turbulent relationship. When new discoveries about the past threaten her idealistic views, her confidence, and her entire reality, she finds an ally in the most unlikely person. The question is, can she really trust Landon, or will he destroy her (and her heart) altogether?
Profile Image for devita h.
415 reviews6 followers
January 2, 2025
"I didn’t realize that I was still the same outsider I’d always been."

"You give too much to people who don’t want it. To people who don’t deserve it.
I know I do, but I don’t know how to change.
How do I change?"


First 5 star of the year 🥳🥳 This type of book that I've been searching for months. Angsty, slow burn, more angst, and definitely the FMC having the exact same personality as me (which is sad 🙂 so I relate a LOT).

And oh my Landon Blair. Keeping the standards so up high with this one 😩
Profile Image for Balia.
130 reviews3 followers
May 15, 2025
If there is one thing Violet doesn’t have, it’s shame. Despite the author’s attempts, she did not come across as a sunshine girl. It was actually the opposite. From the second she landed on her sister‘s doorstep I felt nothing but rage for that girl. She’s desperate, selfish and has no sense of boundaries. She’s literally the villain. Satan personified. No amount of baking, people pleasing or smiling could hide the fact that at her core, Violet was an insecure loser who was deeply jealous of her sister‘s accomplishments.

Melanie could tell Violet that she had to go on a business trip and next thing you know Violet is deeply hurt because how dare her sister continue to go to work after Violet dropped off at her older sister‘s doorstep unannounced after eight years of no contact. 🤡

She also always had negative thoughts about her sister, literally anything she did bothered Violet on some personal level. Drinking a harmless glass of wine= Melanie being on a liquid diet whereas when Landon drank a whole bottle, Violet would go out of her way to take care of him and cover him with a blanket.

Or the instance when Violet baked lemon cookies for her sister and upon finding out that Landon was gluten intolerant+eating no sugar she’d bake him special cookies (without criticizing his eating habits) but when Melanie mentioned that she couldn’t eat the cookies since she was on a diet, Violet didn’t offer any alternatives for her. And mind you this was at the 20% mark, Landon was a stranger to her at this point.

At the 30% mark he literally called her words like whore, trashy, charity case on a daily basis berated her for wearing revealing workout clothes in the rich neighborhood…the list goes on and on and on, but this doesn’t seem to bother Violet much because she was preoccupied with playing housewife for him. It was like she was craving these interactions with him because poor wittle Violet just couldn’t cope with the fact that someone didn’t like her (mind you the people in her hometown didn’t like her, she‘s been an outcast all her life so his reaction wasn’t out of the ordinary for her. There were more people who disliked her than liked her so this obsession with him didn’t make any sense and seemed lazy on the author’s part).

I made it to the 58% mark before I decided to tap out. I’m sure that I’d would have rated this differently if the book would have been written from Melanie‘s POV. At least then the book would have been interesting.

Ps to the people saying this reads like a Mariana Zapata book? *Insert when an ugly stranger calls you twin meme*
Profile Image for Zabeth.
849 reviews8 followers
August 13, 2023
❤️5/5 📚190/120

🇺🇸It’s been a while since I haven’t read a book in one setting but I made an exception for this one and hid in a cave for twenty-four hours just to read it and finish it. It’s the tension of the slow burn, speckled with the taboo/kinda forbidden romance, it was incredible and made me want to read more, more, MORE. The character development in this is one of a kind, I absolutely enjoyed the journey, even though it was sometimes very painful to read. I think Violet is a character people can easily relate to, and Landon’s vulnerability (the one he never lets people see) moved me to tears sometimes.

Their story is special, and I was happy to see them overcome their hardship and accept to be happy together in the end.

Also, kudos for the very enjoyable side characters. The found family trope was amazing too!

🇫🇷Cela fait un moment que je n'ai pas lu un livre en une seule fois, mais j'ai fait une exception pour celui-ci et je me suis cachée dans une grotte pendant vingt-quatre heures pour le lire et le terminer. C'est la faute de cette tension imposée la lenteur de l'intrigue, mêlée à la romance taboue/en quelque sorte interdite, qui était incroyable et qui m'a donné envie d'en lire plus, plus, PLUS.

Le développement des personnages est unique en son genre, j'ai absolument apprécié le voyage, même si c'était parfois très douloureux à lire. Je pense que Violet est un personnage auquel on peut facilement s'identifier, et la vulnérabilité de Landon (celle qu'il ne laisse jamais voir) m'a parfois émue jusqu’aux larmes.

Leur histoire est spéciale, et j'ai été heureuse de les voir surmonter leurs épreuves et accepter enfin d'être heureux (ensemble) à la fin.

Une petite mention aux personnages secondaires qui sont très agréables. Le thème de la famille retrouvée est également très intéressant !
Profile Image for ApoorvaReads.
637 reviews428 followers
March 28, 2024
“You, Violet James, are all light. You brighten every single room you enter, and don’t you ever say anything otherwise. People are drawn to you like moths to an absolutely stunning flame, and when you smile, fireworks erupt. I believe with my entire heart that there were other demons at work and that your mother loved you more than anything. How could she not? You are the fucking highlight…of the day, of the hour, of the minute.” His thumb brushes light across my cheekbone. “You’re my highlight.”


😭💗
Profile Image for Bookish world of Sumaidon.
111 reviews
December 24, 2024
Now that I think about it, this book is an injustice to all older sisters. It’s personal. Our whole life we have to do everything for younger siblings but if we ever do anything for ourselves we are villains and selfish.

Maybe I am sexist but Landon is a weak man. Also going for your girlfriend’s 10 years younger sister who is barely legal is embarrassing.
Profile Image for A Romance Reader.
301 reviews313 followers
August 18, 2023
Loved it!! This was such an amazing read!

If you like enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, slow burn, angsty, emotional reads with some twists and turns you will love this book! It’s going straight to my favorites of 2023.
Profile Image for NMmomof4.
1,784 reviews5,037 followers
March 13, 2025
3 Stars

Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise and the side characters .

The Not-So-Good: The fact we don't get the H's POV. I think this could've made him more relatable and their connection feel stronger.

The Bad: The chemistry -- I found it lacking. Super slow burn and tbh I kinda skimmed the scene once we got it.

Overall: This was alright. I was really hoping for an angst fest with that blurb! Sadly, I didn't get there. I wanted more tension! I wanted more angst! I didn't hate it or anything, but I just found it okay. It very well could be this humongous book slump too...

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Violet and Landon's story. Violet leaves her small town in search of her older sister in Florida. Only she doesn't get the warm welcome she was expecting and Landon, whose house her sister is living in, really isn't happy to learn about her existence. She has to rely on both Landon and her sister to get on her feet in the new town but her sister is hardly around and Landon doesn't hide his feelings of frustration about her being there. There are some secrets revealed, some initial impressions changed, some sweet moments, and some big life changes...and they get a HFN ending.

Point Of View (POV): This was told in Violet's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Mostly good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well for the most part, but the ending felt a little too rushed.

Instalove: No, more like hate to friends to more.

H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Landon. He was a mega jerk but we learn why and kind of understand by the end. I would've liked to have his POV.

h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Violet. She wasn't a little too much of a doormat for me, but I did appreciate her ability to see the bright side...sometimes.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed

Push/Pull: Yes

Heat level: Alright. They have some mild tension, chemistry, and a scene at the end -- but not so much it takes away from the story. Majorly slow burn as they are not intimate until ~97%.

Descriptive sex: Yes

OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: Yes IMO

Separation: No, since they are not "together"

Possible Triggers: Yes

Closure: This ends in an alright place but with what I would call a HFN ending since I need more closure

Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most safety gang readers
Profile Image for ivona.
171 reviews5 followers
September 14, 2024
alyssa wilde please take all my money and write more books🙏🙏🙏🙏
Profile Image for Jennifer.
100 reviews4 followers
August 5, 2023
This books writing was superb. I was so engrossed in the story, I stayed up late in to the night to finish. The chemistry, the plot, and the banter was so amazing. I’m obsessed with Alyssa’s writing. It’s very heart felt, and compelling. Grumpy/sunshine is one of my favorite tropes. The secret at the end was shocking. Even tho it does happen, a lot of people don’t talk about it, let alone write about it in romantic fiction. I highly recommend this book, if you want a book to make you forget your life for a while. I’m not just saying that either. This book pulls you into the story, and you live in the pages.
Profile Image for Vicki.
1,900 reviews58 followers
August 5, 2023
This book will be going on my best books of the year list for sure. I used to regularly read books that I had a hard time putting down, ones that I would stay up late to finish even when I had to get up early for work. It had been so long since I felt that inclination that I forgot how wonderful it is - to get so lost in a story that time (and responsibilities) have no meaning.

The Highlight has that slow-burn romance magic I love, the kind where I turn page after page in anticipation of the next low-key but oh-so-meaningful interaction between the heroine and hero. It also has grumpy/sunshine vibes, a teeny bit of forbidden relationship and a heroine who is a baker (something I love too, though with nowhere near the success of heroine Violet).

I had come across this author a while back by accident, and loved her book Crash Course a ton too. I am very, very happy to find it wasn't a one-off gem, and I will be eagerly awaiting this author's next book.
Profile Image for Hollie.
92 reviews
August 6, 2023
You've gotta stick with this one. The author pits our FMC and MC at extremes on the grumpy-sunshine spectrum. Like EXTREME extreme. If you're a reformed people-pleaser like me, the hyper-sunshiney personality of the FMC might chafe and be hard to swallow at times. But like I said, stick with it. The character development and depth is beautiful. It has a very gradual arc and the romance is a SLOW-burn. It's all very subtle and done very well. I've seen a review saying that it could use more spice, but I feel the exact opposite. I would even go so far as to say that the little spice that we did get could've been left out. It was such a sweet slow-burn that I would've been totally happy with just a "closed-door" scene and feel that it would've been more aligned with the whole book. And this comes from someone who enjoys reading copious amounts of smut. Overall, a well developed, character driven romance.
Profile Image for clara.
238 reviews
August 18, 2024
estou mt triste por não ter lido esse antes mas feliz por ter lido agora!!!! muuuuuuito bom serio é bem slowburn mas uma versão melhorada de qualquer livro da mariana zapata

serviu talaricagem entre irmãs serviu enemies to lovers serviu rico/pobre serviu grumpy/sunshine serviu age gap(8anos) e personagens carismáticos!!!! ai amei a literatura está de volta
1 review
October 1, 2024
Story is okay, but FMC is absolutely insufferable - I know she is 20, but she acts 13, extremely naive, has no backbone, and plays the martyr but not in a way you sympathize with. It's so frustrating. I was actually rooting for the couple to not get together so the FMC could learn how to be her own person, alas. Felt like a low-budget Mariana Zapata book.
Profile Image for Kira.
50 reviews
July 27, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️/5

I couldn’t believe this was Alyssa’s SECOND book.
The characters were so well thought out and written.
I do wish that there was more chapter development in Violet throughout the book instead of all in the last 10%.
Profile Image for Neha.
51 reviews
September 9, 2024
One of my all-time favorite grumpy x sunshine books. Would still read if you didn't love Crash Course by her, thought this one was soooo much better, especially in terms of chemistry between Violet and Landon
Profile Image for Bella.
264 reviews4 followers
April 11, 2024
Amazing forbidden romance book that had me laughing and smiling the whole way through!
Profile Image for Megan Shannon.
34 reviews
January 24, 2025
I binged this into the wee hours of the night. I wouldn’t describe this book as angsty, but I was still very emotionally invested in the main characters. Eff her sister tho fr.
Profile Image for Martina.
24 reviews1 follower
September 7, 2024
Slow burn level: Mariana Zapata-style

I loved, loved, LOVED this book. I couldn’t put it down!
Profile Image for KJLReadstheRoom.
370 reviews
November 7, 2024
Really weirdly boring story wise and the author did far TOO good a job of making me hate the arsehole MMC but I binged the whole thing in one sitting and for it to keep me that engaged while others would have been a very quick DNF I give it three stars.
Profile Image for katelyn dennis.
8 reviews
January 19, 2025
i’m being generous rn when i give it a 1.5⭐️… this was compared to being like a mariana zapata book so obvi had to read. i could say SO much about this, but all i am going to say is one thing: her sister’s ex HUSBAND.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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