ARC Review

-Dual POV
-Ex-fiancé’s brother
-Rockstar
-Forbidden love

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spicy: 🌶️ 🌶️

I really wanted to love this book, but I felt it was boring at times and I struggled to finish. I liked the characters, but they lacked depth.

I wanted to love this so much because I love the author as an influencer and her reviews, but I was missing something for me. It was still good but didn't fully keep my attention. It's one I will still fully come back to, just at a different time, because I do want to give it another chance.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for this arc!

There were a lot of cute and lovable moments in this story. I loved the relationship April had with her friends and how they always came through for her. It made me think of my own friendships and how my friends are always there for one another. I also loved James’s relationship with his mother and the closeness those two shared. Plus there was an adorable kitty in this book and I love when the MCs have pets. The relationship between April and James was cute but I had a little trouble connecting with it and them as individuals and a couple. I wanted so bad to love this one but it fell a bit short for me where the romance was concerned however I still enjoyed it and believe others will.

When Tierney decides to write a book, you just know it’s going to be a good one and she absolutely killed it with this debut novel, The Other Brother.

Oh…my…lawd… where do I even start with this one?! April is devastated when her engagement ends abruptly after finding out her fiancé, Lucas is not who she thought he was. Let’s be real Lucas is a real dickwad, we find out even more so as the story goes on and ugh if I could spat on a book character. He’d have one hell of a loogie coming his way.

But you know what they say, when one door closes another one opens and boy oh boy does hot AF James, the ex fiancés younger brother open those flood gates 🤣

I absolutely adored April and James together. He was so understanding, attentive, considerate and caring. You could just feel that electric pull they had with one another. Swooning in full force. And oh my… this man in the bedroom when he goes feral?! 🌶️🔥🍆💦

What really had me in stitches though-out the book was Gemma’s dating horror stories. It got to the point where I would start roaring in laughter even before she got out the story I just knew what was coming was going to be hilarious. Everyone needs friendship in their life like Gemma and Anna but don’t even get me started on the retreat I cackled so hard I was crying. So freakin funny!

i didn't enjoy the book one bit. it felt like it had no plot or any storyline, the characters were shallow and there were too many filler chapters

The Other Brother by Tierney Page had all the ingredients for a compelling romance: a “forbidden” relationship, slow-burning tension, and a second-chance romance. On paper, it seemed like a book I would love, but it didn’t fully deliver for me. I found myself skimming most of the sex scenes because I honestly wasn’t invested enough in the characters to care about their physical connection.

I did enjoy the friendship dynamic between April and her best friends, Gemma and Anna. Their banter was easily the highlight of the book, adding some much-needed humor and warmth. I found myself genuinely laughing at their interactions, which were some of the most entertaining moments in the entire story.

The Other Brother certainly has its moments, and while it didn’t fully resonate with me, I can see why it might appeal to fans of light-hearted romance with a touch of drama. For those looking for a quick read with a mix of steamy moments and humor, this book might just be a hit. However, for readers who crave a deeper emotional connection and a more compelling romance, it might fall a bit short of expectations.

Thank you to Forever and Hachette for offering me the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I loved this book! It had a little bit of everything that I love in a good book mixed all in one. It had some tear jerking moments , some laughter , spice, and some scenes that just made you blushhhh.

I did think the beginning started a little bit slow, but it definitely picked up a few chapters in and then took off running. I will be suggesting this one to people 💯

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
* Grief after breakup
* Love after loss
* Epic friendship
* Slow burn
* Mutual pining
* Rockstar MMC


Favorite Quotes:
“You’re so beautiful, it hurts” 😩😩😍😍

“I look alive… it’s as if he’s magic, breathing life back into my lungs and reviving my body.”

“To April! Our resident brother fucker. May you fucker that brother to your hearts content.”

“Maybe, deep down, it’s always been about finding something we’ve been searching for within ourselves. James has it, and for the first time, i think I’ve finally found it too.”

My Thoughts:
The Other Brother was not what I expected, in the best way possible. It was emotional, it was steamy, it was funny, it was everything i wanted in a spicy contemporary romance. Genuinely, I thought it was going to be more taboo but Lucas was a POS, we all want April to be with James!! The other brother is the right brother, honey! James is everything- hot, tatted, rockstar who treats you like a queen.

Love April and i love that she talks about her confidence after Lucas. Being with someone who makes you forget your worth can really be difficult to recover from. I love that James sees April’s worth, we love a man that sees the queen in front of him!!

The friendship that April, Anna, and Gemma share is one for the books. They build each other up when they stumble, laugh together, drink together, cry together. The way Anna and Gemma assure April when she questioned herself and lost herself at different points in the book was so beautiful. I was literally nodding and pumping my hand at the pages because they were saying to April what I would have said! They are sisters. Their love for each other was one of my favorite parts of the book. They also know how to get down on the dance floor 💃🏻

Not to forget about James’ friends. Oliver is such a wise and great friend to James! He is a secondary character but really so vital to the book. Will and Tom are kind of just goof balls but still great, funny characters! All the guys also have great chemistry as a band.

Thank you to Net Galley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Tierney Page for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

When I came across this book on Net Galley, I didn’t even clue into who the author was even though I’ve seen her content all over Booktok. Either way, I was excited for this one; ex’s brother, rockstar MMC, spice, and slow burn.

The Other Brother follows April who is happily engaged to Lucas, the love of her life. They’re celebrating their engagement with their family and close friends and April is looking forward to her future. But things start to look down when Lucas barely acknowledges April all night, spending most of it glued to his phone. Unfortunately, it is as April feared, Lucas has been messaging all kinds of girls on a hidden social media and she decides to break it off. Heartbroken and betrayed, she takes time to grieve the relationship and when it’s time to dust herself off, she’s got two amazing best friends who help her through it. Enter James, Lucas’s younger brother, whom April has barely spoken to but has always been drawn towards. It feels wrong but could this actually be the right thing?

I read this book in a span of a couple hours, the slow burn was hot and I was just itching to see April and James come together. Anna and Gemma were truly such amazing friends to April and I love that James had his band mates to connect with as well. Having that support system is so important, especially when relationships that were supposed to be end game, fall apart.
Now, I am disappointed to say that the book just lacked that overall charm that draws me into these types of romances. April and James felt very one dimensional as characters, and while I appreciated their communication and intense connections, their emotions felt forced and hard to believe. Also April comparing everything to Lucas was just cringey. I get there was a lot of history but comparing the brothers was hard to read.
All in all, I did enjoy the book. If you’re a fan of the rockstar MMC who has been secretly pining over his brothers girl forever, then this is the book for you!

THE OTHER BROTHER IS A BANGER OF A BOOK!!!

I had such a blast reading this one. It’s one of those books that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that made it a really enjoyable escape. The vibes are fun, the banter’s sharp, and the romantic tension (while not super drawn out) still hits nicely.

James? Absolute dreamboat. He’s the kind of MMC that sets the bar high without trying too hard—charming, sweet, and easy to fall for. Honestly, if every romance lead could take notes from him, I’d be happy.

I’m a sucker for the ex’s brother trope, and this one nailed it. There was so much potential for extra build-up between the two leads (especially with the family dynamic), and while it didn’t go super angsty, it still worked. I would’ve loved just a touch more slow-burn tension, but that’s just personal taste.

Also, shout out to the friendship between Anna and Emma—it gave the story more heart than I expected. Their dynamic was genuinely lovely and brought a nice balance to the romance.

And yes... the spice. Tierney definitely knows how to write it without going overboard, and the steamy moments were just the right level of hot.

All in all, a super fun read. Can’t wait to see where the series heads next.

This did not read like a debut novel at all. It felt like a beloved long time published author that has been around the block. I was really impressed and surprised by the level of writing.

I love the relationships between the characters but a stand out was the friendship between Anna and Emma. It was so endearing and sweet.

& the spicy bits…..excuse me?! Top tier thank you very much.

I read this in less than a day, it was so easy to devour and I had a great time.

James is so so beautiful and is the book boyfriend I need all my mmc’s to be like!

This book was low stakes, great banter, fun spice and an overall super fun time.

With the brother situation I feel it would have been the perfect opportunity for a lot more tension and pining leading up to their relationship, which I would have loved to see.

I’m excited to see where the rest of this series goes!!

Falling for the Other Brother is one of those stories that sneaks up on you. It starts with heartbreak—the kind that feels like it’s going to swallow you whole—and then slowly, unexpectedly, shifts into something tender, complicated, and real. The main character thought she had everything figured out: the fiancé, the life, the future. And when that all crashes down, she’s left trying to make sense of the pieces. Enter James. The younger brother. The absolute last person she should be drawn to—and yet, she is. And it’s not just a rebound thing. It’s something deeper, messier, and harder to walk away from.

What I loved is how honest this book is about how confusing love can be, especially when it shows up in the wrong packaging. There’s guilt, there’s hesitation, but there’s also that undeniable feeling that this might be the thing she was looking for all along. The chemistry between her and James feels real—not just in the swoony, intense moments, but in the quiet, vulnerable ones too. If you’ve ever had your heart broken and wondered if you’d ever trust it with someone again, this book will hit you right where it hurts—in the best way.

I ATE THIS BOOK UP! The story line is freaking amazing, I love the ex boyfriend’s brother trope! I should have know that Tierney would make this book spicy as heck, boy did she deliver. The characters were so well written and I love how well she described everything in the book. I am super thankful to her and NetGalley for allowing me this ARC read, I cannot wait till the second book. And as Tierney says, this book is a banger!😍

I’ve followed Tierney on Instagram for years and she ALWAYS comes through with the best spicy reads! So when I heard she was writing her own book, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it!

April had the perfect relationship. Or so she thought… Shortly after her engagement party, her perfect relationship falls apart and she is devastated. Until one night, months later, when she runs into her ex-fiance’s brother, James, who she’s always been unexplainably drawn to.

Read this one if you love:
-forbidden romance
-ex-fiancé’s brother
-hilarious banter
-found family
-lots of spice
-dual POV

The Other Brother is a fun read with everything you could want from a spicy romance. The friendships were so special, the banter between the friends was hilarious and April’s friend Gemma’s dating disaster stories were hysterical. If you are looking for a super spicy, forbidden romance, with a musician MMC and a dose of humor, this is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Other Brother in exchange for my honest review.

April and Lucas are newly engaged, and April believes she has the perfect relationship. Only to find out that Lucas has a secret life on the side, cheating on her. April is devastated, but is also perplexed by her pull towards Lucas’ brother James. James is the total opposite of Lucas, and has been very vocal of his disapproval of his brother’s behavior.

Months pass by, and April runs into James again, the attraction strong. Is it wrong to give into temptation, or oh so right?

***Forbidden lust
***Dual POV
***Rockstar vibes
***Spicyyyyyy 3/5 🌶️

Tierney Page knows how to produce the drama and the spice! This was a fun read. I’m looking forward to Gemma’s story next!

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

Unfortunately I DNF at 55%. I Just really couldn't connect with the characters, and felt little chemistry between April and James.

Lucas spends several months cheating on April. Blows up her phone all panicked when she spends the night with her friends, initially tries to make excuses after he knows she knows, but then instead of trying to keep her, he just easy-breezy says, "Guess this isn't working out! Bye!" Then we catch up with April three months later and she's still pining for the man who cheated on her and then dumped her anyway, pretty shortly after he bothered to propose to her? It takes her over five months to take down their couples photos and take the stuff he left behind out of plain sight.

James and April's attraction for one another comes out of nowhere. It's supposed to read like this inescapable, inevitable draw, but it doesn't stem from anything, since they'd seen each other from time to time for years and never felt that way. It also doesn't feel believable because there's just hardly any chemistry there, and that's not aided by the massive time jumps we get between the two seeing each other with no hint at them thinking about one another. When James tells April that he wants her to wait for her when he's on tour for seven months, we get nothing to show us what about this is worth waiting for beyond some physical attraction. Even in love-at-first-sight romances, by 70% and big declarations of forever, we see the couple learning who the other person is, falling for real aspects of them, having real conversations. That doesn't exist in this book. They've had no conversations and haven't even spent any actual time together.

Maybe some people would hope that this could be saved by the smut, but even that was a massive letdown. Setting aside the fact that I'm not a reader who appreciates a sex scene between a couple whose romance I don't believe in, these scenes are just objectively bad. April's friends point out how James looks like he knows what he's doing in bed, and his POV chapters point out how experienced he is, yet every scene is so rushed. Even after he climaxes and is going again, it seems to take him no more than a couple minutes to go off again. I'm used to insufficient anal prep in romances, but this is my first time seeing absolutely none.

Given the nonsensical pacing and lack of any real character or relationship development, this feels more like the idea of a romance novel than a fully realized project being put out by a traditional publisher.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette for the eARC.

⭐️⭐️ – A one time read with potential but ultimately missed the mark

The Other Brother by Tierney Page had all the right ingredients on paper: a forbidden romance, slow burn tension, a rockstar MMC, and a second chance at love premise. As a longtime fan of Tierney’s content on BookTok and Bookstagram, I was genuinely excited to dive into her debut. Unfortunately, while there were moments of promise, this one just didn’t land for me the way I hoped it would.

I did enjoy the dynamic between April and her best friends, Gemma and Anna; their banter brought much needed levity and heart to the story. Their scenes were some of the most entertaining, and I found myself laughing out loud at their conversations. April and James also had clear tension, and I appreciated that their relationship was given some room to grow instead of being rushed, especially considering how quickly Lucas moved on.

The writing style itself is easy to read, and the premise had strong potential. There were some sweet and even steamy moments scattered throughout, and I can absolutely see how others might connect more with the story than I did.

But here’s where it lost me...

The pacing was the biggest issue. It was too slow, and not in a tension building, slow burn way, but more in a drag your feet through the mud kind of way. Whole months would pass without meaningful development, and then entire chapters would focus on a single evening without adding depth or insight to the characters or plot. It threw off the momentum and left me feeling disconnected.

Worse still, the romance between April and James, who were supposedly the emotional core of the story, never fully clicked. Despite the buildup, their connection felt surface level. I kept waiting for emotional payoffs that never arrived. Strangely enough, I found myself more invested in Lucas, the ex fiancé, and his attempts at reconciliation than the supposed “forbidden” relationship with James.

And about that forbidden love? It didn’t feel forbidden. Both characters were single. There was no real tension, guilt, or turmoil driving their connection. When their relationship is revealed, it’s resolved quickly and painlessly. Where’s the angst? The conflict? The stakes?

On a technical level, the editing could have been tighter. There were noticeable structural and copy issues that should have been caught. April’s character also lacked consistency. Her dialogue and internal monologue sometimes read more formal than natural, which made it hard to pin down her voice.

Then there’s the spice. I’m no stranger to a steamy romance, but the spicy scenes here felt awkward, gratuitous, and forced. I skipped a lot of them, and not because I’m squeamish but because I wasn’t emotionally invested enough in the characters to care. The spice lacked buildup, connection, or heat. I didn’t desire James, and honestly, I couldn’t understand why April did either.

The bottom line is that this felt less like a story written from passion and more like a strategic brand extension. If Tierney wasn’t already a well-known content creator, I’m not sure this book would have gotten the same level of praise it’s received. That said, I do love supporting new authors, and I genuinely hope she continues writing. There’s clear potential in her voice and ideas but this just needed more emotional depth, stronger character development, and a more disciplined editorial eye.

Will I read her next book? Probably, and this is because I believe debut authors grow, and I want to see what Tierney does with more experience under her belt. But for now, The Other Brother is a fast, somewhat forgettable read that just didn’t deliver the emotional or romantic punch I was hoping for.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tierney Page, and Forever for the eARC of this book.

The Other Brother was an okay, but one time read for me. I liked the characters, especially April and her best friends Anna and Gemma as they had me laughing a lot at their conversations. I also enjoyed James and April's relationship. There was definitely a lot of chemistry and sexual tension between the two and I liked that the author gave their relationship time to develop because Lucas had no problem moving on. The one thing that was a huge problem with this story for me was the pace of it. The pace was too slow, and it made the whole story drag for me. Although there were parts of the story that was funny and steamy, had a little drama and more, I just could not get over the pace. I think had the pace of the story been faster this would have been a more enjoyable story for me.