-Weston Belmont made for a sweet hero. Was he memorable though compared to other Silver heroes? No. He's a walking green flJust some random thoughts.
-Weston Belmont made for a sweet hero. Was he memorable though compared to other Silver heroes? No. He's a walking green flag and a sweetie but he felt a *little* too perfect for me that it fell flat and kinda boring. Always throwing winks and cracking jokes felt a little too on the nose. I love nice guy heroes but I need a little something more underneath the surface. He felt way too laid back on some things too. He's supposedly protective of his kids and introducing new women to them but it didn't feel that way with the heroine once they got intimate. The fact that he didn't even bat an eye over his daughter catching them in bed together is an example of that. A lot of conversations seemed to happen off the page. He's a horse trainer but the "cowboy" aspect was nonexistent.
-West's two kids Oliver and Emmy were cute, I especially loved Oliver. But his little girl Emmy who is 6 years old sounded like a 12 year old going on 20 and it kept throwing me off and taking me out of scenes. It was so distracting. Does anyone know a 6 year old who talks this way?...
“I’ll come up with one and show you. If you like it, we’ll need to negotiate a price. I don’t work for free.”
“No, fancy girls don’t drink out of cans, Skylar,” Emmy argues. “What about a champagne glass? I think Dad has one back here somewhere.”
Emmy lets out a little scoff before turning to me dramatically. “It’s amateur hour over here.”
-Skylar Stone made for a sweet heroine. I don't love musician characters/stories, so that didn't really grab my attention and probably why I wasn't as invested as I should be in this story. It certainly didn't help here that Skylar didn't really feel like this big famous musician considering all the details about her music making and lifestyle wasn't really shown. She's supposedly a Taylor Swift-type of famous but it really didn't come off that way. Like her writing her whole new album pretty much happens in small bits and pieces and then boom! skip a few months(?) ahead... album is out. Which made no sense. Your heroine is a superstar shouldn't we see that creative process in real time? Her abusive asshole parents pushed her into stardom at a young age and controlled her whole life so it was nice to see her break free from that and discover what she really wants in life. Just wish the actual plot and chemistry was more exciting. I didn't feel invested/interested until the last 100 or so pages. I especially didn't feel the chemistry and angst till the near end which felt late.
-The standout character for me: The heroine's foul mouthed African Grey parrot, Cherry. ...more
How is this an Elsie Silver book? This didn't read or feel like her writing at all. I know this was her debut novel and compared to her Chestnut SprinHow is this an Elsie Silver book? This didn't read or feel like her writing at all. I know this was her debut novel and compared to her Chestnut Springs series, it showed. And I mean that in the nicest way possible but this was rough for me. To be honest had I read this book first before her recent offerings, I would never go near another book by her. That's how much this book turned me off. There was zero charm, zero charisma, zero humor, zero fun witty banter and absolutely zero chemistry between the leads. There's more "telling" than actual dialogue. Barely any plot. There was nothing likable about the hero Vaughn or heroine Billie who is as charming as a prickly cactus. Even the secondary characters weren't very likable or memorable (minus Violet). Violet Eaton and her hero Cole is the reason I wanted to go back and try this series since all her brothers got books in Chestnut Springs who I loved. Now I wish I followed my gut and just read Book 2. Cole was completely unlikable in this which was another disappointment. I didn't even like Mira the vet. Like I said, this didn't feel at all like a ES book. The only interesting character in this was the supposed villain Stefan Dalca.
The hero Vaughn Harding was so uninspiring and a complete pushover and doormat to the loud mouth, rude, mean, patronizing AF, unreasonable heroine Billie Black. Yes they got off on the wrong foot first meeting but the real asshole of this book is the heroine, Billie. Vaughn had his one petulant asshole moment in the beginning of the book but Billie takes the cake for being insufferable. The way this woman would constantly talk down to and belittle the hero just screamed toxic. I'm predicting a divorce in the future cause there's no way you can convince me these two are forever kind of love. She calls him stupid, bitch baby, spoiled brat, dumbass, prick, Mama's boy, idiot. Like....? And not in an affectionate way either. It was so unattractive and made me uncomfortable because it was so unwarranted. There's giving as good as you get and there's....this. It's not even light-hearted fun bantering which ES couples are usually known for. This was just fucking mean for no reason. The condescending way she would talk down to him was just awful. I didn't even like or care for the hero but I was like dude you can do better than this. I mean he's telling her about his childhood after losing his parents and his grandfather raising him alone and she sarcastically quips if he wants a sippy cup. ...more
“I’m done pretending to be head over heels in love with you because I’m legitimately head over heels in love with you. And acting lik
4.5 stars
“I’m done pretending to be head over heels in love with you because I’m legitimately head over heels in love with you. And acting like I’m not tears me up.”
I'll be honest I'm a little conflicted on the rating for this. It's between a 4 and 5 stars. Which is still great either way. This was a 5 star for a good chunk of it but the steam factor and the last 20ish% kind of made that last star fall off a bit for me. I've been in a not great head space the past week so reading was a struggle in general. But even so, this grabbed my attention and the distraction I needed from reality. Beau and Bailey were adorable and so sweet. Two lost souls trying to find themselves and their way in life and finding comfort in each other. Bailey was a great combination of innocent, vulnerable yet smart mouth and guarded. I loved the age gap here. Beau is 35 and Bailey is 21. Beau is a special ops soldier who is back home after a rescue mission left him with burned scarred feet and a serious case of PTSD. He's the jovial "goofy" Eaton brother but underneath the bravado is someone who is very weary and lost. Bailey Jansen is the misfit outcast that everyone in Chestnut Springs treats like a pariah given her last name. Her family is a bunch of drug addicts, petty thieves and bullies that the entire town find a nuisance. Bailey has been getting the burnt end of her family name when she's just trying to make her way on her own. I felt for her. Did the conflict in the end feel overblown and a bit silly? Yes. I was expecting it. It was overblown considering the timeline of it. But thankfully it didn't drag on too long and they talked it out. I love how slow burn this felt. Elsie said this was her "least" slow burn book from this series and frankly I disagree. I'm a little confused what she meant by that because this felt pretty slow burn in my book. The amount of pining/yearning/edging that drags on is both delicious and frustrating at the same time. lol
You don’t tell a person you love them with the expectation they’ll say it back. You tell them because you want to. You tell them because it’s true.
I personally love shy virgin heroines who find their own voice and independence. Bailey fit that bill. I just wish the steam was a bit more exciting in this rather than focused solely on "I wanna get rid of my virginity now, a sex toy already got rid of my hymen". It felt heavy handed. I know I'm in the minority when I say this but I absolutely hate when virgin heroines are portrayed like this in romance, specifically CR. Like it's some big shocking annoying thing a young girl in her 20s should be ashamed of? It's a weird gross narrative that I'm seeing more of and I truly don't get it and so tired of seeing it. A woman in her 20s (or any age for that matter) being a virgin is not gross or shocking please stop treating it that way authors, it's insensitive and utterly ridiculous. But that's a rant for another time. Also the porn thing, do all of Elsie Silver's heroines love to watch porn? I'm not knocking porn fanatics and normally don't even care but it feels very disingenuous here because these are women from different lifestyles and backgrounds but all of them just casually watch porn when they are horny or bored, in every. single. book. With uptight "ice queen" Winter it felt weird and very forced and here it felt forced too given how much it was brought up. Like yes, the heroine is a virgin but she's a COOL virgin ya'll! She watches porn and has a box of sex toys to prove it. RME. Please stop. It was doing too much IMO. Also, when you have an experienced hero and a virgin heroine who is eager to try things and discover sex, why not show some of that sexual exploration? *cries into my pillow* That's the part I felt let down the most TBH. This book kinda felt like a big ol' tease in many ways in that regard. And I want to throw my shoe at people who labeled that bathtub scene as "steamy" all over social media because it built up expectations in my head I wasn't aware of until I got to it. (view spoiler)[ Your man helping you shave your pubic hair is sweet but standing in a bathtub full of floating pubic hair (I really didn't need that visual Elsie Silver thanks) while he performs oral sex on you is not my idea of sexy time. But that's just me. (hide spoiler)]...more
Adorable. My ovaries went boom, boom, kaboom. Theo tap danced all over my ovaries and I wasn't expecting th4.75 stars
“Te vivo, baby girl.”
Adorable. My ovaries went boom, boom, kaboom. Theo tap danced all over my ovaries and I wasn't expecting that. Theo Silva is a dreamboat hero and has come for Cade Eaton's throne as hottest baby daddy. Plot twist. lol This book turned ONS/secret baby trope on its head. Which is hard to do. I'm not a fan of one night stand stories, in fact I generally hate this trope and avoid it like the plague. But Elsie Silver made some smart choices here that worked for me. For one, the actual sex scene from the one night stand is fade to black. Our hero Theo Silva and heroine Winter Hamilton hook up the night they meet in the beginning of the book but we don't see them have sex which I thought was a very smart move on the author's part. Because while technically there is insta-lust this is also a slow burn book. Which I'm a big fan of. I'm never a fan of insta-anything in my reads, I don't like instant gratification. I want work put in before our couple take the next step or give into feelings or else I can't buy it. While these two scratch that itch after a tequila-induced night of fun, the tension, the circling, the push and pull is very much present through the rest of the book which saved it for me. Something that was completely missing in Powerless. As for the secret-baby, again another interesting choice made here that took me by surprise and I think Elsie did a good job in how it was delivered. (view spoiler)[The book jumps 18 months ahead after their ONS, where we see the heroine had a baby girl Vivienne and believes the hero wants nothing to do with them. But we quickly realize a big misunderstanding played a hand into why. Before the time jump Winter tried to contact Theo when she found out she was pregnant but the message was never delivered and got in the wrong hands while Theo was on the road competing as a professional bull rider. So now 18 months later we have the hero moving in next door to the heroine to train to get back on the circuit completely unaware he fathered a child and a hurt confused heroine thinking he walked away from them. (hide spoiler)] Call me sick in the head but this is the kind of misunderstanding equation that I love if a misunderstanding situation has to happen in a book. The angst it brought to the table, the tension it creates, the unspoken feelings on both sides, the yearning, thinking the other doesn't want them? *chief's kiss* And the misunderstanding thankfully doesn't last long which I can't stress enough how relieved I was on that part. Once it's revealed we get cute as hell domestic scenes of Theo and little Vivi bonding and family moments between the three. Theo's reaction when he finds out he fathered a child? *clutches heart* Broke my heart. I just adored him. He's a total cinnamon roll hero.
Combat boots tugged carelessly over the top. Laces not tied. I remember thinking once that the very last thing I needed in my life was a man who didn’t tie his laces. It makes me laugh now, a light little chuckle that bubbles up from somewhere near my heart. How wrong I was. I feel like he rolled up and loosened my laces when I didn’t realize I was tied up far too tight.
As for the heroine Winter, I liked her. Which was another pleasant surprise considering she's not my favorite type of heroine. She's prickly, stubborn, closed off, blunt, the grump to the hero's sunshine sweet disposition. But her emotional vulnerability and insecurities is what saved this character from becoming a one-note archetype who magically is just "nice" all the sudden cause she's getting a book. She's the underdog and you want to root for her. I absolutely live for greyish anti-characters because they want to prove to others and most importantly themselves they are better and deserve happiness and love. I just loved how honest she was about herself and what her limits were and just yearns for love. I loved that she wanted to include Theo in everything from the start when it came to Vivi, misunderstanding aside. This book is about two adults who are trying to make the best of something unplanned, no immature nonsense. Winter is complex, layered and very misunderstood and I think Elsie Silver did a nice job of showing this character's arc and emotional growth. I was not a fan of this character in Book 1 Flawless for good reason. She played the part of the mean cold stepsister to Summer and here we get a better understanding of why. I think her character growth was very successful. Yes her insecurities do get the better of her time to time and have her dragging her feet in places but I felt for her and understood the why of it. Her whole life she had to fend for herself in a toxic home environment and nobody showing up for her and everyone always believing the worst of her. She finally finds that faith, security and unwavering support in a sweet man like Theo and she's as wary and scared as a wounded animal who is given a lifeline. I understood her fear so much. That contrast and dynamic between the two was fun to see. Her dream was to become a mom and after fertility struggles with her awful prick of a ex-husband, seeing her become a mom and flourish here was also great to see. I just absolutely adored the little family moments. Is there anything sexier than a man being a hands on doting father to his little girl? When I tell you it revved my engine whenever this man called his Vivi "baby girl". Oof. ❤️
A smiling Vivi is strapped to his chest in the floral-patterned Tula baby carrier I bought. He’s singing to our daughter. And dancing. And cleaning. One hand rubs the back of her head like she’s some sort of crystal ball, while the other wipes at the white cabinets in the cottage-style kitchen.
This had typical trademark dirty talk that Elsie Silver is known for. I'll be honest and I hesitate to even say this and the only reason I'm even pointing this out is because it had me going into this book expecting something totally different given the strong reactions I've seen on BookTube. To be frank I was expecting more in the steam department simply going off of the outrage. And it honestly confuses me? because this was pretty tame compared to the previous books as far as actual spice content. (view spoiler)[ He calls her a "slut" in the bedroom a total of 3 times. Did I love it? No. It's not my thing at all. But as far being out of character, it didn't feel out of character for a playboy like Theo. And I'm letting it slide here because 1. it wasn't prominently used, 2. Winter liked it and thought it hilarious and it became a recurring joke between the two of them. He uses it to tease her and excite her. And the sex scenes themselves were pretty standard. Book 1 and 2 were waaaaaay raunchier than this in the steam department. (hide spoiler)] I personally thought the style of dirty talking was out of character for heroes like Cade and Jasper, Cade especially but I know I'm in the minority on that one. To each their own but I'm not sure what in this book would be labeled as "over the line" or "disgusting" especially if you loved the first 2 books in particular. I'm just saying. ...more
Didn't really love this one unfortunately. Everything about this felt mechanical. Honestly? I was bored. I struggled to connect with the sto2.75 stars
Didn't really love this one unfortunately. Everything about this felt mechanical. Honestly? I was bored. I struggled to connect with the story and the couple, the heroine Sloane especially. I felt she had no agency or identity outside of having her Daddy tell her what to do her whole life as a prima ballerina up to the very point of almost marrying a sleazy douchebag to make her father happy. I mean, really? I didn't understand how she had such blinders on about her father being such an awful human being when he was quite loud about it. It took a whole forced engagement and wedding to a douchebag she doesn't even like for her to open her eyes? I didn’t get it. She said it herself how for years she saw how he talked to his employees and servers, how he treated her own mother and it didn't faze her until now? It doesn't sink in until the hero literally tells you your father threatened him to stay away? *gasp* Omg, you mean my Daddy IS an asshole?! No way!...more
My dad and brothers did it to me without even realizing that putting baby sister up on a pedestal was some real patriarchal bullshit.
“I d
2.75 stars
My dad and brothers did it to me without even realizing that putting baby sister up on a pedestal was some real patriarchal bullshit.
“I don’t need you to coddle me. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
This wasn't what I was expecting. Leave it to Billie Black to be the most sensible character in this book when I couldn't stand her in Book 1. I just did not like how the heroine Violet was written in this. And it pains me to say that because I love the Eaton brothers so so much from Chestnut Springs series, so I thought I would love their baby sister just as much. But gosh, she gave me serious whiplash. She's supposed to be sweet and bubbly with a generous heart but I really didn't see much of that sweetness here. The whole hardened "tough love" persona didn't work for me and ruined moments that would have otherwise been emotional and meaningful. It felt trying too hard. When you are dealing with a character who is struggling with severe crippling anxiety, trauma and PTSD? Then I think being a little reasonable and sensitive is not asking for too much is it? The hero Cole Harding is a former marine who served in Iraq through 4 deployments and came back with trauma and an injury that he's hidden. (view spoiler)[He lost his leg and wears a prosthetic leg which he has kept a secret from everyone including his own brother and very insecure about it. I thought the slow reveal of this injury was nicely done, I wasn't expecting it. You see small hints alluding to something being off but it takes a while to reveal it. (hide spoiler)] While struggling with that and being pretty much a recluse who shut himself off from the world, he is also still dealing with grief over losing his father a professional jockey rider who died during a race when he fell off his horse. The heroine Violet is an up and coming jockey rider, so clearly the tension is there. I was expecting an overbearing controlling alpha hero who bulldozes his way over people and control the heroine but that's not what is happening here at all. Cole is actually a very sensitive, deeply insecure, ashamed and closed off man who has been going to therapy for years to work on himself and just wants to keep to himself. This character had so many layers and emotional vulnerability that it actually surprised me. I really thought I was gonna get a rude and overbearing asshole from Cole but he wasn't either of those things. I wish he had a heroine who matched him in vulnerability and sensitivity while also being his champion at the same time. The nuance I was hoping to see just wasn't there. There's nothing wrong with giving your loved one a kick in the pants when they need it....but all the time? That's not healthy nor is it realistic. I just can't buy or believe this was a loving HEA with the way Violet kept brushing off Cole's feelings and in some cases his trauma.
Frustration surges up in me, fueled by our interaction. Fueled by my embarrassment. I can’t be this close to him right now. “Can you just throw me a fucking bone and not tell me what to do?” “Drive carefully, please.” His voice is all gravel with a pleading tone to it. I snort and continue to the driver’s side. He looks shocked, and I don’t care. I need some fucking space.
We keep being told Violet isn't giving up on him or trying to change him but actions speak louder than words. When she pushes him away cause "she needs her space" but literally gripes about him ignoring her. Like....? I couldn't keep up with her. How are you gonna tell the man you love who witnessed his father die on the horse track to get over it if they want to be together? No darling, YOU get over it and give the man some grace?
Violet Eaton in a nutshell: [image]
What kills me is Cole doesn't even tell her what to do or try to control her, he was surprisingly not the overbearing type. He just tells her how he feels and where he's coming from, that's it. Telling someone your feelings is not the same thing as telling someone what to do. Like it really felt like I was supposed to pat the heroine on the back for her hard stance on everything and suck it up buttercup attitude but I just wanted to shake her instead. I'm not sure what was in Elsie Silver's cereal when she wrote this series but her heroines are so over the top in their belligerent "don't tell me what to do" independent attitudes. Billie had blinders on when it came to her job and having things her way. And Violet was very much the same. It's either their way or no way. The 0 to 180 reactions just feel like you are getting smacked in the face. It's so excessive and so repetitive. Violet grew up on a farm with her 3 older brothers and father who "smothered" her with their love and were overbearing in their protectiveness to the point she moved out to find her independence and branch out on her own. I love an independent heroine just as much as the next person but the number of times this girl rants about how she "doesn't want to be coddled" if someone even breathes on her wrong was so extreme and over the top. Like it came off almost petulant. Your hero isn’t ever allowed to fuss over the heroine? Not ever? Is Violet's feminist card gonna be revoked if Cole wants to help her out of the car when her foot in is in a cast? ...more
[image] There's just something about a nanny/single dad trope that I love so much. Maybe it's cause I grew up on the show The Nanny but it ju4.75 stars
[image] There's just something about a nanny/single dad trope that I love so much. Maybe it's cause I grew up on the show The Nanny but it just does things for me. And Elsie Silver did it well here. While Flawless still edged this one out, this was still pretty good and extremely enjoyable. Grumpy stoic cowboy Cade Eaton meets fiery wild girl Willa Grant was fun to see. Loved the polar opposites dynamic that was played up here, the big age gap (13) and Cade's adorable little boy Luke who is hysterical. Willa is the perfect example of free spirited, smart mouthed no-filter "hellion" heroines that I adore, she has a vulnerability, intelligence and wanting to find herself underneath all that bravado that is relatable. And how she is with Luke really highlights that. While I really liked this, just something about the second half of the story that lost something for me. Just a bit. I gave Flawless 5 stars so the bar is pretty high and everything I say right now is random stuff that stuck out to me and minor nit picking. Maybe it's cause my expectations were super high and some things didn't play out to it's full potential like I was hoping. For one, I did feel like Cade's transformation from brooding serious grumpy grump to Mr. Chuckles who dirty talks so openly was a little too fast. It didn't feel true to his character (the fact that he dirty talks like Rhett tripped me up a bit too). He is a sweetheart underneath the bark so the softening didn't surprise me a bit but how suddenly laid back he was about everything considering the situation didn't ring true to this character. Your kid nearly drowns in a pool by a demon brat and you are more concerned about defending the heroine to the bitchy parent? (he's an amazing protective father btw, just felt his first priority in this scene was weird) Finding out your awful ex-wife did indeed trap you into marriage by lying about birth control and you just laugh it off? Seriously? I was raging right along with Willa on that one. Moments like these felt weirdly OOC for Cade. This is by no means a character drag, Cade made a fantastic hero but it felt like missed opportunities by the author. The angst/tension kind of fell away for reasons that didn't feel right after they finally give into their attraction. Which is sometimes a pitfall for a story with a trope like this.
I don't need angst all the time or in all my reads, this is a wonderful small town romance with the right amount of depth, emotions and sweetness but given the hero's personality and history I was expecting more push/pull in the second half is all. That and I wasn't a *huge* fan of the surprise reveal near the end. (view spoiler)[ I normally don't mind surprise pregnancies at all and I didn't hate it here but considering their oopsy pregnancy happened the same way it did with Cade's ex-wife wasn't so great for me. It put a damper on things. It just felt unnecessary. And the lack of emotional reaction didn't really help either. (hide spoiler)] But this was still a great read with some cute heartwarming emotional moments and low angst. Cade's little boy Luke was the star of this book for me. I love that kid so so much. ❤️ Such a sweet cutie pie and I absolutely melted and cackled over his scenes with Willa. I guess the greatest part about the Nanny trope is seeing the connection made between the child and nanny first and to see that bond grow and become something more. Luke and Willa's relationship was the greatest highlight for me. This little family sure are adorable and everything feel good you could want. This read was so sweet that it hurt. I would absolutely recommend this fantastic book and this series to readers. I can confirm it's worth all the hype and praise. ...more
Flawless indeed! This was everything I needed and wanted. Hilarious, smart, witty, sweet, emotional, sexy, yummy,As the book title itself says: [image]
Flawless indeed! This was everything I needed and wanted. Hilarious, smart, witty, sweet, emotional, sexy, yummy, angsty, steamy, fluffy good times. I can't even label this as light fluff. The hero is a professional bull rider. Need I say more? This is my first Elsie Silver book and it won't be my last. Her writing and characters are stunning. So much heart and depth. If grumpy alpha heroes with soft vulnerable underbellies and filthy mouths and filthier imaginations are your thing, give this a go. Rhett and Summer were insanely sweet and the sex scenes were fucking hot as hell. ❤️...more
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