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emylou_qtr's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Bullying and Child abuse
abidavisf's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I have blitzed through this series in 4 days so you know I enjoyed it!
Speaking on Hopeless itself, I enjoyed Beau and Bailey’s story and the camaraderie that they share, coming from traumatic pasts and both living with insecurities around the unknown parts of their lives. It makes sense that they would be drawn together, though, like Beau, I do find the age difference slightly awkward. That being said, Bailey is clearly a 22-year-old who has had to be wise before her years, and Beau’s years in the military probably mean that his 20s and early 30s were not as progressive socially as they could have been. Maybe they meet in the middle.
Hopeless did not grab me as much as the other books in the series did, which is why my rating is slightly lower. I felt myself gravitating more towards the snippets of the other characters’ lives and wished we’d had more of that.
That being said, I still found Beau-Bailey endearing, hilarious and, frankly, emotional. I giggled and blushed and cheered for them. I hope they’re happy together forever, and I hope those Jansen boys get far away from Chestnut Springs.
Speaking on Hopeless itself, I enjoyed Beau and Bailey’s story and the camaraderie that they share, coming from traumatic pasts and both living with insecurities around the unknown parts of their lives. It makes sense that they would be drawn together, though, like Beau, I do find the age difference slightly awkward. That being said, Bailey is clearly a 22-year-old who has had to be wise before her years, and Beau’s years in the military probably mean that his 20s and early 30s were not as progressive socially as they could have been. Maybe they meet in the middle.
Hopeless did not grab me as much as the other books in the series did, which is why my rating is slightly lower. I felt myself gravitating more towards the snippets of the other characters’ lives and wished we’d had more of that.
That being said, I still found Beau-Bailey endearing, hilarious and, frankly, emotional. I giggled and blushed and cheered for them. I hope they’re happy together forever, and I hope those Jansen boys get far away from Chestnut Springs.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Medical trauma, and War
Minor: Classism, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Sexual assault, and Bullying
basilreads's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I can't give this story enough stars! 5.75 doesn't give it justice!
Beau and Bailey are so perfect together!
Beau and Bailey are so perfect together!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, and Bullying
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Minor: Drug abuse
ines_santos13's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Torture, Abandonment, Sexual content, and Alcoholism
carly713's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment and War
sdupont's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Start to finish this series has been *chef’s kiss* Elsie Silver can do no wrong! I really enjoyed Beau and Bailey’s story. I just love when fake dating/engagement are never really that fake because at least one of the MCs has real feelings. Bailey and Beau are well matched- she calls him out and keeps him on his toes, and he provides her love and care that she never had had. They are a couple you will root for. Theirs is a bit of a slower build up than some of the other books but it suits them and their story. This book is great for someone looking for an emotional romance with some spice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Mental illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Bullying, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: War
sami_leigh's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
🌶️🌶️.5/5
🌶️🌶️.5/5
“Trust your struggle, Beau…If we’re struggling, we’re still in motion, yeah? Heading somewhere better.”
We sit on the riverbank, side by side. Both of us practising being okay with not being okay — together.
“I’m scared of you becoming something I can’t live without.”
“Still not letting my guard down. Not when I’ve got you to keep safe.”
This girl has brought me back to life without even trying.
“You’re not used to anyone showing up for you, Bailey. This is what that looks like.”
“You asked me who I wanted to be once, and it’s this. Me. Right here. Right now. With you.”
☕️ First person dual POV
☕️ Series (can be read stand alone)
☕️ Age gap
☕️ Fake engagement; he wants his family off his back, she needs a new last name around town
☕️ Ex-military / bartender
☕️ His family are well known & loved around town, hers are the opposite
☕️ Protective MMC who is a cinnamon roll for her
☕️ He falls first
☕️ Well established secondary characters; Harvey & Cordelia, Cade & Willa (Book 2), Rhett & Summer (Book 1), Sloane & Jasper (Book 3), Winter & Theo (Book 4), Gary, Grant (hoping for a book 🤞🏻)
☕️ MC growth; communication, risking a relationship, military trauma & childhood trauma, self-worth/being worthy of love.
☕️ Epilogue
☕️ My comfort read series (and author) 😍
☕️ Elsie Silver is an instant must-read author for me
⚠️ Parental abandonment (past), toxic relationship (family), childhood trauma/verbal abuse (minor), fire injury/injury detail (explicit, revisit injury on page), war/military (past, revisited on page), medical trauma (past, revisited on page), PTSD (Moderate), death of a parent (past), pregnancy (not MC), sexism/sexual harassment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, War, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Pregnancy and Death of parent
amanda_reads13's review
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Beau is an Eaton, Chestnut Springs royalty and a military hero with a tortured past. Bailey is an outcast, daughter of the most hated family in town. They strike a deal to fake an engagement to get his family off his back and to help restore her reputation.
I am not going to lie. I had high hopes for this one and I love Beau, but this just fell flat for me. It seemed to be rushed and quality that was present in the rest of this series, just wasn't there. I'm sad to say that this was my least favourite, but there was SO much potential!
I loved that all of the other characters were intertwined within this story and we got some of the dad's wild humour.
I appreciate how sensitive Silver was with the the discussion of PTSD and Beau's injuries. That said, the book barely goes into detail about what happened to him. Exploring his past would have given so much more depth to the story.
I don't understand the "bet" angle. There wasn't really a bet, it was more of a deal or a pact.
Beau gave me whiplash. I guess that was the point, since that is what Bailey is experiencing, but how does he switch to such extremes?
Bailey was hypersexualitized throughout the whole book. It was like her whole personality was an outcast virgin. There was SO much focus on the fact that she was a virgin by Beau and she was so hyperfocused on sex, that it became pretty much the entire plot!
Something that really annoyed me was this idea of love conquers or cures all. Both of these characters have serious mental health issues and PTSD that they don't deal with. There is the underlying theme that their relationship is going to cure all their issues, it's not. Both of these characters should be in therapy. I don't understand why there had to be an anti-therapy angle to this book.
Tropes: fake engagement, age gap, virgin FMC, tortured MMC, small town
I am not going to lie. I had high hopes for this one and I love Beau, but this just fell flat for me. It seemed to be rushed and quality that was present in the rest of this series, just wasn't there. I'm sad to say that this was my least favourite, but there was SO much potential!
I loved that all of the other characters were intertwined within this story and we got some of the dad's wild humour.
I appreciate how sensitive Silver was with the the discussion of PTSD and Beau's injuries. That said, the book barely goes into detail about what happened to him. Exploring his past would have given so much more depth to the story.
I don't understand the "bet" angle. There wasn't really a bet, it was more of a deal or a pact.
Beau gave me whiplash. I guess that was the point, since that is what Bailey is experiencing, but how does he switch to such extremes?
Bailey was hypersexualitized throughout the whole book. It was like her whole personality was an outcast virgin. There was SO much focus on the fact that she was a virgin by Beau and she was so hyperfocused on sex, that it became pretty much the entire plot!
Something that really annoyed me was this idea of love conquers or cures all. Both of these characters have serious mental health issues and PTSD that they don't deal with. There is the underlying theme that their relationship is going to cure all their issues, it's not. Both of these characters should be in therapy. I don't understand why there had to be an anti-therapy angle to this book.
Tropes: fake engagement, age gap, virgin FMC, tortured MMC, small town
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Sexual content
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Sexual content, Mental illness, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: War, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Sexual harassment
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