justmevictoria's reviews
510 reviews

Wild Love by Elsie Silver

4.5

He's loved her forever, and she's only just realising the same… 

 

When things take a turn at her job in the city, Rosie Belmont soon finds herself back in her hometown of Rose Hill, camped out in her brother's bunkhouse contemplating her next move. With job prospects in the small town few and far between, she winds up on the doorstep of Ford Grant Junior, her brother's best friend and the guy she verbally sparred with as a teen. As Ford works to set up a recording studio, he's in need of someone with business smarts to help keep the set-up flowing. But hiring his best friend's younger sister, whom he's loved from a distance since they were teens, wasn't on the agenda. And neither was the twelve-year-old who rocks up on his doorstep claiming she's his daughter. Between parenting a child he never expected, establishing his business, joining a dad's bowling team, and trying to keep Rosie at arm's length, it was only a matter of time before he gave into his desires and crossed a line he never allowed himself to cross. 

 

I've said it before and I'll say it a million times more - Elsie Silver gets better and better with each release, which I didn't think was possible because she was perfection from the first book! It's genuinely getting SO hard to choose a favourite leading man and couple, but Ford and Rosie have come so close to pipping Ford's own sister Willa and Cade to a top spot (although no one can beat Theo Silva). Seriously, there is definitely magic being infused into these books because every single novel in the Elsieverse is an absolute must-read swoony, spicy, and feet-kicking romance. 

 

Ford and Rosie were oozing ALL the chemistry from the get-go and I absolutely adored their relationship - it had all the fun banter, the sweet romance, and the toe-curling spice. The brother's best friend/best friend's sister trope is one of my favourite tropes, and Elsie injected everything to love about the trope and more into Ford and Rosie's relationship. Oh and Ford falling first? Give me ALL the long-held male feelings and pining from a distance! 

 

The single dad trope is also another one of my faves, and I thoroughly enjoyed the angle Elsie took with this one. Watching Ford and Cora's relationship and dynamic develop throughout the book was just as enjoyable as watching Ford and Rosie's romance develop. There is so much heart and soul in this story, and not just through Ford and Rosie's relationship, but also in the connection formed between Ford and the daughter he didn't know he had and didn't know was missing from his life. 

 

I ended up listening to the audiobook for the majority of this one and I ADORED every single second of it! Zachary Webber and Vanessa Edwin are fabulous as Ford and Rosie and really brought both characters to life. And funnily enough, Vanessa provided the narration for Willa Grant in Heartless in the Chestnut Springs series… I highly recommend checking out the audiobooks for any of Elsie's books - each set of narrators are perfection! 

 

If you've somehow missed the memo on Elsie Silver, you NEED to stop what you're doing and reading and pick up her books! With every release, she continues to prove why she's a standout in the romance genre. With the next Rose Hill book right around the corner, and the final book later in the year, now is the time to dive into the Elsieverse and experience for yourself why Elsie is a queen of small town romance! 

A False Start by Elsie Silver

4.5

From strangers in a bar to healing together amongst the wildflowers… 

 

Two years ago, Nadia Dalca asked a stranger in the men's bathroom to kiss her, and it was the most life-changing moment of her life. Until she learned who the mystery man was - Griffin Sinclair, the grump who spends most of his time living up the mountain and her brother's best friend. Despite how he's connected to her and their 14-year age gap, Nadia hasn't been able to get Griffin out of her head, and the same can be said for Griffin. Both have a world of baggage and trauma that they have and haven't worked to overcome. But despite their best intentions to keep their feelings under lock and key, the universe continually finds moments to push them together. Nadia doesn’t' want to follow in the footsteps of her mother and Griffin has demons that he's refused to face, but now both have a reason to reach their goals, but only if they're willing to make things work and take the risk for each other. 

 

What a way to round-out this series! Nadia was an absolute firecracker in the previous book, and the tiny snippet we see of her and Griffin, through Mira's eyes, was enough for me to know that this was going to be a book that I'd absolutely love! I'm a sucker for age gap romances with a grumpy male lead, and Elsie knocked it out of the park with Griffin and Nadia's relationship. 

 

Both Nadia and Griffin carry a lot of baggage, guilt and trauma, and while it takes Griffin a while to really do something to help himself, they both put in the work to better themselves. And not just better themselves, but to also be better persons for each other and ensure their relationship stands a chance - it's not the relationship that solves the problem, it's the relationship that is the reason to the put the work in. There's so much heart and emotion in their story, and I couldn’t get enough, just like with every other Elsie Silver couple! She puts so much heart and soul into her characters and stories, and Nadia and Griffin were no exception - I adored them so much! 

 

Trigger warning for mentions of alcoholism and past parental abuse, both of which are continuations of what we saw and learnt in the previous book. Griffin also deals with alcoholism throughout the book as someone who stopped drinking cold turkey, with a few mentions of events before he quit. Elsie continues to deal with these topics with care, building upon what was established in The Front Runner. 

 

I cannot believe that that's a wrap on the Gold Rush Ranch series! I'm a little bummed we didn't get to see more of the rest of the gang (although the family dinner scenes were a bit cute), but it's been such a fun journey with some really great characters that I definitely want to revisit again in the future. With Chestnut Springs and Gold Rush Ranch down, there's just the beginnings of -- to go and then I'll be officially caught up on Elsie's works and not-so-patiently counting down the days until her next release is out in the world! 

 

Small town and cowboy romance girlies won't want to miss out on this romp at Gold Rush Ranch, especially if you're a fellow age gap lover! The Elsie Silver hype is REAL and if you haven't picked up any of her work yet, this is your sign to put her at the top of your TBR! 

Strawberry Summer by Melissa Brayden

4.0

When you only have the summer, you have to make every second count… 

 

The moment Courtney Carrington walked into her classroom, Margaret Beringer was hooked. Over the course of a few summers, the pair navigate first-love, a long-distance relationship, and separate dreams until, one summer, life throws a curve ball neither was expecting. It's a heartbreak that Margaret has spent the last five years trying to move on from, throwing herself into her business and the family's strawberry farm. It's exactly where she want to be, or thinks she needs to be, until Courtney wanders back into her life unexpectedly. Their connection is as strong as ever, even with the years of separation between them. But with the prospect of only the summer in each other's orbits again, it's history that Margaret is determined not to repeat. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and everything keeps pointing her back to her first love. 

 

Melissa is a raved-about sapphic romance author that I've been meaning to read for the longest time, and this first foray into her work is enough to see why everyone recommends her when talking about sweet and swoony sapphic romances! She filled this book with so much heart that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy, while also not wanting to put the book down. 

 

Told entirely from Maggie's perspective, which is refreshing for someone who mainly reads alternating perspectives, I absolutely adored getting absorbed into the world of Tanner Peak, particularly the Beringer's strawberry farm. Courtney and Maggie had so much chemistry as they explored the world of first love and first heartbreak, and the second-chance that comes with the circling back to one another after time apart and growth. 

 

Melissa takes an interesting approach to telling Maggie & Courtney's story, with the first half of the story taking place over three summers following the characters first meeting in high school. The rest of the book then picks up five years after the final summer, where both confront each other for the first time since their mutual heartbreak. It's an interesting take when a lot of authors choose to alternate between past and present, but it worked really well to build-up Maggie and Courtney's relationship before we get back to the current time. 

 

A trigger warning for emotional parent abuse, references to previous abuse, and grief after the loss of a family member. In terms of the abuse, the mentions are minimal and handled really well on-page. When it comes to the loss of a family member, I really wasn't expecting to have Melissa throw such an emotional curveball into the story, but the impact it had on the story as a whole certainly outweighed my moment of sadness. 

 

Spend the summer lost in the strawberry fields with your first love with this must-read sapphic romance. 

So Not My Type by Dana Hawkins

4.0

Falling in love with the boss's daughter wasn't on the bingo card… 

 

Workaholic Sophie Black doesn't have time for relationships - she's been clawing her way up the rungs at her ad agency to show that not having a degree isn't holding her back. With the prospect of going on a fact-finding cruise, the team has one final major project to pull off with an expeditated timeline. To help with the campaign, her boss gives her a newbie to train, but this newbie just happen to be the CEO's daughter, Ella Northwood. The pair couldn't be more different, and Ella embodies everything Sophie despises about the privileged. But with both having to work overtime to pull this campaign off, the assumptions they've made about each other come crashing down, and there's an undeniable chemistry between them. It's not just the advertising campaign that's high-stakes, and if they want to succeed all round, they're going to have to fight their way to the finish line. 

 

Dana caps off a fabulous queer romp in Seattle with a delightful and heartwarming story, filled with witty banter, undeniable chemistry, and two more leading ladies that you can't help but fall in love with as they fall in love with each other! Sophie was a fun character in In Walked Trouble, and getting to see her take centre stage was so enjoyable, and Ella was such a great character to counter Sophie. 

 

Sophie and Ella embodied everything to love about the co-workers and forced proximity enemies-to-lovers trope, and I couldn't get enough of their relationship! From their mutual attraction and pining during their 'enemies' period, to them finally giving into their feelings for one another and on-track to live their best u-haul life, Dana injected so much love with these two, especially once they both opened up about their insecurities. It was sweet and swoony, and a little bit steamy, and their relationship had me hooked from the very first page. 

 

It was great to see Dana give some representation to epilepsy through Ella, highlighting how debilitating it can be and much it effects life choices. In Ella's case, it also meant how overbearing and protective her parents became because of her diagnosis, resulting in her trying to gain more independence. Most of what we see of Ella and her epilepsy is very much tell and not show, and while I do wish we actually got to see more of the after-effects first-hand, rather than just Ella and other characters describing what was happening, I feel like people would end up complaining that Dana got the representation wrong if we saw more on-page. 

 

I was slightly disappointed that we never got an epilogue, like Dana had provided in the previous two books. After everything that happened between these characters, we definitely needed to have a time-jump to see how they were navigating their relationship, and potentially seeing a final wrap-up of Mack & Charlie and Maya & Remi for good measure. 

 

This whole trilogy has been a super fun read, and if you're in need of some more swoony sapphic reads, it's time to head off to Seattle and fall in love with an the person you least expect. While I'm bummed that Dana has wrapped up these characters and this  world, I'm excited to see what she's working on next! 

 

Book a one-way ticket to the queer capital of America and have your own sapphic happily ever after! 

The Front Runner by Elsie Silver

4.5

She thinks they're faking it, he hopes it's real… 

 

With her two best friends coupled up in engaged and wedded bliss, veterinarian Mira Thorne is feeling a bit like a fifth wheel. Despite this, a relationship isn't really on the agenda. Until Mira starts spending more and more time with Stefan Dalca when Gold Rush Ranch is in need of a mare for their prized orphaned foal. It's safe to say that Stefan is the villain in the eyes of most people at Gold Rush Ranch, but as Mira spends more time with him and slowly gets to know him, there's more to their racing competitor than meets the eye. Stefan has been enthralled by Mira since the moment  he laid eyes on her, having 'jokingly' asked her out several times since. And when she wants a favour of out him, he uses their situation as a way to squeeze three 'fake' dates out of her. Having been hurt or abandoned by almost everyone he's ever loved, it's hard to Stefan to open his heart to someone, but Mira isn't just someone. There's a lot on the line for both of them, if they're willing to risk it all for a chance at forever. 

 

Be still my beating heart, Stefan Dalca you are so FIIINE. Elsie really just makes the leading men of her series better and better with each book - the Harding brothers? Perfection. Stefan Dalca? Absolute perfection! Seriously, I don't blame Mira for falling hard for this brooding 'villain' - I would too! 

 

Both Mira and Stefan have been interesting characters throughout the background of the previous two books, and getting to know either of them more was exciting enough, but to have them both taking the leading roles in the same book just felt so right! He falls first is one of my absolute FAVOURITE tropes, and Stefan embodied everything to love about the trope and more. The chemistry between Mira and Stefan were just sizzling off the page, and the slow burn of it all really paid off. 

 

I swear Elsie injects some sort of drug into her books - the writing, the setting, the characters, and the romance is always TOP TIER, and The Front Runner is no different. Escaping to the world she has created is always one of my favourite things to do, and I'm already dreading a time when I have to wait for a new release… 

 

A bit of a trigger warning for mentions of previous domestic abuse on Stefan's part. It's a really raw part of his storyline that Elsie touches on but doesn't spend a great deal of time going in-depth with - we know it happens and it's a trauma that Stefan has worked to move on from, and that' sit. Another small trigger warning is that of animal death, which is briefly focused on a the beginning of the story. With the story focusing on life on a horse ranch and following a vet, it's to be expected that mentions of animal death will pop up. It's a bit of an emotional start to the story, but one that Elsie handles well from both Mira and Stefan's perspectives. 

 

I really should have listened to the audiobook for this one because I kept forgetting that Stefan had an accent, and just hearing a snippet of the audiobook has me wanting to dive into the story all over again just to Zachary Webber bring Stefan to life! 

 

If you have somehow been living under a rock, make 2025 the year you devour ever single word ever written by Elsie, because you will not be disappointed! Stefan and Mira were absolute perfection, and it's getting harder and harder to choose a favourite Elsie Silver couple! Small town romance girlies won't want to miss this visit to Gold Rush Ranch. 

In Walked Trouble by Dana Hawkins

4.0

Rivalries are all fun & games until feelings get involved… 

 

Home for the summer before pursing her masters in nursing, Maya is both excited and nervous about her first day working as a bartender for her mother's oldest friend. Her nerves kick into overdrive when she meets senior bartender Remi, who's cold exterior gets positively icy when their boss informs them that they'll be working together for some healthy competition to earn a bonus. Remi has been waiting for a promotion to help her secure a loan for a house, while Maya has already put her studies on hold several times because of the tuition. Both could really use the extra money to take the next step in their lives. What neither expect is a mutual attraction as they realise that neither is the enemy they perceive, and that both fill a hole in each other's lives in a way they never expected. But between friendly bar rivalry, a rule about no colleague romances, and the prospect of Maya returning to college come Fall, jobs and hearts are on the line. 

 

Annoyed with myself that I waited so long to read this second installment, but also glad I inadvertently waited until the third book came out? It was so enjoyable to be pulled back into Dana's world of Seattle, filled with fun queer characters, lots of swoon, and plenty of heart. I absolutely adored Mack and Charlie's story in the first book, and diving into Remi and Maya's story was just as enjoyable. Dana knows how to write beautiful characters with lots a depth and a generous serving of glorious queerness! 

 

Where I struggle with enemies-to-lovers, the rivals-to-lovers trope is filled with the right amount of tension to deliver ALL the sizzling moments in any great romance. Remi and Maya had so many swoony and lust-filled moments that paired nicely with developing sweetness of their relationship. Both characters have their fair-share of past trauma and emotional baggage that closes them off to prospect of truly opening themselves up to new people, but together they are each other's strength. 

 

This is a closed-door romance, which I totally forgot about, but Dana does give a small and steamy build-up to the fade to black moments that focuses so much on the connection and chemistry between these characters, rather than it being a purely spicy moment. It's a testament to how well Dana has crafted the chemistry and Maya and Remi in the way these scenes come together to balance out with the everyday connections and chemistry. These two are so flippin' cute and fun together, and the kind of characters you'd want to bump into IRL and become friends with! 

 

Trigger warning for diabetes - not the diabetes itself, which Dana gave great representation to through Maya's sister Harper, but a diabetic episode which leads to hospitalization and minor injury. Warnings also for parental abandonment and overdose, leading to a child being raised within the foster care system, as well as parental death and grief - all these take place prior to the story but are touched on and discussed on page. There's lot of raw and poignant moments for these characters, and Dana fills each scene with so much emotion and heart. 

 

The only downer was that the ending felt rushed and short - while Dana does include an epilogue, she rushed over the conclusion of Remi and Maya's story's and relationship, and I felt like they needed more to give their story a better sense of closure. With the next book, So Not My Type, following Maya's bestie Sophie, I'm hoping we get more of a wrap up on Remi and Maya's relationship. 

 

Start the new year off with a sweet and swoony sapphic read that will have you falling in love with these characters and jumping on the first plane to Seattle! 

All by My Elf by Olivia Dade

2.75

 Blizzards be out here getting couples together… 

 

Nina and her two friends and colleagues, Claudia and William, are spending the holidays in the most unlikely place - selling mince pies out of a repurposed hot dog van. They're essentially driving around in a giant penis van. Claudia and William have been acting super secretive, and Nina is sure they've started hooking up. There's nothing wrong with her two friends finding a connection with one another, except for the fact that she's been crushing on William from the moment they laid eyes on one another. When Nina and William venture out to their next venue in the middle of a storm, they find themselves holed up in the van and finally muster up the courage to be open and honest about their feelings for one another. 

 

I'm starting to think this entire collection is a bit sub-par, and not at all entirely festive… 

 

While I've read some of Olivia's work in the past, I just really didn't vibe with her writing here and the way she characterised Nina and William. Honestly, I think being such a short novella probably held her back as I'm sure both characters could have been fleshed out so much before being thrown together in this penis van. For characters that are in the mid-thirties, one post-divorce, they come across as teenagers or college-age characters left unsupervised with their crush. 

 

When it comes to festiveness, this was seriously lacking - if it wasn't for the snowstorm, brief mention of festive food, and the title, it would be easy to claim that this wasn’t a holiday book at all. For a novella collection that looks super festive, these books are a bit of a let-down when it comes to cozy holiday vibes. 

 

If you're looking for a quick read before the end of the year, you may as well cram this one in before the clock strikes midnight. 

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey

2.75

Everything's bigger in Texas, including the farmers… 

 

After moving from Chicago to Texas with her baby, Evie is working hard at her fresh start. She's got her son Sonny, she lives above the thrift store she works at, and she's allowed to sell her upcycled designs in said store. Men are not on the cards anytime soon. Except for the swoony and all-too-big farmer Luke who is always stopping by the thrift store. Luke has been intrigued by Evie from the moment she arrived in town, but he wants forever and she's only willing to consider something temporary. 

 

I've LOVED what I've read from Tessa Bailey so far, so I had high expectations that his would be just as good, if not a little too short. And while it was definitely too short, it didn't really hit the mark… 

 

Evie and Luke have some good chemistry, but they definitely would have benefited from more character development, both individually and as a couple. Tessa has shown that she's great at giving characters lots of depth and development, and allowing her relationships to grow and evolve throughout the story, but unfortunately the novella format just hindered her usual character writing. I can see the potential in this story and characters if they had been given the full-length novel treatment. 

 

I do love a good single parent romance though, and Tessa ticked the box with Evie - she's in a new town trying to make a life for herself and Sonny, and she's determined to do it without being distracted by a man, but naturally finds that that distraction is more beneficial than she let herself believe. Although Luke was very insta-love with Evie, he had those sweet and swoony vibes as he formed a connection with Evie through his care for Sonny. 

 

If you're looking for a quick romance read in the lead-up to Christmas, this is one to keep on your radar. It's not overly Christmasy given the short length, and it's not the greatest example of Tessa's work, but it's a fun read nonetheless to add a little festive fun to the Christmas period. 

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood

4.0

When you're snowed-in with the one who got away… 

 

After making the trek to her best friend's house during a brewing storm to borrow a roasting pan, Jamie finds the last person she wants to spend a single second with - her bestie's tech billionaire younger brother Marc, who she didn't part on good terms with the last time they spoke. He's always said they'd be together when he felt worthy of her, and she's always kept her feelings close to her chest. But with the storm ranging on outside, Marc puts her in a position where she finally has to be honest with him and herself. 

 

This was a really enjoyable novella! I've actually never read anything from Ali Hazelwood before (she's been collecting dust on my TBR but I've just never gotten around to picking one of her books up), and I thoroughly enjoyed getting a taster of her writing with a sweet little forced-proximity romance! 

 

Ali's approach of telling Jamie and Marc's story through flashbacks was actually such a great way to build their relationship and how their love for one another has evolved since childhood. Since it is such a short novella, the majority of the story is made up of these flashbacks, with only small snippets of current time. It was an interesting writing choice on Ali's part that could have gone either way, but it actually kind of worked - we jump into different moments in Marc and Jamie's lives and their relationship, and in those snippets it was enough to flesh out a sweet and swoony relationship. 

 

If you're looking for a quick romance read in the lead-up to Christmas, this is definitely one to pick up. It's not overly Christmasy as the majority of the story is the flashbacks that don't take place at Christmas, but it's festive enough to add a little festive fun to the Christmas period. 

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

4.5

Because who said the Loch Ness Monster couldn't be a male… 

 

After the passing of her father, Keyanna 'Key' MacKay is following his final request - taking his ashes home to Scotland, and the Loch where his life was saved by a monster. It's a story she was told as a child and one that she'll always hold dear as the last thing her father remembered. But as she's about to honour his wishes, she's interrupted by an angry Scotsman who called her stupid for being so close to the Loch. And if that interaction wasn't bad enough, she's in for an icy reception when she arrives at her grandparent's farm, grandparents she's never even met. And to top it all off, her angry Scotsman, Lachlan Greer, works for her grandparents. In an attempt to connect with her long-lost family and learn about her father's life in Scotland, she stumbles across a centuries-old connection between the MacKay and Greer families, a connection that Lachlan has been looking into himself. Despite their rocky start, Lachlan and Key team up on their quest for answers to long-held secrets and a generational Nessie curse, with what they uncover set to make or break them. 

 

You know what, I don't think I ever read the synopsis before diving in, but I've been excited for this book from the moment Lana announced it! All I knew was that there was Nessie, spice, Scottish accents, and it was all written by Lana, so what else did I need to know! Lana continues to go from strength-to-strength and I loved every single second of the story she crafted here - don't ask me to choose a favourite of her books because they're all flipping fabulous! 

 

Lachlan and Key were *chefs kiss*. These two had all the chemistry and all the banter, and such an enjoyable enemies-to-lovers arc. They embodied everything to love about the grumpy/sunshine meets enemies-to-lovers tropes, all wrapped up in the fun and spice that Lana become well-known for. And, as usual, the spice SPICED! 

 

Also yes, there are monster scenes which served exactly what I was hoping for! *cough* more of these in the future please Lana *cough* 

 

Lana KNOWS how to write paranormal romance - The Fake Mate was absolutely delicious and Under Loch & Key really just proved that Lana knows how to cook up sweet, swoony and spicy romance with a side-serving of paranormal intrigue and magic. And I hope she's got more of these stories bustling around in her brain, alongside her contemporary romances. It's safe to say that Lana is one of my favourite authors and an auto-read author at that - I can already guarantee that I won't read the synopsis for her next book before I start reading it… 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the history that Lana created and delved into to form the Greer family's Nessie curse, and how that was interwoven with the MacKay family's history. Everything felt real and authentic in terms of the legend of the Loch Ness Monster and mythical creatures from Scotland's history. And while yes, Nessie is canonically a female, Lana giving Nessie a penis isn't an outrageous notion. Nessie is a story that will continue to fascinate people for generations to come, and Lana's take on the legend made for a super enjoyable read. And even made me interested in actually reading more widely about the Loch Ness Monster - I've watched a bunch of docos but never read anything, so I might have to change that in the new year! 

 

If you're new to the paranormal/monster romance genre, this is a great place to start as it's so easy to forget that there are fantastical elements to this romance. And of course, all my fellow romance girlies need to add this to their TBR - you'll be itching to buy a one-way ticket to Scotland to find your own grumpy Scotsman and uncover the secrets of Loch Ness!