4.5 stars-

not being dramatic, I need more cowboy/bull-rider recs RIGHT NOW. Flawless is SO SO SO good!

“Ruin me.” “Good. I’m about f---ing done being a gentleman with you. And the only thing I’m ruining you for is anyone else.”

YES SIRRRRR YES SIR YES SIRRRRRRRRR

read if you like:
- Enemies to lovers
- Forced proximity
- ONLY ONE BED (!!!!!)
- Forbidden romance
- Small town romance
- He Falls First (and hard)

You’ll fall head over heels with this small town romance with the most adorable banter between our two main characters — Summer and Rhett.

When Summer is told to babysit professional bullrider, Rhett, things are incredibly tense. Rhett is adamant that he does not need help staying out of trouble. But his less than ideal interactions with the paparazzi say differently.

I love Summer’s shiny backbone and rather spunky attitude who holds her own amongst the men. Now Rhett, he is one smooth talking hunk and his dirty talk is absolute perfection. The enemies-to-lovers trope really shines through in this novel.

This bull riding, cowboy romance is top notch. Elsie is perfect at immersing you into the nitty gritty of the story as it progresses with very believable and down to earth events.

(4.5/5)
This was so cute! I love a good small-town romance and I especially love a romance with tension and good banter, both of which Summer and Rhett have in spades.

I thought the storyline and pacing were good, as well as he character development for our MCs. I would've liked to see a little more imagery on our setting, since it was made out to be so breathtaking. The pieces we did get were great, but I think I personally would've liked a little more, especially to draw a parallel to the wildness of Rhett and Summer.

And the spice..... DAMN. Well done - hot and passionate in some areas and slow and intimate in others, which I always appreciate, especially in a romance like this. I also LOVE praise, which you definitely get in this book.

There were a few side plots I would've liked to see tied up a bit neater, but I really enjoyed the book, the ending, and the epilogue!

I'm also definitely hooked on needing to know where the rest of this interconnected standalone series goes! I think the author did a really good job of giving enough insight into the side characters to really look forward to the rest of the books in the series, which can be tough to do! I am definitely looking forward to the next book about Rhett's grumpy older brother!

Definitely recommend for lovers of small town romance, forced proximity, spicy rom-coms, and a HEA that will make your heart melt!

Review coming to social media 8/29/23!

This cowboy romance has been all over Tik tok! And I have to admit, I don’t see where the hype came from. It was cute, it was spicy. It was an okay intro to cowboy romance era. I’d give the second book a chance.

This is technically my second time reading this book, and I still rate it 4.25 stars. It has been once again, an amazing romance book.

Original Review:

Idk what papa Eaton is feeding the dang kids but I want one of them.

Between Cade and now Rhett, I’m a mess. I will seriously take either or both. Rhett was misunderstood as the youngest of all the boys; didn’t remember his mom before she passed away which created this feeling in him that he was missing something. Loved his personality overall and the younger sibling vibes he gave (I get this as a younger sibling) which was on point.

Enter Summer, the key to everything for my boy Rhett and more. I loved Summer as a main character, how she never backed down from Eaton and was always present for him in a way that not everyone was.

I loved them both, their friendship and then relationship was beautiful and very well done and developed.

I'll preface this by saying - I truly know nothing about bullriding, or ranching, or anything more than the basics of riding a horse. Having never really read cowboy romances, I went into this fairly blind, and am now completely sold on the trope. Elsie Silver's way of writing pulls you in and makes you care about the characters off the bat. I'm now going to go through her backlist, and can't wait for the future books in this series.

This is a wonderful spicy, small town romance book that you won't want to put down! I read it in a day and I don't regret a thing! It was such a good book. The chemistry between Rhett and Summer was absolutely crazy and so was the banter! Five stars all the way!

I loved Flawless! Perfect for those who love grumpy and bratty trope. It cured my Yelllowstone itch. I can't wait to read more by Elsie!
Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

This was so so good! It was my first book from Elsie Silver and I definitely can't wait to read Heartless and more by her. This was a fairly long book but I honestly had a feeling of emptiness when it ended because I wanted more of Summer and Rhett!

Rhett is a professional bull rider who has gotten himself into a bit of trouble. As someone who has a dairy sponsorship, publicly stating he hates milk and punching a guy doesn't sit well. So in order to try and keep him out of trouble, his agent decides to have his daughter, who works for him, babysit him. Summer ends up moving into his ranch home where she quickly works her way into both his family's, and eventually his, heart. She also goes out on the road with him which may result in some shared hotel rooms ;)

Rhett was such a complex character. He had a lot to work through himself and didn't truly feel seen by his family or the world. He felt he had more to prove and achieve, despite the risks. But Summer really got him. She was able to be there for him in exactly the ways he needed, while Rhett also allowed Summer to be herself. I loved their banter and their chemistry was on fire. Like the spice in this?!? AMAZING. Rhett is easily one of my favorite dirty talkers. Like yeah wow. Highly recommend!

I have obviously seen this books EVERYWHERE over the past year. When I saw that it was getting re released I thought getting it as an ARC would finally motivate me to pick it up. And it did!

There was a lot I really liked about this story and few things that rubbed me the wrong way. I really loved Summer. She is a badass and I loved her sass. I really enjoyed her interactions with her dad, Willa, Rhett’s brothers, and his dad! I did love some of her interactions with Rhett but Rhett himself just didn’t do it for me. There was once scene that just really ruined him for me and I couldn’t see past it. I LOVED the setting. I love small town, Rocky Mountain, cowboy romances so that checked all my boxes! I am very excited to read his brothers/friends stories and can’t wait to pick those up soon.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Holy cow (pun intended)! Who knew that I needed a bull rider/cowboy romance in my life?! Lawdamercy.
I DEVOURED this book. I'm so mad that I didn't read it sooner! I really have no words other than just read the damn thing. That's it.
This amazing book has found a new home at @read_bloom and now she's gotten a little makeover!
The new cover will be available tomorrow!
Thank you @netgalley, Bloom books, and @authorelsiesilver for sending me an ebook copy with the special cover!

Rhett Eaton is the wild-child, sexy but hard to handle hotshot of the bull riding world and after one too many mishaps in the press, his agent and PR team have decided he needs a babysitter on the next tour to make sure he doesn’t lose what is left of his sponsors. Under no circumstances is Rhett going to make life easy on Summer Hamilton, the woman assigned to watch over him, and who also happens to be his agent’s daughter. Summer can’t believe that after all her education and hard work, her first big assignment is to watch over a cowboy that can’t keep it in his pants. As the tour progresses and Rhett and Summer get to know each other, Rhett is finding it harder and harder not to break his agent’s one rule- don’t touch his daughter. Summer is polished and perfect and a people-pleaser. Rhett’s world is so different from hers but she can’t help but be drawn to him, his family, and the thrill of the bull-riding world. With lives so vastly different, is it wild for them to think they might have a chance with each other?

—---------------

“You wear the hat, you ride the cowboy.” Well then. Consider me in my cowboy romance era courtesy of Rhett Eaton and Elsie Silver. I absolutely loved this first installment of the Chestnut Springs series. Silver’s writing drew me into the Eaton family, having me laughing and loving them all the way through the book and eagerly wanting more. Rhett and Summer were absolute gems with witty banter, emotional depth, spicy swooning. His rough edges and grumpy exterior softened for her, and her fastidiousness and desire to not ruffle feathers lessened for him. They brought out the best in each other, and had each other’s backs, all the while not expecting the other person to change who they were. It was exactly what I wanted in a book couple. The spice was top notch and wow did I ever fan myself more than a few times. The text exchanges at the beginning of each chapter were priceless, and there isn't a side character with more potential to become a fan favourite than Harvey Eaton. Overall, I love this ranching world that Silver created and can’t wait to read more. Bring on brothers Cade, Beau and Jasper!

Tropes- forbidden romance, forced proximity, only one bed, enemies to lovers, small town

5 stars and 3.5 spicy peppers

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. Elsie Silver can do no wrong and this just proves it. I cannot wait for this series and all of the brothers’ stories. Summer FINALLY standing up to her slimy ex/sister’s husband was the best thing ever and I hope to all that is holy her sister will kick his ass to the curb. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

I've come across this book/author/series quite a bit, and I was excited to read it. One thing that I really enjoyed was the Calgary setting! Being Canadian, it's not often we come across references to us in more mainstream books, so that was a fun surprise. I got that Yellowstone (tv show) vibe from the ranch. They even mentioned Yellowstone in the book, because Summer thought the same.

The premise is interesting. An infamous bull rider with a tarnished reputation gets paired up with a babysitter/PR rep to improve his image. Funny enough the babysitter happens to be the stunning daughter of his agent.

Right from the start, I had some issues. I think it was the writing? :\
Some things had me cringing early on. EXAMPLE: the text exchanges between Summer and her dad, and even certain interactions between them had me thinking, "Ew, why?" Why do they talk that way to each other!!

Phrases like "you'll win him over. Just make sure he keeps his dick in his pants," "Don't let that asshole in your pants," "I'm really more of a skirt girl," and "I grew up around you, I can handle dicks" – it all felt like such odd banter between a father and his daughter?? He even calls her princess in a professional context. Just that alone put me off from the beginning, honestly.

I also get that Rhett didn't want a babysitter (obviously). But Summer was equally defensive and annoying towards him from the outset. Their inner monologues didn't resonate with me either. Oh, and the usage of "little Rhett" – why? LOL, and why was it such a big deal that he doesn't get romantically involved with anyone? That wasn't his main issue. His problem was that he punched someone and insulted milk… hence insulting dairy farmers. AND why did she have to live with him? A bit extreme. I have understood her shadowing him everywhere outside of the house, but to live in? Kip is a weird father.

My interest then really dissolved when Rhett and Summer struggled with miscommunication and the one-bed trope. I won't say it was HORRIBLE. But I will admit it wasn't great. I think I'll take a break before delving into the rest of this series.

This was such an easy read! I really enjoyed how the book just flew by, but in the best way.

Rhett was the epitome of a man misunderstood - he isn't at all what his reputation set him out to be as he has been a bull rider since he was YOUNG and dumb, but with age comes change. The way these two brought out the best in each other and learned from one another was inspiring. Summer had one difficult childhood to say the least and Rhett although outside looking in seems to be very tight knit with his family, there are struggles.
Even though these statements are true - summer and her dad have an amazing relationships that I loved to see play out.
The sex was good, the tropes were great, connections and characters were written well. The sport and the way it was written was fantastic - I now have a new found appreciation and also would ride a bull rider - just sayin'.

It is time we get to the not so good. There was one GLARING issue that wasn't resolved or even built more upon... uh it's the sister and that whole thing. This cannot be unresolved forever... I would hope, but how are we going to get it?!?!

Also I really wished that Rhett's family came through more in their support and that's all I can really say on the matter.

Overall so good. Ready to read more about the brothers though!

This book single handedly won be over for cowboy romances! It had everything I loved - enemies to lovers, found family, the one bed trope, incredible spice, and a little jealousy.

If someone asked me to give them one reason to read this book, I think the line "wear the hat, ride the cowboy" is all it would take.

The way I'm going to convince you to read this book with just two things
1. Cowboys
2. Only one bed

This was my first cowboy romance and let me tell you, I am hooked! I love their story and how they learned happiness through each other.

This was my first Elsie Silver and it will not be my last. Rhett and Summer were everything and I can’t wait to get into the rest of the Eaton family.

This is a true forced proximity grumpy sunshine opposites attracts. Rhett is your rugged cowboy and Summer like her name is your shine shine city girl. She has been forced to babysit the bad boy cowboy for two months.

I love how the characters evolve and how soft Rhett is to her. Summer is just the confidence boaster that Rhett needs. This is a true chefs kiss romance.

However it did leave the sister saga a little open ended.

*3.5 rounded up* I don't think I was quite in the right mood to read this one, which is why I didn't enjoy it as much as I would have another time. That being said, a very tropey romance that kept me fairly entertained. Small-town, cowboys, forced proximity, forbidden-love.. everything worked well together even if it was a little too "perfect." I didn't love Summer as a MC, though I did appreciate her challenging childhood and how she handled everything. Eventually I'll probably continue the series, it just may be a little while.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy! Review live now on Goodreads and StoryGraph.