A heart wrenching story with characters that will make you laugh and cry and laugh again. Beau Eaton is from the well-known Eaton ranching family and also a war hero. He’s not interested in ranching and doesn’t feel like a hero when his injuries remind him daily of his last mission. When he visits the local bar, he again meets Bailey Jansen who has been unfairly branded with her father and brothers’ misdeeds. She has hopes and dreams, but the only job she could get in Chestnut Springs was as a bartender at The Railspur. When Beau begins to make almost nightly visits to the bar to make sure she is safe, he finds that her quick humor and outrageous questions make him feel alive. He decides that being his fake fiancée might help her in her quest for a better paying job. As they spend more time together, the attraction between them can no longer be controlled. Protecting her from her family, she learns a secret he has kept from her. Is it too late to save their relationship? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

This book is a masterpiece, a culmination of everything so great about Chestnut Springs!

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…
Characters: Oh Beau Eaton how quickly you stole my heart. Beau has been in the background of every other Chestnut Springs novel and I was so happy to be in his head finally! I needed to know how he was dealing with his trauma, or should I say not dealing with it. I adored how he was such a gentleman, a very different breed from his brothers. He loves hard, with such a big heart and it was so wonderful to see him find a safe place for that heart with Bailey. Bailey is the local bartender, with a deadbeat father and brothers who wreak havoc in town. The town judges her by her last name rather than by the incredibly caring content of her character. A quick note here, that I loved having so many cameos from the other Chestnut Springs characters. There is a scene I adore so much that features all the women and it made me emotional reading them all together in a single scene.
Setting: I will miss Chestnut Springs deeply. In the best small-town romances, the town becomes a key character, and in this book not only the town but the bar. Much of this story takes place in Bailey’s bar, with Beau watching her from his stool. Special shout out to the town drunk!
Pacing: I never ever wanted this story to end. Elsie writes such a perfect length and keeps you hooked on the story the entire time. I loved the space she gave for Beau and Bailey’s relationship to grow, there was no need to rush into the hot and heavy. Rather it all developed so naturally and once they began to fall there was no stopping them.
Romance: Another stellar couple in the Chestnut Springs series! I will give you the steamy deets first, this book is Elsie’s hottest yet! I know you may say no way but yes way! The river scene and bathtub scene both blow the Cade and Willa hottub scene out of the water. Besides the heat, I did find myself incredibly invested in Beau and Bailey’s fake engagement becoming a real romance. I dare you not to get latched onto two characters who have both never thought they could deserve a love this big.

Beau and Bailey. We finish the series with Beau. Military, POW, and now lost since leaving the military. He is going about his life, day to day, uninspired, bored, just lost. Every night the nightmares start so alcohol is becoming his numbing agent. His family means well, always inquiring how he is doing, but they are overwhelming and Beau is sick of the questions and the looks.

Bailey tries to go throughout life invisible. The more invisible the better. Her father and brothers are trouble so by association, the town assumes she is also. She is barely making it. No one will hire her, everyone talks about her, and she can’t catch a break. The one job she does have is at the local bar, where she sees Beau.

Beau and Bailey both have their own set of problems and they enter into a fake engagement to try to make life easier. The more time they spend together, the closer they get and the hotter their chemistry. Overall, this and the series were good reads. This read a bit slow for me as the whole plot is pretty much will they, won’t they. Enough already. But I did like knowing these two found happiness and love.

I absolutely loved this! I can’t wait to buy it for my library. The characters were complex but realistic and it was written so well. I truly fell in love with this book.

This book resonated deeply with me. I formed a strong connection with both characters and admired their growth throughout the story. I also value Elise Silver's efforts to raise awareness about mental health issues, which were subtly woven into the narrative.

I was super excited to read this as I love the Chestnut Springs series and have been on a big cowboy romance kick (as a lot of people since they are often checked out of our library) and this did not disappoint! I liked the Cheshire between Beau and Bailey and I love as usual the way Elsie Silver writes humor in the books - also had some great mental health representation. I’m not a huge fan of age gaps but this didn’t bother me too much. Overall not my favorite of all the books but for sure still a wonderful read I would recommend. Will be purchasing for our library.

This reminded me of a more modern and smutty, less cowboy Diana Palmer. I didn't mind the age gap so much because of how much they really helped each other through their respective issues. It was a tiny bit of a slow burn-- things took a while to get going, but when they did, they got hottt.

I ended up DNFing 10% in because of how infantilized Bailey was. It’s not weird that she’s in her early twenties. It’s weird that everyone else thinks it’s weird. I was also uncomfortable with the discussions and treatment of PTSD.

absolutely LOVED this book! the perfect ending to an amazing, 5 star series. every book and character had me hooked but from the start, i was most interested in beau and his story did not disappoint! his ptsd was shown SO beautifully and the way he loves bailey? UGH swoon!!!

I love the Chestnut Spring series, and I am so sad that it is coming to an end. Throughout the series, readers have gotten glimpses of Beau and Bailey and so I am so glad we finally got their book! I loved it! While I am not a huge fan of age gap romances, this one worked for me. And I always love a fake dating/fake engagement romance! I loved Beau and Bailey as individuals, and as a couple. I liked how Bailey really understood Beau, and saw his trauma but didn't let him act like a jerk because of it. And while Bailey was strong and could stand on her own, I like how she came to rely on Beau and lean on him when she needed. I even didn't mind the third act conflict, I thought it was a believable point of contention between the two that needed to be resolved.
I also loved all the appearances by the Eatons and the characters from the previous books, I love the family dynamics and its always a laugh reading those scenes. Harvey is still my favorite!
All in all, this was a good wrap-up to this series, and I can't wait to read what Elsie writes next!

Tropes:
- Age gap
- Tortured hero
- Fake engagement
- Virgin heroine
- Ex Military Hero x town outcast
- Small town romance

“That sucks,” Bailey replies matter-of-factly.
I almost want to laugh. It does suck. And it’s refreshing to have someone admit that rather than tell me it will get better. Or tell me how sorry they are.
Little things she does—without even trying—make me feel like it’s okay to not be okay in her presence.

I was nervous/hesitant starting Hopeless, I loved the previous books in the Chestnut Springs series but had seen some mixed reviews about the final book which shocked me. However, this is a prime example of how you shouldn’t let other people's opinions sway your judgement too much before you’ve had the chance to make your own. I truly enjoy Elsie Silver’s writing and this is no exception.

Beau Eaton, now a war veteran, has returned to Chestnut Springs after having gone missing on a mission for two weeks. The town perceives him as a hero but the weight of what happened has changed Beau from the happy go lucky man everyone knew him as.

Bailey Jansen is the opposite of Beau. At least when it comes to public perception. Born into a family that is notorious for crime and malicious behaviour, Bailey has grown up trying to be different but has never been able to escape the treatment her last name yields in Chestnut Springs.
Beau strikes a bet with Bailey on whether a different last name would result in her receiving different treatment. How are they planning on testing this theory? Beau suggests a fake marriage which Bailey immediately shuts down. They settle on a middle ground: a fake engagement. What is Beau getting out of this deal/bet? He says it’s to get his family’s worrying off his back, but Beau seems to be happy to help Bailey more than anything.

Elsie Silver surprised me with Beau. I was worried about his character going into Hopeless as I had enjoyed his role in the previous books as the funny brother who loved to poke the bear. Seeing his progression into the moody, closed off, somewhat asshole in the background made me wonder if I would like him. I didn’t picture his growth or book being like this but I should’ve trusted Elsie from the start. I wasn’t disappointed that Beau was different from what I thought at all. The development of his character with his PTSD and different hidden sides added depth to him. While depth could’ve been added if he kept his golden retriever type role, I think we got this energy more so in Rhett and I appreciate Elsie for taking a different path. I enjoyed the book delving into identity and how this is affected when you lose that had tethered your sense of self. I think the possibility of going further into this aspect and Beau’s trauma could’ve added some additional depth and emotion.

I liked Bailey’s character. I saw mentions where people thought she was cringey but I think you need to be able to either relate or enjoy the energy and humour Elsie put into Bailey. I think humor is one of the most underrated qualities of Elsie’s writing (which I’ll return to) and Bailey embodied so much of that. As someone with ADHD and autism, and friends with other neurodivergent people, the random questions blurted out of nowhere did not phase me at all and made me laugh. Bailey’s character was real, she talked to Beau honestly and never sugar coated it but also had her vulnerabilities and self consciousness. There are paradoxes within a lot of us and I loved seeing that in Bailey. I love reading a good age gap but know they’re not for everyone and Elsie was smart in writing Bailey in a way that really didn’t feel coercive.

Bailey and Beau were two lost and somewhat broken people that comforted each other. They had a supporting a humour filled dynamic that fit both of them. Calling each other out while supporting each other.

I think Elsie Silver’s humour is unmatched. As I mentioned, I loved that it came out more in Bailey and always love seeing it in Harvey and the Eaton family dynamic. The way she writes truly just makes you smile.

I think the third act conflict could’ve been more complex but I also understood the impact it had on Bailey’s character. The ending felt a bit quick to wrap up, especially since it was the last in the series.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Hopeless and it was a solid book which is no surprise at this point by Elsie Silver. It was not my favourite in the series. There were some light cringey moments like the nickname and more depth could’ve been added to the story but it still brings something to the table and might surprise you.

3.5/5 ⭐

Beau is back in his hometown, but wounded from his time in the military. He's fixated on Bailey, a young bartender in town, who has the worst luck in family members. When he tries to play the white knight, the two agree to an "engagement of convenience." Beau is off the hook with his well-meaning but intrusive family, and Bailey gets the aura of respectability that his family name offers. Too bad that these two are destined to be more than fake-engaged. As the weeks go on, the two discover that maybe there's something more than friendship in store for them.
While not the strongest in the series, those who have been eagerly awaiting Beau's story will be thrilled to see him get his happily ever after.

I personally loved this book. I felt very connected to both characters and appreciated their development. I always appreciate Elise Silver's nods to mental health awareness.

If you have not already met the Eaton boys – STOP. Turn around. Go start with Flawless and meet me back here once you’ve inevitably devoured the entire series. Because - ohmygosh - these Eaton boys are something else. This series was my introduction to Elsie Silver and when I tell you I felt like I found my book utopia - ungh. This is the good stuff.

Beau’s story has been long-awaited and much anticipated. I was surprised to find that Beau wasn’t who I thought he was going to be. And, in a lot of ways that was really tough to handle. I was expecting a wounded veteran who had a lot of issues. I wasn’t really expecting him to just…not be the same person we’d seen in previous books. And it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I do think that I might have liked him to be at least a little bit lighter than he actually was. His presence in this story was much heavier than I anticipated.

That said, I did actually like how that played against Bailey’s more light-hearted moments. She delivered more than one moment of second-hand embarrassment, but the fact that nothing seemed to embarrass her (and that, in the end, it might have been intentional) made that less cringey for me. I do wish there had been more between them than trauma and spice, some shared feelings and/or connectedness that wasn’t tied to their physical attraction to each other. I wanted this to go deeper than it did. But on the whole, it was still a good story. It just hit differently than the rest of the stories in this series, and I wanted more.

The Eatons themselves deliver the rowdy chaos you might expect. There are some sweet tender moments exchanged within the secondary characters, and Harvey doing Harvey things. I love this whole family so fiercely that I’m willing to overlook how Beau’s delivery may have been just shy of my expectations. You still need to read it. There is still plenty of goodness for your heart between these pages! ~ Shelly, 3 Stars

I had already read Hopeless - this was just a new cover! 2 people who truly deserved their happy ending. I loved this book and the series.

This book was so good! Absolutely 💯 loved it. Thanks NetGalley and to the publisher for this. I look forward to reading more from this author.

So sad to read the last of this series! I've loved every book! We have all been waiting for Beau's and I'd loved his relationship with Bailey. I love a good age gap, so this book worked on a few levels.

Hopeless concludes the Chestnut Springs series with a bang!

I adored this fake engagement romance featuring the youngest Easton brother and the girl from the wrong side of the tracks (or property line). Silver always packs her books full of humor, heart, and antics that will keep readers entertained from the first page to the last. Heartless and Reckless maintain their spots as tied for my favorite Elsie Silver book but I definitely enjoyed this one and cannot wait for more books in this world! Check this one out if you love: gritty, real characters, cowboy romances, marriage of convenience.

4⭐️ 3🌶️
- MF
- Fake Engagement
- Former Solider
- Virgin FMC
- Age Gap
- Forced Proximity
- Rival Families

I’m not usually one for military romances, but I’ve been a fan of Beau’s for a while and I couldn’t wait for his book. I couldn’t think of anyone better to rescue Bailey from her terrible family than Beau. Add in a fake engagement and an age gap and I knew I was in for a good time. Elsie continues to delight me with her protective alphahole MMCS and her feisty FMCs.

I think Bailey is destined to be Harvey’s favorite DIL with her blunt and inappropriate questions. She had me cracking up and I know she was doing terrible things to Beau’s blood pressure. I love how she felt safe enough with Beau to call him on his crap because someone really needed to.

Beau had such a savior complex, which makes sense given his occupation. I loved how he wanted to protect Bailey from her family and the town. He didn’t let the bad blood he had with her brothers and father stop him from seeing how great she was.

The spice in this book was great. There was so much tension between the two of them and I loved their constant teasing and verbal sparring.

The only thing this book was missing was more Harvey content. I really need him to get his own book.

Acts of services is truly my love language because Beau really had me swooning! I really enjoyed the love and emotion that this book had. It was so romantic and beautiful and a great happy ending!