Elsie SilverA Photo Finish (Volume 2) (Gold Rush Ranch)

“She's like sunshine on my face. Warm and bright. I feel like I've been living in theshade, in a dark corner, and rather than dragging me kicking and screaming out of it - like so many people have tried to - she's just shifted over a little bit to share her light."Wow. This book was phenomenal, five stars doesn’t do it justice. Everything about it was incredible, the premise, the characters, the growth. Just amazing. The best grumpy sunshine, second chance, age gap romance I think I’ve ever read, and is probably my top read of the year so far.Violet and Cole meet after she posts a nude on the internet and they end up becoming internet pals who talk every day. But when Violet puts herself out there and Cole shuts himself off, they fall out of touch until Cole see’s her again at the Denman Derby, and then of course he ends up living at Gold Rush Ranch. Even better, Violet ends up living with him after she gets injured - oh how we love forced proximity so much.I’m gonna run out of adjectives for this review, but the way Elsie writes strong, independent women and broken men is just incredible. I can’t stop thinking about these characters. Violet knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it, even if its uncomfortable. And they way she doesn’t give up on Cole is just 🥹 She understands him perfectly and makes him feel at ease and important and unlike anyone else ever made him feel. God, their relationship is beautiful.I freaking LOVED the flashbacks to their messages, we got to see how Violet worked her way into his life the first time round, winning him over even though he was adamant she was annoying, at the same time as we see them finding their way back to each other.Cole is the best grumpy, wounded hero I’ve read for a long time. The way he works through all of his trauma and comes out the other end is so beautiful to read. There’s really something about a big sexy grump being vulnerable. Also, sexy grumpy men building things for the women they love? I will literally never tire of reading that.

Not my favourite Elsie silver book but I did still enjoy it nonetheless. I felt like this one was quite different from the rest. I really liked how the story started and they you see flashbacks of how they got talking before! I loved seeing Violet show Cole how she was there for me but I liked that she also made him aware he had to work for change himself. I did love the romance between, very slow burn but it was 100% needed with the story. It was nice to see Cole become closer with Billie and even Vaughn towards the end of the book. I loved seeing more of Violets jockey side and her spending time with Billie.I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series 😍

My favourite!!!! Loooooved this book. The story and characters were so strong, so determined and so damn stubborn when it was time for some sense it sure came knocking.The MMC Cole can’t believe his eyes when the women he unwittingly gave his secrets too turns out to the jockey on his brothers horse. Of course she doesn’t know it’s him. Because they year they spent together, being vulnerable and getting to know each other more than anyone else was all online.The FMC Violet is riding a high from her race. That all comes crashing down when she finally meets the man who not only stole her heart but crushed it too. She knew falling in love with a stranger online was a rookie move but she never intended for it to happen. Definitely didn’t know it was going to be her boss’ older grumpy brother or the other secrets that he’s hiding when she thought he had told her everything.She knows there is more to his grumpy side but he brought his own demons back from war and doesn’t know if even she can help him.This book was beautifully written, the characters were highly emotive and just pulled at your heart and the ending. Wow. I loved Cole and Violet, their connection was so pure and vulnerable.5⭐️3🌶️

Gahh, this book had me by the balls, I am addicted.The tension, trauma, and emotional hold this book showcases throughout kept me turning the pages as fast as possible! 😍Cole is the broody alpha I expected but hotdamnit he honestly has good intentions, and he left my swooning for sure!I already LOVED Violet, but she was her own queen in this book, and I love her resilience and badassary to put herself first!!The flash back scenes were PERFECT and gave the perfect insight to the past!!The ending was pure perfection for me and I utterly adored how Cole leant on Billie for guidance and advice. 😍❤️

Ahhh I really enjoyed this story. Cole and violet are the cutest. I loved everything about it. A little twist along the way. Just wonderful.

Meet Violet, the cutest one of the Eaton clan, in this surprising romance set at the Gold Rush Ranch among the horses and fast moving world of horse racing, jockeys and thoroughbreds. Will her new romance be a thoroughbred or a donkey?Follow Violet through her new racing career as she takes on new challenges and wild rides both in her career and her love life.... Can sunny Violet shine enough light on the dark world?

I do love them damaged and Cole is more damaged than we knew!A true sunshine Vs grumpy trope. Love everything about this book.

It's odd to classify this as a "fun" romance read because there's a lot about this story that isn't fun. There's very real and serious topics involved; however, the romance was fun, it was steamy, and I loved the tropes that were used.Another inappropriate (yet accurate) word to describe this book is "easy" but it was in the sense that it was easy to get hooked into the story which made the book difficult to put down.Without giving too much away, I have to admit that there was a *mic drop* moment in this book that took me completely by surprise (which is hard to do). I didn't see it coming at all! This revelation actually made the story that much more powerful.I'm looking forward to reading more in this series as well as more of Elsie's books in general as this is my second read of hers and it was just as enjoyable as the first!

At this point I’m 99,99999% sure Elsie Silver can’t write a book I won’t fall in love with. I mean, the way she writes the MMCs just hit a spot in my heart. Sometimes it hits harder than others, not going to lie, but this time with Cole Harding it just blew my heart to pieces only to put it back together because that’s what Cole would do.Cole… Cole Harding… The way I disliked this man in Off To The Races only to fall in love with him so deeply I’m pretty sure he’s now on my top 5 Book Boyfriend List of all time. There are two moments in the book — I won’t spoil them — where I was literally crying over this man and his vulnerability. I love a character with layers and Elsie Silver knows how to write some of the best ones.I suffer so much with this book, but in the best way possible. The relationship Cole and Violet have, their past together and how they little by little start to build a future, even if sometimes they have to go back a few steps because of fear or being broken.Honorable mention to Pipsqueak for being the best and most adorable horse ever.

must read

4/5 ⭐️✨ Check TW✨ Small Town✨ Age Gap✨ Grumpy x Sunshine✨ Disability rep.✨ Slow Burn✨ "Pen Pals" (online chatting)✨ Second Chance✨ Mental Health rep.✨ Forced Proximity✨ Horses✨ Interconnected Standalone

I read this book as part of Julia's Book Club and am so glad I did. I wouldn't have picked this book up on my own and therefore would have missed out on something really nice, on a smooth and beautiful writing, and engaging characters.I especially loved the way Elsie fleshes out her characters with each new chapter, revealing more about their past, or just making them evolve and grow.I certainly didn't expect to get attached to horses haha, being scared of them myself, but I did in this book, as the two horses here are an integral part of the story and are characters (secondary but important) in their own right.Cole is a really interesting and appealing character and I'm pleasantly surprised by the direction the author took, choosing not to go for the cliché of the woman who will take care of him and heal him. Yes, she is there for him, yes, she loves him with all her heart, but it is also up to him to work on himself. It is rare that a romance deals with this subject with so much insight, without falling into the easy way of the woman who saves the hero.In short, a beautiful story to discover, a writing style to remember and a new author to follow closely.