Series Name: Gold Rush Ranch, # 2
I don’t know if the endorphins coursing through me right now are making me giddy or if being this happy kills brain cells, but I can’t look away from the gorgeous man. Even though he’s scowling at me, I drink him in like champagne I can’t wait to guzzle when this crazy day is over.
A Photo Finish is another fun and easy romance romp by Elsie Silver.
What happened between Cole Harding and Violet Eaton in their anonymous online chats was meant to stay buried in the past…until it didn’t. It’s a small world, but Ruby Creek is even smaller, and when Cole reluctantly moves to town for a business venture, he finds Violet working as a jockey on the family ranch, just as tempting as he remembers.
Cole had his chance with her, and he blew it. She ghosted him, and he closed himself off further than ever. But when a riding accident puts Violet out of commission, the two are forced under the same roof, and Cole finds his broody façade slipping. With every flush of her cheeks and every flare of heat in her eyes, the ice he’s encased himself in melts. Violet makes him want things he shouldn’t. Things he’s been dreaming about since he first laid eyes on her years ago—things he doesn’t deserve.
As a former soldier, Cole should have the discipline to walk away. He has scars older and deeper than anyone knows. His plan was to keep his secrets hidden and his heart locked away…
Until her.
Any bookworm looking for an easy, breezy romance should pick up one of Elsie Silver’s books. They are a fast and enjoyable read while still possessing a decent amount of depth. A Photo Finish is the second book in the Gold Rush Ranch series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed this book. It may not be one of my favourite Elsie Silver books, but I think anyone looking for a small-town country romance will be entertained by the story and characters Elsie has created. This story is told from Cole and Violet’s POV, which I loved. It was great getting to see what was happening inside these characters’ heads as they dealt with the curve balls life kept throwing at them while also learning to live together in close proximity. One of the things that Elsie Silver did exceptionally well with this book was hooking her readers in. At the beginning of this book, Violet has just won her first race and is on top of the world. But that joyous feeling comes crashing down when she meets Vaughn’s (MC from the first book in the series) brother Cole, who tells Violet he is the mysterious man she had been chatting with online. The problem is that many of those chats were very spicy, and Cole saw every inch of Violet’s body. I was hooked, especially when Violet hinted that their online chatting had ended abruptly because of some issue. The nosey bookworm in me wanted to know what happened and how these two would react to interacting with each other in person.
The overall story was wonderful. Elsie knows how to write an entertaining and enjoyable story. She knows when to add twists and is the queen at building up that lusty tension between her two MCs. There is plenty of fun and flirty banter, and this book is bursting with those moments between Violet and Cole that got this bookworm’s heart racing. I really, really enjoyed Cole’s relationship with his therapist, Trixie. It was heartwarming and delightful and had me laughing at times.
Cole’s character arc is what stood out in this book. He is the grumpy in this grumpy sunshine love story. But what is great about his character is that he isn’t just that typical grumpy and mad-at-the-world hero. Cole is struggling with PTSD from his time in the military and some childhood experiences. This has left Cole incredibly guarded and rigid in his routine. Hell, his relationship with his brother Vaughn is not even a close one. Really, the only person Cole talks to is Trixie. It was great watching as Cole slowly started to open up to those around him. His journey in this book was believable and sometimes heart-wrenching. I wanted to give him a big old hug and show him that he is worthy of being loved. Violet is a pure ball of sunshine who was determined to show the world and her slightly (ok, very) overprotective family that she could be a success and stand on her own two feet.
The romance in this book is spicy and very hot. If you are new to Elsie’s books, get ready for plenty of dirty talk and banging that will get your heart racing. I love a good grumpy sunshine romance, and Elsie is one of the best romance writers out there when it comes to writing a satisfying and perfect grump sunshine romance. I loved Cole and Violet. The beginning or how they first meet is really quite different from other rom-coms that I have read. As the book progresses, we see how their online “relationship” started, progressed, and abruptly ended. There is, of course, plenty of lusty tension between these two. There is this great balance of those spicy, sweet, and quiet moments. All of these different moments really come together to create a wonderful romance, and I found myself rooting for these two.
If you are a fan of grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, second chance, a broken hero, opposites attract, and slow-burn tropes, you will definitely enjoy this book.
A Photo Finish is an easy-to-sink-into book that will make you feel swoony.
Thank you, Sourcebooks Bloom Books, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
