Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

Hopeless by Elsie Silver

61 reviews

bsteel29's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The final installment in the Chestnut Springs series. Beau has returned from his final deployment after suffering from burns and as a result, PTSD. He is struggling to find his place in the world and adjust to civilian life. That is, until he befriends Bailey, an outcast trying to hide away from the shame, missed opportunities and prejudice that her last name brings. Bailey instills a sense of purpose within Beau and he bets that he can win the town over and change their minds about Bailey if they they get engaged. 

I enjoyed getting to know Beau more as he has been a mystery throughout this series. I thought that the way Elsie portrayed his PTSD was done well, it was realistic while still being sensitive to those that may suffer. I loved how strong Bailey was and how she supported Beau. This book wrapped the series up well and I felt emotional reading the last few chapters. I just felt like this book lacked something for me. Perhaps, it was the build up to finding out about Beau as it had been hinted at throughout the series. So, this book felt a little anticlimactic. There was also repetition of some similar themes. For example, I felt that the age gap was similar to the second book and not an element that was necessary and it was also mentioned a lot. I think it could have just focused on the fake dating element. It was still an enjoyable read and one that I'll read again. Harvey's jokes were on point, as per 👌🏻.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Mental illness and Fire/Fire injury

dlsmk's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Grief, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

smartcookiesca's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Mental illness, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Drug abuse

Minor: Death of parent and War

shansbookishcorner's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Medical trauma and War

mj_86's review against another edition

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying and War

cortanasreadingnook's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I frankly did not expect to like Beau and Bailey because I’ve seen other readers say this is the weakest book/ship from Chestnut Springs, but it definitely wasn’t so bad! I was discouraged to read this even before I started Powerless because of the “pubes shaving” joke, but I was proven wrong like in Jasper and Sloane’s book. The fake dating/engagement trope was new to read in small town romance, so I didn’t find it boring at all. They undoubtedly had that charming, intense chemistry. I was also very much ready to say goodbye to these characters like Elsie herself, and Hopeless was a good story to end it with. The cameos were worth my time and the smut was exceptional. The way Beau’s character eventually deals with his saviour complex and trauma were fairly handled, in my opinion. He and Bailey just fit so perfectly with each other.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

yaren_98's review against another edition

funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Drug use, Kidnapping, War, and Injury/Injury detail

unboundbooklover's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

theraccoonqueen's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

What a beautiful conclusion to this series. 🥹 I really grew to love this town and these characters and felt like I was really there with them during parts of these stories. 

Beau and Bailey were everything and more. I think I knew from the start they were going to end up together, from Bailey’s first appearance in Flawless. The age gap was done so so so well, usually age gaps like theirs kinda icks me out if it isn’t done properly but this was flawless. Seeing Beau work through his trauma and find his purpose in civilian life was so empowering and following Bailey through her internal struggle to command respect and ultimately getting that was very satisfying. 

Small towns are no joke when it comes to last names so how this was handled was spot on. I can’t wait to jump into Elsie’s other stories. 🫶🏻

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

cielosiluminado's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

what the fuck did i just read!? just no. what the hell happened!!

genuinely no sympathy for a white man who willingly enlists into a military complex to go unalive brown people across the world and then comes back home and is ‘all woe to me’.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Mental illness, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Addiction and Drug abuse