Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Off to the Races by Elsie Silver

17 reviews

smartcookiesca's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death of parent, and Abandonment

sammymilfort's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer and Death of parent

amateur_bookworm's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

My summary:

Vaughn Harding is reeling in the wake of his grandfather’s death and the allegations that his grandfather fixed horse races. Desperate to save the reputation of Gold Rush Ranch, the very same place his grandfather raised him, Vaughn wants to clear the ranch’s name. He starts by clearing house and hiring a new general manager, Hank. When Hank suggests bringing in an up-and-coming young horse trainer, Vaughn has no idea what he’s in for when the feisty Billie Black rolls into the ranch. Billie has spent the last decade escaping her own family drama, and just wants to train horses and win races. As both Vaughn and Billie try to put past family scandals to bed, fireworks erupt between them. 

My thoughts:

I’m not sure I have a spirit animal, but I definitely have a spirit author—and it’s Elsie Silver. Her writing style is my favorite for romance books. Her female characters are strong, her language could make a sailor blush, and her spicy scenes are hot. 

I love the fiery and feisty women that Elsie writes. And Billie Black is this and more! I love the fireworks between Vaughn and Billie when they first meet. It’s the complete opposite of a meet cute, and I am totally here for it. 

Honestly, I found myself rooting for the love story between Billie and DD way more than with Billie and Vaughn. The connections we can have with animals is such a blessing. I have the world’s best Golden Retriever and it is easy to extrapolate my feelings for her to be similar to what Billie feels with DD. I was super emotional through all of the DD scenes! 

I really enjoyed this book but it overall left me wanting a bit. The happily ever after was a little too abrupt and contrived for me. I liked the outcome, I just wish it hadn’t felt so rushed. 

This is Elsie Silver’s debut novel. And it’s the seventh book I’ve read by her. I started with her newest, Wild Love, and absolutely loved it. Then I read the Chestnut Springs series and loved those books even more! I was nervous to read her debut series, because I know authors really change and develop their writing more with each book. But her debut novel is overall great and I’m excited to read the rest of this series while I wait for Wild Eyes to come out in September! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content

Minor: Infidelity, Grief, and Death of parent

hjb_128's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, and Medical content

Moderate: Infidelity, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Abandonment

irisvdn's review against another edition

emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Misogyny and Sexism

autumnwitch14's review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Grief

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexism, Medical content, and Death of parent

Minor: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

kell_yeah_reads's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.75

per my spreadsheet:

i think i need to read read it.

spice 🌶  - a 4 🌶  spicy (romance.io scale)
length - just right
reading speed - read in 2 days
did it make me cry? - not this time

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Sexual content

Moderate: Death, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, and Violence

chelle22's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

yoohanna's review against another edition

lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Cancer

hapalyn's review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.75

This book wasn't my absolute favorite by Elsie, but I think that this series will still be fun to read through. Vaughn was just not my favorite mmc, and Billie was cool (but she felt off in the 2nd half of the book, like a different person). 

I think the 3rd act breakup was just... annoying I guess. I think if the book was longer, there would've been more time to realistically build the characters' relationship up. I just didn't feel like we had enough scenes of them together (especially any with a lot of tension) to believe their relationship was real. Like, yeah, they had sex, they argued, blah blah blah; but, I didn't feel like they actually had any reason to like each other more than they would a different random person?

 I think reading Chestnut Springs before this series wasn't a great idea, but regardless I did have fun reading the book and will continue on with the series. (I'm interested to see Stefan's character arc and redemption!!) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content

Moderate: Excrement

Minor: Animal cruelty and Death of parent