A review by witcheep
Off to the Races by Elsie Silver

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

3.5

The story provides what the blurb promises: a romance that is heavy on lust. Any other plot is secondary to that, even though the bond between the FMC and the horse she trains gets a lot of focus as well. The romance is quite entertaining, but nothing special. (I must add, though, that I managed to get through this book easily even though it feels like I'm in a reading slump atm.)

The romance is built on insta lust based on looks, but acting on that takes some time. Some of the smut scenes made me cringe with
how they emphasized possessiveness by talking about how by day the FMC works for the MC and by night she works under him or that she belongs to him.
That made my skin crawl in a very creepy way. I guess possessive dirty talk is – if not a red flag – a heavy turnoff for me. This is not the first time I've struggled with this concept in a romance plot.

I wish the other plot aspects of the romance were stronger, but even the biggest relationship conflict of
lost trust is resolved somewhat easily with a grand gesture provided by money
. The plot might aim for deep background of the MCs being wronged by their close family, but the book as a whole still feels a little too shallow.

I might continue to the sequel at some point; maybe Violet or Mira will have more substancial romances, if they get their turn in the sequels.
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