Please place your bets on these two falling in love. The odds are good.
Gold Rush Ranch
Romance
Bloom Books
June 4, 2024
Paperback, Ebook, Audio
480
He's never had a problem keeping things professional with his employees…until she waltzed onto his property. Vaughn Harding heads from the city to small-town Ruby Creek, intent on revitalizing his family's ranch and the scandal attached to its name in the wake of his grandfather's unexpected passing. He needs a win, and when he hires Billie Black to train his best but most stubborn racehorse, he hopes she can deliver. Billie is talented. Whip-smart. Sassy. And so damn tempting. She and Vaughn clash from the moment they meet, but he can't stop thinking about her. And in a small town, on an even smaller farm, it's hard to keep their distance. Even harder to keep their friction from turning into fire. With every smart-mouthed comment, every game they play, Vaughn ends up wanting more. Her lips. Her trust. Her heart. Billie Black is the whole package, and possibly the only one who can save Vaughn's business―and him. Vaughn wants it all. But at what cost? Because for the first time, he doesn't just want to win races…he wants to win the girl.
Sometimes Review Writing is Hard
Seriously.
How many times can you say “I really loved this book” so that it sounds unique, fresh, and fun?
Sometimes I find it harder to write a review for a book that I love more than one I don’t, because when I love it I don’t really want to break it down into pieces. I just want to push it into your arms, stare at you as you read every single sentence, and then dissect every single thing about it with you until we’re both ready to get in the car and go to the book store for round 2.
“Off to the Races” by Elsie Silver is one of those books.
Litbuzz Bee Jes sent me “Off to the Races” when it was rereleased by Bloom Books. I had never read an Elsie Silver book before, but I know that Jes adores her. The cover for this novel stopped me dead in my tracks. Yes, I am a judge-a-book-by-the-cover reader. I immediately texted her to gush about how beautiful it was, but I was on a limited budget and was only buying one book this go around. She generously sent it to my house the following week and my heart overflowed.
Billie and Vaughn are hot right out of the gate
Right out of the gate, this novel sucks you in with the drama and the intrigue. Vaughn’s grandfather, owner of the family farm, recently passed away. Stepping into the shoes of his idol, his father figure, is no easy role, and to top it off, Vaughn is dead-set on clearing his grandfather’s name from scandal in the horse racing world.
In comes Billie Black, horse trainer to save the day! Unfortunately, Vaughn steps in it and sets a terrible tone with his new Head Trainer candidate. She got under his skin quick, and these two butt heads like nobody’s business.
“You need to turn your sweet ass around, get in your car, and leave. Now.”
Wow, what a greeting.
This is one of the more unique workplace romances I’ve read and I loved every second of it.
I could imagine watching Billie and Vaughn snipe at each other from the stalls, or in the barn, or walking out to the pasture with DD, Billie’s tough, talented, stubborn horse. Does it have a bit of predictability with the plot? Yes, without a doubt. You can see the end coming a furlong away. Does that change how I felt every second while reading it? Not by a long shot.
“I want you. And there’s no price on that. The money. The horse. None of it matters so long as you give me a chance to earn your trust back.” I scoff, not prepared to let him off so easily. He runs his fingers through his dark hair with that edge of agitation I get off on before he sighs. “I love you, Billie. And I’m an idiot. I obviously don’t know much, but I know both of those statements are true.”
Final Thoughts
I am so glad that Bloom Books is rereleasing the Gold Rush Ranch series for Elsie Silver. I’ve only read one book, but as soon as I closed it I immediately went to GoodReads to see when the next would be released. Lucky for me, it’ll be out at the end of the month! In the meantime I’ll be grabbing any and all of her backlist titles that I can get my grubby little hands on. Thank goodness my friend Jes sent this beautiful book my way. We love a book pusher, and I’m so glad she did because I’m proud to be the newest member of the Elsie Silver fan club.
Pass the cookies, please. I need a snack for my next read.
I’m Val, and I’m excited to share my love of books with you! I’m a sassy Sour Patch kid from New Jersey, dog mom to Chance the beagle, and much like the rest of the Hive, I’m a coffee lover (I think it’s a requirement to be here). The first book I remember reading voluntarily involved a boy wizard who lived in the cupboard under the stairs, and I’ve been chasing magic ever since. I love Happily Ever Afters, and I love love. My favorite genres are romance and rom-coms, fantasy, and young adult/new adult. If I’m not reading, I’m probably kayaking, watching the Great British Baking Show, or discovering a new craft beer.