Off to the Races

My Rating: ★★★★½I think it's safe to say I'm officially late to the Elsie Silver party... because wow.Off To The Races is only the second book I've read by Elsie Silver, and I completely understand why everyone raves about her books. This enemies-to-lovers romance had me hooked from the very beginning with its witty banter, undeniable chemistry, and the perfect small-town ranch setting.Billie was such an easy heroine to root for. She's smart, stubborn, and never lets Vaughn intimidate her, which made every interaction between them so much fun to read. Their constant back-and-forth had me smiling more times than I could count, and the tension between them was chef's kiss.Now... Vaughn.Elsie, darling, respectfully... I did not consent to the emotional whiplash you put me through.I spent the first half of this book falling completely in love with this man. Then came that spicy chapter, and I was sitting there thinking, Yep, I'm obsessed. Then, within what felt like two chapters, Vaughn made one of the most frustratingly stupid decisions imaginable. I actually had to stop for a minute because I was so annoyed. Was it redeemable? Yes. Did he work to earn that redemption? Also yes. But seriously, sir... this entire situation could have been avoided.The fact that I reacted so strongly honestly says a lot about Elsie Silver's writing. I was so emotionally invested in these characters that Vaughn's mistake genuinely hurt. One minute I was swooning, the next I was angry, and before I knew it I was emotional all over again. It was an absolute rollercoaster.If you're looking for a romance with fantastic chemistry, witty banter, emotional moments that genuinely hit, and characters you'll become ridiculously invested in, I can't recommend this one enough.Overall, Off To The Races was funny, heartfelt, frustrating in all the right ways, and completely addictive. Needless to say, I'll be picking up the rest of the Gold Rush Ranch series because if this is what I've been missing out on, I don't intend to stay late to the party for much longer.

Poorly written in comparison to Elsie Silver's standout read, Reckless, and other books she's written. Nothing grabbed me about this story and I quickly found myself skim reading it. Honestly, I'd skip this one in her catalogue altogether if it wasn't party of a series.

This book was both fast paced and slow. A not so meet cute causes some tension between Vaughn and Billy and it was nice to see them warm up to each other following that. There was some spice and some feelings and some horses. A solid read.