This is my favorite Elsie Silver book to date, Age gap romance, brothers best friend, enemies to lovers, I am always here for these troupes! And I loved being back at Ruby Creek!
As soon as I finished The Front Runner, I hoped we would get a Nadia book.
Nadia is Stefan Dalcas younger sister and I was intrigued by her, Nadia has been through so much, but she overcame that and had so much growth, Griffin is the grumpiest of heroes and that is my favorite! I loved seeing him overcome his own past and obstacles and be the man Nadia needed.
Nadia and Griffins path wasnt always easy but there was so much worth fighting for, Though they were an unlikely couple, they were perfect for one another,
Youre the happiest accident Ive ever known, The very best decision Ive ever made, My reason.
.STARS . This series has been so much fun to read, I loved the series as a whole, This was probably my least favorite of the series, it felt a little longer than it needed to be with so much back and forth and then some scrambling at the end before Nadia amp Griffin finally get together.
I loved the tightness of the whole group and the sweet animal moments, Definitely recommend this series.
I loved the first half but I didnt care too much about the second half, I wish this series had a better ending than what we got, I kissed my best friends little sister, and the world stood still,
That night we were two perfect strangers, the towns grumpy recluse and a gorgeous girl in the back of a bar.
Until we werent.
Because Nadia Dalca isnt just some girl, Shes the girl I cant have, Fourteen years younger than me and completely offlimits,
My plan is to stay away, but the universe keeps pushing us together, Its like some sort of cosmic joke, to give me a taste of something so electricso realsomething that breathed life back into me.
Because I can look, but I cant touch,
Her sinful curves, her lighthearted laughter, her wild side, . . Im addicted to every last bit of her,
And when she turns those sultry eyes on methe ones so full of longing and so free of judgement Ive always considered myself a strong man.
But when she looks at me Im weak,
To give in to our connection would be a betrayal, My life is beyond complicated, and she has the world at her fingertips, Her brother is the only family she has left, and sad as it sounds, hes also my only friend,
But I kissed her again anyway,
And now I cant stop,
four! ୨୧ ooh this one was so good the age gap relationships in this series are literally just the best, i swear.
add in the fact that this has brothers best friend too absolute goner, nadia was such a good mc, i loved genuinely everything about her, her bravery, her strength, her kindness, her passion, her love for others, she was genuinely just the sweetest and i appreciated her attitude and griffin was a really intriguing character, much like nadia, i felt like i never knew what he was really thinking lol.
their relationship started off not my favorite, but i eventually grew to really like them, and the third act “break up” in this was actually done incredibly well and i really appreciated that it was more than just a plot line to cause drama.
this series is such a favorite of mine now, and elise silver is definitely an auto read author for me now! lt.
There was a solid amount of time while I was reading this book that I was thoroughly enjoying it but as I got closer to the end my feelings started dwindling and by the time I was done I felt a bit meh and detached.
We had two damaged characters both dealing with their own demons in very different ways, She was very positive and trying to work on herself, and he was very grumpy and negative and was letting all the bad thoughts and feelings fester and I really enjoyed seeing how they made each other better by coming into each others lives.
But I didnt love how much back and forth/forbiddenness was thrown into the story, It started getting old after a while and I think thats when I started losing interest, Then I got to theish mark and there was a very random element thrown into the story that I really didnt think needed to be there.
There was enough going on already and I didnt like how there was no forshadowing for it so it was introduced super randomly and then taken care of super quickly so it was basically just pointless drama.
Then at the end, I did like that Nadia made him work on himself and get better before they settled down together forever but it also made me feel like the pacing of getting to watch these characters deal with their trauma was a bit off when looking at the story as a whole.
Overall though, it was a solid ending to the series but book two was definitely my favorite out of the four.
.stars
I LOVED the first half of this book, The brooding hero was amazing and the broken heroine so strong and tough, A False Start is book four in the Gold Rush Ranch series by Elsie Silver,
In book three, we already met A False Start's main characters, The heroine Nadia is Stefan Dalca's hero of book three little sister, while the hero, Griffin, is Stefan's best friend, There is a significant age gap between the hero and heroine, making this a forbidden/taboo romance,
You don't need to read the other books in the series, but it will help you understand all characters/relationships.
Grumpy hero Griff and sassy, fierce heroine Nadia pull towards each other from the first page, They try to hate each other, pull away, and there is some going back and forth, but they can't resist, That's something that shows on the page, They have lots of chemistry, and a connection that brings them closer, makes them open up,
But how can they survive together as what they have is forbidden And what if secrets come out to play Will they survive
Griff wasn't a man of many words.
He worshipped Nadia and wanted to be a better man for her, swoon!
I liked how the trauma of their pasts brought them closer.
This couple was hot together! I enjoyed the steamy scenes, which were descriptive elaborate, and super sexy,
Elsie Silver's realistic, easy way of writing has the talent to suck me into a story and let me live in the Gold Rush world for hours.
I love the world she has created with welldeveloped, quirky yet relatable characters and stories that give me all the feels.
A False Start is another winning book in the Gold Rush Ranch series! It's a great storyline with my favorite tropes agegap, brother's best friend, forbidden relationship, lovable characters, lots of steam, and all the feels.
I enjoyed reading Nadia and Griff's story, it gave me the escape I needed,
I received an ARC from the author but am voluntarily leaving this honest review, Age gap romance
Small town meets horses
Brothers best friend romance
Grumpy, former proathlete hero
Heroine has a dark past
Emotional amp swoony AF
A False Start is bookin the Gold Rush Ranch series.
This series has blown me away big time! Each book makes me fall more in love with this cast of characters ten fold.
Griffin amp Nadia were a match made in heaven amp the taboo nature of their relationship added the tension I was so desperately looking for.
There is a spicy scene involving a tent that blew me awayif you know, you KNOW! I wasnt expecting to get emotional, but toward the end I was a puddle of tears, but I shouldve been expecting that, its an Elsie Silver book after all! Highly recommend, if that wasnt clear already!
My
Thanks to Elsie Silver for my early review copy! TW: substance abuse/addiction, mentions of domestic and child abuse past, sexual harassment
Actual.
Its no secret I love Elsies books, I think she does such a beautiful job at showcasing sassy and intelligent heroines, strong yet sensitive men, and a gorgeous backdrop that leaves you wanting to pack up your life and move to any Canadian small town immediately.
A False Start is an age gap, brothers best friend, small town romance that does not shy away from bringing the steam or giving you butterflies.
It didnt linger too long on the “issue” of the age gap or the brother finding out
and instead focused on the couple themselves which I absolutely loved.
Watching them pine for one another made my heart swell,
I also really love that this book highlighted the importance of self love and not relying on anyone else but yourself to be your antidote.
Watching both Nadia and Griffin grow into their feelings, bonding over past traumas, and actually communicating had me in a chokehold.
If Im grateful for anything, its booktoks algorithm for bringing the words of Elsie Silver to my FYP last year.
Im a fan for life and Im so sad to be leaving the Gold Rush Ranch family, Im very excited to see where else Elsie takes us,
Thank you so much to Elsie for this ARC I am voluntarily leaving this review
“I want to see the man you can be when you get out from underneath all that shame, all the pain youve buried.
You deserve a fresh start, Griffin, You deserve to be happy, and I cant be the only thing that does that for you, I dont want to be your antidote, I want to be your reason, The reason you put the work in, ”
what that was some of the most romantic shit Ive read in a while, I am a goner. WHAT THE FUCK, i dont want to leave this place yall need to read this series,
tropes
age gapyears
forced proximity
brothers best friend
small town romance
damaged H
grumpy/sunshine
found family
“Im in love with a fucking crazy person.
”
romance
the beginning was a bit rocky, just because nobody was talking or saying anything.
Griff took his sweet ass time, but his inner monologues were heart wrenching and grabbed my attention, Nadia had her really immature moments, which are understood, but I feel like they were even more exaggerated at times to make their age gap more visible.
Although, a lot of her insecurities had a real reason behind them, which made the story better and more understandable,
Here goes nothingcrosses my mind as she nods,
But as I watch her pad into my house, her acid wash jeans creasing beneath her perfect ass and waves of blonde hair trailing down her back, I realize its more like there goes everything.
When they finally cave IT WAS HOT HOT HOT HOT LIKE HOLY SHIT All I could think was I NEED DICK RIGHT NOW!!!!
“Were playing the game where I fuck your tight little cunt like Ive dreamt about since the first time I laid eyes on you.
Were not making love. Im not being gentle. Were fucking. And youre going to take it like the good girl you are, ”
Griffin had a dirty mouth and I was living for it, Ill take one Rancher Keanu Reeves to go please,
“Ill fuck you how you want me to, and Ill take every shred of what youre willing to give.
But Nadia”
“Yeah”
“If you think I dont want more, youre out of your goddamn mind, ”
he was a MAN
“I thought you looked like you needed to be handled by a real man.
By me. ” I nip at her ear, loving the feel of her fingers tangling in my hair, like she wants to keep me close.
“I thought you looked like you were supposed to be mine, ”
a man with a troubled past and insecurities and a bunch of issues he needed to work through.
this book was a breathe of fresh air from the “Ill fix you” books, They do “fix” each other by putting THEMSELVES first we love to see healthy relationships, WE LOVE IT!!!!
“Im scared, too, ” His breath whispers across my wet cheeks, and his forehead rests against mine as our eyes fall closed in unison, “Im scared because I want to give you the world, and I know I cant, Not yet. ”
Nadia start classes The romantic gesture, GOOD GOD i want that, when they meet Griffys parents damn, I really loved them,
“Ive made a lot of mistakes in my life, But youre not one of them, Youre the happiest accident Ive ever known, The very best decision Ive ever made, My reason. ”
the rest
everyone else wasnt that much here, but Stefan and Nadia ltalso, the bonus epilogue they all warm my heart.
honest to god, this series was such a pleasure to read, I loved these people and the family they created, And the steaminess is SO SO SO appreciated,
“Okay. Where do you want me”
On your fucking knees, ”
So here me out, the books are not perfect nor flawless, but they bring out humanity in the best way and they are just so fucking romantic and real and emotional.
There were details here I wasnt a fan, but by the end I was just so in love with them bye
“Meet you at the top, Sinclaire”
“Meet you at the top, Wildflower.
”
SONGS:
You Are The Reason Calum Scott
,
Gold Rush Ranch Series
sitelinkOff to the Races.
stars
sitelinkOut of the Gate,.
sitelinkA Photo Finish,stars
sitelinkThe Front Runner,stars
sitelinkA False Startstars