I blew through Hopeless by Elsie Silver so fast and absolutely loved the characters. They were so lost, and in a lot of ways helped each other find their own ways, which led them both going in the same direction. This book is about trauma, healing, and acceptance. It was the perfect way to close out this series.
Hopeless by Elsie Silver
Hopeless by Elsie Silver is the fifth and final book in the Chestnut Springs series. It’s a small town fake dating romance published on October 13th, 2023. It is 486 pages and is available on Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, and the author’s website here.
Premise
With the last name of Jensen, Bailey’s options for finding a better job were slim. Everyone in town was afraid that bringing a Jensen into their business would spell trouble. However, Beau Eaton had a plan, one that just might get his family off his back after a traumatizing experience during his military service. If the town thought she was getting married to him she might be able to catch a break, and his family wouldn’t be as concerned, right?
Triggers
Triggers found in Hopeless by Elsie Silver include:
- Drug Addicted family
- PTSD
- Alcoholism
- Sexually explicit scenes
My Thoughts
This book was filled with a whole lot of things that I typically do not read because of my own background. So tell me why Elsie Silver said, “hey, I’m gonna put all of that in the last book of the Chestnut Springs series,” and I gobbled it up? It’s because she is on a mission to change my mind about certain tropes.
Now, Elsie has not changed my mind on certain tropes, but if she writes it, I guess I’ll see if I like her version. Which in this book, I absolutely did.
“Not a big fan of sharing something once I decide it’s mine.” – Hopeless by Elsie Silver
There wasn’t much of a plot outside of the relationship, but there was so much trauma, grief, and healing that needed to happen in these characters I didn’t even notice the lack of plot elsewhere. Beau is so entirely broken, but in search of something more after his time with the military ended. And Bailey, she just wants to get as far away from the judgement that follows her last name.
“There’s something fractured about Beau. About his spirit. Like he’s torn between so many versions of himself and doesn’t know which one to pick. I wish he knew it’s okay to be all of them with me.” – Hopeless by Elsie Silver
Here’s where I tell you about the spice, right? I would call it a slow burn, but there was a pretty big reason for that. Bailey is a virgin, not that I subscribe to social constructs, but it’s important to mention. She wasn’t avoiding sex for any specific reason. But when your older brothers are town troublemakers, drug dealers and addicts, who was she going to date? Furthermore, they barely kept the bills paid, so it wasn’t like Bailey had a whole lot of ability to research things either.
There are times where Bailey comes across as a bit naive. Now I personally think the author did a fantastic job about making her situation very clear. That being said, Beau was more experienced and was willing to teach her with her consent of course.
Honestly, the book stands out to me not because of spice, or the age gap, or the dirty talk, but because of the individual character growth. We see Bailey get an opportunity to stand on her own two feet. She might be a bit insecure after an entire life living with her abusive family, but she’s still trying to stand on her own.
Beau was the carefree one but after his trauma he didn’t know where to turn in his life, all he knew was he didn’t want to be a rancher. So he was struggling with feelings of obligation while also drinking to excess to forget the trauma.
“Stop agreeing with me. We’re still fighting.”
“Sorry. My bad. It’s just that I am also hashtag team Bailey.”
“You’re relentless, you know that?”
‘And I just give her a salute and a wink. Because yeah, I am.
No one has ever showed up for Bailey, but she’s about to get the full experience.’
“No, sugar. When it comes to you, I’m downright hopeless.” – Hopeless by Elsie Silver
Both Beau and Bailey were a bit reclusive so while his family made appearances throughout the book, there weren’t a lot of side character interactions.
This book was pretty heavy compared to the others, so while we still had all of the small town vibes, this really showcased some of the darker sides of what the people in those types of towns might go through. Especially how it can feel when your family is well known for all the wrong reasons.
Who Would Like Hopeless by Elsie Silver?
Tropes in Hopeless by Elsie Silver include:
- Fake Dating
- Small Town
- Forced Proximity
- Friends to Lovers
If you liked Final Offer by Lauren Asher, The Mixtape by Brittainy C Cherry, or Hello Stranger by Jade West, I would highly recommend you read this book.
Make sure you check out all of my posts on the Chestnut Springs series:
Have you read Hopeless by Elsie Silver, or are you adding it to your TBR? Let me know in the comments below. I love interacting with other readers about books I loved.