Thank you to the author, publisher and @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Now I’m a sucker for an @authorelsiesilver series (talking about you Chestnut Springs) and I love this series too but it does have different vibes. I’m trying to pinpoint it, but I digress.

Cole is an absolute grump and Violet is our sunshine. But when you read about how they first met and all the ‘then’ flashbacks peppered in with the current chapters, you’ll see why this gets spicy and why Violet isn’t as innocent and sweet as everyone thinks.

Per the usual, Elsie nails the spicy scenes (hello barn scene) and I can’t wait to continue with The Front Runner!

This was SO not my cup of tea when it comes to adult romance. It was doing a little too much for me. I keep trying the author but haven't found something I've liked yet, and the concept was not at all up my alley.

I have loved the Elsie Silver books i've read in the past and I will totally keep trying them but this one I didn't love the premise of how they met. For some reason it didn't work for me. I'd definitely try the rest of the series though! Gimme all the cowboys!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

I really loved this one! The characters were so lifelike and I’m sorry but Cole?? This is one MMC that is going to be stuck in my head for a longggg time.

He was complex and had such a rough go of it that I just wanted to hug him close and tell him it’s all going to be okay. And the way he loved Violet was just so perfect 😭 they were both dealing with a lot of their own issues but they still managed to find passionate love despite all of it.

I did like how there were a few “then” chapters; they provided a little bit of comedic relief since there’s some really heavy topics in this book.

I started with this book so I’m technically out of order, but I plan on reading the rest of this series! Also - be sure if you’ve already read Chestnut Springs and are going through her backlog to give this book a fair shot. I know the Chestnut Springs series was AMAZING, but this one is too in its own right!

Elsie Silver only writes perfection. I love her style, story and characters. They become so personal to you, and this book was no different. It was so fun to read this story after her Chestnut Springs series as we hear and see some familiar faces, while it is still an original story.

Our two characters are Violet and Cade. They are the definition of the grumpy/sunshine trope. Violet and Cade in a way met two years prior to this book. She was in a sort of rut and decided to sign up for a site to post risque photos of herself and chat with strangers. Enter Cade, one of those strangers who she started chatting with. They developed a sort of pen pal situation, however, Cade never showed his face. They both obviously grew feelings for one another, but Cade immediately pulled back when he realized he was getting in too deep.

Flash forward to present day. Violet is not living on the farm where Cade does as he is the brother of her boss and also technically her boss. She does not initially know it is him, though he knows it is her. Fate throws them together and all of the walls that were originally erected are broken down again. We learn about each of their insecurities and how they help each other over come them.

This book has a much more serious tone than other Elsie books as it tackles some serious topics such as PTSD, amputation and veterans. I loved how it was handled with care and hate anyone who made Cade feel like less of a man.

I really loved how the book would go from past to present, showing the reader how the relationship progressed, regressed and progressed again.

This book also has all the great tropes:
Grumpy x Sunshine
Forced Proximity
Roommates
Small Town
Touch her and die
Spice!
Healing

Thank you to the publisher and author for an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love getting to read Violet story I love all the Eastan stories. Watching Violet with Cole and learning who Cole is was just amazing.

I had a really hard time with the writing of this book. I do know that Elsie Silver is super popular, but I just don't think her style works for me - not with this book at least. I had to DNF unfortunately.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS for an ARC of this book.

I didn’t love the first book in this series, but I still had high hopes as I’ve read two other series from Elsie and fell in love with many books in the series. This one did not disappoint!

This is the story of Violet and Cole, who started chatting online and fell for each other, but neither admitted it and now we’re in the present. Violet starts working on his family’s ranch as a jockey, and she moves in with him as she recovers from an injury.

Even though they so badly want to hate each other, they start falling for each other again, as they spend more time together and more things are shared. There’s one scene which melted my heart - where Cole and Violet end up needing to stay overnight outside while on a hike, and instead of her leaving him (as he instructs), she stays. Swoon!

Tension and emotions were high in this one. I would absolutely recommend, even if the first book in the series didn’t pull you in.

Elsie Silver absolutely delivers with A Photo Finish, a small-town romance packed with tension, longing, and just the right amount of angst. If you love a slow-burn, second-chance romance with a hero who broods like it’s his full-time job and a heroine who refuses to settle for less than she deserves, this one is for you.

If I had to nitpick, there were a few moments where I wanted a little more—more open communication, more resolution to some of the emotional roadblocks—but overall, this book had me hooked from start to finish. Fans of the Chestnut Springs series will love it, and if you haven’t read the others yet? Trust me, you’ll want to after this.

A Photo Finish by Elsie Silver is a solid, swoon-worthy romance with all the small-town charm and tension you’d expect. The chemistry between the characters is undeniable, and the emotional depth kept me engaged. While I really enjoyed the story, some parts felt a bit slower than I’d hoped, which is why it’s not quite a five-star read for me. That said, Elsie Silver always delivers, and this one is definitely worth picking up if you love a heartfelt, steamy romance!

I have loved Elsie Silver since her Chestnut Springs series. I have read all of her books except this series so when I read Off To The Races and didn't like the MMC I wasn't sure I would like the rest but I actually really enjoyed this one! It felt similar to her others (in a good way). I liked getting to know more about Violet and Cole. The way they met was not what I was expecting going in. I really enjoyed their moments together and how Violet helped Cole to come out of the darkness. I'm looking forward to Mira's story next.

Thank you to Bloom Books and the author for this gifted copy.

✨ I should tell her she’s so much more. The thing that got me out of bed most mornings. My bright spot. My sunshine.✨

A photo finish is the second book in the Gold Rush Ranch series.

I really enjoyed this book, I actually think I loved it even more than the first one.
I was completely hooked and intrigued from the first chapter!
Tortured soul Cole and sweet independent Violet are like fireworks! They have a secret past nobody knows about! And Cole has a long time secret he hasn’t even told his family about!
Cole & Violets world are thrust together when Violet is injured and in need of a place to stay!

Small town + Grump x Sunshine = perfection!

Elsie Silver is a queen of romance! She makes my heart melt among other things 😉 this story was great and I can’t wait to continue this series.

This is way too much spice! I have not read any Elsie Silver, this is my first attempt and it’s not what I expected it to be at all! Where are the horses? Where is the ranch vibe? It’s mostly just a story about online promiscuity & I was very taken aback. I did not enjoy this at all.

DNF at 20%.
I really wanted to push thru because I have this as an arc, but I can’t continue. The spice is just extremely disturbing, it’s borderline creepy with the way they’ve met and the things the male mc says. Every chapter began with these descriptive spice scenes of how they met. I can’t continue reading this, there is nothing propelling me to move forward.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of A Photo Finish by Elsie Silver!

3.5⭐️ I definitely enjoyed this one more than the first, but I HATE when books have ~she doesn’t wear makeup and doesn’t feel like she needs to unlike some women~ and that happened twice within 80 pages.

yeehaw! thank you to the publisher for the arc for this. it took me a while to be in the mood to read this but i am so glad i waited til the time was right! i loved cole and violet so much! they are an amazing book couple and i loved reading more about actual ranch life. i can't wait to read the other books in this series!!

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, I will read anything and everything Elsie Silver writes even if it’s just her grocery list. A Photo Finish is delectable, and I cant wait to read the rest of the series.