Spicy contemporary mf grumpy sunshine romance. This is my first read by this author and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it. The spice was nice, the characters engaging, and the pacing was good. I plan on reading the first in the series next.

#2 in the series, but #1 in my heart!

“A Photo Finish” follows Violet Eaton, a jockey at Gold Rush Ranch, after an injury forces her to move in with Cole Harding, one of her grumpy coworkers. Little does she know, Cole is the same man she had a secret online relationship with a few years back…and he still can’t get her out of his head.

I love the pacing of this one, the heartwarming friendships, and Violet and Cole’s grumpy x sunshine dynamic. The spark between them is slow to ignite, but once it does the wait is definitely worth it because what happens in the horse stall is everything!

My favorite part of this book was watching Violet and Cole fall in love with each other twice—in person and online. Silver begins each chapter with flashbacks that consist of their online chats. She then transitions to Violet and Cole’s interactions in the present. Silver reveals the details surrounding their shared past little by little so as to conceal the full scope of their relationship until the very end—when both of their worlds collide.

I love that the romance wasn’t the only focal point in the story. As a former soldier, Cole struggles with PTSD. Not only that, but his father’s death has a lasting impact on him. Throughout the book, he actively seeks out help from a therapist and I appreciated the care with which Silver depicts his mental health struggles. Further, I love how patient Violet is with him. She is always there to lend an ear and doesn’t treat him differently because of what he is going through.

Having read the Chestnut Springs series first, I really enjoyed getting to learn more about the baby sister of all the Eaton brothers and how she found the man of her dreams!

If anyone can write a broody, man, it's Elsie Silver my gosh. This was my favorite of her books that I've read so far.

We've got the broody veteran that pretty much dislikes everyone and the literal ray of sunshine Violet, who is going to make him like her pretty much one way or another.

The plot was fast-paced and engaging, the spice was most definitely spicing, and there were several giggle and kick your feet moments. I always love it when a book can encompass my favorite things without feeling like they were thrown in to just say they were in there.

Elsie Silver is a GENIUS!! This book was so good. It had me hooked from the first page. Violet is such an amazing character . Cole is grumpy but so swoony!!! The loving supportive family was a great addition to an already beautifully written novel. The love story believeable, the world building and plot complete and consistant, I loved every second of this book.

Wow!! I just loved this book. I really wasn’t expecting to like it because I had read an other book from an other series by Elsie but I had not liked it so I was surprised to love this one. I will be reading more of this series for sure.

I highly recommend.

3.5 stars rounded up

There were a lot of things I loved about this book including Violet- she’s such a great FMC and I love that in this series the girls are all driven and confident and have their own things going on that they excel at. A female jockey is such a unique story to tell in this genre, especially one that accepts no garbage behavior from others. I loved the new horse too- the horses in this series have so much personality! I loved the flashbacks at the start of most chapters that revealed the back story (always a great format and probably what made me finish this book in a day). The way they met was super unique too which made the story interesting. I also felt like the love story wasn’t rushed at all which is great.

I wasn’t a huge fan of Cole. He was too broody and closed off even for me who loves a broody guy with a good backstory. The spice was nice though 😅. And I did appreciate that he was really trying to change, but he also came off a little creepy to me which was unfortunate.

Elsie Silver is an instant add to cart/preorder every way possible author. Paperback, special edition, audio book and kindle edition are always instant buy now’s when it comes to her. I was so excited to enter this world that now I have to go back and read all the other books in this series. You know sometimes you just want to save series for a rainy day but knowing they are there when you need them is so comforting. Time for the next book.

When Violet Eaton set her sights to get away from her overbearing family (hi Cade & Rhett ) - she escaped as far as she could get - to the other side of the country. Being bold and brazen - Violet decides that she'll join an online forum where she'll post a semi-nude pic of herself. Just to really push her boundaries and feel more herself. Violet doesn't expect to find herself in a position where she chats daily with her anonymous pen-pal. They end up forming a strange sort of relationship that's part blatant sex appeal and part friendship. But when that online relationship fizzles, Violet does not expect her online buddy to be her new boss - Cole Harding.

I am such a sucker for second chance romance and Violet and Cole were so good together in A Photo Finish! I loved the mystery of them when I read the first book in the series Off to the Races. What was it that Colt said to Violet when he first met her after she won her first race as a jockey. And why was she so upset?!

The enemies-to-lovers/second chance romance can be hard to pull off. I need the angst and mystery as to what happened between the couple to make it believe-able. Elsie Silver is such a talented author and she totally delivered on this second chance romance. I wanted to know what Cole and Violet's relationship was when they were first anonymously messaging each other and what happened to end it??

As with other romances by Elsie Silver - this one was also plenty spicy. But more than that it also had a lot of heart. Where Violet was so fierce and independent, Cole needed the reassurances and their relationship evolved so much over the course of this book.

If you're a fan of angsty/swoony second chance romances with a growly/grumbly alphahole character I highly recommend A Photo Finish

This is definitely one of my favorite books by Elsie Silver! I absolutely fell in love with Violet and Cole's journey. This book has everything I look for in a small town romance. It had me laughing, swooning, kicking my feet, crying. I felt all the emotions!

Violet was so much like her brothers. I love the Chestnut Springs series and this book just took me back. Cole and Violet's chemistry was so evident and the banter was so great! I absolutely loved how Violet knew what she wanted and knew who she was, without sacrificing her relationship with Cole. She was frustrated by him, but she was constantly there for him and understood him in a way that no one else did. She was fierce and feisty and did not take any of what he was dishing out.

Cole was such a grump. I understood his journey and his story personally. His struggles and his growth throughout the story were so great to experience through his POV and Violet's.

I just love Elsie Silver's writing. She has a way of taking a hard topic and spinning it in a way that is so heartwarming and cracks you up in the same breath. Then, it ends up teaching you a lesson in how to deal with hard life experiences. The story just flows so well. Cole's story is a hard one to read and the way that he deals with his struggles was satisfying.

This book was top tier and I loved it! I am convinced this family exists in real life. I want a Gold Rush Ranch or a Chestnut Springs Ranch in my life!

A Photo Finish is the second book in the Gold Rush Ranch series. This book is about Violet and Cole and is told from both of their points of view. This book is sort of a second chance, close proximity romance.

Cole and Violet have an online relationship without actually meeting for a year until something rips them apart. Now Violet is a jockey at the farm Cole works at. When Violet gets hurt she ends up living with Cole.

Feelings start to develop, but some things from both of their pasts make it harder for them.

I loved every minute of this book. I didn't want to put it down! I can't wait to see what happens next in this series!

Oh my god! What an amazing 6 star story this was. When i got this book , I hurried up and downloaded the first one in this series and devoured it. I loved this story so much that I binged read it also. A grumpy/sunshine story that made me swoon.

I never saw the plot twist coming. It left me baffled. The author write books to make us fall in love with the characters. I was hooked from the very first page to the last one. An highly addicting story.

For better enjoyment read them in order. Told in a dual POV with an HEA. I strongly recommend this story.

I loved the enemies to lovers with second chance full of angst and a little mystery to what happened before. I could not stop reading, the then and now blended seamlessly together. I cannot believe I’ve waited this long to read the series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Tropes:
-Second Chance
-Online Penpals
-Forced Proximity
-Ex Military
-Mental Health


Book 2 in Gold Rush Ranch Series.
These were the first Elsie Silver books I ever read and I’m HOOKED! Love an age gap! I absolutely loved the growth between Violet, and Cole from online relationship to real life meeting! Loved watching them grow (especially Cole going to therapy) can’t wait to continue the series!

I have always argued that this is Elsie Silver’s most underrated book. It has everything – perfect character development, a surprise twist, and the grumpiest (but most lovable) MMC.
I think what makes this book so refreshing is that Cole is a caretaker, despite his trauma. He sees that Violet and her horse need love, and he delivers. Violet’s growth is so lovely – you can’t help but root for her every step of the way.
What makes this stand out from Elsie’s other works is how effectively this mental health rep is handled. Issues like PTSD are difficult to write, and this is done so sensitively.
Thank you NetGalley + Bloom Books for a copy of this ARC!

I really wanted to love this book. I feel like Violet and Cole were well developed characters but the story felt rushed. There was a lot of build up to them finally being together and then suddenly he figured out how to change to be with her and then the book ends. I wanted more of them.

Gold Rush Ranch 2 starring Violet Eaton and Cole Harding

I received this as an arc after I was already about 70% done reading it on my own anyway and I quite enjoyed it. Cole is definitely the grumpiest MMC I've read in a while, but Violet is a great match for him.

Violet Eaton (of the Alberta Eaton boys) is a brand new jockey at the company that Cole half owns, but this isn't really a workplace romance. Cole and Violet had been talking for a year on a “forum” (where violet had posted a nude photo of herself). It's second chance romance, forced proximity, age gap (10 years), grumpy x sunshine, best friend's husband's brother. It's got an veteran MMC with PTSD, a secret prosthetic, and a thing for being dominant. Violet is discovering herself and takes no shit, except when she wants to, and she is definitely a horse girl through and through.

We also get a good dose of Billie (who we love from book 1) and lots of hints at Mira and Stefan's story.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️

A great second chance romance from Elsie Silver. I liked the first book in this series but could tell it was a debut and felt like it needed better pacing and development of the romance and Elsie Silver delivered with this second book. Following Violet who is a jockey for Cole's family's ranch after he realizes she is the woman he has been in an online relationship for a year he freaks out and cuts ties. A few years later when Violet gets injured she moves into the main house at the ranch, which happens to be where Cole lives. The tension and angst in this book was top notch. I loved both main characters and how they were both working through their individual issues. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

Did I just find my new favorite Elsie Silver book??? Eaton boys who??? Violet is obviously the best Eaton sibling and I'll take no notes about it.

Violet is such a sassy, quiet, and determined character who I relate to so much. You can definitely see how growing up in Chestnut Springs formed her into the person that she is in this book. The only surprising part of her personality, though it shouldn't have been given who her brothers are, was how spicy she could be. All my annotations in chapter 23 were literally just "VIOLET!" I love her so much and I cannot wait to see her throughout the rest of the series.

Jasper and Theo need to scooch together to make room for Cole in first place of Elsie Silver's men. Cole is someone who has been through a lot in a short time. He is rightfully closed off but has taken steps to cope with his experiences. I think I love that the most about him because he does not just sit and wait for Violet to tell him what is wrong, he takes action to try to make their relationship better without her input. I love these two together and am so happy with their little cameos in the Chestnut Springs series.

I'm so happy to have received an early copy of the republished version from Bloom on Netgalley!

Book 2 in Gold Rush Ranch Series.
Love an age gap that doesn’t focus on the age gap! Would have loved to have seen this in Beau’s book in the Chestnut Springs Series (but alas).

Appreciated the growth and independence we see from Violet, and Cole. They are both very dimensional characters and didn’t fall flat.

Their secret past catches up with them as they’re forced to not just work around another, but live with another following a racing accident. Cole takes on the role of caretaker - not just for Violet but for her newly acquired horse named Pipsqueak. And welp, can’t help but love him even if he acts like a jerk to everyone else.

(Side note - I love Cole’s relationship with his therapist!!)
3.5 ⭐️
2 🌶️

TROPES:
Online “pen pals”
Forced Proximity
Age gap
Ex military
Mental health rep
Second Chance

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Off to the Races so much and was happy I got a copy of A Photo Finish.

From book one, we were already introduced to Violet Eaton at Twenty-six (and thriving), she's transformed from Gold Rush Ranch's groom to their champion jockey.

Vaughn Harding's (from book one) older brother, Cole, is a the opposite of Violet. At thirty-six, he runs the family business from the city, a closed-off, grumpy recluse. A new venture forces him to the ranch for an indefinite stay, disrupting his preferred isolation. Cole carries the scars of war and a hidden childhood trauma, fueling his PTSD. He's fought hard for normalcy, but the battle is far from over.

The two of them are such a perfect match and complete each other. The grumpy x sunshine trope is what i loved about this.