Hopeless

By: Elsie Silver

Narrated by: Jason Clarke, Angelina Rocca

Beau Eaton is the town prince, a handsome military hero with a tortured past. I’m the outcast bartender, a shy girl from the wrong side of the tracks.

He’s 35 and all man, and I’m 22 and all...virgin.

He’s also my fiancé. Correction: my fake fiancé.

We start out as a bet. He doesn’t believe that anyone holds my last name against me. So he offers me his to prove a point.

It’s win-win. He gets a break from his concerned family’s prying, and I get a chance to shed my family’s reputation while I save up to ditch this small town.

He says all I have to do is wear his ring, follow his lead, and pretend I can’t keep my hands off of him in public.

But it’s what happens between us in private that blurs all those carefully drawn lines.

It’s what transpires behind closed doors that doesn’t feel like pretending at all.

This engagement was supposed to be for show. This agreement? It has an end date.

He once told me he’d never fall in love.

And yet here I am, head over heels for my fake fiancé.

©2023 Elsie Silver (P)2023 Elsie Silver

Perfect series ending

I have loved every book in this series and Hopeless was no different. I’m not gonna lie, I was nervous. I have wanted Bailey and Beau’s story for awhile. Fortunately, Elsie didn’t only meet my expectations; she far surpassed them.

I was hooked from page one. I adored Bailey and her strength. I loved Beau even when he was being a total dummy. Watching both characters’ growth was so fun. They really pushed each other to be the best versions of themselves. I also loved the fake engagement piece - seeing things go from fake to real is always so much fun and Elsie did it perfectly! I alternated between the ebook and audio and the narrators were PERFECTION.

If you’re a fan of this series, you will love this one. If you haven’t read Elsie yet, what are you doing?! Just kidding! This one can be read as a standalone but I think you’ll enjoy it more if you read the series in order.

Jason Clarke and Angelina Rocca nailed it!

•Small town
•PTSD rep
•Virgin mfc
•Fake engagement
•Age gap

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bailey Jansen is seen as Chestnut Springs' outcast. On the other hand, Beau Eaton appears to be everything Bailey isn't - respected, loved, and almost treated like royalty by the townspeople. Despite their stark differences, both carry their own burdens in silence. Bailey longs to escape from the judgmental eyes of the town, while Beau struggles to silence the demons that haunt him from his last deployment.

Desperate to keep their personal struggles hidden from prying eyes, Bailey and Beau devise a plan. They decide to enter into a fake engagement, hoping it will distract the town's attention and allow them some peace. Little do they know that this arrangement will only intensify their feelings for each other, making it impossible to ignore the growing attraction that brews beneath the surface.

Thoughts:
As the series reaches its final installment, readers are taken on an emotional journey. Bailey and Beau find solace in each other, forming an unbreakable bond that is both heartwarming and inspiring to witness. The romance between them unfolds slowly, allowing their inner traumas and the complexities of their personalities to beautifully intertwine.

Overall, Elise Silver delivers a touching love story with the perfect amount of spice. It is a fitting conclusion to the beloved Chestnut Springs series. Now, I eagerly await Ford Grant's story!

🎧Narration was just perfect!

Rocca and Clark knock it out of the park!

Angelina has the most stunning voice and performance as Bailey, a young woman who does not fit in within her community and has never felt love. Jason Clarke, as Beau, gracefully covers ground as a veteran suffering from PTSD and trying to fit a role in his family that doesn’t feel right to him. Rocca and Clarke approach their characters with tenderness and tenacity, and Rocca really shines as an emotional and eager to love and be loved Bailey. There is one scene where she sobs, and it took my breath away. Well done!

Love love love

I love this entire series!!!! This book was so fun and sweet and spicy all wrapped into one!

Perfect isn't enough for this.

This was the most anticipated book of 2023 for me. The most anticipated audiobook too. I preordered it to make sure I didn’t miss it.
If you were waiting for Beau and Bailey too, they are Jason Clarke and Angelina Rocca. No doubt in my mind.
After coming home, Beau finds himself feeling different, even (or especially) around those who love him. That feeling takes him to the Railspur, where Bailey bartends. She could fawn and drool over him, but she gives him a healthy dose of reality instead, and he finds himself going back for more.
He likes being around her. So much so that, when he sees how people treat her in their little town, he makes her a deal she can’t refuse—he’ll make her his fake fiancée. And when Beau takes her to live on his property, being close to him proves… problematic.
The. Tension! It’s my favorite part of reading romance, and Jason and Angelina embody the want, the need, the love. You feel everything in their voices. You’re transported into the story. And that feels incredible.
Beau falls first. But he knows Bailey has no experience, and he wants to be careful. Jason Clarke handles the all-out hot moments so well, but there’s a tenderness amidst his growling that feels special.
And Angelina—sorry, Bailey—doesn’t let him get away with anything. You hear the spunk and the sass in her voice, you get the giggles from their banter and the things that come out of her mouth, and you want to be friends with her. And hug her every once in a while too.
Perfect book. Perfect characters. Perfect casting. Perfect narration. All the feels.