Hopeless by Elsie Silver

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 thirty-five and all man, and I’m twenty-two 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.

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️
Genre: Small Town Romance 🤠
Series: Chestnut Springs [5/5]
Tropes: military, age gap, fake engagement, virginal/teach me
Recommend?: Yes

Beau Eaton is finally home following a traumatic event while on duty overseas. He’s struggle with returning to the mundane ranch life, and everyone fussing over him. Bailey is the youngest Jansen – Chestnut Springs’ family of lowlifes. However, she’s always kept her head down, nose clean, and worked hard for her money. Despite all that, the locals cannot look past her last name to give her a chance. Beau presents the mutually beneficial fake engagement agreement to get his family off his back, and improving Bailey’s image.

The sexual tension was off the charts in this book! I typically shy away from the virginal trope because those FMCs feel very naive – not Bailey! She is very open, and blunt about what she wants and what she doesn’t. I really did not get on with the bathtub scene – iykyk. I have to say, this is my least favourite of the series, but still a great book!

Is their an Eaton boy for me? I also request a Harvey book please and thank you!

Heartless review: https://emilynmax.com/2024/03/heartless-by-elsie-silver/

Reckless review: https://emilynmax.com/2024/08/reckless-by-elsie-silver/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/174753697-hopeless