EP. 33: Rose Hill (Books 1 & 2) by Elsie Silver

In this episode of "Read Me Next," Carina and Pili discuss  Elsie Silver’s Wild Love and Wild Eyes. They uncover the irresistible charm of Elsie Silver’s small-town series. From a single dad donating sperm to a goth preteen to a celebrity actress escaping her past, these stories deliver humor, heartbreak, and heartwarming bonds that redefine romance. Elsie writes supporting characters who steal the show, like quirky Cora and West’s hilarious antics, as well as the powerful themes of mental health and broken trust. They learn why Elsie Silver’s characters are more than just romance—they’re reflections of real life struggles and triumphs.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:07

Welcome to Read Me Next, a book club of Make It a Podcast, where we have lots of feelings and no qualifications.

SPEAKER_00 0:11

What are we reading this week?

SPEAKER_01 0:12

We are reading the Rose Hill series by Elsie Silver, books one and two.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

So good to be back with Elsie, I think. So content. She's just so good at writing. Yeah, I love the way she writes. I love the characters. I love the banter. I love everything. The found family, like you always say. Oh, so good in her books. So good. Yeah. So I'm excited to get your like opinions on a couple of things in this series.

SPEAKER_01 0:33

Okay, so basically, this is books one and two. It's Wild Love and Wild Eyes. Got it. And so the series is essentially the small town. Yep. Each one follows a single dad, which is so funny. Yep. Actually. And it's like you said, I didn't put that together. No. Oh no. Oh, it's like they're all gonna be about like the bowling team. Yeah, you're right. That's so funny. The dad's night out. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 0:55

And like you said, it's found family. And then each one has like its own like mini trope, I guess, in it. Yeah. So this is what I was thinking about. Like the first one is like second chance. The the or is it?

SPEAKER_01 1:05

I don't I wouldn't say it's second chance. It's it's brother's best friend. Yes, it is. And another trope in it is he's billionaire. I love the billionaire trope. I know you do. That's so funny. So yeah, so the first one is wild love. So it follows follows Rosie, Belmont, and Ford Grant. Yeah, which is actually Willow Grant's brother. We love that. Love that. I love the little cameos that were in the series in general. We're gonna talk about it.

SPEAKER_00 1:30

Oh my god, no. Yes. There's there's a few cameos. Yeah. I love love. But I also feel like you, because I think it was the Chestnut Spring series where you were like, I don't know the titles of any of them.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

Oh yeah?

SPEAKER_00 1:40

Yeah, because I don't know the titles, I just know the people that are in them.

SPEAKER_01 1:43

Okay, no. So Wild Love is the first one, which I honestly thought it was called Wild Rose. Because that's like the name of Gordian Studio. No, but it's Wild Love. Wild Love is the first one. And it's Ford and Rosie.

SPEAKER_00 1:55

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 1:56

Okay, so what did you rate it?

SPEAKER_00 1:57

I think I would rate this one. You're scared of me. I'm not gonna lie. I did like this one. I think I'll rate this one like a four. But I think I would give like uh see, this is what's hard. Like I wanna say three and a half. Really? Yeah. Cause I don't know. I just like I didn't love these as much as the Chest and Springs series.

SPEAKER_01 2:16

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:17

But like I don't want to say three and a half because I did like the books. So I'm gonna go with a four.

SPEAKER_01 2:21

Okay. Mine's like a four and a half.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

Almost five. Wow. I really like this book. Good. Okay. What about their spiceometer? I don't know. Spice like four for for for the both of them. Yeah. I think I would do three and a half, four also. Yeah. For them. Okay, amazing. So the first book, Wild Love, basically it's Rosie. She comes back to town after, you know, she got like this corporate job in the city, this, that, and she got fired. Freaking Stan. Freaking is that his name?

SPEAKER_00 2:45

I think well, don't trust me on the names. But I'm pretty sure it's Stan. I bet you it's not Stan.

SPEAKER_01 2:51

Honestly. I think it is. It probably isn't. Stanley? Stan is the best boss ever. See? I knew it. I was right for one. Amazing. I love that for you. I think.

SPEAKER_00 3:04

So she comes back to Rose Hill. She was real depressed because she was the first one to get out of the town and into the city. Yeah. Yeah. And she's like, damn, I gotta come back here now. I mean, but honestly though, it's like she made it to the city and she was like, is this what it's all about? Yeah, she didn't even like really like it.

SPEAKER_01 3:19

She didn't enjoy it at all. No. And then so she got hired by Ford to basically be the business manager at the record studio. All right, let's just get into the book. Yeah. And so essentially the book begins, she comes back and somebody knocks at his door and it's Cora. And so when he was 19, he donated sperm, and this is like his biological child who's like a 12-year-old, like goth, grungy, yeah, like preteen.

SPEAKER_00 3:44

Literally him though, in a little girl. In a little girl form.

SPEAKER_01 3:48

And he's like, What the fuck? And her dad had recently died, and her mom was depressed, so she kind of needed a uh like a legal guardian. Yeah. And so he stepped up, which I was sad as fuck. Super sad. Cora?

SPEAKER_00 4:00

I loved Cora, but like thinking about the whole situation, I was like, to like have that maturity to be able to go out and be like, I know I need somebody.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

Yeah. Or else I'm like screwed. Or else I'm fucked. No. And like that her mom and her dad, like I it was so sad.

SPEAKER_00 4:13

Yeah. I like that they like realized that their parents were probably good people.

SPEAKER_01 4:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:18

You know, and it wasn't like a bad situation. No. Well, uh, it was a bad situation, but it wasn't like a core bad situation.

SPEAKER_01 4:25

It was like a temporary bad situation.

SPEAKER_00 4:26

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 4:27

Yeah. And what I was gonna say was I really liked how Elsie portrayed all of the different types of family dynamics in the series. Because not all of them were like, oh, like a divorced single dad. Like, no, this was like such a weird type of dynamic where it's like you were a sperm donor and now you're a child, and that's why he's a single dad. Yep. And I feel like all of them have like their weird little quirks in the family dynamic. And so I really liked it. I really liked Cora. I thought she was like, I I feel like Elsie just knows how to write like these supporting characters. Supporting characters, yeah, yeah. Cora was cracking me up the entire time.

SPEAKER_00 4:59

No, and and into like the second book, it was just like she just kept developing as this like sassy, yeah, young woman. I was like, I love this.

SPEAKER_01 5:08

No, she was so cute. Yeah, and so Rosie and Ford kind of just end up getting together anyways. Yep. And I like their dynamic too because they were very much opposites attract. Like he was very serious and like gets things done and this and that, and she's just like carefree, bubbly. I love Rosie. I loved Rosie. She was cute, she was so funny. The so I love because in Chestnut Springs, we were obsessed with the text messages. Oh, yes, this book they had emails, and the emails were cracking me up. Friggin' hilarious. No, no, I was dying.

SPEAKER_00 5:39

No, they were great.

SPEAKER_01 5:40

I loved it. Yeah. No, so I really liked the book. I thought it was funny, and I also think, like uh, I was saying before, like the the dynamic of them, it wasn't like she was the nanny, and that's why she was tired. Like, no, she's a business manager, she's kind of taking care of Cora. They were kind of friends, like yeah, it was fun.

SPEAKER_00 5:56

I like how like in this book, like he acknowledged her education. He was like, No, I'm paying you this because you're good at what you do.

SPEAKER_01 6:03

Well, as like for the signing bonus or the bonus he gave her, bro. A hundred grand love. Love this is the this is the billionaire trope that I live for.

SPEAKER_00 6:13

Eat it up literally eight. I was like, a hundred grand. I was like, jaw on the floor. No, the private jet, love. Like, no, just everything. Come on. I loved. Yeah. So I really like how Ford was exactly what Cora needed. So that was so sweet. Everything was so sweet.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

Yeah, and he's just like, I don't know what I'm doing. And she was like, I don't want to be a burden. Because like her whole like growing up or whatever. So I was like, damn. And Rosie really helped them bond.

SPEAKER_00 6:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:40

Yeah, no, like their little trio was really cute. I love the little dynamic that they had.

SPEAKER_00 6:44

Yeah. I like how in these books there was nothing in between like the the dad and the kid. Like it was really just them hashing it out and trying to figure out like what was best for them. And people were just like giving them like a little a little help. But the relationship was truly them. You know what I mean? I like that.

SPEAKER_01 7:00

This book was really fun for me. I really enjoyed it. All right, hold on. Oh, can we also talk about how like she was groped like by Stan? And that's why she was gonna go to HR and he beat her to it, basically, and and he fired her. And her stupid ass boyfriend, what was his name? Ryan? Yeah. I hated that guy too.

SPEAKER_00 7:16

What a loser. What a fucking loser.

SPEAKER_01 7:17

That was my annotation. I'm like, guy. No. The fact that he was like, maybe you shouldn't mention it. She just got assaulted and you don't give a shit. And she's like, I mean, I'm not expecting, you know, like a parade or something, but come on, acknowledge say something.

SPEAKER_00 7:28

And he didn't even hug her.

SPEAKER_01 7:29

Be mad. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:32

Yeah. Yep. Oh, no. And Ford was livid. Livid. Eat it up. I love Ford. I loved him. He was just like He's just a broody man.

SPEAKER_01 7:42

He was so broody. Love that shit. I I guess it's like the part where Rosie meets Cora or something like that. And so Rosie goes to Ford and she's like, wow, congratulations on finally losing your virginity. And so Cora goes, Oh, well, he was a sperm donor to my parents. And there's like Cora spouts matter-of-factly. So for all I know, he could definitely still be a virgin. Your was brain wasn't very quiet, you know. It was so funny. Cora's so cool. She was so cute.

SPEAKER_00 8:08

Like she was very much like the breaking the tension between them. So one thing that had me cracking up was West in every single scene. Loved West. Bro, I love that man. He was so good. So fucking funny. I loved West. There was one part though that he explained, like he sets aside, like bowling is his one night that he sets aside each week to have an hour of his time that he does not have to think about being a parent. Yeah. And I was like, oh, that's me and Peely on the podcast. Like literally, I was like, This is our bowling. This is our bowling. It's very true. We are the ball busters. Welcome.

SPEAKER_01 8:38

We gotta change the name mode of the podcast. The ball busting readers. Welcome to the ballbusting podcast.

SPEAKER_00 8:48

Literally. Oh my gosh. Oh my god, so funny. The ballbusters. That's us. Well, we are very much ball busters too. Exactly. So I thought that was really, really cute. He and he I had another part here that it was like when he was trying to figure out the name, and Ford obviously was a musician. So he goes, How about the Bowling Stones, brother? That shit had me dying. He was so funny. So funny. And Ford was like, No. Crickets. And I was like, he doesn't get it. That was funny. I like that. I love all of them as men. Love. Yeah, they were so cute together. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:19

And I like how like every book we kind of got more into the bowling nights. Yeah. And so we would see more of their dynamic and how they like actually became friends, found family. So this is a part where, oh my gosh, very tension y at the beginning. Because she was still with Ryan when she got there. And so it's it's Rosie and Ford, and they're just talking by themselves. But so she goes, Are you single? And he says, Yes, are you? And she goes, I don't know. And so he goes, Next time you ask me that, make sure you are.

SPEAKER_00 9:43

I said, Love that. Love. No. He the way he just went about everything, Rosie. I was like, yes. No, he was obsessed. Obsessed with her. No. Infatuated. When um I don't know the name of the painter. But when the painter came around. Oh yeah, Scotty. Scotty. The mouse. Scotty the mouse. When Scotty came around and he was like so possessed over this. Get out. Get the fuck out. You're fired. Get the fuck out. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 10:09

Yeah, no.

SPEAKER_00 10:10

You know, I love a jealous moment. And that was what I needed.

SPEAKER_01 10:13

And it was like the the also like it just every part where he oh no. Even like the diary, whenever she would give him a diary entry and he would read it. And it was like I do like that. It wasn't second chance because they weren't boyfriend, girlfriend when they were younger. But it was very cute. Yeah, it gave like I don't know. I don't know. Honestly, it might be second chance.

SPEAKER_00 10:33

I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 10:33

I don't know if second chance is only like if they were together before.

SPEAKER_00 10:36

I feel like I feel like it's it can be second chance in a way in that like he knows he doesn't want to let her go again. Like he wants to try, actually. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:44

No, and uh like he's literally been obsessed for like over a decade.

SPEAKER_00 10:47

Literally. Or when he was thinking about how, or he was telling her that he had one serious relationship and that she was gonna try to move in with him or something like that. And he was like, no, and he couldn't do it because he wasn't Rosie.

SPEAKER_01 10:57

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 10:59

Obsessed.

SPEAKER_01 10:59

Obsessed.

SPEAKER_00 11:00

She was so fucking clueless. So fucking clueless is Rosie. She's like, I keep reading these diary entries, and I'm like, wow, maybe I did love this guy.

SPEAKER_01 11:07

Yeah, maybe he did actually like me and we didn't hate each other. Yeah, I have my annotations on the on the emails. And she's like, Good morning, Mr. Grant. I'm creating a budget for renovation. How much do you have slated? Please advise all the best. He goes, hi, Rosalie, whatever it takes. She's like, Mr. Grant, I need numbers if I'm gonna make a budget. And you need to add a closing ingredient to your email signature. Otherwise, people will know you're a total dick. All the best, Rosie Belmont, business manager to his royal dickness at Rose Hill Records. And he goes, Hi, Rosalie. I don't especially care if random people think I'm a dick. Numbers are attached here. Have a happy day, his Royal Dickness. No, I love the dick manager.

SPEAKER_00 11:41

That was really funny. The dick manager was so funny. And when they like had their little spliff or whatever argument, and their emails got like way less friendly.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

Uh-huh. Like more professional.

SPEAKER_00 11:51

Yeah, they got way more professional. He like did not like that. And I was like, ooh, what are you gonna do about it? Loved him. I loved her a lot too. She was really good. She was really funny. Yeah. Yeah. My god, no. Can we just like touch on the mouse though? That shit was so funny. The fucking Scotty? Yeah. And he made a recurring appearance in books. Scotty's so funny. A legit supporting character. Literally. Throughout the entire book.

SPEAKER_01 12:13

I thought that was insane. I'm like, Rosie, what are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 12:15

No, but that shit's so fucking funny. No, yeah, like just Elsie just knows how to write like bits. It's so funny. He she really does. Bits is like her specialty.

SPEAKER_01 12:24

The other bit was the mom being the sex therapist. Of course.

SPEAKER_00 12:28

No, she was just like just making everybody like so awkward. It's so funny. No, and then she's like the sex therapist, but the dad just doesn't know anything. No, the dad is clueless. Like clueless as hell. Typical man.

SPEAKER_01 12:40

Yeah, literally, he's like, What happened in here? Yeah. He's like, Oh, when he gets mad and he just starts throwing shit on the floor. She's like, they just had fucking sex on this desk. Yep. Come on now. So fucking funny. So funny. So this is a part with the mom. And so he's like, Hi mom, how's my boy? Well, it turns out I have a daughter. I decided earlier that ripping the band-aid off would be the best approach. And she goes, and such an act for delivering big news.

SPEAKER_00 13:05

She was cool. It did hurt me though when Willa came to visit Cora and meet her finally. She was pissed, obviously. Shout out to Rosie also for like stopping her in her tracks. I was like, if anybody's gonna appreciate that, it's Willa. Yeah. Willa is gonna be like, I like you protecting this. And she gave her like a wink and she was like, All right. Yeah, literally, all right, all right. But it did, I I felt her pain when she was like, How come everybody knew and I didn't? Yeah. And she was like, My parents literally thought that I knew. Yeah. That hurt me. I was like, fuck, that's so sad. I know. I hate not being in the loop when you think you are.

SPEAKER_01 13:37

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 13:37

Mm-mm.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

Especially something so big. Yeah. But then I also get it because he's like, Well, lady, like, I got my own shit to deal with right now. Yeah. I feel like he was a little, a little bit on the grumpy side, so he's like, probably. That's true.

SPEAKER_00 13:50

He's probably like only telling the most necessary people.

SPEAKER_01 13:52

Yeah. And he's like, mom, and then the mom told the dad, and the dad told Dwella, it's like whatever.

SPEAKER_00 13:57

I got no Cora being like, I I want to meet your parents. I want to feel what it's like to have a grandma.

SPEAKER_01 14:03

I'm like, No, and then the dad wearing like number world's number one grandpa. Yes, Ford Grant Sr. Yes. Love.

SPEAKER_00 14:10

Bro, that's so sweet. I love that. Yeah. Num number one grandpa. Oh. And they were like just going at it on the guitar.

SPEAKER_01 14:18

They were having like a blast. So cute.

SPEAKER_00 14:19

Oh my god, no. Cora was just like awestruck. She was like, You're gonna let me play your guitar?

SPEAKER_01 14:24

He's like, Yeah. She's like, oh my god. Like you were just mentioning, Willa goes to the office, but also Ryan goes to the office. Oh my god. How did we forget that? Yep. Both show up at the same time. Yep. And so Rosie stopped off of them. She's like, Willa, calm the fuck down. I'll go get Ford. Chill. Yep. And so Rosie goes and because it's Ford and Cora and they're in his office. And so she's like, So you both heard all that? And Ford's like, Willa isn't exactly quiet. Yep. And so she goes, No, she isn't. She's pacing on the hill waiting for you. And Ryan is outside. And he's like, Ryan's here. And she's like, Yes. And then they're like, for how long? I'm not sure. Whatever. And so it says that Cora walks past him and she goes, Move it, fuck boy.

SPEAKER_00 15:08

No. Friggin' Cora against this Ryan character. She was like, no. He's a fucking loser. She was not with it. No. And then Ford was like, I kind of have to agree with her.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

He is a fuck boy.

SPEAKER_00 15:19

I was like, love how Elsie writes these kids. Bro, always. So funny. And then they go to the he finds them at the bar. Oh, and he gets mad. Oh my god. And he gets so petty. He gets so possessive. And she was like, You and me outside right now. Right fucking now. Uh-uh. Love. That was so I like that. Ford was definitely ready to like you almost yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:41

Yeah. Beat the shit out of anybody. Literally. So good. No, then the part where Rosie has her period. Or she's about Cora? No, Rosie. No, Cora definitely. But Rosie's about to get her period or something. And so she goes, it's Monday, Ryan is gone, Willow's gone, and I'm obsessing over stupid bitchy Ford. She goes, basically, my headspace is trash and my body's a traitor. And so she goes on saying, the thing about Rosie is she had no filter. Nope. No. So she's telling him, like, oh, I heard or I read somewhere that orgasms are supposed to help with cramps. Yep. Or no, her mom her his mom told her that. Oh, literally. Yeah. So, and so she's like, he's like, okay, bet. And so they literally have sex right there. Well, they don't have sex. No.

SPEAKER_00 16:20

He like plays with her over her panties. Crazy. That was like the first real sexual moment they had, I'm pretty sure.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

Literally. I think so too. Yeah, I think after the kiss in the alley was at. Yeah. And so she's like with a pen. That's what it was with X Mars the spot. And then he was always playing with that pen. I was like, okay, we're just like coming back to that full circle. So, and then also when she actually gets her period, he's like, go home. And I was like, I love that.

SPEAKER_00 16:44

King. King. And she's like, Women have been working in the industry with their periods all the time. Ford. He's like, I don't give a fuck. Go home. So there was also the part where Cora got in trouble at school. Oh. And I love when they both showed up for this girl at the school because what the fuck did the teacher say? They were like, this is why women can't be in power or something like that. Some bullshit. Yeah, some sexist comment. Yeah. And like I was so happy that who was it, Rosie or Ford? I don't know. But they were like, hey, did you ask her why she said that? Yeah. What did the what what what prompted this? Yes, exactly. And they were like using his terms against the principal, and he was like, So you just went with something that he said and didn't ask any other questions.

SPEAKER_01 17:22

Mm-hmm. You know, I love that. They're both there. And no, and I felt bad for the principal. The principal's like, I don't get paid for this. Like, whatever.

SPEAKER_00 17:29

It's fine. Just let her just just finish the semester. I don't care. Yeah. And they kept calling her Mrs. Grant. Ugh. So cute. No, but I really like that they both showed up for her.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

And then she got her period at school. Oh, poor Cora. Fucking sucks. No. And she called Rosie. Like, that was cute, that Rosie. And so Cora's like, You told him.

SPEAKER_00 17:48

And she's like, he figured it out. Yeah, no, because she called Ford and was like, I gotta go pick up Cora. And he's like freaking out. And she's like, no, but she's a teenage girl and I gotta go help her. And I'm bringing her a change of clothes. If you can't figure that out, then you have a problem. No, and then they got home and there's like a bunch of like panties. He's sitting at the table. Yeah. And just tampons, pads, candy, everything. And that's when he when she was like freaking out. That was cute. What was it that Rosie said? I wish I remembered the part because it was like, yeah, this happens every month, so everybody knows. And Cora's like, every month. And like I like how they're so introspective in like what they're doing. Obviously, Elsie's just a queen because she's like, Rosie starts thinking about how like she probably thought that this was gonna happen with her mom. So she like knew that she had to be extra caring. I was like, that's such a nice introspective way to think.

SPEAKER_01 18:37

Yeah. They were very great parental figures. Yeah, super cute. So good. Love.

SPEAKER_00 18:43

We get towards the end of the book, and they are starting to find out from this woman who used to work with her in the city, yeah, that Stan keeps getting kicked out of the office buildings that he's working at. Yeah, everybody's like trying to figure out why. Nobody knows. There's rumors, this and that. And Rosie puts it together that Ford is just buying out the fucking buildings, every building that he's at, so he doesn't fucking work anywhere.

SPEAKER_01 19:05

Insane. He's becoming the landlord. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 19:07

He was just fucking kicking him out. Yeah. But then it gets to that West was involved. And that's when the whole fall out. Yeah. What did they say? Third, third scene. Third act breakup. Thank you. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 19:19

Okay, so literally that part. So she goes, You're buying the buildings, and he's like, it's a good investment. So she's like, No, it's not. Those high rises are worth millions. That's ridiculous. And he goes, tens of millions per building. She goes, tens of millions. She's like, Ford, all of this because you can't. You can't spend that kind of money on me. And so she goes, I'm not worth it. And he goes, You are worth every fucking penny. And then we get to the confession. I'm careful with my money. I'm downright philanthropic, but this isn't a game. I'm in love with you. This is pocket change compared to what I'd be happy to spend on you. There is no price too high to watch this asshole pay for every moment of the misery and self-doubt he caused you. Oof.

SPEAKER_00 19:56

Worth every penny.

SPEAKER_01 19:58

Hear this, Rosie. You are worth every penny, every fortune, every investment, every risk. You are priceless to me. Eat it up.

SPEAKER_00 20:08

That's so good. Love of confession. I agree with your attention. Love of confession.

SPEAKER_01 20:11

Thank you so much. I don't know if this is in the epilogue, but it was Cora's birthday. They're like watching wrestling, which is funny foreshadowing. They're like eating snacks or whatever. And then Cora goes, Who wants to go boating? My dad says he'll take us.

SPEAKER_00 20:24

And I was like, No. So fucking cute. So cute. Got the cameras. No, my thing was at the end where in the epilogue, I think it was, where they were gonna go scare Rosie by she was like, Have you ever done Bloody Mary? So cute. And she was like, What is that? Yeah. And because I guess it was from the previous story from her childhood of when they were playing like with the Ouija board or something in their house and they scared her. Yeah, and then he proposed to her. So cute. No, I was like, I did not see that coming at all in that part. No. I'm like, in my head, I'm like, I know it's the epilogue, like maybe they'll talk about marriage or something. Yeah. But I did not see that coming, that that was the way they're that's cute he was gonna propose. I loved it. So cute. So them. All right.

SPEAKER_01 21:07

You want to talk about Wild Eyes? That's book two. Book two, yep. So this is basically uh this is like cowboy romance, but also like a celebrity romance. So it's West, which is Rosie's older brother and Ford's best friend, and we meet Skylar Stone. She's like a country singer or whatever, and she's gonna start working with Ford, and so that's how they meet. So what did you rate this one? I think this one, I Okay.

SPEAKER_00 21:31

Be prepared here. Oh Lord. I think this one I would rate it a three and a half. Almost a three, simply because of Skylar. Really? I didn't like her that much. No, I'm like, But I loved West.

SPEAKER_01 21:43

I'm like almost a five. I really like this one. Interesting. I would say Chili Pepper's same thing, like four. Same, same, same. I can't believe that. Yeah. So actually this one is narrated by Teddy Hamilton. So they all are all all four books in the series are the audios are on Hoopla, which is amazing. And they're dual narration. They're on Ken Unlimited. Oh, so good.

SPEAKER_00 22:03

So good. We love when there's a hoopla in action here. Oh, and I love a good audio. I love a good Teddy Hamilton moment. I wish they were duets though, instead of like just dual narrated. It's like so in when the boy has to do the the girl voice. I mean, I didn't hate it in this series, but I wish it would have been a duet.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

Same. Because some audios do that terribly. No, but all of all of these, the men were fine and the woman, I think, were fine too.

SPEAKER_00 22:29

Yeah. Like it was okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:30

It was not bad. No. But so this audio specifically is iconic on TikTok. And I'm like, thank God I finally read it. So it goes, the sun is shining, the lake is sparkling, and there's another fucking tourist on the side of the road trying to get a selfie with the bear. That part, that audio from Teddy is all over TikTok. Really? Yeah, it's so good. So funny. So good. I love Teddy. Anyways, we continue. We continue.

SPEAKER_00 22:53

So her big thing in this book is that she has no idea who she is because she's been a celebrity since birth, pretty much.

SPEAKER_01 22:59

Yeah, and her parents are fucking weasels.

SPEAKER_00 23:02

Her parents are fucking weasels. Literally. And she found out a whole bunch of shit and literally ran away. She didn't even tell Ford she was coming. No. But they were just so amazing. We love Ford and Rosie because they were like, hey, you know, we could tell something's up, so please stay. Yeah. You don't have to leave. She's like, you know what? I'll just leave. No, no, stay. Yeah. Literally, literally. So I love that. But I think this was definitely like if I had a mental breakdown, I would go to Rose Hill. A thousand percent. Obviously. Obviously. So definitely the best place for Skylar.

SPEAKER_01 23:32

Yeah, no. And so she ended up taking the bunkhouse in West's property with Scotty. With Scotty the mouse. And so she meets Ollie and Emmy, which are his kids, his young kids, because he's actually divorced dad.

SPEAKER_00 23:43

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 23:43

And she gets along with them so good because obviously she's a celebrity.

SPEAKER_00 23:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:48

And so they love her songs.

SPEAKER_00 23:50

No, and Ollie, can we just start getting into it? Yeah. Okay. Ollie, he's a selective mute, so he doesn't talk to everybody. So it was the biggest deal when Skylar came and he introduced himself to her. That was so cute. Love that. And I love Emmy. She's just like this tornado of a child a child. So funny. So cool.

SPEAKER_01 24:07

And I love how Wes was like, she, I can't blame her because she is me. Yep. And I feel so bad for my parents.

SPEAKER_00 24:12

Yeah. Yep. Yep. Like she is the payment I need to pay. Yeah. So as we were saying before, Skylar is having this whole big mental breakdown, right? Because she doesn't know what to believe. She knows everything and shit. So basically, her freaking parents kept all the money that she was making her entire career, which sucks so bad. So bad. So she felt like she didn't own anything. So that's why she wanted to separate herself from everybody, including Andrew, which her parents, that was her ex-boyfriend, which her parents were paying to be with her. No, when I got to that part, I was like, No, I said, excuse me.

SPEAKER_01 24:47

Your dad was paying him. Excuse me? He's like, my check bounced. Come on now. And she's like, what are you talking about? That would have been like so embarrassing.

SPEAKER_00 24:57

That's so awful. So fucking awful. No, her parents would suck. So bad. So like I was like feeling for her so hard because like to find out that your boyfriend that you've been with for well, I think it was like two years or something, right? Two years was fake the entire time. And everybody knew she had like Yeah. No wonder she was traumatized. Yeah. Like for real. Oh no, I hated that. I hated that. No. And when the whole like glass broke with Emmy, oh and she was just like paused. Like she couldn't move. She was in shock. No, and like I loved West.

SPEAKER_01 25:29

I loved him. Because he was like, it's okay. Yeah. He's like, come on. Carries her outside. It's fine. It accidents happen. Carries her out.

SPEAKER_00 25:36

Totally fine. And she's like, oh, he's healing parts inside of me that he doesn't even know about.

SPEAKER_01 25:39

No, but like literally, he was. He was so cute. So fucking cute. I love them. I loved them. And then like, and so he was also the soccer coach for Emmy's team. So that was so cute. And so like they would go to the soccer field and whatever.

SPEAKER_00 25:53

Love that. I just like West as a person. Loved. And like how he treats his horses. No, like he was like, he was it for the horses. He was it for the kids, and he was it for Skylar.

SPEAKER_01 26:03

I loved.

SPEAKER_00 26:04

Like he is that guy. He is that guy. That man. Obsessed with him. I love West. I knew you were gonna love him because he was hilarious.

SPEAKER_01 26:11

Loved West.

SPEAKER_00 26:12

He was hilarious. He gave like Golden Retriever. Loved West. He was hilarious. Yeah, yeah. I couldn't get enough of him. No, and everything you would say, the emails again in this one. So cute. Breaking news. Breaking news. Oh, eat it up. Eat it up. So cute. So do you think like this was a slow burn? I think so. I think this, I'm trying to remember what exactly I felt during this book, but I think this is why I didn't love it as much. I feel like this was another one of those occurrences where the FMC just doesn't give him enough attention, doesn't give him a chance, doesn't give him what he's giving her. And I felt that a lot in this book. So I did not like that. I did not love that of Skyler. Yeah. Even though like he was just teaching her all these life lessons about don't give a fuck what people think. Literally, all this shit. And she's just like, hmm. Oh, don't just loved it. No. The what was it about? It was it was that she they couldn't live the same lives. That's what it whole was the whole thing, right? Yeah. But they lived completely different lifestyles and she just couldn't do it. It was gonna be like temporary that she was staying there. Yeah, so didn't like her for that.

SPEAKER_01 27:17

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 27:17

That's that was the big thing for me. There's another jealousy moment in the bunkhouse, but it was like reversed this time, which is funny. Because she gets up out of bed or whatever, was gonna go find Wes. And as soon as she's gonna opens the door, there's a woman on the other side knocking. And who is it? Friggin' Brie. Yeah. And she goes, I'm just a friend. And I'm like, oh shit, who the fuck is Brie? Yeah. And she's like coming in here thinking she's ruining a relationship and this and that. And Wes is like, no, I ended it with her. I'm not with her. I'm not with her. Oh no, and Brie was a piece of shit. No. Okay, so Brie's a piece of shit. Good.

SPEAKER_01 27:51

Amazing. Love the segue. Love a good segue. Okay, so Brie's a piece of shit. So Rose Hill, they have this like bachelor auction, right? And which is so funny. So funny. And so West is always getting auctioned off. West is like the what is it? They called him something. We've got the town's favorite eternal bachelor up now. Yes. He's here for a good time, not a long time.

SPEAKER_00 28:13

Not a long time. That was so funny. And he's like, literally.

SPEAKER_01 28:18

He's like, this is for a good cause. This is for a good cause. So he starts the auction. And so Bree starts fucking bidding on him. Ew. No. And I'm like, bitch, take the hit. And he's pissed. He's like, I already told her no. And now she's like paying for a fucking date. And so Skylar's like, uh-uh, I ain't having that shit. And so they're going, um, they're going back and forth 200, 300, 400, 600, 700, 800. And then she goes, a thousand. And he goes, going once, going twice. And then Skylar yells, ten thousand dollars, which was insane. Insane. A wave of gas breaks out. The wave of gas in the small town. And Rosie's like, oh shit. And then he goes, the host is like, well, now that is the new record. Yeah. Fuck you breathe. Fuck you, Brie. I hated that woman. Uh, no. But there were some really good, like, tensioning moments because, like, when she went out with Tabby and Rosie, and she was like in her hot outfit with her red lipstick, and he was so about it. The red lipstick. Love. That was another like key eat it up.

SPEAKER_00 29:26

Key point here.

SPEAKER_01 29:27

Yeah. So literally we're talking about this. He goes, This goddamn lipstick. Been thinking about fucking it right off your fancy face since the first day you wore it. And so she goes, All talk and no action makes what's the dull boy? And he's like, Skylar, get on your knees. We're just so like hot. But I was like, I was like, the shining? What? We're back. We're back. We always gotta annotate the shining. Oh my god, it's so funny. It was so funny. So this is so cute. I guess at one point she's like sleeping in his bed, and Emmy has a bad dream. And so she goes and Skylar wakes up and Emmy's like, Can I like lay in bed with you guys? And she's like, sure. And Skylar's like about to get like leave. And he goes, Go to sleep, girls. No bad dreams allowed here. And it's so cute because then she goes, I feel like an interloper entirely out of place. Whenever I had a nightmare, my parents sent me back to bed. And the next day I'd hear about how annoying it was to be woken up. There were no 3 a.m. snuggles in the stone household, which I'm like, that is so like fucked up. So fucked up. Literally, go back to bed after a nightmare is insane. Like that, like don't have a child. Yeah. It's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 30:31

They literally, they literally had the child for the money.

SPEAKER_01 30:33

For the money. That's so fucked up.

SPEAKER_00 30:35

I couldn't believe it. All they did was put her on pageants since she was like a baby.

SPEAKER_01 30:38

Yeah, no, I hated that. I was like, her parents literally suck ass.

SPEAKER_00 30:41

Literally freaking ridiculous.

SPEAKER_01 30:42

My fucking annotation. Yes, eat it up. And it's literally like it's Reese, which we don't know anything about Reese at this point in this book. And so he's like, Listen, I'm planning a wedding, wondering if you guys would like to come there at bowling. And Wes is like, who's getting married? Wait, are you saying you're a wedding? And he goes, No, I'm getting married. And he goes, To who? And he goes, Tabitha. And I was like, oh, eat it up. So obviously we had some foreshadowing on book three, which I love that. Which we freaking love. Did you also you listen to this book? Yeah. I was literally crying with songs.

SPEAKER_00 31:15

I really like the songs. So I I literally wrote this here. I said, I thought the song was cringy at first, but then I started crying when they were like little hands with big hearts. So fucking cute.

SPEAKER_01 31:25

Like, no, I mean it's like you taught me how to love. You taught me how like uh No, but when the song started playing, I was like No, the only reason I knew, the only reason I knew is because at the beginning of the audio it says in songs performed by and there was a third girl, it was another person.

SPEAKER_00 31:40

But I was wondering how you like remember that. I was like, No, because I was like, what is the one? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 31:48

It's my Apple music going off. That's so funny. Yeah. No, it was literally, it was I I really liked both of the songs.

SPEAKER_00 31:55

Both of them made me cry. I was like, very cute. So then this third act breakup or whatever scene starts with Skylar sent nudes to West through email. Yeah. And that was like, oh shit. As soon as I started reading that, obviously. Yeah. Couldn't couldn't have figured it out. No, I was like, I don't like that. Like, yeah, in my head, I was like, she doesn't have a phone. They're sending it through email. Like, I'm like, obviously, like I had no idea who it was. I will say that. Like, but I was like, you know, when your nerves just start nerving. Yeah, you're you were get you were itching. Yeah. So no, I was not. I was like, oh, this is hot. Okay. I loved it though. They did very good at that. They're very thank you, Elsie. But the nudes got leaked. Oh. I was like, are you fucking kidding me? I hated that. I literally hate that. And now she's like, I just I came to this new town to run away from everything, and now it followed me here. And I'm like, God damn. No. And then she had to deal with the kids. Like the kids fall out, which is what you're about to say. Yeah. And I was just like, God damn, this sucks. And I think this is where I was really disappointed in her.

SPEAKER_01 32:54

So, like you said, the kids went to school and they tried to like kind of gloss over it, but they explained what had happened. And Ollie got into a fight because of this whole situation. Yeah, it was so sad because she didn't clock it first. No, she really didn't. Yeah. It was like super awkward.

SPEAKER_00 33:09

But what disappointed you? I feel like at this point, she knew how Wes felt about her. Like she knew how serious West was. Yeah. And I just like, she pissed me off because she went to the store, and who the fuck does she see at the store the first time that she goes out?

SPEAKER_01 33:25

No more Brie.

SPEAKER_00 33:26

Brie!

SPEAKER_01 33:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:27

And of course, Brie is like, I can make him happy. I can make him happy. Do you love him? And she, of course, goes, Yes, I love him. But she's like, You're gonna hurt them. No matter what who you are, you're gonna hurt them. I can make him happy. Yeah. I was like, what the fuck, Brie? I was so upset at her because what does Skyler go do? Break up. She breaks up with him. I was like, You're she disappointed me so hard at that. I was like, You're really gonna let Ho Town Bree pretty much like take him from you. No. I was so upset. I don't know. I didn't like that at all. But then of course it was like West, nobody stays for me anyway, so whatever. No, not Wes. We love West. Come on now. No. She's like, she goes to the interview. Who's at the interview? Her fucking dad and the agent, who she hates. Yeah. I know. But I'm like, girl, stand up for yourself. But we needed that moment for her to stand up. No, I was like, this is so annoying because she's like, I gave my dad a list of things that I didn't want to talk about. Did he even give it to her? Like, obviously he fucking didn't. Yeah. Literally, they were saying, bad press is good press. Like, you know what's going on and you're being stupid. Like, she, I don't know. This one, I because I know how Elsie writes, and I know Elsie writes good fucking women. Yeah. She was stupid. I did not like her. I did not like this. That's funny. All of it was not it for me. Anyways, but I loved how she went about the interview, obviously. This is where she started becoming a full fucking woman. Yeah. But I was just like pissed at at that entire situation at the end. I was like, you're really letting everybody get to you when you've gotten this far. Well no, like it.

SPEAKER_01 34:57

She was very much like letting everybody like step all over her until that point. She was like, absolutely not.

SPEAKER_00 35:01

Which I get it. Like having your nudes leaked sucks. And then you find out who did it? Your fucking parents?

SPEAKER_01 35:08

Insane.

SPEAKER_00 35:09

Insane. Yeah. Like I get that, but like, don't let go of the one thing that had you going.

SPEAKER_01 35:14

Yeah. No, but like she said e obviously so cute how they reunite, but she said even like she was gonna go back to Rose Hill that night.

SPEAKER_00 35:21

Yeah. Yeah after. We need a third night break to put these books.

SPEAKER_01 35:26

I don't know. I felt like I didn't like this one. Well, anyway, so she goes to LA, she does this interview, she says, fuck you to the dad, basically. And afterwards, she goes to the award ceremony, which is so freaking cute because Ford was gonna meet up with her, and who shows up? West. Westy! Stop! I'm dead. So she ends up actually winning the award, and the whole fucking speech was so cute. And then she goes, This one's for you. See you at home to Emmy and Ollie. I'm dead. I was sobbing. And then Marto was sobbing. I literally put sobbing with my annotation.

SPEAKER_00 35:54

No, and I loved how she called out her fucking parents in front of everybody.

SPEAKER_01 35:58

No, and then uh and then West punches the dad. Punching him in the face. And then he goes, You want to talk to my girl, asshole? You go through me. And I'm not letting you get anywhere near her ever again. Understand? Eat it up. Eat that up.

SPEAKER_00 36:10

I also love how she gave Ollie like the royalties or whatever to the first song that she wrote.

SPEAKER_01 36:15

So cute. She was so nice. So good. I really liked her. I loved like the women's relationship with the kids too. Really cute. Okay. So do you want to do good reads? Yeah, go ahead. For book one, it's four stars. I need this type of pasta and lobster man in my life. Ford, great. I need you to leave your doors and windows open tonight. The dynamic of Grumpy Man and Sunshine Girl will never fail. The way she teases him relentlessly at the office gets him all flustered and jealous, is a great weapon. Rosie has Ford practically lassoed in this book. The way he would do anything to guarantee Rosie and his daughter's safety and well-being made me slide down the wall and cry. He really put his money where his mouth is. You are worth every fucking penny. You are worth every penny, every fortune, every investment, every risk. You are priceless to me. My man's is standing on business. He literally stood on business the entire fucking book. Eat it up. This is five stars. He goes, at this point, I'm entirely convinced that Elfie Silver puts some sort of crack in these MCs. The emotional intelligence of these men continues to have me on my knees, I swear. And Ford Grant is no exception. My God, the man that he is. This man has literally been in love with her for ten years. She literally threw her diary out the window when they were teenagers, and he kept it and the key for 10 fucking years and wore the key as a necklace the entire time. Bye, bye. This book was everything I needed, and then some. I devoured this as expected. In classic Elsie Silver book fashion, it made me giggle and kick my feet uncontrollably. I was so obsessed with Ford and Rosie's dynamic, the banter was bantering. Give me all the single daddies, please. Yeah. Yep. Another five. Oh, this is crazy. If Heartless and Reckless had a baby, it would be wild love. So that's if Cade and Theo had a baby, it'd be Ford. Which I thought was funny.

SPEAKER_00 37:56

I think so. Yeah? Yeah. If Cade and Theo and Theo had a baby, you'd get wild love.

SPEAKER_01 38:02

I would have to think about that. So it goes, did I read this in one day because I legit couldn't put it down? Yes. This was this is absolutely my favorite Elsie Silver book, and that's saying a lot because I would leave my husband for Kate Eaton. He goes, kidding, but not really. That's hilarious. This book is remarkable. From start to finish, amazing. The banter, the hate, love, back and forth arguing, Rosalie being such a smart ass, and Cora. I legit love Cora so freaking much. I don't know how Elsie Silver legit never misses, but here we are. Wild love will forever have a special place in my heart. So cute. And this one's five stars. Are you kidding me? I couldn't find like any like low stars for these. Five stars. Are you kidding me? Perfection. This is how you write childhood friends to lovers romance. The pining, the way Ford was gone for Rosie from the start. And Ford has a single dad, the diary page is the diary key. Obsessed. Obsessed. Like I said, the pining was everything. And I just love the dynamics of these characters so much. The setting was a small town and so sweet. And I loved how Ford dove. Single dad bowling, loved it. So cute.

SPEAKER_00 39:02

Love single dad bowling. That was like a great part of this book.

SPEAKER_01 39:05

Okay, and this is the last one for the first book, and it's five stars. It says, What a start to the series. I don't even know how to articulate how much I love this book. Ford and Rosie's banter was unmatched. I was giggling and swinging my feet the entire time. I'm simply going to devour a grumpy pining billionaire every time. Their chemistry was electric, and their little hints of him pining over her thing. Stop. I love the single dad storyline. Their relationships with Korra were so special, and I love the representation of a child of a parent with mental health issues. It's so not written about often, but I was a Korra once and I loved her so much. Bring on the rest of the single dads. I'm sat and ready. Okay, so this is five stars. This is for wild eyes. This is like this is the second one. And so five stars. Elsie Silver does it again. Are we surprised that I devour this in a date? No, no, we are not. Weston Belmont, sir, Daddy. Oh, this was so much fun. I loved West and Skylar so much. My heart is gushing. I could not stop giggling and kicking my feet. Love. Another five stars. One of my favorite new Elsie Silver books. This book had so much depth, a surprising third act conflict, and Weston is emoji. One of my new favorite Elsie Silver men. I also love that one of them was Famous Element. That was so fun to read about. And the kids, the single parent trope, has quickly become one of my favorite tropes. It's so heartwarming, and the kids in the book were so cute. This is four stars. Elsie Healing, all the daddy issues, one single father book at a time. No, but I love these two. His kids made it so much more special, and I'm obsessed with them, and every side character we get glimpses of. This is five star. Breaking news. This is officially my new favorite Elsie Silver book. Do with that information what you will. Nothing short of five million stars for coach, thick thighs, and fancy face. It all started on a back road. This is three and a half. It says, Elsie will never not absolutely devour a single dad, but I was never sold on Skylar. Oh, this is you. Something about celebrity romance just gives me the ick. A personal preference, but I love, love, love West. Lord Almighty, that man. Elsie somehow always surprises me with her spice because West had my jaw actually dropping, as it should be, and the things he would say and do, hot diggity damn.

SPEAKER_00 41:13

Hot diggity damn.

SPEAKER_01 41:15

This is one star. It says the opening scene was fucking mess, and the book didn't get any better. It would have been better if the bear ate them both. Wow. Okay, and so this is this is the last one. It says five stars. Move aside Daddy Cade because Daddy West is in town. Yes. Love. Ooh.

SPEAKER_00 41:33

I agree. I don't think I could compare the men. Come on now. With Chestnut Springs. Come on now. I don't know. I don't think it's a good one. No, I agree.

SPEAKER_01 41:41

The Chestnut Springs men were like top tier. Like they because they were a cowboy cowboy. Clara, yes. You know what I mean? This was like small town. Yeah. They were cowboys and bull riders. Love. Live. Okay. Alright. So that's it for this week's episode. We gotta wrap it up. Love. Okay. Excited to read the next two. Oh my gosh, I'm so excited to read the next two. I wonder how they're gonna compare to these. Me too. And we're gonna have to rank all these men and women. Love.

SPEAKER_00 42:11

I'm excited.

SPEAKER_01 42:12

Alright.

SPEAKER_00 42:14

Read responsibly. Or don't.