**CURRENTLY READING**

*Fever Dream*
by Elsie Silver
Calling all buckle bunnies! A playboy bull rider has signed on to a reality TV dating show… and he’s ready to be tamed.

Elsie Silver is delivering the spin-off we’ve been waiting for! After teasing us with Mama Silva’s mention of Julia’s secretive cruise adventure in Reckless (Amazon), we finally find out what happened. And it just so happen to involve her brother’s rival: Emmett Bush.

And years later, when Julia and Emmett reunite, it’s in the context of a little reality TV dating show hosted on his grandparents’ farm. Only she’s not a contestant… and she’s completely off-limits — for multiple reasons!

Elsie brings us a yearning, he-falls-first and forbidden love all wrapped in a sexy cowboy romance.

Get your copy of Fever Dream (Amazon) and read with us!

What Victoria Loved

VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.75/5

I’ve met Emmett Bush multiple times in the Chestnut Springs series. And in every meeting, he was depicted as a charming playboy. Interesting enough to pique my interest, but so suave that he just fell to the wayside compared to those other MMCs. But boy does Emmett have his redeeming moment in the spotlight as the MMC in Fever Dream! From the start, Emmett sheds his bad boy façade and immediately, you’re pulled into the magic of the softness that he’s kept hidden from the world. And let’s be honest, there’s nothing hotter than a knight in shining armor wrapped in a smoking hot bull rider.

The beauty in Elsie’s writing is that she lets us escape to the most picturesque worlds. While Emerald Lake didn’t quite transport me to a ranch or small town that lives up to the love I’ve built for Chestnut Springs, it was a lovely place to visit. From the charming diner to the memorable hikes up (and roll down) Prickle Point, this world is yet another reminder of why I love living away from the bustling city.

Dating shows like the Bachelor franchise have been a guilty pleasure of mine for decades! But it’s really all that happens behind the scenes that intrigues me about the chaos of dating shows. While I appreciate Emmett’s complete disinterest in the whole operation and everything that happens in front of cameras, I was fully invested in everything that was happening with the staff, the drama between contestants and the undermining evils that beat at the heart of the horrific production. Call it sleazy, cringy and downright gross… there were moments I had zero appetite for the classic Hollywood filth. But the sharp contrast it played against the purity in Emmett and Julia’s relationship and their families just made it that much easier to fall for them.

What the Book Club Loved

Come back at the end of the month to see how the Book Club rates Fever Dream!

FIREWORKS & STEAM: X/5
WRITING STYLE: X/5
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: X/5
THE LOVE STORY: X/5

“XX”

- READER

If You Loved Fever Dream, You’ll Love These

- HER BROTHER’S RIVAL:Kulti by Mariana Zapata (Amazon)
  You haven’t experienced a slow burn until you read Kulti. And just as well, you’ve yet to experience gratification until you’ve read Kulti. This forbidden romance featuring a soccer player and her coach (who also broke her brother’s leg years before) is a guilty pleasure.
  VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
- A DATING SHOW FEAT. A ROYAL:Royally Matched (The Royally Series #2) by Emma Chase (Amazon)
  The second in the series that got me hooked on royal romances! If you enjoyed the twist of the playboy bachelor drawn to the girl in the shadows, you’ll love this.
  VICTORIA’S RATING:4/5
- HE FALLS FAST & HARD:Holding the Reins (Silver Pines Ranch #1) by Paisley Hope (Amazon )
  Buckle up — the first couple of pages will have you laughing out loud. And then you can just enjoy the ride as you’ll fall for the charm of Silver Pines, the hotness that is Nash (who is a retired hockey player turned local business owner and naturally, the most eligible bachelor who just happens to be in love with his best friend’s little sister), and the chaos of the Ashby family. This workplace / neighbor romance features a good amount of sneaking around and some VERY steamy scenes. Don’t let the cute cover fool you! The banter, dirty talk and tension are off the charts.
  VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
- BY THE AUTHOR: Reckless (Chestnut Springs #4) by Elsie Silver (Amazon)
  The fourth book in the Chestnut Springs series.Theo and Winter make cameos in Fever Dream, and we even learn that their story isn’t too different from Julia and Emmett’s! Curious to dive deeper into the Theo/Emmett rivalry? Dive into this tension-filled one night stand turned surprise baby where she’s the ice queen and he’s the golden retriever who falls for her instantly.
  VICTORIA’S RATING:4/5