**ON OUR BOOKSHELF**

*Wild Card*
by Elsie Silver
The final installation of the Rose Hill series is here — *hello, fire daddy.*

I am a huge Elsie SIlver fan. Anything she writes, I will read — from the Eaton brothers of Chestnut Spring to the flower fields surrounding Gold Rush Ranch to the cozy town of Rose Hill. Elsie will make you nostalgic for a life you’ve never had and inspire you to move to a little New England farm town to live out your small-town dreams. Trust me, I know from experience.

Wild Card (Amazon) is the final installment of the Rose Hill series. This series follows four (incredibly delicious) single dads who are part of their small-town bowling league. My favorite thing about these characters is that Elsie does an amazing job in representing found and chosen family. Each story in this series represents parenthood in all its shapes and sizes. But the thing that stays consistent is the unconditional love and support from this community.

Goodbye, Rose Hill! I’ll miss you!

What Victoria Loved

VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.5/5

I was so excited for the concept of Wild Card as soon as the author announced it. I think her age gap taboo romances are my favorite! Ex-bf’s dad was a trope I didn’t know I wanted to read until this book (and I’ve since read so many because of it). But boyyyy was a let down lightly.

It’s not any one thing, I think, that I didn’t connect with. Overall the story was fine, I mean I was instantly drawn to the characters, their chemistry and their individual stories. I loved how ES focused on their careers and felt my love for meditation and yoga spark back to life, and I was so intrigued by Dash’s job as a fire pilot — I mean, hot.

The spice was spicing! The balcony scene was one to remember. But the small moments are what made this book — taking care of Clyde, sitting out on the deck, cooking insane meals, spending time with their friends.

And the quiet, awkward love that showed up in many different ways was heartwarming. Dash’s “obsession” reminded me of my own relationship so that was sweet. This romance was ultimately about companionship and finding home in your partner.

Idk, maybe it was just a little too much time in Dash’s broody mind that made it feel repetitive. Maybe it was because we didn’t get to really dive into that backstory. Maybe because the past that caught up with them was limited to Tripp that their respective backstories felt shallow and underwhelming… Maybe the transition felt too sudden — a quick 180 from avoidance to action. Maybe the tension and resolution came a bit too easily and it was just tied into a neat little bow that left me wanting more.

All in all, not my favorite, but still worth the read!

Purchase a copy of Wild Card (Amazon) and read with me!

Favorite Scene

“You can be seen and heard in my house.”

- WILD CARD by Elsie Silver

Similar Reads & Recommendations

HE FIGHTS WILD FIRES: Left of Forever (Spunes #2) by Tarah DeWitt (Amazon)
An HoH Book Club pick! If you want a book that captures what it feels like to find your life’s big love and describes in painful accuracy that desire to be together and a love worth risking everything just for a chance to fight for each other, the fire of that want… this is it. All of that comes across crystal clear with Wren and Ellis. Even when they’re not together, they’re connected. They belong. And I think their story also underlines the importance of communicating dreams, fears and desires. Especially when life gets hard. Read our Sneak Peek.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5

PARENT AND THEIR CHILD’S EX: Push (Next #1) by Nyla K. (Amazon)
I can appreciate a little taboo romance, but this certainly pushed the boundaries. A father gets involved with his daughter’s boyfriend when he stays in their home for Thanksgiving… and if that bi-awakening doesn’t spark your interest, let’s just say this MM romance eventually turns MMF.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.25/5

WORKING FOR HER EX’S DAD: Praise (Salacious Players Club #1) by Sara Cate (Amazon)

Next-level CEO/ secretary dynamic. My jaw hit the ground as quickly as Charlotte fell to her knees. And the dynamic gets even better because he is her ex’s dad. Hello, taboo! Prepare yourself for longing and a lot of tension because this is very much a “I want you, but I can’t have you because you’re my son’s ex-girlfriend and if I have you the way I want you, he’ll never forgive me and our relationship is already on shaky ground” story.

VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.5/5

WHEN THE GIRLFRIEND SEEKS OUT HER EX’S DAD: Your Dad Will Do (A Touch of Taboo #2) by Katee Robert (Amazon)
If there’s anything Katee is known for, it’s fire-burning taboo romance. This short story is exactly that… and I kind of wish it wasn’t just a short. But if you’re looking for a tasty snack, you’ll certainly be satisfied with this series.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.5/5
SHE CALLS HIM DADDY: Highest Bidder (Salacious Players Club #5) by Sara Cate (Amazon)
A switch-up in the taboo. A young waitress (at an infamous sex club) stands on the auction block and the highest bidder wins a date with her. And the winner? Well, he’s an older billionaire, who may or may not have also dated her mother. The 35-year age gap had me uneasy, but as soon as Daisy said “Daddy” with her sass, my opinion completely flipped. Yes, this book is full on kinky smut, but it’s beautifully wrapped in a human story that navigates the exploration of kink as an escape from the pain of life and loss as well as a vehicle for self-discovery.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.5/5

BY THE AUTHOR:
- Wild Love (Rose Hill #1) by Elsie Silver (Amazon)
  Single dad through unknown pregnancy | Things to love about this book? Billionaire and best friend’s little sister: two tropes I cannot say no to. Rosie and Ford each find their way back to Rose Hill for fresh starts and a new adventure. But the best laid plans don’t always work out, especially when a twelve-year-old girl shows up claiming you’re her biological father. While Ford tries to get his new recording studio up and running (and he navigates the world of single parenthood), he finds that this new normal might be even better than what he originally planned for. You’ll fall for the quiet moments he has with Cora and the playground flirting between him and Rosie. It’s the little things that make this love feel so big.
  VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.5/5
- Wild Eyes (Rose Hill #2) by Elsie Silver (Amazon)
  Single dad through divorce | A chart-topping country singer with a recent streak of bad press seeks out serenity in a small town and magically falls in love with a single dad of two. But she can’t outrun her celebrity and it threatens to pull them apart. I’d be surprised if you aren’t yelling into the pages of this book within the first couple of pages and then panting by the end (especially the pick-up truck scene). But the middle is all sweet moments and cozy memories.
  VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
- Wild Side (Rose Hill #3) by Elsie Silver (Amazon)
  This marriage-of-convenience should be on your TBR. And if not for the care in which Elsie handles this emotional story, you may very well enjoy the intimate-relief. While I don’t think this is the steamiest romance Elsie has written, she does deliver naughty dirty talk, high-tension banter, and plenty of lust-filled foreplay. Oh, and of course, gives us a bit of a treat in the form of the Wild Side mask…
  TW: Wild Side tackles difficult topics, specifically addiction, death (off-page), grief as well as the impacts it has on loved ones.
  VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5