I recently finished the Chestnut Spring series by Elsie Silver. Here’s my ranking of the books from most to least favorite along with my reviews of each:

Flawless (Book 1)

📖: Rhett Eaton, a former star bull rider who needs to fix his bad reputation, is under the strict supervision of his agent’s rule-abiding daughter, Summer Hamilton. As they navigate close quarters and undeniable chemistry, Rhett and Summer learns that some rules are meant to be broken especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

💭: Since reading Wild Love, I’ve been excited to dive into Elsie Silver’s backlist books. I’ve heard great things about the Chestnut Spring series and have already bought the first three books!

Flawless masterfully combines enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes. Elsie excels at creating flawed characters with complex backstories and introduces supporting characters who later become the stars of their own stories. Summer and Rhett’s relationship developing through the story is engaging and the texts at the beginning of each chapter add a charming touch. The dual perspectives are also distinctively well-done.

However, I had some major issues with the book. It bothers me how Kip is glorified as a great dad and the “good” guy, despite his infidelity which causes his wife and Winter to resent Summer. It’s unfair that Summer, who is innocent, is mistreated due to circumstances beyond her control, while her dad seems to escape blame and the women are vilified, especially Winter. Additionally, I found it cringy that both Kip and Rhett call her “Princess” in different contexts; Rhett’s usage is endearing, but Kip’s feels off.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Series Rank: 4th

Heartless (Book 2)

📖: Willa Grant becomes the nanny for Cade Eaton’s son, Luke, during her summer stay at their ranch. After a game of truth or dare sparks romance between Willa and the rugged, single dad Cade, she begins to wonder if their short-term arrangement could turn into a lasting love.

💭: Going into this book, I knew it featured a few tropes I typically dislike, such as the age gap and the nanny-boss dynamic, so I set realistic expectations. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed it! I even found that the twist, which I usually dislike in romance novels, worked exceptionally well for this story. The highlight for me was the relationship between Willa and five-year-old Luke. I loved watching Willa’s bond with Luke deepen and her character evolve throughout the story. I also liked gradual romance between Willa and Cade. Their banter and chemistry were off the charts and the steamy scenes sizzled. I felt that Cade could have been portrayed as younger, as his maturity didn’t quite match his age, but aside from that, it was well-written. It was great to see Summer and Rhett return as supporting characters and getting to know the other supporting characters better was a treat. Now, I can’t wait to read Powerless!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Series Rank: 3rd

Powerless (Book 3)

📖: Childhood friends, hockey player Jasper Gervais and ballerina Sloane, find themselves on an impromptu road trip that changes their relationship from friends to something more. As they deal with personal crises and confront their feelings, they explore the possibility of a future together beyond the friend zone.

💭: Powerless deserves all the stars! It’s my favorite in the Chestnut series so far and I see why it won the Goodreads Choice Award for Romance last year. I absolutely loved the pining, longing, slow burn, and development of Sloane and Jasper’s relationship. It was wonderful to see them not only find comfort in each other but also uplift one another and help each through their personal journeys. Jasper’s backstory is heartbreaking, and the toxic people in Sloane’s life are infuriating. I was pleasantly surprised to see characters from other series appear in this book which I haven’t read yet and discover how they’re all connected.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Series Rank: 1st

Reckless (Book 4)

📖: Winter Hamilton, nearly free from her toxic marriage, tries to resist the persistent charm of notorious bull rider and ladies’ man, Theo Silva, despite her vows to avoid men. Their strong attraction leads to an unforgettable night together, but complications arise when Winter finds out she’s pregnant, turning their secret affair into a situation they can’t ignore.

💭: I was a bit hesitant on what I would think of Reckless when there’s a trope in here that I absolutely hate and after reading Powerless which was a 5-star read. Surprisingly, Reckless was a 5-star read for me! I absolutely loved Winter’s character. In Flawless, she’s introduced as Summer’s evil half sister, but in Reckless, we really get to know why Winter is the way she is and what she does to grow in a better person. I never hated Winter and thought it was unfair how men thought of her as an ice queen when in reality she was trying to protect herself. Theo is such a sweetheart and the perfect compliment for Winter. Though Theo is all sunshine, I like how Elsie cracks that facade and we get to see his true colors and also see how he grows. This book deserves all the stars for its character development and growth alone. Reckless is a definitely my second favorite book in the series.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Series Rank: 2nd

Hopeless (Book 5)

📖: Military hero Beau Eaton and shy bartender Bailey Jansen start a fake engagement to get his family off his back and to improve her reputation. As they navigate their fake engagement, their relationship unexpectedly becomes real, challenging Beau’s vow never to love and changing both their plans and hearts.

💭: Hopeless contains a couple of tropes that I don’t particularly enjoy so I didn’t have high expectations for this one. It was my least favorite in the series, but Elsie Silver still managed to have me speed reading through it. Honestly, I found Beau and Bailey to be an odd pairing. It was sweet to see Bailey caring for Beau in ways that he needed and others didn’t understand. However, I hated how Beau financially supports Bailey enough for her to leave town and eventually falls in love with her as it felt like there was little character development and it felt superficial and more for control. The age gap was off-putting in this book whereas it felt natural and well-executed between Willa and Cade in Heartless. I also found Bailey to be a bit too naive and crass which didn’t sit well with me. Additionally, the third act breakup struck me as a red flag. Although I wasn’t a fan of the main romance, I loved seeing characters from previous books in the series and their progress toward their HEAs. In the Bloom versions of the series, I enjoyed reading Harvey’s bonus epilogues which felt like a novella and wrapped up the series nicely. I would rate this 3.5, but rounded it up to 4 stars on Goodreads!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Series Rank: 5th