Off to the Races

A Small Town Enemies to Lovers Romance (Gold Rush Ranch, Book 1)

De: Elsie Silver

Narrado por: CJ Bloom, Tim Paige

Keeping things professional with my employees has never been an issue. Until she waltzed onto my property.

Billie is talented. She's mouthy. And she's so damn tempting. I can't stop thinking about all the ways I could take her down a peg. I can't stop thinking about her, period.

We clash from the moment we meet. And in a small town, on an even smaller farm, it's hard to keep your distance. It's even harder to keep that friction from turning to fire.

But keeping my distance? That might be the biggest struggle of all. Because Billie is the whole package, whip-smart with a body I fantasize about when I'm alone, and quite possibly the only woman who can save this business—and me.

She drives me crazy. In every sense of the word. Every smart-mouthed little comment—every game we play—I end up wanting more. Wanting her closer. With me. Under me.

I try not to let her get to me, but the more time we spend together the more I crave her. Her lips. Her trust. Her heart. I want it all. But at what cost? Because suddenly I don't just want to win races, I want to win the girl.

Contains mature themes.

©2021 Elsie Silver (P)2023 Tantor

Decent

This was a well written story I just didn’t really connect with the characters. It’s worth credit an narration was good. Just the FMC an MMC was kinda bland.

First Book Syndrome

Off to the Races is a good start to the series. The romance is good, but the third act break up was dumb. It set the hero back to 1955 Madmen stupidity. He does redeem himself and they do get their HEA, so there is that.

MMC Voice Actor Was Kinda Cringe

I'm an avid romance reader, but somewhat new to audiobooks so I'm just figuring out what I like and don't like in voice actors. The book was fine, not Elsie Silver's best but this was her first book so she gets a pass and I'll keep reading this series! I've read her other 2 series already which are set AFTER the events of this series, but I'm starting from the beginning.

Here is my qualm with this audiobook: I kept getting put off by the male voice actor. The higher pitched voice he put on when the FMC was speaking during his POV kept making me have full body cringes 😬. Billie is supposed to be a strong, badass, tough woman who can put a man in his place with a few words, and Vaughn's voice actor made her sound like a damsel in distress, so that was probably part of it. Maybe it was just me. The way he spoke in his normal Vaughn voice was just really ick for me. I have a thing with male voices where it has to be "just so" when they're talking or I get the ick. His voice/demeanor just felt overly smooth/suave and I couldn't get past that. It's truthfully hard to explain because I'm new at this! The spicy scenes weren't too cringey as they can sometimes be, but I didn't love it.

Anticipation

I enjoyed this book, first of all because I enjoyed the storyline but also the excitement and anticipation of what was going to happen.

Loved!!!

Love everything! Loved Vaughn and Billie! The audio was perfect! Cannot wait for the next read!