Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

Narration by Connor Crais & Megan Wicks

Rose Hill, Book 4

From the author:

Sebastian Rousseau is a grumpy, hot as hell fire pilot who is too damn good with his hands. It’s the perfect combination. But unfortunately for me, he’s also my ex-boyfriend’s dad.

A chance meeting brought us together and a missed connection has kept us apart.

One year later, a stroke of fate has us living under the same roof—which makes everything between us downright messy. Because even after all this time, he’s still the man I think about when I fall asleep. The one I can’t get over no matter how hard I try.

He’s working on mending a fragile relationship with his son and we both know acting on these urges would be the ultimate betrayal. But I see the heat in his eyes. That look of need that never fails to send a shiver down my spine.

The mutual longing is borderline unbearable and the simmering heat between us is downright palpable. We both know there are rules when it comes to situations like this. But then again…following the rules never has been my strong suit.

https://amzn.to/4ekHP4x

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the ex-boyfriend’s dad trope, but I should have known better than to doubt Elsie Silver. She made it work—and made it believable.

The age gap is only about 12 years, with Bash nearing 40 and Gwen in her late twenties. That’s not an issue for me. A forty-something paired with someone barely out of their teens tends to give me the ick, but that wasn’t the case here. Still, readers who dislike age-gap romances or heroes over 40 may feel differently.

What surprised me most was how much I enjoyed this book.

Gwen Dawson is sunshine personified. At 27, she’s vibrant, funny, confident, and endlessly kind despite growing up emotionally neglected by the people who should have supported her most. What I loved about Gwen is that she refuses to let hardship define her. She approaches life with optimism, treats setbacks as lessons, and genuinely believes everything happens for a reason. It’s hard not to be inspired by her. Yes, I’m aware I’m taking life lessons from a fictional character.

She’s technically a people-pleaser—and normally that’s not my favorite character trait—but Gwen never feels like a doormat. She helps others because she’s naturally generous, not because she lacks boundaries. She’s emotionally intelligent, self-aware, and refuses to let anyone walk all over her. Her passion for yoga was also incredibly wholesome and added another layer to her character.

Sebastian “Bash” Rousseau is Gwen’s opposite in many ways. At 39, he’s grumpy, guarded, and emotionally withdrawn. He spends so much time overthinking his feelings that he often shuts down instead of communicating, which definitely frustrated me at times. I understood where his insecurities came from. After being abandoned by two significant partners, he’d convinced himself he was simply a stop along the way to someone else’s happily-ever-after. But there were moments when I wanted to shake him and remind him he’s a grown man who should know better.

Thankfully, Bash grows tremendously throughout the story. By the end, he recognizes his mistakes and actively works to be better, which made his character arc satisfying.

Beyond that, he’s a genuinely good man. Like Gwen, he takes pride in helping others. He’s a firefighting pilot who literally risks his life for a living. He donated a kidney to a friend. He built Gwen a yoga studio so she’d have a space that truly felt like her own. Beneath the gruff exterior is someone deeply caring, dependable, and generous.

And yes, he’s hot.

What I appreciated most was his restraint. He didn’t act like a hormone-driven teenager the moment he realized he was attracted to Gwen. He thought carefully before making decisions and took the consequences seriously, which felt refreshing.

The romance itself was beautifully developed. While the initial attraction is immediate, the relationship grows into something much deeper. Every stage of their connection unfolds naturally, and the slow-burn progression feels earned. Silver handles the ex-boyfriend’s dad situation with surprising maturity. There’s very little unnecessary drama, and the conflicts are resolved in ways that feel realistic rather than manufactured.

I also appreciated the lack of a ridiculous third-act breakup.

That said, the book does drag a bit in the final quarter. After the 70% mark, the pacing slows noticeably, and I would have preferred more focus on Gwen and Bash working through their final conflict instead of some of the external action that follows.

One aspect that didn’t fully work for me was the son storyline. At times, it felt like it existed primarily to justify the ex-boyfriend’s dad trope. The character himself wasn’t particularly compelling, and his entitlement made him difficult to root for.

Still, Wild Card was impossible to put down. Silver’s writing is addictive, effortlessly pulling you through scenes even when nothing particularly dramatic is happening. Returning to Rose Hill one final time was bittersweet, especially because this is the last book in the series. Seeing beloved characters from earlier books living their happily-ever-afters added an extra layer of warmth and nostalgia.

Gwen and Bash couldn’t be more different on the surface: she’s free-spirited and optimistic, while he’s gruff and routine-driven. Yet both carry scars from their pasts, and those wounds shape a love story that’s tender, healing, and deeply emotional. The narrators really captured these characters and I was completely drawn into this story.

While some books in the Rose Hill series remain my favorites from Silver, this one doesn’t quite reach those heights. Even so, it was a pleasant surprise—and one I ended up enjoying far more than I expected.

6/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

WILD CARD by Elsie Silver. Narrators: Connor Crais & Megan Wicks. Self-published. (September 9, 2025.) ASIN: ‎B0FDBJM8KX. Listening Length: 11 hours and 19 minutes.

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Narration by Jason Clarke & Samantha Brentmoor

Rose Hill, Book 3

From the author:

I’d always dreamed of my wedding day. But not like this. Not looking into the eyes of the man who betrayed me.

But when my nephew’s guardianship is contested, I decide I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him in Rose Hill. Even if it means marrying the enemy.

Rhys Dupris.

A man who is secretive, broody, and completely infuriating. A man whose work takes him away for weeks on end and brings him back covered in mysterious bruises—ones he won’t talk about. In fact, we barely talk at all.

Which would be fine, except when he’s not talking, he’s staring. And the way he looks at me is borderline indecent.

The tension between us has always been palpable. But living under the same roof is a dangerous temptation.

I swore I would never forgive him. But that was before I knew the man behind the mask. The one who’s fierce and protective. The one who’s gentle and patient. The one who shows up for us when we need him most.

He’s not at all who I thought he was.

And that makes hating my husband so much harder… and loving him just a little too easy.

https://amzn.to/3SwTpRx

Elsie Silver delivers another standout small-town romance with Wild Side, a deeply emotional story that seamlessly blends grief, healing, found family, and an unforgettable slow-burn love story. Packed with heart, humor, and sizzling chemistry, this is easily my favorite book in the Rose Hill series so far.

Tabitha Garrison is fiercely independent, sharp-tongued, and endlessly devoted to the people she loves. After spending years trying to save her troubled sister, she’s left reeling when that sister dies and leaves behind a young son, Milo. Tabitha assumes she’ll become Milo’s guardian—until she learns that guardianship has been granted to Rhys Dupris, her sister’s former landlord and the last person she trusts.

Rhys, a professional wrestler with a complicated past, is quiet, guarded, and carrying wounds of his own. When circumstances threaten Milo’s future, Tabitha and Rhys agree to a marriage of convenience that allows them to share custody and provide stability for the little boy they both love. What begins as a practical arrangement quickly becomes something far more complicated.

The relationship between Tabitha and Rhys is beautifully developed. She spends much of the book pushing him away while he patiently refuses to leave her side. Their banter is fantastic, their chemistry is undeniable, and the tension simmers for so long that every romantic moment feels earned. Rhys is the kind of hero readers fall hard for—protective, vulnerable, selfless, and completely devoted once he lets someone into his heart. Watching him slowly lower his defenses was one of the highlights of the book.

Tabby is equally compelling. Strong without being invincible, she’s carrying immense grief while trying to hold everything together for Milo. Silver does an excellent job showing her vulnerability beneath the tough exterior, making her both relatable and easy to root for.

While the romance is wonderful, Wild Side is also a moving story about loss and rebuilding. The found-family elements are exceptional, something Silver consistently excels at. The support system surrounding Tabby, Rhys, and Milo adds warmth and depth to every chapter, and little Milo steals more than a few scenes along the way.

I was initially skeptical about the professional wrestling aspect, but Silver made it work effortlessly. In the end, it became just another layer of Rhys’s character rather than defining the story.

And yes, I cried. More than once.

The emotional weight of the story, combined with the tenderness of Tabitha and Rhys’s relationship, made this one impossible to put down. Add in a marriage of convenience, a delicious slow burn, found family, and a hero who would do absolutely anything for the people he loves, and Wild Side becomes everything I want in a romance.

The audiobook is outstanding. Narrators Jason Clarke and Samantha Brentmoor bring incredible emotional depth to the story, capturing both the playful moments and the heartbreak with equal skill. Their performances elevate an already wonderful book into a truly immersive listening experience.

6/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

WILD SIDE by Elsie Silver. Narrators: Jason Clarke & Samantha Brentmoor. Self-published. (March 4, 2025.) ASIN: ‎B0DRDNKCQZ. Listening Length: 12 hours and 17 minutes.

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Narration by Teddy Hamilton & Savannah Peachwood

Rose Hill, Book 2

From the author:

A rugged mountain town seemed like the perfect escape from a life in shambles.
But on day one, she ran full tilt into the world’s hottest single dad, and now all her plans are ruined.

As a chart-topping country singer with a recent streak of bad press, it’s hard for Skylar Stone to find any peace. But she finds it in Rose Hill. With a little boy and a little girl who steal her heart just as thoroughly as their dad.

Weston Belmont.

The man is a shameless flirt. He oozes confidence and masculinity in a way that’s downright distracting. And in bed? He’s addictive.

Everything with him is wild and impulsive, and Skylar is desperate to regain some control.

But no one has supported her like West does. And no one has ever made her feel as loved as he does either.

So, while Skylar’s brain says settling down with a small-town horse trainer is impossible…her heart says she’s right where she belongs.

Still, her life as a celebrity haunts her. It has the power to pull her and West apart.

She can see in his eyes that he wants her to stay. And she wants that too.

But she knows better than anyone that you don’t always get what you want.

https://amzn.to/3S8CPY4

Wild Eyes is the second standalone in Elsie Silver’s Rose Hill series, and it is a country-fried, delicious read. If you love a slow-burn, single-dad, forced-proximity romance with elite banter and thick sexual tension, grab your headphones. The audiobook, narrated to absolute perfection by Teddy Hamilton and Savannah Peachwood, is a cozy, comforting read.

Our heroine, Skylar Stone, is a chart-topping country star escaping a toxic, controlling family and a massive anxiety-inducing scandal. Looking for a quiet place to heal and write her own music, she retreats to the small town of Rose Hill. Day one delivers a literal grizzly bear encounter and a textbook meet-cute when local horse trainer and ultimate dad-snack, West Belmont, swoops in to save her life. Soon enough, she’s living in his bunkhouse.

West is a sweet, tattooed gentleman with a wicked dirty mouth and a heart of absolute gold. He is an incredible father to his two precious kids, Emmy and Ollie, who instantly steal the show (along with Skylar’s hilariously sarcastic pet parrot, Cherry). While West is secretly a fan of Sky, he treats her like a regular person, giving her the safe space she desperately needs. The chemistry here is palpable. They build a flawless foundation of friendship and trust before crossing the line. Their witty banter will make you laugh out loud—especially during a certain chaotic canoe scene and a memorable introduction to West’s parents.

But it’s not all sunshine. When a malicious leak of intimate photos threatens Skylar’s reputation, her instinct is to run to protect West’s kids from the media fallout. West, battling his own deep-seated fears of abandonment, lets her go. Watching Skylar ultimately reclaim her power, stand up for herself as a crime victim, and fight for her found family is incredibly satisfying.

Elsie Silver delivers a deeply moving, realistic portrayal of trauma, healing, and unconditional love. West unexpectedly became one of my favorite heroes. If you want a romance that delivers high-stakes emotional growth alongside scorching chemistry, look no further.

6/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

Audiobook Sunday: WILD EYES by Elsie Silver. Narrators: Teddy Hamilton & Savannah Peachwood. Self-published. (September 3, 2024.) ASIN: ‎B0D98Q4F5C. Listening Length: 10 hours and 26 minutes.

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Paperback