Wild Card: Discover the no 1 Sunday Times bestselling author and your new small town romance obsession! (Rose Hill)

I do love ES books, but this is the 1st that I've given a 5star rating. This book follows Bash (MMC) & Gwen (FMC) 'meet cute' as they are stranded in an airport & whilst they stay up all night the sexual chemistry between them builds, by the end of the night she gives him her number, but due to unfortunate circumstances the number is taken down wrong & they believe their chance has passed, until they meet again by accident. Here is where the story begins... The slow-build in this story is palpable & will make you grrr at the pages with the tension. Whilst the humour made me laugh out loud several times. I'm not a fan of an age-gap romance, but this one definitely does not have the 'ick'. You still have cameo appearances from characters of previous books which is great, but we also get to know Clyde who is a star of the one-liners in this book, I think he is my favourite supporting character so far in this series. This book does cover fire devastation, drugs, family conflict but all in a compassionate way, also loved that the MFC is a curvy strong women as the plus-sized rep isn't regularly used in books.

I think this series just get better and better I love Bash! Now I’m approaching forty it’s so nice to have MMC I would definitely fancy in real life and not just in the fantasy book world. He’s older, he’s grumpy and they have a past connection! Gwen the FMC is a curvy, voluptuous, vivacious character and he loves her for that not in spite of and that makes me love him more The characters you already love and no feature in the book too with some stories cleverly intertwined so you feel you know them and the town. Beau Eaton even makes an appearance (if you know you know)

As a self-proclaimed slow reader, I was amazed that I managed to finish all 441 pages of this book in just five days. I was completely hooked from page one. Sebastian Rousseau (aka Bash) is your typical grumpy-but-good guy. He’s spent most of his life feeling overlooked, and now he’s suddenly hit with the life-changing news that he has a son no one ever told him about. Then there is the free-spirited yoga teacher, Gwen Dawson, who sees beauty in everything. A chance airport encounter sparks a connection between them that over the course of the book blossoms into something more. The character growth in this book was perfect. Both Bash and Gwen have their own complicated pasts, but together, they help each other heal and grow. Even Bash’s son (who starts off as kind of obnoxious) goes through a satisfying arc that feels genuine and wholesome. One main highlight for me was Crazy Clyde. We've heard about him before in the Rose Hill Series. He is known as the town’s eccentric conspiracy theorist, but this book gives him a whole lot more depth. His relationship with Bash and Gwen was incredibly moving, and his "craziness" makes a lot of sense when we learn his story. I also really appreciated the little cameos of some characters from other Elsie Silver series. We get a quick snippet of Beau from Chestnut Springs and an exciting glimpse at Emmet from the upcoming Emerald Lake series, which I’m already counting down the days for!

Completed my wife’s set of these books with this purchase. Speedy delivery and packaged safely. Oddly enough, cheaper than may bookshops.

I was so bored with this storyline. I didn't believe anything or relate to anything. Gwen was alright but all the other characters bored me Death. I did not believe the love story either. 3 stars because is Elsie Silver otherwise would have been 2 stars

Elsie Silver really is the Queen 👑 - the way she weaves all her books and characters together is just mind-blowing. I loved Wild Card. Gwen 💜 sweet, kind, beautiful… she’s perfect for Bash. And Bash, oh my… where do I even start? 🥵 Grumpy? ✔️ Age gap? ✔️ Handsome? ✔️ Wears uniform? ✔️ Makes me giggle & blush? ✔️ Protective? ✔️ Although, I’ll admit there was a little too much tiptoeing between them for my taste - hence 4.5 ⭐️. But Clyde… oh, Clyde 🥹💜 This man made the book unforgettable. He officially dethroned Harvey Eaton as the best side character. I bow. Thank you, Elsie 🙌👑

Was a really enjoyable read. The small-town setting feels warm and lived-in, and the slow-burn romance builds in a believable, heartfelt way. Both main characters feel genuine, with real flaws and growth that makes you root for them. If you like emotional, character-driven romances with a touch of heat, this one delivers.

3.5⭐️ I love Elsie Silver books, she’s an automatic read for me. If she writes it, I’m going to read it. However this one wasn’t my favourite, but that isn’t a reflection on the quality of the writing and story. It’s more of a personal reader interpretation issue, as someone who has a strained relationship with my father due to complex relationship circumstances this one hit a bit too close to home to be enjoyable & to be honest as I was reading it I just kept thinking that Tripp was getting some pretty harsh treatment considering he’d been blindsided with lies from his mother for his whole life & discovering his father in adulthood. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Maybe at the front there needed to be a ‘Daddy issues’ trigger warning along with the weight one! 🤣🤦🏼‍♀️ That being said, Clyde is literally the best character Elsie has ever written! He was an absolute Gem! He had me howling with laughter at points, and I’m sad we didn’t get more of him in the previous 3 books now.