Hi Foreverbookers,
How are you all? I hope you’re well!
I’ve just finished Flawless by Elsie Silver and I bloody LOVED it!!!!
Flawless is a cowboy contemporary romance. I do LOVE my romances, as you know, but this one had something extra. I’m not quite sure what it was but I just couldn’t stop reading it. The only reasons I DID stop was for sleeping, a concert and my cousin’s wedding, but apart from that I was reading all day everyday. I didn’t need to make the amount of notes I did, but it was so compulsively readable that I felt I HAD to make notes on every detail to make sure I didn’t miss anything!
In this contemporary novel, we follow a 26 year old called Summer, who is at her dad’s office at the beginning of the novel. She’s there to get a job at her dad’s recruitment firm. She’s tasked with looking after Rhett Eaton, the youngest son of Harvey, a minor character. Rhett is a ruthless bull-rider. Summer doesn’t want to look after Rhett, but she goes along with it. What happens between Summer and Rhett? You’ll have to read to find out, but it’s very good!
Flawless is told in dual POV. This worked well, I thought. It was good to see what was happening in both Rhett and Summer’s heads.
I read Flawless for a few readathons. They were:
Reading Rivalry - All You Wanna Do - This song from Six, the musical is about girls getting what they want - Summer certainly gets this and more…!
Always Fully Booked Reading Challenge - A book involving a sport - A main part of this novel is taken up by the Bull-riding that Rhett takes part in. We see some of the reactions to it.
Always Fully Booked Rainbow Challenge - PINK - I was surprised to note that I hadn’t read a pink book yet, well, NOW I HAVE!!!
Spoilers Below!
“So he can be on his best behavior for a couple of months?”
My dad drops his head with a deep chuckle. “Summer, this man’s version of good behavior will not cut it.”
“You’re acting as if he’s some sort of wild animal, Kip.” I learned that hard way not to call him Dad at work. He’s still my boss, even if we carpool together at the end of each day. “What does he need? A babysitter?”
The room is quiet for several beats while my dad stares at the tabletop between his hands. Eventually, his fingers tap the surface of it—something he does when he’s deep in thought. A habit I’ve picked up from him over the years. His almost black eyes lift, and a wolfish grin takes over his entire face.
“Yeah, Summer. That’s exactly what he needs. And I know just the person for the job.”
And based on the way he’s looking at me right now, I think Rhett Eatons’s new babysitter might just be me.”
Here, Summer is being put with Rhett. She doesn’t want to be his babysitter, but it’s clear that her father, Kip isn’t going to let up. I enjoyed reading Kip’s parts. I thought he was quite funny in how he wanted Summer to ‘look after’ Rhett. Kip doesn’t like being called ‘Dad’ at work. He likes to be respected, this told me. Whether or not he deserves that respect, I’ll let you decide but in my opinion he doesn’t do everything right.
At first Rhett, our main male perspective in Flawless, is a pig to put it bluntly. Not in the way of food but in the way he acts around poor Summer. I felt sorry for her. But I knew the outcome of the novel so I was still excited to read and see them become closer. Summer doesn’t put up with his crap, though. I did enjoy seeing Summer stand up for herself! I was like ‘Yes, go girl! You tell him!’
“Summer Hamilton pulled up in her fancy SUV and ridiculous prissy outfit like she’s going out on the town rather than showing up on a cattle ranch.
So I made myself scarce. I might be stuck with her, but I don’t have to like it.
And I don’t. I fucking hate being treated like a child, or like I’m stupid. Or worse, like I’m some sort of criminal. I had hoped that sleeping in my own bed and having some processing time to come to terms with my new arrangement might make it feel a little less stifling—less insulting.
But it still feels like trash.
Which is why I’m here pounding posts with me older brother. Setting new fence lines for some of his horses to be closer to his house, which is just over the crest of a big hill from where my dad and I live. Cade pulls a post out of the back of his pickup and hefts it over his shoulder with a grunt. He looks the most like our dad, wide shoulders and tightly cut hair. The only thing missing is the mustache. Something I love to harass him about, especially since he’s one growly motherfucker. It’s just too easy.
“When are you going to grow out of the ‘stache and go full Old Man Eaton?”
He glares at me before he drops the post and lines up the pointed end with the spot he wants. “Dunno. When you cutting your hair Rapunzel?”
This feels good. This feels familiar. Pissing Cade off is one of my favourite past-times. And he’s so fucking grumbly that it never stops being satisfying. He’s all bark and no bite, one of the nicest dudes i know.
If you can overlook what a prick he is.”
Rhett sees Summer as a “prissy” wannabe to begin with. He doesn’t like how he’s GOT to be looked after by her. Why can’t he just be on his own, he considers? What makes him so special? He just doesn’t like feeling like “trash.” Above, he has a conversation with his older brother Cade. Cade is the main male character of a book in the series. I’m looking forward to reading his romance. Rhett enjoys annoying Cade and thinks he’s ‘nice’ but a ‘prick’ too! This made me laugh. I don’t like Cade at the moment. He comes across as a jerk.
Rhett and Summer fall for each other around half way through the novel, I’d say. This was a long lead up to the romance in my opinion, but it was SOOOOO worth it! As I said, this is one of my favourite romance novels. Elsie Silver can certainly write a good hero falling for his heroine!
After they DID fall for one another, the sex scenes were HOT!!!!! I really enjoyed reading them.
“I’m trying to be a gentleman, I really, really am. But I also haven’t failed to notice how her sweatshirt has ridden up her midsection. The way the waist band of her silky underwear is peeking out from her sweatpants.
Taunting me.
I want to do distinctly ungentlemanly things to Summer Hamilton. But I also want to warm her cold feet up again. Anytime she wants. The thought of her being cold and uncomfortable infuriates me.
I want to take care of her, even though she doesn’t need taking care of.
It’s honestly really fucking confusing. It’s also a terrible fucking idea. But then, good ideas haven’t ever been my forte. Why start now?
She stirs, and I look at her shuttered eyes again. Soft lashes drawn down, a smattering of freckles over the bridge of her nose and the apples of her cheeks. I wonder if they show up on any other parts of her body.
My cock surges, and I don’t think I can blame my current erection on morning time physiology anymore. It’s just a boner because I want to bang my agent’s daughter.
And then snuggle her. Trace her freckles.”
Here, we have Rhett in a state of want for Summer. Rhett wants to show Summer what she does to him. In this chapter, Summer and Rhett are away on tour at a bull-riding event. She’s very cold, because the heating isn’t working in her room at their hotel. Of course, Rhett chooses that time to be a gentleman and invites Summer to his warmer room to sleep for the night. They deny their feelings to begin with but by the end of the novel, we can see that they’ve well and truly fallen for each other. Do they let each other know, though, or is it just us? I’d say that Rhett falls for Summer first.
There is conflict in the form of Rob, Summer’s sister, Winter’s (yes, they are seriously named after the seasons) husband! Rhett puts his foot in it, trying to defend Summer, which doesn’t go exactly according to plan. Do they end up in a row or breaking up? You’ll have to read to find out for yourself. Also, a novel in this series follows Winter, I believe so Rob will probably end up dumped and Winter will get her guy (I hope)! I have no idea who that’ll be or if we’ve met him yet…
We see from a few other characters that I believe will come into other books in the series. I can’t wait to read Heartless, #2 probably early next year! I believe that’s Cade’s book. He came across as an arrogant twit in Flawless, so I’m excited to see his character development and him become the hero of Heartless! It’s revealed he has a little boy in Flawless but we don’t really learn anything more about him. I like how each novel in this series seems to focus on ONE couple only. It doesn’t mash them all together. That would be confusing.
Overall then, I bloody loved Flawless! It was really good to see a contemporary romance capture my complete attention. As I said, I was thinking of this novel at the events I attended in the month of September 2024! Stand by to hear what I’m reading next soon! I’m going to take part in Becca’s Spookopolothon!
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