April 's Reviews > Hopeless

2.5 Stars ☆

“No, sugar. When it comes to you, I’m downright hopeless.”

I'm not even sure where to start. There were things that worked for me and things that did not. I don't feel like this was a good story to end the series on. There were things that were too much into detail and others that just simply needed more.

Hopeless is the last book in the Chestnut Springs series. It's a small town, fake engagement, military hero, virgin heroine, age gap romance. There was some tension and banter, but not as much as I liked. We get a glimpse into the trauma and ptsd and some healing, but I feel like it was lacking depth here. I will say that for me, the virgin trope works better if it's the mmc, and this was an example of that. I just feel like it's written better. I enjoyed some of this but had issues, too.

Beau is home from the military recovering from an assignment that turned into a traumatic experience. He is struggling mentally and having a difficult time dealing with everyone, labeling him the towns "hero." He goes into the local bar one afternoon to gather himself. It's there that he finds solace in the company of the bartender Bailey. The two form a friendship that leads into them making a bet for an arrangement of a fake engagement to help each other out.


Beau Eaton was a more interesting character in the previous books. He has sarcastic humor, which I enjoyed at times. I would have enjoyed this about him more if we saw more of his trauma as it felt like it was used as a cover up for it rather than showing the detail and depth of what that traumatic experience felt like. I wanted to feel his pain and healing of this that "altered" his life. I also feel like his impulsiveness was a way that hid the depth. These are the things that didn't work for me. On another level, I did enjoy his impulsive side as we all need to be every now and then. What worked for me was his protectiveness and his rough yet gentleness. I didn't hate Beau, but I didn't love him either.

"One of my biggest struggles is going from feeling so needed, so important, so integral to a mission to . . . not. But with Bailey, I feel like she needs me, and I need her."


Bailey Jansen is the girl who has a bad reputation due to things her family has done. This was something that I would have like to see more depth of, but unfortunately, we didn't get much of a description or backstory. Despite this, she is stronger than I thought she would be. However, she is also immature and acts like a bratty adolescent at times. Did I feel for her because of how she was treated? I absolutely did. I would think, though, that would make her more mature. There were things that I did like about her. Though she was mostly quiet, around Beau, she was outspoken and asked the most random unfiltered shit that had me cackling at times. Most of it was about sex as she was a virgin, and she felt comfortable enough to ask him. At times, I thought just ask Google, lol. I was routing for her when she stood up for herself amongst the patrons in the bar, but that was really the only time. I didn't connect with her much, but I didn't hate her.

“If we’re struggling, we’re still in motion, yeah? Heading somewhere better. That’s what I keep telling myself anyway.”


Beau and Bailey have similar personalities, though their traumas are different. I thought that they would have more chemistry due to this. Things just felt rushed with them, and we didn't get an in-depth relationship. Part of the reason I also feel this way is because Beau also thinks about how young she is to him. This just got annoying and repetitive. It made it feel like because of the age difference that he didn't want to be with her or wasn't fully in it, in my opinion. The other thing that didn't work for me was the nickname. They tried out different nicknames she didn't like any. I didn't see anything wrong with some of them, but then we settled on sugar tits ugh why. The bathtub scene definitely didn't do it for me. I'm not sure why Elsie thought this would be romantic in any way. These two things were just so cringe. There was one thing that I did love about them, and that is that Bailey helped Beau with his nightmares that woke him every morning at 2:11. She found ways to make positive memories out of it.

“My pain disappears when I’m with you. I get to be a new version of myself when I’m with you. I sleep. I laugh. I have something— someone— to look forward to at the end of the day. I feel . . .”
“I feel whole again with you.”


As always, the found family in this is so good. We didn't get as much of the other characters in this one as I would have liked. That would have made it so much better.

There was a third act conflict that didn't need to be added. I am sad to be saying goodbye to this series even though a couple of the books didn't work for me entirely. I still want Chestnut Springs to be a real place that I can go visit or live. The next best thing would be to become a part of this wholesome family.


Favorite quotes and moments

"Bailey makes 2:11 better."

“Bailey. You are doing nothing wrong. You have done nothing wrong. Anyone who talks shit about you is cruel and small- minded and not worthy of your attention. You are fucking perfect.”

“I don’t think anyone has ever loved me.”
“Then let me be the first to do that too"

"When it comes to you, I’m downright hopeless.”

~~~~~~

Pre-review: I've not seen the best about this one. Giving it a go since I don't like leaving series unfinished. Wish me luck 🫣