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Crimson Ridge #4
Saving the Rain
Forbidden love heats up in this spicy, age-gap, stepbrother rodeo cowboy romance from internationally bestselling author Elliott Rose.
All it takes is eight seconds for your world to come crashing to a halt. What happens when you’re injured, stuck with the one man who makes your blood heat in a way you’ve never experienced before?
I’ve been on a path to redemption. Kayce Wilder, former screw-up. The bareback bronc rider with big dreams. I had it all figured out.
Only, I didn’t count on a ride gone wrong to leave me with no other option than to ask for his help. Zeke Rainer. Raine. The gruff cowboy covered in tattoos, surrounded by mysteries.
We’ve been at odds forever. Rivals in the arena. Two rodeo riders in pursuit of the same buckle . . . before he left me behind, without warning.
My stepbrother.
When urgent help is needed to run the ranch, he’s the last person I want to be relying on for a favor. As the fall nights lengthen, tension and angst thicken the more time we spend alone together.
I shouldn’t be noticing so many small details—especially not how strong his hands look while working with the horses—and I certainly shouldn’t be wondering if he thinks about me as much as I think about him.
I’ve never been attracted to a man before. It would be unthinkable to be drawn to him. Wouldn’t it?
All it takes is eight seconds for your world to come crashing to a halt. What happens when you’re injured, stuck with the one man who makes your blood heat in a way you’ve never experienced before?
I’ve been on a path to redemption. Kayce Wilder, former screw-up. The bareback bronc rider with big dreams. I had it all figured out.
Only, I didn’t count on a ride gone wrong to leave me with no other option than to ask for his help. Zeke Rainer. Raine. The gruff cowboy covered in tattoos, surrounded by mysteries.
We’ve been at odds forever. Rivals in the arena. Two rodeo riders in pursuit of the same buckle . . . before he left me behind, without warning.
My stepbrother.
When urgent help is needed to run the ranch, he’s the last person I want to be relying on for a favor. As the fall nights lengthen, tension and angst thicken the more time we spend alone together.
I shouldn’t be noticing so many small details—especially not how strong his hands look while working with the horses—and I certainly shouldn’t be wondering if he thinks about me as much as I think about him.
I’ve never been attracted to a man before. It would be unthinkable to be drawn to him. Wouldn’t it?
467 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 26, 2025
1899 people are currently reading
34731 people want to read
About the author
Elliott Rose
17 books3,611 followersElliott Rose is a bestselling author of romance on the forbidden and deliciously dark side. She lives in a teeny tiny beachside community in the south of Aotearoa, New Zealand with her partner and three rescue dogs.
Find her with a witchy brew in hand, a notebook overflowing with book ideas, or wandering along the beach.
Join her reader group The Cauldron for exclusive giveaways, BTS details, first looks at character art/inspo, and intimate chats about new and ongoing projects.
Join her Newsletter for all the goodies and major news direct to your email inbox.
Find her with a witchy brew in hand, a notebook overflowing with book ideas, or wandering along the beach.
Join her reader group The Cauldron for exclusive giveaways, BTS details, first looks at character art/inspo, and intimate chats about new and ongoing projects.
Join her Newsletter for all the goodies and major news direct to your email inbox.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,371 reviews
August 24, 2025
This forbidden romance novel is one I will never forget! It is extremely unique and had me at the edge of my seat towards the end. It is very emotional and had me crying throughout reading the book. A lot of things happen in this western M/M romance. The depth this book came with was incredible. I see this becoming a movie in the future! If it doesn’t, I will be both surprised and disappointed. The extremely powerful and adventurous ride this took me on is unmatched with any other book I have ever read! Both of the male main characters were lovable and it came with extra spicy heat!
It’s western, with a rodeo cowboy setting. It is considered a taboo romance, because they are step brothers. It’s not just an enemies to lovers romance, but a rivals to lovers romance! I love the atmospheric, small town setting in the book. Even though I know this book might not be for everyone, I would recommend trying to give it a chance. You might be surprised at how amazing this book truly is. This story was believable, the characters were multilayered and it was beautifully written. Overall, I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars!
Content warnings include trauma and explicit sexual content. This book gave me the movies “Cruel Intentions” mixed in with “Brokeback Mountain” vibes!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Elliott Rose and Kensington Publishing | Kensington Replenishment Titles for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is expected to be published on August 26, 2025!
It’s western, with a rodeo cowboy setting. It is considered a taboo romance, because they are step brothers. It’s not just an enemies to lovers romance, but a rivals to lovers romance! I love the atmospheric, small town setting in the book. Even though I know this book might not be for everyone, I would recommend trying to give it a chance. You might be surprised at how amazing this book truly is. This story was believable, the characters were multilayered and it was beautifully written. Overall, I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars!
Content warnings include trauma and explicit sexual content. This book gave me the movies “Cruel Intentions” mixed in with “Brokeback Mountain” vibes!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Elliott Rose and Kensington Publishing | Kensington Replenishment Titles for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is expected to be published on August 26, 2025!
August 7, 2025
As a fan of M/M romances and especially of the stepbrother trope, I was really excited to dive into Saving The Rain. The premise checked so many of my boxes: enemies-to-lovers tension, forced proximity, and that forbidden connection simmering just under the surface. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite deliver for me.
The setup had a lot of promise Kayce and Raine, rival bronc riders with a complicated past.. right? but how exactly were they rivals.. Raine doesn’t even ride anymore. And sure, the forced proximity worked where it forced them to coexist after an injury, but everything felt so slow and then so abrupt that I was lost. Also, it says this book is spicy, why did nothing happen until 57% (I’m just saying that in for the fans by 57% I’m pretty sure Avi & Kyran were in the shower… iykyk)
But what really didn’t work for me:
- The “Age Gap” felt misleading: The blurb promises an age-gap romance, but a five-year difference really isn’t significant enough to make that a central theme. Worse, the flashbacks to Raine at 18 and Kayce at 13 were more confusing than helpful and felt unnecessary, especially given their lack of emotional payoff.
- Too much telling, not enough showing: A major issue was the heavy use of inner monologue. So much of the story is told through thoughts that I often felt disconnected from the actual events and emotions. Key moments in the romance felt glossed over or simply told to us instead of being shown through action or dialogue. It made it hard to believe in the chemistry between Kayce and Raine, let alone root for them. Like make it make sense, these two get into a fight, and then all of a sudden it’s a week later and they’ve been no contact? WHAT DO YOU MEAN LOL.
- The Pacing was OFF: The first 25% was bogged down with what felt like recap and backstory for characters I assume are from previous books. As a new reader to the series, it didn’t add anything for me and just made the story drag. Then the last 10% took a sharp left turn that felt abrupt and out of place, like it belonged to another book entirely.
Overall, I think longtime fans of the series might appreciate Saving The Rain more than I did, especially if they’re already familiar with the surrounding lore. But as a standalone romance, it left me a bit cold. I’m still open to trying another of Elliott Rose’s books in the future but this one wasn’t the right fit for me.
The setup had a lot of promise Kayce and Raine, rival bronc riders with a complicated past.. right? but how exactly were they rivals.. Raine doesn’t even ride anymore. And sure, the forced proximity worked where it forced them to coexist after an injury, but everything felt so slow and then so abrupt that I was lost. Also, it says this book is spicy, why did nothing happen until 57% (I’m just saying that in for the fans by 57% I’m pretty sure Avi & Kyran were in the shower… iykyk)
But what really didn’t work for me:
- The “Age Gap” felt misleading: The blurb promises an age-gap romance, but a five-year difference really isn’t significant enough to make that a central theme. Worse, the flashbacks to Raine at 18 and Kayce at 13 were more confusing than helpful and felt unnecessary, especially given their lack of emotional payoff.
- Too much telling, not enough showing: A major issue was the heavy use of inner monologue. So much of the story is told through thoughts that I often felt disconnected from the actual events and emotions. Key moments in the romance felt glossed over or simply told to us instead of being shown through action or dialogue. It made it hard to believe in the chemistry between Kayce and Raine, let alone root for them. Like make it make sense, these two get into a fight, and then all of a sudden it’s a week later and they’ve been no contact? WHAT DO YOU MEAN LOL.
- The Pacing was OFF: The first 25% was bogged down with what felt like recap and backstory for characters I assume are from previous books. As a new reader to the series, it didn’t add anything for me and just made the story drag. Then the last 10% took a sharp left turn that felt abrupt and out of place, like it belonged to another book entirely.
Overall, I think longtime fans of the series might appreciate Saving The Rain more than I did, especially if they’re already familiar with the surrounding lore. But as a standalone romance, it left me a bit cold. I’m still open to trying another of Elliott Rose’s books in the future but this one wasn’t the right fit for me.
September 14, 2025
if there’s one thing that i love, it’s a mm romance. add in cowboys? i’ve basically already started my transition into a puddle.
this book made me feel so many things and in the best way possible?? like if you told me i was going to love kayce after book one of this series i would have laughed in your face but god i was so, so wrong (seriously this is a theme after releasing 10 lmao). i absolutely loved kayce’s journey that led to his character in saving the rain, and i really just wanted to give him a big hug.
and can we please talk about rainer??? god that man drove me up a fucking wall for a good chunk of the book. however, i love how it felt like we were experiencing him soften through kayces eyes. whenever he called kayce “sweet boy” i fear that my resolve cracked right alongside kayces.
the one and only thing that i did struggle with was that for a majority of book their connection felt like a purely physical thing. yes, they were stepbrothers and went through a traumatic childhood together but it wasn’t until the flashbacks to their conversations we didn’t see during smaller, intimate moments that it felt like their relationship was a plausible thing.
i’m truly so sad that this series is over, like first rebel blue ranch and now crimson ridge? what am i supposed to do with my life now? 😭
———————————
𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 ⋆˚࿔
taboo mm cowboy romance is just what the doctor ordered. 🤠
this book made me feel so many things and in the best way possible?? like if you told me i was going to love kayce after book one of this series i would have laughed in your face but god i was so, so wrong (seriously this is a theme after releasing 10 lmao). i absolutely loved kayce’s journey that led to his character in saving the rain, and i really just wanted to give him a big hug.
and can we please talk about rainer??? god that man drove me up a fucking wall for a good chunk of the book. however, i love how it felt like we were experiencing him soften through kayces eyes. whenever he called kayce “sweet boy” i fear that my resolve cracked right alongside kayces.
the one and only thing that i did struggle with was that for a majority of book their connection felt like a purely physical thing. yes, they were stepbrothers and went through a traumatic childhood together but it wasn’t until the flashbacks to their conversations we didn’t see during smaller, intimate moments that it felt like their relationship was a plausible thing.
i’m truly so sad that this series is over, like first rebel blue ranch and now crimson ridge? what am i supposed to do with my life now? 😭
———————————
𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 ⋆˚࿔
taboo mm cowboy romance is just what the doctor ordered. 🤠
September 20, 2025
this book had so much potential, but at least the banging was hot 😋
November 15, 2025
Apparently I’m an MM girlie now 🤔
May 4, 2025
This has got to be MM about Raine and Kayce. You cannot convince me otherwise 🔥🔥🔥
September 14, 2025
Buckle up, buckle bunnies, this review is going to be a buckin’ bronco ride. If you last to the end, you deserve a buckle. Why say few words when many do trick? Warning: sarcasm ahead.
I read the other books in this series earlier this year (back when I was still reading MF), and I remember enjoying them. A little heavy on the expo-dumping and flashbacks for my liking, and too much telling vs showing, but entertaining nonetheless. I got bored with MF and I made the switch to MM not long after, so I was curious when I heard this author was releasing a MM romance.
Well, this isn’t even close to MM for me. It may involve a gay romance between two men, but it is about as far from the spirit of MM that you can get.
Where MM shines—and what drew me to it—is in its prevailing gender equality. There are some exceptions, but as a whole, MM is generally inclusive, treating characters as unique individuals rather than gendered stereotypes, where self-actualisation begins and ends in wedding bells and babies*. I find characters in MM to be more flexible and diverse, encompassing a wide range of personalities, appearances, goals and desires that aren’t inhibited by societal gender norms.
This book has none of that. It’s rife with toxic masculinity, misogyny and gender essentialism—especially from the main characters. I would go as far as to call it MM tourism: a straight coded gay romance where the characters are presented in such a way to be palatable and familiar to a straight (female) audience.
The male characters are the hyper masculine ‘alpha’ male stereotypes that are a dime a dozen in MF romance; swearing, calling each other assholes and insulting each other, usually with women at the butt end of the joke. I understand enemies to lovers need to show animosity towards each other, but their toxic masculinity isn’t solely contained within their dynamic. It’s inherent to their characters, it’s how they behave with everyone, even in internal dialogue their thoughts are filled with cursing, aggression and negative views on women. It’s a very narrow view of “male” behaviour, and as a result I had a hard time differentiating between the male characters for at least the first 30% of the book.
Even insults are gendered, with male characters viewing behaviour they perceive as weak as somehow feminine.
Here are a couple of examples from the MMC’s (plenty more in my highlights, don’t worry):
Rayne refers to Kayce as a “weak little b*tch.”
Kayce says he’s as nervous as a “naive schoolgirl at prom.”
It would be different if this behaviour was part of the characters arc, but it’s not. The characters aren’t self aware, and the story doesn’t seem aware either. It’s just normalised. This kind of treatment of women is more typical in MF romances, in my experience, where toxic masculinity and misogyny is more prevalent and somehow, rarely acknowledged.
Rayne specifically says THREE extremely misogynistic comments over the span of 3 pages.
“Weak little b*tch.”
“Jamie? Jenny? F*ck. Who cares, it doesn’t even matter.”
“I’d rather gnaw my own arm off than get tied up with a girl harboring a crush on that f*cking princess.”
I can’t support a character who thinks like this, talks like this, views women like this, and I honestly don’t know how any woman can—unless they too hate women.
With the exception of the FMC’s from previous books in the series (funnily enough, the only woman Rayne seems to respect is heavily pregnant Tessa, is that because she’s dutifully fulfilling her gender role by getting knocked up?), the women in this story are treated as trashy objects that are posed as threats to the MMC’s romance. Women are repeatedly put down, shamed, judged (usually just by their appearance), used as pawns to incite jealousy, and generally treated with contempt by the narrative and the characters. And it would be fine if this was acknowledged or condemned, but it’s not, it’s just normalised. And it’s always the leggy, attractive, usually blonde, popular cheerleader types that seem to cop the brunt of this contempt. Whenever I read this type of thing, I do wonder just how much of it is the author working through some residual high school issues…
Going from MM to this was like walking out of the spa after getting a nice, relaxing massage…and getting hit by a truck. That’s how overt the contempt toward women is.
One of the reasons I read and love MM is because men and women aren’t treated differently, as though they’re different species. They’re treated as people; nuanced individuals with varied personalities and goals and dreams that aren’t restricted—or dictated to—by their gender.
Rayne and Kayce are basically two straight coded men, the most “palatable” type of gay man for a straight female audience, the ultra-masculine type who exclusively slept with women before they have their bi awakening. (I’m aware Rayne is already bi and has slept with men before, he’s still straight coded to me.) It’s the most dismissive and minimising type of gay romance, where the gay characters basically act like alpha male straight men (bonus points for being manwhores!) until they meet their gay exception.
And of course there’s the unwarranted, obligatory MF sex scene. (And yeah, I’m aware of the context, Kayce struggling with his newfound feelings for a man and trying to rationalise it by imagining Rayner with a woman, BUT! This could have been achieved without a fully fleshed out MF sex scene in a gay romance with multiple references to the woman’s genitalia.) As soon as the MF sex scenes come out in MM, you know you’re not in Kansas anymore. Who are you trying to appeal to, exactly? I’ve never read so many mentions of female genitalia in gay romance as I read in this. Straight sex in gay romance reads more like a hetero-coded, watered down MM to appeal to some straight female fantasy. Gays for the female gaze. It’s icky.
And what straight-coded bi awakening would be complete without ‘gay for you’? While the narrative leaves Kayce’s sexuality open, it’s pretty clearly implied that he doesn’t find other men attractive, only Rayne. It’s hinted that he might be demisexual, but it’s just that. A hint. A suggestion. Without further exploration or consideration, and with the emphasis solely on his Rayne-only attraction, I feel like it’s just paying lip service to demisexuality. Gay for you is controversial, and I’ve heard arguments from both sides of the fence, but I think where I personally draw the line in my reading is when ‘gay for you’ feels less like a gay fantasy (where the gay guys straight best friend falls for him) and more like a straight woman fantasy, where a man is basically straight, if not for this ONE hyper masculine, straight-coded exception.
Honestly, this reads just a straight romance with two men, where men are MEN: HELL YEA LOVE RIPPING THRU P*SSY EVERY NIGHT HEH DONT EVEN REMEMBER THEIR NAMES OR FACES WHO CARES ANYWAY...CANT BE TAMED IM A #MAN!!!! TIME TO EAT STEAKS AND DRIVE MY TRUCK MADE OF STEAKS AND CRUISE FOR MORE P*SSY AND I GOT TATTOOS AND SMOKE CIGARETTES (ALSO MADE OF STEAKS).
This is like that. But MM.
Note:
*I’m not implying there is anything wrong with getting married and having babies, but when you read your 300th MF where the epilogue is a wedding or a baby and it’s treated like the FMC’s life was somehow incomplete without these things, it gets boring. And sexist. Not all women need marriage or babies to be complete.
I read the other books in this series earlier this year (back when I was still reading MF), and I remember enjoying them. A little heavy on the expo-dumping and flashbacks for my liking, and too much telling vs showing, but entertaining nonetheless. I got bored with MF and I made the switch to MM not long after, so I was curious when I heard this author was releasing a MM romance.
Well, this isn’t even close to MM for me. It may involve a gay romance between two men, but it is about as far from the spirit of MM that you can get.
Where MM shines—and what drew me to it—is in its prevailing gender equality. There are some exceptions, but as a whole, MM is generally inclusive, treating characters as unique individuals rather than gendered stereotypes, where self-actualisation begins and ends in wedding bells and babies*. I find characters in MM to be more flexible and diverse, encompassing a wide range of personalities, appearances, goals and desires that aren’t inhibited by societal gender norms.
This book has none of that. It’s rife with toxic masculinity, misogyny and gender essentialism—especially from the main characters. I would go as far as to call it MM tourism: a straight coded gay romance where the characters are presented in such a way to be palatable and familiar to a straight (female) audience.
The male characters are the hyper masculine ‘alpha’ male stereotypes that are a dime a dozen in MF romance; swearing, calling each other assholes and insulting each other, usually with women at the butt end of the joke. I understand enemies to lovers need to show animosity towards each other, but their toxic masculinity isn’t solely contained within their dynamic. It’s inherent to their characters, it’s how they behave with everyone, even in internal dialogue their thoughts are filled with cursing, aggression and negative views on women. It’s a very narrow view of “male” behaviour, and as a result I had a hard time differentiating between the male characters for at least the first 30% of the book.
Even insults are gendered, with male characters viewing behaviour they perceive as weak as somehow feminine.
Here are a couple of examples from the MMC’s (plenty more in my highlights, don’t worry):
Rayne refers to Kayce as a “weak little b*tch.”
Kayce says he’s as nervous as a “naive schoolgirl at prom.”
It would be different if this behaviour was part of the characters arc, but it’s not. The characters aren’t self aware, and the story doesn’t seem aware either. It’s just normalised. This kind of treatment of women is more typical in MF romances, in my experience, where toxic masculinity and misogyny is more prevalent and somehow, rarely acknowledged.
Rayne specifically says THREE extremely misogynistic comments over the span of 3 pages.
“Weak little b*tch.”
“Jamie? Jenny? F*ck. Who cares, it doesn’t even matter.”
“I’d rather gnaw my own arm off than get tied up with a girl harboring a crush on that f*cking princess.”
I can’t support a character who thinks like this, talks like this, views women like this, and I honestly don’t know how any woman can—unless they too hate women.
With the exception of the FMC’s from previous books in the series (funnily enough, the only woman Rayne seems to respect is heavily pregnant Tessa, is that because she’s dutifully fulfilling her gender role by getting knocked up?), the women in this story are treated as trashy objects that are posed as threats to the MMC’s romance. Women are repeatedly put down, shamed, judged (usually just by their appearance), used as pawns to incite jealousy, and generally treated with contempt by the narrative and the characters. And it would be fine if this was acknowledged or condemned, but it’s not, it’s just normalised. And it’s always the leggy, attractive, usually blonde, popular cheerleader types that seem to cop the brunt of this contempt. Whenever I read this type of thing, I do wonder just how much of it is the author working through some residual high school issues…
Going from MM to this was like walking out of the spa after getting a nice, relaxing massage…and getting hit by a truck. That’s how overt the contempt toward women is.
One of the reasons I read and love MM is because men and women aren’t treated differently, as though they’re different species. They’re treated as people; nuanced individuals with varied personalities and goals and dreams that aren’t restricted—or dictated to—by their gender.
Rayne and Kayce are basically two straight coded men, the most “palatable” type of gay man for a straight female audience, the ultra-masculine type who exclusively slept with women before they have their bi awakening. (I’m aware Rayne is already bi and has slept with men before, he’s still straight coded to me.) It’s the most dismissive and minimising type of gay romance, where the gay characters basically act like alpha male straight men (bonus points for being manwhores!) until they meet their gay exception.
And of course there’s the unwarranted, obligatory MF sex scene. (And yeah, I’m aware of the context, Kayce struggling with his newfound feelings for a man and trying to rationalise it by imagining Rayner with a woman, BUT! This could have been achieved without a fully fleshed out MF sex scene in a gay romance with multiple references to the woman’s genitalia.) As soon as the MF sex scenes come out in MM, you know you’re not in Kansas anymore. Who are you trying to appeal to, exactly? I’ve never read so many mentions of female genitalia in gay romance as I read in this. Straight sex in gay romance reads more like a hetero-coded, watered down MM to appeal to some straight female fantasy. Gays for the female gaze. It’s icky.
And what straight-coded bi awakening would be complete without ‘gay for you’? While the narrative leaves Kayce’s sexuality open, it’s pretty clearly implied that he doesn’t find other men attractive, only Rayne. It’s hinted that he might be demisexual, but it’s just that. A hint. A suggestion. Without further exploration or consideration, and with the emphasis solely on his Rayne-only attraction, I feel like it’s just paying lip service to demisexuality. Gay for you is controversial, and I’ve heard arguments from both sides of the fence, but I think where I personally draw the line in my reading is when ‘gay for you’ feels less like a gay fantasy (where the gay guys straight best friend falls for him) and more like a straight woman fantasy, where a man is basically straight, if not for this ONE hyper masculine, straight-coded exception.
Honestly, this reads just a straight romance with two men, where men are MEN: HELL YEA LOVE RIPPING THRU P*SSY EVERY NIGHT HEH DONT EVEN REMEMBER THEIR NAMES OR FACES WHO CARES ANYWAY...CANT BE TAMED IM A #MAN!!!! TIME TO EAT STEAKS AND DRIVE MY TRUCK MADE OF STEAKS AND CRUISE FOR MORE P*SSY AND I GOT TATTOOS AND SMOKE CIGARETTES (ALSO MADE OF STEAKS).
This is like that. But MM.
Note:
*I’m not implying there is anything wrong with getting married and having babies, but when you read your 300th MF where the epilogue is a wedding or a baby and it’s treated like the FMC’s life was somehow incomplete without these things, it gets boring. And sexist. Not all women need marriage or babies to be complete.
August 30, 2025
do authors know you can write suspense throughout a book and not just in the last chapter????
after four books in this series, i think it might be time for me to retire. i enjoyed the first installment but with each new one i like them less and less. this one isn't the worst but it might be rated lowest because of my feelings on the series and not the actual book. kayce and raine had a really good setup and a really good first half but the plot dragged and the last two chapters were so insane i thought i missed pages or was in a new book somehow. we could've just had there be suspense about their parents for the whole book, adding everything in 30 pages made is seem incredibly outlandish and dumb.
obviously i'm just pissed because i really was enjoying this for seventy percent. had we stopped there this would've been a 3.75 but now i'm feeling a 2.75, maybe a three but not right now.
after four books in this series, i think it might be time for me to retire. i enjoyed the first installment but with each new one i like them less and less. this one isn't the worst but it might be rated lowest because of my feelings on the series and not the actual book. kayce and raine had a really good setup and a really good first half but the plot dragged and the last two chapters were so insane i thought i missed pages or was in a new book somehow. we could've just had there be suspense about their parents for the whole book, adding everything in 30 pages made is seem incredibly outlandish and dumb.
obviously i'm just pissed because i really was enjoying this for seventy percent. had we stopped there this would've been a 3.75 but now i'm feeling a 2.75, maybe a three but not right now.
October 10, 2025
This is my favorite book out of the series. I’ll admit I was a little nervous about Kayce’s story, because he treated Layla like garbage in the first book. It was really nice to see how much he was working on bettering himself. He was on a healing journey showing a lot of growth. Not only was he dealing with his pill addicted Mother, knee injury and sobriety, but also trying to figure out his sexuality. I’m not always big on internal monologues, but it worked really well in this story. We got to learn some of his and Raine’s backstory of what they went through with shitty ass parents. Raine went through a lot with his Father abusing him. I do think it would help Raine to go to therapy like Kayce did.
I love Raine. He had this grumpy, tattoo mysterious vibe going on. The way he would do anything to protect Kayce had my heart swooning. He knew when to take control or when to back off, in order to help Kayce with anything he needed. Boy did Raine have a filthy dirty mouth on him 🥵 I did catch myself laughing whenever Kayce whimpered, which was often. I just can’t picture him whimpering lol I love them together! The epilogue had me smiling like a lovesick fool. I might have teared up at the end. Maybe a little bit. 🤏 Please tell me we are getting a series of the Hayes brothers 🤞🤞🤞
I love Raine. He had this grumpy, tattoo mysterious vibe going on. The way he would do anything to protect Kayce had my heart swooning. He knew when to take control or when to back off, in order to help Kayce with anything he needed. Boy did Raine have a filthy dirty mouth on him 🥵 I did catch myself laughing whenever Kayce whimpered, which was often. I just can’t picture him whimpering lol I love them together! The epilogue had me smiling like a lovesick fool. I might have teared up at the end. Maybe a little bit. 🤏 Please tell me we are getting a series of the Hayes brothers 🤞🤞🤞
September 9, 2025
This has been such a great series overall. I've loved getting to know the inhabitants of Crimson ridge and all their sexy, kinky proclivities. There have even been some emotional moments and truly moving characters. I'm so happy how Elliot Rose has burst through to the mainstream and seeing her books start to pop up on shelves everywhere is very satisfying.
I have been rooting for Kayce since the end of Chasing the Wild and watching his character development is very satisfying. He was a sad, broken boy, who was carrying too much weight and it caused him to act out at times as an adult. Learning more of that full picture brings thing into focus quite a bit.
Raine was a surprise in many ways and he challenged and pushed Kayce in many ways. He also ended up being a great support and safe place for him too. However, I don't entirely feel like we broke down all the hurt that Raine himself contributed to in Kayce's life. We see all these flashbacks of how Raine is doing things behind the scenes while being an absolute turd to Kayce to his face. I don't feel like it was all justified and just because they now love each other and want to bang.... well, I think I wanted to see them work through it more.
At the end of the day, this romance did make me smile and I am so happy they were able to finally share what they had in common and start a new future together!
I look forward to what Elliot Rose brings us next.
4 Stars
4 on the spice scale
CW: Sports injury, domestic abuse (as children), bullying
*Thank you to Kensington and the author for an ARC of this title.*
I have been rooting for Kayce since the end of Chasing the Wild and watching his character development is very satisfying. He was a sad, broken boy, who was carrying too much weight and it caused him to act out at times as an adult. Learning more of that full picture brings thing into focus quite a bit.
Raine was a surprise in many ways and he challenged and pushed Kayce in many ways. He also ended up being a great support and safe place for him too. However, I don't entirely feel like we broke down all the hurt that Raine himself contributed to in Kayce's life. We see all these flashbacks of how Raine is doing things behind the scenes while being an absolute turd to Kayce to his face. I don't feel like it was all justified and just because they now love each other and want to bang.... well, I think I wanted to see them work through it more.
At the end of the day, this romance did make me smile and I am so happy they were able to finally share what they had in common and start a new future together!
I look forward to what Elliot Rose brings us next.
4 Stars
4 on the spice scale
CW: Sports injury, domestic abuse (as children), bullying
*Thank you to Kensington and the author for an ARC of this title.*
August 29, 2025
i randomly found this on instagram and had to immediately read it for the tropes. step brothers, enemies to lovers, the bad boy who’s all tatted up x the golden boy, age gap, forbidden romance, literally all my fav tropes!!
but sadly this didn’t work for me. raine is an absolute ass. I get why he was an ass but he treated kayce like shit and it wasn’t fully justified imo. he took it way too far especially knowing what kayce has gone through. i get the whole “you need to face your battles and stop hiding” but he purposely went for kayce’s weak spots and used them against him in a way that was awful. his words even hurt me 😭 i felt so bad for kayce knowing what he was going through. and the whole “I’ll always protect you” where??? because to me he treated kayce like he was dirt under his shoe. right before kayce’s bronco competition, raine says a bunch of shit to him right before which causes kayce to get into his head more than he already is and ends up getting hurt really bad and put in the hospital! the first thing raine asks is “why am I still your emergency contact” not even a hello or are you okay first?? like stfu man😭😭 this is just one example and there is multiple. when they start having sex together, raine’s behaviour changes 🙄 they went from fighting for the first half, to having sex the entire rest of the book. i swear it was one sex scene after another, and then we reach the over the top third act breakup and a bunch of stuff happening within the last 10-15%. so not only do we get a third act breakup, we also get a separation. i just feel like this couple had so much potential and they didn’t really get to flourish because it was just non stop sex scenes once it’s started.
the age gap was 5 years btw?? 5 YEARS!!!!! That’s an excuse of an age gap………
i added this whole series to my tbr but after reading this i don’t know if i will like the rest of the series. i’m super hesitant now 😭
but sadly this didn’t work for me. raine is an absolute ass. I get why he was an ass but he treated kayce like shit and it wasn’t fully justified imo. he took it way too far especially knowing what kayce has gone through. i get the whole “you need to face your battles and stop hiding” but he purposely went for kayce’s weak spots and used them against him in a way that was awful. his words even hurt me 😭 i felt so bad for kayce knowing what he was going through. and the whole “I’ll always protect you” where??? because to me he treated kayce like he was dirt under his shoe. right before kayce’s bronco competition, raine says a bunch of shit to him right before which causes kayce to get into his head more than he already is and ends up getting hurt really bad and put in the hospital! the first thing raine asks is “why am I still your emergency contact” not even a hello or are you okay first?? like stfu man😭😭 this is just one example and there is multiple. when they start having sex together, raine’s behaviour changes 🙄 they went from fighting for the first half, to having sex the entire rest of the book. i swear it was one sex scene after another, and then we reach the over the top third act breakup and a bunch of stuff happening within the last 10-15%. so not only do we get a third act breakup, we also get a separation. i just feel like this couple had so much potential and they didn’t really get to flourish because it was just non stop sex scenes once it’s started.
the age gap was 5 years btw?? 5 YEARS!!!!! That’s an excuse of an age gap………
i added this whole series to my tbr but after reading this i don’t know if i will like the rest of the series. i’m super hesitant now 😭
dnf
September 7, 2025DNF 47%
I didn't finished this book, because one of the mmc is a jerk and I don't know how I can love him and want him to be with other hero. Mostly it felt like bully romance. Raine treats Kayce like a shit. And it's weard cuz the MC are in their thirties. I mean don't you have a life? Stop behave like an angry toddler.
I get why he's such an asshole, but I can't stand him. IT'S NOT KAYCE'S FAULT that life was cruel to him. And I don't get why Raine chose him as his punchbag. Boys are both broken. But Raine chose to be a bully, and Kayce – a victim.
Kayce, my poor boy. Mommy issues and alcoholism have lead him to bad decisions and huge consequences. But he's trying so hard to change his life. Honestly, he deserves so much better than Raine. Though sometimes he was too miserable and pitiful.
I read almost 50% so I can say nothing about their love story. No development, only hatred and some sexy times.
Spicy scenes were okay, but things between them were pretty similar to degradation kink, which is not my cup of tea. That's my bad, I didn't read the tw/cw.
I'm also not sure whether I liked the writing or not. It was way too long with too many inner monologues. Mostly telling, not showing.
Oh, and there is no rivals-to-lovers trope. Raine doesn't compete anymore.
I didn't finished this book, because one of the mmc is a jerk and I don't know how I can love him and want him to be with other hero. Mostly it felt like bully romance. Raine treats Kayce like a shit. And it's weard cuz the MC are in their thirties. I mean don't you have a life? Stop behave like an angry toddler.
I get why he's such an asshole, but I can't stand him. IT'S NOT KAYCE'S FAULT that life was cruel to him. And I don't get why Raine chose him as his punchbag. Boys are both broken. But Raine chose to be a bully, and Kayce – a victim.
Kayce, my poor boy. Mommy issues and alcoholism have lead him to bad decisions and huge consequences. But he's trying so hard to change his life. Honestly, he deserves so much better than Raine. Though sometimes he was too miserable and pitiful.
I read almost 50% so I can say nothing about their love story. No development, only hatred and some sexy times.
Spicy scenes were okay, but things between them were pretty similar to degradation kink, which is not my cup of tea. That's my bad, I didn't read the tw/cw.
I'm also not sure whether I liked the writing or not. It was way too long with too many inner monologues. Mostly telling, not showing.
Oh, and there is no rivals-to-lovers trope. Raine doesn't compete anymore.
Want to read
August 5, 2025Pre-read:
Super excited to start this, I’ve been loving all the books in the series so far, when I arc read book 3 I had a sneak peak of the beginning chapters of this one👀🔥I just have a feeling this book is gonna be on top of them all.
Super excited to start this, I’ve been loving all the books in the series so far, when I arc read book 3 I had a sneak peak of the beginning chapters of this one👀🔥I just have a feeling this book is gonna be on top of them all.
September 2, 2025
“Back entrance” being used in an MM romance.. twice 😑
I haven’t read MF in years and this book FELT like I was reading one.
The characters didn’t talk??! Everything was internal.
Kinda bummed because I saw this on TikTok and was really intrigued. The fan art is really pretty! That’s all I have to say. Moving on now.
I haven’t read MF in years and this book FELT like I was reading one.
The characters didn’t talk??! Everything was internal.
Kinda bummed because I saw this on TikTok and was really intrigued. The fan art is really pretty! That’s all I have to say. Moving on now.
July 25, 2025
While I am so heartbroken this series is coming to an end, Kayce and Raine’s story was the perfect completion of this series. Nobody does angsty, forbidden romance quite like Elliott Rose.
I absolutely loved seeing Kacey and Raine’s hate to love relationship unfold. There were so many we shouldn’t be doing this moments that had me just kicking my feet and rooting for them.
Raine is the protective older brother that just saw Kayce and his mom as a burden when they came into his life. While Kayce just really wanted Raine’s approval and was excited about the prospect of having an older brother. Kayce always thought Raine hated him after he left, so years later when he shows back up in Crimson Ridge he’s having a hard time fighting the urge to continue to hate Raine, and his growing attraction. This story is the definition of love will find you when, and where you least expect it.
I loved that Raine knew exactly when to push Kayce, and when to back off. The room that Raine gave Kayce to grow, while I was sad they were apart it was much needed and only strengthened their relationship. This book was absolutely beautiful, but they’re characters written by Elliott so I expected nothing less
Thank you so much to Elliott Rose and Kensington for the gifted copy and allowing me to read this pre-release in exchange for my honest review
I absolutely loved seeing Kacey and Raine’s hate to love relationship unfold. There were so many we shouldn’t be doing this moments that had me just kicking my feet and rooting for them.
Raine is the protective older brother that just saw Kayce and his mom as a burden when they came into his life. While Kayce just really wanted Raine’s approval and was excited about the prospect of having an older brother. Kayce always thought Raine hated him after he left, so years later when he shows back up in Crimson Ridge he’s having a hard time fighting the urge to continue to hate Raine, and his growing attraction. This story is the definition of love will find you when, and where you least expect it.
I loved that Raine knew exactly when to push Kayce, and when to back off. The room that Raine gave Kayce to grow, while I was sad they were apart it was much needed and only strengthened their relationship. This book was absolutely beautiful, but they’re characters written by Elliott so I expected nothing less
Thank you so much to Elliott Rose and Kensington for the gifted copy and allowing me to read this pre-release in exchange for my honest review
July 10, 2025
4.5/5 ⭐️
4/5 🌶️
RTC
4/5 🌶️
RTC
August 11, 2025
2.5 ⭐️no one is sadder than me that this didn’t hit the mark.
I loved seeing and hearing updates of the previous Crimson Ridge characters, seeing how Kacey has changed as a person and why he was so crappy in the first book.
I’m a bit disappointed with the tempo of the book and didn’t feel connected with the characters until 40% through the book. Their hate to love switched up so fast it didn’t feel realistic to me. Especially when Kayce was instantly attracted to Raine but Raine continued to hate his existence and randomly decided (or so it felt) that he was attracted to him.
I loved seeing and hearing updates of the previous Crimson Ridge characters, seeing how Kacey has changed as a person and why he was so crappy in the first book.
I’m a bit disappointed with the tempo of the book and didn’t feel connected with the characters until 40% through the book. Their hate to love switched up so fast it didn’t feel realistic to me. Especially when Kayce was instantly attracted to Raine but Raine continued to hate his existence and randomly decided (or so it felt) that he was attracted to him.
August 28, 2025
I was really looking forward to this but found myself skimming through almost the whole book. So much of it just feels completely unnecessary; there are pages and pages of writing that add absolutely nothing at all to the story, or further it in any way. There’s so much telling and hardly any showing, and it makes for a pretty boring read. There’s also so much internal dialogue that it feels like nothing is ever actually talked about between Kayce and Raine.
And speaking of Raine? He’s absolutely awful. He’s been cruel to Kayce since the moment they met - when Kayce was just a little kid - for absolutely no reason at all. Kayce has literally never done anything wrong to him, and yet Raine spends all his time making him feel like an absolute waste of space. I mean, Kayce gets seriously injured and the first thing Raine does is yell at him because the hospital called. Like, are you joking me? I get that he’s got his issues - and so called reasons for why he treated Kayce that way - but absolutely none of his issues were Kayce’s fault, and it seems unnecessarily cruel to have him take out all of his anger on someone who has never once wronged him.
Raine has got such a goddamn victim complex that he can’t stand when other people have a bad day, because clearly no one else has ever suffered as much as he has, so how dare they be in a bad mood. At one point Kayce is upset that he might never compete again, and Raine refers to him as a “frightened little kid who wants to blame everyone else”, when 1) Kayce wasn’t blaming anyone, and 2) all Raine does is blame other people for the way he turned out!! He’s just an entirely unlikeable character.
I’m not really sure why I’m supposed to be rooting for these two? Even in the last quarter when they’re all over each other, it’s so sudden and abrupt - with absolutely zero communication - that it just feels rushed and forced. One minute Raine is a caricature of a villain, then the next he’s madly in love with absolutely no development to get him there.
This is the second book I’ve read in this series - the first being Taming the Heart - and unfortunately both were as bad as each other. It almost feels like the author is info-dumping at the reader rather than telling us a story, and they have a knack for writing absolutely insufferable characters (Sage, Beau, and Raine). I won’t be reading this author again.
And speaking of Raine? He’s absolutely awful. He’s been cruel to Kayce since the moment they met - when Kayce was just a little kid - for absolutely no reason at all. Kayce has literally never done anything wrong to him, and yet Raine spends all his time making him feel like an absolute waste of space. I mean, Kayce gets seriously injured and the first thing Raine does is yell at him because the hospital called. Like, are you joking me? I get that he’s got his issues - and so called reasons for why he treated Kayce that way - but absolutely none of his issues were Kayce’s fault, and it seems unnecessarily cruel to have him take out all of his anger on someone who has never once wronged him.
Raine has got such a goddamn victim complex that he can’t stand when other people have a bad day, because clearly no one else has ever suffered as much as he has, so how dare they be in a bad mood. At one point Kayce is upset that he might never compete again, and Raine refers to him as a “frightened little kid who wants to blame everyone else”, when 1) Kayce wasn’t blaming anyone, and 2) all Raine does is blame other people for the way he turned out!! He’s just an entirely unlikeable character.
I’m not really sure why I’m supposed to be rooting for these two? Even in the last quarter when they’re all over each other, it’s so sudden and abrupt - with absolutely zero communication - that it just feels rushed and forced. One minute Raine is a caricature of a villain, then the next he’s madly in love with absolutely no development to get him there.
This is the second book I’ve read in this series - the first being Taming the Heart - and unfortunately both were as bad as each other. It almost feels like the author is info-dumping at the reader rather than telling us a story, and they have a knack for writing absolutely insufferable characters (Sage, Beau, and Raine). I won’t be reading this author again.
August 26, 2025
First and foremost, a thousand forehead kisses to Kensington for blessing me with this arc! I will be forever be thankful 🫶
I can’t believe we have reached the end of the Crimson Ridge series, but ending it with Kayce and Raine’s story was perfect. At the very beginning of this series, we’re were introduced to Kayce Wilder as Layla’s loser ex boyfriend. What we didn’t know was all the trauma he’s kept bottled up and how much he’s truly been suffering. However, he’s been working on getting his life back together by quitting alcohol and mending his relationships with those around him while also trying to come to terms with his sexuality.
Enter Raine: the broody and grumpy cowboy who’s recently arrived in town for a job. And he also happens to be Kayce’s stepbrother that he hasn’t seen in years. It’s a surprise to them both when they run into each other and from there, you can feel how much they despise one another. Their relationship really is a rivals to lovers/hate to love and Elliott did a phenomenal job. There was so much build up between these two. The angst? The tension? Kayce is so conflicted because while he is trying to hate Raine, he also can’t help his growing attraction to him. To the one man he absolutely shouldn’t be attracted to. Yet, there is this connection between them that is undeniable. And when they finally give in? 😮💨 Raine has a mouth on him and I am here for it.
As their relationship develops, we also start to see a different side of Raine. While he has this hard and grumpy exterior, he is soft for our sweet boy, Kayce. He cares so much for him and wants to help Kayce, but also knows when to take a step back. That Kayce needs to want to help himself and he can’t push him to do it.
I felt all the emotions for these two and adore their relationship. Kayce had so much growth and I absolutely loved seeing him finally get his HEA. I think it’s safe to say I will be continuously thinking about this book and I truly cannot recommend this one enough 🖤
Thank you so much again to Kensington Publishing for this arc!!
I can’t believe we have reached the end of the Crimson Ridge series, but ending it with Kayce and Raine’s story was perfect. At the very beginning of this series, we’re were introduced to Kayce Wilder as Layla’s loser ex boyfriend. What we didn’t know was all the trauma he’s kept bottled up and how much he’s truly been suffering. However, he’s been working on getting his life back together by quitting alcohol and mending his relationships with those around him while also trying to come to terms with his sexuality.
Enter Raine: the broody and grumpy cowboy who’s recently arrived in town for a job. And he also happens to be Kayce’s stepbrother that he hasn’t seen in years. It’s a surprise to them both when they run into each other and from there, you can feel how much they despise one another. Their relationship really is a rivals to lovers/hate to love and Elliott did a phenomenal job. There was so much build up between these two. The angst? The tension? Kayce is so conflicted because while he is trying to hate Raine, he also can’t help his growing attraction to him. To the one man he absolutely shouldn’t be attracted to. Yet, there is this connection between them that is undeniable. And when they finally give in? 😮💨 Raine has a mouth on him and I am here for it.
As their relationship develops, we also start to see a different side of Raine. While he has this hard and grumpy exterior, he is soft for our sweet boy, Kayce. He cares so much for him and wants to help Kayce, but also knows when to take a step back. That Kayce needs to want to help himself and he can’t push him to do it.
I felt all the emotions for these two and adore their relationship. Kayce had so much growth and I absolutely loved seeing him finally get his HEA. I think it’s safe to say I will be continuously thinking about this book and I truly cannot recommend this one enough 🖤
Thank you so much again to Kensington Publishing for this arc!!
August 28, 2025
4⭐️
if you told me a book 1 that kayce was going to be my favorite character, i would've laughed in your face. he had so much growth throughout the whole series, whether as a side character or the main one. he deserves absolutely everything good to him after this book.
and raine!!! he was honestly so hard to like at the beginning, but he grew on me, and i loved seeing his grumpy and caretaker side. he was an absolute sweetheart to kayce.
i absolutely LOVED this book.
if you told me a book 1 that kayce was going to be my favorite character, i would've laughed in your face. he had so much growth throughout the whole series, whether as a side character or the main one. he deserves absolutely everything good to him after this book.
and raine!!! he was honestly so hard to like at the beginning, but he grew on me, and i loved seeing his grumpy and caretaker side. he was an absolute sweetheart to kayce.
i absolutely LOVED this book.
August 20, 2025
I’ve loved this series with my whole heart so it pains me to say, I don’t like Saving the Rain at all.
And I’m so bummed because Kayce is a gem.
I freaking love him. And he deserved so much better than Raine. This duo didn’t work for me. Raine is a bully, gas lighter, and downright awful. I get the why on his actions and why he is who he is but.. I couldn’t stand him.
My heart repeatedly broke for Kayce.
It’s angsty for sure.
The relationship was … odd. It’s a hate to love but the turn-around on the forgiveness and love aspect was so erupt. The sex came out of nowhere. It just wasn’t fluid writing.
Most of this relationship internal dialogue as well. They don’t communicate or talk things out.. I don’t know… I struggled with this book :/
I’d like to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read this early advanced readers copy.
And I’m so bummed because Kayce is a gem.
I freaking love him. And he deserved so much better than Raine. This duo didn’t work for me. Raine is a bully, gas lighter, and downright awful. I get the why on his actions and why he is who he is but.. I couldn’t stand him.
My heart repeatedly broke for Kayce.
It’s angsty for sure.
The relationship was … odd. It’s a hate to love but the turn-around on the forgiveness and love aspect was so erupt. The sex came out of nowhere. It just wasn’t fluid writing.
Most of this relationship internal dialogue as well. They don’t communicate or talk things out.. I don’t know… I struggled with this book :/
I’d like to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read this early advanced readers copy.
August 11, 2025
From BETA reader -> ARC reviewer + it is still a perfect 5 star read !
Kayce and Raine have the most messy, rugged and raw love story, and wow it was beautiful . I have been waiting for Kayce’s story since the very first book of Crimson Ridge and the wait more than delivered for how wonderful his HEA is . Then the fact that his HEA came in the form of a grumpy, filthy mouthed, older step-brother named Raine, who has endless cowboy charm, was the icing on the cake ! I also loved everything about how Kayce’s journey with his sexuality was perfectly woven into the pages . An emotional masterpiece .
I can’t believe this was our last journey to Crimson Ridge for this series . Thank you Elliott for letting me be apart of your team and the magical worlds you create . Until the next time cowboy lovers <3
This is the fourth book in the Crimson Ridge series and it can be read as a complete stand alone - although I HIGHLY recommend reading this series in its entirety for the best story .
This book/audiobook was given to me for honest review by Kensington Publishing Corp and the author .
Kayce and Raine have the most messy, rugged and raw love story, and wow it was beautiful . I have been waiting for Kayce’s story since the very first book of Crimson Ridge and the wait more than delivered for how wonderful his HEA is . Then the fact that his HEA came in the form of a grumpy, filthy mouthed, older step-brother named Raine, who has endless cowboy charm, was the icing on the cake ! I also loved everything about how Kayce’s journey with his sexuality was perfectly woven into the pages . An emotional masterpiece .
I can’t believe this was our last journey to Crimson Ridge for this series . Thank you Elliott for letting me be apart of your team and the magical worlds you create . Until the next time cowboy lovers <3
This is the fourth book in the Crimson Ridge series and it can be read as a complete stand alone - although I HIGHLY recommend reading this series in its entirety for the best story .
This book/audiobook was given to me for honest review by Kensington Publishing Corp and the author .
August 29, 2025
my first full MM experience and twas a good one.
i think i’d like it more if i had read it on my kindle verses listening to it. Teddy Hamilton can do no wrong to my ears. i wasn’t the biggest fan of the other narrator so it impacted my experience.
was the story great? yup. excited to be back in crimson ridge and tie it all up. i loved this entire series and sad that its over but felt full circle ending it with Kayce.
elliott rose continues to be an auto read author for me. ✨💕
i think i’d like it more if i had read it on my kindle verses listening to it. Teddy Hamilton can do no wrong to my ears. i wasn’t the biggest fan of the other narrator so it impacted my experience.
was the story great? yup. excited to be back in crimson ridge and tie it all up. i loved this entire series and sad that its over but felt full circle ending it with Kayce.
elliott rose continues to be an auto read author for me. ✨💕
August 1, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange of an honest review.
This was so fucking beautiful!!! And angsty!!! And just pure perfection!!!
It's literally filled with angst, yearning, tender moments, but also whitty and sooo spicy!!!
Kayce and Raines story is just so beautiful that I actually cried happy tears at the end.
"Never not obsessed with you."
This was so fucking beautiful!!! And angsty!!! And just pure perfection!!!
It's literally filled with angst, yearning, tender moments, but also whitty and sooo spicy!!!
Kayce and Raines story is just so beautiful that I actually cried happy tears at the end.
"Never not obsessed with you."
August 4, 2025
4.5 stars rounded up!!
I was nervous going into this one. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but yesss! This was an Angsty, forbidden, taboo, age gap, cowboy romance! Kayce & Raine’s story was so messy, emotional, and absolutely beautiful!! Literal tears for the last few chapters. This was just so good!!
Thank you Elliot Rose, Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for this ARC opportunity!
I was nervous going into this one. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but yesss! This was an Angsty, forbidden, taboo, age gap, cowboy romance! Kayce & Raine’s story was so messy, emotional, and absolutely beautiful!! Literal tears for the last few chapters. This was just so good!!
Thank you Elliot Rose, Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for this ARC opportunity!
September 9, 2025
“Good boys swallow my fingers. This ass has never had a fat cock in it before, has it?” I study his face, as his breathing shallows more and more. “No . . . the way you just clenched around me, snowflake, I know you haven’t. But you’ve been dreaming about it, haven’t you?”
4⭐️
This book had me questioning things for the first 60%. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a 3-star read or not. It took me a long while to get into Raine. He was kind of a son of a bitch, if you believe that. I kept trying to figure out what made him a likable character, and by the end I’m not sure if I truly liked him or just liked the idea of him with Kayce. Either way, it is what it is.
The last 40% of the book, though, had me rolling around in bed giggling. Maybe that’s because it’s when they finally stopped being assholes to each other and actually started talking. Add in the sex and the start of a (somewhat) healthy relationship, and suddenly I was hooked.
Like I’ve said a million times, I’m not an enemies-to-lovers girly. I’m more of a “hurt, emotionally broken, closeted, hates themselves, makes me cry until I puke from the emotional turmoil” type of girl when it comes to romance. I want heartbreaking backstories that leave me crumpled in bed with tissues and candy wrappers. That’s my vibe.
This book did pull some tears out of me, so yay for that. Overall, it was interesting. I’ve never read anything by Elliott Rose before, and I don’t know if I will again. I liked the female characters enough, but I’m not sure if future ones will exhaust me the way Raine did. Honestly, I’m not in the mood to read about an obnoxious female lead in my MM romance, and lately a lot of female characters in books have just been irritating for no reason. But hey, you never know.
At the end of the day, I’ll stop complaining and say it was worth the read. I liked it. It wasn’t a 5-star, but it climbed its way up to 4 stars, which is pretty great in my book.
4⭐️
This book had me questioning things for the first 60%. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a 3-star read or not. It took me a long while to get into Raine. He was kind of a son of a bitch, if you believe that. I kept trying to figure out what made him a likable character, and by the end I’m not sure if I truly liked him or just liked the idea of him with Kayce. Either way, it is what it is.
The last 40% of the book, though, had me rolling around in bed giggling. Maybe that’s because it’s when they finally stopped being assholes to each other and actually started talking. Add in the sex and the start of a (somewhat) healthy relationship, and suddenly I was hooked.
Like I’ve said a million times, I’m not an enemies-to-lovers girly. I’m more of a “hurt, emotionally broken, closeted, hates themselves, makes me cry until I puke from the emotional turmoil” type of girl when it comes to romance. I want heartbreaking backstories that leave me crumpled in bed with tissues and candy wrappers. That’s my vibe.
This book did pull some tears out of me, so yay for that. Overall, it was interesting. I’ve never read anything by Elliott Rose before, and I don’t know if I will again. I liked the female characters enough, but I’m not sure if future ones will exhaust me the way Raine did. Honestly, I’m not in the mood to read about an obnoxious female lead in my MM romance, and lately a lot of female characters in books have just been irritating for no reason. But hey, you never know.
At the end of the day, I’ll stop complaining and say it was worth the read. I liked it. It wasn’t a 5-star, but it climbed its way up to 4 stars, which is pretty great in my book.
August 26, 2025
tod 67%
i love my fair share of grumpy assholes,
but i draw the line at treating someone like straight up shit for YEARS justifying it with past trauma AND for said someone to have no backbone whatsoever and be so self deprecating he believes he deserves that treatment
idgaf if he later switches up, some of the things this mf said and did are simply unredeemable
so i don’t care to finish at all
i love my fair share of grumpy assholes,
but i draw the line at treating someone like straight up shit for YEARS justifying it with past trauma AND for said someone to have no backbone whatsoever and be so self deprecating he believes he deserves that treatment
idgaf if he later switches up, some of the things this mf said and did are simply unredeemable
so i don’t care to finish at all
July 29, 2025
♾️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
My sweet, sweet babies. My angels. My everything’s. I loved them months ago during alpha reads and I love them more now. I tandem read the ARC & ALC of this at the same time and both were absolute perfection. I’m forever obsessed with a broken, beautiful, sweet, good boy (Kayce) and his growly, grumpy, secretly sweet, protective, tattooed stepbrother (Raine). The audio had me FLOORED with the Elliott Rose level spice™️ and there are no better choices than Teddy & Dane for these two. FULL RTC closer to release day. You need this book. You need this audio. You NEED IT!
UPDATED REVIEW:
Oh my sweet, broken, beautiful boys. How I love these two with all of me. One of the best cowboy romances I’ve ever read. Hands down.
We all know I’m a huge Elliott Rose fan, right? She writes it, I’m reading it. Every time. So when she’s writing about two stepbrothers who fight tooth and nail to stay away from one another, throws in a backwards hat, a little forced proximity, some secrets, some trauma, some hurt / comfort.. you know I’m in. I’m ALL IN.
Kayce Wilder, he’s getting his life together. He’s quit drinking, repairing friendships, and working hard. He loves one thing and one thing only right now, being a Bronc Rider. He’s determined to make it to the top and he’s always striving for the number one spot. He’s also discovering something new about himself… 👀 after one kiss, one night, months ago, he’s not questioning everything he thought he knew about his sexuality.
Enter Raine. Raine is in town to help on the local ranch. He’s minding his own business until one night the stepbrothers run into one another and can’t seem to outrun one another after that. Kayce is EVERYWHERE. And Raine? Well now he’s just counting down the days until he’s on to his next job. Crimson Ridge isn’t meant to be home, it’s just for now.
These two were HOT. Lemme tell you. WOOOOHEE, spicy. I mean, do we expect any less from the spice queen? Nope. We don’t. We’re talking ANGRY, PASSIONATE, FORBIDDEN, “WE SHOULDNT” spice. And it was all things nice. Raine treats his playthings with respect, after all. He’s a gentlemen.
Kayce is left wondering WHY, WHY out of all men he could be attracted to.. it has to be his stepbrother. ANYONE else would be fine. But when one time turns into another, and Kayce seeks comfort in Raine after a difficult night, there’s no stopping what’s always been inevitable.
They’re so sweet, they break my heart and repair it again about 3 times over. They talk. They fight. They argue. They dress up all cutesy for Halloween. Raine is protective. Obsessive. And the ultimate book boyfriend. And Kayce? Well he’s just along for the tattooed bad boy ride.
Giddy up, babes. It’s time to head back to Crimson Ridge. I love them with all of me. You will too.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
My sweet, sweet babies. My angels. My everything’s. I loved them months ago during alpha reads and I love them more now. I tandem read the ARC & ALC of this at the same time and both were absolute perfection. I’m forever obsessed with a broken, beautiful, sweet, good boy (Kayce) and his growly, grumpy, secretly sweet, protective, tattooed stepbrother (Raine). The audio had me FLOORED with the Elliott Rose level spice™️ and there are no better choices than Teddy & Dane for these two. FULL RTC closer to release day. You need this book. You need this audio. You NEED IT!
UPDATED REVIEW:
Oh my sweet, broken, beautiful boys. How I love these two with all of me. One of the best cowboy romances I’ve ever read. Hands down.
We all know I’m a huge Elliott Rose fan, right? She writes it, I’m reading it. Every time. So when she’s writing about two stepbrothers who fight tooth and nail to stay away from one another, throws in a backwards hat, a little forced proximity, some secrets, some trauma, some hurt / comfort.. you know I’m in. I’m ALL IN.
Kayce Wilder, he’s getting his life together. He’s quit drinking, repairing friendships, and working hard. He loves one thing and one thing only right now, being a Bronc Rider. He’s determined to make it to the top and he’s always striving for the number one spot. He’s also discovering something new about himself… 👀 after one kiss, one night, months ago, he’s not questioning everything he thought he knew about his sexuality.
Enter Raine. Raine is in town to help on the local ranch. He’s minding his own business until one night the stepbrothers run into one another and can’t seem to outrun one another after that. Kayce is EVERYWHERE. And Raine? Well now he’s just counting down the days until he’s on to his next job. Crimson Ridge isn’t meant to be home, it’s just for now.
These two were HOT. Lemme tell you. WOOOOHEE, spicy. I mean, do we expect any less from the spice queen? Nope. We don’t. We’re talking ANGRY, PASSIONATE, FORBIDDEN, “WE SHOULDNT” spice. And it was all things nice. Raine treats his playthings with respect, after all. He’s a gentlemen.
Kayce is left wondering WHY, WHY out of all men he could be attracted to.. it has to be his stepbrother. ANYONE else would be fine. But when one time turns into another, and Kayce seeks comfort in Raine after a difficult night, there’s no stopping what’s always been inevitable.
They’re so sweet, they break my heart and repair it again about 3 times over. They talk. They fight. They argue. They dress up all cutesy for Halloween. Raine is protective. Obsessive. And the ultimate book boyfriend. And Kayce? Well he’s just along for the tattooed bad boy ride.
Giddy up, babes. It’s time to head back to Crimson Ridge. I love them with all of me. You will too.
November 24, 2025
5 Stars!!
Absolute perfection!
Oh my effing gee, yall!
I am going to try really hard not to sound like a babbling idiot when talking about this book because when I love a book THIS MUCH, that's exactly what happens!
This. Was. EXQUISITE!!
I have to be honest, I ADORED Chasing the Wild but liked Braving the Storm. And I heard some very mixed reviews on Taming the Heart so I haven't read it yet. But I had such high hopes for this book because I was so curious about Kayce Wilder after meeting him in the first book.
I am here to tell you that this story shattered any expectations I had! It can totally be read as a stand alone. Actually, I really do recommend at least reading book 1 in this series first so that you can get Kayce's whole backstory.
The vulnerability that both Kayce and Raine's characters are written with... These two were stepbrothers as adolescents with Raine being a little older. Kayce was the sweet, shy, unsure of himself boy who left himself wide open for all kinds of scrutiny. To Raine, Kayce was the golden boy who had everything in his life and career handed to him. But to Kayce, Raine was the older more confident role model who made everything in life look easy.
After years of estrangement, they bump into each other again in Crimson Ridge and the outcome is EXPLOSIVE. From the first paragraph, these two are electric, and it was impossible to look away.
I'm someone who always listens to audio arcs, yet I eyeball read this book in the space of 24 hours, life be damned!!
This is an absolute masterpiece and one that I know I will be rereading. I was so invested in every bit of Kayce and Raine's fight, friendship, and love story.
Absolute perfection!
"I need your help. Please." Take control.
Take hold of all this misery. Rope it and wrestle it to the ground, and let me feel anything other than this sense of dread."
Oh my effing gee, yall!
I am going to try really hard not to sound like a babbling idiot when talking about this book because when I love a book THIS MUCH, that's exactly what happens!
This. Was. EXQUISITE!!
I have to be honest, I ADORED Chasing the Wild but liked Braving the Storm. And I heard some very mixed reviews on Taming the Heart so I haven't read it yet. But I had such high hopes for this book because I was so curious about Kayce Wilder after meeting him in the first book.
I am here to tell you that this story shattered any expectations I had! It can totally be read as a stand alone. Actually, I really do recommend at least reading book 1 in this series first so that you can get Kayce's whole backstory.
The vulnerability that both Kayce and Raine's characters are written with... These two were stepbrothers as adolescents with Raine being a little older. Kayce was the sweet, shy, unsure of himself boy who left himself wide open for all kinds of scrutiny. To Raine, Kayce was the golden boy who had everything in his life and career handed to him. But to Kayce, Raine was the older more confident role model who made everything in life look easy.
After years of estrangement, they bump into each other again in Crimson Ridge and the outcome is EXPLOSIVE. From the first paragraph, these two are electric, and it was impossible to look away.
I'm someone who always listens to audio arcs, yet I eyeball read this book in the space of 24 hours, life be damned!!
This is an absolute masterpiece and one that I know I will be rereading. I was so invested in every bit of Kayce and Raine's fight, friendship, and love story.
August 4, 2025
okay it’s been a few days and honestly this story will forever live rent free in my mind. I absolutely love love LOVE Kayce & Raine. I cannot wait for the audio to release so I can reread 🥹
For a while I felt like omg WHEN will these two cave and gahhhh it was perfect once they did. Raine is such a prickly cowboy that you just have to love. Everything he did whether subconsciously or intentionally to protect Kayce ripped my heart out. Kayce baby…. the man that you are 😭😭😭 I love his growth but gawd my heart hurts for him and his mental turmoil.
——————————
I usually fall asleep early but nope… here we are at 330am with happy tears going to down my cheeks ✋🏼
Raine & Kayce have my entire heart and soul.
Thank you so much Kensington, Netgalley and Elliott Rose for this gifted earc in exchange for an honest review 🫂
For a while I felt like omg WHEN will these two cave and gahhhh it was perfect once they did. Raine is such a prickly cowboy that you just have to love. Everything he did whether subconsciously or intentionally to protect Kayce ripped my heart out. Kayce baby…. the man that you are 😭😭😭 I love his growth but gawd my heart hurts for him and his mental turmoil.
——————————
I usually fall asleep early but nope… here we are at 330am with happy tears going to down my cheeks ✋🏼
Raine & Kayce have my entire heart and soul.
Thank you so much Kensington, Netgalley and Elliott Rose for this gifted earc in exchange for an honest review 🫂
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