I absolutely loved this book! Kayce was an unlikable character at the being of the series and the amount of growth he goes through in his story completely changed my opinion of him.

This is a taboo step brothers MM romance so check trigger/content warnings.

Thank you Kensington for the ARC!

What an end to the Crimson Ridge series 👏🏼 this is new favorite book! Kayce and Raine’s journey was messy and filthy and beautiful. If you’ve read a CR book before you’ve probably met Kayce Wilder. Seeing him get his own hard earned HEA, and the depth to his character, coming to terms with his sexuality and his past is a full circle happy moment. Older stepbrother Raine? Well he’s a grumpy, rugged loner who may look your average cowboy at first glance but might have a little soft side hidden away, especially for our golden boy lol. And a gosh darn filthy mouth too, in true Elliott Rose fashion.

I think people are going to love their story. Everything about their relationship was perfect—the tension, the uncertainty and longing, the banger and the intimacy!!! Some of the best I’ve read.

Thank you so much to Kensington for the ARC!

— 🎀 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 🎀 —
𝚂𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚋𝚢 𝙴𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚘𝚝𝚝 𝚁𝚘𝚜𝚎 / @elliottroseauthor
𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 : 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/ 𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜
𝚂𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝙻𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚕 : 🌶️🌶️🌶️
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—— • Mini Review • ——
Is this one of the best MM romances I’ve ever read? Yes. Is it hot and sweaty? Absolutely. Did I cry? Abso-fucking-lutely. Elliot Rose did it again, and this one hit deeper. I’ve been waiting for Kayce’s story for so long, and now that it’s here—I’m a wreck in the best way. The story packs emotional punches and unexpected turns, but above all, it’s beautifully written. I was left speechless by how heartfelt and powerful it was.
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Kayce completely stole my heart. He’s sweet, cunning, and full of sass—but beneath all that, he’s carrying pain that’s heavy and heartbreaking. His backstory broke me, but watching him slowly bloom throughout the book felt like healing. He’s the kind of character you can’t help but love and root for, someone who’s so much stronger than he realizes. Every moment with him had me clutching my chest.
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Raine, on the other hand, is everything. Not once did he annoy me (a rare blessing in book boyfriends). He’s grounded, confident, and so emotionally layered. His chapters had me sobbing—his past is so heavy, yet he carried it with such quiet strength. The way he loves, protects, and understands Kayce made me melt. And let’s be real—he’s hot. Cowboy hot. Filthy-mouth, dominant-energy, melt-your-bones hot.
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The chemistry between Kayce and Raine? Off the charts. Their banter had me giggling like a teen, their tension made my skin tingle, and the way they loved—soft, fierce, and messy—completely undid me. Saving the Rain made me laugh, cry, blush, and scream. I’ll be gaying all over the place for these two forever. It’s the kind of book that settles deep in your heart and stays. Forever a favorite.
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Add #SavingTheRain if you love:
🍁Stepbrothers
🍂Ride with me?
🍁I had nowhere else to go
🍂It’s always been you
🍁Found family
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Thank you @kensingtonbooks for the gifted book! ✨
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GIDDY. GIDDY THE WHOLE TIME.

Kayce and Raine are stepbrothers who have hated each other and ignored each other as much as possible. UNTIL NOW - Raine has come to Crimson Ridge and Kayce, our whimpering blushing boy has been figuring out a lot about himself.

I have been SOOO EXCITED about Kayce's story since book 1 because I knew there was going to be TEA and my golly, I love him so much. And Raine giving off MAJOR DADDY VIBES with how assertive and intense he is with his need to take care of Kayce all grumpily 🫠

I am dead.

Saving the Rain is an angsty and tension filled MM Step-Brother Romance, and four in the Crimson Ridge series- a taboo/ forbidden cowboy romance series.
I have loved every one of these books, and didn’t know I needed Kayce’s redemption story.

I would absolutely recommend this book and series!

Thank you Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read Saving the Rain in advance.

Never not obsessed with this book...
I didn't think it was possible to top my favorite book in this series, but here we are. I am absolutely obsessed with Kayce and Raine! Their relationship was built from such a rocky foundation into the strongest and most beautiful thing. They each had their own demons to fight to get their happy ending.

"He's become my sun, and without him, I don't know which way to turn."

We all met Kayce in book one and watched him grow more and more through the other books. Seeing how far he really came endeared me more to him. I was rooting for his character, and he quickly became my favorite. From his goofy sense of humor to his most vulnerable parts.

I loved getting to meet Raine's character and get so much background on both his and Kayce's younger selves. He went through so much and the more I learned about him the more I loved him.

Now onto everyone's favorite topic...SPICE
The spice in this book was FANTASTIC! I was down bad for Kayce everytime he *whimpered*
I was fanning my face because HOLY COW! And don't get me started on Raine's tattooed hand necklaces... *insert drooling face emoji*

Thank you to Kensington for sending me this ARC. I truly enjoyed every moment of reading this book!

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

This was everything I was wanting and more! Omg Kayce my little baby gay, mess of a cowboy I want to hug you for hours on end! I’m so in love with the story we got for him and how his HEA came together! And god Raine was just the perfect asshole lover and him and Kayce were absolutely made for each other! This is a MUST READ!

I am forever going to be grateful for Kensington Publishing for obliging my desperate email for an early copy of this book! I am a giant fan of the Crimson Ridge series from Elliott -- a small town with taboo relationships, amazing banter, breath catching angst, hot af fmc's that are so easy to love, sexy rancher/cowboy mmc's that are gruff on the edges but deep down are just absolutely gone for their girl, and tension-filled forced proximity.

Book 3 (Taming the Heart) hinted at the main character for Saving the Rain and the teaser of chapter one that we got at the end revealing this was in fact going to be Kayce's book and his love interest would be his estranged STEP-BROTHER!? My heart could barely contain its excitement! I loved the character arc we saw pieces of with Kayce since book 1. He started as the punk ass kid who fucked around and ignored his responsibilities, then slowly started turning that around to taking accountability and getting sober. Getting the full culmination of that in his own book with "Saving the Rain" felt like a hard earned and much deserved happy ending for him.

Unlike the other books in the series, Kayce and his love interest (Raine) start off squarely in the enemies column but we aren't fully sure why. Fom Kayce's pov, we know that Raine was never nice when they lived together after their parents got together but the "why" is a mystery. From Raine's pov, we know he's not just an asshole and that he has his own struggles.

I loved how the two of them dealt with their growing passion and eventual love for the other. With Kayce, this is the first time he's actually exploring his sexuality with another man. He's only recently discovering that he's gay and it takes him a bit to be able to fully embrace his feelings in an open and healthy way. I really liked how Raine helped him with that--he didn't immediately drop his grumpy and gruff attitude but he was right there next to Kayce helping him and supporting him. The way Raine also saw Kayce better than anyone and could see right through his people pleasing "pretty boy" act was perfect. Kayce needed someone like that to call him on his bullshit and make him face the future as it is.

As their passion progressed, the forced proximity led to hot af scenes that I was devouring. Once again, a couple finding their love for one another while stuck on top of a mountain led to a beautiful HEA (like father like son lol). The little acts of care and love that were sprinkled throughout their time together, even when claiming they still didn't like each other, were so sweet and just showed how much love was already there.

Overall, this book (and whole series) is a must read. The tension, dislike to love, "shit can we do this", mental health rep, supportiveness with found family, healthy sexuality discussions, and sexy as sin smut all combined for an infinity read for me. The way both Kayce and Rain helped each other heal a part of themselves and see things from a different pov was so great. I am so sad to see this series end and saying goodbye to Crimson Ridge was definitely bitter sweet; but it ended with the perfect couple in my opinion.

A couple other big highlights -- Kayce and Sage's talk about sexuality (I adore when a confident, out and proud member of LGBTQIA+ community helps guide someone who is struggling with a sexuality shift in adulthood), Kayce's talks with his dad, the mentions of Briar and Storm, the friendships we saw more of with Kayce's rodeo buddies, and the hot hot hot spice!

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Elliott Rose for the e-ARC

This is a forbidden romance of step brothers who turn enemies to lovers. Estranged step brothers run into each other in a small rural town. Raine has taken a job running a ranch and his brother Kayce unbeknownst to him lives in the town working his dad's ranch. They have multiple run ins that always end in hurt yet confused feelings. Kayce is just starting to realize his sexuality and these run in have him majorly confused. Kayce gets hurt during rodeo and Raine comes and unwilling helps him. That's when things get spicy and don't stop. At the end, they realize that their actions when they were younger were misunderstood and those issues are quickly resolved.

This is a slow burn age gap romance. If forbidden love stories are your thing, this really starts heating up half way through the book.

The last installment of the Crimson Ridge series culminated in our original Ex from Chasing the Wild, Kayce, rediscovering himself and facing up to his past with step brother Raine. After a rodeo accident that leaves his future up in the air, Kayce has to finally own up to his life prior to Crimson Ridge and also figure out how to move forward. I loved it. Entertaining, twister-oonies that’ll keep you going and an epic ending that wraps the series up so nicely. I will definitely miss the family we all gained on this mountainside, but look forward to who Elliott Rose introduces to us next.

Saving the Rain was an emotionally raw, scorchingly hot, once in a life time kind of love that will break your heart and then put the pieces back together and have you begging for more. Kayce and Raine will forever own a piece of my soul; I just know I will not be able to stop thinking about their story. I feel like anything I write in this review is going to be woefully insufficient for describing the depth of this story, but I’ll try my best!

Saving the Rain is a stepbrothers romance that starts out with a ton of animosity towards each other. Kayce’s pill addicted mother married Raine’s abusive father when Kayce was pretty young, and from that point on Raine felt the need to protect them. This came at a great personal cost to him and he wasn’t able to express that in the best of ways. However, as soon as he felt he could, he left them and Kayce doesn’t see him for many many years after that.

Fast forward, Kayce is working on his father’s ranch and out of the blue runs into Raine at a bonfire. Seeing as how their last encounter didn’t go well, the bonfire meeting is pretty immediately combative. Try as they might to avoid each other, they keep ending up at the same places. Kayce’s life is turned upside down when he is injured during a bronc ride and Raine is still his emergency contact. His boss is pretty insistent that he help Kayce up on Devil’s Peak Ranch, which gives them a wholllleee lot of alone time together. Meanwhile, Kayce is hiding a secret from his friends and family - he’s recently realized that he’s gay - and now the one man he finds himself attracted to is his stepbrother.

The interactions between Kayce and Raine are so filled with tension that it just felt like a balloon ready to pop and you just knew went it did it’d be explosive.. and it certainly was! When they finally do act on the raw passion they feel towards each other, whew 😮‍💨 let’s just say I have almost every quote from Raine highlighted 🥵

Their love has many trials as they fight through their pasts, both with Kayce’s mom and Raine’s father. Poor Kayce just had so much self loathing to work through and as much as Raine wanted to help him through it, he also knew that Kayce needed to want to help himself. It was such a tight rope to walk.

I just have to mention the detail Elliott put into this book. There were a few scenes where she described in great detail the 8 seconds of a bronc ride and I felt like I was on the back of the horse experiencing it myself. The detail was truly incredible!

I leave you with the quote that had me sobbing on the IG post - ”Never not obsessed with you.”

Thank you Kensington and Elliott for the gifted ARC! This is now one of my most prized possessions! 💕🤠

Saving the Rain by Elliott Rose was my least favorite of the series, but still a solid and enjoyable read. The inner monologues felt a bit repetitive this time around, but the characters were still lovable, and the spice? Top-tier. Elliott Rose continues to prove she knows exactly how to write steam. I did miss some of the found family magic from the earlier books, but the phone calls totally made up for it—they were my favorite part!

Saving the Rain delivers a emotional story full of angst, yearning and heartbreak that will pull at your heartstrings.

This book delivers Kayce’s backstory and wow, I wasn’t expecting the depth of emotion and heartbreak it would cause when I learned more from our resident “bad boy” from Chasing the Wild–book 1 in this series. Kayce definitely grabbed my heart with his character growth and journey; it that was nothing short of beautiful to read.

Raine’s character surprised me. From his hard exterior to his filthy mouth and very protective side, the newest cowboy in town grew on me. His backstory was equally as heartbreaking as Kayce’s and brought another layer of emotions to this book.

Together, these two broken cowboys created something special with their connection, deep rooted bond and explosive chemistry. Elliott Rose writes some of the best spice and delivered once again with Saving the Rain.

It always feels good to go back to Crimson Ridge and this book was no different. The way the author crafted this universe and intertwined the lives of her characters is truly special. And while these are interconnected standalones, I definitely recommend reading this series as a whole to get the full Crimson Ridge experience.

Saving the Rain is definitely another must read from this author.

I would like to thank Elliott Rose and Kensington Publishing Corp. for the opportunity to read and review Saving the Rain.

THE END OF CHAPTER 47 NEARLY SENT ME INTO AN ANXIETY ATTACK

This book had me in a chokehold!! Kayce and Raine are just such pretty cowboys

ARC Review:

I WAS LEFT AN EMOTIONAL MESS!
This book took me for a wild ride and I could tell the author poured her entire being into this book. This MM stepbrothers story will have you sobbing yet wanting to be the third in the relationship. It really was an amazing read and I had one heck of a time reading it.

Thank you NetGalley, Elliott and Kensignton for the opportunity to review this book as an early copy

HOLY MOLY this whole series is HOTTTTTTT, but Saving the Rain could make a pearl blush!!
Kayce Wilder is a live it on the edge and never have any regrets cowboy. But underneath that hard exterior of a cowboy, holds a man who wants to be #1 in all aspects of his life. They say 8 seconds can make or break your rodeo ride, and for Kayce case, it literally took just that to upend his world! He was trying to make his way back into the bronc riding community after a horrible accident that put him on the sidelines. Little did he know that everything he THOUGHT he knew, was all getting ready to change. Insert Zeke Rainer, a tough, rough and rowdy bronc cowboy, who held secrets he thought would never come to light. Worlds came colliding in, at a bonfire when Kayce comes face to face with his estranged step brother Zeke Rainer. Secrets don't stay secrets long, when you are lusting after the one you want to hate. Love is made, and lives are changed with these two.
You will not be able to put this book down once you start! You will cry, laugh, and fall in love in this book!

Never not obsessed with you 🥹💚

Warning: these cowboys are 🔥 The angst? The pining? The absolute buffet of spice? Yes please.

I think Kayce and Raine are officially battling it out with Storm and Briar for my favorite couple in this series—seriously y’all, they are 🔥 !!!!! Phew 😮‍💨

I wanted to devour this book in one sitting, but I loved it so much I kept putting it down just to savor every moment. The emotional depth hit hard—I cried, and it was exactly the redemption story Kayce (and Raine) deserved.

I’m so sad to see this series come to a close, but wow, what an incredible way to end it. And with the special edition copies dropping later this year into 2026… a re-read is basically guaranteed. Y’know… because 😉

Thank you to Netgalley for my arc!

My visit to Crimson Ridge was an eye-opening one for sure, as it was my first visit and I wasn't sure what to expect. Once I arrived I was immediately taken with the landscape, the characters, and the world they lived in. It was my love of western romances that lead me to their world and I have to say they held up nicely amongst my favorites. The journey they took me on was emotionally charged, visceral, heartfelt, romantic and quite entertaining. I was not ready for that last page to find me, to let these characters go. The good thing is since this was my first visit I still have three other couples to meet, and I can't wait for that visit!

If you love western romances that are a little on the dirty side then you have to take a chance on this one, you will love what you find waiting for you between the pages!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️

My Crimson Ridge friends and fans you are NOT ready! We have meant Kayce, disliked him and waited to see him grow. And wow he was worth that wait!!! Seeing him evolve and learning what truly made him who and what he became was heart breaking. But seeing him find and learn to love Raine was the best damn thing I read in a long time!!

I am enamored with Kayce and Raine and how they loved each other!! This story ai could not put it down and want to start it all over again for the first time. I have nothing but amazing things to say about this book and these guys. You will not be disappointed but going back to Crimson Ridge to see what Kayce truly becomes!

@KensingtonBooks @btc_books
#savingtherain #kensingtonbooks
#chasingthewild #crimsonridgeseries #crimsonridge #devilspeakranch #elliottroseauthor #cowboysdoitbetter #cowboybook #bookboyfriendsdoitbetter #elliottroseauthor #CrimsonRidgeRiders

4.5/5 ⭐️
Thank you to Kensington and Elliott Rose for getting to ARC read this amazing story!

This was the best way to finish the series! Not only do we get Kayce and his redemption arc, we also got to see his inner struggle and growth as he battles his rodeo career. Not to mention the journey he took as he learned more about himself and his new found discovery of love. He has come so far from book one, and seeing how much he has changed as a character was fantastic.

Raine had me so pissed at the beginning. I kept screaming for him to just be honest and stop being a jerk. (Obviously I’m meaner words) Just like Kacye, he had some huge battles going on. The way he pushed Kacye to be himself was great. And obviously, his dirty talk had me 🫠.

Overall, this story was so good. Elliott Rose is queen of the taboo cowboy romances.