First and foremost, I am an Eliott Rose and Crimson Ridge super fan. I have loved this series since day one. Saving the Rain was a great redemption ARC for our little butthead of an ex, Kayce. Did I see this coming? Not so much. Was I here for it? Absolutely. Elliott does such a great job with taboo romance. Like her other book in Crimson Ridge series, she masterfully crafted Saving the Rain with lots of kink but also with lovable characters that have depth. It is not just taboo. It is a great story with perfect sizzle. Also, I am so obsessed with these covers. Can't recommend this series enough!

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 everyone felt so slow and then so abrupt that I was lost. Also, it says this book is spicy, why did nothing happen until 57%.

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.

- 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.

Who doesn’t love a Cowboy Romance?

Well Elliott Rose has gone above and beyond in the final instalment of the Crimson Ridge Series.

How about 2 Broody, hot as hell tattooed Cowboys that “hate” one another but they’re also stepbrothers! Stepbrothers? I hear you say, yes but hear me out. The yearning, the enemies to lovers the inner monologue of both characters and the story behind these two has been written in such a way that you just melt when it all comes to a head! Pun intended.

I ate this up from the dedication to the epilogue.

Elliott Rose “chefs kiss”

Well that was an emotional rollercoaster to say the least! I loved this so much it was such a beautiful story filled with so much angst. The amount of trauma these two had endured throughout their lives was a lot but as always Elliot handled it perfectly and everything was so beautifully written.

KAYCE WILDER, my goodness did he get his redemption and then some! After the first book I wasn’t the biggest fan but seeing how much he worked on himself was incredible and I fell so in love with him.

Kayce and Raine’s relationship I loved watching it develop and seeing them fall so deeply for each other was everything. Both MMC’s were such complex characters that were written so beautifully.
The only downside for me was the pacing felt a little off at times but maybe it was just me. All in all it was such an amazing read.

I’m going to miss this series so much, I highly recommend it.

Thankyou so much to Elliot, Kensington and NetGalley for the arc. I think I’m still in shock I got to read it early and am super grateful.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶.5

“This is where you are. No matter whether you piss me off, or leave me ready to toss you over my shoulder, or be so goddamn in love with you I don’t know how to breathe. That’s who you are. You’re better than this, and I believe that you’ll figure out you’re worthy of being loved by someone one day. Trust that I’m gonna be out there hoping like hell you might want that guy to be me.”

How do I move on from this book? Let alone this amazing series. Because I am hooked and I don't think I want to let go.

Elliot Rose has done it again. I don't think I'll ever get over the way her books make my heart throb and I literally never cease to fall in love. Nobody does forbidden romance with lots of tension, banter and angst the way Elliot Rose does.

Lots of tears were shed. Even before i started it, i had already cried when i got the email saying i was receiving an ARC. Seems like i've been a good girl this year because Christmas came early for me, thank you Kensington. This has been my most anticipated read this year. I pulled an all nighter reading this, regrets set aside despite knowing I had work the next day at midday. But it was all worth it because Raine and Kayce were everything.
Every time i thought I wouldn't fall for them harder, I ended up diving head first and fell even more in love. And even though it hurts to say, Raine has officially replaced Daddy Colt. He's all the way at the top battling with Uncle Storm.

The tropes in this was everything. The hate to love literally had me on a leash. When i tell you every time a new scene unfolded, i was already kicking my feet anticipating what was to come. And the tension, I was literally high on it. It was thick and palpable, I was here for it all and I single handedly ate it all up with no hesitation. The chemistry topped the charts, I was literally reading this with hearts in eyes and sweating because it was steaming hot.

Zeke Rainer the man you are. Saying i am obsessed is an understatement of the year because this man was everything. He was possessive, protective, obsessed and a gentleman until you get him in the sheets or the front of his truck, take your pick.
The more we learnt about him, the more I fell for him. And honestly I wouldn't have it any other way. Because this man was selfless and he risked a lot so that Kayce can be happy.

Kayce the golden boy. After Chasing the Wild, he wasn't in my good books. I take it all back. I absolutely love him. My heart cracked alongside his and even for him. All the struggles and inner emotional turmoil he faced was so realistic and heartbreaking. Honestly, he was such a relatable character and it broke my heart even more to learn about his childhood. Every time I thought the rollercoaster ride was done, it would take another sharp turn and I was a mess all again. That's exactly how it felt reading some of Kayce's chapters.

That ending, SWOON.
I still can't wrap my head round the fact that this was the last book in the series, reading the epilogue, I literally ugly cried through it all because I was not ready to say bye to Crimson Ridge just yet.

When I thought it couldn't get better, we got cameos of the other characters. I was so happy that it ended up with me tearing all up again because they are all so happy. It reminded me why I loved them all so much.
Also, while reading this, I remember one of the bonus scenes in Bouquets and Buckles, and I was laughing by myself at 3am because I connected the dots. But at the same time, i'm so ready for a reread because this series is nothing short of magnificent and it lives rent free in my head. I mean it's by Elliot Rose, what more do you expect?

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Elliot Rose and Kensington for gracing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Oh. My. God

I don't even know where to begin! For starters I love that you still get to see everyone from the first 3 books, it's like coming home to family 🥹

The character development and the dynamic relationship Kayce and Raine go through in this book so gut wrenching and heartwarming all at the same time.

And the spice? Was SPICY 🥵

I seriously couldn't put this book down and when I was forced to I kept thinking about it! I had to know what happened!!

Thank you Elliot Rose, and Kensington Publishing for the ARC

This book destroyed me in the best way possible, it's going to take a long time to recover,  if I do at all. I loved everything, and I mean everything about it, even when the beginning hurt my feelings with how one of our MMCs was acting. It was a really big journey of self-discovery and learning to love yourself, and I thought it was just so beautiful. We had a lot of cameos from past characters, and a few interactions had me kicking my feet in glee, and then one interaction near the end had me in tears. This book just elicited a lot of feelings, and that's how you know it's a great one. I laughed, I blushed, I grinned, I shed a tear, I got upset , I got all the good swoony feelings. It was just perfect.

Kayce one of our MMCs was just so sweet, I am glad we got his story and more of his back story, it really made me feel so bad for him, especially with all his inner turmoil over everything and not believing he was good enough. But he was good enough for all the love in the world, and I am so glad I got to read him getting this. His relationships with his friends were so lovely, I loved all the interactions he had with them, there were a couple of calls that had me cackling throughout.

Raine, our other MMC, was, well, he hurt my feelings in the beginning, but boy, did he make up for it. When the tide tips, he was utter perfection. Like top book boyfriend material, he just had to battle some past issues to get there. He was the perfect grump who was only soft for Kayce, and it was just so beautiful. Raine was so so swoony and so hot, like Scorching. I loved his discovery of found family and finding his place within the Crimson group. Raines past was so sad, like Kayces, but you see glimpses of what he did to better himself, and things that he had done for others in the past and it just made me fall him even more.

Raine and Kayce together were electric, they were such a beautiful couple. I loved seeing them fall in love, I swooned so so so many times. I can't think of a more perfect enemies to Lovers' book.

This book was the actual perfect ending to this series, it was just everything. I implore you to read it when it comes out.

5 ⭐️
4.5 🔥

I’m so sad the Crimson Ridge series has come to an end, but Raine and Kayce’s story was the perfect finale. It was full of angst, pining, overcoming demons and pleeeenty of spice.

I now need to go back and read the entire series again and then probably have a serious book hangover. I’m obsessed with Elliott Rose’s characters and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Kensington and the author for the ARC!

I have been dying to read this book since we got a teaser for it at the end of Taming the Heart. Stepbrothers- dirty talking alpha and whimpering mess, bi awakening, grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, “I feel safe with you”, healing each other’s souls… so taboo and so yummy. Kayce and Raine are estranged stepbrothers that unexpectedly cross paths again when Raine takes a job at a ranch in Crimson Ridge. When an accident at the rodeo occurs, the two are thrown together to keep the ranch running as a team. The tension, the character growth, and the insanely spicy scenes make this book a must read on 8/26/25. In the meantime, check out the other books in the Crimson Ridge series. All cowboy romances, all taboo in the best ways. All are available on KU.

Okay, let's talk about "Saving the Rain." As a long-time Elliott Rose fan, I came into the 4th installment of the Crimson Ridge series with high hopes and a full box of tissues. And mostly, I was not disappointed. This book is a beautiful, if sometimes frustrating, journey of two broken men finding their way back to each other.

Rose has a talent for crafting emotionally scarred characters, and Kayce and Raine are no exception. Watching them navigate their painful pasts and, against all odds, find solace and love in each other was genuinely moving. The heart of this story is the way their relationship evolves from a painful past to a present of quiet support and deep affection.

What really got me was the transformation of Raine’s nickname for Kayce. The switch from "snowflake" as a potential insult to a powerful metaphor for resilience—a force capable of moving mountains, just *sigh*. It perfectly encapsulates how Kayce brings Raine back to life, helping him finally accept that he's worthy of love and a safe, settled life. And seeing Kayce's own slow, realistic journey to accepting his sexuality so he could be with Raine openly? That was the beautiful, authentic representation I didn't know I needed.

My only real gripe, and the reason this is a 3.75 star review instead of a full 5, is that I needed more. We got flashbacks of their teenage years, but I was craving those meaty, emotional conversations between the adult Kayce and Raine about their pasts. For two people who never had a single reliable adult, the lack of a deeper dive into how they processed that shared trauma felt like a missed opportunity. I get that Raine was all about "tough love" and mean to help Kayce survive an abusive home, but I wanted to see them talk about it, really unpack it, not just have a series of memories.

Despite that small issue, this book is a must-read for fans of the series and anyone who loves a powerful story of healing and found family. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you’ll probably want to hug both Kayce and Raine by the end. For those wondering, the heat level is a solid 3.5 out of 5 chili peppers. Not a slow burn, but definitely hot enough to need a glass of water.

I’m not sure I have the words to express how much I loved this book. I had never read anything by Elliot Rose before, and wow, what an introduction.

This is an MM romance, and while that may not be everyone’s usual genre, it absolutely should be. Yes, there is a lot of spice—which isn’t typically my preference—but it pulls you in and makes you blush in the best way. What truly sets this book apart is the writing. The best word I can use to describe it is “cinematic.” Elliot crafts scenes with such vivid detail that you can see everything unfold, right down to the turn of a doorknob.

The book is part of the Crimson Ridge series, though each title works as a standalone. You don’t need to have read any previous books to dive fully into this age-gap romance between stepbrothers Raine and Kayce. Yes, stepbrothers. That’s not a spoiler—it’s right there in the marketing, and honestly, it’s not that taboo… or is it?

I did an immersion read with both the physical copy from Kensington Publishing and the audiobook from Podium Entertainment. The narration by Teddy Hamilton and Dane Anderson was fantastic. They paired well together, with natural pacing and chemistry. I’ve been a long-time fan of Teddy Hamilton, and now Dane Anderson is definitely going on my list of narrators to follow.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one thing that stuck with me throughout the book. Dane Anderson’s voice for Raine was dreamy and strong—he could read the phone book and make it sound good. However, when voicing Kayce, there was a moment where he sounded exactly like Ben Stiller in Zoolander. You’re welcome for that mental image.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story from beginning to end and cannot wait for more people to experience it when it releases on August 26, 2025.

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from Podium Entertainment and eARC from Kensington Publishing through NetGalley as well as a physical ARC as apart of the Elliot Rose influencer team to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My general rating system is below. Since I primarily read ARC books I rate according to how I think like minded readers will receive the book. I will round up or down depending on many factors and try not to let my personal wants affect a books ratings.

⭐️ Hated It but pushed through as I don’t DNF ARCs I have received.
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, content issues, poorly edited.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but it had something that stopped me from rounding up. Usually the book may have much more potential than what was given. I recommend it but with reservations.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I Really enjoyed it or think others will. These are solid reads that I definitely would recommend for a variety of reasons.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! These are books that remain rent free in my head for well after unfinished the book. It can be for a variety of reasons from being very well written or just the vibes that captured my mind. These books are also ones I would probably read again

Rating⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes
🖤 step brothers
💥 Angsty rivals to lovers
🥵 Good boy
🌶️ Found family
❤️‍🔥 Bareback Bronc riders
🚜 Ride with me?
🔥 I had nowhere else to go
🌾 Oops, we should reeeeally stop
🐂 It’s always been you

“You look so good when you shake for me, baby.”

“Bet you’re blushing for me, aren’t you, pretty boy?“

“I’ll always be here to protect you.”

This book is EVERYTHING. I absolutely devoured this story. I love these two men SO much!! The spice in this one guys….phewwwwwww you will need to take a cold shower I promise you that🤭 it’s spicy, it’s emotional, it has amazing plot, the character and side characters are my fav!! I cannot believe we’re done with Crimson Ridge! What an amazing series, amazing author and I’m so proud that Elliot is getting the recognition she deserves!! I will always love Kayce and Raine😭😭

This was my first book I have read in the Crimson Ridge series and I can def say it won’t be my last. I really enjoyed reading about Kayce and Raine and their love story. The spice was off the charts and it had me blushing!!! Also the step brothers trope is hot 🔥🔥. I need to read more of these types of books!!

I was excited for the return to Crimson Ridge, but this book really surprised me with how much I loved it and might be my favorite of the series. The angst, the banter, the tension - all of it was pure perfection and I couldn’t get enough of Kayce & Raine. The spice between them is so heated and passionate - literally some of the hottest scenes I’ve read in a cowboy romance and I didn’t want to stop.

What I didn’t expect was for all the moments that pulled at my heartstrings and had me crying. There is so much more to both of these men and what they have experienced and it really makes their growth so much sweeter.

What to Expect:
🤠 sᴛᴇᴘʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀs
🏔️ ᴀɴɢsᴛʏ ʀɪᴠᴀʟs ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀs
🤠 ʙᴀʀᴇʙᴀᴄᴋ ʙʀᴏɴᴄ ʀɪᴅᴇʀs
🏔️ ʀɪᴅᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ?
🤠 ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ɴᴏᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴇʟsᴇ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏ
🏔️ ᴏᴏᴘs, ᴡᴇ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ʀᴇᴇᴇᴇᴀʟʟʏ sᴛᴏᴘ
🤠 ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʙᴏʏ
🏔️ ɪᴛ’s ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ʙᴇᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ
🤠 ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ᴄʟᴏᴛʜᴇs (ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ)
🏔️ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ

Thank you so much to Elliott Rose, Kensington Publishing Corp., and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

I did an immersion read.
The audio is phenomenal! Teddy as Kayce and Dane as Raine is perfection! I could not imagine anyone else for those to roles!


This book is spicy as heck! I was blushing!

Even though this is a romance there is layers to it. Both MMCs are struggling with something.

I was hooked from the beginning and could not put it down.


Will update with more details closer to Pub date!

Thank you NetGalley, Kensington and Elliott for the early copy in exchange for an honest review🫶🏻

Absolutely loved this book🥹 It’s honestly so crazy going from not liking Kayce in CTW and then truly falling for him in STR😭

I was not expecting to cry while reading this book, but of course Elliott got me feeling all the feels like always🥰😭 Reading Raine and Kayce’s story was absolutely everything and more😌 I absolutely loved their story, the forbidden parts of it, the spicy🥵, the back story, and all of the friends connected to the series🥹😭

5/5⭐️
3.5/5🌶️

It is funny how you can go from not liking a character to absolutely loving them and wanting to protect them with your life. Kayce is that character.

This book was such a beautiful story between the step brothers Kayce and Raine. The backstory on their life broke my heart, but when the truth came out about Raine's part in it 😭😭😭.

I loved watching Kayce trying to navigate his feelings for Raine, and when he finally starts telling people it was beautiful how they all accepted it.

The moment between Kayce and his dad? So emotional. I miss Colton haha. Daddy Wilder. 😉

I’m not crying, you are. This is bitter sweet I can't. Saying goodbye to this series feels like closing a chapter of my heart, but if it had to end, I’m so grateful it ended this way. Eliott Rose has a way of writing love that doesn’t just tug on your heartstrings, it rewires them. Also let's take a moment for Kayces character growth and journey from when we first met him in book one , with all the little Easter eggs in the series to this finale?! Raine and Kayce’s tension had me kicking my feet and grinning through everything. And that space Raine gave Kayce to grow? Ugh, chef’s kiss. so many feels!! This series is everything. This book is everything. I’ll miss this world more than I can say… but I can’t wait to fall in love with it all over again in the audiobook. Thank you, Eliott, for giving us this story

Thank you for the ARC opportunity it is so much appreciated! I can't wait for others to read and love it so I can talk to them about it!

5/5 Stars

Thank you to Kensington Publishing for providing me with an arc.

The Crimson Ridge series is one of my favorite taboo cowboy romance series and I have had the honor of arc reading all of them so far so I knew I needed to get my hands on this one. After two emails begging they finally sent me a widget and it was everything I was hoping it to be. This one was just as taboo and spicy as the previous in the series and I had an amazing time with it. It has an age gap romance between step brothers who are rivals in the rodeo circuit. I highly recommend this series if you want taboo cowboy romance and this was a great addition to the series.

'Bet you're blushing for me, aren't you, pretty boy?'
I really enjoyed this one, and so happy we got to see this side of Kayce. Raine took me a while to love as much since he was a tad mean at the start but he really grew on me by the end. I would have loved for some of their issues from when they were younger to have been explored earlier but I'm glad they did eventually. They really are a great match though and I appreciated everything Kayce did to work on himself nearer the end and changes with the family dynamic etc. Honestly I don't think Elliott could write something I don't love at this point.