Chasing the Wild (Crimson Ridge #1)

Author: Elliott Rose Title: Chasing the Wild Publisher: Kensington Date Published: 09/30/2025

Read Dates: 11/01/2025- 11/02/2025
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 📖 I received a gifted e-book ARC. The following is my honest review✍🏻

Many thanks to the Hambright PR division of Hambright Marketing for the gifted e-book to read and review.

This is a spotlight post for a re-release of an already published book in a completed series.

Chasing the Wild is a dual POV, forced-proximity, forbidden romance. Layla is a vet student, trying to make ends meet and work enough placement hours to graduate. The last thing she needs is to wind up snowed in on an isolated ranch trying to track down an ex who ripped her off. Instead of finding her ex, she finds his hot-as-sin father, Colt. Colt knows he shouldn't fantasize about his estranged son's ex, but when she gets stuck at his ranch, he offers her a job to help her earn the hours she needs to graduate. It's just a good deed, nothing more. Weeks of isolation and longing glances passed between them will never amount to more, because it can't, right?

This was my first read from this author, and I am curious to read more. This is book one in a series that is already published but being re-released (the beautiful new edition was released 09/30/2025), so I will definitely have to check out more from the Crimson Ridge series. I loved the forced-proximity and slightly taboo nature of the romance. I liked seeing two hard-working but broken people find a way to come together and heal. It was darker and a little more drama-filled than my normal reads, but I enjoyed it and will check out more in the series.

What happens when you’re snowed in on a mountain ranch, with the one man you definitely should not be fantasizing about?
I’ve always done what was expected of me. Layla Birch, the good girl.
Forced to grow up too fast. To take care of everything myself. I had a plan.
Only, I didn’t count on him. Colton Wilder. The cowboy nearly twice my age.
He’s my dream man. One who takes care of me, gives me a job, and makes my pulse thud harder every time he comes near.
My ex-boyfriend’s father.
The nights are long and cold on top of this mountain. As the snow grows thicker and the tension builds between us, we’re both inching closer to a line we shouldn’t cross.
Each day, it grows harder to resist the man who looks at me with longing in his eyes.
It’s tempting to forget about being the good girl for once.
No one would find out. Would they?