Forced to grow up too fast, Layla Birch has always done what was expected of her: be a good girl, take care of herself, and have a plan. It all seems to be going well, until she finds out her ex-boyfriend has landed her in debt. Determined to get herself out of the hole he dug for her, she goes to hunt him down—nothing could have prepared her for the man she finds on the mountain ranch her good-for-nothing ex has escaped to. Colton Wilder is a man straight out of her dreams: he takes care of her, gives her a job, and sends her fantasies into overdrive. The problem? He’s nearly twice her age and her ex-boyfriend’s father. But the nights on top of the mountain he calls home are long and cold, and as the snow grows thicker, so does the tension between them. They’re both inching closer to a line they shouldn’t cross, and with each passing day, it grows harder to resist the gruff cowboy who looks at her with longing in his eyes. Just once, Layla wants to forget about being a good girl. No one would find out—would they?

This is my first foray into the world of cowboy romances, but boy, did I pick the right one to start with. Chasing the Wild story is going to live rent free in my head for the rest of my life. I devoured the whole novel in a day and loved all of it: setting, plot, characters, and the romance—gods, the romance. Tense, raw, and utterly heartbreaking at times, but so beautifully written. I fell in love with FMC Layla and MMC Colton as they fell in love with each other. Layla was such an enthralling character. She’s funny, sassy, and scrappy; I felt a deep connection to her, especially when my experiences of anxiety are so similar, and also as a childfree woman. Colton, too, was intensely engaging and one of the hottest MMCs I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting. I thought Daddy-doms weren’t my thing, but it turns out I just needed to meet the right one (and for it not to be overdone!). Seeing Colton get his HEA after carrying so much guilt—much of which shouldn't have been his burden in the first place—was rewarding, as was seeing Layla grow and thrive. I can't wait for the next book in this series, Braving the Storm, which is due out in November this year. It’s shaping up to be my most anticipated book this year—heck, this decade!