My summary: 

Ada Wilson grew up with a childhood crush on Dermot Harding, an older ranch hand on her parent’s ranch. And three years ago, Ada kissed him—and Dermot responded with nothing. Now freshly back from serving in the army for the last three years, Dermot has returned to Gold Rush Ranch. And as much as Ada has tried to move on, all of her old feelings have come rushing back. But perhaps Ada’s feelings are not as one sided as she thought.

My thoughts: 

This is a novella in the Gold Rush Ranch series by Elsie Silver. It is the origin story of how Dermot and Ada’s relationship began, the grandparents of Cole and Vaughn Harding. I read it as book 1.5, between Out of the Gate and A Photo Finish, which I’m reading next. 

I normally dislike novellas. But this didn’t feel like a novella, it feels like an actually developed story. Perhaps that it helps that I already know Dermot and Ada and Vaughn’s grandparents and ran the mining business and the horse racing ranch. But it didn’t feel as rushed and as incomplete as novellas normally feel for me. 

Also, caught skinny dipping?!? Yeeeeessssssss. I’m here for it. I love this little sweet and spicy origin story of the family of the Gold Rush Ranch series. I feel like I read it in the perfect order, between Vaughn and Cole’s stories.