Chasing the Wild is the first book in the cowboy romance series, Crimson Ridge (named after the fictional small Montana town where the series is set). The Crimson Ridge series is an example of the popular cowboy romance genre. Romance novels featuring cowboys as protagonists have long been popular, even prior to the contemporary resurgence of romance (driven in part by TikTok and other social media platforms, as well as the rise of online independent publishing). The stereotype of cowboys embodying rugged, competent masculinity alongside chivalrous values and protective, loyal natures makes them a natural, if idealized, fit for the trope of masculine heroes in romance novels. Threats such as the perils of the natural world, small-town feuds, and the encroachment of contemporary economic threats to traditional and rural values also readily generate conflict and tension within books from this genre. 

Contemporary authors such as Elsie Silver and Lyla Sage have achieved significant success with their cowboy romances, which often incorporate additional romance tropes such “grumpy/sunshine” (a pairing of a warm and bubbly protagonist with an aloof and brooding partner), enemies to lovers, age gap, and forbidden love. Silver’s extremely popular Chestnut Springs series (which includes the novels Flawless and Heartless) is set in small-town Canada and traces the stories of characters connected with the Eatons, a local ranching family. Lyla Sage is the author of the Rebel Blue Ranch series (which includes novels such as Done and Dusted and Lost and Lassoed), which depicts the romances of the Ryder siblings. 

The use of a series format is a prominent feature of the romance genre, allowing authors to return to the same universe and cast of characters (in cowboy romances, this is often a specific family or small-town setting) but focus on a different primary couple in each book. Many authors of contemporary cowboy romances, including Silver and Sage, utilize the genre as a vehicle for “spicy” romance featuring sexually explicit scenes, typically with a strong focus on female pleasure. The cowboy romance genre can also incorporate explorations of topics such as mental health, histories of trauma and abuse, and addiction. 

Chasing the Wild establishes the setting of the small town of Crimson Ridge, Montana as the basis for the series. Rose specializes in “dark romance” (which often includes elements of taboo) and all the books in the Crimson Ridge series explore love stories with an illicit element. (Rose’s other two series, “Port Macabre” and “Nocturnal Hearts” explore a fusion of romance and fantasy elements). The second book, Braving the Storm, focuses on Stôrmand “Storm” Lane (who features in Chasing the Wild as Colt’s close friend) and his adopted niece, Briar Lane. The third book, Taming the Heart, explores an age gap romance between Sage Maloney (Layla’s best friend) and Beau Hartford, an older cowboy. The fourth book, Taming the Rain, explores a LGTBQ love story centering around Kayce Wilder (Colt’s son) and fellow cowboy Zeke Rainer. By returning to a cast of interconnected characters, Rose draws on plotlines established in Chasing the Wild throughout the series.