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The Front Runner

The Front Runner

Contemporary RomanceRomance
Pages
336
Published
2024
Language
English

Synopsis

Stefan Dalca is the man everyone in Ruby Creek loves to hate — a prickly outsider with a murky past who wants only to race his horses and be left alone. Mira Thorne is the local veterinarian, and when a sick foal needs saving she has no choice but to knock on the door of the town’s least-liked resident. What begins as a strict arrangement — three dates, no touching, no telling anyone, and absolutely no falling in love — slowly unravels with every honest conversation and stolen glance. The more Mira learns about the man behind the reputation, the less he resembles the villain the town has decided he is. The third Gold Rush Ranch novel is a redemption-tinged romance about an outsider with walls up and the woman who keeps finding her way past them.

Prose complexity
2/10

Vibe

TenseEmotionalSpicyAtmospheric
Enemies to LoversSlow BurnRedemption ArcForced ProximityFound FamilyMorally Grey

Genres

Contemporary Romance Romance

About the author

E
Elsie Silver

A #1 New York Times, Sunday Times, and Globe and Mail bestselling author, Elsie Silver writes sassy, steamy, small-town contemporary romance. Born and raised in Canada, she lives just outside Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband, son, and dogs — and the rugged ranch towns of her home province shape the settings of nearly all her books. A lifelong romance reader, she came to writing at her mother's urging to reclaim an identity of her own, drawing on an earlier background in copywriting...

Characters

Stefan DalcaProtagonist

A guarded outsider with a murky past, widely disliked in Ruby Creek, who wants only to race his horses in peace.

Mira ThorneProtagonist

The town veterinarian who needs Stefan’s help to save a sick foal and finds herself drawn past his reputation.

All characters in The Front Runner

Frequently asked questions

  • Can I read this book if I have not started the Gold Rush Ranch series?

    Each installment in this series functions as a standalone story, though reading them in order provides additional context for the recurring cast and their evolving relationships.

  • Does this book feature multiple perspectives?

    The narrative is told through a dual point of view, allowing readers to access the internal thoughts and motivations of both protagonists throughout the story.

  • Who is the couple in The Front Runner?

    It follows Stefan Dalca, the town's prickly outsider, and Mira Thorne, the local veterinarian who is pulled into his orbit when a foal needs saving.

  • What is the 'three dates' arrangement in The Front Runner?

    Stefan and Mira agree to strict rules — three dates, no touching, no telling anyone, and no falling in love — a bargain that steadily falls apart as they get to know each other.

  • Why is Stefan so disliked in Ruby Creek?

    He's framed as the town villain: a guarded newcomer with a shadowy reputation who keeps everyone at a distance. A central thread is Mira discovering he isn't the man the town assumes.

  • Where does The Front Runner fall in the Gold Rush Ranch series?

    It's the third full-length novel in the Gold Rush Ranch series.

  • Is The Front Runner spicy?

    Yes — it's an open-door contemporary romance in line with the rest of Elsie Silver's work.

  • Do I have to read the Gold Rush Ranch books in order?

    Each book centers on a different couple and works as a standalone, but reading in publication order (starting with Off to the Races) gives the clearest picture of the recurring Ruby Creek cast and the ranch's ongoing storylines.

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