Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder (Wildwood Valley Christmas Book 5) by Lilah Hart

She’s spent her life living for everyone else. He makes her wonder if she could finally choose herself. I’d spent my whole life living for everyone else. Since the age of twelve, I’d worked in my parents’ restaurant—trading proms for late-night shifts, friendships for endless obligations, and love for a future I never chose. At twenty-three, I was still stuck in their dream, not mine, pouring my heart into crafting snow globes that captured the kind of family and freedom I’d never have. Then came the Wildwood Valley Christmas Festival. One careless moment—a pack of kids knocking over my display—sent my carefully built world crashing in pieces across the frozen ground. And that’s when he appeared. Buck. A mountain man with steady hands, eyes warm as melted chocolate, and a quiet strength that made me feel seen for the very first time. He didn’t just help gather broken glass—he saw beauty in what was shattered. He saw me. Mountain Man's Winter Wonder is an OTT age-gap holiday romance featuring an alpha hero and V-card heroine. It's a forced proximity ex-military, lumberjack romance with lots of steam that's designed to be read in only 1 hour. If you like short, steamy instalove novellas, you’ll love the entire Wildwood Valley Christmas series!

Mountain Man’s Lucky Kiss: A Steamy Instalove Romance (Wildwood Valley Rescue #5) by Lilah Hart

A shy animal rescuer. A confident mountain man. A St. Patrick’s Day dare that becomes everything. I was the last one left. One by one, my roommates fell for the mountain men of Wildwood Valley. One by one, they stopped coming home. I stayed focused on my work—early mornings at the rescue site, long days caring for animals that depended on me to show up. Love was something that happened to other people. People who were chosen. Then a stranger walked up to me at a St. Patrick’s Day adoption event and told me he was going to kiss me. I didn’t know his name. I didn’t know why. I only knew the way he looked at me—like I was the only person in a crowded parking lot. When Stetson kissed me, everything changed. I was twenty-three years old. Never kissed. Never held. Never chosen. After losing my parents at eight, I was raised behind locked doors and strict rules meant to keep me safe—but never free. By the time I escaped that life, I didn’t know how to begin another. Stetson did. He was steady. Patient. Certain. From the first kiss on, he showed up and stayed—just like he did with everything that mattered. But I’d spent my entire life learning one hard truth: People leave. And when I discovered that our first kiss began as a dare between his friends, every old fear came rushing back. He had one chance to prove I was wrong. He didn’t waste it. Tropes: 🏔️ Mountain Man Romance 🐾 Animal Rescuer Heroine 🌸 Shy / Overlooked Heroine 💋 First Kiss / Never Been Kissed 🍀 St. Patrick’s Day Meet-Cute 🎯 Dare That Turns Into Love 🔥 Instalove Chemistry Mountain Man’s Lucky Kiss is a steamy instalove mountain romance featuring a capable heroine, a protective blue-collar mountain man, a high-stakes animal rescue, and a fast-burn, single-day love story where instant attraction turns into undeniable forever.

A Company of Adventurers by Rune S. Nielsen

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What happens to legendary adventurers when they retire? Talen is a poor farmhand…but he used to be a famously quick swordsman. Now he has one last job, which could secure his family’s future: he must retrieve a cursed suit of golden armor from a mountain claimed by genocidal orcs. When Talen fails to return from his adventure, a motley crew of rugged ne’er-do-wells must deal with the mysterious person who hired Talen, as well as a family of berserkers. And retrieving the armor will take a grievous toll... Discover the fantasy kingdom of Kjeldale, featuring a world inspired by Norse and Celtic mythology, rich with bittersweet nuances and dry wit. Author Rune S. Nielsen, who previously wrote the acclaimed novel Doomsayer Prince, is back with a fun but layered fantasy novel for every roleplayer who’s wondered what happens after heroes become legends.

Her Recluse Mountain Man: A Small Town Forced Proximity Age Gap OTT Instalove Short Romance (Mountain Men of Willowbrook Ridge #2) by Julia Stone

She rented a cabin. She got a recluse with rules. Tatum: I didn’t come to the mountains for adventure; I came for an escape. The rental cabin is supposed to be mine for the week—paid in full, nonrefundable, more money than I should’ve spent. I need the quiet that comes with nature and all the fresh air I don’t know what to do with. Instead, I find him. Abel. Broad shoulders. Heavy stare. A man who looks like he was carved straight out of the mountain and would rather bite off his tongue than make small talk. He says the cabin is his. Always has been. He makes it very clear he doesn’t like strangers stepping on his property. But the rain won’t stop. The roads are washing out, and I have nowhere else to go. He tells me I can stay until the storm passes, but accommodates me like I’m more of his guest than a burden. At this rate, I won't ever want to leave. Abel: I like my quiet, peaceful solitude. No one bothers me but the birds and squirrels. Then she shows up. Tatum. Soaked to the bone with tear-brimming eyes. Falling for some online scam, it’s trouble I don’t want to be mixed in. I should send her back down the mountain. Should tell her to figure it out. The storm is vicious, and the roads are slick. Doesn’t help that she looks at me like she’s one step closer to hovering over the edge. Against my better judgment, I let her stay. I keep my distance. I keep my rules. I remind myself she’s too young, too soft, too temporary. Being alone with a beauty I’ve got no right stealing glances at? It tests a man’s control. The longer she’s here, the more I realize something dangerous— I want her to stay.

Mountain Man's Winter Sunshine (Wildwood Valley Firehouse, #6) by Lilah Hart

A grumpy firefighter. A fake romance that burns real. I came to Wildwood Valley to disappear. To escape a controlling mother, an ex who wouldn’t take no for an answer, and a life that felt suffocating before I was even living it. Slipping behind the bar at a mountain town roadhouse was supposed to be temporary—just long enough to breathe again. Then he walked through the door. Not the man I was running from. The one who watched me from the corner booth every night. Silent. Intense. A grumpy firefighter with dark eyes and a permanent scowl that made my pulse trip every time they lingered on me. I told myself I didn’t notice him. I lied. When my past catches up with me at the Roadhouse, panic takes over. I need protection—fast. And the most dangerous-looking man in the room is Briggs. Six feet of muscle, bad attitude, and barely contained heat. So I climb into his lap and beg him to play along. One whispered please changes everything. He calls me his without hesitation. Puts himself between me and the world like it’s instinct. And suddenly, the man who’s been watching me for weeks isn’t pretending anymore. But I’ve spent too long being someone’s project. Someone’s sensible choice. Trust doesn’t come easy. Briggs has one night to prove that he doesn’t want to save me. He wants to keep me. Tropes: 🔥 Grumpy Firefighter Hero 🎭 Fake Relationship Turns Real 🛡️ Protective “Touch Her and Die” Energy 🍻 Small-Town Bar & Roadhouse Romance 💥 Instalove with High Emotional Stakes 👀 Brooding Hero Who’s Been Watching Her 💋 Fast-Burn Chemistry & Open-Door Heat 🏔️ Mountain Town Escape Romance 🖤 Woman on the Run Finds Safety ❤️‍🔥 Alpha Protector Who Claims Her Publicly Mountain Man's Winter Sunshine is an OTT age-gap romance featuring an alpha hero and V-card heroine. It's a forced proximity firefighter romance with lots of steam that's designed to be read in only 1 hour. If you like short, steamy instalove novellas, you’ll love the entire Wildwood Valley Firehouse series!

Hard Hearted Cowboy (Not Looking for Love) by Annee Jones

💔🤠💔 A hard-partying cowboy, a woman with secrets, and one Valentine's wedding neither of them will forget... I'm two years sober, working two jobs, and keeping my head down in Bitter Root after the life I left behind in Houston. When a drunk, gorgeous cowboy offers me five grand to be his fake date to his twin brother's over-the-top Valentine's wedding, I should say no. Hunter Massey is trouble in a Stetson—cocky, reckless, and everything I swore off when I got clean. The plan is smile pretty for a weekend, collect my cash, and never see him again. But Hunter keeps surprising me with glimpses of the man beneath the bad-boy reputation. And he's starting to ask questions I can't answer—sensing the secret I'm desperate to keep hidden. Falling for Hunter would be the biggest risk I've ever taken. Especially when he finds out the truth. I'm the family screw-up. The party boy. The twin who can't measure up to my perfect brother Hudson. So when my family pressures me to bring a date to Hudson's Valentine's wedding extravaganza, I do what any drunk, rebellious cowboy would do—I offer my Uber driver five thousand dollars to fake it for a weekend. Dixie is gorgeous and clearly thinks I'm an idiot. Perfect. No feelings, no expectations, just a business arrangement. Except Dixie's hiding something. I can see it in the way she deflects, the shadows in her eyes, the careful way she guards every word. And instead of running like I always do, I want to know her secrets. I want to prove I'm more than the mess everyone thinks I am. For her. Even if it means becoming the man I've been too scared to be. 📖 CONTENT INFORMATION 💋 Spicy fake dating with a guaranteed HEA! 🤠 Perfect for readers who love redemption arcs, swoony cowboys with hidden depths, and bad boys who find their purpose 🎂 Contains creative uses for wedding cake, creative ways to avoid your judgmental family, and creative interpretations of 'fake' relationships 💕 Secrets and second chances, Valentine's wedding chaos, meddling small-town bakery owners, and a cowboy learning that being a good man is sexier than being a wild one 💔 The only thing sweeter than wedding cake is falling in love when you've sworn it off forever.

Alien Song: An Alien Shifter Romance (Alien Wolf Tales #5) by Honey Phillips

A grumpy alien single dad, a fearless diver, and a bond stronger than the tide. Ariella was born to dive. Modified to withstand Cresca’s alien oceans, she’s always been at home in the deep—until the day she saves a drowning child and meets the girl’s father, a huge, brooding Vultor warrior with eyes like molten gold. Suddenly she wants more than just her isolated waters. Valrek has spent years alone on the sea cliffs, shunned by both humans and Vultor. He’s devoted himself to raising his daughter in solitude—until a human female crashes into their world like a storm tide, fearless, bright, and far too tempting. She challenges him. She tempts him. And she makes his beast want something he swore he’d never have. A mate. But Ariella’s past is surfacing—and if she doesn’t choose between her future and her heart, she could lose both. Because when a Vultor warrior loves, he doesn’t let go. Each book in the Alien Wolf Tales series can be read as a standalone romance. This sweet and spicy fairy tale retelling is intended for mature readers.

Tears of Dust (The Venatrix Chronicles Book 5) by Sylvia Mercedes

After two days in isolation, Ayleth still doesn’t know why Fendrel placed her under house arrest. Powerful drugs suppress Laranta deep inside her, leaving her alone with too many unanswered questions. What has become of kidnapped Lady Cerine? Why has Prince Gerard not stepped in to help? What is Fendrel’s ultimate agenda? And, most urgently, where is Terryn? Has Fendrel arrested him as well for the curse he carries? The curse that nearly made him kill Gerard . . . . When a Phasmatrix arrives at the castle with a host of shade hunters, Ayleth fears they have come to test Terryn and, if he cannot be cured, to execute him. But the Phasmatrix has a different objective in view, and Terryn’s life might not be the one most imperiled. Betrayal surrounds Ayleth on all sides, and fiery doom awaits her at dawn. Will she find an unexpected ally amid the coming storm? Or will she face the truth of her past—and its future consequences—alone? Return to the dark and deadly intrigues of The Venatrix Chronicles, where witches wage war against holy orders, friends and enemies are equally treacherous, and secrets long thought dead struggle into light. If you enjoy kick-butt heroines, conflicted heroes, and slow-burn romance ready to ignite, then you will love Ayleth and Terryn’s latest adventure!

The Alpha’s Concubine by Claudia King

Taken from her people. Claimed by an alpha. Forced into a new life. In a time before tools of metal and houses of wood, tooth and claw rule the wild places of the world. The Moon People have been enemies to Netya's kind for as long as the stars can remember. They are monsters, demons, men and women who take the shapes of beasts. The murderers of her father. An outsider taken as a prize by the pack, Netya must overcome suspicion, rivalry, and the division of her own heart as she grows to realise that monsters wear many different faces. Among the Moon People she uncovers the potential of a life she never knew existed. The chance for a woman to become something more than a prize, or a mother, or a concubine. But as the alpha and others vie for her heart, the powerful huntress Vaya seeks to purge Netya from her pack. Before Netya can decide where she belongs, she must endure the trials of love, hatred, and heartbreak. The girl taken as a trophy must become a woman.

Warmed Up by her Brother's Best Friend: A Small Town Age Gap Curvy Girl Short Romance by Julia Stone

Training her body was easy. Resisting her was impossible. I’ve been in love with my brother’s best friend for two years. Which is exactly why my New Year’s resolution is to finally get over him. Lose a little weight. Gain a little confidence. Stop staring every time Cash he crashes at our place. Simple. Achievable. Easy. Thanks to my overprotective brother, Cash decides he’s the perfect person to help me “work on myself.” Morning workouts. Close proximity. Lot’s of hands-on activities. Getting over Cash was supposed to be the goal. Falling harder was never part of the plan. I’ve noticed Adelia since the day she became off-limits. She’s sweet. Curvy. Innocent in a way that makes me want to protect her from men like me. Especially from me. She’s Toby’s little sister. I don’t cross that line. Can’t. But when she asks for help learning how to catch a man’s attention, I can’t say no. Not when I know no one will ever be good enough for her. If she’s going to belong to someone, it should be a man who knows her worth. A man who wants her completely. A man like me.

Dark Arts and a Daiquiri (The Guild Codex: Spellbound Book 2) by Annette Marie

When I found myself facing down the scariest black-magic felon in the city, practically daring him to abduct me, I had to wonder exactly how I ended up here. It all started when I accidentally landed a job as a bartender--but not at a bar. At a guild, populated by mages, sorcerers, alchemists, witches, and psychics. Good thing this lame-o human is adaptable, right? Then my favorite guild members--three sexy, powerful, and intermittently charming mages--asked for my help. Did they want access to my encyclopedic knowledge of cocktails? Oh no. They wanted to wrap me up in a pretty ribbon and plunk me in the crosshairs of a murderous rogue to lure him out of hiding. So that's what we did. And that's why I'm here. About to be kidnapped. Oh, and our grand plan for safely capturing said murderous rogue? Yeah, that completely fell apart about two minutes ago. Why did I agree to this again? -- Note: The three mages are definitely sexy, but this series isn't a reverse harem. It's 100% fun, sassy, fast-paced urban fantasy.

Operation: Temptation (Cupid City Security Romance) by Annee Jones

💕📸💕 She hunts scandals for a living. He's the one secret she can't expose. I'm Cupid City's most notorious paparazzo, and I've just pissed off the wrong person. My apartment's trashed, someone tried to run me off Lock & Key Bridge, and there's a bullet hole in my window. Problem is, I have no idea which story triggered it—the corrupt politician, the CEO's mistress, or the mob-connected developer I exposed last month. My editor's solution? Hire me a babysitter. Dominic Knight is six-foot-three of former Marine who thinks I'm reckless, irresponsible, and in desperate need of a keeper. He's not wrong. But Valentine's week is my busiest season, and I'm not hiding while someone else gets the shots. If he wants to protect me, he'll have to keep up. The only problem? I can't stop thinking about what his handcuffs would feel like when they're not for suspects. Charlotte Collins is a nightmare assignment. She climbs balconies, hides in linen closets, and has more fake IDs than a CIA operative. She's fearless, brilliant, and completely out of control. My job is keep her alive for seven days without letting her get us both killed. But she won't listen. Won't stay put. Won't stop putting herself in danger. And every time I catch her—pressed against me in the dark, breathless and defiant, looking at me like she's daring me to do something about it—I want to pin her against the nearest wall and make her understand exactly who's in charge. She thinks this is a game. She has no idea how badly I want to show her what happens when she pushes me too far. 📖 CONTENT INFORMATION 🔥 SCORCHING forbidden bodyguard romance with guaranteed HEA! 💋 High heat with explicit D/s dynamics, handcuffs, blindfolds, and a hero who knows exactly how to make her surrender 🎭 Perfect for readers who love paparazzi heroines who take no prisoners, dominant ex-military heroes, forced proximity that ignites, and Valentine's week danger 📸 Features adrenaline-fueled desire, closet quickies, kink negotiation, power exchange, and a commitment-phobe about to discover some risks are worth taking ⚠️ Contains creative uses for tactical gear, public temptation, and a Marine who proves protection can be very, very personal 💕 The only thing more dangerous than her job is falling for the man hired to save her. **************************************************************************** In Cupid City, Valentine’s means glittering galas and dangerous secrets. Heartline Security keeps the city breathing between fireworks and threats. That is, until each protector meets the one person worth breaking protocol for. Fall in love this February where these standalones serve high heat, high stakes, and heart-melting HEAs. Guards up. Hearts open. Valentine gives love the last word.

Chosen by the Hunter: A Post-Apocalyptic Alien Romance (Xarc'n Warriors #14) by Lynnea Lee

I blame the moonshine. AKA, I kissed a Xarc’n warrior and I liked it. One moment, I’m strolling home, midnight snack in hand, and the next I’m smooshed against a broad, purple chest, tongue tangled with a Xarc’n warrior. “Drunkenly Taste-test an Alien” achievement unlocked! What follows is a flirty game of cat and mouse that makes me feel young and ready to make questionable life choices again. Ror’k wakes up a part of me I thought I buried right next to my divorce papers. Wanting the horned and fanged silver fox is easy. Trusting again? Not so much. But New Franklin has bigger problems than my accidental alien make-out session. Supplies are disappearing, people are getting jumpy, and someone in our cozy little settlement is up to no good. We need to get to the bottom of this before the summer swarms or New Franklin’s in serious trouble.

Grumpy Hearted Cowboy (Not Looking For Love Series) by Julia Stone

A brooding cowboy, an innocent heart, and heat that builds fast and fierce. Cyrus: I agreed to let her stay for the summer, offering a spare room for a few weeks, helping around the ranch while she figures out her future. What I didn’t agree to was Millie walking back into my life as a grown woman—soft smiles, curious eyes, and a body I have no business noticing. She’s my friend’s daughter. She’s younger. She’s here to learn, not to tempt the hell out of me every time she steps into my space. Living under the same roof makes distance impossible. Every shared meal, every long day working side by side chips away at my self-control. I know better. I should stop this before it starts. But wanting her feels inevitable—and once I give in, there’s no going back. Millie: Spending the summer on Cyrus Kane’s ranch is supposed to be simple. Hands-on experience. Early mornings. All while learning what kind of veterinarian I want to be. Instead, I’m sharing a house with a gruff, intimidating cowboy who barely speaks—and somehow says everything with a single look. He’s bigger than life, rough around the edges, and completely different from anyone I’ve ever wanted before. I tell myself to focus, to keep things professional. But the longer I stay, the harder it is to ignore the tension crackling between us. The way his eyes linger. The way my heart races whenever we’re alone. We’re crossing lines we shouldn’t. With the promise of leaving in the future, one push may risk everything falling apart.

Code Red (Side Hustle) by Lilah Hart

She lost a cat. He found his forever. I've been a good girl my whole life. Followed the rules. Obeyed my father. Kept my head down and my heart locked up tight. One day in Wildwood Valley changed everything. It started with a cat. A diabetic escape artist named Snowball who bolted from my clinic on my very first day flying solo. Desperate and panicking, I ran to the fire station next door for help. I didn't expect to find a man in nothing but black boxer briefs, singing into a spatula like he owned the world. Devon Carlisle was grumpy, gorgeous, and completely off-limits. A rugged construction foreman with callused hands and a volunteer firefighter's heart. He had no business looking at me the way he did—like I was trouble he wanted to get into. I had no business letting him. But somewhere between chasing that cat through the woods and sharing drinks at the new honky-tonk in town, I stopped being the pastor's dutiful daughter. I stopped playing it safe. I started playing with fire. Code Red is a short and steamy instalove romance set in the small mountain town of Wildwood Valley, North Carolina. This 1-hour read is part of the Side Hustle series. If you like short, steamy instalove novellas, you’ll love the entire Side Hustle series! About the Series: From broke beginnings to business dreams, the real hustle begins after hours. Whether it’s garage startups or late-night gigs, these blue-collar heroes and heroines are chasing goals bigger than the next bill. When love throws them a curveball, they learn that building a future means risking their hearts. Side Hustle is a multi-author series of short, steamy instalove stories with guaranteed happily-ever-afters. Each one delivers open-door heat, real-world grit, and chemistry that burns hotter after midnight.

A Feeling Like Home by Haleigh Wenger

Sword and Silk Books WriteHive Book Club Indie Recs Indie

Sixteen-year-old Paige Williams can’t stop self-sabotaging. Not when her dad gets sick, not when her relationship implodes, not even when her parents send her to another-freaking-state for the summer to live with her sister. Paige just wants to have fun, spray paint a few walls, and block out everything stressful, including her growing concern that she might be sick as well. To make things worse, her parents threaten her with boarding school in the fall if she can’t prove she’s changed her bad habits. Paige’s parents sign her up for a rebuilding project in Texas where her sister lives. Meanwhile, Paige reluctantly befriends her sister’s straight-laced teenage neighbor, Joey, who is a frequent guest. He’s so different from her, but Paige realizes that may not be a bad thing, especially since being around Joey curbs her urge to vandalize and ignore the rules. He even makes her forget about the debilitating stomach cramps she struggles to hide. Just as Paige begins to feel settled in Texas, her dad’s worsening Crohn’s disease brings her home to Seattle. When her own health fails her, she has the choice of staying at home and receiving care. Or, she could go back to Texas and prove for once and for all that she’s more than her mistakes and more than a disease. Torn between two worlds and two versions of herself, Paige must decide where, and with whom, she truly feels at home.

Over the Dragon’s Gate by Juliana Jones & Riley Sanderson

Treya has everything he needs in his pond: food, shelter, and other fish to swim with. It’s painful to wonder if he had another life once, so he ignores the fragments of disturbing dreams that plague him. But when a boy falls into his pond, Treya discovers he’s more than a fish. He can also become a boy, and now he has a friend: the irrepressible Eli. During secret meetings in the garden surrounding the pond, Treya and Eli forge a bond that even dark magic can’t break. But when Eli starts asking questions about who and what Treya is, the two of them discover that questions are dangerous, answers have a cost, and their fates depend on unraveling the mystery of Treya’s past.

Unseen by RD Baker

One forced vow One devastating truth One forbidden obsession London, 1865 Born a baron’s daughter, young Evangeline Brimworth knows a thing or two about aristocracy’s politics. Though she never thought she’d be the bargaining chip. When her family winds up penniless and her hand in marriage is sold to a man old enough to be her geriatric grandfather to restore their fortune. But Evangeline refuses to be caged without a fight—and she’s willing to risk everything to escape. The last person she expected to get in her way is her stepson. Azriel Caine. Cynical, mysterious, and seemingly following her every step. Because somehow, he holds a dangerous secret about her over her head, and unless she wants to destroy her reputation, she must do as he says. Including wed him. Their impropriety is nothing new for Azriel, and he hardly cares. He believes in obsession. In possession. And the more Evangeline peels back his layers, she finds herself craving his darkness almost as much as she fears it. Fans of Bridgerton craving the scandalous, wicked underbelly of high society will devour this dark, taboo romance from bestselling author RD Baker that will leave you swooning, reeling, and gasping at every turn.