Savage Protector

Mountain Goliaths: Rugged Mountain Ink #1

by Khloe Summers

Will this older mountain man find love with his best friend's daughter?

Bailey
Staying away from your dad’s best friend should be easy.
He’s older, and obviously off limits.
There’s no debating any of that.
But guys my age don’t see me like Rowan does.
They aren’t as protective either.
I know I should do the right thing and ignore every feeling I have for him.
Trouble is, when we're alone, I can't help myself.
I need his big, rough hands on my skin.
I need his strong, inked frame against mine.
Rowan may be off limits, but what harm could one night do?

Rowan
I can't help but protect her.
A favor to my best friend.
Drive her up the mountain and drop her off.
I can do that
Except I can't.
The girl is a curvy, spitfire who checks every box I have.
A good man would respect his friend and walk away.
But I'm not a good man, and touching Bailey is all I'm thinking about.

Dear Readers,
This is a short, age gap romance with a big, growly, protective, mountain man and a curvy, younger heroine. As always this title comes with Khloe's 'Easy Escape Seal' A no cheating, no cliffhanger, HEA guarantee.

Genres: Romance, Novella

124 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 14, 2024

About the author

Best-Selling Author Khloe Summers writes short, steamy romance about small town love and mountain men.

Married to her own heart of gold alpha for over twenty years, Khloe is a firm believer in the magic of Happily Ever After.

Reviews

[Miš · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.7

[Katie Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ARC Review✨

Now this was a nice little palette cleanser 👀 This book is a short novella✔️, spicy✔️ age gap✔️ father’s friend✔️ romance, and is definitely a something nice to read in between those lengthy novels.

This book follows Bailey and Rowan. Rowan, his brothers and his father are in town to track down the local grizzly bear. Bailey and Rowan meet in a bar one evening, and Rowan kindly offers Bailey a ride home because he is a friend of her father’s. The spark is there between these characters from the very first instance🔥

When Rowan reaches Baileys cabin a storm warning is issued and thus he spends the night, but both wake the next morning only to see that they have been snowed in👀 Now we all know where this is gonna go but to find out what happens next you need to pick this novella up.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Suzanne Houser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Khloe Summers kicks off her latest Rugged Mountain Ink spin-off series, Mountain Goliaths, with Savage Protector, a spicy, steamy dad's best friend / age-gap romance. The boys from Alaska are in Rugged Mountain to rid the town of the grizzly bear terrorizing them, and Rowan, his father, and his brothers have been locking horns with the town's game warden, Bailey. When Bailey gets drunk one night at Mullet's, she decides it's time to lose her virginity, and who better than with someone who will soon be leaving town. Rowan is a willing participant until they discover she's the daughter of an old friend of his. But when he takes her home and they get stuck together as a storm settles in, it becomes impossible to fight the electric chemistry between them. A fun, entertaining, steamy age gap that's an exciting way to kick off this new series!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kayla Lietzau · Rating 5 out of 5]

SOOOOO MUCH YESSSS 🔥🔥🔥

I absolutely LOVED it!!! Once I started I didn’t put it down until I finished! Rowan and Bailey🔥 This book made me laugh, swoon and want so much more!!!! The relationship between these two is hot from the first banter! The filthy talk between them, the forbiddeness of their relationship, I AM HERE FOR IT🔥🔥🔥 The smexy times are so steamy & panty droppingly delicious 🥵 What a way to start the Mountain Goliaths!!!! Can’t freaking wait for the next one already!!! Highly highly recommend this wonderful book 🩷.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mandy Reads Indie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quickie Review: I guess I am back to my Mountain Man era. And Khloe Summers writes the best ones…all steamy and full of insta love, age gap goodness. I inhaled this quick read and had already gotten the next book KU’d before I even started my review. Rowan and Bailey were so sweet together and it was fun seeing this Goliath of a man fall first for one of his best friend’s daughters. Their romance was instantaneous and consuming. I can’t wait to see what happens next upon on Rugged Mountain with the rugged Goliaths. 5 Stars.

[Oriana Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rowan and his family are Alaskan men that came to Rugged Mountain to take care of a rogue bear. Bailey is the mountains game warden and is kind of hostile against the men. Rowan meets Bailey in a bar and sparks fly, until they find out that Rowan is her fathers best friend. But the heart wants, the heart gets and when they are stranded in a storm everything changes. Instalove, age gap, steamy romantic, sweet and safe with a sweet HEA and no drama😍😍😍

[kymagirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Game warden Bailey (h) finds herself at odds with Rowan (H), one of the Alaskan hunters invited to town to help deal with a troublesome grizzly, though she finds herself attracted to him at the same time. After a few drinks, Bailey and Rowan are going back and forth when they realize that he’s friends with her father, further complicating the mutual attraction they feel for one another. Bailey makes her attraction known to the older Rowan, but he doesn’t want to take advantage of her in her inebriated state, and instead takes her home only for her to be injured getting out of his truck. But the two find themselves trapped together when a major snowstorm moves in, and their connection deepens as they get to know one another in her small cabin. Loved the bear at the fishing hole and Bailey stepping in. Hot and steamy age gap, mountain man, curvy girl, romantic quickie with a side of family angst.

[brooke_and_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great spicy Novella!

Read this in an hour and I loved it! Perfect little palette cleanser between longer books! Also I love anything with a huge mountain man!

[Beverly McCall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Savage Protector is a delightful age-gap, forbidden love romance penned by Khloe Summers. It chronicles the romantic journey of Baily Balone and Rowan Laskin. She is a 24-year-old virgin, a game warden, and the daughter of his buddy, Geno Barone, a cop. He is 45 and a bear trapper from Alaska. He and his family were brought it to track and dispose of a bear raiding nearby homes for food. They meet at the local bar and there is an instant attraction. Normally, Bailey would not be so forward, however, the whiskey shots she had gave her a sense of bravado. Realizing her vulnerability, Rowan is protective of her. Then he discovers who she really is and knows she should be off limits. Their physical and emotional attraction calls to their passion and desire. He takes her home and they are shut in due to a bad snow storm. Can they keep their passion in check? What will happen when Bailey’s dad learns the truth about them? To find out, you must read this book.

Ms. Summers does an outstanding job with her BBW and hot alpha male romance. The lead characters are multi-dimensional. The dialog, both conversational and internal monologues, is entertaining and allows readers to understand their emotions. Ms. Summers’ skill with painting vivid scenes rounds out her skill with literary devices as she pulls the reader into this romantic tale. Nice job, Ms. Summers.

[lf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alaska meets Rugged Mountain....the Grizzly is not the only bear on the loose now!

Savage Protector is the first book in the new Mountain Goliaths: Rugged Mountain Ink series. This is another spin-off of the Rugged Mountain Ink series that I know I am going to love a lot. This series is about an Alaskan man invasion to the town. With the grizzly bear prowling around the town and breaking into the lodge they can called in some professionals from Alaska. So the Laskin family has hits town, living in a cabin together up in the mountains and being welcomed. But these big, brawny, and sometimes rude mountains of men have also trampled on some feet and crossed boundaries in their hunt for the grizzly. That includes the local game warden, Bailey Barone. So when one night Bailey comes into town to drink her troubles away, as her boyfriend of several months just broke up with her, and Rowan sits down next to her the sparks start to fly. But when Rowan says that his best friend is a local deputy this pair discover that Bailey's father is Rowan bf.....oops there goes the sexy night. Rowan drives Bailey home where they end up snowed in together, with her offering up herself multiple times and in multiple ways which is stretching Rowan's last good guy thread to the breaking point. When her father shows up that throws an avalanche of cold onto the boiling passion, but does it put it out. Add in the big grizzly just doing what it does, Bailey not wanting to kill it, and Rowan just wanting Bailey for himself, things are about to get interesting.
I loved this first book in this new spin-off series. The Laskin brothers are going to be fun and entertaining as they stalk, hunt and claim their women. It seems these Alaskan men are about to relocate to Rugged Mountain before this series ends.

[Jenifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Game Warden and the Hunter - two people who shouldn't get along - yet there is a sizzling chemistry between these two. Add in a few shots of whisky and things start to take a dirty turn. But there's the father, who is also the best friend in the way - that spells trouble. Yet, somehow this couple make it work, and dad comes around to the idea. Low angst, high steam and just pure Rugged Mountain Ink romance. Love love love this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[T Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

HEA
Standalone, interconnected characters
Father's best friend, Age-gap
Mountain Goliaths
Rugged Mountain Ink universe



Bailey is the game warden, while Rowan is one of the men hired to hunt down the bear terrorizing the town. He's also much older than her and her father's friend. She's against the hunting down of the bear and that is literally his job. How will this work?


Cute, fast-paced story. Can't wait to watch the progression of this series. I thought the bear would be handled last series, but it was just the intro for this one.

[Lisa Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rowan would like to know the game warden, Bailey has a problem with him. He does not believe he ever did anything to her. As they are sharing drink, she makes it known she is interested but she has had many drinks. He is going to make sure she gets home, and finds out she is his best friend's daughter grown up. Now he is stuck at her house due a snow storm, how is he going to resist her?.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Noemi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bailey is trying to keep her cool

Bailey is trying to keep her cool and perform her duty as a forest ranger but dealing with Rowan (he's in town trying to capture a roaming bear) and is driving her nuts. When they get stuck at her cabin after a storm some truths are revealed. Will Rowan get over the age gap and give in to his feelings for Bailey? Will they find their HEA?

I enjoyed this read 📚!

[Celia L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice

This is a sweet love story complete with an older man who just happens to be daddy’s best friend. And he finds himself trying to be an upstanding guy when daddy’s little girl is doing her best to seduce him. They meet in a bar, she’s had too much to drink and he offers to drive her home-which involves a snow storm and a cabin in the mountains. Don’t miss the chance to find out what happens.

[Anna M_82 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steamy age gap mountain man romance

This book was an enjoyable age gap romance with Rowan and Bailey. They were so opposite from each other. Rowan a hunter looking to take down a rogue bear. Bailey as the game warden making sure that they follow the rules and trying to keep Rowan and his hunting family from killing the bear. A night of drinking and a massive snowstorm keep these two together which makes it impossible to deny the strong attraction between them. I loved the moment Rowan caved to Bailey’s advances and their relationship took a turn. It won’t be easy but it will be worth it.

[casvec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rowan and his family came down to help with the bear roaming around the mountain. At the bar he meets Bailey, as strong woman and the local game warden. Their connection is strong, but there are somethings she does not budge on, add the twist that her father is his best friend this story keeps you turning the pages as things heat up.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[♡♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay... you know when short books are just so well written, you don't even realize the fast-pacing?

Well, this was not it.

While i like the idea and how much potential it had, even for a short story, it was way too much fast moving. Like give it 50 more pages, a little bit more teasing and not just right away falling in love without readers actually seeing them do it, it would be a pretty awesome book.

Still, because it's dad's best friend book, I give it 3 stars.

[Aspen G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Savage Protector is a filthy sweet romance. Game warden Bailey falls face over for her dad’s friend Rowan—who last saw her when she was a child. These two have great chemistry and it’s fun how aggressively she pursues him—especially her drunken escapades at the beginning. Their coming together is hot and sweet—he is such a dirty talker and I just love that. The ending is awkwardly funny and the epilogue is a great segue to the next novella in the series.

[Carlyn Zanidean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was great and I truly love this series by Khloe Summers. A protective strong older man who isn't afraid of his feelings and goes for what he wants, and a beautiful curvy virgin who is strong willed and independent.
Together the chemistry and attraction if strong, both want to be together an know they will make that come true.

[Nicole M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about a spicy enemies to lovers 🥵 I will take a giant mountain man to climb on any day of the week 😉 if you don't fall in love with Rowan in the first couple minutes of reading, you are clearly the problem 😂. And I've never been so invested in the outcome of a bear hunt. When is book two coming?

[Maranda Prigmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this

I loved Rowan and Bailey. I couldn't wait to start this new series. Bailey is at the bar taking shots when Rowan sees her. She decides she wants to lose her v card and he's on the menu. Will he give in. They can't stand each other but yet obsessed too. These men are so big and strong. Bailey is in for a real treat if she can seduce him?

[Robin Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Savage Protector: ( Mountain Goliaths Rugged Mountain Ink Book 1)

He makes sure she gets home okay as it starts snowing, and by the time they wake up there is 5 feet of snow on the ground. All because she wants to lose her Vcard. After several interruptions (a bear and her father), they finally do the deed and get their HEA.

[thebeespot72 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Savage Protector was 124 pages of a snowed-in trope that I enjoyed. Rowan is described as a big, growly, and protective mountain man. He’s also Bailey’s Dad best friend. She wants to lose her virginia, and he’s the perfect person to do it. They both fall fast for each other, and the spice scenes, though not many because it’s a short story, were good.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mountain Goliaths. Bailey and Rowan

Bailey is a Game Warden, and she went to a bar and got too wasted. Rowan is a Bear hunting expert that was hired to get rid of
a troubling Bear. Rowan takes Bailey home because she drank to much, and a bad snow storm causes them to be stranded together. Soon the Bear will be the least of their problems.

[CJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has given us a fast-paced older man/younger woman story that pulls us into the lives of Rowan and Bailey. The story keeps us turning the pages with connection, denial and steam.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Halla Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet, and filthy

A short novella.
Age gap
Smartasss curvy fmc.
V!rg!n fmc.

This one is short. Sweet and absolutely filthy read. The plot is there, but honestly, if you're reading a short novella, it aint for the plot. 👀💦

Plot is a 3 🌟
Spice is a 4🌶

[Ana Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!!!

Bailey and Rowen are the stars of this age-gap, super steamy tale. A little mystery & drama in the small town that sets up the rest of the series. Great story and sweet HEA. Looking forward to the next one.

[Kirsten Ensman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good humor

A game warden who pleads to not shoot the bear he is there to shoot! Losing her virginity in a truck with her father in her house not far away. What could possibly wrong?! I liked the humor in the story. Could have been a longer story.

[Tina P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starting to think I’m not a novella girl.

Liked the premise and characters but too unbelievable- they are falling in love after a day? And the scene where the dad is there and they don’t stop? Eh…ick

2.5⭐️