Kissing the Wrong Mountain Man

Mountainmances #1

by Ash Kelly

It's a simple Pretend to date the smoking-hot mountain man to get back at my ex. Only problem? I kiss the wrong mountain man.

I may be a bestselling romance author, but my love life has been a train wreck. From now on, I'm focusing solely on me…and the precious baby I’m carrying.

But something about Brock Palladino draws me in. His genuine concern and quiet strength brings something that's been sorely missing from my life––peace.

Too bad he's ruggedly good-looking, has warm chocolatey eyes, and is a fantastic kisser, because I'm officially done with men. Until he aims those big, brown eyes my way and asks me a question that nearly knocks me off my feet.

Kissing the Wrong Mountain Man is a strangers-to-friends-to-lovers, marriage-of-convenience romance between a soon-to-be single mom and a reclusive ex-military mountain man.

It's the first book in the Mountainmances series but can be read as a stand-alone.

It comes with Ash's PG-passion "All heart, no heat" guarantee!



Strangers-to-friends-to-loversMarriage of convenienceGrumpy / SunshineMistaken identitySoon-to-be single momReclusive ex-military mountain manShe heals him / He supports herCozy small-town vibesClosed-door no cheating, no cursing, just kisses!

Genres: Romance, Clean Romance

Kindle Edition

Published February 2, 2025

Reviews

[ya.vl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Дуже сподобалась😻 тільки шкода що вона маленька 🥲
Головний герой максимальний грін флег чоловік🥰
Події відбувались дуже повільно, я сиділа і думала як же авторка все помістить в 12 розділів, на мою думку в кінці трохи скомкано вийшло🤷🏿‍♀️ добавити б ше 3 розділа і було б ідеально

[sonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐
дуже мила коротенька історія на вечір

[Literary Child (Tania) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Чесно? Двоякий післясмак. З одного боку, це така душевна історія з повністю ред флегом чоловіком, який боготворить головну героїню, а з іншого боку якось кострубато все написано. Загалом, норм, але мені чогось не вистачило. Полюбе, сцен 18+🤣

[Daria Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

дуже-дуже мило😍😍😍😍😍

[Olha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Вони дуже милі

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

"from the moment you walked up and kissed me, you breathed life into me, reawakening a part of myself I thought I'd lost forever. You've made me want to rejoin the real world, find a purpose, and so something good with my life." 😩🥹

[Vika Zvolynska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Мила історія кохання двох незнайомих людей😍
З самого початку між ними була хімія, вони так легко спілкувались.
Хоча все сталось дуже швидко, але це мило😍
4/5

[Inna ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Легка, тепла й чарівна новелла.😍
Мені сподобалася динаміка «буркотун і сонечко», гумор і щирість взаємодії між героями. Незважаючи на невеликий обсяг, історія виглядає доволі повноцінною й затишною☺

⭐⭐⭐⭐✰ (4/5)

[Susan Z (webreakforbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kissing The Wrong Mountain Man is a short novella that is great to pick up when you want a bite sized story. It was a great premise for a romance and could easily be worked into a full length novel. They had the funniest meet cute and I loved how Schapelle, softened Brocks's gruff exterior.

[Serena Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

’Nadie más está en mi corazón, nadie más siente el amor, la paz y la seguridad que Brock me brinda, nadie más sabe que a pesar de nuestro comienzo salvaje, este es el hombre que mi alma ha pasado tres décadas buscando.’



•Mi opinión puede contener Spoilers.
•Esta destinada a ser un descargo personal no para que alguien más lea pero si lo haces y te ofende, me disculpo porque sé lo que es que te guste un libro y otros lo critiquen.



Kissing the Wrong Mountain Man de Ash Kelly Serie Mountainmances libro 1

Argumento:

Es un plan sencillo: fingir que salgo con el hombre de la montaña más sexy para vengarme de mi ex. ¿El único problema? Beso al hombre de la montaña equivocado .

Puede que sea una autora de novelas románticas de gran éxito, pero mi vida amorosa ha sido un desastre. A partir de ahora, me centraré únicamente en mí... y en el precioso bebé que llevo dentro.

Pero hay algo en Brock Palladino que me atrae. Su preocupación genuina y su fortaleza silenciosa aportan algo que había estado dolorosamente ausente en mi vida: paz.

Lástima que sea guapo, tenga ojos cálidos y color chocolate y bese de maravilla , porque ya no quiero más hombres. Hasta que me mira con sus grandes ojos marrones y me hace una pregunta que casi me hace caer al suelo.



Mi humilde opinión:

Romance con matrimonio por conveniencia, de extraños a amigos a amantes, identidad equivocada, pueblo pequeño, cabaña, él: es callado, solitario ex militar, hombre de montaña, ella: rayo de sol, divertida, encantadora, esperando un bebe de otro hombre, madre soltera, escritora de romances.

Brock era un rollo de canela! Me encantó todo de este protagonista, estaba dañado por sus años de servicio pero hizo todo lo correcto por Schapelle, la cuidó aunque ella no lo notara, era considerado, comprensivo y bueno de corazón, lo adoré! Ella era divertida y aventurera, compasiva. Ame su relación desde el inicio, conectaron de inmediato, me gustó lo fácil que era con ellos, sus conversaciones e interacciones se sintieron naturales, no forzadas, se transmitió una linda amistad aparte de la atracción. Me gustaba como él apoyaba su escritura y quería sanar para ser el hombre que ella merecía mientras que ella lo sacaba de su zona confort y a hablar de su pasado, ella lo sana mentalmente. Es un romance corto y dulce, con la intimidad a puertas cerradas.

[Jo|Ruth Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏: 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒎𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈-𝒉𝒐𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒆𝒙. 𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎? 𝑰 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒏.

I wasn’t expecting to read this book so soon, but when it appeared in my inbox and was under 100 pages, I couldn’t resist finding out what the story was about and I’m so glad I did! Schapelle, a single mom-to-be, attends her best friend’s engagement party with the goal of making her ex-boyfriend jealous. To help her with this, her friend sets her up with someone for a one-night kiss. The catch? Schapelle has never met the guy, only knowing that he's a tall, handsome "mountain man." When she spots someone at the bar who fits that description, she kisses him—and he kisses back! But, as it turns out, the man she kissed isn’t the one she was supposed to meet at the party. Still, the chemistry between them is undeniable.

Brock is a bit of a recluse, a veteran dealing with the loss of a friend and mostly staying to himself in his mountain cabin. He attends the party hoping to meet someone, as he needs to arrange a marriage of convenience to inherit millions. So when the beautiful woman kisses him at the bar, he sees it as a sign and asks her to marry him. They only need to stay married for 30 days to unlock his inheritance, then they can go their separate ways. Neither is looking for anything permanent—Brock is struggling with his past, and Schapelle is focused on her pregnancy and career. But as they spend more time together, both begin to wonder: could this turn into something real after all?

Tropes:
🤝❤️ Strangers-to-Friends-to-Lovers
💍 Marriage of Convenience
🌧️☀️ Grumpy/Sunshine
🤔 Mistaken Identity
🤰 Soon-to-be Single Mom
🏞️🎖️ Reclusive Ex-Military Mountain Man
💖 She Heals Him / He Supports Her
🏡🌲 Cozy Small-Town Vibes
😘🚪 Closed-Door Romance: No Cheating, No Cursing, Just Kisses!

Content Warning: This story touches on themes of loss, healing, and emotional struggles. Please read with care if these topics are sensitive for you. Additionally, within Chapter 1, the man Schapelle was "supposed to" meet is revealed to be gay. It is not referenced at all beyond Chapter 1. I'm including that note for those would want this heads-up in advance.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schapelle is 29 and is at the Cedar Crest Haven Lodge for her friend's engagement party. She's looking for two men. Her ex who is the father of her baby. One of friend's suggest she use a friend who is gay to get her ex jealous. It's a crazy idea but it's all she has.So she's going to try. Not that she wants her ex back since he told her to get rid of the problem. She's a writer and this is like a chapter from her story. The guy who is "gay" and willing to help is a fan of her books. Plus he's about to audition for a lead in a romcom and considers this straight practice.
She sees a mountain man sitting at the bar and heads over. She thanks him for doing this and kisses him. Afterwards they talk and she discovers he isn't Magnus. And he's straight!
Brock Palladino is sitting at a bar, the first time he's been out in years and a beautiful woman comes and kisses him. He is out tonight to find a wife. If he wants to inherit from his grandfather he needs a wife. He got out of the military and bought a cabin in Cedar Crest Hollow. They sit and talk and she explains what happened. Then he asks her to marry him.
A few days later she and Brock are standing in front of a officiant at the registrar's office. She has promised herself she won't fall for him.
She's moves in with him. They start to talk and share stories of the family. Are they becoming too comfortable with each other? What about the baby she's carrying? Can a fake marriage work?
A cute story.

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

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy February 💕 I’m starting the month off with this super cute novella.

Schapelle is a romance novelist who finds herself pregnant and dumped by her baby's dad. But when a plan to make her ex jealous goes terribly wrong - she kisses the wrong mountain man - and meets Brock Palladino.

Brock is ex-military and is struggling with PTSD; he also needs to find a wife in the next 30 days or lose his inheritance. It’s serendipitous that Schapelle would stroll in and kiss him in a bar, mistakenly, but nonetheless.

Schapelle and Brock agree to a marriage of convenience, and she moves into his isolated mountain cabin. Brock is attentive, supportive, and thoughtful, and Schapelle is kind, caring, and funny. The couple soon discovers that the benefits of this marriage are more than they bargained for.

This short, closed-door romance is full of heart with funny, sweet, and tender moments. It’s the first in the Mountainmances Series.

Thank you @ashkellyauthor for the gifted ebook.

[LESLIE J (mrsj_readsbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Ash Kelly for my complimentary eARC of Kissing The Wrong Mountain Man. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh my gosh. I devoured this super cute romantic story. It’s not hard to fall in love with
Schapelle and Brock. They are both a bit lost and broken, but that meet cute kiss was hands down what I needed today.
Coming in at under 100 pages, it’s the perfect read for waiting rooms or car pick up lines.

I cannot wait to read all the books in this series.

[Senior Citizen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish it was longer
Fmc is pregnant with her ex-Boyfriend baby. The guy she was meant to kiss is gay but then is never mentioned again. Just kisses nothing else’s. Good growth between characters. In a way no third act breakup.
Tropes
Strangers-friends- to lover
Marriage of convenience
Pregnancy trope
Trauma mentioned and explained
Age gap she’s 27 when they met he was 37

[𝕸𝖎𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖊𝖑 𝕮. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super fun book!! Way better than her hockey series (of which I've read 2 now), which is interesting because this book is just a short novella! I loved the characters!!! Brock was THE BEST and this storyline was just epic!!!!!!!
The book gets straight to the point and it isn't done in a cringey way! I love how Schapelle was supposed to look for a gay guy to kiss to make her EX jealous, and then she accidentally kisses some random guy (who ISN'T GAY 😏heheheheh!!) instead!

💚Parts I loved:

"From the moment you walked up and kissed me, you breathed life into me, reawakening a part of myself I thought I'd lost forever. You've made me want to rejoin the real world, find a purpose, and so something good with my life." 😩❤️🥹 OMGGGGGGGg

"Schapelle said she was done with emotionally damaged men. Yeah, well, maybe it's about time for this emotionally damaged man to finally deal with his issues." ❤️ LET'S GO!! Finally a guy who isn't a cry baby for 2/3 of the book; he realizes he needs to change, and HE DOES!

Also the cute part where Schapelle says thanks for something and he doesn't say thank you, so she kisses him.
"What was that for?"
"You didn't say you're welcome."
"Huh?"
"When I said thank you, you didn't say you're welcome."
"I see. In that case, you'll never hear me say you're welcome ever again."
❤️🤩

I am SO STOKED TO READ the next book in the series: "Taming the Wild Mountain Man"!!! ❤️

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This contemporary, general market novella was a lot of fun to read. I picked it up through KU on a whim and was very happy that it was clean and kisses only, as advertised. It was a quick read and a new to me author.

(4.5 stars)

[Puna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can’t remember ever being this bugged by a character’s name. But, for some reason, Schapelle really annoyed me and in a way that I couldn’t just ignore/skip over it. It irked me every single time, lol.

[☆Laura☆]

.

[Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Bridgette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super short romance featuring the sweetest of cinnamon rolls.

[Teddy G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good but way too short!
I could have spent at least 6-7 hours worth of story with these two.
I was hooked from the beginning…funny, sweet and full of heart!

[Amy Lourens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and sweet novella. This had characters from her other books in it, and it was a clean romance.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and predictable. I read the second one first, oops. But you get the first glimpses of them in here and that was fun.

[ria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ☆

[MILaA29 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Прочитала дуже швидко, мені однозначно сподобалась ця історія❤️
Шкода що дуже мало😢

[Chelsea Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, despite this book because less than 100 pages, it was so freaking good! I usually want more from a book if it’s that short, but with this one the length of the book did it justice. While yes, I would have absolutely LOVED more of Schapelle and Brock, this definitely did them justice. Both of them had things to work through and they did that together. While their whole meeting and getting married went super fast, them being together and learning each other was super sweet and felt organic. Brock was the freaking sweetest man and I loved how he took care of Schapelle. Schapelle gave life back to Brock that he was missing out on and it was beautiful seeing them figure that out for themselves. This freaking cover is initially what drew me in and made me want to read this, I mean come on?! That cover art?! That man?! So gorgeous! If you want a super quick, super sweet romance that you can devour in one sitting, please read this one!

[Jerrye Tellmeagreatstorylove · Rating 4 out of 5]

If the fun name of this book didn’t catch your eye, perhaps this review will. This short and sweet read was a bit outside by usual but I still liked it a lot. The plot was a bit underdeveloped at the beginning but I really liked the way the relationship between the two MCs built on their mutual trust and conversation. And I loved how they each made the choice to love and care for the other. So if you need a quick read that will leave you with a smile, grab this one and enjoy it too.

I received a copy of this story from the author via BookFunnel. I am not required by anyone to write a positive review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

[Angham's corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet and Short. No drama, just cute.