Melting Point

by Cordelia Kent

One night in his cabin. One bed. No way out until the storm passes.

When Grace's remote writing retreat turns into a frozen nightmare, her only salvation comes in the form of a mysterious mountain man with secrets of his own.

Heartbroken and creatively blocked, Grace escapes to an isolated cabin to heal and write. But when she’s locked out in a storm, she finds herself at the mercy of Ethan—a ruggedly handsome recluse who lives alone in the woods for very good reasons.

What starts as shelter from the cold ignites into scorching heat between them. Ethan awakens desires Grace never knew she had, while she threatens to crack open the walls he's built around his wounded heart. But when morning comes, will he let fear drive her away again?

"THE PERFECT SMUTTY LITTLE READ!"

A steamy instalove romance featuring a dominant alpha hero, a heroine who knows what she wants, snowed-in forced proximity, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Genres: Audiobook, BDSM

107 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2025

About the author

Cordelia Kent writes evocative love stories where desire tells the truth. Her contemporary romances are known for their emotional intelligence and unapologetic heat: in her worlds sex is transformation, intimacy is courage, and every happily-ever-after starts with radical vulnerability. She lives in a storybook Tudor in Kansas City with her dreamboat husband, two small wonders, and a backyard full of bunnies.

Join her at www.cordeliakent.com for a free love story and more.

Reviews

[Barb Niles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read, lots of Spice! perfect for a fast, read in a day book!

[Jess Blanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a short little novella it's perfect! I appreciate that it's well written and doesn't feel like an inexperienced writer trying to put something out quick.

As a smutty lil thing, it's nice that there is actually a story to go along with it and it's not just pure smut. Even though there is so much story that could have been told, everything (even the backstory) was VAGUELY explained. Which was just enough to complete this novella.

I would actually really like to see full length stories from this author!
@cordeliakentauthor

[Stephanie Voice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice fast read with 🌶️ - great for a quick pick me up! Love the meet-cute 💕

[Samantha Creamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good instalove story with solid spice. Enjoyed the characters and how they came together. Is it realistic to fall in love after less than 24 hours together? No. But I don’t read books for realism, so I loved it!

[Kayla Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hotttt…..if you want quick and spicy this is for you!! Let’s just say Grace stumbled gracefully into Ethan and it is straight fire.

[QuinnReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snow: Friend or Foe?

Debut release, you say. It's definitely a promising start.

It's over-the-top instalove with a bias towards a sensual exploration between Ethan Everett and Grace. We get glimpses of their back stories, helping to paint the picture of how each is a little bit damaged, lost.

We both inhale sharply at our first touch without gloves. I feel like lightning in a bottle.
-- Grace

I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. Unsurprisingly, the dominant finds a way to tick me off at some point, but I do like how he repents. 😘 Either way, I'm happy and plan on checking out the next book.


UPDATED 1/2026:



Revisiting in audio. The narrators are Dane Beaumont and the author, Cordelia Kent. They are both new to me. I really like them, especially in duet. 🎧💙🎧

Story: 4 stars
Narration: 4 stars
Listening Speed: 2 (Audible) /2.5x (BF)

[Amanda (edgybookvixen) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So hot it melted my icy, cold.. heart ❄️🥶➡️🥵🔥

One of my favorite "mountain man" books I've ever read. Ethan is an edging hottie! Calm, Controlled, & Collected.
Definitely recommend 💯

[Mica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hit it and…can’t quit reading it!

A very well written quick read. Likable characters story moves at a good pace.
When I want a quick HEA steamy story, C. Kent is my go to author.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

could not stop!

From the beginning to end I was held and led by the author with grace and fantastical desire.
Such a delicious read!

[Ryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️
5/5 🌶️

Grace, who tries her best to live up to her name, went to the mountains for peace and quiet and instead was rescued by Ethan, the hottie neighbor. The chemistry was immediate, the spice was chef’s kiss! I totally didn’t look into remote cabins for a “writing retreat” because of this book.

Quick, spicy, and cozy. The perfect palette cleanser when you need a break from emotional damage reads.

P.S. this book has convinced me that “getting snowed in with a hottie” should be added to my 2025 goals.

Favorite Quote: “… beautiful remote cabins designed for solitary novel writing and existential crises aren’t famous for their cell reception.”

[CoriEliza0301 · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️, 5🌶️
A great book to get if you’re looking for a quick read that is filled with a lot of spice while still having a decent storyline & plot. No outside drama with past relationships or anything like that but still some emotional angst & dangerous situations. Nothing dark or triggering in my opinion & ends in a sweet yet passionate HEA. Looking forward to more from this author, especially more in this series! Can see them being my go-to palette cleansers when I need a break from dark romance.

📚I did receive an advance copy for free at my request after seeing the blurb for it. All my reviews are made voluntarily & are my honest thoughts/opinions.📚

[Mary Woodard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and spicy! A great quick read that leaves you excited for more. Though it doesn’t have a lot of backstory, the author is able to provide just enough to make it so the reader doesn’t feel the need for more. Can’t wait to continue reading the series!

[Kylee Pape · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a quick read and something a bit refreshing with spice then this one is for you!

Melting Point is fast paced and spicy. I really loved how Grace and Ethan met and the reason (their background) why both of them are in the mountains. I felt that the beginning was rushed but truly enjoyed the story line.

[Petra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. It’s well written and, although short, it wasn’t rushed.
Ethan and Grace are good together. He rescued her twice!
Loved the bonus epilogue because I always like to know how a couple is doing after a longer period of time.

Edit 21-12-2025: I listened to an ALC of the audiobook. It’s in duet narration and I loved both Dane Beaumont and Cordelia Kent. She’s the author of the book and has a really great voice!

I rated the book 4 stars, but the audiobook 5 stars, so I rounded up and changed my rating to 5 stars.

[Mallory Dapice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am I listening to a guided meditation?

It's there anything more beautiful than a Cordelia Kent story? Is this smut or poetry!?

How am I simultaneously soothed but also intrigued by both of these absolutely gorgeous narrator's. Please narrate all of your books...immediately.

As for the story, I have a deep appreciation for love found after a love is lost. For meeting someone that loves you for exactly who you are. Is he a sexy mountain man? Yes? Even better.

But also an FMC that says something like this, is the one for me:
"Everything but my bra, because fuck if I'm going to die extra uncomfortable"

This is a quick read (or listen), so you must read it immediately. actually, I'm gonna go listen to this over again.

Thank you so much to Cordelia Kent for the ALC of this audiobook. It is an absolute joy to read and listen to your work.

[Sami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an arc of the audio and oooff did that hit! It was done in duet form which I absolutely love, it was super easy to listen to and super quick too!

Very much enjoyed the chemistry between the characters and the scenes 🥵

I gave 4 stars as for me I'm not into the whole I'm gona put a baby in you 🙈 it's just not my thing!

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a spicy little read that will have you chuckling, fanning yourself and mentally urging the main characters to pull themselves together to get their happily ever after.
Grace just wants to get away from her personal drama, clear her head and get back to writing. What better place to do that than in a remote mountain cabin just as the first snow begins to fall? But when everything immediately goes wrong, she is rescued by her "tall, dark, and distractingly handsome" neighbor Ethan, who shows her there are other ways to take her mind off things...
Both Grace and Ethan have a past that has shaped them and throughout the story we are given the pieces that make up the puzzle of their lives and get to accompany them on each their journey of self-reflection.
Although the story is short, it is well-rounded with enough depth and spicy scenes with kinks and tropes mixed in to satisfy.
I enjoyed the novella and if Cordelia decides to write a second one and continue the story, I will definitely read it.
@cordeliakentauthor

[Latia Vadbunker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fast paced and spicy 🌶️

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED the setting, and the spice was definitely spicing!
Also, what a meet cute!

Such a good read. Loved it! 😍

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly smutty little read with a lot of spice!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually one for SUCH insta-love, but the setting, the cozy mountain vibes, and the SPICE made up for it!

[B. Wills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, spicy novella!

This is honestly such a cute, and spicy novella that instantly grips you from the first page. Grace & Ethan are likeable, relatable, and will have you rooting for them. Super quick read, and perfect for that cozy cabin romance vibes.

I received an Audiobook ARC, and I’m leaving my honest review.

[PelicanFreak · Rating 1 out of 5]

This wasn’t bad, per se, but it was presented to me as a ‘snowed in, forced proximity romance’—romance novels have plots. Even quickies. This had no plot to be found, only smex scenes.

The writing was extremely weak, all ‘telling’ instead of ‘showing’, and so the steamy scenes just felt textbook and very not-hot.


Winter vibes.
Edging.
Super instant instalove.
No plot.
Forced proximity.



Overall:
I prefer books with plots, so this didn’t really do anything for me, except waste my time.
No stars - will probably not read this author again.



🎙️Audio:
Doesn’t sound like a professional audio production, with an odd, mild static-like sound present throughout. (I downloaded the file to my phone, to eliminate the possibility of any sort of connectivity-caused issues.)

Two narrators, and both have smooth, pleasant voices, so this was great, at least conceptually. She read very robotically, rather than voice-acting the role. Normally, author-narration is my favorite because they’re going to capture the emotions and vibe (etc) of their own book better than anyone else could—but her parts sounded rather like listening to bot-narration and had this been longer, I might not have been able to make it through the entire book.

Sadly, he reads the same way, so there wasn’t a break from the monotony in this. I recommend grabbing another format, e- or print maybe? Unless you don’t mind dictation-style narration.

Though, the monotones were only present for non-dialogue, oddly. When reading dialogue, they’d both act a bit. Why not act throughout the whole book? Maybe just personal preference. It’s not bad by any means, just not great either.



Notes:

I received an advance listener copy—thank you! Naturally, any thoughts and opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

There was a nice note from the author before the book, but it was alarming, mentioning that ‘review instructions’ would be coming. Please note: providing any sort of instructions to reviewers in regards to how to review is review-manipulation. I do not support or tolerate any such thing.

[Tropes_and_Taboo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Melting Point (Matched on the Mountain, Book 1) by Cordelia Kent
⭐⭐🌶️🌶️
Forced Proximity * Strangers to Lovers * Control * BDSM * Insta-Love * Breeding Kink * Edging * Snowed-in * One Bed * Pleasure Dom * Mountain Man
📖 107 pages * 🎧1h45
🎙️ Narrated by Cordelia Kent & Dane Beaumont (Duet audio)

I was generously provided with an audio copy from the author, and I’m leaving my honest opinion.

I genuinely adore mountain man stories as well as ranger-type characters. I love the tough, rough, bearded, growly loner vibe they usually bring. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed with this one. Although there is some control and BDSM, it felt a little too soft and sweet overall, more like a city boy vacationing on a mountain than the rugged mountain man vibe I was expecting. I’m not sure if that impression came from the audio performance though.

Both narrators have smooth and clear voices, but I did end up speeding the audio up quite a bit more than I normally would because it felt very slow. Even at a faster speed, the cadence came across a bit monotone. It felt more like the story was simply being softly read to me rather than the narration fully embodying the emotions that should have been present to really pull the listener in.

I also found there to be very little plot development. There are vague mentions of the characters’ pasts, but not enough information to emotionally connect with them or understand why they fall into bed almost immediately. Essentially within two hours of meeting. I do enjoy insta-love stories, so that aspect itself didn’t bother me, but something still felt missing. I needed a bit more story to support it. Jumping straight from meeting to discussing breeding just didn’t quite fit the vibe and could have used more buildup.

There is quite a lot of smut, honestly most of the story is smut, but oddly I didn’t find it that spicy, which is why my spice rating reflects that. The scenes felt more like a recounting of the act rather than something actively happening, which was a little strange considering the book is written in present tense.

I do wonder if I might have felt differently had I read the book instead of listening to the audio.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I have listened to a book by Cordelia Kent and I really enjoyed it.
A very short steamy story just under 2 hours of content so if you are looking for a quickie then this is the book for you.
Grace and Ethan's inta-love romance may be quick but there is no shortage of spice or story..They meet unexpectedly when Grace is locked out of the cabin she is supposed to be stayig in.
She is an author and needs a change of scenery after some disasters in her life,a winter retreat seemed like a good idea.
Ethan who lives nearby comes to her rescue,the snow storm is against them to find a way to get into the cabin,So he invites her to stay with him for the night.
There is an instant attraction and a heat between them that can't be denied and they have an erotic passionate night.
But the next day Ethan is cold towards her and they part ways...Will he regret letting his past relationship get in the way of something with Grace.?
Narration by Cordelia Kent herself and Dane Beaumont is wonderful they both do such a great job at portraying these characters,and making the listener get lost into the story.They are both Brilliant!!
Melting Point is a fabulously steamy little book with the perfect blend of romance and spice..Loved Cordelia's writing.
Fantastic 5 Stars.

[Olivia Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

There I was at work, minding my business, when one of my coworkers approaches me and tells me her patient wrote a book and that I needed to read it and tell the department if it’s good. As the [unofficial] department smut reader, I, with great honor, accepted the task and ordered the book right then and there on kindle. This book is fast paced. It’s a quick read with just the right amount of smut to feel good. The book lacks a lot of in depth details about the main characters since it is situated in the present. If you’re looking to bond and grow with your characters, find another book, especially since the book is over as quickly as it begins. I suppose I’m not familiar with falling in love with a person I’ve only met once—which made it a little less realistic and prompted a [strong] eye roll from me. Then again, I don’t find that any romance/smut book is ever truly realistic so take that with a grain of salt. I would tell my coworkers to read this book, especially since it’s not extreme in any way [or a specific niche] and is a quick read. I suspect this book will circle through our department!

[Felecia Rodney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio Review:
Duet Narration by Cordelia Kent and Dane Beaumont

Tropes:
Snowed in
Instalove
Only One Bed
Mountain Man
Forced Proximity

Grace seeks solitude in the wilderness to overcome heartbreak and writer’s block, but instead finds herself snowed in with Ethan, a guarded man who prefers isolation. As the storm keeps them confined, emotional tension builds and forces both characters to confront their vulnerabilities.

Cordelia Kent and Dane Beaumont delivered such a compelling performance. Their voices perfectly captured the emotional intensity and quiet longing between the characters.

I originally received book #2 (Hot Blooded) as a gift and came back to listen to this book—and I’m so glad I did because it absolutely did not disappoint.

A short, heartfelt story that packs an emotional punch.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a spicy little read that will have you chuckling, fanning yourself and mentally urging the main characters to pull themselves together to get their happily ever after.
Grace just wants to get away from her personal drama, clear her head and get back to writing. What better place to do that than in a remote mountain cabin just as the first snow begins to fall? But when everything immediately goes wrong, she is rescued by her "tall, dark, and distractingly handsome" neighbor Ethan, who shows her there are other ways to take her mind off things...
Both Grace and Ethan have a past that has shaped them and throughout the story we are given the pieces that make up the puzzle of their lives and get to accompany them on each their journey of self-reflection.
Although the story is short, it is well-rounded with enough depth and spicy scenes with kinks and tropes mixed in to satisfy.
I enjoyed the novella and if Cordelia decides to write a second one and continue the story, I will definitely read it.
@cordeliakentauthor

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartbroken Grace takes off to the mountains to an isolated cabin in the middle of a snow storm to work on her writing and to mend her broken heart. She gets to the cabin and doesn’t find the key in the location her editor told her it would be. Ethan, a brooding mountain man comes to her rescue and invites her to stay at his place until the storm passes.

I loved this novella. It had the perfect amount of spice and of course a HEA. I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this series.

Thank you to Cordelia Kent for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

[Maria Gabrielle Naomi Orara Villanueva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know it can be each one's preference but I love these types of quick reads! And while I like more moments, reading something as quick as this is enjoyable too! First time reading one of her works and just received the second book of the series that i surely will read sooner than laters~

I highlighted a few phrases I liked when reading, I'll most likely post something again when the book comes out~