This kind of stuff could happen, right? Enemies could become friends. Haters could become lovers.
Colton Ramsey spends most of his days in the woods--guiding backpackers, hikers, and hunters on adventures through TR Outfitter's, his family-run business in Tamarack Ridge, Montana. Though he prefers to lead groups, Colton agrees over email to take Lee Bonzell on a solo elk hunt, for a premium price.
Only Lee turns out to be Leigh--a spunky female lawyer from Georgia with big green eyes and an accent like melted butter. Stung at being left behind too many times by her outdoorsy brothers, Leigh is on a mission to prove girls can do anything boys can do ... including bring home a bigger elk!
At first Colton refuses to go on a hunting trip alone with a woman, especially one with little hunting experience. After Leigh threatens legal action against him and the store, he reluctantly agrees. But just because he'll take Leigh on the hunt, doesn't mean he's going to take it easy on her.
Colton and Leigh face off in the Sawtooth Mountains. Both are expecting to emerge the victor, but neither expects that victory might mean love.
Author Note: The books are designed to be read in any order without missing any of the story, though you might have fun spotting crossover characters.
Jeanette Lewis is a USA Today bestselling author of over 20 books. She's known for depth and detail, strong characters, and of course, plenty of sweet, swoony kissing scenes!
Dreaming up stories has always been one of Jeanette's favorite things. Other favorites include her family, good friends, crisp Autumn days, and having adventures.
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I've heard it said that love and hate are just two sides of the same coin. The coin obviously landed on the hate side when Colton and Leigh first meet, and it was a slightly hilarious situation. Their second encounter wasn't much better, due to deception and first impressions, and I was cringing with the way things were going. But then something happened and the coin somehow flipped...
When strong feelings are evoked, whether it's love or hate or both, irresistible magnetism can occur and the power behind this one was very believable. Colton and Leigh are both so stubborn and strong, yet they each have a caring, sensitive streak that appears when least expected.
The setting was serene, yet there was an underlying element of danger that really brought an edge to the situation. The whole package was complete with a palpable romance that left my heart dancing.
All her life, Leigh Bonzell has felt like she has to prove something to everyone around her. People don't seem to take her serious because of her size. But she has spent her whole life proving them all wrong. So it came as no surprise when she came up against a brick wall named Colton Ramsey the moment he discovered that "Lee" is actually a Leigh.
Colton Ramsey has been working as a guide for his family's store for the last 10 years. He loves what he does... most of the time. Right now? He doesn't particularly care for it. He's seen his fair share of difficult clients, but Leigh Bonzell takes the cake. Who would've thought that a petite, little feisty thing would be full of sass and determination?
To say that Leigh and Colton got off on the wrong foot would be an understatement. From the moment they first met, they got under each others' skin... and not in a good way. But the more time they spend together, the more they start to see each other for who they are on the inside. Their feelings for each other are the complete opposite by the end of the hunt.
But how can they make a relationship work with Leigh in Atlanta and Colton in Tamarack Ridge? Would Leigh be willing to give up her life in the city for a new life in a small town? Both Leigh and Colton will have to decide if what they feel for each other is worth taking the risk for a HEA.
*dreamy sigh*
You guys! Can I just tell you how much I loved this book?! It was SO good! I woke up way before my alarm this morning and decided I would spend my time reading. Once I started this book, I had an extremely hard time putting it down. Let's just say I did NOT want to go to work! But alas, I had to adult. And no... that didn't stop me from fitting in reading whenever I could. I think Leigh and Colton are definite favorites in this series! I loved watching them go from enemies, to friends, to something more. And those kisses?! Holy swooniness Batman! It was perfect!
Ms. Lewis has done it again! I think I'm going to go through all her books and see which ones I haven't read yet. They need to be bumped up my TBR for sure!
I have to say that I love these two for Leigh and Colton! What do you think?
This is the second offering in the Tamarack Ridge series by Jeanette Lewis. It validates the conclusion I made after reading the first book of the series that this is a series that I will enjoy reading. The protagonists, Leigh and Colton, are interesting characters who begin verbally abusing each other even before being introduced. It did not take long for them to discover that he was to be her guide for a week-long Elk hunting expedition where it would only be the two of them. This was a great attention grabber of an introduction to the story. Of course, we all know that they will resolve their differences and find an HEA by the end of the book, but the journey kept me glued to my iPad well into the night.
However, the author made a significant error of omission when creating this story. The purpose of the expedition was for Leigh to shoot a trophy size, 800-pound, Elk. The hike from where they left their truck to their base camp was a seven-mile hike and Leigh, and Colton made the round-trip hike with heavily loaded packs. Add to that the additional distance from the base camp to the point where they would shoot the Elk and Leigh and Colton are tasked with not only moving their base camp supplies but also the 800-pound Elk all the way back to the truck. The author does not explain how to accomplish the task. The fact that they did not kill an Elk does nothing to redeem this error because Colton is consistently depicted as being a highly organized and very experienced hunter and hunters always have a plan for getting their prize home. This major flaw cost Ms. Lewis a five-star review.
Charming the Mountain Man (Tamarack Ridge Romances 2) - PG13 Violence: an attack Language: 1 swear word Sex: no sex, descriptive kissing
This heroine is my least favorite in a long time. She's a terrible, cold, entitled snob. I don't get how the Hero is even remotely attracted to her; she must be a knockout and he's not thinking? The heroine has an attitude adjustment and it works out, but she's still too rude and gives us Southerners a bad name. I do want to read book 1 now. Last 5% is an ad for another book.
With a great story, beautiful setting, wonderful characters and gifted writing, Jeanette Lewis has, once again, written a book that I love!
Colton and Leigh were so much fun! I laughed out loud when they met. I couldn’t wait to see what happened between them. There were entertaining moments, sweet moments, tender moments, and most definitely romantic moments. *sigh* Leigh is feisty and persistent. Colton is stubborn and determined. And both have such big hearts! I loved watching them come together, see each other’s strengths and discover what was really important. Their journey may have had a rough start, but it had such a sweet ending.
This is the second book in the Tamarack Ridge series, but does stand-alone. If you’ve read Loving the Mountain Man, though, you’ll enjoy seeing Ledger, Brynn and Aubrey again. And you’ll love the epilogue! :)
I received a complimentary copy of the book, which I voluntarily reviewed. I have given my honest opinion.
2.5/5 stars Ok, so hear me out. I don't like romance books. I get the hype, but it's not for me. Unrealistic falling in love at first sight is one of the most boring things authors could give us in the 21st century. I love picking these free kindle books up for a laugh, especially when I'm in a reading slump. They're typically so bad I'm entertained. The Lost One for example made me laugh out of pure ridiculousness and I like being entertained like that. This is exactly how I expected this book to make me feel. The catchy name and stupid story description reeled me in like no other and I was hoping to find a secret comedy gem like Country Kisses (yet another free kindle book I despise myself for wasting my time on, but that still made me laugh) BUT Charming the mountain man (writing this title down made me fucking smirk) wasn't horrible. Yes, it was dumb and challenged absolutely no brain cells. Yes, I found some repetitive romance tropes that I dislike, but... it wasn't steaming hot garbage. IT WASN'T GARBAGE AT ALL. Not my cup of tea, as stated previously, and I can see how other people may genuinely like the story. Some aspects, like the action scene at the end I didn't even expect to be done as well as it was- quite frankly I knew that something like that was coming up ever since the mountain ascend, but whatever. The romantic scenes were bearable, but where was the sex part? I was certain it would have at least 3 different unrealistic libido scenarios, but where were they? Are you telling me that a book named "Charming the mountain man" can exist without a sex scene? Not that I wanted one of those, but these types of kindle books are 80% non-consensual and harassment nightmares. Props to you, Lewis. Actually, now that I brought the author up, after the acknowledgements we had this nice little paragraph about Jeanette Lewis which mentioned her being very well known about her kissing scenes. Really? Is that the only thing an author can be proud of?
Long story short: I enjoyed it. I didn't laugh or give up reading from boredom, so I guess a 2.5 rating suffices. If this particular type of romance books appeals to you, pick it up by all means. It is appropriate for children as well, though I'd much rather the little ones stick to Rick Riordan or other authors of child friendly stories.
As a lawyer, Leigh’s job had her pretty sedentary, so starting off this hunting trip with a seven-mile hike, in the mountains, was quite a stretch. Especially with the elevation meaning less oxygen than she was accustomed to. But she was tough and determined and mad at Colton so she pushed through and did the best she could.
Author, Jeanette Lewis, did a great job of setting the stage for the story. I loved the way the events unfolded as they met for the second time discovering who they were going on this trip with. The explosion when that happened was classic, as were Colton’s attempts to get her to call off the trip. True, it wouldn’t have been funny if it was me, but it did have me laughing. Such a guy!!
Leigh’s motivation for the trip was to prove herself to her brothers. It was also a tribute to her dad who had died when she was not yet a teenager. I liked getting to know this feisty Southern belle.
Colton was such a bear of a man. It was interesting how he had never really been in a relationship. He really fit the mountain man image – perfectly content hiking and fishing and hunting and camping out away from most people. Despite that persona, he had a heart as big as his body and cared deeply for his family.
It was very reasonable the way that Leigh and Colton’s relationship went from them being mortal enemies to attraction to like. The pace at which it happened made sense and I appreciated that they were both concerned the way they felt was a result of being alone together and they shouldn’t assume it could survive any distance.
There was some added excitement as they encountered unexpected danger on the trip and afterward. But no spoilers, so I won’t say anything more!
Brynn and Ledger from Loving the Mountain Man had cameo appearances in this story, but don’t worry, if you haven’t read that one, you won’t feel like you are lost reading this one.
I know it may sound cliche, but Charming the Mountain Man is DEFINITELY my favorite (or, at least NEW favorite) Jeanette Lewis book. I know! I know! I say that EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I read and loved the 1st Tamarack Ridge book - Loving the Mountain Man, and was thrilled to be part of the ARC team for Charming the Mountain Man. I enjoyed the bantering - at first VERY antagonistic, then friendly, and finally flirting - between Colton and Leigh (NOT to be mistaken with LEE! ;-) In fact, the best part of reading the book was when I got the final copy and got to read it AGAIN!!! ;-) Quality check - lol - or at least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it! A good book makes you want to be in the story. A good author makes you want to meet the characters. A great book and author abducts you into the woods and takes you on the hunting trip. You see the elk, enjoy the smells of nature, taste the camp cooking... all from the comfort of your own chair! And you get to visit with all of your friends from book one. All in all, it was an excellent adventure - both times!
*I received a complimentary copy of the book, which I voluntarily reviewed. I have given my honest opinion.
This is the second book in the Tamarack Ridge series, but can be read as a stand alone. I liked this one better than the first book in the series. Leigh and Colton start on the wrong foot and are not too happy with each other, but have to go out in the mountains for an arranged private elk hunt - Colton being the guide and Leigh the client. I so love hate-to-love stories and this one was cute. Again what I found hard to believe was how quickly they developed feelings for each other, but here at least I felt that Leigh was unsatisfied with her life and making a change was somehow logical. Now delving into book 3 - Jennica's story. Religion: subtle Sensuality: clean, some kissing Narrative: 3rd person, following the H and h
This was another great Tamerack Ridge story with two people who start off ticking each other off. When they find out they will be going on a week long hunt together things get worse. Leigh is small in stature and may look frail but she has a backbone of steel. When Colton decides to make her change her mind by being annoying, he does some funny stuff, she proves to be more resilient than he thought. I enjoyed their adventure together and watching them fall for each other. I received a complimentary copy and I am voluntarily reviewing.
A fun adventurous romance. I come from a family of hunters, so it was fun reading about the different aspects of the hunt in this story. Leigh and Colton have chemistry from the very beginning, even though at first it's closer to loathing than love. I love Leigh's take no nonsense attitude. She is a strong independent woman with a big heart. I enjoyed the relationship between Leigh and Colton and watching it develop. They are a sweet couple. I also enjoyed seeing Brynn and Ledger again. Tamarack Ridge is a fun outdoorsy romance series.
City Girl and Mountain Man Romance This is a clean and fun story with the Montana Rockies as a backdrop. Most of the romance takes place on a hunting trip. This is an engaging story with lots of laughs and lots of beautiful nature. The plot is well done with the right amount of highs and lows to keep it enjoyable. This is the second in the series and it is written to stand alone. I have read several of this author's books and they are all high-quality stories. I received this ARC book for free and this is my honest review.
This book is well written. The author is very descriptive which makes the trek up the mountain and in the woods interesting. What starts out as a hate relationship with Leigh and Colton becomes quite an attraction as they both let down their guard and decide to be civil to each other. But how can a huge mountain man and a petite lawyer from different worlds ever hope for a relationship? Then Leigh shows what she is made of when poachers attach Colton. Who says size matters when you are determined?
No plot spoilers No potential triggers There are only a couple of errors that I can recall. There are no sex scenes, I don't recall any swearing. This is such a beautiful love story, complete with breathtakingly exquisite descriptions of the land and wildlife. The characterisation is good, with distinct personalities and believable motivators. The plotline is well thought out and executed perfectly. I will probably purchase more by this author.
2.5 stars. While it wasn't badly written, necessarily, I just... Didn't fall for it. At all. First of all, the main guy was a jerk. Plain and simple. The main girl was whiny. Then suddenly... They just weren't. They were fine with each other. Then the poacher thing came out of nowhere and played no important part whatsoever. And WHO BASICALLY PROPOSES AFTER FIVE DAYS? SERIOUSLY? And since we got to hear about it all book, it would have been nice to have an explanation from her brothers...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I was given a ARcopy and am willingly giving a review. I have loved all of Jeanette Lewis's books and Charming the Mountain Man was not disappointing. Loved the tension between characters. I love seeing how our issues can be sharpened and turned into love. I always love reading the process to falling in love.
Come on. Mountain men and beards. How can you go wrong? I really enjoyed this. It had fun banter and a sweet ending. There was even a little suspense in it. I found out after reading it that it is the second one in a series. Maybe I just didn't look close enough at the book. But now that I finished the first one, I want to reread this one!
Excellent, Wonderful, Marvelous! I adore everything about this novel and the way that it inspired my faith. I felt the characters struggles and trails as if they were my own. I prayed for them and wept with them. These emotions brought on means that no one will be disappointed if they decide to give this novel a chance! ❤
Very cute enemies to lovers story for Colton and Leigh. I really love the idea of a solo hunting trip being the awkward storyline for a romance, especially when Colton was expecting to guide a man! Loved how their perceptions of each other were challenged and changed through the course of the trip. Just wish there was more!
This was a super sweet love story. I really enjoyed the chemistry between the main characters and the hunting trip was great. There was just enough suspense and lots of sweet, clean romance.
A Great book that I enjoyed reading. Detail to the mountain scenery made you feel as though you were there. If you enjoy a clean romance with a happy ending, you will like this book.
The second Tamarack book is as sweet and clean as the first. This has more suspense because of the poachers. The love between Colton and Leigh is not a surprise. Happy ending. Good read.
Language: G+ (0+ swears, 0+ "f"); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG (hunting) After the first four chapters, I just wasn't interested anymore. It's not a bad story line, but it's one that I didn't want to invest my time in once I realized I didn't care for the main characters.
I really enjoyed this story about Leigh and Colton. I’m married to a camping and biker guy so I appreciated the story even more. I’m going to check out the rest of the series since this is the first I’ve read. A kind of pride and prejudice thing, mountain style. Cute!
Sweet and Sassy meets the mountains. Such an easy, enjoyable read. Well paced and truly enjoyable. I love the way the author lets the characters almost tell their love story themselves.
This is a sweet but feisty romance with a little adventure and drama thrown into plot that will have you enjoying each and every turn of this journey to true love.