Loving the Mountain Man

Love at Last #3

by Adriana Anders

A woman on the edge…
Christa Evans is having a rough night. She’s lied to and harassed, then she loses her job. And that’s before the crash that sends her car careening to the bottom of a cliff. She’d be dead if not for the big, bearded recluse who pulls her from the wreckage and carries her back to his cabin in the woods.
The quintessential loner…
Wounded hero Micah Graham has no time for visitors. So, when he brings home the woman who nearly died on his mountain, he’ll take her in, but he doesn’t plan to let her stay. Then the storm hits.
Heating up the Holidays...together
While the snow piles up, trapping the two strangers together in the middle of nowhere, Christa and Micah find common ground in chemistry flaring up between them, proving that not only do opposites attract, they combust. As things come to a head, the question is: What happens once the ice melts?
Loving the Mountain Man is a standalone, in the Love at Last series.
Originally published in the Reindeer Games anthology, this version has been expanded with new material.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Christmas, Forced Proximity, Novella, Holiday

238 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2018

About the author

Adriana Anders is author of the Survival Instincts, Love at Last, and Blank Canvas series. Her debut, Under Her Skin, was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2017 and double recipient of the HOLT Medallion award, and Loving the Secret Billionaire was a Romance Writers of America 2019 Rita® Award Finalist. Her books have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, Oprah Mag, Bustle, USA Today Happy Ever After, and Book Riot. Today, she resides with her husband and two small children on the coast of France, where she writes the gritty, emotional love stories of her heart.

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Reviews

[Isabella. R · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Moody Man-Bear Stars ⭐

The mountain man recluse with a heart of gold and the damsel in serious need of saving. When Christa attended her annual work Christmas party, she never expected to find herself in a precarious situation. If it wasn't for Micah, she may not have lived to see another day.

"Right here, right now, right this minute, you're the most important person in my life. You risked your life to save mine."

Having been rescued, Christa is now snowed in at Micah's cabin with a vulnerable hero that hasn't had a woman for a while. And now that these two are confined, the chemistry is crackling. With a gentle nudge, Christa manages to unleash the self contained beast. And fuck me was he dominantly satisfying.

"I want to smell you, you let me do it." I put my mouth to her, open, hungry. "I want to eat you, you fucking let me."

Going into this book I was expecting a cliche read (and I guess it was) but I am completely giddy over this mouthwatering novella. This author managed to write characters with depth, a storyline with heart and scorching scenes in very little pages. Loving The Mountain Man was damn good. 🔥

[Lana Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Re-read 2024]
Yepp, still as good as ever. One of my favorite books by Anders, I probably re-read it once a year :D

***
[Original review 2020]
Oh, wonderful!
It was a new to me author, but not the last book by her! Because I loved the writing, the characters and all the interactions.

It was a fantastic, HOT and sweet short story about a chance encounter that connected two perfect halves, who never knew they needed each other.

PS. Plus I've learned about arborists. Because I love my smut even more, when it's educational, you know.

[Ⓐlleskelle - That ranting lady ッ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for the SNOWED IN trope.
This one was so lovely I wished I could have snuggled in that cabin with Micah and Christa—okay this would have been an altogether different and steamy story but you get what I mean.
This was the perfect escape romance I needed today.

More reviews and book talk at :

You can find me here too ☞

[Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just lost interest. DNF. Since I paid for this, I need to come back and finish it at some point.

Finished it. Wasn’t worth the $.

[benevolent bastard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sinfully delicious. I savored every sentence of Micah and Christia’s love. It’s hard going from being completely alone to having someone at your side. He’s such a gentleman. Not a brute and so not an asshole. Loved him!

[T. Rosado · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars!

I have read every published book by Anders and not once have I been disappointed. She creates some of the best beta heroes and Micah has become a new favorite. Micah is a scarred vet who has purposefully isolated himself from the general population. After rescuing Christa from a harrowing car accident, they are forced to spend the holiday in his secluded home while waiting out a snowstorm. Micah's characterization was perfect as his insular world is upended by a lively and thankful Christa. I was drawn into the intimate world of this couple while they navigated forced proximity and attraction. As I've come to expect by this author, the story and characters were written with emotional sensitivity while coinciding with a sweet, sexy, and fun romance.

(Please note: This is an expanded version of the novella, Saved by the Mountain Man. My review is based on the original novella. Although, I'll be reading this expanded version soon, because additional content equals more Micah 😍)

[Yodamom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it hot in here ? There isn't much of a story but there are some seriously hot smexy times going on. If that's what your looking for this is your book.

[Luli · Rating 2 out of 5]

The romance was good, but the sex was too much, too explicit. It was not sexy and distracted me from the story.
:(

[L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly you guys, all I need to see is a recluse + mountain man to get me hooked.
I made hot chocolate snuggled deep in my couch and had the best time with this one.
Just enough Christmas, just enough plot and character development and perfect amount of smut.
Delicious🥰

[Mary Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story! I am such a sucker for an alpha mountain man, trapped in a cabin story. I actually originally read a shorter version of this story in an anthology months ago. I am so glad the author decided to make this is a full length novel. I fell in love with Christa and Micah all over again. And what she added, loved it! Fans of romance need to read this book. Get ready for some steamy scenes and also scenes that will make you swoon your heart out. Fans of stories of protective, good hearted men and strong females will instantly love this story. I know it'll be one I'll put on my favorite shelf and may even read again.

[Manasa Rani · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love adventure/survival romances and started the book hoping it would be ok if not great. The biggest issue I had was that, it was poorly written. It almost felt like a diary of a teenager. I refuse to believe that the one who wrote white out and uncharted was the author of this book.

The only reason I didn't quit reading was cause it's reasonably shorter and I just had to bear it for a couple of hours.

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like how this author does the "hero cut off from the rest of society" character type... paired with a there's only one bed/snowed in trope? Very fun!

[hea booktubes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly did not love how she would just blurt out questions about his prosthetic leg when she had just met him. But it was still a cute snowed in romance with a mountain man. CW for car crash, sexual harassment, Afghanistan war.

[Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

The hero of this story is a perfectly filthy mouthed, smokin hot, rugged mountain man arborist. I couldn’t ask for a better main character.

Arborists have one of those most dangerous jobs out there. They strap on those long spurs to the inside of their red-wing, steel-toed boots and up they go. Chainsaw swinging behind them as they clime trees. Zero fear, strong thighs.

Christa is a fabulous heroine, she’s strong, honest and genuine. Happy I purchased this one, it will be going on my reread list!

[Ignacia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This year I discovered Adriana Anders with "Whiteout" and "Uncharted" and i'm obviously a fan so when I came across this novella I had to read it. And it didn't dissapoint.

The story follows Micah, the recluse mountain man that saved a woman from a falling car, and Christa, a woman that went from a shitty non-party and a shitty boss to slipping on black ice and then being rescued by a stranger.
They get to know each other while stranded because of a storm to agreeing to a dirty weekend and then falling in love.

It was so god! Such a sweet and steamy story, so well written! it was a delight to read.

I haven't enjoyed much of my holiday reads and when we're almost at the end of the year I found this gem.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely gem of a story! A cozy, snowed-in holiday romance (absolutely perfect for this time of year) with really likable characters (both human and canine). It was a novella but it didn't feel like it; although there was an insta-connection, it wasn't insta-love. With that said, the story moved quickly and nothing was dragged out, and with almost every chapter being about 3 pages long, it was easy to read in one sitting. This was exactly the type of book I was looking for and I'm so glad I picked it up.

[Aneesah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t normally care for romance in which the hero has missing limbs. I know that sounds terribly shallow but that is a little too much “reality” in my fantasy. That being said, I truly did enjoy this story despite the hero’s physical limitations— likely because the author didn’t make that an overwhelming part of who he was. Good story. Nice and sexy too.

[Paganalexandria]

03/22/19 currently free in
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...

[Doseofromance · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listen, it's a decent book but I'm getting real tired of the whole "omg am I turned on by a man being super bossy in bed??? How absolutely shocking" schtick. I'm not shitting on that sort of relationship/sexual dynamic in general, because whatever floats your boat. Love what you love. What I'm mad about is how absolutely prevalent domineering men x submissive women in romance books are. And then to have the absolute gal and try to sell that to readers as super shocking and totally out of the ordinary for a woman to be into that. And then super quickly shift to "it feels so natural". Okay. First, it attaches a very very weird aftertaste to the dynamic as a whole by emphasizing how "surprising" it is for the woman to be into that. Like she's weird for liking it, but the man somehow isn't? Second, let's not pretend this is niche or in any way, shape or form a deviation from "the norm". One might even argue that men being domineering in bed is the norm. To me, this actually feels like reinforcing stereotypical gender roles. Man tells woman what to do, woman is into it. It's so obviously constructed around the man. Again, I am not shaming anyone who is into that, I am strictly speaking about the way a lot of authors write this "trope". The woman has always deep down in same shameful part of herself been craving a man that will just boss her around in the bedroom, but her previous boyfriends have made her feel dirty for wanting that. And then comes along that ONE GUY who mysteriously and without talking about it, knows exactly what she wants. While that last part is sort of a female fantasy, the concept itself is very much the male gaze in my opinion. Like.... Only I - the male lead - can sexually satisfy the heroine. In an ideal world, all of the other guys the woman dated previously would have been supportive and at least satisfied her somewhat. Obviously the woman is just the embodiment of the man's every waking dream. Simultaneously, it's very "finally a REAL man" coded. Why can't we have quiet, introverted, shy, awkward leading men that are the same way in bed? Why can't we have confident, assertive, bossy women that are the same way in bed? When it comes down to it, the baseline for sexy times in books should be a balanced dynamic. That is what a reader should be able to expect. Why do I have to be shocked into reading about some guy who likes to boss around women with every second book? For some women it might be empowering to be able to submit and that's fine. It's just as fine to read and write books around that. But don't just drop that in there. Especially because it is often not executed well at all. And let's be real, if I wanted a man to tell me what to do, I wouldn't need to pick up a book.

[Bess · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf. Quality of writing and proofreading is below what I would expect for a book on kindle unlimited, let alone one that costs $3.99 to read. On the first page alone there are glaring errors that make the book confusing and unreadable (“I’d pulled up and stared at the two the lone car parked in front of the house.”). I know that some people are not bothered by spelling errors and minor things like that, but it’s important that you know going into this that the problems are not just minor spelling errors, they are bigger things like a lack of distinction between characters in dialogue, words added into sentences that change the meaning and make it confusing, etc. I normally do not include a star rating with books that I DNF, but I am rating this book one star to reflect the poor quality of the editing and writing.

[mara0b · Rating 4 out of 5]

Realistic? Not really tbh
Full of tender emotions that made my heart break and root for the characters? heck yeah

would have a 5 stars if the characters had been just a bit more flushed out and had personality outside of the relationship

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

The editing and proof reading was so poorly done that at times I couldn't figure out which character was talking. There was no distinction between the two characters. They both thought and spoke like the same person. The whole thing felt slapped together.

[MBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving the Mountain Man by Adriana Anders is a novella that left me wanting more. However, Ms. Anders is an author who does justice to the characters and story that she wants to tell, and Loving the Mountain Man delivered on most fronts. The fact that the story left me begging for more in some aspects is a testament to how talented Ms. Anders is.

Told in the first person from dual perspectives, this is the story of how Christa Evans, running from her handsy boss, gets into an accident on a snowy night and is rescued by Micah Graham, who lives in isolation up on a mountain.

Micah is an arborist (tree surgeon), who prefers isolation even when it comes to his own family. When Christa comes crashing into his life, there is no stopping the tide of desire and other emotions that rises to the surface, forcing Micah to confront his need for the woman who turns his life upside down within the short span of time they spend together.

I loved what Ms. Anders delivered in this short story, given the limitations that comes with a novella. While I felt that the story was too short to really delve into the nuances of relationships such as the one that blooms to life between Micah and Christa, nevertheless it was a tale well told. The connection between Micah and Christa is swift and all consuming, just as the sexual attraction that roars to life which accelerates the binding effect on both.

I just wished for things that would have been possible in a lengthier novel, such as the build-up of the tension between the two, the angst of the emotional kind that comes from "shock" factor of letting someone in for a recluse as Micah, and also an epilogue that would have given us a glimpse of how their individual and collective lives change over the course of time.

Recommended for fans of novellas that deliver a tale worth sinking your teeth into.

Final Verdict: Ms. Anders does a fine job out of how Christa tames the mountain man into loving her, forever more!

Rating = 4/5

For more reviews and quotes, please visit A Maldivian's Passion for Romance

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just what needed to get out of a wee reading slump I was having. I guess this was a Christmas book, but the season played very little into the story line. It was a bit of instalove, but the circumstances made it work for me. Christa is in a bad car accident on the mountain and Micah saves her. They are snowed in during a Christmas blizzard and fall hard for each other. Features a loner mountain man hero, with disability rep and strong daddy vibes. And a curvy heroine. This is the second book I've read by Adriana Anders and I'm definitely coming back for more.

[Trianna/Treereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun spicy novella!! I loved the snowed in trope and the instalove was believable enough to make me invested in the story.

Features a disabled MMC (uses a leg prosthetic) and a plus sized FMC. I personally cannot say if the rep was done well but I did appreciate the inclusion.


TW: attempted sexual assault, near death experience (car accident; no injury)

[The_Book_Queen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cozy perfection, dirty quickie. 'Nuff said.

[Carissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly I was pretty bored with the story.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adored this. Just wish there was more.

[Jane]

dnfed at 51%. couldn’t get into it and too insta-lust. not particularly bad or anything tho

[Sherron · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5