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Emerald Mountain #1

Destiny: Valentine's on Emerald Mountain

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A one-night stand gives two Valentine’s cynics more than they bargained for in this over-the-top holiday romance.

It’s the most romantic time of year, and the Emerald Mountain Ski Resort staff are working overtime to transform it into a Valentine’s Day destination.

Travel photographer Haley Thomas arrives on the mountain reluctant but determined to cover the festivities for her magazine. Single and recently scorned, she’s dreading the next two weeks of couple’s massages, wine tastings and moonlight walks surrounded by people in love. Even the staff are hot and flirty… or maybe that’s just Haley’s heartache talking.

But when a white-out catches Haley unprepared and underdressed, romance is the least of her worries.

She’s disoriented and shivering when someone reaches through the storm and pulls her into an unoccupied cabin. As the blizzard rages outside, Haley meets her savior—the admirer she’d noticed before, a tall, dark and handsome woman named Destiny. And those sultry looks? Haley wasn’t imagining them.

Des builds a fire in the hearth and kindles another in Haley’s core. Snowed in on Valentine’s Day, Haley can’t resist Cupid’s arrow—or Des herself. At least until the storm lets up.

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2022

61 people are currently reading
101 people want to read

About the author

Cara Malone

68 books478 followers
I write stories that explore the thrills – and challenges – of falling in love as a woman-loving woman, including the bestselling Lakeside Hospital medical romance series and Rainbow Award honorable mention The Rules of Love.

My books are for you if you’re a fan of contemporary romance, if you love strong women who aren’t afraid to be vulnerable, and if you like a little heat with your sapphic love stories.

Grab a free copy of Mind Games on my website, CaraMalone.com

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5 stars
155 (50%)
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98 (32%)
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37 (12%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
Profile Image for Sarah.
106 reviews11 followers
February 23, 2022
"Destiny: Valentine's on Emerald Mountain" is a holiday romance about travel photographer Hayley who is on an assignment at the Emerald Mountain Ski Resort where she meets Destiny, the resort's handywoman. Can a simple one night stand really lead to something serious?

I've read all the good reviews so I wanted to give this book a try.
I did like the setting in the mountains a lot and it was easy to imagine the ski resort with its cozy cabins and the wintery atmosphere.
I also liked Hayley's friend and coworker Val.
But besides that, unfortunately, I wasn't really invested in the story and even though Hayley and Des were ok characters, I didn't particularly care for them.

This story didn't work for me, but it seemed to work for everyone else. I'd recommend this book if you like a light Valentine's romance in a beautiful setting.
Profile Image for Gail.
990 reviews58 followers
February 1, 2022
Back to Emerald Mountain Ski Resort. Haley is the photographer for a travel magazine and her latest assignment is covering Valentine celebrations at resort for the next feature in Traverse. Problem is, she's not in much of a valentine mood and there are so many activities to cover and capture. Oh woe!! Then fate crashes in or should I say Haley rescues Destiny (resort handywoman). One memorable night, misunderstandings and the start of an affair which both agree is only for the two weeks (while Haley is at the resort) seems reasonable. Uh, huh - not so fast....
Ms. Malone's plot has well rounded supporting characters and is hot and interesting with a welcome HEA. A nice tie-in with Carmen and Joy the leads from Christmas on Emerald Mountain.
Easily recommend as a "warm" read during snowy days.

I rec'd an ARC and this is my unbiased and completely voluntary review.
Profile Image for Lorraine Rusnack.
1,126 reviews32 followers
February 3, 2022

Love really can happen at first sight. The moment Haley and Des lock eyes they just know. Both has some history the causes them to be scared by what they feel. They share some of the most romantic moments during their time together. This story is sweet and oh so hot. Great read anytime of the year.

I received an arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Lexxi Kitty.
2,060 reviews476 followers
September 28, 2022
Loved the original cover on That Old Emerald Mountain Magic, the first book in this Emerald Mountain series. I probably read that book because of that cover. But the cover got changed and I probably would not have tried that book if it had that new cover as original cover. Which I mention beause my copy of the book auto-updated to the new cover (boo), and this cover is similary person centric. Instead of a cozy neat looking scene in the mountains, it's now an extreme close up of a person against a blurry background. Like this cover here for this book. I'd probably not have tried nor read this book but for the fact that it is part of that Emerald Mountain series, and I enjoyed the first book in that series.

Right, so. Yes, the couple in that other book make appearances in this book. Slightly more than cameo, but more cameo than anything else.

This book here involves a resort worker, someone who works in maintenance, and a photographer hooking up. Photographer there at the resort with best friend and writer. They are there to cover a new event for the resort - a Valentine's day special series of events for lovey-doveys. Haley's the photographer and one of the two main characters. She got burned by a relationship in the past and isn't interested in starting a new one, but, she's also not a one-night stand kind of person.

Des, the other main character ("for the love of Moose, stop calling me Destiny!"), works in maintenance. And yes, while her actual first name is Destiny, she goes by Des and literally flies off the handle at her boss after being called Destiny one time to often, so it's odd that this book is titled "Destiny". It's almost like if Richard Milhous Nixon didn't like being called Dick, so everyone around him calls him Dick. Then the title of the book is titled "Dick" ('because it's both his name and he is a dick!'). Well here it'd be "the two meeting and falling in love is Destiny! And it's her name, so appropriate to use as book title despite her ripping her boss's dick off for calling her Destiny!

Got distracted. Okay, I lied. I was just going to leave a note about the cover of that other book in this series, and the Destiny thing. Then leave. So I'm not sure how I could get distracted by the thing I came here to write about.

Anyhoo, while tarping a roof on a cabin that had a tree fall on it, Des notices a red flash through a growing snow storm. She recognizes that red flash, that red coat, That's Haley! Lost in a blizzard! So, naturally, she saves Haley and proceeds to hump her before a roaring fire.

Right, so. Both are more than they seem. Both are deeper, so on and so on.

And now I do a 180 and say I liked the story and actually looked to see if there was a third book in this series I could immediately read next. There isn't.

Rating: 3.83
September 28 2022
Profile Image for Mari Stark.
257 reviews6 followers
February 4, 2022
4.5 stars

Sweet and steamy love at first sight story

Haley Thomas is a travel photographer, along with her best friend and who is the writer, they’re going to cover the romantic week to celebrate Valentine in the Emerald Mountain Ski Resort for their magazine. All is good, except Haley is very dubious about love. But what happens when the cute handywoman she has been seeing in the resort, rescues her from a storm and they end up in a vacant cabin to survive the blizzard. Will Haley and Destiny start believing in love or their cynical ways about romance will prevail?

This is book two in the series but can be read as a standalone. In general, is a light read, it’s a steamy one, tastefully written. The story flows seamlessly, the plot develops so well and the characters are very lovable. There’s only a bit of angst.

The chemistry between Haley and Des is strong and goes through the roof. I could feel the pull from the beginning. The side characters add greatly to the story. Cara did a great job making believable the love building between the characters in the short time they spent together, real love at first sight. The steamy scenes are very well done and welcome.

I’d like to recommend this book.

I received an ARC copy of the book from the author and I am voluntarily leaving my review.
Profile Image for Chelsea.
365 reviews3 followers
February 24, 2022
This Cara Malone book was lower on my like list than others.
Profile Image for Shannon Herron.
153 reviews1 follower
January 29, 2022
I’m so happy to go back to emerald mountain. Des and Haley’s chemistry was off the charts, the sex scenes were one of the steamier ones from Cara. When they were just around each other it was sweet and they communicated, there was a couple misunderstandings from character but it wasn’t to much of an angst. I loved seeing Joy and Carmen from the first book, and the other side characters brought out the playfulness of this book.


I received an ARC copy for my honest review
Profile Image for Suzette.
47 reviews3 followers
April 27, 2022
I'm not sure this one was for me. The story was decent and the drama was fairly minimal. A few misunderstandings and some personal baggage that's to be expected in a romance to keep it interesting. The characters were ok but for some reason I just didn't feel their chemistry and the insta love trope isn't really my thing either. The cover art is absolutely gorgeous but it's confusing because Des has teal hair in the book. I was waiting for her to maybe dye it at some point so the cover would match the character lol Oh well, still beautiful.

I was also kinda bummed about the sex scenes. Got the door slammed on my face a bunch before getting a completed scene. I think the last one was the only fully uncut scene that didn't skip around or end abruptly. The reason I was bummed was because the writing was super hot and detailed about it which gets the reader all worked up but just when it starts getting good, it left me hanging.

Regardless of my personal nitpickiness, the author does have a talent for description and conveying emotions though. I could picture the characters and locations perfectly. I never felt confused or lost by what was being explained. I guess there were just bits and pieces that, as a whole, didn't fit together for me. I'm still pretty interested in checking out other books though because there is something about the writing that I did enjoy.
145 reviews3 followers
February 1, 2022
Haley arrives at Emerald Mountain Ski Resort, overdue for a vacation, albeit this time a working vacation. She's a photographer for a travel magazine and has arrived with her friend Val, the woman who will be writing the article about Emerald Mountain. The two women are there for two weeks, culminating on Valentine's Day.

Haley has sworn off love. It's too much trouble for what is usually her expected outcome. But along comes Destiny "Des", tall, good-looking Des, who is an employee of the ski resort.

Des and Haley share a night of romance in front of a fireplace, but the next morning, Des is gone and Haley is disillusioned - again. Why should she trust a one-night stand when she's been hurt before?

Through a series of apologies, Des and Haley begin a two-week affair that they both agree will last only as long as Haley is at Emerald Mountain.

Cupid, of course, has other plans.

A major misunderstanding threatens to ruin everything.

This is a light, interesting romance with a dash of angst, that is sure to impress and go right to the heart of any romantic who reads it. Go get yourself a copy!

Profile Image for Nicole.
380 reviews32 followers
July 16, 2022
For the most part, this story was cute and fluffy, though it was darkened by the truth of Destiny's past, when she chose to reveal it. It was a nice change from the I-don't-do-serious-because-my-ex sort of reasoning. Ironically, like Haley....

I was annoyed with Haley at the end, at how quickly she overreacted, forgetting everything Destiny had done and said, and for what? Don't get me wrong, I get that she's been hurt, and defensive people are prone to overreacting. But way to be a woman about it and just walk out like an angry child! Good on Des for figuring it out, though, and I appreciate how she went about trying to fix it. I was kind of just expecting her to show up at Haley's apartment or her work and beg for the chance to explain. Not this elaborate reveal and the cabin and...a ring?? Whoa, talk about fast. She hasn't even forgiven you yet!

But it was sweet, so I didn't hate it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
372 reviews
February 26, 2022
Valentine Stranded Mountain Cabin Romance

This is the next installment in the Emerald Mountain romance series from Cara Malone. Soft butch Des (she doesn’t like being called Destiny) is a handywoman at the Emerald Mountain resort lodge. Haley sees Des for the first time on a ladder hanging lights in the snow for the lodge’s Valentine’s Day celebration. Haley is spellbound by Des. They eventually get stranded together at cabin twenty when a snowstorm stops everything in Emerald Mountain. Des and Haley subsequently agree to spend the remainder of Haley’s two week stint, as a magazine photographer featuring the resort, together.

This was an easy, romantic read. The sex scenes were sizzling as expected from Cara Malone.
4 stars
1,266 reviews
February 2, 2022
Haley is a photographer for a travel magazine while her friend Val is the journalist sent to cover the many Valentine's activities and celebrations at the Emerald Mountain Ski Resort. When Haley meets Des, the handywoman of the resort, sparks fly and they have a one night stand in front of a raging fire. However, in this story, they didn't need a fire because the sex was steamy! I personally liked the second half of the book the most when their pasts were revealed, the relationship turned into a romance and real feelings were involved. It was also nice to revisit Joy and Carmen from Christmas on Emerald Mountain. Overall, a well written book from Cara Malone that is sure to be enjoyed!
Profile Image for Rowan.
310 reviews3 followers
January 31, 2022
Another cracker of a book from Ms Malone. Based in Emerald Mountain, where Joy & Carmen met in one of her previous books - ‘Christmas on Emerald Mountain’.
Haley is a travel photographer, she is sent with her friend Val a travel writer, to Emerald Mountain Ski Resort to review the resort. There, she meets Des who is the handywoman at the resort. Des ‘rescues’ Haley when she is caught in a storm and they start a romance. This is a lovely feel good book, with minimal aghast and a HEA. Would highly recommend.
Profile Image for Michael Wells.
1,078 reviews6 followers
February 16, 2022
hey beautiful valentines story

Haley and Val went to a ski resort for their magazine to do a valentine’s Day story for their magazine. Haley what is the photographer and Val was the story writer.
I found the story very sweet and the plat very interesting. Haley Met Des Who worked at a resort and they became interested in one another. The story goes from there and that has many twist and turns. I enjoyed the characters in the story. I would recommend this book for romance lovers.
Profile Image for Rocío.
172 reviews1 follower
February 20, 2022
Haley is a magazine photographer who goes to the mountains to document Valentine's festivities in a resort. What she doesn't know is that she might find her Valentine there.
Des works at the very same resort. She plays and has fun with guests. But this guess is special from the beginning. Will she finally find her Valentine too?
What started as a one-night-stand-just-for-fun relationship develops into something deeper but they both have baggage.
Romantic, hot. It's an easy reading that I am sure you will enjoy.
1,177 reviews
March 10, 2022
A Cute Cozy Love Story!

I realized a quarter in to book that their was a first part written but I continued to see if the story flowed. Of course it did. Cara Malone is excellent at storytelling and bringing characters together. I loved the chemistry and the connection between Haley and Des. Sometimes you have to take chances and open your heart even after a loss. This story did well in bringing them together and then ultimately falling in love. I recommend this book as it was a sweet and encouraging read…. Will now read the first book.
296 reviews2 followers
February 26, 2022
Incredible story …

Beautifully written journey of Des and Haley who overcame personal, painful obstacles to accept the love and trust each of them offered. These characters were so relatable as well as the secondary characters. A very good read. I enthusiastically and unequivocally recommend this and any other works by Cara Malone. Looking forward to reading the second book “Joy”.
Thank you Peace
Profile Image for Rachel.
29 reviews
January 31, 2022
I got an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I’m gonna give this one a solid 4. As always, engaging story, well made characters and though I had some problems with the pacing, it didn’t turn me off the story and I was able to fully enjoy it. I don’t have much to say about it, it’s not her best work, but it’s good and I can’t wait to see who comes next.
329 reviews
February 3, 2022
The return to Emerald Mountain is just as delightful as the first visit. Des and Haley, both with guarded hearts, meet during the Valentine extravaganza. What starts as a short-term fling becomes more than either expected. Cue a bit of angst and a whole lot of sweet to the happily ever after ending.
Profile Image for Carolyn G. Manuel.
1,070 reviews
February 6, 2022
A Holiday Romance

The first time Haley saw Des she was on a latter hanging pink lights for Valentines Weeks at Emerald Mountain. After a tourist’s car knocked the ladder over she caught Des as she jumped from the arch she was decorating. They started a blitzing romance between two wounded hearts looking for healing. A sweet and erotic romance.
872 reviews3 followers
May 9, 2022
Some days you have to let go!

Being cheated upon or losing your wife to Cancer can have a big impact on who you meet next. Do you let first impressions rule? Do you see an innocent hug and think the world has ended without a explanation? Or do you fight for the right to hold her in your arms again? Will she listen to reason? Find out! Enjoy!
281 reviews
April 29, 2023
Single and not dating, happy Valentine's?

Haley is the photo half of the team and is dreading spending the next couple of weeks getting pictures of happy couples. Des is the maintenance person for the resort and is dreading the next couple of weeks as well. Then Des literally falls into Haley's arms. A fun and sexy read worth your time is you like this type of rom-coms.
Profile Image for Susan.
671 reviews3 followers
February 2, 2022
Wonderful!

As always, Cara Malone has penned another winner in the lesfic genre! There's nothing better than curling up with a well written book and being transported to another world, meeting new people, and falling in love with their story.
745 reviews3 followers
February 7, 2022
Sweet Story

This is a sweet, sexy love story. Cara Malone always does such a good job with romance and love stories. She gets you inside the characters heads so you can feel what they feel. So, sweet, sexy and an HEA. What more could you ask for? Well done!
1,123 reviews6 followers
February 17, 2022
This is a "vacation fling turns into serious romance" with minimal angst and steamy sex. There is relatively little character development so love in under two weeks is a bit of a tough sell. The tale ends with the expected HEA.
Profile Image for M.
251 reviews1 follower
March 12, 2022
🧀🧀🧀 cheesy and fun. 4.5, Had a good time reading it on the plane. I wish Haley wasn't so quick to jump to conclusions, but it was fun to read. Good smut, pretty good fluff. Didn't know this was the second though oops
Profile Image for M L Brooks .
592 reviews9 followers
February 2, 2022
Cute story

A cute little Valentine's day romance. The characters were nice and I liked the story. Definitely worth giving it a read.
11 reviews
February 4, 2022
Loved it!

Another great Cara Malone book and I loved
reading every word of it. It was so sweet and easy to picture.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews

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