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Alaskan Hearts #1
The Loneliest Cottage
Lauren Dalton has always dreamed of running the great race, but as someone with no experience and no dogs, few are willing to take her seriously as a musher. Desperate for a big break, she agrees to take on the job no one else is willing to do.
Shane Ramsey’s reputation says all anyone needs to know. He’s an amazing racer, but a terrible person. When an injury leaves him unable to work his dogs, he must swallow his pride and accept help for the sake of his team.
Will Shane open his home and his heart to the young woman who already shares his greatest love? Will Lauren find her place in helping the cantankerous Shane?
Harkening to the great literary traditions of Jane Eyre and Beauty and the Beast, Let There Be Love is a new twist on the most epic of love stories. Don’t miss the chance to lose your heart to a courageous team of sled dogs and the humans that love them in this tale set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Alaskan wilderness. Pre-order your copy today!
Shane Ramsey’s reputation says all anyone needs to know. He’s an amazing racer, but a terrible person. When an injury leaves him unable to work his dogs, he must swallow his pride and accept help for the sake of his team.
Will Shane open his home and his heart to the young woman who already shares his greatest love? Will Lauren find her place in helping the cantankerous Shane?
Harkening to the great literary traditions of Jane Eyre and Beauty and the Beast, Let There Be Love is a new twist on the most epic of love stories. Don’t miss the chance to lose your heart to a courageous team of sled dogs and the humans that love them in this tale set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Alaskan wilderness. Pre-order your copy today!
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 19, 2017
8292 people are currently reading
3752 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Storm
165 books3,767 followersMelissa Storm is a New York Times and multiple USA Today bestselling author of Women’s Fiction, Inspirational Romance, and Cozy Mysteries.
Despite an intense, lifelong desire to tell stories for a living, Melissa was “too pragmatic” to choose English as a major in college. Instead, she obtained her master’s degree in Sociology & Survey Methodology—then went straight back to slinging words a year after graduation anyway.
She loves books so much, in fact, that she married fellow author Falcon Storm. Between the two of them, there are always plenty of imaginative, awe-inspiring stories to share. Melissa and Falcon also run a number of book-related businesses together, including LitRing, Sweet Promise Press, Novel Publicity, Your Author Engine, and the Author Site.
When she's not reading, writing, or child-rearing, Melissa spends time relaxing at her home in the Michigan woods, where she is kept company by a seemingly unending quantity of dogs and two very demanding Maine Coon rescues. She also writes under the names of Molly Fitz and Mila Riggs.
Despite an intense, lifelong desire to tell stories for a living, Melissa was “too pragmatic” to choose English as a major in college. Instead, she obtained her master’s degree in Sociology & Survey Methodology—then went straight back to slinging words a year after graduation anyway.
She loves books so much, in fact, that she married fellow author Falcon Storm. Between the two of them, there are always plenty of imaginative, awe-inspiring stories to share. Melissa and Falcon also run a number of book-related businesses together, including LitRing, Sweet Promise Press, Novel Publicity, Your Author Engine, and the Author Site.
When she's not reading, writing, or child-rearing, Melissa spends time relaxing at her home in the Michigan woods, where she is kept company by a seemingly unending quantity of dogs and two very demanding Maine Coon rescues. She also writes under the names of Molly Fitz and Mila Riggs.
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September 26, 2021i was ready for a cheesy heartfelt romance but oh my god reading this felt like reading the synopsis for a book. where was the emotion???
March 11, 2021
Cute
I received this book from the author, Melissa Storm for my honest review. At first I didn't realize how much I was going to love this story as it's so different from my normal reading. I learned things about mushing and felt like I was flying right along on the sled. The position of each dog and the parts they played as a team was enlightening. This was more of a love story and it was also refreshing like a breath of fresh air.
I received this book from the author, Melissa Storm for my honest review. At first I didn't realize how much I was going to love this story as it's so different from my normal reading. I learned things about mushing and felt like I was flying right along on the sled. The position of each dog and the parts they played as a team was enlightening. This was more of a love story and it was also refreshing like a breath of fresh air.
December 9, 2025
“If you don’t take charge now, you could end up living a life you never wanted, one you don’t like very much.”
A book set in Alaska and centered around dog sledding? I’m in!
💜Engagement, trope, and characters:
I was hooked from the start. I loved the slower pace, which gave me time to get to know Lauren Dalton and her struggles. When she contacted Sled Dog Rescue Organization and was placed in Shane Ramsey’s home, I was rooting for her success. For a 25-year-old, she had more wisdom and patience than I have at twice her age!
It didn’t take long for me to understand that it was a grumpy/sunshine trope…Shane’s emotions were all over the place and I had to know what was making him so troubled.
Lauren’s friendship with Scarlet was so nurturing and I hope we get to know this librarian better in another book.
I wasn’t sure about Grace or her role beyond being a physiotherapist. She didn’t seem to add or take away from the story.
💜Messages:
I liked the messages about it not being too late to find redemption, to discover one’s heart’s desire, or to make changes. The reminder to focus on running the race rather than winning or losing was very good, as was the reminder that we can find love and or healing when we least expect it and from the last place we expect to find it.
I loved my time in Puffin Ridge, Alaska and I can’t wait to get back! I recommend this story about found family, second chances and redemption. Getting what we want out of life is a difficult journey and author Melissa Storm shows us that change has to come from within before we can connect and move on.
A book set in Alaska and centered around dog sledding? I’m in!
💜Engagement, trope, and characters:
I was hooked from the start. I loved the slower pace, which gave me time to get to know Lauren Dalton and her struggles. When she contacted Sled Dog Rescue Organization and was placed in Shane Ramsey’s home, I was rooting for her success. For a 25-year-old, she had more wisdom and patience than I have at twice her age!
It didn’t take long for me to understand that it was a grumpy/sunshine trope…Shane’s emotions were all over the place and I had to know what was making him so troubled.
Lauren’s friendship with Scarlet was so nurturing and I hope we get to know this librarian better in another book.
I wasn’t sure about Grace or her role beyond being a physiotherapist. She didn’t seem to add or take away from the story.
💜Messages:
I liked the messages about it not being too late to find redemption, to discover one’s heart’s desire, or to make changes. The reminder to focus on running the race rather than winning or losing was very good, as was the reminder that we can find love and or healing when we least expect it and from the last place we expect to find it.
I loved my time in Puffin Ridge, Alaska and I can’t wait to get back! I recommend this story about found family, second chances and redemption. Getting what we want out of life is a difficult journey and author Melissa Storm shows us that change has to come from within before we can connect and move on.
September 29, 2017
When I first heard of Let There Be Love, I expected it to be a nice, clean romance. Well, it was clean, no mature content to report. Nice? Not so much. Romance? Well, not really either. Amazon advertises it as paying tribute to the great literary tradition of Jane Eyre. Really? Please don't compare this with anything written by Charlotte Brontë.
There are only raving reviews on Amazon too, so I'm here thinking that I didn't read the same book as everybody else. For me there are too many wrong things with Let There Be Love to mention them all, so I'll just list a few.
Lauren is either too immature or too dumb to believe that taking on a new job about which she knew nothing about, and job that involves taking care of animals at that, wouldn't entail some sort of training. But then, it's just as hard to believe she would be hired on the spot (or rather, at a long distance, since apparently she was hired for a job in Alaska while she was still in New York), to take care of a pack of competition dogs, with no relevant credentials at all. On top of that, she's also expected to do the house work, something her employer seems to have failed to mention beforehand. I also found hard to believe all those dogs would be so friendly to her without some sort of adaptation period, but then I don't know enough about sleigh dogs to judge.
Shane, on the other hand, comes across as rude, brute and borderline abusive. He orders Lauren around as if she was a slave, kicks stuff, cleans his mouth with the back of his hand (yes, don't we all love our male heroes to do that?) and basically blames Lauren for everything bad that happens.
He's all that, but then when she threatens to leave, he apologizes and promises he will behave and everything is Ok again. Until next time. See a pattern there? Now, I do believe everyone deserves a second chance, but to me this spells abusive relationship all the way. Is it a retelling of Beauty and the Best? Maybe. Does it pass on the wrong message? Yes.
And then, there's that love declaration, right before the happily ever after:
Shane laughed and kissed her finger. “I love how you think. And I love you, too.”
“Finally!” Lauren said with an exaggerated huff. “I was beginning to think you’d never tell me.”
He looked confused. “What? That I love you? I’ve told you before, haven’t I?”
It sounds like they're discussing something he forgot to buy at the grocery story instead of true love. And it makes total sense that a man would forget if he's told a woman you loved her before, because that's not really relevant, right? Yep, you can see why those two are definitely not my favorite pair.
I'm rating Let There Be Love with two stars just because I think the story did have potential, and and the mystery involving Lauren's parents did manage to engage a minimum amount of interest from me, but this isn't a book I would recommend.
There are only raving reviews on Amazon too, so I'm here thinking that I didn't read the same book as everybody else. For me there are too many wrong things with Let There Be Love to mention them all, so I'll just list a few.
Lauren is either too immature or too dumb to believe that taking on a new job about which she knew nothing about, and job that involves taking care of animals at that, wouldn't entail some sort of training. But then, it's just as hard to believe she would be hired on the spot (or rather, at a long distance, since apparently she was hired for a job in Alaska while she was still in New York), to take care of a pack of competition dogs, with no relevant credentials at all. On top of that, she's also expected to do the house work, something her employer seems to have failed to mention beforehand. I also found hard to believe all those dogs would be so friendly to her without some sort of adaptation period, but then I don't know enough about sleigh dogs to judge.
Shane, on the other hand, comes across as rude, brute and borderline abusive. He orders Lauren around as if she was a slave, kicks stuff, cleans his mouth with the back of his hand (yes, don't we all love our male heroes to do that?) and basically blames Lauren for everything bad that happens.
He's all that, but then when she threatens to leave, he apologizes and promises he will behave and everything is Ok again. Until next time. See a pattern there? Now, I do believe everyone deserves a second chance, but to me this spells abusive relationship all the way. Is it a retelling of Beauty and the Best? Maybe. Does it pass on the wrong message? Yes.
And then, there's that love declaration, right before the happily ever after:
Shane laughed and kissed her finger. “I love how you think. And I love you, too.”
“Finally!” Lauren said with an exaggerated huff. “I was beginning to think you’d never tell me.”
He looked confused. “What? That I love you? I’ve told you before, haven’t I?”
It sounds like they're discussing something he forgot to buy at the grocery story instead of true love. And it makes total sense that a man would forget if he's told a woman you loved her before, because that's not really relevant, right? Yep, you can see why those two are definitely not my favorite pair.
I'm rating Let There Be Love with two stars just because I think the story did have potential, and and the mystery involving Lauren's parents did manage to engage a minimum amount of interest from me, but this isn't a book I would recommend.
February 15, 2021
Fun Trip to the Cold Alaskan Weather
Melissa Storm’s book is really a fun and easy read.
It touches lots of emotions loss and recovery, fear pain and then read tension, and finally if you were fun racing dogs through the Alaskan wasteland.
The plot is pretty easy and the pace for the readers very fast. However, in the end it was sort of predictable and that’s not always a bad thing.
I enjoyed this book personally I’ve been reading and learning about Alaska in the past few months. This book gave me a little bit more of a taste.
A good book, not great. .
I recommend
Melissa Storm’s book is really a fun and easy read.
It touches lots of emotions loss and recovery, fear pain and then read tension, and finally if you were fun racing dogs through the Alaskan wasteland.
The plot is pretty easy and the pace for the readers very fast. However, in the end it was sort of predictable and that’s not always a bad thing.
I enjoyed this book personally I’ve been reading and learning about Alaska in the past few months. This book gave me a little bit more of a taste.
A good book, not great. .
I recommend
January 20, 2021
1.5 Stars.
Between a 1 Star/“dnf” and a 2 Star/“not for me” rating but THE LONELIEST COTTAGE might work for others. (1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= Yes, it was Ok; 4= I liked it a lot; 5= A favorite, it was great!)
I wanted to like THE LONELIEST COTTAGE by Melissa Storm. My sister mushed dogs as an amateur for 20 years and I thought this series sounded interesting so I picked up the set of 3 books. (Perhaps I should have paid more attention to the title and book cover than the blurb). I haven’t previously read any Storm novels so I can’t say how she typically writes, however THE LONELIEST COTTAGE read like a YA romance novel rather than a realistic portrayal of competitive mushing with a bit of romance on the side - which I had anticipated. I was skimming pages by the 10th chapter and then hopped to the last chapter to see if the writing concluded as it had began. THE LONELIEST COTTAGE series may suit some readers looking for a breezy, slightly silly romance (IMO), but it was not for me. I did not finish it and am glad I purchased the set as a Daily Deal.
Lauren Dalton/FMC is a young woman from NY who quits her job upon receiving news of her father’s death. Afterward, while reviewing family documents she discovers her father once raced dogs competitively in Alaska. Intrigued, Lauren does a bit of digging, locates an advertisement for a handler position for a sled team and responds. She hopes working and living in Alaska will fill in the questions she has about the life her father never shared.
Shane Ramsey/MMC is an injured musher who requires assistance with his dogs following an accident leaving him on crutches. His team must continue their training if he has any hope to compete in the next season of races.
I didn’t like or respect Lauren; her attitude was exceedingly juvenile for presumably an adult. On her first morning she comments regarding her shirked responsibilities, “They’re just dogs, Shane.” When actually (!) they are his livelihood. Lauren’s attitude came off as arrogant, spoiled, and lazy - she arrived in Alaska clueless regarding her new position. She was extremely unqualified and entirely inexperienced for the position she accepted. Yet rather than carefully reading the job description provided (on her 1st day) or working to understand her job responsibilities, she immediately indulged in petty, flirtatious(?), juvenile, and repetitive arguments with her employer/Shane regarding her performance of those duties. (SMH). Her superior, careless attitude continued in this vein.
I did enjoy the setting description as far as I read. Building a solid sled team is a serious, expensive, physically demanding business one not to be considered lightly. Sled dogs are a breed unto themselves - quite dissimilar from “fluffy, little purse puppies” or even suburban “furr babies” (with the common luxury of sleeping inside on their owners’ sofas and beds) which Lauren seemed unable to comprehend. That being said, older, retired sled dogs can make loyal companions for the right individuals who understand their focused breeding, their passion to run, and see to their exercise in a safe fashion. For those interested, Sue Henry wrote a 12 book Mystery series (Murder on the Iditarod, #1) with a take-charge female dog musher character. It deals with the realities of sled racing in a much more realistic manner with minimal romance and a number of surprising deaths.
Between a 1 Star/“dnf” and a 2 Star/“not for me” rating but THE LONELIEST COTTAGE might work for others. (1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= Yes, it was Ok; 4= I liked it a lot; 5= A favorite, it was great!)
I wanted to like THE LONELIEST COTTAGE by Melissa Storm. My sister mushed dogs as an amateur for 20 years and I thought this series sounded interesting so I picked up the set of 3 books. (Perhaps I should have paid more attention to the title and book cover than the blurb). I haven’t previously read any Storm novels so I can’t say how she typically writes, however THE LONELIEST COTTAGE read like a YA romance novel rather than a realistic portrayal of competitive mushing with a bit of romance on the side - which I had anticipated. I was skimming pages by the 10th chapter and then hopped to the last chapter to see if the writing concluded as it had began. THE LONELIEST COTTAGE series may suit some readers looking for a breezy, slightly silly romance (IMO), but it was not for me. I did not finish it and am glad I purchased the set as a Daily Deal.
Lauren Dalton/FMC is a young woman from NY who quits her job upon receiving news of her father’s death. Afterward, while reviewing family documents she discovers her father once raced dogs competitively in Alaska. Intrigued, Lauren does a bit of digging, locates an advertisement for a handler position for a sled team and responds. She hopes working and living in Alaska will fill in the questions she has about the life her father never shared.
Shane Ramsey/MMC is an injured musher who requires assistance with his dogs following an accident leaving him on crutches. His team must continue their training if he has any hope to compete in the next season of races.
I didn’t like or respect Lauren; her attitude was exceedingly juvenile for presumably an adult. On her first morning she comments regarding her shirked responsibilities, “They’re just dogs, Shane.” When actually (!) they are his livelihood. Lauren’s attitude came off as arrogant, spoiled, and lazy - she arrived in Alaska clueless regarding her new position. She was extremely unqualified and entirely inexperienced for the position she accepted. Yet rather than carefully reading the job description provided (on her 1st day) or working to understand her job responsibilities, she immediately indulged in petty, flirtatious(?), juvenile, and repetitive arguments with her employer/Shane regarding her performance of those duties. (SMH). Her superior, careless attitude continued in this vein.
I did enjoy the setting description as far as I read. Building a solid sled team is a serious, expensive, physically demanding business one not to be considered lightly. Sled dogs are a breed unto themselves - quite dissimilar from “fluffy, little purse puppies” or even suburban “furr babies” (with the common luxury of sleeping inside on their owners’ sofas and beds) which Lauren seemed unable to comprehend. That being said, older, retired sled dogs can make loyal companions for the right individuals who understand their focused breeding, their passion to run, and see to their exercise in a safe fashion. For those interested, Sue Henry wrote a 12 book Mystery series (Murder on the Iditarod, #1) with a take-charge female dog musher character. It deals with the realities of sled racing in a much more realistic manner with minimal romance and a number of surprising deaths.
March 25, 2024
Yikes.
This is abuse in romance book form, don’t be fooled. Shane Ramsey is the least likeable romance character I think I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading. If this was not only 5 hours long to listen to and I didn’t have a headache that prevented me from reading, this would’ve been a DNF the first time he screamed at Lauren.
And Lauren? She’s no superstar either. She’s a boundary crosser and snoop who thinks that just because she works for Shane, it entitles her to know all his secrets and if he won’t tell her (which he says repeatedly he won’t) then she decides she’ll just find out the information for herself anyway.
Lauren is a late 20s something living in New York when she is told that her beloved dad, who raised her as a single parent, has died in a car crash. Whilst clearing out her childhood home, Lauren finds a memory box containing memories of a life her dad led before her birth that she never knew existed, where he was a musher in Alaska. Somehow Lauren finds out that there’s a musher in Alaska that needs a handler for his extensive team whilst he recovers from a snow mobile accident and she’s the only applicant despite the job offering room and board and pay. Also she has no experience with dogs, let alone racing dogs/sled dogs but this doesn’t matter and she gets the job anyway. So she leaves NY and travels to Alaska to move in with a man she’s never met to take care of his 27 racing dogs.
I love books set in Alaska. It’s one of my favourite settings. I love shows set there, documentaries, anything. Lauren doesn’t bother to read the contract Shane sets out for her and proves immediately she doesn’t know how to feed and care for the dogs when she pours water into bowls, watches it freeze and then just….goes about her life. Like you couldn’t have watched one episode of Life Below Zero before you did this? There’s been a couple of mushers in that or characters that use sled dogs in hunts. Both are shown caring for and feeding their dogs and you are supposed to mix their feed with warm water to stop it freezing and so the dogs can eat it as well as get their water intake.
Shane and Lauren are both annoying but Shane is actually abusive. He treats her horribly because he’s mad at the world, constantly yelling at her, firing her, raising his voice and just being a general all round dick. For some reason, Lauren seems to lap up this treatment of her, she’s barely there a week before she’s wondering what her feelings are for him and how she’s jealous of his physical therapist. Girl, get help. Shane only has two boundaries that he sets: that she not go into his personal bedroom or his locked garden shed and Lauren immediately tries to violate this on her first day by trying to get into the shed and then a very short amount of time later, she invades his personal bedroom. This scene made me cringe because no one came off well: Lauren is highhanded and rude, entitled and sneaky. Shane arrives back in the middle of her snooping and completely loses his shit, screaming in her face. Whilst I agree that he had every reason to be angry and was justified in immediately terminating her employment, men that lose their temper in that way are a huge red flag and screaming in a person’s face and being generally all round threatening…..it’s a no from me. These people should’ve gone their separate ways after that incident and never interacted again. But no. Shane is an emotionally unavailable mess and Lauren is a glutton for punishment. Like she wants to learn about her dad so why does she never seek out older mushers and ask them? The book also randomly, quite late in the story, inserts some bizarre storyline with Lauren’s mother that raises a thousand more questions than it actually answers but Lauren can’t be bothered with any of that, she’s just so desperate to have someone in her life that isn’t a jerk.
Everything about this felt unbelievable. There’s also no emotional development. Lauren’s grief for her father is brushed over by having the book skip anything remotely resembling her dealing with his death and just transplanting her in Alaska. Her ‘relationship’ with Shane develops in ways where he yells at her or is generally rude/abrupt and or dismissive but very occasionally he kind of smiles when she sasses him back so Lauren assumes he’s starting to like her. Throughout the novel Shane constantly does things that would raise questions: not just his overall rude treatment of her but signing her up for a practice race when she’s only worked dogs one at a time before and then just…..leaving her there and going to the pub to catch up with friends. Except the book tells you a million times that he doesn’t have any friends because of his mysterious secret that turned him into this bitter person that hates the world and alienated everyone.
Also Shane – you should’ve gone to your fucking court date, you bonehead.
I liked nothing about this except Briar Rose and the other dogs, who somehow still managed to function despite the ineptitude of everyone around them that they rely on for their care.
This is abuse in romance book form, don’t be fooled. Shane Ramsey is the least likeable romance character I think I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading. If this was not only 5 hours long to listen to and I didn’t have a headache that prevented me from reading, this would’ve been a DNF the first time he screamed at Lauren.
And Lauren? She’s no superstar either. She’s a boundary crosser and snoop who thinks that just because she works for Shane, it entitles her to know all his secrets and if he won’t tell her (which he says repeatedly he won’t) then she decides she’ll just find out the information for herself anyway.
Lauren is a late 20s something living in New York when she is told that her beloved dad, who raised her as a single parent, has died in a car crash. Whilst clearing out her childhood home, Lauren finds a memory box containing memories of a life her dad led before her birth that she never knew existed, where he was a musher in Alaska. Somehow Lauren finds out that there’s a musher in Alaska that needs a handler for his extensive team whilst he recovers from a snow mobile accident and she’s the only applicant despite the job offering room and board and pay. Also she has no experience with dogs, let alone racing dogs/sled dogs but this doesn’t matter and she gets the job anyway. So she leaves NY and travels to Alaska to move in with a man she’s never met to take care of his 27 racing dogs.
I love books set in Alaska. It’s one of my favourite settings. I love shows set there, documentaries, anything. Lauren doesn’t bother to read the contract Shane sets out for her and proves immediately she doesn’t know how to feed and care for the dogs when she pours water into bowls, watches it freeze and then just….goes about her life. Like you couldn’t have watched one episode of Life Below Zero before you did this? There’s been a couple of mushers in that or characters that use sled dogs in hunts. Both are shown caring for and feeding their dogs and you are supposed to mix their feed with warm water to stop it freezing and so the dogs can eat it as well as get their water intake.
Shane and Lauren are both annoying but Shane is actually abusive. He treats her horribly because he’s mad at the world, constantly yelling at her, firing her, raising his voice and just being a general all round dick. For some reason, Lauren seems to lap up this treatment of her, she’s barely there a week before she’s wondering what her feelings are for him and how she’s jealous of his physical therapist. Girl, get help. Shane only has two boundaries that he sets: that she not go into his personal bedroom or his locked garden shed and Lauren immediately tries to violate this on her first day by trying to get into the shed and then a very short amount of time later, she invades his personal bedroom. This scene made me cringe because no one came off well: Lauren is highhanded and rude, entitled and sneaky. Shane arrives back in the middle of her snooping and completely loses his shit, screaming in her face. Whilst I agree that he had every reason to be angry and was justified in immediately terminating her employment, men that lose their temper in that way are a huge red flag and screaming in a person’s face and being generally all round threatening…..it’s a no from me. These people should’ve gone their separate ways after that incident and never interacted again. But no. Shane is an emotionally unavailable mess and Lauren is a glutton for punishment. Like she wants to learn about her dad so why does she never seek out older mushers and ask them? The book also randomly, quite late in the story, inserts some bizarre storyline with Lauren’s mother that raises a thousand more questions than it actually answers but Lauren can’t be bothered with any of that, she’s just so desperate to have someone in her life that isn’t a jerk.
Everything about this felt unbelievable. There’s also no emotional development. Lauren’s grief for her father is brushed over by having the book skip anything remotely resembling her dealing with his death and just transplanting her in Alaska. Her ‘relationship’ with Shane develops in ways where he yells at her or is generally rude/abrupt and or dismissive but very occasionally he kind of smiles when she sasses him back so Lauren assumes he’s starting to like her. Throughout the novel Shane constantly does things that would raise questions: not just his overall rude treatment of her but signing her up for a practice race when she’s only worked dogs one at a time before and then just…..leaving her there and going to the pub to catch up with friends. Except the book tells you a million times that he doesn’t have any friends because of his mysterious secret that turned him into this bitter person that hates the world and alienated everyone.
Also Shane – you should’ve gone to your fucking court date, you bonehead.
I liked nothing about this except Briar Rose and the other dogs, who somehow still managed to function despite the ineptitude of everyone around them that they rely on for their care.
September 18, 2017
Another great story from Melissa Storm! You'll love Lauren immediately, and the way Shane warms up to her is heartwarming by the end. And, of course, any book that has a pack of dogs as characters must be good. :-) I definitely recommend!
December 29, 2022
Uh....not my favorite book but it feels good to feel like I'm accomplishing something while floundering in a thousand pages of Sanderson ☺️
September 19, 2020
This was my first book by author Melissa Storm, but it won't be my last! This is book 1 of the series and it starts it off with a bang - The bang of the gong for dog sled racing that is. The book centers on Alaska, two people who need help, and some way ward dogs.
Shane needs help and Lauren is the one to fill the role...or is she? She has zero experience, but needs to start her life over again. She needs a fresh start in a place that feels a little like home...little does she know that it kind of is home. Shane had an accident that leaves him unable to race and Lauren feels a natural affinity to the sled dogs, especially Briar Rose.
The two of them have a lot of arguments, a few times resulting in Lauren moving out and then back in and a new relationship that no one wants to define...will they make it, won't they make it? What will happen to them next?
This book needs a little more detail, and a little less simple phrases and it would be an epic read. Not a bad read, but needs a little fine tuning to be a great read.
Shane needs help and Lauren is the one to fill the role...or is she? She has zero experience, but needs to start her life over again. She needs a fresh start in a place that feels a little like home...little does she know that it kind of is home. Shane had an accident that leaves him unable to race and Lauren feels a natural affinity to the sled dogs, especially Briar Rose.
The two of them have a lot of arguments, a few times resulting in Lauren moving out and then back in and a new relationship that no one wants to define...will they make it, won't they make it? What will happen to them next?
This book needs a little more detail, and a little less simple phrases and it would be an epic read. Not a bad read, but needs a little fine tuning to be a great read.
August 17, 2017
I am all about Contemp retellings of Beauty and the Beast. Throw in a man who loves dogs...well you had me at hello...
Be prepared for so many different wonderful emotions this book will invoke...
also..get ready ready to set life aside for a bit too
Be prepared for so many different wonderful emotions this book will invoke...
also..get ready ready to set life aside for a bit too
August 4, 2017
Beauty and the Beast sprinkled throughout this wonderful book
Lauren and Shane....
Lauren and Shane....
September 25, 2017
Oh my! This book was so good. I love Melissa Storm’s books. They are so sweet and romantic. This book did not disappoint. It touched all points of life that people deal with in one form or another. Guilt, loss, anger, suffering, friendship and love. It is great.
In this book Lauren Dalton has lost her father unexpectantly. So instead of staying and dealing with everyone’s pity she decides to pack up and leave it all behind and go to Alaska to find out the part of her father’s life that he kept hidden from her.
Shane Ramesy is a famous dog sled musher, who is recovering from an accident that crushed his knee caps. Lauren is hired to help him take care of his everyday needs and his dogs. Lauren is not prepared for Shane’s wrath. She is determined to fight it out and take a stand and make him realize that he needs her. Will he let her? Will she find out why her father hid this part of his life from her? Will she find out the dark secrets that are tearing Shane apart?
This book deals with a lot of emotion. I was laughing out loud one minute, pissed the next and then crying. Shane really is dealing with a lot of emotional baggage and you can see that he is on a sinking ship with no life preserve to save him. Lauren is dealing with the loss of her father and having no one left to call family. Together they heal each other. It is sweet watching them from that bond that people who are broken often do. It makes them strong.
Melissa took her time writing this story and she did not rush while she developed the characters. She took her time and gave each character a piece her and there to develop that person, making them who they are and grabbing your attention and holding on. I can honestly say that once I started I was so captivated by the characters and all they had been through and were going through, that I just could not put the book down. I had to finish it to see what would happen to Shane and Lauren.
I really loved that the story was based on the sled dogs. It is nice to see animals bringing people together in stories. This was the beauty and the beast of Alaska story. Can Lauren tame the beast that is Shane and all his anger, hurt and guilt. Well I guess you will need to get the book and find out, since I am not going to tell you what happens. I highly recommend the sweet and cozy romantic read. A new spin on romance.
In this book Lauren Dalton has lost her father unexpectantly. So instead of staying and dealing with everyone’s pity she decides to pack up and leave it all behind and go to Alaska to find out the part of her father’s life that he kept hidden from her.
Shane Ramesy is a famous dog sled musher, who is recovering from an accident that crushed his knee caps. Lauren is hired to help him take care of his everyday needs and his dogs. Lauren is not prepared for Shane’s wrath. She is determined to fight it out and take a stand and make him realize that he needs her. Will he let her? Will she find out why her father hid this part of his life from her? Will she find out the dark secrets that are tearing Shane apart?
This book deals with a lot of emotion. I was laughing out loud one minute, pissed the next and then crying. Shane really is dealing with a lot of emotional baggage and you can see that he is on a sinking ship with no life preserve to save him. Lauren is dealing with the loss of her father and having no one left to call family. Together they heal each other. It is sweet watching them from that bond that people who are broken often do. It makes them strong.
Melissa took her time writing this story and she did not rush while she developed the characters. She took her time and gave each character a piece her and there to develop that person, making them who they are and grabbing your attention and holding on. I can honestly say that once I started I was so captivated by the characters and all they had been through and were going through, that I just could not put the book down. I had to finish it to see what would happen to Shane and Lauren.
I really loved that the story was based on the sled dogs. It is nice to see animals bringing people together in stories. This was the beauty and the beast of Alaska story. Can Lauren tame the beast that is Shane and all his anger, hurt and guilt. Well I guess you will need to get the book and find out, since I am not going to tell you what happens. I highly recommend the sweet and cozy romantic read. A new spin on romance.
Read
September 12, 2017Coming September 19. I can't wait for you to read it!
Amazon Kindle ~ http://www.melstorm.com/LTBLove_Kindle
Apple iBooks ~ http://www.melstorm.com/LTBLove_iBooks
Barnes & Noble Nook ~ http://www.melstorm.com/LTBLove_Nook
Kobo ~ http://www.melstorm.com/LTBLove_Kobo
GooglePlay ~ http://www.melstorm.com/LTBLove_Google
Lauren Dalton’s world shattered the day her father died. Now she’s willing to move four-thousand miles away from the only home she’s ever known in hopes of discovering the truth about his hidden past.
Shane Ramsey’s reputation says all anyone needs to know. He’s an amazing racer, but a terrible person. When an injury leaves him unable to work his dogs, he must swallow his pride and accept help for the sake of his team.
Will Shane open his home and his heart to the young woman who already shares his greatest love? Will Lauren find her place—and the truth about her family’s past—in helping the cantankerous Shane?
Harkening to the great literary traditions of Jane Eyre and Beauty and the Beast, Let There Be Love is a new twist on the most epic of love stories. Don’t miss the chance to lose your heart to a courageous team of sled dogs and the humans that love them in this tale set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Alaskan wilderness. Order your copy today!
Amazon Kindle ~ http://www.melstorm.com/LTBLove_Kindle
Apple iBooks ~ http://www.melstorm.com/LTBLove_iBooks
Barnes & Noble Nook ~ http://www.melstorm.com/LTBLove_Nook
Kobo ~ http://www.melstorm.com/LTBLove_Kobo
GooglePlay ~ http://www.melstorm.com/LTBLove_Google
Lauren Dalton’s world shattered the day her father died. Now she’s willing to move four-thousand miles away from the only home she’s ever known in hopes of discovering the truth about his hidden past.
Shane Ramsey’s reputation says all anyone needs to know. He’s an amazing racer, but a terrible person. When an injury leaves him unable to work his dogs, he must swallow his pride and accept help for the sake of his team.
Will Shane open his home and his heart to the young woman who already shares his greatest love? Will Lauren find her place—and the truth about her family’s past—in helping the cantankerous Shane?
Harkening to the great literary traditions of Jane Eyre and Beauty and the Beast, Let There Be Love is a new twist on the most epic of love stories. Don’t miss the chance to lose your heart to a courageous team of sled dogs and the humans that love them in this tale set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Alaskan wilderness. Order your copy today!
June 7, 2025
4.25/5 Stars
A book that mentions , ' Call of the Wild' and involves a NYC raised gal who sells everything she owns and moves to small town Alaska to solve the mystery of her recently deseaced father's past life as a sledracer in Alaska is right up my alley.
I also ❤️ love a grumpy/ Sunshine romance which this book laid out perfectly. Not only is the MMC grumpy, he goes from tepid to boiling in mere moments. Sometimes I was cheering on the fmc and thinking, ' Why the heck are you tolerating this from your employer who's supposed to be your friend?'
Thankfully the MMC was redeemable but there were moments where he definitely had my blood boiling when his grumpiness over his past. I recommend 📚 reading the novel as long as it doesn't bother you that there is absolutely no spice but a fair amount of angst.
A book that mentions , ' Call of the Wild' and involves a NYC raised gal who sells everything she owns and moves to small town Alaska to solve the mystery of her recently deseaced father's past life as a sledracer in Alaska is right up my alley.
I also ❤️ love a grumpy/ Sunshine romance which this book laid out perfectly. Not only is the MMC grumpy, he goes from tepid to boiling in mere moments. Sometimes I was cheering on the fmc and thinking, ' Why the heck are you tolerating this from your employer who's supposed to be your friend?'
Thankfully the MMC was redeemable but there were moments where he definitely had my blood boiling when his grumpiness over his past. I recommend 📚 reading the novel as long as it doesn't bother you that there is absolutely no spice but a fair amount of angst.
March 17, 2021
Disappointed. For me, the character development in this book fell flat. The male is weak and uninteresting. The female is better, but the writer left me wanting more depth. I also felt the story was unrealistic. A professional dog sled racer would not turn his most treasured possessions over to an inexperienced handler from New York. The story had opportunity for emotional development, and heart, but sorely missed the target. I did finish the book but predicted the ending after the first couple of chapters.
February 7, 2022
The ending was nice and drama free, but that’s kind of the entire book. Only emotional drama, nothing physical to overcome. And there was an inconsistency in the timeline early on. The characters also feel into insta-love as she was developing feelings as he remained the same until he kissed her over halfway through. There was little sign he was feeling romantically towards her until then so it felt out of place. Not to mention they known each other (maybe, I don’t know) a month (because timeline problems).
Then there was the bitchy ex-wife who had one active scene, and then it was retelling of encounters. Not to mention the bitch didn’t face charges or whatever for denying him his parental rights for 3 years.
And the physical therapist who was there in the first few chapters, then poof! Gone and no more.
This book gave me ZERO reason to give a shit about these people. Personally I thought Lauren was delusional and imposing her own romantic beliefs on Shane. Not to mention she said she was raised to be practical, but never did anything to suggest that was so, she never did anything that was practical. Not to mention 2.0 she had an English degree but didn’t know jack-shit about book, but that’s probably more an author oversight that her “book-ish English major”, never did or said anything to do with books and went into a field of work where said major was useless, TWICE!
Then there was the bitchy ex-wife who had one active scene, and then it was retelling of encounters. Not to mention the bitch didn’t face charges or whatever for denying him his parental rights for 3 years.
And the physical therapist who was there in the first few chapters, then poof! Gone and no more.
This book gave me ZERO reason to give a shit about these people. Personally I thought Lauren was delusional and imposing her own romantic beliefs on Shane. Not to mention she said she was raised to be practical, but never did anything to suggest that was so, she never did anything that was practical. Not to mention 2.0 she had an English degree but didn’t know jack-shit about book, but that’s probably more an author oversight that her “book-ish English major”, never did or said anything to do with books and went into a field of work where said major was useless, TWICE!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2025
good, but very unrealistic and didn’t have much character depth. shane was kinda annoying.
March 21, 2021
Easy reading
Nice book to read when you’re looking for something to get your mind off things.I will definitely read more of these adventures.
Nice book to read when you’re looking for something to get your mind off things.I will definitely read more of these adventures.
September 8, 2020
Alaska and sled dogs what a sweet combination!
This is the first novel I have read by Melissa Storm. I was attracted to it mainly because of the setting, Alaska and the subject ,sled dogs. My mountain man spouse hails from Alaska and I know would love to return. But I prefer to get my taste of Alaska from the deck of a cruise ship or the pages of a book! I am also an avid dog lover. As such any book that has Alaska AND dogs in it is worth me taking a look at it! The Loneliest Cottage did not disappoint.
Through Melissa Storm's superb word-craft I was magically transported to the small Alaskan town of Puffer Ridge , Alaska. In the pages of this book you can almost see the wide open wilderness, hear the crackle of boots walking on crisp snow and hear the sled dogs barking while they pull at their tethers ready to start the next race. This sweet romance has a Beauty and the Beast feel to the story of love, loss and finding home where you least expect it. There is a mystery to it as the main character Lauren tries to figure out why her father hid a previous life from her. Also why her new employer Shane Ramsey, a up and coming champion sled dog racer is such a grump! It's definitely a page turning adventure as Lauren leaves behind her home state of New York for the freedom of wide open rural Alaska and slowly begins to embrace the world of sled dogs and racing. This is not the usual romantic suspense novel I normally read but it held my interest just the same. This is the first novel by Melissa Storm I have ever read but I assure you it will not be the last!
This is the first novel I have read by Melissa Storm. I was attracted to it mainly because of the setting, Alaska and the subject ,sled dogs. My mountain man spouse hails from Alaska and I know would love to return. But I prefer to get my taste of Alaska from the deck of a cruise ship or the pages of a book! I am also an avid dog lover. As such any book that has Alaska AND dogs in it is worth me taking a look at it! The Loneliest Cottage did not disappoint.
Through Melissa Storm's superb word-craft I was magically transported to the small Alaskan town of Puffer Ridge , Alaska. In the pages of this book you can almost see the wide open wilderness, hear the crackle of boots walking on crisp snow and hear the sled dogs barking while they pull at their tethers ready to start the next race. This sweet romance has a Beauty and the Beast feel to the story of love, loss and finding home where you least expect it. There is a mystery to it as the main character Lauren tries to figure out why her father hid a previous life from her. Also why her new employer Shane Ramsey, a up and coming champion sled dog racer is such a grump! It's definitely a page turning adventure as Lauren leaves behind her home state of New York for the freedom of wide open rural Alaska and slowly begins to embrace the world of sled dogs and racing. This is not the usual romantic suspense novel I normally read but it held my interest just the same. This is the first novel by Melissa Storm I have ever read but I assure you it will not be the last!
June 10, 2020
DNF, gave up 35% into the book. Doesn't live up to the blurb which sounded so promising, or that a book which includes dog(s) or any animal/animal lovers usually works for me.
Heroine: life as she knows it - working a dead end job she hates - is upended when her father dies, never having known her mother who passed when she was a baby. She resigns & takes a job as a dog handler for a team of sled dogs for the injured Shane Ramsey. With no experience or clue of what her job entails, given a thick leaf of instructions and t&cs of the job, she rolls her eyes at the concise, detailed (dry) document, signs it & hands it back. Not before reading the line that one particular building (locked shed) is strictly out of bounds. Doesn't stop her from poking her nose & trying to break into the building. Totally put me off. As did the fact that she initially totally messed up the care of the dogs, since she didn't read the instructions.
Hero: No resemblance to the Beast or Mr Rochester. Plain rude and an uneven character.
Heroine: life as she knows it - working a dead end job she hates - is upended when her father dies, never having known her mother who passed when she was a baby. She resigns & takes a job as a dog handler for a team of sled dogs for the injured Shane Ramsey. With no experience or clue of what her job entails, given a thick leaf of instructions and t&cs of the job, she rolls her eyes at the concise, detailed (dry) document, signs it & hands it back. Not before reading the line that one particular building (locked shed) is strictly out of bounds. Doesn't stop her from poking her nose & trying to break into the building. Totally put me off. As did the fact that she initially totally messed up the care of the dogs, since she didn't read the instructions.
Hero: No resemblance to the Beast or Mr Rochester. Plain rude and an uneven character.
April 5, 2021
This was probably the fastest book I’ve ever read and the most disappointed I’ve ever been at the end of one.
The character development and story are flat, and there’s only so much suspension of disbelief in a romance novel I can do before I’m shaking my head in exasperation. Our heroine quits her data analyst (???) job after the death of her father to immediately be hired with no credentials to take care of competition sled dogs in Alaska. Did I mention she has no credentials whatsoever? For a presumably grown adult, she acts incredibly juvenile. Her employer, Shane, has no charm, no charisma, no manners. I feel like the author was trying to go for an enemies to lovers trope but ended up falling into the same abusive-male-love-interest trope—which is to be expected since this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling.
Yikes.
TL;DR I’ve read YA novels better than this.
The character development and story are flat, and there’s only so much suspension of disbelief in a romance novel I can do before I’m shaking my head in exasperation. Our heroine quits her data analyst (???) job after the death of her father to immediately be hired with no credentials to take care of competition sled dogs in Alaska. Did I mention she has no credentials whatsoever? For a presumably grown adult, she acts incredibly juvenile. Her employer, Shane, has no charm, no charisma, no manners. I feel like the author was trying to go for an enemies to lovers trope but ended up falling into the same abusive-male-love-interest trope—which is to be expected since this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling.
Yikes.
TL;DR I’ve read YA novels better than this.
September 22, 2017
Let There Be Love (Sled Dog) by Melissa Storm
I have always been fascinated by dogsledding. The picturesque scenery, the beautiful dogs and the connection that builds between the dogs and their trainers. That sport is truly a thing of beauty to watch. Naturally, I was drawn to Let There Be Love for that reason. However, I stayed because I am in awe of the author and her ability to create powerhouse tales of courage that mix the fairy tales of old with the lessons of life. Ms. Storm manages to inspire as she informs. Her stories are thought provoking, emotionally charged works of art, despite the subject matter her stories get people talking and that's a trait that every author hopes for.
I have always been fascinated by dogsledding. The picturesque scenery, the beautiful dogs and the connection that builds between the dogs and their trainers. That sport is truly a thing of beauty to watch. Naturally, I was drawn to Let There Be Love for that reason. However, I stayed because I am in awe of the author and her ability to create powerhouse tales of courage that mix the fairy tales of old with the lessons of life. Ms. Storm manages to inspire as she informs. Her stories are thought provoking, emotionally charged works of art, despite the subject matter her stories get people talking and that's a trait that every author hopes for.
December 2, 2020
When Lauren Dalton's father dies she finds out things about him that she never knew. She was not aware that he had been a musher in Alaska. She determined to pull up roots and go to Alaska to find out what else she did not know about him!
She managed to get a job at a musher's house with all his dogs. He had been in a bad accident and needed someone to help him care for his dogs-and himself although he was not about to admit to that! They were like oil and water but Lauren was not about to give up-she sensed something about him but could not put her finger on it.
This is a story about human kindness and learning to live with others. The ending will flabbergast you as Lauren finds out about something she never knew!!
She managed to get a job at a musher's house with all his dogs. He had been in a bad accident and needed someone to help him care for his dogs-and himself although he was not about to admit to that! They were like oil and water but Lauren was not about to give up-she sensed something about him but could not put her finger on it.
This is a story about human kindness and learning to live with others. The ending will flabbergast you as Lauren finds out about something she never knew!!
August 29, 2020
4.5 Stars
I LOVE everything Alaska and it was always my dream to move up there and enjoy the beauty of that state. So when a book pops up about my favorite state...I jump right on that! And bonus points that this book was FREE.
This was such an entertaining story of Lauren and Shane. What a beast he was in the beginning and how strong of character Lauren was to put up with him and eventually tame him.
A beautiful read of overcoming sadness and finding oneself in the landscape of Alaska!
I LOVE everything Alaska and it was always my dream to move up there and enjoy the beauty of that state. So when a book pops up about my favorite state...I jump right on that! And bonus points that this book was FREE.
This was such an entertaining story of Lauren and Shane. What a beast he was in the beginning and how strong of character Lauren was to put up with him and eventually tame him.
A beautiful read of overcoming sadness and finding oneself in the landscape of Alaska!
September 5, 2020
I believe this is the first time I have read a book by Melissa Storm. I kinda went outside the box with this one as it is not my usual kind of read. I actually enjoyed it very much. What’s not to like when you have a story set in Alaska and a pack of dogs for racing. It didn’t hurt either that there was a budding romance in the mix. I very much liked the two main characters, Lauren and Shane as they both learned that it’s never too late to follow your dream. I can recommend this one to you.
January 6, 2019
Loved, loved, loved Lauren and Shanes story because this story is so relatable to anyone who has found themselves not knowing what to do with their life and finding their passion where they least expect to find it! I can't wait to read the other books in this series so I can find out what happens with Lauren's friends in Alaska and her continued career in dog sledding!
November 9, 2020
Poorly written
I usually finish reading a book even if I dislike it, but this was unbelievable & it just kept getting worse. I could only go half way before I had to close the book. So sorry as I can usually find some merit to a book. I may finish this one at some point but would never recommend it. Again I'm sorry.
I usually finish reading a book even if I dislike it, but this was unbelievable & it just kept getting worse. I could only go half way before I had to close the book. So sorry as I can usually find some merit to a book. I may finish this one at some point but would never recommend it. Again I'm sorry.
October 1, 2017
A snowy twist on the tale of beauty and the beast
Wow what a fantastic read, I devoured the book in one sitting. Beautifully written this the first book I have read by Melissa Storm but it won't be the last I have already reordered the next book in the series.
Wow what a fantastic read, I devoured the book in one sitting. Beautifully written this the first book I have read by Melissa Storm but it won't be the last I have already reordered the next book in the series.
December 12, 2017
Somehow Alaska in wintertime has something magical - a winter wonder land... Combine that with about 2 dozen sled dogs, a handsome, but grumpy musher and a pretty, lonely handler with no experience. Add some secrets, love and friendship, and you get a winter wonder(ful) story!
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