Moving Mountains

by S.J. Coles

Jacob would move mountains to spend Christmas with someone special. A suspicious death and Park Ranger Cody Spencer will help him do just that.

Special Agent Jacob Miles was looking forward to spending Christmas with someone special, but the job always gets in the way—or so his FBI agent ex keeps telling him. So, it’s looking like another lonely holiday at home.

But first, he’s got to get to the bottom of a suspicious death in the picturesque mountain town of Silveridge, Colorado. A local drug dealer has been killed, and the local sheriff’s minimal investigation seems to suggest that something’s not quite right.

Jacob isn’t thrilled to be sent undercover a week before Christmas to look into what he is sure is a case of country-cop incompetency, but then his local contact, Park Ranger Cody Spencer, has him looking at his trip, Christmas and the case in a whole new way.

Can Jacob decide which matters more, the case or his heart, before the holiday is over and one—or both—are lost?

Genres: Christmas, M M Romance

189 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 13, 2022

Reviews

[~Nicole~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all : What’s with this author and women’s names ?? In their last book the MC was called Hillary and I let it slide thinking it was an isolated case but I start to suspect it’s a fetish of some kind lol. I mean, of all the pet names you can think of for Jacob , Jackie is what you came up with??
Anyways, this is a surprisingly good book . It was supposed to be a Christmas read but apart from the fact that it was set around Christmas time , it didn’t have anything too Christmassy in it (and I liked it like this) so I don’t understand where that name came from since there was no Santa here , secret or otherwise.. (or maybe the book participates in the Secret Santa challenge on Gr?) Nevertheless it was really enjoyable and , unlike their last book, the romance was a bit better and the mystery was just as good as in The devil you know. This author likes to dabble in mysteries and I have to say they’re not doing it half bad. The investigation was pretty good and I liked both characters quite a lot. I did have some niggles though..
Cody was an impediment in the investigation and he tried the entire book to lead the FBI MC away from the suspects ; and Jacob (I refuse to call him Jackie) just allowed it . Another Fed would have arrested Cody for obstruction of justice . Just like in The devil you know, the Mc who had a job to do is not doing it because he was involved with the suspect /witness. It’s not as bad as in that book but close enough .. And what was shocking was Cody saying “Why didn’t you tell me you were an undercover FBI agent?? You could have trusted me” Umm, no, he couldn’t, dude, you stopped him from doing his job so you can protect the suspects over and over again.
The romance is quite sweet and subtle and the sex was HOT !! And we have a butt virgin too!
The characters were interesting, I loved Jacob a lot . I loved his stoic , gruff demeanor and his quietness (you can sense his sadness) .
Cody was a bit less flashed out or better said, he was all over the place. He was supposed to be a park ranger but , although this sounds strange, he didn’t read like one, especially when we don’t see him doing many “park ranging” things throughout the book lol. He reads too young, too guileless and naive. I wanted to know more about them both but it’s a novella so you can’t expect too much backstory.
I enjoyed this book a lot, it has good writing, good police investigation (for a short novella) and a sweet romance that is not cheesy nor corny and that it ends in a realistic HFN , though I could have done without the “I love you” part . It’s ok to write a romance , especially a short book that happens in the span of a week and not having them say the L word, you know? It’s even recommended.

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special Agent Jacob Miles was sent just before Christmas to investigate a death in Silveridge, a small mountain town. The death of a local drug dealer was suspicious. It’s an undercover case for Jacob, he’s here as an insurance investigator.

US National Park Ranger Cody Spencer is of help. Jacob can stay with him in his cabin.
Cody knows everyone and everything in Silveridge, Jacob can use him for info.
What started as use, becomes more, Jacob is conflicted to keep lying but can’t lay down his cover.

Trying to catch a fish while being thwarted, makes Jacob stay longer than planned. There seems only dead ends in the case. It’s all so much more complicated than it looks, so much more!

To be honest, mystery and crime are not my first choice, I wanted to read this one because of the author. While the story wasn’t what I preferred, it was certainly entertaining, it was consistent, the writing and the plot were well done. The romantic and pining part was wonderful, it felt honest. So for the real lovers of crime and investigation, this one is a recommendation worthy.

Read and reviewed for LoveBytes - LGBTQ bookreviews

[Janet Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving Mountains was a great story with some really good twist and turns and a nice mystery to solve. Jacob just wants someone to spend Christmas with, his closeted friend at the FBI isn’t willing to risk his career for him. He is sent to investigate a suspicious death, undercover. When he arrives, he is met by Cody, a park ranger. Cody is the sunshine to Jacob’s grumpy. He makes Jacob look at things differently. In turn Jacob starts to realize that his FBI hookup isn’t willing to change for him, but there’s also more than meets the eye with this case he’s investigating. Cody and Jacob are total opposites but really make a perfect couple. Overall, this was a great story that was well written with nice pacing that kept me engaged and flipping the pages.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.5 stars

Moving Mountains is a mystery/investigation story with a holiday twist. It is part of the Secret Santa collection from Pride Publishing, but the books all appear to be standalones that have a “secrets” theme, and you can definitely read this one without the others. The story is pretty standard fare for this type of trope, with a big city cop coming to a small town as a fish out of water, but also without high hopes for the investigative skills of the locals. Spending time in Silveridge gives Jacob a new perspective, so there is some sweet small town charm here. Overall, I found some things worked nicely for me about the book and others didn’t fully come together.

I think this story will work for a lot of readers. I just felt like there were too many issues that either didn’t feel like they fully came together for me here or were left unresolved, making it hard for me to totally fall for this story.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special Agent Jacob (Jackie) Miles has planned a special holiday with someone when he is assigned to look into a suspicious death. Jackie is looking for that special one but finds it isn’t his current relationship.
He gets to Silveridge Colorado and is met by the local Park Ranger Cody Spencer. Cody is totally a different personality in Jackie’s view. Cody is always happy and racing through everything.
Jackie starts investigating undercover and finds a sloppy job done on guy who died supposedly in a motorcycle accident. There is so many issues going on in the town and the people appear to be hiding something. As Jackie is faced with the truth that his plans and the guy he was involved with are a dead end, he pays attention to his attraction to Cody. As this relationship develops, the little things keep coming up to point Jackie in the direction of murder with the locals trying to point him into the death being an accident. He starts to feel like there is a coverup and he is going to find out what that is.
There are many twists in this story. I enjoyed the way the author tied it all together in the end.

[DLB2572 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jacob & Cody

I really enjoyed the mystery in this holiday story. It pulled me in from the start and I couldn't stop until the story was at its end.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

Moving Mountains is precisely the style of book that has kept this author on my to-read list. With a mix of good characters, interesting storylines, and some suspense, this book kept my interest the whole way through.

It’s no secret that I love holiday romances, but I really love when authors marry these seasonal stories with a dynamic plot that goes beyond just a tale centered on the holidays. Moving Mountains contained all those bits. I really liked the idea of a frustrated, lonely FBI agent landing in a small resort town just before Christmas. The forced proximity of Undercover Agent Jacob Miles with a park ranger local made for a great set-up and I really enjoyed watching these two fall for one another.

While the romance between Ranger Cody Spencer and Agent Jacob Miles is fairly easy and straightforward, the investigation the men find themselves a part of is anything but. There were plenty of interesting twists and revelations in Moving Mountains that is sure to satisfy any romantic suspense reader, with a dash of holiday charm to set the mood. This was a good, fast read that made for the perfect weekend escape.

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

[SJ]

The cover seemed like it was promising Christmas fluff, but the story is what the blurb says, a crime mystery with romance between the two lawmen MCs. I was pleasantly surprised by the serious, non fluffy, tone of the book. There were some issues for me with the plot line. Neither one of the MCs acts very true to their roles. Forest Ranger Cody seems to meander around town more than doing his duties and undercover FBI agent Jacob loses and finds his backbone, depending upon the scene, about confronting Cody and the local sheriff with hard truths about their involvement in the case. I kept waiting for Jacob to threaten to charge Cody, and even the sheriff, with obstruction. Major evidence and a suspect disappear and local law doesn’t care. As lovely as Cody was as a romantic character, his constant evasions were annoying af to read. The sex scenes aren’t that great, either, with the starts and stops to them. And why did an out of town federal agent stay at a forest ranger’s cabin instead of a motel? I’m not enjoying the romance or the crime solving. I’m at 55% and ready for a disappointed DNF.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jacob has gone undercover to investigate a suspicious death. The FBI doesn’t believe it was an accident. Cody a park ranger is Jacobs contact. Almost immediately Jacob discovers the man’s death was indeed murder. The main suspect Is Cody’s friend and his ex.

I was surprised by who-done-it. This story had a few interesting twists that I enjoyed. Some of the characters seemed one dimensional and others were intriguing. I liked that there seemed to be an invisible line between the good and “bad guys”. It was nice that the author was able to show that line.

I liked the book and the characters. I thought they were interesting. Nice story.

Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.

[Christine Lacombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Special Agent Jacob Miles who’s in the FBI goes undercover to investigate a suspicious death in Silveridge, Colorado.
Being undercover means using a fake name and a fake job. There he meets the Park Ranger Cody Spencer.
I do have to say I think there is an instant attraction between them. While going around and collecting the clues, the attraction between them grows.
There are times jealousy rears its head for Jake when he thinks there’s someone else in Cody’s life.
So the book centers around solving the mystery and a romance. Action, adventure, danger are all there along with the romance and sexy times.
I really love this story and enjoyed it tremendously.
It does lead to an HEA and some surprising revelations about the murder and Cody’s life.

[Mir Jak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very pleasant surprise. Brilliant suspense filled storyline with a touch of romance. The setting of the story may be in a small town but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, that’s for sure. Jacob is annoyed he has to work over Christmas and is somewhat grumpy. Cody is a sweetheart and a genuinely nice guy .... There is an attraction between them but the more Jacob learns about the locals, the more he clashes with them. It's a really good story with twists that kept me guessing. And yes, there is romantic angst - thoroughly enjoyed it !!

[Suze · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
Enjoyed it, it was engaging and easy to read.
The book is part of a Christmas collection, but definitely more set at Christmas time than a Christmas story.
Jacob is an undercover FBI agent, he was a LEO on a mission, and there were plenty of twists for him to navigate.
Cody as his foil seemed a bit too young, influenced, to be a ranger. Though they did get together very quickly!

[Angel_2822 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving Mountains by S.J. Cole is a mystery story with unexpected twists. Jacob Miles, an FBI agent, is sent to Silveridge, Colorado, to solve a crime. There he meets Cody Spencer, a Park Ranger, who is not only going to help him in solving the crime but also in showing him how things not always are what they seem. Jacob and Cody have totally opposite personalities (Jacob is the grumpy while Cody is the sunshine) but they complement each other perfectly.

The FBI thinks that the death wasn’t an accident but a murder. The main suspect is Cody’s ex. Jacob thinks that the locals behave awkwardly and hide something. When it seems that he’s reached a dead end, things change up, the crime is solved.

The story is well written and the characters are cute and charming. There is some angst because Jacob is undercover, using a fake name and a fake job. But working together and falling for each other helps them to resolve their problems and leads them to their HEA.

It was a page turning. I liked the story and the characters. Both MCs were well defined and believable.
I recommend this book.

I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.