The Silent Mountain Man

Movin' to the Mountains #1

by Casey Cox

Nearly getting killed in a mudslide only reminds me why I hate the mountains. I'm uninjured, but my car is wrecked, there’s no way I can get into town, and of course there's no reception here.

I'm screwed.

Maybe it's karma for putting this trip off. I haven't been able to bring myself to visit since Pa's funeral.

And then there are the painful memories that still haunt me of my first love…and first heartbreak.

The summer I turned eighteen, I exchanged letters with a free-spirited, long-haired boy who lived down the road from my father. We hung out all day and wrote each other romantic letters all night. It was the best time of my life.

But now they're both gone, and I'm all alone.

Literally. This mountain feels deserted. Like I'm the only living soul on it.

And then, just as I'm about to give up all hope, a pickup truck pulls up. A man steps out.

Not just any man, though… Pure. Mountain man. Perfection.

Big muscles, a thick beard just begging to be touched, and an intense stare that's making me rethink my dislike of the mountains.

Harrick offers me a place to stay, and despite being a total stranger, there's something familiar about him that makes me feel like I can trust him. Also, what other choice have I got?

He takes me back to his cabin. Turns out, he's not much of a talker. I can work with that.

We hook up. I can definitely work with that.

I almost forget that I'm here to sell my father's house and finally move on from the guy who left me brokenhearted all those years ago.

And then I find a letter in Harrick's house—one of the letters I wrote all those years ago — and everything changes.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Novella, Second Chance, Contemporary, Audiobook, LGBT

90 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 29, 2023

About the author

Casey writes MM romance with plenty of 💕, 🔥, 🤣, and of course 🍆 + 🍑.

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Reviews

[Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I once met this guy up here. Ten years ago. He had long blond hair, down way past his shoulders and he…he was my first love. And my first heartbreak."

A sweet second chance romance. I’m not really sure why he is the “silent Mountain Man” because he certainly does some dirty talking!

Eddie (27) is returning to the house he grew up in after the passing of his father.

Harrick (28) is the mountain men who rescues Eddie after he crashes his car in a snowstorm.

The story was told in present tense with a few flashbacks of written letters between the two of them as teenagers.

I'm also ninety-nine percent confident he's not a serial killer. Which all adds up to: I'm most likely not going to get killed, and I could end up getting some good mountain dick.

It had plenty of heart, humor, and loads of sex!

Thanks for finding our last BR of the year Dan!

[Drusilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was lovely, funny, sad and so very cute. And, of course, sexy hot. My only complaint would be that it's a little too short. It was totally satisfying to read, I just would have liked to spend more time with Harrick and Eddie.
You should be aware, however, that this is completely unrealistic. Anyway, I liked it anyway.

"Forearms?"
"Yeah. Hello." He reaches over and traces the tip of his index finger along a vein.
A wolfish grin hits my lips. "You like that?"
"Uh-huh." He pulls his hand back. "I swear I'm not some kinky sex freak or anything."
"So it's established then," I say seriously.
"What's established?"
"That I'm not a serial killer, and you're not a kinky sex freak." 😳🤣😳

"I want you to treat me like a princess, but fuck me like a cheap whore. Just like you did last night."
"You got it…Princess." 🤤💞🤤

[Mug · Rating 2 out of 5]

dnf @ 54%….no no no no……insta love (my mortal enemy), weird dialogue/dirty talk, cringe sex, the mountain man isn’t even silent???? jail!! all of it!! i have no strength for a review, i just want this over with and purged from my mind asap!!!!!!!🤕

[JonathanSamuelReads · Rating 1 out of 5]

Duped by the cover I fear 😨

There was nothing silent about the “the silent mountain man” the writing was just idk off to me? But it was 96 pages so I trudged on.

For one Harrick (who’s a supposed war veteran, reclusive, lonely mountain man) would say shit like “TBD” “Are we Instagram official?” I don’t know if it was there for comedy purposes or if he actually said those things but isn’t he suppose to be silent and broody and idk reclusive man? The letters were cute but the conversion camp troupe at 75% lost it for me. I just couldn’t see it.
The sex scenes were hot but other then that 🚮


My favorite part of the book? When it was over.

🫡

[Book Binge: Reviews by Melissa DaSilva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Casey Cox has a way with novellas. How this book was only 91 pages but I absolutely felt the connection and loved their story is beyond me! This is the first in a set of novellas about Mountain Men and if this one was this good I am excited for the next two!

Harrick and Eddie’s story is a second-chance romance but it had a different concept that I haven’t really seen before. I thought it added a lot to the story and I absolutely loved seeing them learn more about the other!

Usually I really dislike if a book does not have an epilogue. I loved this story so much that even though I wish we had one I was super happy with what we did get. I think the little glimpses we got from their childhoods in their letters really helped.

If you’re looking for a fun, quick, sexy read I absolutely recommend this story! I cannot wait to read the next ones!

[Ninni · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okeyish short read. The MCs was each overs first love one summer ten years ago. Now meeting again by chance I had serious problems believing they don't recognise each over despite HUGE clues. My first read from this author and I'm gonna try the next in this series.

[⋆｡°✮ Lucy InTheSky ✮°｡⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐, but I'll round it down (should've been longer, there's no epilogue, HFN)

Short and steamy with endearing main characters and a heartfelt story of a young first love getting its second chance.

🟣 Teenage first love
🔵 A chance meeting a decade later
🟢 Both MMCs in late 20's and gay
🟡 Mentions conversion camp
🌶️ Great sex, wanted more of it; t/b

The story is about two guys who met on a mountain when they were almost 18 years old, became fast friends and then started experimenting together.
Eddie and Harrick fell in love and wanted to be together, but fate intervened and they were cut out of each other's lives brutally with no possibility of ever seeing each other again.

Years later Eddie, the guy who got taken away to conversion camp, goes back to that same mountain and meets Harrick again without knowing it's him.

They have amazing sex and accidentally find out who they really are to each other. They immediately rekindle their lost love and start making some serious plans for the future.

It's a promising start to the series, I liked the story, it's a fast, no-angst read with a few steamy scenes (could be more, had potential to be really spicy) and the emotional factor saved this one from being just sex and the mountains.

I have no problems with just sex and the mountains, just to be clear.


I guess I'm continuing with this series.

[Misty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the plot,but it could have been done a lot better.
Didn't love it, but didn't hate it.
Good for a very quick read.

[patrícia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Surprisingly sweet, loved all the mountain cabin in the woods vibes. Rushed and fast yes, but it worked and we get the feeling the author was going for. It’s a second chance romance with a reunion after 10 year apart, either man new the other whereabouts. They don’t know the other identities but quickly find out. And also as fast, they are planning a future.

Loved the all letter things.

But… yeah it was very unrealistic, and damn these boys have some hell of a stamina… the dirty talk was so awkward and I simply hate the use of “ tight channel”. The sex wasn’t that good honestly, the ideia of it was hot af the writing made it cringe.

Nothing surprising in the end, all good in the mountains and the promise of forever.

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

- first love
- second chance

After almost being taken out by a mudslide on the way to his father's cabin in the mountains, Eddie gets rescued by a rugged stranger. Something about the handsome mountain man seems so familiar, and he often reminds Eddie of his first love, a boy he met in these very same mountains ten years ago.

You figure out pretty early on in The Silent Mountain Man where things are going, but Casey somehow kept me hooked and invested in Eddie and Harrick's story. This was just so sweet & I really loved the inclusion of their letters!

[Jennifer☠Pher☠ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute but the setup was a little odd. I think had it been done differently I may have enjoyed it more. I never really understood the mudslide part of the story.

But, it was short and sweet and I'll probably continue the series in hopes of more of that.

[Evelyn220 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ cute and entertaining short read. I loved the premise and the love story, but the spice was quite exaggerated and cheesy. Parts of it read like a bodice-ripper MF romance with multiple orgasms and positions I’m still not sure are physically possible. 😂🤔

Also, I think this would have worked much better as a full-length novel. A lot of major plot points were skimmed over. I wanted more depth.

[Mia S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick Read

It was short, mountain fantasy for sure and I can totally get down with it being MM, but there were so many questions that weren’t answered, what happens next? Or possibly in future books? Steamy yes, but story leaves a lot of questions.

[Shelba · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was fine, it was a book.

I’ll never be upset about ass-eating in MM romance, but I’d rather never seen it referred to as “making out with” someone’s ass ever again. Same goes for “gooey eruption”.

The real tragedy of this story wasn’t Eddie and Harrick being torn apart 10 years ago, but that Eddie let his nipple and dick piercings heal over.

I would have bumped this up to a 3 were it not for the letters. True, I don’t like letters in books in general, but if they have to be there, I’d at least like to be able to read them. Eddie’s letters were particularly hard to read between the font type and how small it was. Reading in on my Kindle Paperwhite wasn’t fun at all. Maybe the author thought the formatting would add to the reading experience, but for me it just took away.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novella you can read in one sitting with all the pieces and parts to make a good MM story!

Harrick and Eddie have palpable chemistry and since this is a novella, they get to it quickly! But there is also an emotional connection between them that Casey Cox is so skilled at writing. Can’t wait to read the next 2 novellas!

4/5 stars

I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

[Xavier Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want someone to play a Kirt Graves audiobook as I lie in my deathbed, slowly transitioning to afterlife with his soothing voice in my head

(...Okay I don't actually believe in afterlife but I still want to hear his voice)

[Heather Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smutty and Charming 100 page Book.

[BookLover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happily Ever After

I always enjoy Casey's writing and if you're looking for a quick, feel good, happily ever after then this is a read you'll enjoy. Eddie and Michael (Harrick) fell in love as teenagers but they were torn apart. Ten years later fate or destiny brought them back together.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heads up: The entire premise of this short story relies on the audience channeling Lois-Lane-doesn't-recognize-Clark-Kent-and-Superman-are-the-same-person-because-of-a-pair-of-thick-framed-glasses levels of suspension of disbelief.

If you can get over that, the story is still just MEH.

The author never really gives our characters' backstories and young love enough depth for me to believe that they are still going to be pining after each other a decade later, so the whole second chance at love thing doesn't really work for me here.

But the main thing that I couldn't get past was that it just feels exploitative to drop in "oh yeah, this character was taken to a conversion camp as a teen" and then never spend any time to explore what that sort of trauma does to a person/character. It felt like a crutch, like the only thing - or perhaps the most sensational thing - the author could think of to drive these two characters apart so suddenly.

[Fernanda Parente · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute short story that I liked it.
I'm a huge fan of second chance love
It's my first Casey Cox book and it was so much fun

Now, to the second one

[Molly Otto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Update: I was unaware this was an AI generated cover prior to reading this book. I in no way support using AI for books. Just wanted to say this and will be changing my review because of this.

OK, seriously, how can such a short read evoke so many powerful emotions? Two men separated 10 years ago due mistakes of their families have a chance to start fresh and experience true happiness. The pain is viable, but when they take that step and open up for real this time, they show how right they can be for each other. It's such an amazing read in not many words.
Not many authors can achieve what Casey has done with this novella, and I can not wait to read the next books coming in this trilogy to see what Casey comes up with next! Just incredible work in less than 100 pages.

[Bess · Rating 2 out of 5]

hmm

This was a short novella, so I did finish it even though I probably should have dnfd on page 12 when the author writes "Back and forth, back and forth, like I'm a baby being rocked to sleep by a junkie on meth."

hmm!

I do love epistolary romances, and I know that every book isn't for everyone, but I also was really put off by some of the other phrasing the author uses ("gooey eruption" makes me think of lava cake and TGI Friday's). It feels like a story that should have been a longer book, but even that longer book wouldn't have been for me. I'll probably tempt fate and read the second book in the story as well since I know many people really love this author.

[Bookishendeavors · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay for it's purpose, a short book to read before bed and to get back into reading.

The plot was cute, but something I've noticed is that in first person pov the talking and the banter sounds quite immature and unnatural.

Also the whole sex scene was weird, not in a good way (I have to mention gooey eruption) and I found the fact that the main character was wearing brown eye contacts in the past to look more emo hilarious. The character could have had brown eyes to begin with. Since you know, is quite common.

[read_romance.withgloria Gloria Worlikar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoyed the short Novellas written by Casey Cox and this is the first book in the Movin' to the Mountain series and I am already looking forward to the other books.

Eddie returned to the mountains after almost a decade to complete some property work after his father passed away, but he almost got caught in a mudslide and is now stranded in the mountains. That is when Harrick comes to his rescue and offers him a place to stay. Though initially, Eddie thought Harrick was some serial killer, he trusted him and his soul knew he could be safe with him because they knew each other. They were each other's first love and even now they are both very much attracted to each other not knowing they are the same people.

Eddie & Harrick had amazing chemistry from the moment they met, their awkward conversations or Eddie blabbering about how much he likes veiny forearms and the sex which was so hot but also when they try to understand what went wrong all the decades ago and cleared all misunderstanding and damn they were just so adorable together.
This story was a swoony & lovely second-chance romance.

Overall I enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to other books in this series, I recommend you check it out.

* I received an ARC copy from Neon Rainbow Reviews and this is my honest review *

[DeniReadsMostlyMM · Rating 4 out of 5]

***ARC Review***

This is my honest and voluntary review for the ARC I received.

Eddie needs to sell his deceased estranged father’s home. For reasons stemming from his youth, Eddie hates the mountains. He gets stuck in a rainstorm/mudslide on a mountainside, loses his car, and gets offered a helping hand by a mountain of a man. Harrick is a military vet. He’s seen some things that haunt him. He thinks it’s better to be alone, because people only bring you pain.

Harrick and Eddie are attracted to one another. Sparks definitely fly! Unbeknownst to them, they have more in common than they can imagine. Both men experienced their first love and first heartbreak in a way that they never forgot. Both men have some painful experiences in their pasts that affected them long term (a couple topics may be sensitive to readers).

This novella is a well paced quick read that will keep you riveted. It features a case of mistaken identity, forced proximity, long lost letters, and a second chance romance. There’s plenty of passion, perseverance, and palpable emotion in this story. It’s got chemistry and charm to boot. I’m looking forward to the other novellas in the series!

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I thought you liked Princess."

"I was starting to get used to it…for you. But if I was a princess then, that means I'd have to be a queen now. And…"

"I'm the queen in this relationship."

A huge smile blooms on his face. "Yeah. You are. You're my queen. And my king. And my fucking everything."

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Casey Cox doesn't disappoint, proving that he can deliver a fun and entertaining read even with a limited number of pages. The book's blurb gives readers a rather clear idea of what the story is about, but there's still no resisting the urge to flip through those pages in order to find out why everything had gone wrong when the main characters were still teenagers and how they'll resolve their situation, particularly, the fact that they live in different places, now that they're older. Lighthearted and fast-paced (but not overly so), The Silent Mountain Man was a good, four-star start to the Movin' to the Mountains series.

[Robert Fontenot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is hard to rate.
It is deeply stupid.
It’s kinda hot.
The silent mountain man is very talkative.
If it had been 20 pages longer, I would probably have rage-quit it halfway through.
I am going to read the next one.

[⋆˚ʚ Abril ɞ˚⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

«I fell in love with your soul, Eddie. No one has ever made me feel the way you do, and I'm feeling it right now. Sitting here on the freaking floor with you. This is my idea of heaven. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else or with anyone else.»❤️

[Ari · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a cute and fluffy read! I would’ve loved for it to be longer so we could really get to learn about our MCs and their shared past