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Guarded By The Mountain Man Veteran: A Ex Military, Dad's Best Friend Romance
I plan everything. Every mission, every contingency, every possible outcome. It's kept my team alive for twenty years.
Now some tech CEO thinks she doesn't need my security protocols?
Not happening.
Mara Plummer is brilliant, stubborn, and completely reckless with her own safety. Her company's innovations have made her a target, and she's too busy revolutionizing the industry to take threats seriously. My job is keeping her alive while she's at Guardian Peak for "wilderness executive training."
She's my best friend's daughter, and her job, apparently, is driving me absolutely insane.
She questions every order, breaks every rule, and looks at me with those smart hazel eyes like she's figuring me out. The curvy little chaos agent is a walking disaster to my carefully controlled world. I should hate her.
Instead, I'm obsessed. With protecting her. Controlling her. Bending her to my will in every way that matters.
She wants to fight me? Fine. But when I win—and I always win—she's going to learn exactly what it means to surrender to a man who's been planning how to make her his from the moment she walked into my life.
Guarded By The Mountain Man Veteran is a red-hot mountain man romance featuring a controlling ex-Marine strategist, the brilliant CEO who refuses to follow his rules, and a battle of wills that explodes into dominant passion. Guaranteed HEA with no cheating.
Now some tech CEO thinks she doesn't need my security protocols?
Not happening.
Mara Plummer is brilliant, stubborn, and completely reckless with her own safety. Her company's innovations have made her a target, and she's too busy revolutionizing the industry to take threats seriously. My job is keeping her alive while she's at Guardian Peak for "wilderness executive training."
She's my best friend's daughter, and her job, apparently, is driving me absolutely insane.
She questions every order, breaks every rule, and looks at me with those smart hazel eyes like she's figuring me out. The curvy little chaos agent is a walking disaster to my carefully controlled world. I should hate her.
Instead, I'm obsessed. With protecting her. Controlling her. Bending her to my will in every way that matters.
She wants to fight me? Fine. But when I win—and I always win—she's going to learn exactly what it means to surrender to a man who's been planning how to make her his from the moment she walked into my life.
Guarded By The Mountain Man Veteran is a red-hot mountain man romance featuring a controlling ex-Marine strategist, the brilliant CEO who refuses to follow his rules, and a battle of wills that explodes into dominant passion. Guaranteed HEA with no cheating.
- GenresSmall Town Romance
101 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 19, 2026
8 people are currently reading
4 people want to read
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February 20, 2026
She's chaos in heels. He's control with a gun. Together they ignite.
As Guardian Peak’s lead strategist, Boone survives by controlling every variable, trusting maps and contingency plans, not reckless CEOs with billion dollar targets on their backs. Mara is brilliant, stubborn, and unimpressed by his authority. She challenges every order, breaks protocol, and looks at him like she sees the cracks beneath his discipline. What starts as protection turns into a battle of wills neither plans to lose.
Mara didn’t build an empire by being handled, and she won’t surrender her autonomy because someone wants her dead. Boone sees chaos where she sees possibility, and every clash between them burns hotter than the last. As the threat tightens and betrayal edges closer, lines blur. Professional distance collapses. Desire takes over. The man who swears emotion won’t compromise the mission finds himself ready to risk everything for her.
When violence hits too close, Boone faces the truth he’s avoided. Control can’t shield his heart. Loving her is the greatest risk he’s ever taken. What survives isn’t just attraction, but trust, devotion, and a future neither of them can fully map.
Mara grows from a CEO who equates protection with restriction into a woman who chooses vulnerability without losing herself. Boone shifts from trauma driven strategist to a man willing to loosen his grip and build something he can’t fully plan. Together, they turn dominance into consent, defiance into respect, and heat into something steady and real.
A hot mountain man, bodyguard, dad’s best friend romantic suspense about control versus chaos and the risk of loving anyway. It’s about partnership over power, chosen family, and surrendering just enough to build something lasting and worth the danger.
The Elevator Pitch: A hyper controlled ex marine strategist is assigned to protect a brilliant CEO who refuses to follow his rules, and their battle for dominance quickly turns into something far more dangerous than the threats circling her company. As sabotage closes in and trust becomes as risky as desire, control collides with chaos in the mountains of Nevada. It’s a high heat romance about surrendering certainty, choosing partnership over power, and risking everything for a love that refuses to be managed.
Heat Level: 🔥🔥 Hot
As Guardian Peak’s lead strategist, Boone survives by controlling every variable, trusting maps and contingency plans, not reckless CEOs with billion dollar targets on their backs. Mara is brilliant, stubborn, and unimpressed by his authority. She challenges every order, breaks protocol, and looks at him like she sees the cracks beneath his discipline. What starts as protection turns into a battle of wills neither plans to lose.
Mara didn’t build an empire by being handled, and she won’t surrender her autonomy because someone wants her dead. Boone sees chaos where she sees possibility, and every clash between them burns hotter than the last. As the threat tightens and betrayal edges closer, lines blur. Professional distance collapses. Desire takes over. The man who swears emotion won’t compromise the mission finds himself ready to risk everything for her.
When violence hits too close, Boone faces the truth he’s avoided. Control can’t shield his heart. Loving her is the greatest risk he’s ever taken. What survives isn’t just attraction, but trust, devotion, and a future neither of them can fully map.
Mara grows from a CEO who equates protection with restriction into a woman who chooses vulnerability without losing herself. Boone shifts from trauma driven strategist to a man willing to loosen his grip and build something he can’t fully plan. Together, they turn dominance into consent, defiance into respect, and heat into something steady and real.
A hot mountain man, bodyguard, dad’s best friend romantic suspense about control versus chaos and the risk of loving anyway. It’s about partnership over power, chosen family, and surrendering just enough to build something lasting and worth the danger.
The Elevator Pitch: A hyper controlled ex marine strategist is assigned to protect a brilliant CEO who refuses to follow his rules, and their battle for dominance quickly turns into something far more dangerous than the threats circling her company. As sabotage closes in and trust becomes as risky as desire, control collides with chaos in the mountains of Nevada. It’s a high heat romance about surrendering certainty, choosing partnership over power, and risking everything for a love that refuses to be managed.
Heat Level: 🔥🔥 Hot
February 19, 2026
Mara is a bona fide tech prodigy, the kind of visionary whose groundbreaking encryption technology is poised to upend the entire industry. Unfortunately, innovation at that level doesn’t just attract admiration, it paints a target on her back. Her competitors would love nothing more than to steal her secrets and preferably make Mara disappear. Her increasingly reckless habit of slipping away from her security detail only makes matters worse. Her father, exasperated and out of options, resorts to a little creative deception: a “mandatory” corporate training program designed to keep her safe—and stationary—for a few weeks. Enter Boone. Disciplined, controlled, and meticulous to a fault, Boone is everything Mara is not. He’s also her father’s best friend and the man assigned to protect her. Boone has every contingency mapped out with military precision… but his carefully constructed plans begin to unravel before Mara even sets foot on-site. Because Mara may be impulsive, but she’s no fool. Once she realizes the danger surrounding her is far more serious than she’s been led to believe, she makes a genuine effort to rein in her rebellious streak. Still, she’s a firecracker at heart—brilliant, stubborn, and fiercely independent - and she keeps Boone constantly on edge. And that’s where the magic happens. Mara turns Boone’s orderly world upside down, yet somehow, he’s never felt more alive. Their chemistry crackles from the first clash of wills, the attraction simmering just beneath every sharp exchange. The push and pull between them is deliciously entertaining, especially when that tension shifts into something far more intimate. Watching their dynamic evolve from adversarial sparks to undeniable heat is half the fun. Of course, when the threats against Mara escalate, Boone doesn’t hesitate. He stands firmly at her side, along with the rest of the Guardian Security team, ready to face whatever comes for her. There’s action, romance, banter, and heart packed into just over a hundred pages, and not a single word feels wasted. It’s fast, fiery, and thoroughly satisfying from beginning to end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 20, 2026
"You're mine now. You know that, right? After this, there's no going back."~Boone🫡
A stubborn high value client is making her way towards a retreat, or so she thinks. Mara Plummer has developed a high tech encryption technology in Silicon Valley. She's brilliant and engineered a system that others want to have for themselves at any cost. Mara has received threats, has been watched, moved to safe houses till she escaped to a 'retreat' that her father Richard has put into motion. To a little town in Nevada, Whisper Vale, where the highly respected team of Guardian Peak Security are waiting for her on the mountain.🌄 Wait till she meets former Marine Recon, Boone Garrett, who's meticulous in potential outcomes with his protective itinerary.🧑🏻💻🛰️✅🔐🎦 📈📊📑🖨️🗺️📍🪢🥾🥾 The man goes over every single thing!😄 As he should. He's a bodyguard.🏋🏻♂️👊🏻💥💥
This short story moves quickly. As Boone and Mara eye each other while defending their points of views. Mara, she spoke up, which is expected, but she would forget why Boone was hired for the task to protect her in the first place. There's not a lot of flirting between them. I wanted more. During physical defense training, there definitely is.💋🤼🏻 🤼♀️ Mara's okay but nothing else stood out from her except her technology smarts.🤔
Boone does exactly what he says he will do. No hesitation. The man is a protector, a soldier. He has past trauma, all these men do in the series. I didn't get best friend vibes with Mara's Dad Richard. They served together but that's it. Best friends with the men he works with, that would have been a better choice. I like Boone. He's been crushing on Mara before she arrived. Three weeks to be exact. And now that she's in front of him, he doesn't know if he can blur the lines.🥸
Expect drama, security action with intruders, finding the spy, mild spice, sudden insta love, family dinners with past couples, and a well thought out world building. HEA. Happy reading.*•>§<•*💙🩵💙🩵
🚩🚩18+ read.🚩🚩
🥷🏼🚨👩🏻🦰Thank you to Ms Shaw and Booksprout. The opinions shared here are my own.👩🏻🦰🚨🥷🏼
A stubborn high value client is making her way towards a retreat, or so she thinks. Mara Plummer has developed a high tech encryption technology in Silicon Valley. She's brilliant and engineered a system that others want to have for themselves at any cost. Mara has received threats, has been watched, moved to safe houses till she escaped to a 'retreat' that her father Richard has put into motion. To a little town in Nevada, Whisper Vale, where the highly respected team of Guardian Peak Security are waiting for her on the mountain.🌄 Wait till she meets former Marine Recon, Boone Garrett, who's meticulous in potential outcomes with his protective itinerary.🧑🏻💻🛰️✅🔐🎦 📈📊📑🖨️🗺️📍🪢🥾🥾 The man goes over every single thing!😄 As he should. He's a bodyguard.🏋🏻♂️👊🏻💥💥
This short story moves quickly. As Boone and Mara eye each other while defending their points of views. Mara, she spoke up, which is expected, but she would forget why Boone was hired for the task to protect her in the first place. There's not a lot of flirting between them. I wanted more. During physical defense training, there definitely is.💋🤼🏻 🤼♀️ Mara's okay but nothing else stood out from her except her technology smarts.🤔
Boone does exactly what he says he will do. No hesitation. The man is a protector, a soldier. He has past trauma, all these men do in the series. I didn't get best friend vibes with Mara's Dad Richard. They served together but that's it. Best friends with the men he works with, that would have been a better choice. I like Boone. He's been crushing on Mara before she arrived. Three weeks to be exact. And now that she's in front of him, he doesn't know if he can blur the lines.🥸
Expect drama, security action with intruders, finding the spy, mild spice, sudden insta love, family dinners with past couples, and a well thought out world building. HEA. Happy reading.*•>§<•*💙🩵💙🩵
🚩🚩18+ read.🚩🚩
🥷🏼🚨👩🏻🦰Thank you to Ms Shaw and Booksprout. The opinions shared here are my own.👩🏻🦰🚨🥷🏼
February 24, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Disciplined protector meets brilliant chaos—and sparks fly
Guarded By The Mountain Man Veteran by Avery Shaw is intense, fiery, and packed with that delicious dad’s-best-friend tension.
Boone is all strategy and control. Twenty years of military precision have shaped him into a man who plans for every scenario—and expects to be obeyed. Dropping him into Guardian Peak to protect a stubborn tech CEO who refuses to take threats seriously? Instant combustion.
Mara is no damsel. She’s brilliant, ambitious, and fiercely independent. I loved that she challenges Boone at every turn. She doesn’t just blindly follow orders—she questions them. That push-pull dynamic fuels the entire romance. Watching Boone try to maintain control while slowly unraveling because of her is incredibly satisfying.
The dad’s-best-friend angle adds that extra layer of forbidden tension. Boone knows better. He should keep his distance. Instead, his protective instincts morph into obsession—not in a reckless way, but in a deeply focused, “I will burn the world down to keep you safe” kind of way.
The wilderness executive training setting gives the story atmosphere—mountain air, isolation, forced proximity. As the danger escalates, so does the intensity between them. And once Boone decides Mara is his? There’s no retreat.
High heat, dominant energy, fierce heroine, and a guaranteed HEA. If you love battle-of-wills romance with a hyper-competent ex-military hero who falls hard, this one absolutely delivers. 🏔️🔥.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Guarded By The Mountain Man Veteran by Avery Shaw is intense, fiery, and packed with that delicious dad’s-best-friend tension.
Boone is all strategy and control. Twenty years of military precision have shaped him into a man who plans for every scenario—and expects to be obeyed. Dropping him into Guardian Peak to protect a stubborn tech CEO who refuses to take threats seriously? Instant combustion.
Mara is no damsel. She’s brilliant, ambitious, and fiercely independent. I loved that she challenges Boone at every turn. She doesn’t just blindly follow orders—she questions them. That push-pull dynamic fuels the entire romance. Watching Boone try to maintain control while slowly unraveling because of her is incredibly satisfying.
The dad’s-best-friend angle adds that extra layer of forbidden tension. Boone knows better. He should keep his distance. Instead, his protective instincts morph into obsession—not in a reckless way, but in a deeply focused, “I will burn the world down to keep you safe” kind of way.
The wilderness executive training setting gives the story atmosphere—mountain air, isolation, forced proximity. As the danger escalates, so does the intensity between them. And once Boone decides Mara is his? There’s no retreat.
High heat, dominant energy, fierce heroine, and a guaranteed HEA. If you love battle-of-wills romance with a hyper-competent ex-military hero who falls hard, this one absolutely delivers. 🏔️🔥.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
With these short spicy novellas, I don't expect much as a lot of them I have read either have too much spice and no plot or plot and zero spice. then in the worst case there's ones that have neither. Then there is the rare ones that have both. Good spice but a plot that is actually interesting and characters that have depth and you are actually invested in. This is one of those. The plot of this book plus the overarching plot of Guardian Peak Security had me researching all the books by Avery Shaw that features these broken MMCs and the FMCs that are also broken but together build each other up and never take anything for granted. Wolfe and Sadie are intense yet also hilarious. Boone and Mara couldn't be more opposite if they tried. Mara doesn't listen to instructions and basically does whatever she wants while Boone loves planning and order. While I think they complimented each other well, Mara wasn't my favourite FMC in the Guardian Peak universe. She was just a little irritating at times but not overly too much. The way this story was laid out for a short story was done so well. It didn't feel rushed yet was still a short read. I definitely recommend if you want a short read with a good plot and decent spice that isn't too in your face.
February 19, 2026
Guarded By The Mountain Man Veteran by Avery Shaw is part of the multi author Valor In The Mountains series and was a good read.
As a mountain man, bodyguard, best friend's daughter romance it had me hooked from the start with it's engaging characters Boone and Mara.
Boone, the ex Marine strategist and protective alpha is tasked to lead the protection of his best friend's daughter, Mara, a brilliant tech geek and CEO of her own highly successful company yet, stubborn and reckless when it comes to her own safety.
Boone is obsessive with strategic planning and has become somewhat obsessed with Mara through the client file and is determined to protect and claim her.
Mara fights Boone's schedules, rules and protocols but the sizzling between them is undeniable and both fight the magnetic pull whilst the threat is still alive.
The the push and pull between Boone and Mara, the action, suspense, and drama of the well paced plot, along with the other characters of Guardian Peak Security and the steam and spiciness, kept me turning the pages right through to the satisfying HEA.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
As a mountain man, bodyguard, best friend's daughter romance it had me hooked from the start with it's engaging characters Boone and Mara.
Boone, the ex Marine strategist and protective alpha is tasked to lead the protection of his best friend's daughter, Mara, a brilliant tech geek and CEO of her own highly successful company yet, stubborn and reckless when it comes to her own safety.
Boone is obsessive with strategic planning and has become somewhat obsessed with Mara through the client file and is determined to protect and claim her.
Mara fights Boone's schedules, rules and protocols but the sizzling between them is undeniable and both fight the magnetic pull whilst the threat is still alive.
The the push and pull between Boone and Mara, the action, suspense, and drama of the well paced plot, along with the other characters of Guardian Peak Security and the steam and spiciness, kept me turning the pages right through to the satisfying HEA.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Avery Shaw delivers an absolutely captivating story in Guarded by the Mountain Man Veteran! From the very first page, the chemistry between Boone—a meticulous ex-Marine strategist—and Mara—a brilliant, fearless CEO—leaps off the page. Their dynamic is electric, blending passion, humor, and heartfelt moments in a way that keeps you hooked.
The battle of wills between Boone and Mara is both entertaining and deeply moving. Mara’s rebellious spirit and Boone’s unwavering determination to protect create sparks that ignite into a truly unforgettable romance. The supporting cast adds warmth and laughter, making the world of Guardian Peak feel alive and welcoming.
Shaw’s writing shines with authenticity, balancing steamy tension and genuine sweetness. The bonus epilogue is a delightful treat, leaving readers with a smile long after the story ends. If you love strong characters, witty banter, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after, this book is a must-read!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The battle of wills between Boone and Mara is both entertaining and deeply moving. Mara’s rebellious spirit and Boone’s unwavering determination to protect create sparks that ignite into a truly unforgettable romance. The supporting cast adds warmth and laughter, making the world of Guardian Peak feel alive and welcoming.
Shaw’s writing shines with authenticity, balancing steamy tension and genuine sweetness. The bonus epilogue is a delightful treat, leaving readers with a smile long after the story ends. If you love strong characters, witty banter, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after, this book is a must-read!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy
I really enjoy Avery Shaw’s Mountain Man series of novellas set in the Nevada Mountains, near Grizzly Ridge. In each story, an ex-military man is recovering from his experiences by isolating himself in the mountains and doing protection for people needing it. A woman needing help barges into his established existence and soon changes it – she falls for him, and he finds he wants her. In this story, Mara is sent for protection by her father, another ex-military man, because competitors are trying to kill her because of inventions she has made in encryption. Boone, an old friend of her father, is assigned to guard her – although he isn’t happy to have her in his controlled space. As time passes, their proximity leads to love – and the serious threats she faces leads to bloodshed and almost costs Boone his life, before the HEA. I received a copy from Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving this review.
February 19, 2026
This is another quick but suspenseful read featuring Guardian Peak Security. One of the best elements of these stories is the strong female leads who challenge these veterans.
Boone is a veteran with scars from his service that drive him to tactical precision which makes him the perfect person to protect his friend’s brilliant daughter Mara.
Mara has developed encryption technology that makes her a target of those who want to control it. She makes a habit of ditching her security team and feels underestimated until she meets Boone.
The immediate attraction that sparks when they meet will not be denied. The descriptive imagery in this book made it easy to imagine the mountain compound even as the threats closed in.
I look forward to reading more from this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Boone is a veteran with scars from his service that drive him to tactical precision which makes him the perfect person to protect his friend’s brilliant daughter Mara.
Mara has developed encryption technology that makes her a target of those who want to control it. She makes a habit of ditching her security team and feels underestimated until she meets Boone.
The immediate attraction that sparks when they meet will not be denied. The descriptive imagery in this book made it easy to imagine the mountain compound even as the threats closed in.
I look forward to reading more from this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy
Boone is tasked with protecting his best friend's daughter, Mara. Boone plans everything down to the last detail with contingencies for every plan. Mara, a tech genius which has made her a target, is lured to Guardian Peak under the pretense that she is attending 'wilderness executive training'.
Mara is a rule breaker who brings chaos to Boone's ordered life driving him crazy. Despite their differences, these two are drawn to each other and soon act on their attraction.
When the threats become real and danger finds them, they must rely on each other and the rest of the Guardians to survive and get their HEA.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Mara is a rule breaker who brings chaos to Boone's ordered life driving him crazy. Despite their differences, these two are drawn to each other and soon act on their attraction.
When the threats become real and danger finds them, they must rely on each other and the rest of the Guardians to survive and get their HEA.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 24, 2026
Mountain Man romance.
Mara is a young woman working in the tech industry, but lately she's been facing a threat. Her father decides to ask a friend for help to protect her. While she's very reluctant to go up the mountain, she doesn't expect to fall for her bodyguard and her father's friend.
Boone is a mountain man working for a private security company. Preferring solitude, he's entrusted with the safety of his friend's daughter. This beautiful young woman with a fiery personality loves to push him to his limits, and he finds himself falling for her.
Will Mara and Boone have a beautiful love story, or is the danger behind Mara greater than they imagine….
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Mara is a young woman working in the tech industry, but lately she's been facing a threat. Her father decides to ask a friend for help to protect her. While she's very reluctant to go up the mountain, she doesn't expect to fall for her bodyguard and her father's friend.
Boone is a mountain man working for a private security company. Preferring solitude, he's entrusted with the safety of his friend's daughter. This beautiful young woman with a fiery personality loves to push him to his limits, and he finds himself falling for her.
Will Mara and Boone have a beautiful love story, or is the danger behind Mara greater than they imagine….
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Boone has been planning strategies his whole career. It has even slid into his whole personal life. Mara is chaos and trouble all wrapped into one formidable small explosive package that makes Boone's life just explode. He doesn't know whether to be thankful or be frustrated. The way these two come together makes for an unforgettable story that you just can't put down. The action in here keeps you on the edge of your seat, and you can't help but fall in love with these Alpha protective males that find their woman and turn into marshmallows that will burn the world down for their women. This is a must read, and I cannot wait to see what else comes out of this series.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Mara Plummer is a technology wizard, but besides being brilliant, she is also pig-headed and stubborn and a pain for her bodyguard, Boone, who is the best friend of Mara's father and asked to protect her. There is someone who wants Mara's technology, but doesn't want Mara to live. Boone has his hands full trying to protect someone who owns a billion-dollar company and is used to doing her own thing. Will Boone keep her alive as the sparks fly between them? This is a ca n't-put-down book to the end, and you don't want to miss it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 20, 2026
'Guarded By The Mountain Man Veteran is a red-hot mountain man romance featuring a controlling ex-Marine strategist, the brilliant CEO who refuses to follow his rules, and a battle of wills that explodes into dominant passion.'
The characters drove the storyline and they were so very appealing and complex and complicated and perfectly steamy together. Plot was intriguing and intense and exciting and well paced. World building was excellent and impressive. Enjoyed immensely and highly recommend.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The characters drove the storyline and they were so very appealing and complex and complicated and perfectly steamy together. Plot was intriguing and intense and exciting and well paced. World building was excellent and impressive. Enjoyed immensely and highly recommend.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 6, 2026
Death threats, an “executive retreat” for insurance purposes, a protective mountain man tactical planner, and a tech genius. I love that Avery not only wrote an engaging romance but also included some darker, more dangerous aspect. Most women would swoon for a man who not only protects them, but will take a bullet…or two for them, but it doesn’t usually work out that way. Boone and Mara had me swooning towards the end. I couldn't stop smiling like a loon. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series, I look forward to seeing what Avery has in store for Claiming the Forbidden.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 19, 2026
When Mara a CEO is being targeted, a mountain man Vet named Boone is assigned to protect her.
Mara is one fiesty woman and at first she rejected that she needs protection at all. But as danger gets closer, so does Boone who wants her. Their chemistry is explosive and very there from the start but she is in denial more than Boone.
So well done. Danger drama and suspense in a wonderful but fiesty romance. So good!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Mara is one fiesty woman and at first she rejected that she needs protection at all. But as danger gets closer, so does Boone who wants her. Their chemistry is explosive and very there from the start but she is in denial more than Boone.
So well done. Danger drama and suspense in a wonderful but fiesty romance. So good!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 2, 2026
Sparking in a lot of ways
Guarded By The Mountain Man Veteran by Avery Shaw is part of the multi-author Valor in the Mountains series. This was an enjoyable and entertaining read with a lot of sizzle and spark. Mara and Boone have an instant attraction but they spark in other ways also. He is determined to keep her safe using the skills he has learned and honed over the twenty years of his military career. She is in need of security but she does not want it, so she continually figures out how to get away from them. They are a steamy romance that sets the screen on fire.
Guarded By The Mountain Man Veteran by Avery Shaw is part of the multi-author Valor in the Mountains series. This was an enjoyable and entertaining read with a lot of sizzle and spark. Mara and Boone have an instant attraction but they spark in other ways also. He is determined to keep her safe using the skills he has learned and honed over the twenty years of his military career. She is in need of security but she does not want it, so she continually figures out how to get away from them. They are a steamy romance that sets the screen on fire.
Review of advance copy
Valor In The Mountains, Guardian Peak Spinoff story of Mara Plummer and Boone. Now that was entertaining and page turning fun, I loved how Mara kept Boone on his toes. I have to say the protective way Boone made sure to take care of Mara was more than enough to have me blushing and holding my breath in anticipation.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy
Guarded By The Mountain Man Veteran by Avery Shaw, is a short, action packed, instalove romance. Mara is in danger and her father requests that his best friend, Boon, and the rest of Guardian Peak keep her safe. Mara is super intelligent, stubborn, and no shrinking violet. When Boon and Mara meet, despite their strong attraction to each other they butt heads.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy
Mara and Boone were so much fun. She’s stubborn as all heck and drove him up a wall. But he was so taken by her, all he wanted to do was protect her and make her his. The push and pull between these two was so much fun. I really enjoy these novellas. They pack so much into so few pages. It feels like you’re reading a full length novel the way these are written. I enjoyed the banter, and the tension. Just fun overall.
February 21, 2026
I loved the connection between these two, they spoke to each other and opened themselves up to chaos, change and love. I liked seeing Mara stand up for herself, connect with Boone's family and see her learn to listen and accept help and protection. I enjoyed seeing them both grow, stand together strong and not let anything stand in the way of them having a chance at a HEA.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 26, 2026
Boone is a planner he is the tactician of his team and good at what he does. Mara is going to be the most difficult assignment he has received for two reason first is her ability to make her security team scream and two his inability to avoid the draw to her. It’s sweet and steamy with fun banter and some danger. Love the HEA and they way their love is so purely perfectly theirs.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 27, 2026
Another exciting action filled suspenseful adventure with the Guardian Peak Security team. Boone is assigned the security of Mara Plummer a genius in quantum physics. Someone wants her work and will do anything to not only get her work but her. Her dad has hired the team to guard her. When she arrives she is immediately attracted to Boone. He is a tactical planner and needs some loosening up and Mara is perfect for the job.
March 4, 2026
Really enjoy this series on Guardian Peak, nice to see characters from other stories here. She is a physicist and her encryption software and her are under threat. She comes to the mountains for security and finds her protector and guardian ready for any scenario. Great characters, well developed, engaging and riveting storyline, read this story in one sitting. Highly recommended!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 17, 2026
Boone lives by precision until Mara storms into Guardian Peak with her genius mind, zero fear, and a talent for blowing up his carefully controlled world. The only problem is that she is his best friend's daughter and he has asked him to keep his daughter safe. What he doesn't expect is to become obsessed with Mara. Will he be able to keep her safe while keeping his distance? Or will the chemistry between them be too hard to ignore for long?
Review of advance copy received from Author
As with all Guardian Peak stories Boone and Mara’s love story is not without its dangers. Someone out to kill Mara, Boone trying to protect her. It reads like an action film. Fast pace, full of danger, with HEA. There are things Boone can’t plan for and that’s what makes Mara perfect for him.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Love it! Avery’s stories progresses well, always. This book has a touch of danger with the spice. The FMC is overly independent. The MMC is overly cautious. They fall hard. Such a sweet HEA. Make sure to read the bonus epilogue.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
He is hired by her dad his best friend to protect her as she has a hit out on her due to her technology. He plans for everything or so he though. It does have drama and suspense, and action. She gives as good as she gets. I enjoyed their characters and story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
A short story but I found it captivating as Boone is ready to protect Mara from danger and in the process they’ve developed a crazy attraction to each other. Death threats become a reality and security turns into swat situations and gun fire. Lots of action and lots off loving.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 23, 2026
I was lucky enough to get a free ARC Coy of this book and I voluntarily chose to review it. This was a well written short story with wonderful characters. This is one for that short reading time, but you need a good story to read. I would have liked to have seen more of their story. I encourage everyone to get this one it is worth your time.
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