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Lumberjacks in Love #1
Billionaire Lumberjack
Rescued by the billionaire lumberjack...
Lost.
Alone.
Freezing on the side of a desolate mountain in a massive snowstorm.
Until a rugged man with an ax saves me.
Waking in his warm, comfortable bed leaves more than one question.
How did I get here?
Where are my clothes?
And who is this handsome recluse with striking dark eyes and a grumpy demeanor?
The answers only bring more mysteries.
He doesn’t want me here.
Doesn’t want his secrets exposed.
I don’t want him to know mine, either.
But there’s only so long we can deny this sizzling attraction.
Only so long until I learn the truth about my billionaire lumberjack and our pasts come back to haunt us.
Grab this steamy stand-alone about a billionaire in hiding, the photographer who stumbles upon him, and what happens when they’re trapped together during a major snow storm with building attraction and dark secrets!
Lost.
Alone.
Freezing on the side of a desolate mountain in a massive snowstorm.
Until a rugged man with an ax saves me.
Waking in his warm, comfortable bed leaves more than one question.
How did I get here?
Where are my clothes?
And who is this handsome recluse with striking dark eyes and a grumpy demeanor?
The answers only bring more mysteries.
He doesn’t want me here.
Doesn’t want his secrets exposed.
I don’t want him to know mine, either.
But there’s only so long we can deny this sizzling attraction.
Only so long until I learn the truth about my billionaire lumberjack and our pasts come back to haunt us.
Grab this steamy stand-alone about a billionaire in hiding, the photographer who stumbles upon him, and what happens when they’re trapped together during a major snow storm with building attraction and dark secrets!
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 6, 2022
1118 people are currently reading
1828 people want to read
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October 27, 2023
RATING: 2.5/3 stars to Billionaire Lumberjack ★ ★ ★
Billionaire Lumberjack's cover was a temptation I was unable to withstand, but I can't say the story echoes in quite the same way. It's easy to appreciate the components of the story in isolation and they work companionably well in combination: a misanthropic mountain man concealing his identity, a woman running from something equally unsung, painful backstories, a near-death hypothermic meet and greet, a cabin in the wilderness, angst and trauma, a secluded, frostbitten location and tense close proximity as the love interests circle like spooked, wounded woodland creatures. It sounds romance-worthy, and I admit to being drawn in by parts and in places, but in its full-length glory I was left feeling unsatisfied and unconvinced. I can easily see the romance readership launching themselves at this book - and enjoying it - so I genuinely believe it'll easily find its audience, but I'm not quite sure I belong among them. But first, I share an overview. This is a different life for Beau than the one he used to know. It's one resting upon an isolated incline of a mountain, far from convenienced life. And it's just how he likes it. Beau turned to an extreme life after a tragic situation had him seek a more humble way of living. He's lived this way ten years without disturbance, until a woman poorly equipped finds her car at a standstill in the middle of an approaching storm, only a few miles from his man-made cabin. After a hard, weatherworn footslog she's rescued by cabin man Beau just before she sinks into the hand of hypothermia. And her saviour is not a happy man for it. At all. He wants his hideaway back, a place of one and only one. But with a snowstorm blitzing across the mountain, he has an unplanned visitor who's not going to get a very warm welcome.
As an introductory experience for me, I did feel at odds with my first Gwyn McNamee romance. The relationship is a push and pull slow-warmer, especially with both MCs uncomfortable and disconcerted In the presence of the other (though the attraction hits early in). Their suffering may be different but their personal histories leave them distanced, closed-off, unforthcoming, uneasily-habitated and unlikely to strike up any sort of bond without resistance (though it's mainly Beau that befits the list). Beau's definitely the 'you're getting no warm welcome from me' kind of man, even if he does nurse Brooke back from a hypothermic state. I understand the author's purpose in characterising him the way she did: reactive, abrasive, disposed to furious outbursts and generally unpleasant to be around after years away from civilisation and socialisation. And with his frequently flaring temper, he does unsettle Brooke often enough. Unfortunately, it leaves his heroine feeling uncomfortable, unwanted and desperate to be a helping hand for a woman who's just recently found freedom from an abusive relationship. He does have it in him to apologise (and does acknowledge his mistakes privately, if not always to her face, though he does that too) and I suppose he's redeemable in ways, but his temperament doesn't lend itself to playing well with a relationship where he seems capable of transforming enough to find his own healing. He is more developed than Brooke, though still not particularly reachable. He has his moments, which I appreciate, especially as considerate as he was with the issue of consent when they first meet, but I did find myself uncomfortable with the way he behaved, despite the author walking a respectably safe line between mercurial, irascible and unregulated vs. deliberately abusive.
Brooke does seem to feel safe in his presence, so there's something to say for that, and she trusts in his character (though I'm not sure how to take that knowledge when she hasn't had he space to get to know him and he doesn't trust her explicitly in return), but with her characterised as she is (an abusive relationship survivor), it's easy for her to assume the role of a watchful people-pleaser who always feels obligated to please, ameliorate and help her way out of any potential conflict. I understand the custom of being helpful to someone who's offering immediate shelter and warmth, but Beau makes it very clear he's not particularly doing so by choice, often, and frequently guilts her into feeling bad about her intrusion when she almost died and did nothing wrong but follow possible signs of living to seek shelter lest she tragically cease to live, levelled by a snowstorm. And continues to share how utterly, furiously inconvenienced he is by her. He's not shy of making her feel like she's nothing but an unsuspecting inconvenience to him. The reader knows it plays to the dual purpose of him wanting to remain solo, unassisted and deserted but also rattled by the fact that living with her causes him to face who he's become apart from the wider world. And it's not someone he likes. And of course, he's developing a case of 'the feels' and is not a happy lumberjack for it. We can really see the struggle and he does try to temper his attitude, aware of his own flaws and foibles, but maybe I'd have actually found him to be more likeable if he'd had a more connectable bearing, one that lent itself to more relationship growth as opposed to one that's mostly minimalist and marginally developed. I just didn't feel the connection between them.
I felt more disengaged from the characterisation than I thought I would. I felt this way about both Beau and Brooke (moreso Brooke) and I'm inclined to say it's in the way they're written. I can handle resistance In character, just not when it lasts too long and comes at the expense of what could be an effectively-attended connection. I get that avoidance was Beau's lifestyle strategy but as it was, their relationship always felt on edge, always at the cusp of breaking or turning a breath away from being back to sullen, miserable strangers. They're protagonists with clear backstories of harm and trauma but they lacked the resulting complexity, connection and characterisation to fulfill those profiles. They may exist within close proximity but an emotional connection always felt so out of reach. They both felt like solitary islands that reluctantly edge closer to each other, sharing the distanced comfort of companionship but without unmounting their Islands and merging, no matter what the script was telling me. I felt this particularly with Beau. There's always a wall between, even with those near misses of Intimacy. And even after the revealing of secrets, I never felt that wall come down. Their cautionary positions as two people hiding secrets didn't meld with the intimacy needed to grow a connection in the time limited to them. I found it a bit hard to buy into the authenticity of that, and their story felt incomplete in different ways. I wished both of them had worked through their emotions adequately enough so I could believe in whatever connection they thought they had. And perhaps some therapeutic intervention would have been beneficial for them both because I can see them falling into trauma cycles. A relationship alone won't fix that. All of this considered, the events of the epilogue felt too premature
Back to Brooke, it's very easy to understand her apology state of mind, given her history and what she'd escaped, but she often seemed to be so persistently apologetic when it would often be Beau who was the unpleasant one in any situation. I didn't take to the power balance of her expressing apology without fail and him moodily making her feel bad for her presence. There were few moments when what I believe to be the real Brooke speaks straightforwardly and to her own end but was often self-blaming, pacifying, forgiving, and too easy to point the finger at herself when the blame mostly wasn't hers to carry; all she did was exist in a situation that was wholly out of her control. Being concerned with what Beau deserves and her own erroneousness in imposing herself on him, we get that it's his territory but his territoriality would often irritate me. I would have appreciated more growth on her part. We know Beau's capable of emotionality, and even with some of his later gestures, I wanted to see a softer side to him. There's perhaps too much repetitious commentary within the narration and they rehash the same issues/thoughts over and over. The inner monologue tends to encourage the elliptical nature of what we're being told, and it becomes far too repetitive, even as it serves to work up the secret-keeping angle. The story always hints at the secrecy in effect (and It's not a hard push to guess what they're hiding), cluing us in to traumatic backstories that are yet to earn the light. And their way out of the cabin. But I have to admit, after the tense build-up, the subsequent secrets weren't particularly revelatory, even if I did enjoy the twisty intrusion to their cabin life.
Unluckily, it was routinely easy for me to lose interest with this one, and of course, that's not what I wanted to happen and not how I wanted to feel. I loved the idea of the romance more than I did the actual romance. It's dramatic without successfully hitting home, and with how impacted their lives have become through their respective traumas, the resolution wasn't persuasive, required more for the plausibility factor and didn't tap into its full potential. Connection to the characters is a critical milestone I need to hit to enjoy a story, and I never felt endeared to either MC, and coupled with what sometimes felt like unmet character profiles, an underdeveloped romantic connection and a romance that doesn't move out of the complication stage, I wasn't immersed to the eyeballs like I wanted to be. The spice was good, as was that one scene where a cigar-smoking Beau made a swoony picture as he toplessly lays into some wood with his handy axe (which might've been the highlight for me). But even though he later tells Brooke 'anything for your lumberjack fantasies' I can't proudly declare he was one of mine (with the exception of that aforementioned scene, of course - I might just mentally replay that on a loop). But I let other doting readers do what I couldn't do, feel what I couldn't feel and find some joy in this reclusive romance. A story of uncomfortable cabin companions with secrets they don't want to share. A flawed, misanthropic wilderness dweller with only his quiet cabin, his animals and the snow-white conditions to keep him company and a stranded heroine who always feels a step away from another misstep and doesn't get the cabin experience she hoped for are pushed into the fates of the other in this snowed-in romance. For better or worse, stuck with each they are. Unwanted guests, uncomfortable silences, viscous conditions, it's a merry little time.
Content Warning: lots of salty language from both MCs (from the outset). Some violence and blood. Drinking. PTSD, grief, past deaths, panic. Past physically/emotionally abusive relationship. Past episodes of domestic assault. Past shooting. Past parental deaths.
-----------------------------------------------
Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews
T W I T T E R: @TheVicarious1
I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts
-----------------------------------------------
Billionaire Lumberjack's cover was a temptation I was unable to withstand, but I can't say the story echoes in quite the same way. It's easy to appreciate the components of the story in isolation and they work companionably well in combination: a misanthropic mountain man concealing his identity, a woman running from something equally unsung, painful backstories, a near-death hypothermic meet and greet, a cabin in the wilderness, angst and trauma, a secluded, frostbitten location and tense close proximity as the love interests circle like spooked, wounded woodland creatures. It sounds romance-worthy, and I admit to being drawn in by parts and in places, but in its full-length glory I was left feeling unsatisfied and unconvinced. I can easily see the romance readership launching themselves at this book - and enjoying it - so I genuinely believe it'll easily find its audience, but I'm not quite sure I belong among them. But first, I share an overview. This is a different life for Beau than the one he used to know. It's one resting upon an isolated incline of a mountain, far from convenienced life. And it's just how he likes it. Beau turned to an extreme life after a tragic situation had him seek a more humble way of living. He's lived this way ten years without disturbance, until a woman poorly equipped finds her car at a standstill in the middle of an approaching storm, only a few miles from his man-made cabin. After a hard, weatherworn footslog she's rescued by cabin man Beau just before she sinks into the hand of hypothermia. And her saviour is not a happy man for it. At all. He wants his hideaway back, a place of one and only one. But with a snowstorm blitzing across the mountain, he has an unplanned visitor who's not going to get a very warm welcome.
As an introductory experience for me, I did feel at odds with my first Gwyn McNamee romance. The relationship is a push and pull slow-warmer, especially with both MCs uncomfortable and disconcerted In the presence of the other (though the attraction hits early in). Their suffering may be different but their personal histories leave them distanced, closed-off, unforthcoming, uneasily-habitated and unlikely to strike up any sort of bond without resistance (though it's mainly Beau that befits the list). Beau's definitely the 'you're getting no warm welcome from me' kind of man, even if he does nurse Brooke back from a hypothermic state. I understand the author's purpose in characterising him the way she did: reactive, abrasive, disposed to furious outbursts and generally unpleasant to be around after years away from civilisation and socialisation. And with his frequently flaring temper, he does unsettle Brooke often enough. Unfortunately, it leaves his heroine feeling uncomfortable, unwanted and desperate to be a helping hand for a woman who's just recently found freedom from an abusive relationship. He does have it in him to apologise (and does acknowledge his mistakes privately, if not always to her face, though he does that too) and I suppose he's redeemable in ways, but his temperament doesn't lend itself to playing well with a relationship where he seems capable of transforming enough to find his own healing. He is more developed than Brooke, though still not particularly reachable. He has his moments, which I appreciate, especially as considerate as he was with the issue of consent when they first meet, but I did find myself uncomfortable with the way he behaved, despite the author walking a respectably safe line between mercurial, irascible and unregulated vs. deliberately abusive.
Brooke does seem to feel safe in his presence, so there's something to say for that, and she trusts in his character (though I'm not sure how to take that knowledge when she hasn't had he space to get to know him and he doesn't trust her explicitly in return), but with her characterised as she is (an abusive relationship survivor), it's easy for her to assume the role of a watchful people-pleaser who always feels obligated to please, ameliorate and help her way out of any potential conflict. I understand the custom of being helpful to someone who's offering immediate shelter and warmth, but Beau makes it very clear he's not particularly doing so by choice, often, and frequently guilts her into feeling bad about her intrusion when she almost died and did nothing wrong but follow possible signs of living to seek shelter lest she tragically cease to live, levelled by a snowstorm. And continues to share how utterly, furiously inconvenienced he is by her. He's not shy of making her feel like she's nothing but an unsuspecting inconvenience to him. The reader knows it plays to the dual purpose of him wanting to remain solo, unassisted and deserted but also rattled by the fact that living with her causes him to face who he's become apart from the wider world. And it's not someone he likes. And of course, he's developing a case of 'the feels' and is not a happy lumberjack for it. We can really see the struggle and he does try to temper his attitude, aware of his own flaws and foibles, but maybe I'd have actually found him to be more likeable if he'd had a more connectable bearing, one that lent itself to more relationship growth as opposed to one that's mostly minimalist and marginally developed. I just didn't feel the connection between them.
I felt more disengaged from the characterisation than I thought I would. I felt this way about both Beau and Brooke (moreso Brooke) and I'm inclined to say it's in the way they're written. I can handle resistance In character, just not when it lasts too long and comes at the expense of what could be an effectively-attended connection. I get that avoidance was Beau's lifestyle strategy but as it was, their relationship always felt on edge, always at the cusp of breaking or turning a breath away from being back to sullen, miserable strangers. They're protagonists with clear backstories of harm and trauma but they lacked the resulting complexity, connection and characterisation to fulfill those profiles. They may exist within close proximity but an emotional connection always felt so out of reach. They both felt like solitary islands that reluctantly edge closer to each other, sharing the distanced comfort of companionship but without unmounting their Islands and merging, no matter what the script was telling me. I felt this particularly with Beau. There's always a wall between, even with those near misses of Intimacy. And even after the revealing of secrets, I never felt that wall come down. Their cautionary positions as two people hiding secrets didn't meld with the intimacy needed to grow a connection in the time limited to them. I found it a bit hard to buy into the authenticity of that, and their story felt incomplete in different ways. I wished both of them had worked through their emotions adequately enough so I could believe in whatever connection they thought they had. And perhaps some therapeutic intervention would have been beneficial for them both because I can see them falling into trauma cycles. A relationship alone won't fix that. All of this considered, the events of the epilogue felt too premature
Back to Brooke, it's very easy to understand her apology state of mind, given her history and what she'd escaped, but she often seemed to be so persistently apologetic when it would often be Beau who was the unpleasant one in any situation. I didn't take to the power balance of her expressing apology without fail and him moodily making her feel bad for her presence. There were few moments when what I believe to be the real Brooke speaks straightforwardly and to her own end but was often self-blaming, pacifying, forgiving, and too easy to point the finger at herself when the blame mostly wasn't hers to carry; all she did was exist in a situation that was wholly out of her control. Being concerned with what Beau deserves and her own erroneousness in imposing herself on him, we get that it's his territory but his territoriality would often irritate me. I would have appreciated more growth on her part. We know Beau's capable of emotionality, and even with some of his later gestures, I wanted to see a softer side to him. There's perhaps too much repetitious commentary within the narration and they rehash the same issues/thoughts over and over. The inner monologue tends to encourage the elliptical nature of what we're being told, and it becomes far too repetitive, even as it serves to work up the secret-keeping angle. The story always hints at the secrecy in effect (and It's not a hard push to guess what they're hiding), cluing us in to traumatic backstories that are yet to earn the light. And their way out of the cabin. But I have to admit, after the tense build-up, the subsequent secrets weren't particularly revelatory, even if I did enjoy the twisty intrusion to their cabin life.
Unluckily, it was routinely easy for me to lose interest with this one, and of course, that's not what I wanted to happen and not how I wanted to feel. I loved the idea of the romance more than I did the actual romance. It's dramatic without successfully hitting home, and with how impacted their lives have become through their respective traumas, the resolution wasn't persuasive, required more for the plausibility factor and didn't tap into its full potential. Connection to the characters is a critical milestone I need to hit to enjoy a story, and I never felt endeared to either MC, and coupled with what sometimes felt like unmet character profiles, an underdeveloped romantic connection and a romance that doesn't move out of the complication stage, I wasn't immersed to the eyeballs like I wanted to be. The spice was good, as was that one scene where a cigar-smoking Beau made a swoony picture as he toplessly lays into some wood with his handy axe (which might've been the highlight for me). But even though he later tells Brooke 'anything for your lumberjack fantasies' I can't proudly declare he was one of mine (with the exception of that aforementioned scene, of course - I might just mentally replay that on a loop). But I let other doting readers do what I couldn't do, feel what I couldn't feel and find some joy in this reclusive romance. A story of uncomfortable cabin companions with secrets they don't want to share. A flawed, misanthropic wilderness dweller with only his quiet cabin, his animals and the snow-white conditions to keep him company and a stranded heroine who always feels a step away from another misstep and doesn't get the cabin experience she hoped for are pushed into the fates of the other in this snowed-in romance. For better or worse, stuck with each they are. Unwanted guests, uncomfortable silences, viscous conditions, it's a merry little time.
Content Warning: lots of salty language from both MCs (from the outset). Some violence and blood. Drinking. PTSD, grief, past deaths, panic. Past physically/emotionally abusive relationship. Past episodes of domestic assault. Past shooting. Past parental deaths.
-----------------------------------------------
Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews
T W I T T E R: @TheVicarious1
I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts
-----------------------------------------------
November 4, 2023
Surprisingly unpredictable!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙🖤💜💖
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌍
Character development: 😟🤭😤☺️
The heroine: Brooke - She has had a terrible last few days. She was going to leave the country on an ‘extended vacation’ to figure out what she wants to do with her life but the Seattle-Tacoma airport was closed, so she decided to take a friend up on the offer to for some time alone at her friend’s mountain cabin.
The Hero: Beau - He is a billionaire CEO of his own company, but he lives in the mountains in an isolated cabin all alone. He pays people well to take care of his business and makes sure that he never has to go to board meetings or anything else. The work he does do for his company is over the phone. He left the world for a reason and he doesn’t want to go back. He loves the isolation of his cabin and likes to be alone.
The Story: As Brooke was driving up to her friends’ cabin in the mountains, a snowstorm came in and the check engine light on her Jeep came on. It wasn’t long before her Jeep just shut down and Brooke had no idea that she had missed her turn and was nowhere near any town. Though she did see chimney smoke in the distance, so she made her way through the woods to Beau’s cabin.
By the time she arrived, the snowstorm had gotten much worse, and Brooke hadn’t really been well prepared to go to the mountains, so she didn’t have great outerwear and was nearly hypothermic. When she saw Beau with an axe, she passed out. So, they ended up stuck together until the storm ended and she could get her Jeep towed out of where it sat.
I liked the story from the start. Beau was a bit grumpy for having his isolation disturbed unexpectedly but overall, he was pretty good about it. Both of the main characters have past trauma, so it was a while before that all came out. I actually had no idea what each of their backstories would be and though there were clues, I still was so wrong. It isn’t often that an author can surprise me and it made the story so much better. I hate it when you already know the truth before it is revealed.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙🖤💜💖
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌍
Character development: 😟🤭😤☺️
The heroine: Brooke - She has had a terrible last few days. She was going to leave the country on an ‘extended vacation’ to figure out what she wants to do with her life but the Seattle-Tacoma airport was closed, so she decided to take a friend up on the offer to for some time alone at her friend’s mountain cabin.
The Hero: Beau - He is a billionaire CEO of his own company, but he lives in the mountains in an isolated cabin all alone. He pays people well to take care of his business and makes sure that he never has to go to board meetings or anything else. The work he does do for his company is over the phone. He left the world for a reason and he doesn’t want to go back. He loves the isolation of his cabin and likes to be alone.
The Story: As Brooke was driving up to her friends’ cabin in the mountains, a snowstorm came in and the check engine light on her Jeep came on. It wasn’t long before her Jeep just shut down and Brooke had no idea that she had missed her turn and was nowhere near any town. Though she did see chimney smoke in the distance, so she made her way through the woods to Beau’s cabin.
By the time she arrived, the snowstorm had gotten much worse, and Brooke hadn’t really been well prepared to go to the mountains, so she didn’t have great outerwear and was nearly hypothermic. When she saw Beau with an axe, she passed out. So, they ended up stuck together until the storm ended and she could get her Jeep towed out of where it sat.
I liked the story from the start. Beau was a bit grumpy for having his isolation disturbed unexpectedly but overall, he was pretty good about it. Both of the main characters have past trauma, so it was a while before that all came out. I actually had no idea what each of their backstories would be and though there were clues, I still was so wrong. It isn’t often that an author can surprise me and it made the story so much better. I hate it when you already know the truth before it is revealed.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
did-not-finish
September 3, 2023DNF at 55%. I got this as an advanced reader copy... and I will not be subjecting myself to any more.
I wasn't expecting literature with a title like this; however, for the first 45%, I was pleasantly surprised. Except for some weird issues (I'll list below), this was an engaging story with two likable protagonists with secrets in their pasts who are shoved together by a storm and circumstance.
We get some soothing and cuddles to help with nightmares and a slow getting to know you.
However, around 50%, this just goes off the rails. The heroine goes from obviously traumatized and somewhat scared of the hero (who has been pretty gruff and even yelled at her for what seemed to be a small thing) to horny as all get out and initiating sex. It felt out of place and out of character and out of story.
These two people are so secretive, they haven't even shared their real names, let alone the traumas that brought them to this point. I was not ready for them to jump into bed.
I should have known because of the lazy issues. Everytime I notice some small things that make no sense, they end up being a sign that the author is going to poop the bed and take a pleasurable book to crapville. Here are the random and strange facts that should have alerted me:
1. The heroine comes across the hero when he is using an ax to chop down a tree. But wait, there's blood on his ax. Is he a murderer!? No. He was killing a squirrel (with his ax?)... and it magically made it's way into stew for the day. Uh... why was he using his ax on a squirrel? What was a squirrel even doing out wandering in a blizzard? How was there so much blood on the ax that the heroine could see it from far away (in a blizzard)? Why eat squirrel if you're not desperate? He's a billionaire, he can have food flown in. He has electricity so he could freeze all sorts of meat! Why is he eating squirrel!? I have so many questions.
2. The hero realizes a blizzard is coming on so he goes out to the forest to chop down a tree for firewood cause he doesn't have enough to make it through the blizzard. Uh, what? He's been living in the woods for 10 years and he doesn't know how to stockpile wood? Also, fresh trees do not good firewood make. They must be seasoned and dried... for a while.
3. The hero's house has a 10-20 foot high fireplace in it to heat this house. What? I was listening the the audiobook so I MUST have heard wrong. You don't use a huge open fireplace in a cabin... also, how big is this? You have a closed stove and you don't constantly feed it wood. The idea that they would go through his entire woodpile in a few days!? So weird. Has this author never been to the cold or to the woods or both!?
4. The heroine walks in on the hero in the shower while he's jerking off and moaning her name. There is NO WAY THAT YOU COULD ACCIDENTALLY WALK IN ON SOMEONE! She would have seen the CLOSED door and heard the running shower. It makes no sense.
5. They both have "deep, dark secrets". But they're so deep and dark, the reader doesn't have a clue what's going on and we're past 50%. By this time, I should know something about them. Especially if they're going to have sexy times. This wasn't an instalove/instalust book (at the start)... but it's definitely feeling like instalust with absolutely no foundation for their actions.
I'm sure there was more... but I'm done. I don't have time for stupid.
I wasn't expecting literature with a title like this; however, for the first 45%, I was pleasantly surprised. Except for some weird issues (I'll list below), this was an engaging story with two likable protagonists with secrets in their pasts who are shoved together by a storm and circumstance.
We get some soothing and cuddles to help with nightmares and a slow getting to know you.
However, around 50%, this just goes off the rails. The heroine goes from obviously traumatized and somewhat scared of the hero (who has been pretty gruff and even yelled at her for what seemed to be a small thing) to horny as all get out and initiating sex. It felt out of place and out of character and out of story.
These two people are so secretive, they haven't even shared their real names, let alone the traumas that brought them to this point. I was not ready for them to jump into bed.
I should have known because of the lazy issues. Everytime I notice some small things that make no sense, they end up being a sign that the author is going to poop the bed and take a pleasurable book to crapville. Here are the random and strange facts that should have alerted me:
1. The heroine comes across the hero when he is using an ax to chop down a tree. But wait, there's blood on his ax. Is he a murderer!? No. He was killing a squirrel (with his ax?)... and it magically made it's way into stew for the day. Uh... why was he using his ax on a squirrel? What was a squirrel even doing out wandering in a blizzard? How was there so much blood on the ax that the heroine could see it from far away (in a blizzard)? Why eat squirrel if you're not desperate? He's a billionaire, he can have food flown in. He has electricity so he could freeze all sorts of meat! Why is he eating squirrel!? I have so many questions.
2. The hero realizes a blizzard is coming on so he goes out to the forest to chop down a tree for firewood cause he doesn't have enough to make it through the blizzard. Uh, what? He's been living in the woods for 10 years and he doesn't know how to stockpile wood? Also, fresh trees do not good firewood make. They must be seasoned and dried... for a while.
3. The hero's house has a 10-20 foot high fireplace in it to heat this house. What? I was listening the the audiobook so I MUST have heard wrong. You don't use a huge open fireplace in a cabin... also, how big is this? You have a closed stove and you don't constantly feed it wood. The idea that they would go through his entire woodpile in a few days!? So weird. Has this author never been to the cold or to the woods or both!?
4. The heroine walks in on the hero in the shower while he's jerking off and moaning her name. There is NO WAY THAT YOU COULD ACCIDENTALLY WALK IN ON SOMEONE! She would have seen the CLOSED door and heard the running shower. It makes no sense.
5. They both have "deep, dark secrets". But they're so deep and dark, the reader doesn't have a clue what's going on and we're past 50%. By this time, I should know something about them. Especially if they're going to have sexy times. This wasn't an instalove/instalust book (at the start)... but it's definitely feeling like instalust with absolutely no foundation for their actions.
I'm sure there was more... but I'm done. I don't have time for stupid.
April 30, 2024
Well, this book surprised me!!
I didn't expect that twist, which was awesome. The chemistry from the main characters was sooooooo good. They were just right in every way that just worked beautifully 😍 ✨️
I didn't expect that twist, which was awesome. The chemistry from the main characters was sooooooo good. They were just right in every way that just worked beautifully 😍 ✨️
October 21, 2024
2 stars?
DNF
1. The heroine is unable to utter a sentence without dropping at least three f-bombs in it.
2. Plus, she is very unlikeable, keeps bitching about everyone and everything, takes zero accountability for her actions and whatever happens to her is always someone else's fault.
Could anything be more annoying?
3. He saved her stupid unconscious ass when she was freezing outside, yet once she woke up, she attacked him and accused him of taking advantage of her.
Of course, the f-bombs constant on her lips.
Even when she talks about food or some other mundane stuff.
Plus, her stupidity is just unbearable.
I gave this book the first 4 chapters and that was already enough.
And while the hero was ok, I can't continue the book if the heroine is this stupid and this annoying.
That's just not gonna happen.
But the writing itself wasn't bad, so I think I might try sth else from this author.
Just hope not all her heroines are like Brook.
Our stupid, annoying little Brook.
DNF
1. The heroine is unable to utter a sentence without dropping at least three f-bombs in it.
2. Plus, she is very unlikeable, keeps bitching about everyone and everything, takes zero accountability for her actions and whatever happens to her is always someone else's fault.
Could anything be more annoying?
3. He saved her stupid unconscious ass when she was freezing outside, yet once she woke up, she attacked him and accused him of taking advantage of her.
Of course, the f-bombs constant on her lips.
Even when she talks about food or some other mundane stuff.
Plus, her stupidity is just unbearable.
I gave this book the first 4 chapters and that was already enough.
And while the hero was ok, I can't continue the book if the heroine is this stupid and this annoying.
That's just not gonna happen.
But the writing itself wasn't bad, so I think I might try sth else from this author.
Just hope not all her heroines are like Brook.
Our stupid, annoying little Brook.
August 31, 2025
Honestly, the further I got in this book, I just wanted it to be over.
Brooke wasn’t likable to me.
We’re never given her age, and only once, near the end, are we given a suggestion of Beau’s age.
I hate it when authors don’t give us readers the ages of the MCs.
Spoilers below……….
I found it really hard to believe that Beau fell so hard, and fast, for Brooke. So much so, that he was willing to come down off the mountain. Ok, sure.
Then we have the overused cliches of:
A) Billionaire that can afford anything, even your 2 million dollar bail. Oh, and, the best attorney and defense team.
B) The man who basically runs the company while Beau is away is, wait for it…his best friend, Nate. Because OF COURSE there has to be that kind of relationship between the CEO and the man responsible for the upkeep of the company. Oh, and the kick-ass attorney? He’s been friends with Beau since they were teenagers.
Right. Sure. Okay. How amazing that all of Beau’s friends are just so fucking amazing.
C) Brooke gets off scotch-free. I understand that it was self-defense, however, even self-defense would have something that she needed to do or serve (or whatever) according to the law. Or maybe not. I never said I knew anything about that.
D) Brooke is the typical, don’t—tell—me—what—to—do type of heroine. Ugh.
There were also some misspellings in the book.
I wouldn’t read more of this author’s work.
Brooke wasn’t likable to me.
We’re never given her age, and only once, near the end, are we given a suggestion of Beau’s age.
I hate it when authors don’t give us readers the ages of the MCs.
Spoilers below……….
I found it really hard to believe that Beau fell so hard, and fast, for Brooke. So much so, that he was willing to come down off the mountain. Ok, sure.
Then we have the overused cliches of:
A) Billionaire that can afford anything, even your 2 million dollar bail. Oh, and, the best attorney and defense team.
B) The man who basically runs the company while Beau is away is, wait for it…his best friend, Nate. Because OF COURSE there has to be that kind of relationship between the CEO and the man responsible for the upkeep of the company. Oh, and the kick-ass attorney? He’s been friends with Beau since they were teenagers.
Right. Sure. Okay. How amazing that all of Beau’s friends are just so fucking amazing.
C) Brooke gets off scotch-free. I understand that it was self-defense, however, even self-defense would have something that she needed to do or serve (or whatever) according to the law. Or maybe not. I never said I knew anything about that.
D) Brooke is the typical, don’t—tell—me—what—to—do type of heroine. Ugh.
There were also some misspellings in the book.
I wouldn’t read more of this author’s work.
July 1, 2024
I'm embarrassed that I read this trash.
May 21, 2024
One wrong turn and Brooke finds herself stuck in a secluded mountain cabin with gruff but sexy recluse Beau. While they both have secrets they keep from each other, their proximity and attraction unleash a passion that neither thought themselves capable of anymore. They are so wrapped up in each other they forget about the outside world until it comes flying in to rip them apart. As they say, secrets have a way of coming back to bite you, and theirs certainly do.
May 19, 2023
They need therapy, not just love
Spoiler alert:
This is a dramatic, angsty book. The reader knows that they're both damaged, both hiding things, but we don't know what. The amount of drama, angst and subterfuge, on top of the serious nature of both traumas, makes the "love conquers all" theme unrealistic. I think what bothers me most, though, given the nature of her previous walking-on-eggshells abusive relationship, is the statement in the epilogue about her watching him and trying to read him to make sure she gave him what he needed. Isn't that the same way she related to her abuser? Granted our hero isn't an abuser, but she was often fearful of him in the beginning, and while he may have tempered his gruffness, she hasn't learned that she isn't responsible for anticipating his needs and filling them. Love is grand, but I think they both need therapy, too.
Spoiler alert:
This is a dramatic, angsty book. The reader knows that they're both damaged, both hiding things, but we don't know what. The amount of drama, angst and subterfuge, on top of the serious nature of both traumas, makes the "love conquers all" theme unrealistic. I think what bothers me most, though, given the nature of her previous walking-on-eggshells abusive relationship, is the statement in the epilogue about her watching him and trying to read him to make sure she gave him what he needed. Isn't that the same way she related to her abuser? Granted our hero isn't an abuser, but she was often fearful of him in the beginning, and while he may have tempered his gruffness, she hasn't learned that she isn't responsible for anticipating his needs and filling them. Love is grand, but I think they both need therapy, too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2024
Not to be the party pooper but one of my triggers is someone who continuously loses their temper on the smallest things and it seems like Bau and Brooke really triggered one another. Also chemistry was kind of lacking in the beginning and for someone who has the history that Brooke has I found it kind of weird how nonchalant and understanding she was with Bau’s temper and bursts.
February 24, 2024
Brooke was stuck in the middle of a snowstorm after her Jeep broke down. She had hoped she would make it to her friend Colleen's cabin, but the check engine light that had been on for over an hour finally got its point across. Not that there had been anywhere on her trek up the mountain to pull over and have someone check, but even though the weather was raging she knew staying in the Jeep with no heat was a death sentence.
Beau is chopping wood when he turns around in shock to find a woman stumbling out of the woods. The last thing he expected when he came outside to chop more wood before the storm became too bad was a gorgeous woman trekking in the woods. His cabin was hidden in the mountains and hard to find. And this woman was definitely not dressed for the mountain weather let alone a blizzard. And before he could say anything she collapsed in a heap.
I loved this book. It is very well written and the characters are fully developed and relatable. This book is full of mystery and suspense. Beau can't wait for the blizzard to clear so his uninvited guest can leave, but just when they get close to each other their lives are shattered with the secrets they have been holding from each other.
Unlike the other books I have read by Gwyn McNamee, these characters are damaged by their past and the suspense of finding out their secrets will keep you turning the pages. Secrets that could shatter them forever. Highly recommend.
Beau is chopping wood when he turns around in shock to find a woman stumbling out of the woods. The last thing he expected when he came outside to chop more wood before the storm became too bad was a gorgeous woman trekking in the woods. His cabin was hidden in the mountains and hard to find. And this woman was definitely not dressed for the mountain weather let alone a blizzard. And before he could say anything she collapsed in a heap.
I loved this book. It is very well written and the characters are fully developed and relatable. This book is full of mystery and suspense. Beau can't wait for the blizzard to clear so his uninvited guest can leave, but just when they get close to each other their lives are shattered with the secrets they have been holding from each other.
Unlike the other books I have read by Gwyn McNamee, these characters are damaged by their past and the suspense of finding out their secrets will keep you turning the pages. Secrets that could shatter them forever. Highly recommend.
Want to read
March 15, 2022#bookmailisthebestmail
I met Author Gwyn McNamee at TNTNYC in October ('21) and it was such a pleasure speaking with her she is so nice and down to earth. I haven't read Billionaire Lumberjack yet but I cannot wait, look at all of these goodies in the Billionaire Lumberjack Book Box.
Box included
Signed Paperback of Billionaire Lumberjack
Doorknob Sign - "Do Not Disturb! I'm in bed with the Billionaire Lumberjack"
Sticker - "Can you handle my wood?"
Whiskey Glass with Axe in it made by BenShot handcrafted glassware
fuzzy socks
plaid earrings
lumber pencil
Squirrel & nut key chain
Get your copy today ➩ https://amzn.to/3Ie5WyH
Order the Book Box ➩ https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...
I met Author Gwyn McNamee at TNTNYC in October ('21) and it was such a pleasure speaking with her she is so nice and down to earth. I haven't read Billionaire Lumberjack yet but I cannot wait, look at all of these goodies in the Billionaire Lumberjack Book Box.
Box included
Signed Paperback of Billionaire Lumberjack
Doorknob Sign - "Do Not Disturb! I'm in bed with the Billionaire Lumberjack"
Sticker - "Can you handle my wood?"
Whiskey Glass with Axe in it made by BenShot handcrafted glassware
fuzzy socks
plaid earrings
lumber pencil
Squirrel & nut key chain
Get your copy today ➩ https://amzn.to/3Ie5WyH
Order the Book Box ➩ https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...
November 14, 2022
Billionaire Lumberjack by Gwyn McNamee is a billionaire mountain man forced proximity romance that I listened to on audio narrated by Lee Daniels and Bryant Walker. This is the first book in the Lumberjacks In Love series and can be read as a standalone.
This is the first book of Gwyn's that I have read, and it won't be my last. I really enjoyed the relationship that bloomed between Beau and Brooke.
I can't wait for the next book in the series Billionaire Lumberjack's Baby to be released on May 25, 2023
Lee and Bryant did an amazing job on the narration. They both really know how to bring a story to life. I look forward to listening to more of their work in the future.
I would recommend this book if you like billionaire romances, mountain man romances, or forced proximity romances.
The Flock Team
This is the first book of Gwyn's that I have read, and it won't be my last. I really enjoyed the relationship that bloomed between Beau and Brooke.
I can't wait for the next book in the series Billionaire Lumberjack's Baby to be released on May 25, 2023
Lee and Bryant did an amazing job on the narration. They both really know how to bring a story to life. I look forward to listening to more of their work in the future.
I would recommend this book if you like billionaire romances, mountain man romances, or forced proximity romances.
The Flock Team
February 7, 2023
I LOVE snowed-in settings!
October 29, 2022
The axeman cometh!
When Brooke is caught in a snowstorm, she is lucky not to die of hypothermia. She is rescued by Beau, and trapped with him while the storm continues.. Both are hiding the truth from each other, but when hers is dramatically revealed, his is forced to the surface too.
A wonderful story in which the relationship warms as slowly as the weather. McNamee handles the burgeoning relationship well, with plenty of heat to melt the snow as well as hearts.
When Brooke is caught in a snowstorm, she is lucky not to die of hypothermia. She is rescued by Beau, and trapped with him while the storm continues.. Both are hiding the truth from each other, but when hers is dramatically revealed, his is forced to the surface too.
A wonderful story in which the relationship warms as slowly as the weather. McNamee handles the burgeoning relationship well, with plenty of heat to melt the snow as well as hearts.
July 16, 2024
I started this book on an absolute whim while bored at work and it was such a lovely find.
November 1, 2022
This wasn’t an awful book but it also wasn’t a particularly good book. Things felt a bit repetitive and predictable. There was a lot of build up around the main characters’ respective secrets but the reveal somewhat fell flat.
Pros: easy read
Cons: unlikable main characters, predictable storyline, corny, lots of character’s inner monologue getting repeated verbatim in dialogue
TW: domestic abuse
Pros: easy read
Cons: unlikable main characters, predictable storyline, corny, lots of character’s inner monologue getting repeated verbatim in dialogue
TW: domestic abuse
November 2, 2023
Bit of a frustrating one! There are bones of a good story but it’s bogged down in inner monologues that don’t progress the story for most of the book. The leads have the same inner thoughts over and over for about 100 pages. All the major drama gets packed into the end and the MMC is given Batman’s origin story. The end.
January 6, 2024
The first half of this book was actually not bad. I liked the whole stranded in the woods and lumberjack rescue during a snow storm. However, the ending was terrible! I mean the MMC was basically Batman and then there was a random murder trial?! Idk why this book took the turns it did, but it had potential to be better. The ending ruined it for me
November 2, 2022
boring
Took me a long time to finish it and just couldn’t get into it. The characters were lackluster and the only reason I finished it was to find out the big “secrets” which were stupid. Don’t bother with this one it’s a mess
Took me a long time to finish it and just couldn’t get into it. The characters were lackluster and the only reason I finished it was to find out the big “secrets” which were stupid. Don’t bother with this one it’s a mess
December 27, 2023
2.5 ⭐
75% of the book is annoyingly slooooow and painfully repetitive 😒 (definitely skipped-to-da-lou through it)
20% of the book finally picks up speed to a normal pace and is interesting (mostly)
5% of the book ends up cute but barely worth it because of the 75% of course! 🙄🙄
75% of the book is annoyingly slooooow and painfully repetitive 😒 (definitely skipped-to-da-lou through it)
20% of the book finally picks up speed to a normal pace and is interesting (mostly)
5% of the book ends up cute but barely worth it because of the 75% of course! 🙄🙄
November 20, 2022
After recent events in her life Brooke needs some time to regroup so she heads to her friend’s cabin despite the less-than-ideal circumstances. When she finds herself stranded she heads towards the only lights she can see when Beau comes to her rescue.
Due to his past Beau has isolated himself from everyone and everything so finding himself with an unexpected houseguest was not part of the plan. They find themselves spending time together while waiting for the weather and roads to clear but they both have secrets, and they are about to catch up with them in the worst way possible.
Brooke is the first person to make Beau feel in ten years while he makes her feel safe and protected. The narrators were a great match for the characters as they brought out all the angst and romance of this story. 🎧 Pink Flamingo Productions
Due to his past Beau has isolated himself from everyone and everything so finding himself with an unexpected houseguest was not part of the plan. They find themselves spending time together while waiting for the weather and roads to clear but they both have secrets, and they are about to catch up with them in the worst way possible.
Brooke is the first person to make Beau feel in ten years while he makes her feel safe and protected. The narrators were a great match for the characters as they brought out all the angst and romance of this story. 🎧 Pink Flamingo Productions
December 20, 2023
The title and cover of this book are very much giving harlequin romance vibes (respectfully) so I wasn't sure what to expect tbh, but it was SO good. This is definitely my favorite of all the snowed in/cabin in the middle of nowhere/reclusive mountain man saves city girl from nearly dying in the snowy mountains books I've ever read, and that says a lot. I was pleasantly surprised with the third act conflict bc I thought for sure I knew where it was going but I was wrong. It was an issue outside of their relationship, and there was no unnecessary drama within the relationship. Chef's kiss tbh. (Also loved the fact that Beau is a secret billionaire so that meant that his cabin, though he built it himself, was a bit more modern than rustic which is more my cup of tea bc realistically I just I can't get with the outdoor bathroom/no shower thing)
July 17, 2022
3⭐️
It wasn’t horrible but it lacked in areas that could of made this into a great read. There was such a build up of Brooke & Beau’s secrets and even though they were traumatic I thought they could of been more detailed, more dark and disturbing to emphasise why they kept things so secret. It was ok, but nothing special for me.
POV: Dual, 1st person.
SERIES or STANDALONE: 1st in series, can be read as a standalone.
TROPES: M/F adult, age gap (H is 38, unsure how the old the h is but she is described as young and beautiful), forced proximity, small town romance.
SIZE: 268 (last page) Kindle pages.
PLOT: 📚📚📚📚/5
ROMANCE: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️/5
SPICE/STEAM: 🌶🌶/5
TRIGGERS: 😈/5 (assault, death of parents)
⛔️ My bookshelves can contain spoilers.
It wasn’t horrible but it lacked in areas that could of made this into a great read. There was such a build up of Brooke & Beau’s secrets and even though they were traumatic I thought they could of been more detailed, more dark and disturbing to emphasise why they kept things so secret. It was ok, but nothing special for me.
POV: Dual, 1st person.
SERIES or STANDALONE: 1st in series, can be read as a standalone.
TROPES: M/F adult, age gap (H is 38, unsure how the old the h is but she is described as young and beautiful), forced proximity, small town romance.
SIZE: 268 (last page) Kindle pages.
PLOT: 📚📚📚📚/5
ROMANCE: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️/5
SPICE/STEAM: 🌶🌶/5
TRIGGERS: 😈/5 (assault, death of parents)
⛔️ My bookshelves can contain spoilers.
December 1, 2022
This one is a stand-alone about a billionaire in hiding, the photographer who stumbles upon him, and what happens when they’re trapped together during a major snow storm with building attraction and dark secrets! Kept me guessing and loved the chemistry with Beau & Brooke 🖤
▪️enemies to lovers
▪️forced proximity
▪️hidden identity
▪️hidden secrets
▪️mountain cabin romance
▪️enemies to lovers
▪️forced proximity
▪️hidden identity
▪️hidden secrets
▪️mountain cabin romance
Want to read
January 18, 2022For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
October 22, 2023
Not quite what I thought
But it was really really good. I figured they were both running from death of some kind, vut not how it turned out. I pleading and steamy love story that turn out ok.
But it was really really good. I figured they were both running from death of some kind, vut not how it turned out. I pleading and steamy love story that turn out ok.
January 8, 2022
I read an excerpt of this story a really long time ago and I finally got to read it. The story was not exactly what I expected, but it was HELLA good anyway. I stood up until 2AM to finish this page turner. If you are looking for a steam mystery romance I give it a heck yeah read it recommendation. I did not guess the right conflict, so that was fun.
This story was angsty as hell for me. Beau and Brooke were fire together. I definitely shed quite a few tears before I got to the HEA (which was perfect BTW).
Beau was super sexy and broody lumberjack, but he was also a freaking teddy bear. He had a lot of love to give that he didn’t want to let out until Brooke opened up his heart. Brooke had been broken by the world and she had little to no trust in humanity at this point in her life until Beau’s begrudging hospitality and generosity. Brooke and Beau find exactly what they need in each other to heal the wounds of their pasts to find love.
The Gist: Big burly and surly Beau has been living by himself up on the side of a mountain for the last 10 years. Brooke’s car breaks down on the road in the middle of a snow storm, but instead of staying in her car she goes searching for shelter and stumbles into Beau and his ax. Brooke passes out and Beau begrudgingly takes care of her and allows her shelter until the storm passes. Both Beau and Brooke are hiding from their pasts, but find so much more than they bargained for in each other.
This story was angsty as hell for me. Beau and Brooke were fire together. I definitely shed quite a few tears before I got to the HEA (which was perfect BTW).
Beau was super sexy and broody lumberjack, but he was also a freaking teddy bear. He had a lot of love to give that he didn’t want to let out until Brooke opened up his heart. Brooke had been broken by the world and she had little to no trust in humanity at this point in her life until Beau’s begrudging hospitality and generosity. Brooke and Beau find exactly what they need in each other to heal the wounds of their pasts to find love.
The Gist: Big burly and surly Beau has been living by himself up on the side of a mountain for the last 10 years. Brooke’s car breaks down on the road in the middle of a snow storm, but instead of staying in her car she goes searching for shelter and stumbles into Beau and his ax. Brooke passes out and Beau begrudgingly takes care of her and allows her shelter until the storm passes. Both Beau and Brooke are hiding from their pasts, but find so much more than they bargained for in each other.
October 24, 2023
Slow… not quite what i expected, but not terrible.
March 23, 2024
Cute little lumberjack story!
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