Taken By The Mountain Man

Mountain Men of Whiskey River #4

by Kaci Rose

He's a scarred up mountain man. She is the curvy girl no one wants, until him. Who knew she’d be the one to save him?

Cole
Go in and save my friend's girl. That was the mission. I never expected her, the girl who wasn’t supposed to be there.
She’s injured… and mine.
So, I take her back to my cabin to care for her.
Only she wasn’t supposed to want to leave…
I have no problem holding her against her will until that first tear falls…

Jana

I never expected to be kidnapped by my best friend's mother and I also never expected to be rescued by a strange sexy mountain man.
Yes, this is currently my life.
When this strong and slightly scary man takes me back to his cabin, I have no idea what to expect.
But it wasn't how gentle he is and how much he takes care of me.
And I sure as hell wasn't expecting to fall in love with him. Too bad I can't stay.

Genres: Romance, Novella, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Drama, Small Town Romance, Contemporary

119 pages, Paperback

Published September 24, 2022

About the author

Join Kaci's VIP mailing list and get 2 FREE Novellas at
http://www.kacirose.com/free-books

Kaci runs on coffee, chocolate, and Oreos. She loves her book boyfriends with tattoos, muscles, beards, and a little dirty.

Kaci loves romance books and has been jotting down ideas since she was in high school and is now putting the ideas down on paper. She believes in satisfying, happily ever afters with a lot of steam on the way.

Follow Kaci Rose
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Instagram @KaciRoseAuthor

Reviews

[Mia S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fast, super short but oh it was so sweet and honestly feeling a little swoony. Quick, but ugh would give anything for Cole.

[Michele McMullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you ready for Cole the mountain man? This is a quick, insta-love, heroine in trouble and loner to the rescue.
Jana works at the town bakery, is fun, friendly, single and has just been kidnapped. When her best friend's drug using mom takes her, she soon realizes that no one except maybe her boss will know that she is missing. The kidnapper wants money from her daughter, so she takes her friend and tries to make a deal but what she wasn't counting on was Cole and his neighbors. Cole is a retired military man that finds solitude and quiet his best friend. When his only neighbor calls on him for his tracking skills, he does his best to find the lost young woman.
The moment that he lays eyes on her he knows that he needs to find a way to convince her to come home with him. When Jana refuses medical care, he knows that his medic training is his way of getting to know her better and also care for her. Jana is sweet, feisty, sassy and ready to be taken care of by this strong silent man.
~~Michele McMullen~~

[april ♡ probably reading smut - safety reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars ☆☆☆

Jana gets kidnapped by her best friend's druggie mother. Cole and his buddies save her on a rescue mission.

"I have no idea what his name is, but I feel safer with him than I have in a long time. That's the moment I realize I'm in trouble."

Cole is heavily scarred and insecure- but he wants Jana safe and protected.

"My gut tells me this girl is mine. Mine to take. Mine to protect."

This is a fast-paced insta-everything novella. I enjoyed it.

safety:
no virgins
no OM/OW
no cheating/sharing
HEA

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Robyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Taken by the Mountant Man

OMG, I cannot believe that I read this to the end. It was the most Hariquenizh book ever with he men and melting women. This almost set women back a generation or two.

But hey, it might be a sexual fantasy... just not mine.

2 stars

Happy Reading!

[Sonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short instlove novella about Cole and Jenna. It was good to see Jenna find a man who would not only protect her but love and care for her also. This was a story of acceptance and opening yourself up to possibilities.

Cole was a scarred war veteran who showed away from the public eye due to the scars he endured while in the military. Cole was a natural protector and fell for Jenna fast and hard.

Jenna was a sweetheart and saw Cole for the man he was. The real man behind the scars. Cole found a reason to stop shying away from others and to open himself up to love. This was a quick read and a HEA for two deserving individuals.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mandy Reads Indie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quickie Review: After the last book in the series and all the errors, I was a little hesitant to start this one. But I am so glad I did. It was a quicker read than the others and I absolutely adored it. The editing was better in this one, with only an occasional typo here or there. But the romance was great and the story was excellent. I can’t wait to start Bennett’s long awaited story next. 5 Stars.

[Shedevilreads Bookstagram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taken by the Mountain Man by Kaci Rose is a contemporary mountain man romance that I listened to on audio narrated by Oliver Highpoint and Lexi Evans. This is the fourth book in the Mountain Men of Whiskey River series.

The relationship between Cole and Jana is fast paced but I really enjoyed them together. I liked that we got both of their points of views throughout the book. It really brought the story to life.

I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series Take Me to the Mountain so I can get Bennett and Willow's story.

Oliver and Lexi did a great job on the narration. I look forward to listening to more of their work in the future.

I would recommend this book if you like instant connection romances, mountain man romances, or contemporary romance.


The Flock Team

[Erika · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was looking for a good spicy romance book and I keep getting ads from the author on social media. I almost bought this book, but I checked it out from the library instead because I’m not familiar with the author.

There are quite a few grammatical mistakes, which is distracting for me. I expect a couple mistakes in a book like this, but they were fairly frequent (a character’s name is even misspelled).

Everything was very rushed, the spice included, but I’m not sure if that’s because this is a novella? I might try and read another book in this series to see if the pacing is better in a longer book. The author also skims over important events / conversations by telling us what happened, instead of showing us. I also wish the spice was a bit longer because that’s the real reason I read this book.

[Keryth Belvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an ARC of Taken By The Mountain Man (book 1 of Mountain Men Do It Better Series) in exchange for an honest review.

I recently became a fan of Kaci Rose and have loved every book of hers that I’ve read. I fell in love with her series, Mountain Men Of Whiskey River and can’t stop reading her books!

This one is about Jana & Cole.
Cole is a recluse by choice and Jana is a “social butterfly”.
Due to a “disfiguring” injury Cole received in his military career, he refuses to come down off his mountain.
Jana was injured during a kidnapping and Cole offered to care for her, at his place, till she’s back on her feet.
What happens when she’s well enough to leave? Can they find a way to be together?

Jana & Cole’s story is a novella rather than a full length novel and while I enjoyed every minute of reading it, I do wish it was longer. It’s wonderfully written, by Ms. Rose, filled with happiness, love, heat, drama, and even some sadness.
This is definitely a book I’m adding to my reread list!

[Christi Bok · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella captured my attention from the start. It began with you being dragged in the middle of Hope's kidnapping and the rescue by the Mountain men. This is when Hope meets Cole and where their story begins. I love that the author brought in a familiar character, Hope, from the last Whiskey River series book and that Cole mentioned he was a resident from the Oakside series. Hope and Cole find what they need in each other and grow and discover themselves. Together they compromise on how to live on the Mountain happily ever after together.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sparks fly the moment their eyes meet when he rescues her from the kidnappers. He takes her back to his place to take care of her and they fall in love quickly. They have a few issues between them to work through before they can have their HEA. It's told in the dual POV and is an emotional, feel good romance. The author does a great job building their story quickly and moving it smoothly with her perfectly painted scenes. I loved reading Jana and Cole's story.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Oriana Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jana was kidnapped by her best friends(Hope) mother and got tortured. Cole and his friends are trying to save Hope when she got captured too. As soon as he saw Jana he knew she would be his One. But Jana is hesitant because of her past with her father. But the heart wants the heart gets 🥰🥰 Insta-love , sweet, romantic , steamy and safe with a sweet HEA 😍😍😍😍😍

[Diana]

Better length than the other books in the Mountain Man series, but still not perfect. The final quarter could've had more fleshing out. As well as the characters .But all in all, this was one of my favorites!

[Marisa BG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, but rushed, even for this series.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and sweet, fast-paced and feel good novella. Can't really go wrong with that! Not a book I'd reread though, but it was enjoyable enough.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of spice, light on plot.

[Kayla Brunson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picks up right where Take me to the Lake left off at. I was happy to see that Cole and Jana were getting a book because there was definitely chemistry there. For the most part, I did enjoy it. However, I did feel like Cole gave up more than Jana did.

Overall, it was cute and a bit steamy. I hope she writes more spinoffs like this.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don’t Bother

All have basically the same story line. And she continually repeats herself. I’m pretty sure it’s just to fill pages. But she says the same things she already said in the book before, and then chapter after chapter. I read them all because I mistakingly bought them in a group price. That’s a big regret. Money and time lost that I won’t ever get back.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story by Kaci Rose. This is like a continuation from Take Me To The Lake. Jana and Hope were kidnapped by Hopes' Mother and her Mothers' boyfriend.
Jana had been visiting Hope and Cash at their mountain home, when she arrived at her home she was grabbed, drugged, beaten and taken to a cabin for days. They had been trying for days to get Hope alone. They drugged Hope and took her to the cabin.
Cole is a recluse with a bad scar on his face. He does not leave his Cabin area, as he does not want people to be afraid of him because of the scar. Cash is the only person he knows on the mountain. Cash knows Cole is former military and asks him to help find Hope. The mountain friends, Axel and Bennett also help following the tracks to the cabin where they spot the girls.
The front door busts open as Cash and his dog Hank bust in. Then the back door busts open when three men bust in. Axel and Bennett tackle the man and woman. Cash goes to Hope and Cole goes to Jana, he frees her and attends to her. Cole takes Jana to his home to treat her wounds and sprained ankle.
Jana wants to know where he learned to treat people. Cole tells her about some of his time in the military and at Oakside, a military rehab facility and the people there.
Cole goes out to the edge of the forest to pick blueberries, but he gets where Jana cannot see him and she panics and Cole helps her again. Jana stays with Cole, they share their story about each other and Cole realizes she does not care about his scar.
Jana remembers she has a dog at her apartment. Because she can't travel Cole goes after the dog and cleans her apartment from the dog. Hope and Cash stay with Jana while Cole goes to town. Hope announces that she and Cash are engaged.
Jana and Cole make love on the couch and in bed and again in the morning.
Cole realizes something is wrong with Jana. She tells him she has to go back to town to work. Cole tells her he will never move to town. Cash comes to pick her up.
Will Jana and Cole get back together? Will their love make them change their minds? I really liked this book and I wish it was longer. I like the way Kaci added the Oakside time in the book. I hope you liked the book as much as I did, but I suggest that you read Take Me To The Lake first. They are both great books.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Patti Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being kidnapped and pretty much threatened to give information about her best friend, Jana is scared but give her friends mother and her druggie boyfriend. The two keep knocking her out. Then one day her friend Hope is there. She knows Hopes boyfriend will be there looking for her and Jana will be rescued as well.
Just as she thought Hopes boyfriend came in with a bunch of huge men. Jana knew them except one that caught her eye and was rescuing her. Rugged and handsome.
Cole can't believe his eyes. She's stunning. Cole immediately gets her free but when she stands she falls and he picks her up and carried her to his house.
Cole is cleaning up the wound and taking care of her ankle. Getting ready for bed she asks Jim to stay with her as she's afraid to stay alone. He does that but it's harder then he'd thought. The two knew there was something between them that went from hot to scorching. The connection they have is off the charts.
She wants to stay on the mountain but her life is in town. Cole never goes to town. He stays on the mountain so when Jana needs to go back to work and has to leave. Cole has to come up with a plan to bring his woman back home. Cole talks to the other guys and they decide a plan. After a couple of weeks, he goes to town and gets his woman. Jana missed her man so when he comes into her job she's thrilled and jumps him in his arms. He tells her his plan and she jumps for joy. She can't believe her mountain man came to get her. She gets to live with the man of her dreams.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rebecca Grove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cole is former military who got badly hurt during his tour of duty. When people reacted badly to his scarred face, he isolated himself on the mountain. Cole has spent the last five years alone on his mountain. He has only talked to his distant neighbor, Cash a few times. Then Cash comes to him asking for help. His girlfriend has been kidnapped by some drug addicts and Cash wants to make sure he has the manpower to overcome the kidnappers easily. Besides Cole is the best tracker. Cash and his friends are able to rescue his girl friend and her best friend Jana. Cole took just one look at Jana and knows that she is the woman for him. He is just concerned whether she could ever love such a scarred man.

Jana was best friends with Hope. After attending a party at Hope and Cash's place, she finds herself being kidnapped by hope's mother and the mother's boyfriend. They drug her, abuse her, and almost starve her. All the time they keep asking her to betray Hope. Jana is worried that no one would come looking for her until Hope gets kidnapped too. She is thrilled to be rescued by Cash and his friends. One of his friends Cole takes very good care of her. He cuts her free and gives her food and water. He offers to take her home with him and give her medical attention when she turns down going to the hospital. He is there to help her with her bad dreams and panic attacks. Jana loves him scar and all but their lives are very different.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Jana and Cole's story, a spinoff of the Mountain Men of Whiskey River series. It starts off as Jana's POV of the kidnapping by Hope's mom that takes place during Take Me to the Lake, when Cole helped to rescue Hope and Jana. Cole is insecure about the scar that he got from time served in the military and Hope isn't willing to give up her job in town.
Let me start off by saying that I don't think you can go wrong with any of Kaci Rose's mountain men books, this one is no different. It is much shorter than I would like, this could have been a full length stand alone. There wasn't very much spice either. But it was much more focused on their relationship and Jana's PTSD after the kidnapping. Cole, like all of the other mountain men, wasn't willing to let Jana go. the compromise they made was perfect for both of them. Even though it was a novella, I loved seeing Cole come out of his shell a little and start allowing himself to go into town on occasion. I loved Jana's personality from Cash and Hope's story. Since this is the first book of the Mountain Men Do It Better series, I am looking forward to see who's next in this series as well as Take Me to the Mountain. This was another excellent read from Kaci Rose.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nikki'J' · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read from Kaci Rose as part of a new series Mountain Men Do It Better.

If you like insta-love, heroes, and small towns this series will hit the spot.

While this is a new series there was a connection to a previous series. There is no slow start jumping right into the drama. At first, I was a little confused like maybe I was part way through a series and didn't realize it. You don't need to read the previous series 'Mountain Men Of Whiskey River', after the start the story was easy to follow. I think it would have just made the start make more sense.

Overall a good insta-love story that was easy to enjoy. If you're looking for a quick escape give this one a go.
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Jana is in trouble and she's not sure anyone is going to come for her. When her best friend Hope ends up in trouble too she knows that her boyfriend, Cash will come for her and she'll be saved too.

Cole gets a visit from his neighbor Cash. His girlfriend is in missing and he's on board to go along and help rescue her.

When they show up not only Hope is in trouble but someone else too. Someone that with one look Cole knows is his.

While he likes his solitude on the mountain, she likes her job in the town of Whiskey River. No matter how much they want each other they live two different lives and they will have to figure out if they can make it work.

Happy Reading.

[Nancy Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

TAKEN BY THE MOUNTAIN MAN: A Steamy Mountain Man Romance, Is part of the Mountain Men of Whiskey River Series. All the books are standalone, but if I could suggest reading them in order, because all the characters are mountain men and friends. This is a Novella!

Cole is a mountain man who wants to live hidden away in his isolated cabin on the mountain. He was injured while serving in the military and doesn't want people to see his scared face. His closest neighbor and only friend, is a mountain man too. So, when he asked Cole to help him, that someone has kidnapped his girlfriend. He is more than willing to help him by tracking the villains and using all his military skills. No one notices that a girl named Jana was also kidnapped, but it was to lure her best friend using her for bait. They now have two girls at their mercy. When Cole uses binoculars to see inside a small cabin, he is able to see two girls instead of his friend's one girlfriend. When they're able to break-in to rescue the two girls, Cole looks at the poor girl in shock, he knows that she was meant to be his. His to protect! She has wounds, but doesn't want to go to the hospital, and since Cole is a trained medic. He offers to take her home to his cabin and tend to all of her needs! Jana really appreciates all of his attentions.

[Diana in SC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but very satisfying insta-love story
Audiobook version: 5 stars overall, 5 stars story, 5 stars narration

I am a big fan of this Whiskey River series, and I totally loved this short story addition. Even though it was short, it seemed like the perfect length for a couple with few impediments to their happily ever after. This series is getting better and better. I love the warmth and respect in Kaci Rose’s characters. I love how the handsome men are protective without being overprotective. The ex-military, mountain man gives Jana space when she needs it and carefully considers how he can make her happy. Jana goes through a little personal growth as well. I like them as people and rooted for their happily ever after. I was so pleased by this story that I will definitely re-listen. The steam is brief but perfectly steamy.

The narration by Lexi Evan and Oliver Highpoint was excellent. They each embodied all the characters and matched each other’s character voices very well. Both narrators wonderfully conveyed the warmth between the pair and their nuanced emotions. Lexi Evans brings an appropriate youthful feel for Jana, who is in her early 20s. Oliver Highpoint is very convincing as the hero with his gravelly, masculine, sexy voice. This series has had a bounty of excellent narrators, which is a real gem to find in a romance series.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short inst love romance read - this is book 4 in Rose's Mountain Men Do It Better and while it can be read as a standalone, characters from previous reads make appearances and are interconnected. This is Cole's story and I love that out of the mountain men we've meet in this series he's been the most isolated of them all. When danger strikes the mountain Cole is called upon to help and it's his duty and his moral/ethical obligation to help as well. Sweet but gruff this man has a heart of gold and meets Jana who needs his strength and help to see her thru the danger that's found her. Jana loves her lil town and all the people in it - can she give up her whole life for a man she's just met but already loves? Will Cole be able to give up his life of isolation for the love he's found in Jana? How will these two ever find the common ground they need for self-survival but still be together and not lose themselves? Great, fast paced storyline with danger, romance and steam. Well written and beautifully narrated, I can't wait for Bennett's story!

This book was given to me for free at my request and I voluntarily provided this review.
*this review is based on the audio version of this book (thru Bookfunnel)

[Shy Gawerecki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook Review:

I found this to be another good installment in this series. Not only did I like the main characters Cole and Jana, but also liked getting to revisit with characters from the previous books in the series. While this book was definitely on the short side, I felt like it did a good job of giving you plenty of story. The events that started this book overlap with the previous one, but the author did a good job at covering what happened, this time from Jana and Cole’s point of view. Things quickly moved on from there and Cole was nursing Jana back to health in his cabin, but they were also falling in love due to the instant connection they felt when they met.
I knew this was an insta-love kind of story so was prepared for the quick progression of the relationship. I still appreciated the moments of actual conversation, the clear signs of caring for one another, and how their big issue was resolved. Adding in the excellent performance by the two highly enjoyable narrators and it made for an overall good experience, and I look forward to the next book in the series and any more from this author and these narrators.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of all the books in the Whisky River series,”Taken by the Mountain Man” is one of the shortest. I mean less than one hundred pages. Honestly, I feel like the story was rushed and I got cheated. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed the read but the story was glossed over and it was one one the more powerful storylines.

After the rescue of Hope and Jana from the kidnappers, Jana refuses to go to the hospital despite her injuries because she has no insurance. Ex military man and rescuer, Cole offers to take her to his cabin and nurse her back to his cabin. Of course their attraction is mutual and heightened.

The only problem between the two is that Jana is social and does a lot for the community while Cole is a lone solitary man who is well aware that people are put off by his scars. Will they be able to find a happy medium or is this the end of the relationship before it even starts?

There were so many things that could have been written to give this story more depth but the author just didn’t address it. It’s not like she needed to be worried about the length of the read. Oh well, I guess she is rushing to the finish line.

[Tima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jana, the female lead, has been kidnapped by her best friend‘s drug addicted mother who is planning to ransom her for money for her addiction. Cole, the male lead, has been a recluse for years on the mountain but, when his neighbour asks for assistance to track his kidnapped girlfriend, he’s more than happy to help and then instantly attracted to the girlfriend’s best friend. Cole has been hiding on the mountain because he was scarred significantly in the military but Jana’s life is primarily in town. Now they need to work out a compromise…

This short story is dual POV and a simply written, fast paced, instalove mountain man tale. I appreciated Jana’s resilience and willingness to stand up for what she wanted, even after the trauma she’d been through. I understood Cole’s anxiety and appreciated his late willingness to find a compromise that would work for them both. I enjoyed the intimate scenes that made it worth the effort for them both.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Knight Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cash and Cole managed to rescue Hope and Jenna from Hope's mother and her boyfriend, but Cole knew his life was going to change the minute, he busted into that cabin setting eyes on Jenna. His whole body seemed to immediately go into protect mode of her. He needed to get her away from them and even shield her from the sight of them which resulted in him and Cole taking the girls down the road to await the police. Later, Cole took Jenna home with him to attend her injuries, since she did not have insurance. His military medic training would allow him the knowledge to adequately treat her, and she could stay as long as she liked to recuperate. Their big problem would come, when Cole was a mountain man with no intention of leaving the mountain, and Jenna lived in town having always given a great deal of her time to community service in helping people. Who and how would they compromise? A beautiful story of love and compromise, one you really do not want to miss.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.