A grumpy lumberjack with a “side-eye” reputation. A curvy, innocent bookworm. And the protective dog who claims her first.

The whole town calls him “Mr. Side-Eye,” and I’m about to find out why. When a sudden rockslide strands me in a remote mountain pass with nowhere to go, I end up on the doorstep of Jace Redmond. He’s a towering, stone-faced lumberjack who looks at the world like he’s personally judging every person in it.

Jace hasn’t let a soul into his secluded cabin in years. He doesn’t want a sweet, curvy houseguest rearranging his shelves or filling his masculine space with the scent of vanilla. But with the only road out buried under stone, I’m sleeping just feet away from him, and his dog has already decided I’m part of the pack.

I think he’s just tolerating my presence until the crews clear the pass. I don’t realize that behind that icy glare, this mountain man is barely surviving the need to make me his. Jace Redmond might be wild and rugged, but once he decides I’m his forever, he’s never letting me leave Hollow Peak.

Scroll up and one-click this steamy, “dog falls first” lumberjack instalove today!

Trope Stack & Vibes:

• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Lumberjack Hero
• Curvy Heroine / Virgin
• Forced Proximity
• Booklovers
• Dog Falls First / Animal Sidekick
• Small Town Mountain Romance
• He Falls First
• Steamy Instalove

Heat Level: Spicy Tone: Grumpy, Kind Series: Mountain Men of Hollow Peak Series Type: Standalone in multi-author collaboration series Ending: HEA POV: First Person, Dual POV Content Notes: None.
Welcome to Hollow Peak, a remote mountain town where rugged men live off the land—and fall hard when fate brings the right woman to their doorstep. These mountain men are wild, loyal, and ready to claim their forever in an instant. From secret kisses at the lake to sweet moments in snowed-in cabins, every steamy standalone in the Mountain Men of Hollow Peak series promises swoony heroes, insta-love heat, and the happily-ever-afters you crave.

“𝐁𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠… 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭.”
My ex dumped me for a stick-thin socialite.
So I made a promise: The next man who touched me would earn the privilege.

Then HE happened.

A stranger with cold eyes.
Filthy mouth. And lethal hands.

He dragged me into the bathroom of my Prague flight.
Fisted my hair.
Bit my throat.
Burned filthy Russian promises straight into my soul.

Then I learned his name.

Matvei Volkov.
Bratva kingpin.
Chicago’s deadliest shadow.
And my ex-fiancé’s estranged half-brother.

His offer?
Stand on his arm at my ex’s wedding.
Wear his diamonds.
Help him get revenge.
Walk away with enough money to build the life I’ve always wanted.

It should have been easy.

Until blood spills.
Enemies close in.
And two pink lines change everything. Twins.

And Matvei’s done pretending.
Now he says I’m his.
And God help anyone who tries to take me from him.

For readers who love: silver fox mafia bosses, a fierce heroine, and forbidden romance with the ex’s older brother. A curvy heroine finally worshipped the way she deserves. A dangerously possessive Bratva alpha who doesn’t know how to let go. Explosive family betrayal, high-stakes drama, and a man who would burn the world down to keep what’s his.

The first in the TikTok sensation Ever Seas series, now with bonus material!

They stole his crown. So he stole their daughter….

For years, Erik, the scarred king of the Ever Kingdom, has thought of nothing but vengeance against the man who killed his father and trapped him beneath the waves, making him a prisoner in his own realm.

Until his enemy’s daughter unintentionally breaks the chains on the Ever, and Erik makes her the unwitting pawn in his vicious game of revenge.

She’s innocent. He’s vicious. But he will take back what he lost, no matter the price.

Unless she steals his heart first.

The most dangerous man in the room bought me.

One minute, I’m a hotel maid no one notices.
The next, I’m dragged onto a stage where ruthless men buy women for property.

Then Gabriel Moretti walks in.

Silver at his temples.
Violence in his eyes.
Power in every cold, effortless step.

He buys me in front of everyone.

Now I’m trapped inside his world of marble halls, shadowed deals, and bloodstained secrets.
Where his word is law, his touch is ruin… and every glance brands me as his.

Then I learn the truth.

The auction wasn’t random.
The men bidding on me weren’t strangers.
And Gabriel knew exactly who I was.

If the truth comes out, they won’t just hunt me—
they’ll try to erase me before everything burns.

Because I’m not just part of this twisted world.
I’m the spark that could burn it to hell.

This is a full-length standalone featuring an age-gap, mafia romance… and a maid who was never meant to be harmless.
K.C. Crowne is an Amazon Top 6 Bestseller and International Bestselling Author.

Tropes: Curvy FMC / Body Worship · Silver Fox Mafia Kingpin · Billionaire Boss · Maid × Mafia Don · Age Gap · Morally Gray Alpha · “Touch Her and Die” · Forced Proximity · Bought at Auction · Captive in His Mansion · Secret Mafia Heir · Hidden Identity · Bloodstained Family Secrets · Surprise Pregnancy · Protective Possessive Hero · He Falls First · Revenge Against Her Family’s Killer · Beauty and the Beast Vibes

Tori

I’m in love with a man that I’ve never met and I should be institutionalized for even admitting it.

Sir makes me feel alive, in ways that no one else ever has. He calls me his Diamond and his voice sets me ablaze.

I spent years in a toxic relationship, owned by a man that didn’t love me. My past traumas prevented me from being touched by others, but now that’s all I crave.

The screen and his anonymity keep us apart, but I fear that I’m just the girl behind the camera, tangled up in a man that can’t give me his heart.

Dare

I touched something that didn’t belong to me and hurt someone that I would die for.

Now, I’m cursed to watch and never touch, because all I do is destroy.

Diamonds may be the strongest gem, but can mine withstand the storm I’m in?

I’ve fallen in love with her, but I fear that if I’m not careful, the flames of my guilt will shatter the temptress that lights my body and soul on fire.

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Sky, an unforgettable golden retriever mafia romance set in modern-day Italy, bursting with violence, dripping with blood, and crackling with desire.

We spent weeks planning this trip to Sicily together. And I was damn sure going to enjoy it, even if my lying, cheating boyfriend just abandoned me.

I push aside self-pity to venture out and take photographs. Later, I lock eyes with a stranger at a bar. This tattooed god, Constantine, is way out of my league, but to my surprise, he’s all in—every inch. And up in his hotel suite, he claims me for his own. Over and over again.

Constantine’s touch helps take away the pain, and he possesses me like I’ve never known. I fall hard. But beneath his kindness to me, to his family, to his dog, I sense danger. How could I know that to the city of Rome, he’s a brutal enforcer?

When I trust the wrong man, I discover just how dangerous Constantine can be. He may call me sweetheart, but the Roman Republic calls him Emperor—and trembles at his feet.

They took too much. Left too little. I had nothing to lose…until him. *** ~Lana~ I didn’t expect him. I didn’t want to fall in love. But I can’t let him go. Logan Bennett makes the world a safer place. He’s brilliant. He’s a hero. He locks away the sick and depraved. But while he’s saving lives, I’m taking them. Collecting the debts that are owed to me. Ten years ago, they took from me. They left me for dead. They should have made sure I stayed dead. Now I’m taking from them. One name at a time. I’ve trained for too long. I’ve been patient. I can’t stop now. Revenge is best served cold… They never see me coming, until I paint their walls red. Logan doesn’t know how they hurt me. He doesn’t know about the screams they ignored. He doesn’t know how twisted that town really is. He just knows people are dying. He doesn’t know he’s in love with their killer. No one suspects a dead girl. And Logan doesn’t suspect the girl in his bed. They’re looking for a monster. Not a girl who loves red. Not a girl in love. I’m a faceless nightmare. At least until I tell them the story they’ve pretended never happened. But in the end, will Logan choose them? Or will we watch them burn together? **Graphic **Adult language **Some triggers could be too much for the easily disturbed reader **Sexual content **Fucked up moral compass; read at your own risk.