Roasting the Mountain Man
(2025)(A book in the Christmas in Passion Peak series)
A Story by Ren Booth
She came to expose small-town charm as unsophisticated. He bet her she'd fall in love with it instead. Neither expected to fall for each other.
Ivy
I don't believe in Christmas magic or small-town fairy tales.
I'm a journalist from New York City. I deal in facts, not feelings.
My assignment in Passion Peak is simple. Cover Appalachian artisan producers, write the article, get promoted, get out.
Then I meet him.
Layne Lockhart. Coffee roaster. Distiller. Walking temptation in flannel and work boots.
He's got a devastating smile, hands that create magic with coffee beans, and the audacity to challenge me to a bet.
Spend one week experiencing his town. If I still think it's unsophisticated by Christmas Eve, he'll admit I'm right.
If I change my mind, I have to write the truth.
I accept because I'm certain I'll win.
I don't expect his coffee to be the best I've ever tasted.
I don't expect his passion for his craft to ignite something in me I've kept buried for years.
And I definitely don't expect to want him so badly it terrifies me.
I have a career waiting in New York. A promotion that proves I finally belong.
So why does leaving feel like losing everything that matters?
Layne
I've spent my whole life being everyone's good time, never anyone's forever.
I'm fine with that. Really.
Then she walks into my roastery with her designer clothes, sharp tongue, and walls so high I can barely see the woman hiding behind them.
She thinks my town is quaint. My coffee is a hobby. My life is too small.
I should let her write whatever dismissive article she wants and watch her leave.
Instead, I challenge her to actually experience Passion Peak at Christmas before she judges it.
One week. That's all I'm asking.
I don't expect her to see through my charm to the parts of myself I keep hidden.
I don't expect to want things I've never wanted before.
And I definitely don't expect to fall completely in love with a woman who's planning to leave.
She has a life in New York. Dreams bigger than my mountain town.
But when I hold her in my arms, when she finally lets those walls down...
I know I can’t let her go.
Welcome to Christmas in Passion Peak, where the mountains are tall, the snow falls deep, and love happens when you least expect it. The Christmas in Passion Peak series features the four Lockhart siblings finding love during the most magical time of year. No cheating, no cliffhanger, and a heartwarming Happily-Ever-After guaranteed. Perfect for fans of cozy Christmas romance with heat!
Tropes:
Mountain Man
He Falls First
Grumpy/Sunshine (She's grumpy, he's sunshine)
Forced Proximity
Holiday Romance
Small Town
Instalove
Genre: Romance
Ivy
I don't believe in Christmas magic or small-town fairy tales.
I'm a journalist from New York City. I deal in facts, not feelings.
My assignment in Passion Peak is simple. Cover Appalachian artisan producers, write the article, get promoted, get out.
Then I meet him.
Layne Lockhart. Coffee roaster. Distiller. Walking temptation in flannel and work boots.
He's got a devastating smile, hands that create magic with coffee beans, and the audacity to challenge me to a bet.
Spend one week experiencing his town. If I still think it's unsophisticated by Christmas Eve, he'll admit I'm right.
If I change my mind, I have to write the truth.
I accept because I'm certain I'll win.
I don't expect his coffee to be the best I've ever tasted.
I don't expect his passion for his craft to ignite something in me I've kept buried for years.
And I definitely don't expect to want him so badly it terrifies me.
I have a career waiting in New York. A promotion that proves I finally belong.
So why does leaving feel like losing everything that matters?
Layne
I've spent my whole life being everyone's good time, never anyone's forever.
I'm fine with that. Really.
Then she walks into my roastery with her designer clothes, sharp tongue, and walls so high I can barely see the woman hiding behind them.
She thinks my town is quaint. My coffee is a hobby. My life is too small.
I should let her write whatever dismissive article she wants and watch her leave.
Instead, I challenge her to actually experience Passion Peak at Christmas before she judges it.
One week. That's all I'm asking.
I don't expect her to see through my charm to the parts of myself I keep hidden.
I don't expect to want things I've never wanted before.
And I definitely don't expect to fall completely in love with a woman who's planning to leave.
She has a life in New York. Dreams bigger than my mountain town.
But when I hold her in my arms, when she finally lets those walls down...
I know I can’t let her go.
Welcome to Christmas in Passion Peak, where the mountains are tall, the snow falls deep, and love happens when you least expect it. The Christmas in Passion Peak series features the four Lockhart siblings finding love during the most magical time of year. No cheating, no cliffhanger, and a heartwarming Happily-Ever-After guaranteed. Perfect for fans of cozy Christmas romance with heat!
Tropes:
Mountain Man
He Falls First
Grumpy/Sunshine (She's grumpy, he's sunshine)
Forced Proximity
Holiday Romance
Small Town
Instalove
Genre: Romance
Used availability for Ren Booth's Roasting the Mountain Man