Mountain Man's Lucky Star
(2026)(The third book in the Wildwood Valley Rescue series)
A novel by Lilah Hart
A mountain rescue. A proving ground. A one-day love that changes everything.
I came to Wildwood Valley for one reason: professional credibility.
As the youngest veterinary technician at my clinic, I was tired of being underestimated, overlooked, and assigned the cases no one else wanted. The ‘hopeless’ animals. The long shots. The emotional burnout. So when a large-scale mountain rescue operation needed volunteers, I raised my hand first—ready to prove my skill, my grit, and my worth.
I didn’t come looking for romance.
Especially not with a brooding mountain man who worked construction, carried quiet strength in every movement, and looked at me like he saw everything I was trying to hide.
Then I met Declan.
He noticed me during a breakthrough with the most traumatized dog at the rescue—right when my guard was down and my heart was wide open. One look was all it took to rattle the confidence I’d worked so hard to build.
Declan was the kind of man who fixed things.
Strong hands. Steady presence. Protective instincts.
I was the kind of woman who’d built her life on independence, determined never to need saving.
We should have stayed far apart.
But Declan didn’t treat me like a fragile project or a problem to solve. He treated me like an equal. Like a woman capable of choosing her own future—and worth standing beside while she did it.
And when he touched me, every carefully built wall came down.
One day.
One stubborn rescue dog.
One protective mountain man who refused to walk away.
One choice that proved I was stronger—and braver—than I ever believed.
Tropes:
I came to Wildwood Valley for one reason: professional credibility.
As the youngest veterinary technician at my clinic, I was tired of being underestimated, overlooked, and assigned the cases no one else wanted. The ‘hopeless’ animals. The long shots. The emotional burnout. So when a large-scale mountain rescue operation needed volunteers, I raised my hand first—ready to prove my skill, my grit, and my worth.
I didn’t come looking for romance.
Especially not with a brooding mountain man who worked construction, carried quiet strength in every movement, and looked at me like he saw everything I was trying to hide.
Then I met Declan.
He noticed me during a breakthrough with the most traumatized dog at the rescue—right when my guard was down and my heart was wide open. One look was all it took to rattle the confidence I’d worked so hard to build.
Declan was the kind of man who fixed things.
Strong hands. Steady presence. Protective instincts.
I was the kind of woman who’d built her life on independence, determined never to need saving.
We should have stayed far apart.
But Declan didn’t treat me like a fragile project or a problem to solve. He treated me like an equal. Like a woman capable of choosing her own future—and worth standing beside while she did it.
And when he touched me, every carefully built wall came down.
One day.
One stubborn rescue dog.
One protective mountain man who refused to walk away.
One choice that proved I was stronger—and braver—than I ever believed.
Tropes:
- Protective Mountain Man
Animal Rescue Romance
Instalove
Capable Heroine
Blue-Collar Hero
Fast-Burn Chemistry
Small-Town Mountain Romance
Traumatized Dog Healing
Grumpy × Independent
Mountain Man’s Lucky Love is a steamy instalove mountain romance featuring a capable heroine, a protective blue-collar hero, a high-stakes animal rescue, and a fast-burn connection that changes everything in a single day.
Genre: Romance