Poppy and the Mountain Man
(2026)(A book in the Spring in the Mountains series)
A novel by Joann Baker and Patricia Mason
Poppy
I had spent my whole life taking care of everyone else — until the day my mother's surprise announcement left me without a home, a plan, or a single reason to stay.
So I got in my car and drove.
I hadn't meant to stop in Lone Mountain, Montana. I hadn't meant to do a lot of things lately, but there I was, sitting in a diner with no plan, no home, and a very kind stranger telling me about a seasonal job up the mountain that would be perfect for someone with my skills.
I told her I had a green thumb.
I mean, I'd kept a cactus alive for three weeks once. That counted.
The job was at a nursery — except calling it a nursery felt like calling the ocean a puddle. This place moved seedlings by the truckload. It was run by a man who, as far as I could tell, had never smiled in his entire life.
He hired me anyway. Questionable decision on his part.
I told myself this was exactly what I needed — a little fresh air, a little hard work, a little time to figure out who Poppy was when she wasn't busy taking care of everyone else. A fresh start. A new beginning.
Cordell
She said she had a green thumb.
I should have pushed on that. I should have asked follow-up questions, requested references, done literally anything other than look at her for thirty seconds and realize I wanted her to stay on the mountain. My mountain.
I didn't do complicated. I did seedlings, soil, silence, and solitude. Poppy was none of those things.
She was chaos.
She was, apparently with no effort, the most interesting thing that had happened up here in longer than I cared to admit. Not that I was admitting it. Not that I was thinking about it.
I should have asked more questions at the interview.
If you love swoony, grumpy mountain men, a curvy heroine who has absolutely no idea where she's headed, and an instalove story you can finish before your coffee gets cold — Poppy and the Mountain Man was made for you. Grab your copy and start the Spring in the Mountains Series today!
Genre: Romance
I had spent my whole life taking care of everyone else — until the day my mother's surprise announcement left me without a home, a plan, or a single reason to stay.
So I got in my car and drove.
I hadn't meant to stop in Lone Mountain, Montana. I hadn't meant to do a lot of things lately, but there I was, sitting in a diner with no plan, no home, and a very kind stranger telling me about a seasonal job up the mountain that would be perfect for someone with my skills.
I told her I had a green thumb.
I mean, I'd kept a cactus alive for three weeks once. That counted.
The job was at a nursery — except calling it a nursery felt like calling the ocean a puddle. This place moved seedlings by the truckload. It was run by a man who, as far as I could tell, had never smiled in his entire life.
He hired me anyway. Questionable decision on his part.
I told myself this was exactly what I needed — a little fresh air, a little hard work, a little time to figure out who Poppy was when she wasn't busy taking care of everyone else. A fresh start. A new beginning.
Cordell
She said she had a green thumb.
I should have pushed on that. I should have asked follow-up questions, requested references, done literally anything other than look at her for thirty seconds and realize I wanted her to stay on the mountain. My mountain.
I didn't do complicated. I did seedlings, soil, silence, and solitude. Poppy was none of those things.
She was chaos.
She was, apparently with no effort, the most interesting thing that had happened up here in longer than I cared to admit. Not that I was admitting it. Not that I was thinking about it.
I should have asked more questions at the interview.
If you love swoony, grumpy mountain men, a curvy heroine who has absolutely no idea where she's headed, and an instalove story you can finish before your coffee gets cold — Poppy and the Mountain Man was made for you. Grab your copy and start the Spring in the Mountains Series today!
Genre: Romance