Title: Rocky Mountain Christmas
Author: Michael Barnette
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Novel (199pgs)
Publisher: Silver Publishing (24th November 2012)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3 ½Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Ranger Cooper Heywood is on duty at Rocky Mountain National Park during Christmas. Alejandro Velez is an accomplished photographer. What Alejandro didn’t plan on is the instant desire he feels for Cooper… and what is that odd golden shimmer?
Ranger Cooper Heywood is on duty at the Rocky Mountain National Park during Christmas. It’s not a busy time of year, but there are some people he has to watch over including a photographer. In his experience photographers are a problem, but Cooper finds himself attracted to the handsome Latino who sets his blood on fire.
Alejandro Velez is an accomplished photographer with several coffee table books to his credit. He’s there to photograph the wintry landscape for his newest book. What he didn’t plan on is the instant desire he feels for Cooper who he always sees surrounded by an odd, golden shimmer. Alejandro doesn’t know what it means, but something tells him he’s going to find out.
NOTE from author: I have a book coming out through Silver Publishing on November 24th, it’s the ‘re-imagined’ version of the book formerly called Let it Snow which is now called Rocky Mountain Christmas. It’s now a light paranormal story — no bad guys but lots of fun with magic, ghosts and psychic powers–and I feel the story is much stronger for the addition of those elements.
Purchase Link: https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/products_id/1232
Review: Cooper is a Ranger at the Rocky Mountain National Park. He’s working over the Christmas period watching over the people visiting the park and one of them is a photographer. A city photographer from Miami who will have no clue about the great outdoors in cold conditions. But, Cooper gets a surprise from the moment he meets Alejandro. Alejandro needs winter pictures for his coffee table book and he is starting to run out of time as conditions become harsh. But, a highlight is meeting Ranger Cooper and Alejandro begins to long for more than a brief holiday romance.
This is a good contemporary story with just a touch of paranormal thrown in to add to the atmosphere. Cooper is skeptical when he learns there is a photographer on the mountains. The last photographer caused more problems than he was worth. But, he rapidly changes his mind when he meets the sexy Latino Alejandro and as they spend time together he begins to long for more. Alejandro is blessed with some mysterious powers and when he meets Ranger Cooper he notices that he is surrounded by gold sparkles it prods something his Abuela told him, and he falls quickly for the sexy Cooper. But, first both men have to survive a blizzard and the secrets that each man keeps.
I liked this story because it was quite simple. There wasn’t too much angst or danger other than being trapped by a blizzard. There was no one after them, no horror from the past… it was just about two men meeting and falling in love and both having slight paranormal powers. Both struggling to have long-term relationships due mainly to their jobs, but finding in the other a kindred spirit. The slight spark of paranormal adds to the story, but don’t be expecting anything too fanciful or outrageous, they are gentle paranormal powers.
Both Cooper and Alejandro seem like great men. They are also simple men just living their lives. Both of them are lonely because of their occupations and also because of their paranormal abilities, but together they are something special. They find a love that completes them and the sex is plentiful and hot. I have also learned something new, when you are in the mountains and you can’t use the line ‘come and see my etchings’ you can use the line ‘help me find the camp stove popcorn’ loved it!
I recommend this to those who love slight paranormal powers, beautiful settings for love, finding true love, incredible hot sex, a slight touch of D/s and a very happy ending.