Mount Hope Series by Annabeth Albert – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Mount Hope Series by Annabeth Albert – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.wownovels.com Sun, 01 Feb 2026 09:23:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.1 http://www.wownovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Mount Hope Series by Annabeth Albert – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.wownovels.com 32 32 Hot Dish (Mount Hope #5) Read Online Annabeth Albert http://www.wownovels.com/hot-dish-mount-hope-5-read-online-annabeth-albert Sun, 01 Feb 2026 09:23:02 +0000 https://www.wownovels.com/hot-dish-mount-hope-5-read-online-annabeth-albert Genre: Contemporary, M-M Romance, Novella Authors: Annabeth Albert Series: Mount Hope Series by Annabeth Albert
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Total pages in book: 14
Estimated words: 13099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 65(@200wpm)___ 52(@250wpm)___ 44(@300wpm)

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An unforgettable thank you…

The hottest silver fox paramedic happens to live on my street. When he rescues me, I bring him a casserole as a thank you. Seems like the neighborly thing to do.

However, I don’t anticipate my thank you turning into a steamy afternoon delight. Now Percy and I are heating up the sheets and finding more in common than I ever could have expected.

Both Percy and I have been burned by love before. Are we ready to take a chance on love or is this fling just a flash in the pan?

Hot Dish is a steamy treat of a novella with a side of sweet feels set in the Mount Hope universe, but also stands alone well. It features two mature heroes over forty, a wary silver fox paramedic, a sunny high school art teacher single dad, insta-lust, wooing via food, and a heaping helping of a fluffy happily ever after. Originally featured in the Delicious charity anthology, the story has a new cover and a preview of Up All Night, Mount Hope Book 1

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter One

Stu

“A paramedic guy came to check on you,” Shelby reported as I emerged from an unplanned afternoon nap. In my defense, I’d had a heck of a week, and I’d been up late last night finishing a painting.

“Who?” I blinked, brain bleary from the too-long nap.

“The one who is our neighbor.” Shelby rolled her eyes at me. My daughter was getting all too good at that skill as we approached her freshman year of high school. “He’s also on the ambulance crew that helped the night of Magnus’s fire.”

She kicked up a leg, showing off her healing scrape. Our next-door neighbor, Magnus, had suffered a catastrophic house fire earlier in the week. Shelby had been the one to discover the fire when she went to her job as Magnus’s dog sitter, and we’d both suffered minor injuries prior to the arrival of the first-responder crews.

“Oh right. Percy.” The night of the fire had been so chaotic I’d almost forgotten that our neighbor had been one of the paramedics to respond to the call.

“You know his name?” Soren scoffed from his seat at the kitchen table. Our house was small but cozy in a neighborhood of other older, working-class homes, and the kitchen shared space with the dining room. From the looks of his ham sandwich and chips, Soren was having a late lunch or a giant snack.

“Mount Hope is a small town.” I resisted the temptation to roll my eyes like Shelby. Soren was about to be a junior and was so very, very sixteen these days. “Tony, your football coach, is dating Caleb, a firefighter. Percy works with Caleb, hence we’ve been at the same event a couple of times. And he’s our neighbor.”

Those were facts, but I hadn’t mentioned Percy was a major silver fox, maybe ten years older than my forty. Even if we’d lived in Manhattan, I would have made it a point to know his name. And if I spent way too much time looking out the window when he did yard work, well, that was another thing I’d keep to myself.

“This is why we should have stayed in Berkley.” Two years into living in Mount Hope, Soren had yet to forgive me or his mother for the move. However, when my ex-wife needed to return to Oregon to take care of her aging parent, I hadn’t hesitated to move as well. Keeping our blended family together was more important than mine and Soren’s love of the Bay Area. “Too much small-town gossip. It’s weird, everyone knowing everyone else’s business.”

“Well, I like it here.” Shelby was ever our peacemaker. “We should do something to thank the first responders from the fire.”

“We should.” I agreed, if only to have an excuse to ogle Percy’s lanky muscles up close, along with whatever other eye candy was lurking around the fire station. “What were you thinking? Take cookies by the station?”

“Everyone else likely sends cookies.” Shelby had a typical teen fixation lately on “everyone else” and not wanting to be “boring.” “How about we do a casserole? Like those stuffed pasta shells I made last week. Everyone loved that one.” She smiled hopefully at me.

“That sounds like a decent idea,” I allowed. Shelby had spent the summer binging cooking competition shows and honing her culinary chops. Not only were the results tasty, but she usually doubled the recipes to split them between households, giving her a chance to practice her math skills as well. “You can make two casseroles again, so we get dinner out of it too.”

“And you could drop the second one off with Percy to take in on his next shift.” Shelby was also a born organizer, but I didn’t hate the idea of a reason to knock on Percy’s door.

“Good plan.”

Thus, one trip to the grocery store and one marathon cooking session with Shelby later, I found myself knocking on Percy’s front door. Like my house, his had a narrow concrete front stoop rather than a porch, and I felt more than a little silly and exposed standing in the open, holding the wrapped casserole. And that was before Percy opened the door wearing only a pair of loose-fitting athletic shorts and rubbing his eyes.

“Oh no.” My shoulders dropped. “Did I wake you?”

“It’s okay.” Percy waved away my concern. He was tall and lean with rugged features and closely cropped silver hair. If not for the shorts and bare, fuzzy chest, he could pass for an old west sheriff. “I sleep weird hours. As do you, apparently.”

“Apparently.” My face heated more than was reasonable for the July evening. “Sorry that I was napping when you stopped by earlier.”

“No problem.” He opened the door wider. “Come in so I can grab a shirt before I give the neighborhood something to talk about.”

“Okay,” I said in lieu of what I really wanted to say, which was that he didn’t need to put a shirt on for me. I was only too happy to look at his fuzzy chest and flat stomach. However, Percy was already pulling on a T-shirt advertising the annual Mount Hope first responder pancake breakfast. “And the nap comes with the territory of being an artist. And an art teacher with the summer off and a lack of routine.”

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Stuck with Me (Mount Hope #6) Read Online Annabeth Albert http://www.wownovels.com/stuck-with-me-mount-hope-6-read-online-annabeth-albert Sun, 01 Feb 2026 09:23:01 +0000 https://www.wownovels.com/stuck-with-me-mount-hope-6-read-online-annabeth-albert Genre: Contemporary, M-M Romance, Novella Authors: Annabeth Albert Series: Mount Hope Series by Annabeth Albert
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Total pages in book: 12
Estimated words: 10791 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 54(@200wpm)___ 43(@250wpm)___ 36(@300wpm)

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Help! I’m trapped with my work crush!

As a receptionist at a legal aid organization, I’m used to hot attorneys in suits. But Marshall Wilson is different.

I’ve had a crush on our newest hire for months now. When I’m finally ready to make my move, we end up trapped in an elevator together. Talk about bad timing!

A medical emergency adds to the tension as we await rescue. However, we’re also bonding, and there’s a glimmer of hope that my crush might be mutual.

Can Marshall and I stumble our way to forever, or are the doors closing on our chance?

Stuck With Me is a sweet, close proximity novella with swoony first time falling in love vibes. Set in the Mount Hope universe, but stands alone well. Features two clueless coworkers trapped together, zero angst, grumpy/sunshine, caretaking, and chronic illness rep. Originally featured in the Queers and Quills conference anthology, the story has a new cover and a preview of Up All Night, Mount Hope Book 1

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter One

Rory

Today was the day I finally asked Marshall Wilson out. I’d worn my favorite jellyfish Hawaiian shirt to work with the pants my sister swore were super flattering. My short, curly red hair had at least somewhat cooperated that morning and wasn’t its usual halo of frizz.

I’d only been planning to ask Marshall out for the last six months or more, since he’d joined our Mount Hope CASA office as the newest attorney. No biggie. But today was the day.

First, though, I had to wait for him to return from a court date while doing my usual job of juggling incoming phone calls, in-office appointments, and other front-office tasks. As I finished a phone call finalizing arrangements for an upcoming meeting, our boss, Jillian, strode over to my desk in our small reception area, curly reddish-brown hair flowing over the shoulders of her purple pantsuit.

“I have no idea how you make your job look so easy.” Jillian nodded approvingly as I ended the call. “You manage to make coordinating five different calendars sound fun.”

“It helps that I love my work.” I grinned up at her. “And I’ve got a great boss.”

“We do indeed have an awesome boss.” Tennessee, another of our attorneys and a friend, joined Jillian in front of my L-shaped desk. Like the rest of us, Tennessee loved Jillian’s commitment to our mission of advocating for children in the legal system and her easygoing demeanor. She was a pretty awesome director to work for. Unexpectedly, though, Tennessee also turned the praise on me. “And a great receptionist. You keep us running smoothly.”

“Wow, tag-teaming the compliments.” Narrowing my gaze, I glanced between them. “What did I do?”

“You were gone last week.” Tennessee had his long hair pulled into a ponytail. It bobbed with each of his earnest nods. “We missed you.”

“It was a good—or rather, bad—glimpse of what it will be like after you graduate.” Jillian shook her head mournfully.

“Aww. I feel the love.” I put a hand over my heart. I was enrolled in a low-residency master of social work program, and I’d spent the previous week on campus in Portland, doing a series of presentations and attending seminars. “And yes, graduation is getting closer. But I haven’t even started my job hunt yet.”

“Don’t tempt Jillian into creating a new position for you.” Tennessee laughed, but Jillian’s wizardry at winning grants was legendary.

“Funding remains elusive.” Jillian held up her index finger. “But trust me, I’m trying. You’re the best receptionist and administrative assistant we’ve had in a long time.”

“Thank you. How was the Howard court date?” I asked. Jillian being back in the office likely meant Marshall was as well. He was new enough that Jillian or Tennessee often accompanied him to court or other major events. They must have returned via the back stairs rather than the elevator.

“About as well as we could have hoped for.” Jillian smiled widely, magenta lips curving. “Marshall did an excellent job in his report and on the stand.”

Tennessee’s grin was much more mischievous. “Which, hopefully, means he’s in a good mood for you to⁠—”

“Congratulate.” I cut him off. Loudly. Tennessee was a friend and not usually much of a gossip, but perhaps he was tired of hearing about my crush and my failure to do anything about it. Also, his extroverted fiancé was wearing off on him, making the reserved Tennessee more outgoing these days. “As a friend and coworker.”

“Who are we congratulating?” Marshall himself emerged from the rear of our offices. We occupied part of the fourth floor of an older building located near the county courthouse that had last seen remodeling at least four decades prior. But as a nonprofit, location and price were the selling point, not the maze of rooms or the ancient amenities.

“You.” Tennessee beamed. “Jillian was just bragging about how well you did.”

“I wouldn’t say the job is getting easier, but I am getting more competent, one would hope.” Marshall was nothing if not serious. Some might call him uptight or grumpy, but I was drawn to how much effort he put into his work and words. He wasn’t exactly chatty, but when he did speak, it carried weight. More so today because he wore an elegant navy suit with a light-blue dress shirt and a blue-and-silver tie. He looked ready to give a keynote speech at a thousand-dollar-a-plate luncheon, but I’d rather dine on him. He nodded in Tennessee’s direction. “And Tennessee gets credit for helping me prep all yesterday.”

“You are way more than competent and far too humble.” Jillian clapped him on the back. His back, like the rest of him, was lean and long. Marshall was well over six feet tall with closely cropped dark hair and a tan complexion slightly darker than Jillian’s coppery notes. “You did wonderful advocacy. The family is lucky to have you.”

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Over and Above (Mount Hope #4) Read Online Annabeth Albert http://www.wownovels.com/over-and-above-mount-hope-4-read-online-annabeth-albert Wed, 19 Mar 2025 15:57:02 +0000 http://www.wownovels.com/over-and-above-mount-hope-4-read-online-annabeth-albert Genre: Contemporary, M-M Romance Authors: Annabeth Albert Series: Mount Hope Series by Annabeth Albert
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Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 80555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)

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I’m too young to be a grandpa and too old to fall in love…

Sadly, there’s no What to Expect manual for navigating life after forty. Right when I’ve begun piecing together my life as a widower and single dad to four older kids, my college-age daughter announces she’s pregnant. Oh, baby. And, of course, the other grandfather-to-be is the hot, single bar owner seemingly determined to flirt his way into my locked heart. Magnus is a temptation I don’t need.

When a fire leaves Magnus and his dogs without a home, I offer my carriage house as a solution. Temptation turns into a friendship I didn’t know I needed, and now, Magnus and I are cooking, watching silly old movies, planning holidays, and preparing for grandparenthood together. Things are perfect…until I kiss Magnus.

I’ve never had a friendship with secret benefits, but our chemistry is undeniable, and I cannot resist the chance to explore and reignite my passionate side. I didn’t think I could love again, but the lock on my heart suddenly seems quite loose.

Our families are entangled, Magnus isn’t meant for the shadows, and I’m not sure my kids are ready for me to date. Can I trust my heart to love again? Or will I find myself alone once more?

Over and Above is the fourth book in the Mount Hope series. A widowed paramedic who’s met his match in a cocky bar owner is about to discover that life truly does bring second chances when we least expect them. Over and Above features mature main characters, hurt comfort, grumpy sunshine, love after loss, second chance at HEA, found family, slow burn to spicy inferno, and big feels. Each Mount Hope book contains a standalone HEA, but reading in order is recommended for maximum reader enjoyment

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter One

Three Months Ago

Eric

“You’re alone.”

“Excuse me?” Coming to The Heist had been a mistake. I had no idea what had possessed⁠—

Okay, yes, I did. And perhaps I’d even subconsciously counted on Magnus, the owner of the bar and grill that occupied the old bank building, being on duty. But certainly not consciously, and Magnus’s pointed comment as I walked toward the massive polished bar made me want to turn right around.

“I meant you always come in with a crowd like your roommates or your after-work crew.” Magnus’s tone was as unflappable as ever, that charming, slightly flirty lilt that drove me up the exposed brick walls. He was perhaps a little younger than me, yet definitely over forty. His closely cropped, almost bald head made it hard to judge his age. And clearly, he spent far more time in the gym, what with the bulging, tatted-up muscular arms peeking out from his black T-shirt. “Nice to see you. Grab a seat.” Magnus gestured at the row of empty barstools. It was late, past the dinner rush on a weeknight, with only a smattering of patrons lingering at tables. “Your usual beer? And what can I get started for you food-wise?”

“Not beer. I want something stronger.” Magnus knowing my usual brand of pale ale irritated me to no end, which was exposed by my clipped tone. But I’d come for a drink, something with a kick and a burn that would make me forget—at least temporarily—this week from hell. “Scot— No, not that.”

I’d started to order a scotch on the rocks, but that had been Montgomery’s thing. He’d had a sophisticated taste with a collection of top-shelf whiskeys to match. I pursed my lips as I considered what I did want. Rum and Coke? Lord. Remove Montgomery’s influence, and my drinking tastes went right back to my teens.

“I’ve got a new dessert tequila in that’s amazing.” Magnus fetched an opaque blue bottle that looked more suitable for housing a genie than liquor. “Silky finish, notes of caramel and citrus.”

“Tequila makes me think of college.” It would have the burn I was after, but I could almost see Montgomery’s quiet look of distaste for the whole salt-and-lime ritual.

“This one won’t. It’s designed to be sipped slowly.” Magnus’s ever-present grin was even more seductive than said genie, not that I’d have the first clue what to wish for. Or rather, what to wish for that was remotely feasible. Apparently sensing he had me, Magnus fetched a tall, narrow flute with a long stem, a vessel befitting such a fancy liquor. “And first pour is on the house.”

“Why are you always so nice to me?” I asked as he slid the glass of clear liquid my way. It sparkled under the bar’s warm lighting, as captivating as the many shades of Magnus’s hazel eyes. And that right there was why Magnus irritated me. I noticed him in a way I hadn’t noticed anyone in years, certainly not since before Montgomery got sick. Which brought us back to my reason for drinking in the first place. The one-year anniversary of my husband’s passing had come and gone, and the whole week had been full of friends checking to see how I was coping. Badly. But of course I couldn’t say that.

“Besides a nice attitude being good for business?” Magnus gave a warm, rich chuckle. “Our kids are friends. I figure we should be too.”

“Our kids…” I had to think for a second as to which of my four the statement might apply to. “Oh right, you’re Diesel’s dad.”

Diesel was a nineteen- or twenty-year-old blue-haired punk type with almost as many tattoos as his father, and he had an on-again, off-again frenemy thing going with my oldest kid Maren, who was in college. Over the last year, they seemed to have evolved into more of an actual friendship, or at least, Maren tolerating Diesel’s antics more.

“I claim him.” Magnus’s smile took on a proud edge. “And it wasn’t your ambulance crew, but your firefighter friends and the helicopter folks did save him last year. I’m grateful to first responders of all stripes.”

“I’m glad he’s doing better.” Last summer, Diesel had suffered a nasty fall while hiking, ending up with an impalement injury, but thanks to quick intervention, he’d lived, and from what little I could glean from Maren, he’d made a full recovery.

“He is.” Magnus sounded relieved in a way my dad heart could relate to, along with more of that pride. “He’s gainfully employed now with his first promotion. He’s out at the big shipping warehouse. Maren keeps harping on him about taking classes, but school was never much his thing.”

“Guess it’s not for everyone.” I took a sip of my tequila at last, and my tongue tingled from the myriad of flavors—smoke, caramel, lime, sugar cookies—all wrapped in a bright ribbon of liquor. “Wow, this is amazing.”

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Among Friends (Mount Hope #4) Read Online Annabeth Albert http://www.wownovels.com/among-friends-mount-hope-4-read-online-annabeth-albert Tue, 28 Jan 2025 08:14:36 +0000 https://www.wownovels.com/among-friends-mount-hope-4-read-online-annabeth-albert Genre: Contemporary, M-M Romance Authors: Annabeth Albert Series: Mount Hope Series by Annabeth Albert
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Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 15998 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 80(@200wpm)___ 64(@250wpm)___ 53(@300wpm)

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What are the chances?

When I have a snowboarding accident, the last person I expect to see in the ER waiting room is Tennessee. My Tennessee. My childhood best friend who moved away in middle school without warning. We both have broken wrists and an urge to reconnect.

The gawky kid I once knew has been replaced by a cute, sweet, wounded, and vulnerable man whom I'm instantly attracted to. He's shy, though, and I need to take things slow to show him that this time he's sticking around forever—with me.

Among Friends is a sweet, steamy novella set in the Mount Hope universe but stands alone as a series prequel. It features an EMT hero determined to win his childhood best friend's heart. It contains all the low angst, hurt-comfort vibes that are heavy on comfort and big swoony, falling-in-love feels. Originally featured in the Heart2Heart anthology, the story has a new cover and a preview of Up All Night, Mount Hope Book 1.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter One

Tennessee

“This isn’t how I expected our date to end.” Carefully cradling my swollen wrist, I turned toward Gunter. He drove a souped-up Hummer, which should have been my first clue that our date was doomed.

“Uh-huh.” Thus far, the guy appeared to have a conversational vocabulary of twelve words, most of them grunted syllables. Gunter wore a too-small T-shirt advertising a popular gym chain under a thin windbreaker and his nylon track pants were no match for his thickly muscled legs. That should have been my second clue. Gunter was a jock, and I was…well me. Skinny, no muscles, and no idea what to do with weight machines. Oh, and on my way to the emergency room exactly seven minutes into our blind date.

“Maybe we could do dinner after my x-rays?” I didn’t hold out a lot of hope, but the CUPID algorithm on the Heart2Heart app had matched us, after all. CUPID was supposed to find soulmates for us lonely gay dudes—or so the app made it seem.

“Dude, I’m not waiting around.” For a supposed soulmate, Gunter had a surprising lack of soul. And heart. He followed the signs at the Mount Hope Regional Medical Center to pull up at the entrance labeled Emergency Room in giant red letters. “You can get out here.”

“Well, thanks for the ride.” I shrugged, which jostled my injured arm and made me wince. I supposed I should be grateful Gunter hadn’t made me use a ride-share app to get to the hospital. Or worse, call 9-1-1 for what could turn out to simply be a bad sprain. But if he was my soulmate, shouldn’t he want to wait with me? Or at least follow-up? Exchange contact info? Something.

“You sure you don’t want a raincheck? I figured since CUPID’s great track record matched us, you might want to try again?”

“Stupid CUPID is glitchy as fuck.” Gunter’s full lips twisted. He was disgustingly easy on the eyes. If one was into blond muscle-bound jerks, which I was decidedly not. “You’re the third match it’s given me this week. Soulmate finder. Hah. I can’t even get a decent hookup out of the app.”

Hookup was right up there with jock, muscles, off-roading, and gym on the list of words that didn’t apply to me.

“Ah. Good luck then.” I exited the Hummer, which wasn’t easy to do without the use of my dominant hand and with all my other bumps and bruises. Instead of an emphatic stomp off, I had to settle for awkwardly slithering to the ground and limping toward the wide double glass doors. For his part, Gunter zoomed away before I was fully on the sidewalk. Jerk.

Much as I’d like to find my person, I’d settle for someone pleasant to talk with, someone who cared enough to text asking about my day. Someone who stuck around past a single date. Apparently, I’d set my hopes too high.

Or perhaps I was simply a too-nerdy flavor the CUPID algorithm had no idea how to match. A depressing thought. And likely what I got for assuming artificial intelligence could find me a soulmate. Or a date.

Instead, here I was, banged up and bruised in more than one way, entering the ER on a gloriously sunny February Saturday in the Columbia River Gorge. Predictably, the waiting room was packed. The clear day had lured a number of fresh-faced hikers and skiers out, and now they filled the room with hastily bandaged wounds or ice packs. There was also the usual assortment of sneezing and sniffling winter flu patients and injured kids from Saturday daredevil activities. A dude wearing a Kiss The Cook apron with missing eyebrows and singed hair had clearly used the good weather to barbecue.

As I searched for a seat, my gaze landed on a familiar-looking face. Around my age, the man was shorter with muscles for days. Not as thick as Gunter by any means, but someone who evidently knew his way around all those intimidating gym machines. Unlike Gunter and his Hollywood looks, this guy had a face more intriguing than classically handsome with a light golden complexion, mixed-race features hinting at both Black and Polynesian ancestry, and wide, mesmerizing dark eyes. However, before I could figure out why the man seemed so familiar, one of the women working the registration desk waved me over. The badge on a lanyard around her neck with a bored-looking ID picture said her name was Madeline.

Older with a clipped demeanor, Madeline asked the usual triage questions about whether I was experiencing any dire symptoms like chest pain or dizziness.

“Nothing like that.” I pursed my mouth. Perhaps I should have looked harder to see if Mount Hope had any freestanding urgent care options. Madeline’s brusque attitude made me feel guilty for not being more of a critical case. “It’s my hand. Or wrist. I don’t know. I felt a pop when I fell, and it hurts…a lot.”

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On the Edge (Mount Hope #3) Read Online Annabeth Albert http://www.wownovels.com/on-the-edge-mount-hope-3-read-online-annabeth-albert Wed, 30 Oct 2024 13:02:30 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/on-the-edge-mount-hope-3-read-online-annabeth-albert Genre: Contemporary, M-M Romance Authors: Annabeth Albert Series: Mount Hope Series by Annabeth Albert
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Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)

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DANGER! RIDING TOO CLOSE TO THE EDGE!

My life is one big caution sign. Ever since my best friend’s all-grown-up son joined our shared home, I’ve been navigating a growing attraction to the injured motocross rider. Declan unleashes every protective and caretaking impulse I have, and I genuinely love spending time with the guy.

But Declan’s too young, too straight, and too temporary to risk a twenty-year friendship over. At least until he kisses me, and I tumble past forbidden attraction into a doomed secret fling.

What starts as exploration for Declan quickly transforms into an undeniable bond. He’s exactly what I’ve been searching for: a ride-or-die partner in crime who is happy making blanket forts, talking late into the night, and shares my love of cozy books and movies. What could be more perfect?

When Declan faces a crucial choice, both our hearts are on the line. Can we avoid falling over the edge into heartbreak?

ON THE EDGE is book three of the Mount Hope first responder series and features an emergency room nurse practitioner who is hopelessly soft for his best friend’s son. This dad’s best friend, hurt/comfort (heavy on the comfort), age gap romance contains small town feels, big emotional growth, and sizzling romance. While certain subplot threads continue throughout the series, each guaranteed happily ever after stands alone!

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter One

Declan

“Declan, time to go.”

My life these days was measured in fractions of a second. The milliseconds it took my bike to start, change gears, the time from the gate drop to make the holeshot, lap time, the seconds behind the leader, and so on. And every moment on and off the track was scheduled. Practice. Workout. Qualifying heat times. Meals. And the never-ending prescheduled publicity and media appearances. Stacey was only doing her job, but I still grimaced as she bumped the back of my chair. “Come on. Media’s waiting.”

A young family with two elementary-aged boys reached the front of my line, which had snaked around the Fan Zone all morning.

“One more picture?” the redheaded mom asked. She had on ill-advised sandals and wore the sort of weary expression of someone who hadn’t anticipated the amount of noise, dust, people, and walking at a motocross event.

“Please, Mr. Murphy?” The older boy had big eyes and ensured my butt stayed right where it was, impatient Stacey or not.

“Come on over here, kid. Let’s let your mom get a fast pic.” I motioned both kids over and smiled big, even as Stacey groaned.

“We’re running out of time.”

“Sorry, kids. That’ll have to do.” I shooed them away, but not before I slipped them a few stickers and promotional goodies, including coupons for the energy drink company Stacey worked for.

“Okay, that’s done. On to media.” Flipping her blonde hair over one shoulder, she adjusted her tight black T-shirt as I finally stood. She was on the move before I slid my chair under the folding table and was halfway to the exit of the Fan Zone when I caught up. “Thank God your family didn’t come to this race.”

“Why would you say that?” I was also relieved, but I didn’t like her exasperated tone.

“There are like nine zillion Murphys, your dad has another trillion friends, and those friends all have kids, and you always spend way too much time and energy entertaining all of them.” She exhaled hard as she wrapped up her rant, holding up her manicured hands. “You need this win, Declan.”

“I know.” I groaned as I followed her down the wide-access corridor under the stadium.

“Plus, you’ve said that things have been awkward with your dad since he started living with that guy.”

“Denver. My dad’s partner’s name is Denver. They have kittens now…” I trailed off because no way was Stacey interested in my dad’s domestic bliss. And yeah, I’d been a bit slow in accepting Denver’s existence, but not for the reasons Stacey assumed. “Anyway, I get what you’re saying. I need my head in the game today. No distractions.”

My gaze drifted away from Stacey to a pair of arena girls—the women who held up sign placards at the start of a race. They were both in tight black pants and microscopic tanks as they juggled giant signs.

Stacey made a frustrated noise. “For the love of God, stop auditioning my replacement.”

“I’m not.” I adopted my most wounded tone. “Their signs were crooked.”

“Uh-huh, and you’re the one to fix it.”

“You know I usually manage to stay friends with my exes.”

I gave her a pointed look as she continued to click-clack her way down the corridor with purposeful strides in her designer boots. Stacey and I dated for a hot minute last spring. As with almost all of my friends-to-girlfriends, I thought things might be different this time, but our grand romance turned out to be a fling that hadn’t survived a single racing season.

“We’re friends.” Stacey offered the fakest of smiles. “But this is also a business, and the sponsor isn’t going to pony up more dough unless you take over as points leader and wrap up this championship.”

She really meant that her days of using her influence over my biggest sponsor were done, and with never-ending competition for limited sponsorship dough, only wins mattered. And recent wins at that. A rider was only as good as his last race.

“Last week was a fluke.” I’d suffered a bad start in the final race, played catch-up, then sustained a gnarly crash two-thirds of the way through the race due to some lappers who missed the waving blue flag and didn’t move out of the way. Banged up and pissed off at the slower riders, I hadn’t come anywhere close to the podium, and my prior trophies were starting to feel mighty dusty. “And the week before that.” That one I blamed on my suspension not being precisely dialed in. Bike just hadn’t felt right the whole ride. “But I’ve got a good feeling today.”

“Excellent.” Stacey motioned me into the media area, where the national TV reporter was already waiting, cameras ready to roll.

“Declan. Man of the hour. Way to win your qualifier.” The reporter was Mark O’Shay, a former champion whose career was cut short due to injuries. He’d had two knee replacements and wasn’t yet forty.

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Off the Clock (Mount Hope #2) Read Online Annabeth Albert http://www.wownovels.com/off-the-clock-mount-hope-2-read-online-annabeth-albert Thu, 22 Aug 2024 20:04:44 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/off-the-clock-mount-hope-2-read-online-annabeth-albert Genre: Contemporary, M-M Romance Authors: Annabeth Albert Series: Mount Hope Series by Annabeth Albert
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Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 73794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)

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Starting over after retiring as an Army Ranger shouldn’t be this hard…

For twenty years, I traveled the world as a special operations warrior. Newly retired at forty-two, I’m back in my hometown of Mount Hope, pursuing a second career as a small-town firefighter. My meddling sisters and best friends all have opinions about my life, but the only person who seems to truly understand me is Caleb, the younger firefighter tasked with my training.
After a lifetime of denying my attraction to other men, Caleb reminds me of everything I’ve missed out on. I’ve never even kissed a guy.

Until now.
Until Caleb.
Until I push our growing friendship to the next level. While sneaking around like a pair of teens, trying not to get caught by our coworkers, friends, and family, our sexy connection leads us to some…interesting places.
And it turns out that I like taking risks. I’ve never wanted a relationship, and neither of us should be fooling around with a coworker, but we keep courting danger.
The more time I spend with Caleb off and on the clock, the more I like him and the less certain I am about everything else in my life. The one thing I know for sure is that I can’t afford to lose this intense bond we share. Can we find our way from super secret to super real before the clock runs down on this fling?

OFF THE CLOCK features two coworkers with an age gap finding out that opposites really do attract and that first impressions aren’t always accurate. All the big emotions, small-town feels, and hot romance readers expect from this acclaimed author. While certain subplot threads continue throughout the series, each guaranteed happily ever after stands alone!

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter One

Tony

Faster. Move your feet, Private. The voice of my first staff sergeant rang in my ears twenty years after the fact, still loud enough to power my dash through the airport. My new sneakers pinched my instep. I’d bought the new-release kicks on a whim, but like everything else, the shoes were tight, unfamiliar, and in dire need of breaking in.

I raced ahead from the gate where my flight had landed, through the food court, down a long hallway, around⁠⁠—

Smack. The standing sign came out of nowhere to whop me in the chest. The force of the collision tipped the stupid thing over, and I lost precious seconds righting and repositioning it so other travelers wouldn’t make the same mistake.

Under Construction. The signs were all over the airport, cheery yellow-and-black banners that outnumbered the Welcome to Portland signage. Might as well be a metaphor for my whole damn life right now.

Sweat clung to my back as I pushed my pace toward baggage claim and the lines for various shuttle buses beyond that. Since when was Portland so hot in June? Or maybe I was getting old? My bag pulled at my bum shoulder with every step. God, forty-two had hit and hit hard. I reluctantly paused again, yanking off the hoodie I’d pulled on over my joke of a T-shirt, but better that than sweltering.

As I finally reached the lower level that housed baggage claim, a trio of young women with long streaked hair and tanned skin in sundresses came barreling through. They all pulled giant rolling suitcases, narrowly missing me as they headed for the revolving doors. They were undoubtedly returning from someplace warm and tropical, and their tittering laughter sounded like they might have had one last cocktail on the flight.

“Sorry!” the nearest woman called out as her two friends also stopped and swiveled.

“Oh-em-gee, I love your shirt,” the second young woman gushed as her other friend nodded more somberly.

“Thank you for your service.”

“Thanks.” I’d grown to hate that phrase, but seeing as how I was sporting a black In My Veteran Era T-shirt with the Army Ranger logo below it, I couldn’t be too grumpy. Instead, I took the opportunity to dart around them and head for the sign that marked where the Columbia River Gorge shuttle picked up. There were only a handful of shuttles back to my hometown each day, and I was already cutting it close for my friend Eric’s birthday barbecue in the park.

It was mostly my fault that I was running late. First, my connecting flight had been overbooked, and my old habit of always volunteering for the ticket voucher for bumped passengers when flying commercial had backfired when the next flight to Portland was delayed. Now, I was scrambling, but mercifully, the shuttle was still there, the driver standing by his door.

“Hey! I’ve got a reservation!” I yelled before he could get in the van. Given the low number of visitors to the Gorge most days, the shuttle company ran sleek sprinter vans that held a dozen passengers and luggage rather than full-size shuttle buses.

“Capo?” the driver asked as he looked down at a clipboard, pronouncing my last name with the long-a sound instead of the short-a my family used. He was an older fellow wearing an old-style cabbie hat with a sloped brim and had a friendly demeanor as he moved slowly with a slight limp.

“Tony Capo.” I followed him to the rear of the van to load my army-issue duffel before he could attempt to lift the bag, which took up the last available luggage spot. My shoulder protested my nobility yet again, but I was more than used to its crankiness.

“You coming home, soldier?” The driver nodded at my shirt and bag.

“Yep.”

“Did my time in the navy, but you’re welcome aboard, Army.” The driver gestured at the first row, which held the only open seat other than a small fold-down jump seat near the door.

“Thanks.” I climbed into the van and arranged myself in the window seat, using my hoodie as a pillow. I was about to shut my eyes when another traveler came running up.

“Wait! Wait! I’m on this shuttle,” the young guy with a faint California accent called to the driver. He was a tall, gangly, blue-haired, goth-looking kid toting a giant, battered backpack. Of course, these days, anyone under thirty-five looked like a kid to me, but this guy’s baby face didn’t look old enough to order a beer. Clearly old enough, though, to sign consent for piercings and tats, of which he had an abundance. The kid gave a weary exhale as he leaned against the van, waiting for the driver to come around.

“No more luggage room,” the driver announced. “Everyone squeeze in.”

No one else even so much as shifted. The rest of the van was mainly retiree-aged folks and two business-looking dudes in polo shirts. And not one of them wanted to create space for the kid and his mammoth bag.

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Up All Night (Mount Hope #1) Read Online Annabeth Albert http://www.wownovels.com/up-all-night-mount-hope-1-read-online-annabeth-albert Sat, 30 Mar 2024 18:33:30 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/up-all-night-mount-hope-1-read-online-annabeth-albert Genre: M-M Romance Authors: Annabeth Albert Series: Mount Hope Series by Annabeth Albert
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Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 74730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)

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A new small town universe from author Annabeth Albert starring first responders in a small mountain town. Full House meets 911 Lonestar for emotional, uplifting happily ever afters for a tightknit friend group with each book featuring a fresh, stand-alone story. Book one, Up All Night, features a sunshine/grump pairing with a forty-something firefighter on a path of self-discovery.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Prologue

One Month Ago

Sean

My tie itched and tugged against my neck, a combo of a too-close shave and a lack of familiarity with tie-wearing. I didn’t attend a ton of events that called for a suit. Like my twenty-year marriage, my days of escorting Maxine to faculty functions were long past, and even as a fire captain, occasions for suits were few and far between.

But Doctor Montgomery Wallace’s funeral was one of those nonnegotiable suit occasions, so here I was, best suit I owned and uncomfortable as hell.

“What’s with your tie?” My dad frowned as he reached out to straighten my gray tie, which featured little DNA helixes. Like me, he was in a dark suit, hair tamed, clean-shaven. Other than how his red hair had far more white than mine, we could have been brothers. We could have worn our dress blues, but we’d decided on our civilian best to pay our respects.

Shrugging, I let Dad fuss with my tie and lapels. “I bought it to wear when Maxine received that big fellowship and research grant. Seemed appropriate for today, what with Montgomery having been a doctor. Better than most of my other ties, which are firehouse themed.”

“Fair enough.” Dad nodded sharply. The large reception hall at the Mount Hope Episcopal Church was crowded with a who’s who of Mount Hope residents, and ordinarily, my fire chief father would be making the rounds and greeting folks. He knew everyone. However, he’d stuck close to me all morning and narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized my face. “You need to stop acting married. Get back out there. Meet someone wonderful.”

“I’m aware I’m single.” And how. I suppressed a groan at my parents’ favorite topic for the last three years. Undoubtedly, Dad had glued himself to my side for the chance to resume the lecture he’d started as soon as I’d arrived back in town two days ago. “The house sale closes in two weeks.”

Maxine had kindly let me stay in our marital home while we hammered out the terms of our amicable divorce. No way could I afford to buy her out without emptying my entire pension, so selling had been inevitable, much as I pretended otherwise. And when Maxine was given the opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime Antarctic research trip, all I could do was cheer her on and watch as our—my—beloved historic Seattle craftsman sold for a staggering figure.

In two weeks, I’d have an unprecedented sum of money and no clue what to do with it. Or my life.

“And you still don’t have an apartment. Or a job.” Dad wasn’t one to shy away from stating the obvious. I’d taken leave to finish getting the house ready for sale and to free myself to move to a less pricey part of Seattle. “Come home, Sean.”

As soon as my folks had heard I was open to moving, they’d put their bid in for me to return to Mount Hope.

“That’s a wonderful idea.” My mother bustled over to lay a hand on Dad’s elbow. Like Montgomery and Eric, they were relationship goals, the sort of couple that invited envy even from those who barely knew them. “Your old room could be ready in a jiffy.”

Only she could get away with words like jiffy. Smiling, I gentled my tone. “Thanks, Mom.”

I wasn’t about to point out that my old room, like the rest of the house, had been taken over by her obsession with Disney collectibles. No way was I moving into a room dominated by Minnie Mouse memorabilia. Same twin bed, but my desk was covered with boxes of pins, and my bookshelves held box after box of other collectibles in pristine condition.

“Evelyn Rodriguez is going out on maternity leave for a few months. We’ll be short-handed. We could work together.” Dad pitched his voice extra hearty. He knew full well that I’d burned out on admin work as captain. The chance to be out in the field more was tempting as hell, even before he added, “One last time before I retire.”

“Gee, lay it on thick, Dad.” Groaning, I rolled my neck side to side. As I returned to normal posture, I considered my parents more closely. When had they become senior citizens on the brink of retirement? Dad’s shoulders were as wide as mine, but he was more stooped these days, years of hard work taking its toll on his back. This was his last year as fire chief. He’d been a captain when I’d been a rookie, the last time we’d been able to work together before Maxine’s schooling and later work had taken us away from Mount Hope for two decades. Glancing beyond my folks, I saw many familiar but aging faces, the small Oregon mountain town continuing to plod along in my absence. Maybe…

However, I knew better than to admit to either of my folks that I was wavering. Instead, I looked toward the front of the room. After the memorial service ended, the crowd around Montgomery’s family’s table had been so deep that I’d hung back with Dad to wait our turn.

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