A grumpy lumberjackFormer Army Ranger Harrison Wilkes isn’t actually a lumberjack, but he’s doing his best impression while hiding out in the mountains of East Tennessee. He needs to rest, recharge, and stay the hell away from people, while he wrestles with ghosts from his past and figures out his future. Neither includes a snowbound rescue of his favorite author.A runaway writerIvy Blake is on a … author.
A runaway writer
Ivy Blake is on a deadline. Her hero is MIA, and she’s desperate to find some peace, quiet, and inspiration to get her book—and her life—back on track. She doesn’t plan on driving off a mountain. Or the mysterious stranger who shows up to save her.
Who’s rescuing who?
When Winter Stormageddon traps them together, Ivy finds the inspiration she didn’t know she needed in her real-life hero. As more than the fireplace heats up his one-man cabin, they both find far more than they bargained for. This intuitive author just might have the answers Harrison’s looking for, but will their newfound connection survive past the storm?
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This book left me with a smile on my face.
I hadn’t read this author before but this will definitely not be my last Kait Nolan book! I loved this trapped-in-a-snowstorm story. Wonderful characters and a most satisfying HEA!
Compelling reading. Pacy, heart warming, a real page turner!
Excellent rendition of a popular romance trope, two strangers snowbound in a mountain cabin
Former Army Ranger, Harrison Wilkes, and author, Ivy Blake, are both around 30 years old and both are intensely in need of some R&R alone time to overcome burnout. Harrison has never fully recovered from the tragic, wartime deaths of close comrades that led him to leave the Army a few years ago, and his agonizing memories have been stirred up all over again because of the funeral for a former comrade who recently died in action. Ivy is a NYT-bestselling, thriller writer whose next book is way overdue because her creative well has run dry. Fate brings them together on a deserted mountain road in the mountains of Tennessee. During an increasingly hard snowfall, Ivy wrenches the steering wheel in order to avoid slamming into a bear that is lumbering across the road, and her car spins out of control, slams through a guardrail, and plunges over the mountainside. Miraculously, her car lands cradled within the outflung branches of a huge tree, and she is only mildly injured. When, soon after, Harrison comes upon the wreck, he heroically rappels down the mountainside and rescues Ivy. The roads have become too impassible from snow for him to take her back down the mountain to a hospital, so he drives Ivy to the nearby cabin he has borrowed from a friend, administers first aid, and protects her from hypothermia by warming her in his brawny arms, while the two of them are sitting wrapped in a blanket before a roaring fire.
And thus begins the sensual, heartwarming romance of Harrison and Ivy.
The romance trope of two strangers trapped in a mountain cabin during a blizzard has been done to death over the last 45 years and, honestly, it’s not one of my preferred tropes. But this story is so riveting, I raced through it with continual enjoyment, because Harrison and Ivy are compelling, sympathetic protagonists, and this is an extremely well written novel. I have read practically every book this author has ever written, and for my personal preferences, this novel is in the top 3 of her very best books. It is also one of the best romances I’ve read all year.
As a long time romance fan, I’m particularly jaded about sex scenes in romance novels, because far too many authors seem to offer them more as page filler than a way to advance an exciting romantic relationship. I’ve gotten so tired of boring descriptions of heaving body parts, I rarely do anything but skim over, or skip entirely, the vast majority of sex scenes I come across. In contrast, in this terrific novel, KN writes every sex scene with such intense, emotional connection between Harrison and Ivy that I happily devoured every word of these scenes.
It is not necessary to have read any of the books in the Misfit Inn series by KN before reading this novel. But if you are a fan of that series and have read them all, as I have, there are some fun, brief cameos of favorite characters from that series in this novel. They appear just long enough to contribute to the romantic plot without aggravatingly taking up excess space in the form of a shoehorned-in, informal epilogue to their own books, which is a predictable and irritating tendency in far too many books that are part of multi-book romance series.
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 5 stars
Hero: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
Romance Plot: 5 stars
Setting: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars
Lots of the real world in these pages. Well written and a real eye opener. Makes you think about what comes after the war, wrapped up in some real warmth and human connection. I am truly enjoying books by Kait Nolan
After reading the synopsis, I was pretty sure I’d enjoy Baby, It’s Cold Outside — but I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did!
I felt an instant connection to both Ivy and Harrison, and although their attraction to one another and the romance developed rather quickly, it all just felt so natural and genuine. I couldn’t stop reading and raced through the pages in a matter of two sittings, needing to know what happened next and how their characters would develop.
Absolutely loved it, and am excited to read book 2 in the Rescue My Heart series!
what a great story .so good,almost read all in one sitting. fantastic writer
I love Kait’s books just generally and this one is no exception. I very much enjoyed Harrison and Ivy’s story! They are such lovable characters. And he’s a delightful book boyfriend. I struggled to put the book down. It was wonderful.
Lovely story. Characters are fun to read about.
Really great, romantic escape for this momma.
This is a great military romance that brings attention to a serious mental health issue in a positive and respectful way. I really enjoyed reading this one, and I look forward to continuing the series. Also – seriously steamy
Loved it!
A look at the military returning to real life
It was a pleasure to meet flawed characters that aren’t whiney and own their screw-ups. I felt like I was reading a book written for an adult rather than a teen. The writing is well-done with character development evident through dialog and action.
After sliding off the road and being rescued by Harrison Ivy found herself falling for her lumberjack. Great story
Enjoyed reading this book so much with good characters with unique story line of 2 writers falling for each other when they really didn’t even know at first.
I enjoyed the characters and found the story fun to read.
Loved it
Short, quick read. Enjoyed it.
An author with massive writer’s block and a man with a past meet in a blizzard. This is a standalone romance with characters from another series wandering (The Misfit Inn) through. It is warm and fun and thought provoking and heartfelt. I forgot the draw of Kait Nolan’s books. This is a second read for me and loved it even more on the second round. All new meaning to family and exploring, to healing. Bravo!! I foresee many more Kait Nolan books in my reading future!