This was my first book by this author. This story had so many unique elements. I really enjoyed it for the most part.
Is was a sort of slow burn between Alessia and Jax. The build up was excellent, from starting off on the wrong foot to the gentle progression into friendship. Though Jax is more than little rough around the edges, but there was glimpses of something more behind all his grrrrr!
Alessia is running from her disturbing past and carries a lot of all that she’s been through on the surface.
Once these two finally open up to each other and start forming a bond, I was all in.

I did have a few issues. One might be a spoiler so I’ll try to explain the less spoiler-y ones.
When they finally gave into their feelings it all happened so fast, the I-love-yous were thrown around and I was like woah! Ok. Kinda underwhelming.
Another thing that bothered me was we were never told how old the heroine was. It was left unclear and created a disconnect.
And then, also thrown in at the last bit of book and “tied up” in a bow was the issue with Gary. It was strange to say the least and didn’t feel like something within character.

As I said, I enjoyed this short story for the most part. It kept me entertained and intrigued.

⭐

This one was not for me. The MC, Jax & Alessia are inconsistenly drawn characters. Also, there is SO many red flags in Jax... At their first meeting he picks her up, carries her to his home, ties her hands together and drugs her. All while assuring her he's not a rapist and this is for her own good. Not a meet cute I am comfortable with...

I kept reading because I thought surely the author with do better. And she did... for a while. Jax was patient and sensitive to Alessia's trauma... Until he wasn't. Jealous, possessive and threatening to anyone she smiled at... Girl, ruuuuun!!!

Alessia... Ugh. C'mon now. She's resourceful enough to figure out a way to start over her new life, but can't figure out what the "blips" on a tape measure are? NO. Also, I'm super confused about how old she is... She sounds and acts like a teenager but our "hero" is 30ish, so she couldn't be, right? Right?! 🤢

I won't spoil the end for you, but it's gross. If this is your trope, you may really enjoy this book. I will say that's so not mine, which is maybe why I didn't like it.

#AtAllCostAMountainManRomance #NetGalley

Totally new concept for me. Highly enjoyed something so different!

I was disappointed in how quickly the story wrapped up. I was real hoping for some big cliffhanger that would play out in a second book with some major action.

Told in dual POV, this is a slow burn romance that has mild steam. Jax is ex-military trying to escape civilization. Alessia is trying to escape one man. I loved both characters and enjoyed following their emotional growth with each other. There is an element of darkness that adds to the tension of the story. There is a rather bloodthirsty end which I liked since it is not the norm. My first book by this author and am interested to reading more!

This is a slow burn romance. They started out a sort of enemies. She was trespassing on his property, but he knew she was unsafe out in the woods alone, so took it upon himself to keep her safe. Even if she was driving him crazy with her smart mouth and stubbornness. His character is a bit of a hermit. Living on his own out in the woods. You can tell he has some secrets but they aren't mentioned until near the end of the book. He character is on the run for her life. While she comes across as smart and level headed, it doesn't take long to realize she is in over her head and totally out of her element. Both are good people. He may come across as stern, harsh at times, and dominate by nature, but we get to see he does have a heart and while he may try to deny it, he is trying to do the right thing by her, especially as his feelings for her grow. It is a slow burn, so most of the book is them getting to know each other (and not an intimate relationship,) so there are no real up and downs within the relationship... no big break ups and grand gestures. Yes they had some rocky moments though. It wasn't smooth sailing. There is a little angst (from both ends.) There is also some violence... not entirely played out, but is mentioned so you can guess what happened. There is also mention of sexual abuse. There is some sexual content (only a couple scenes and also near the end of the story.) It's got an endearing quality about it. There aren't many laughs, but there are a few thrown in here and there between the characters and their bantering. It's an interesting story and keeps your attention. There are a few moments of 'thriller' like essence when certain incidents happen to give the story some action. While not a comedy, it's isn't an emotional read. No Kleenexes were needed.

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

At All Costs by Katerina Winters
A Mountain Man Romance

Jax sees her and is intrigued then rather dismayed to find her settling in on his property. He knows that will NOT do and has a plan to move her on her way...although...the plan does NOT work out as he thought it would. Nope, Alessia tugs at him...at a part of him he thought was frozen or perhaps destroyed by the anger that has been with him for so long. Alessia finds security when near Jax but also fears the brooding darkness that appears from time to time. She fears what she is running from more than Jax, though.

What I liked:
* Jax – a bit of a mystery all the way to the end. A good man who will do anything to keep those he cares for safe – a rather dark man but one I grew to admire and like.
* Alessia – definitely younger than Jax but wise in her own way – a survivor – someone who sees Jax as more than who he appears to be on the surface.
* The slow build
* The steamy bits when they kicked in
* The potential for the couple as they move forward together

What I did not like
* The bad guy – what an evil man he was
* Alessia’s mother – definitely unworthy of Alessia

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to the author who bequeathed me a copy of this ARC through NetGalley ~ This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

So this book...man I don't know where to start, there is a lot to unpack here. First of all, I wasn't one hundred percent clear on the ages between the characters until much later in the book. I DO NOT want to read adult romances where one of the characters in underage, but it was not clear in this book at all since the heroine had runaway from home. Much later in the book, it mentions she had "morning classes" so I thought, "Okay, she must be college-aged then." This is probably not a dealbreaker for some, but I would have liked more definitions.

So, I liked this book, but I do think there was some problematic content in and i want to point that out despite liking the book. Minor spoiler here, but when Jax first takes Alessia to his cabin, which she fights him on, he ties her wrists together and then he gives her tea laced with some sort of pill. He mentions that it was given to him by his therapist, he's a veteran, but we don't know what it is. Clearly it's something to help her sleep, but that REALLY DID NOT sit well with me at all. He does it again much later in the book, which ties in with the extremely bizarre twist ending that happens. Don't worry, this is a romance and they do get their HEA.

This book is a super slow burn, which I really liked. They have a hard time getting along, but slowly realize they like being in each other's company. I liked that Jax put things into her court and made her make the decision on their intimate relationship. It was nice that he was considerate because of what happened to her.

I did really enjoy their relationship and was happy that they have their happy ever after, but man did this book shock me with the ending! I'm not telling you because of spoilers, but man it was a weird turn for this book!

What did I just read? I got to tell you I enjoyed the book until the last chapter. I have no idea what the author was thinking ending the book that way.

I enjoyed this fairly quick read that kept me eagerly turning pages to find out what would happen between Jax and Alessia and how things would play out once Gary found her. The story moves at a good pace, and I really liked the characters. They both had plenty of scars that made it hard to trust others, and they ended up being just what the other needed. I like books like this one with realistically damaged characters struggling to just get by. Their HEA is hard-earned.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an ARC for review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this.
I enjoyed most of the story. The relationship between Jax and Alessia progressed at the right pace, and their interactions in the beginning were realistic.
Towards the end it felt a bit rushed though, and the... episode with Gary felt a little too out of character for Jax. He'd stated previously he didn't want the police snooping around, and then he did...that? It was careless and didn't make sense really. Maybe that's just me.
2.5 stars