Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder

Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder is the latest short story to be checked off my to be read list. I first discovered Lilah Hart and her story stories in the summer of 2025, and I’ve been hooked ever since. They are perfect for those busy days and still allow me to read each and every day. I have reading goals, but sometimes they have to shift and adjust to my schedule. I am a big fan of short stories for this reason.

Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder is book five in a six part series called Wildwood Valley Christmas. This is the perfect series to put me into the holiday mood. I’m ready to decorate for Christmas and enjoy the lights, snowglobes, hot cocoa, and more.

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My first series from Lilah Hart was the WIldwood Valley Brides series, and I must admit that I have enjoyed all of the series that are based in Wildwood Valley. I hope Lilah continues to set more in this place.

It has become one of my goals to read all of LIlah Hart’s short stories, and I’m slowly checking them off the list, one by one. Which is no easy feat, given the sheer volume of amazing stories that she has written. But it is a fun goal. Do you have a favorite author that you’ve been reading and trying to read everything they’ve written? If so, tell me about that author in the comments! I want to hear about your favorites.

At the time of publishing this review, Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder, and all of Lilah Hart’s short stories are available via Kindle Unlimited, making them more easily accessible to readers without breaking the bank. This also helps me utilize my subscription more often than I had previously.

Have you read Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder? Come on in and let me tell you about it!

About Wildwood Valley Christmas

When crafters flock to Wildwood Valley’s Christmas Festival, they expect sales and holiday cheer—not six rugged mountain men with hearts as tempting as the town’s twinkling lights. From soap makers to jewelry designers, each woman discovers that love can be handmade too, especially when it comes wrapped in flannel and spoken with a slow mountain drawl. In the Wildwood Valley Christmas series, every booth hides a spark, every kiss feels like a gift, and happily ever after is always in season.

About Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder

She’s spent her life living for everyone else. He makes her wonder if she could finally choose herself.

I’d spent my whole life living for everyone else.

Since the age of twelve, I’d worked in my parents’ restaurant—trading proms for late-night shifts, friendships for endless obligations, and love for a future I never chose. At twenty-three, I was still stuck in their dream, not mine, pouring my heart into crafting snow globes that captured the kind of family and freedom I’d never have.

Then came the Wildwood Valley Christmas Festival.

One careless moment—a pack of kids knocking over my display—sent my carefully built world crashing in pieces across the frozen ground. And that’s when he appeared.

Buck.

A mountain man with steady hands, eyes warm as melted chocolate, and a quiet strength that made me feel seen for the very first time. He didn’t just help gather broken glass—he saw beauty in what was shattered. He saw me.

Thoughts on Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder

“ I need to stay. With you. I need to wake up excited about my day instead of dreading it. I need to make things that bring me happiness, not just manage someone else’s dream.”
Lilah Hart, Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder

In Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder we meet Sheraton and Buck.

Sheraton has spent years being the good daughter, trading experiences for working at her family restaurant. She is a people pleaser, and that is something that I can deeply identify with.

Buck is a veteran who is building a new life in Wildwood Valley and trying to figure out what life looks like post-military career. He has a quiet strength about him, and he doesn’t miss details at all. He sees everything.

It is amazing in such a short story to watch these two grow into exactly who they were meant to be. Sheraton starts choosing her own path and her own happiness, and Buck learns he is exactly where he is meant to be, building a life together.

I found myself rooting for them to stay together, to see Sheraton follow her dreams and become the woman she was meant to be. I am always rooting for women like her to take that leap and for everything to work out. Because I’ve been there. I’ve been Sheraton myself, and we are all one decision away from a completely different life. I want to see every woman choose happiness.

I love how relatable and amazing this story is, and the fact it gives me the happily ever after ending that I wanted. When I am reading darker novels, I often take a break and read a short story like this because I need that happily ever after ending.

If you enjoy an hour long read that is steamy, romantic, fun, and relatable, then you’ll love Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder. It is a perfect story to inspire you to pull out the Christmas decorations and then spend some time with your spouse in the bedroom after.

Final Thoughts on Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder

“I felt alive. For the first time in my life, I was doing what I wanted, not what my parents said.”
Lilah Hart, Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder

I’m calling Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder a 5 star read. This is one that is a good reminder to take a leap of faith and try something new, to choose a different path and choose happiness. It is a story that will stick with me, and one I will return to and read again in the future.

If you aren’t familiar with Lilah Hart’s short stories, I highly recommend you start with the ones that are based in Wildwood Valley. They’ve definitely become my personal favorites. I am also hoping that she writes another series based in this town.

The holiday season is such a busy time for most people, and that includes me. But I still crave the feeling of accomplishment that comes from starting and finishing a book. I chase that feeling as often as I can. Short stories like Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder and any others from Lilah Hart help me continue chasing that feeling of accomplishment, while still being crazy busy with the holidays. It is a win-win for me, and anyone else with a busy schedule that doesn’t allow nearly enough time for reading.

Discussion

Have you read Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder or any other writing from author Lilah Hart? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

About the Author

Lilah Hart has been writing and publishing for more than a decade, both for traditional publishers and independently. She writes short, steamy reads with plenty of heart. When she’s not writing, she loves binge-watching reality TV shows while sipping moscato. She lives in Knoxville with her husband and her pet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Purchasing Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder

If you are interested in buying the Kindle version of Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder, click here.
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Mountain Man’s Winter Wonder