Storm on the Mountain

Title: Storm on the Mountain
Author: P.D. Singer
Publisher: Torquere Books
Genre: M/M contemporary romance
Length: 28 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

A guest review by Jenre

Summary Review
Another short from the Mountain series sees Mark’s patience finally paying off in his relationship with Allen.

THE BLURB

When driving snow and high winds force the Wapiti Creek Ski Resort to shut down the lifts, ski patrol Mark wants nothing more than to round up the last stragglers and get safely indoors. Chef Allan is still out in the blizzard on a borrowed snowmobile, delivering meals so a hundred people don’t go hungry. While Mark’s protective instincts scream to drag his lover inside, he respects Allan’s need to honor commitments, even at the risk of frostbite.

Allan’s got another problem bigger than the storm. Mark has the solution — but Allan will never accept it if they don’t reach the decision together.

THE REVIEW

I’ve pretty much loved most of the stories in P.D. Singer’s Mountain series, and I’ve followed the progression of Mark and Allen’s story from their rather rocky start in Fall Down the Mountain. Allen’s fierce independence, coupled with Mark’s impatience and the fact that he fell hard for Allen in a short space of time, haven’t made things easy for the couple and I’ve felt rather sorry for poor Mark as he tentatively waits for the right moment to express his love properly and move the relationship forward.

The story begins with a blizzard which shuts down the ski resort where Mark works as a patroller. His lover. Allen, has gone out the deliver food for his catering company and arrives at Mark’s flat half frozen. In the process of thawing Allen out, the couple discuss their relationship and start things in motion to move into the future as a couple.

Although this is one for the fans of the series, as those who haven’t read Fall Down the Mountain will not truly get the dynamic between Mark and Allen, I greatly enjoyed seeing Mark and Allen come to some sort of decision about their future. This was coupled with a couple of very tender and hot sex scenes, which said just as much about Allen’s feelings for Mark as any words he may use. The men work really well together with, Mark especially, having learned to curb his over-protectiveness and Allen showing that he can ask for help when it’s needed.

Another thing that worked well was the contrast between the dramatic scenes at the beginning where Mark has to help rescue stranded skiers in the blizzard, and the quieter reflective scenes towards the end. This varied the pace of the book and added to my interest in reading the story.

I also liked the sense of closure that comes towards the end of the story. I have to admit, I’ve worried that Allen would never unbend enough to let Mark in, and it was a relief for me to see the men happily discussing their relationship and coming to some decisions. Their relationship is now stronger and as characters the men have developed and changed – much of which is shown in this little short.

Overall, if you’re a fan of the series then this will be a delightful story for you. It’s more than just an add-on or a slice of life between Mark and Allen because we get to see some real progress in their relationship, and I enjoyed reading the story a great deal.

The Mountains Series