Mount Hope Series by Annabeth Albert

Among Friends is the prequel novella for the Mount Hope series. It was originally featured in the Heart2Heart anthology (#7), but now it has its own cover and is available as a solo title! Available through Annabeth's newsletter.

What happened to my predictable life? I had a stable life as a fire captain in Seattle, married to one of my best friends and raising two awesome kids. Now, my kids are grown, and my marriage is toast. I'm solidly past forty and back in my tiny hometown of Mount Hope, Oregon, filling in as a firefighter. My future is one big question mark keeping me up at night. Also keeping me up? The short-order cook at Honey's Hotcake Hut. Denver might be close to my age, but we're total opposites... moreWhat happened to my predictable life? I had a stable life as a fire captain in Seattle, married to one of my best friends and raising two awesome kids. Now, my kids are grown, and my marriage is toast. I'm solidly past forty and back in my tiny hometown of Mount Hope, Oregon, filling in as a firefighter. My future is one big question mark keeping me up at night. Also keeping me up? The short-order cook at Honey's Hotcake Hut. Denver might be close to my age, but we're total opposites. The former rock roadie runs from stability, never puts down roots, and lives for the moment. Point in case, we barely speak before he invites me into his shower. I've never been with a man, but my fresh start has me trying all sorts of new things—including Denver’s shower. Our future? Hopeless. Denver doesn't do repeats, but I convince him to have a fling since we're both in Mount Hope short-term. The more time we spend together, the deeper our friendship and bond grows. Our time together outside of the bedroom, reveals a caring side to the grumpy cook. Even better, my sunshine-y optimism softens him like butter. Should a fling give me these deep feelings? Nope. Worse, the feelings are mutual. Big decisions loom for both our futures, and our time together grows short. I might have Denver's heart, but his trust is far harder to win. He's the answer to all my question marks, and I need him to believe in us. Can I convince him to give our love a chance? UP ALL NIGHT features a grumpy/sunshine pairing for a forty-something firefighter on a path of self-discovery with an UP ALL NIGHT short-order cook. It contains loads of first-time feels with sexual awakening and exploration with a heaping helping of personal growth and deep connection for this opposites-attract couple. less

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... moreStarting 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! less

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... moreDANGER! 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! less

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... moreI’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. less