Solitary Ridge Protectors Series by Ava Aubrey

I’ve been running for three weeks. My ex-husband - a powerful man with everything to lose - wants me silenced before I can expose what he’s done. When my car dies in a blizzard, I’m left with two freeze to death or trust the dangerous stranger who opens his cabin door. Logan Reid is massive, silent, and carved from scars. Everything about him should terrify me. But when he steps aside and lets me in, I see something beneath the shadows. Something steady. Something safe... moreI’ve been running for three weeks. My ex-husband - a powerful man with everything to lose - wants me silenced before I can expose what he’s done. When my car dies in a blizzard, I’m left with two freeze to death or trust the dangerous stranger who opens his cabin door. Logan Reid is massive, silent, and carved from scars. Everything about him should terrify me. But when he steps aside and lets me in, I see something beneath the shadows. Something steady. Something safe. I came to Solitary Ridge to disappear. After losing my entire team overseas, I retreated into the mountains, convinced I didn’t deserve peace, let alone love. The last thing I need is a terrified woman knocking on my door in the middle of a storm. But Megan isn’t just running. She’s fighting. And when her past catches up to us, I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her - even if it means becoming the man I swore I’d never be again. A steamy, emotional romantic novella featuring a gruff, ex-military mountain man protector, a curvy woman on the run reclaiming her power, forced proximity in a snowbound cabin, found family, dual POV, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after. This book is part of a series, but it can also be read as a standalone. You can read it on a commute or lunch break, but you might blush a bit. It's meant to be a quick escape. less

She broke his heart to save his life. Now she’s the one who needs saving. EMMA: Three years ago, I sent the man I loved a brutal goodbye and disappeared without explanation. What Declan Downs never knew was that I’d witnessed a murder, and the only way to keep him alive was to make him believe I’d stopped loving him. I never did. Now I’m out of places to run... moreShe broke his heart to save his life. Now she’s the one who needs saving. EMMA: Three years ago, I sent the man I loved a brutal goodbye and disappeared without explanation. What Declan Downs never knew was that I’d witnessed a murder, and the only way to keep him alive was to make him believe I’d stopped loving him. I never did. Now I’m out of places to run. The killer I’ve been hiding from is tying up loose ends, and Declan is the only person I trust to keep me alive long enough to bring him down. I don’t deserve his help. I know what I took from him. But I’m asking anyway. DECLAN: Three years ago, Emma Aaron shattered me with a message that said she’d moved on. I survived deployment, shrapnel that ended my soldier career, and years of believing I wasn’t enough, but losing her was the wound that never healed. Now she’s in Solitary Ridge. She’s terrified. She’s running from professional killers. And she’s asking for my protection. I should turn her away. I should protect what’s left of my heart. But one look at her haunted eyes, and I know I’ll fight for her, even if the truth about why she left breaks me all over again. As danger closes in and old feelings reignite, Declan and Emma must decide if their second chance is worth the risk. Because this time, survival isn’t enough. This time, they’re playing for keeps. A high-stakes second-chance romance with a protective hero and a guaranteed HEA. This novella is standalone within a series, and is meant to be a short escape read during a commute or lunch hour - although you might blush a bit. less

She’s running from a man with a badge. He’s the deputy who refuses to let her be hunted. Grace Miller has spent weeks on the run - sleeping in her car, keeping her five-year-old daughter safe, never staying long enough to be found. Her ex-husband is a cop. He’s controlling, dangerous, and convinced his badge makes him untouchable. When Deputy Trent Beck finds Grace and her daughter, Lacy, asleep at a remote Montana trailhead, he knows what protocol demands. Run her information. Call it in... moreShe’s running from a man with a badge. He’s the deputy who refuses to let her be hunted. Grace Miller has spent weeks on the run - sleeping in her car, keeping her five-year-old daughter safe, never staying long enough to be found. Her ex-husband is a cop. He’s controlling, dangerous, and convinced his badge makes him untouchable. When Deputy Trent Beck finds Grace and her daughter, Lacy, asleep at a remote Montana trailhead, he knows what protocol demands. Run her information. Call it in. Walk away. Instead, he sees the fear Grace is trying to hide - and the little girl who flinches at the sight of his uniform. So Beck makes a choice that will change all their lives. He offers them shelter. Grace knows better than to trust a man in uniform or to hope for safety or love. But Beck is patient. Steady. A man whose quiet strength makes her feel protected instead of powerless. When her ex finally catches up to them, threatening to take everything Grace has fought to protect, Beck doesn’t hide behind rules or rank. He stands his ground. Because Beck isn’t just a deputy. He’s a former soldier. A protector. And a man who’s found something worth fighting for. In Solitary Ridge, broken people find refuge. And sometimes, they find a love strong enough to keep them safe. Book 3 in the Solitary Ridge Protectors series, this spicy and sweet novella can be read as a standalone, but is part of a series. Dual POV. HEA guaranteed. Content note: This story includes references to past emotional and physical abuse by a former spouse and a brief on-page confrontation with the book's hero. less

He came to the mountains to be alone. She came running for her life. Now neither can walk away. Former Marine sniper Cole Downs has built his life on distance - distance from people, from attachment, from the memories of the spotter he couldn’t save. High above Solitary Ridge, he keeps watch from the shadows, guiding hunters, taking quiet security jobs, and convincing himself that isolation is the only way to survive... moreHe came to the mountains to be alone. She came running for her life. Now neither can walk away. Former Marine sniper Cole Downs has built his life on distance - distance from people, from attachment, from the memories of the spotter he couldn’t save. High above Solitary Ridge, he keeps watch from the shadows, guiding hunters, taking quiet security jobs, and convincing himself that isolation is the only way to survive. Then Marcy Jones walks into the sheriff’s station with a thumb drive full of evidence, a story about financial fraud targeting elderly veterans, and killers already closing in. With the FBI scrambling to build their case, Cole is asked to protect her. From a distance. Fifty yards out in the trees, where vigilance is easier than vulnerability and where emotions can’t complicate the mission. Except they do. Marcy is hypervigilant and grieving the loss of her grandfather. Cole carries the weight of a war he couldn’t finish. They’re both haunted by the people they couldn’t protect. As the danger closes in and the threat becomes impossible to ignore, Cole is forced to choose between the life he’s built on isolation and the woman who’s already under his skin. Because protecting her may cost him everything. And loving her may be the one risk he can’t afford to take. Perfect for readers who like protector romance, wounded ex-military heroes, heroines on the run, forced proximity, small mountain towns, found family, and second chances. Book 4 in the Solitary Ridge Protectors series. Each book can be read as a standalone romance with a guaranteed HEA. Meant to be a short escape. Perfect for a lunch break, though you may blush a little. less

Running for her life. Fighting for his redemption. Finding love in the last place they expected. Harper Harris uncovered evidence that could bring down a powerful crime family, and now they want her gone. With nowhere else to go, she escapes to the remote mountain town of Solitary Ridge, determined to stay alive long enough to get proof into the FBI’s hands. Former Army Ranger Ty Morris came to Solitary Ridge carrying invisible scars... moreRunning for her life. Fighting for his redemption. Finding love in the last place they expected. Harper Harris uncovered evidence that could bring down a powerful crime family, and now they want her gone. With nowhere else to go, she escapes to the remote mountain town of Solitary Ridge, determined to stay alive long enough to get proof into the FBI’s hands. Former Army Ranger Ty Morris came to Solitary Ridge carrying invisible scars. He’s certain the protector he once was is gone - until Harper arrives with professional killers on her trail. As enforcers close in, Ty and the town’s tight-knit network of veterans prepare for war. Protecting Harper means facing the fears that drove him out of the Army. And trusting Ty means Harper risks more than her safety. She risks her heart. When armed men storm the mountain, Ty must push past his worst nightmare to save the woman he’s falling for. And Harper will have to stop running. Because this time, she’s not fighting alone. A spicy and sweet small-town romance featuring a protective ex-military hero seeking redemption, a brave heroine on the run, veteran brotherhood, found family, and a guaranteed happily ever after. This book is part of a series, but can be read as a standalone. It is meant to be a short escape that you can read during a lunch hour or commute, though you may blush a little. less