It’s always a trial to make more than one couple work in one story. Yet Julia Talbot’s Mountain Trails does this so well that I was absolutely amazed. The story revolves around several couples, Chip and Carlo, Danny and Gage and Aaron and Bryce and for a brief flash, Beau and Tyler. All, except for Beau and Tyler are interwoven with each other, with histories and a mish-mashing present.

I loved this story. Somehow, each prospective couple is given just enough time for me to fall in love with them all over again. Fully fleshed out, each is tailor-made for the other. I didn’t find a particular plot, not one I could easily point out because this story was like a meshing of many. Finding love, conquering fear, age gaps and jealousy and the overall wonder of trying to survive day to day in a committed relationship is what this story is about.

Mountain Trails actually covers about a year in these men’s lives, except for Beau and Tyler. Ms. Talbot gave us a flash of them as they were the couple that was more ‘happy for now’ than any other couple in the book, and though their part was the shortest of all, I was left with the sense of knowing them and the lingering feeling that they would find their way.

Plenty hot and full of the softer emotions, Mountain Trails was a meandering ride that soothes and entertains. Each couple left me with a similar warm feeling, of knowing that they would have their struggles but would find their peace and happiness with each other. I wholeheartedly give Julia Talbot five angels and deeply felt thank you for just writing about something as normal as falling in love and making it seem extraordinary.

Reviewed by: Nicky