Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The CEO and the Mountain Man
SERIES: Snow Creek Ranch
AUTHOR: Kelly Fox
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 215 pages
RELEASE DATE: August 5, 2026
BLURB:
Desperation will make a man do crazy things.
Like drag my grieving son from Chicago to a queer-friendly ranch in Colorado.
I just wanted River to find himself again. I didn’t expect Beau, the ranch’s handsome, gentle giant of a youth coordinator, to make me question everything. Or for my son to actually like him.
Besides, we live a thousand miles apart. And my one college experience with a man could best be described as experimental and vaguely disappointing.
But my son is starting to smile again. And so am I.
Here’s hoping I don’t accidentally leave my heart in Colorado.
The CEO and the Mountain Man is a 53k word contemporary mm cowboy romance featuring hurt/comfort, size difference, first times, and found family. It is book six in the shared world of Snow Creek Ranch. Each book can be read as a standalone, so be sure to check out the entire series!
REVIEW:
River and his dad Clark have both been having a hard time. River’s mom and Clark’s ex-wife were in a serious car accident on Christmas day and she died. River was seriously injured and has been in both physical therapy as well as grief therapy but he doesn’t seem to be getting much better. He didn’t want to return to school and his dad let him get his GED. In a last ditch effort to try to connect with his son, Clark books a trip for them to Snow Creek Ranch. It is a queer friendly environment that Clark hopes will get his son to open up to him and try to repair their relationship.
River is pretty sullen and withdrawn and he’s not interested in being coddled. He wants to prove that he doesn’t need his walking stick and his fractures have healed. Um, ok. Nobody is really buying it, but Clark is trying not to hover. Beau, the cowboy/psychology guy is there to support them. He tells Clark he’s doing the right thing.
Miguel, one of the hands at the ranch who works with Beau is clearly interested in River and the feeling is mutual. This gives Clark hope that River may be coming out of his funk. But it’s very much touch and go. Beau is attracted to Clark, and Clark isn’t quite as straight as everyone thinks he is. How can these two grieving men find healing and maybe more on a Colorado ranch?
All it takes are pools and horses and camping and fishing. Beau and Clark spend a lot of time together and Beau keeps encouraging Clark to keep doing what he’s going with River and let River come to him when he’s ready. But then one evening the dam breaks and River confesses what is really eating at him and it’s a doozy. Turns out that River has held a lot in that he didn’t want to tell his father because he knew it would potentially hurt him. He’s got waaaaay more than survivor’s guilt. Clark is just happy to have his son communicate with him.
Clark is devastated for his son and he knows he can’t fix things. He continues to support River and keep in on track with his grief counselor and just be there for him. One thing Clark knows for sure is that grief isn’t linear and there are still going to be plenty of bad and good days ahead. The good news is that Miguel does seem to be very good for River. But their life is in Chicago.
Clark is also really enjoying getting to know Beau and he’s worried that he is falling fast too. Father and son may both be returning to Chicago with broken hearts. Or will they 😉
I loved this story. The whole grief journey here I though was beautifully written. Survivor’s guilt is a terrible burden and poor River’s was compounded by the things he hadn’t been honest with his father about after the divorce. I felt so bad for both of them. Clark was so desperate to get some connection back with his son and he didn’t give up which was so admirable. Beau is a sweetheart of a guy and so understanding and knowledgeable and helpful in giving Clark the confidence to keep the lines of communication open with River and let him proceed at his own pace. I just loved all of these guys. What a lovely and well deserved HEA – well maybe two HEAs 😉 Highly recommended.
PS – Special shoutout to Stevie and her dads – a fun Easter egg for Kelly Fox fans 😀
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