Caged in Winter
By: Brighton Walsh
Release Date: November 4th
Add to Goodreads:
In this emotional and sexy New Adult debut from Brighton Walsh, the only thing more frightening than commitment is hope…...
Aspiring chef Cade Maxwell is immediately, viscerally attracted to Winter Jacobson. But it’s not her mouthwatering curves he’s drawn to—it’s the strange emptiness in her eyes. When Cade saves her from a drunken customer with grabby hands, he’s shocked at her response…...
Winter doesn’t need Cade’s help. After a lifetime of getting by on her own, she’s happy to rely on herself. She’s exactly seventy-six days away from graduating college, and if she can hold it together that long, she’ll finally be able to rise above the crappy hand she was dealt.
But now, every time she turns around, Cade is there, ready to push her, smile at her, distract her from her plans. Winter knows she can’t afford to open up—especially to a man she’s terrified to actually want….
Aspiring chef Cade Maxwell is immediately, viscerally attracted to Winter Jacobson. But it’s not her mouthwatering curves he’s drawn to—it’s the strange emptiness in her eyes. When Cade saves her from a drunken customer with grabby hands, he’s shocked at her response…...
Winter doesn’t need Cade’s help. After a lifetime of getting by on her own, she’s happy to rely on herself. She’s exactly seventy-six days away from graduating college, and if she can hold it together that long, she’ll finally be able to rise above the crappy hand she was dealt.
But now, every time she turns around, Cade is there, ready to push her, smile at her, distract her from her plans. Winter knows she can’t afford to open up—especially to a man she’s terrified to actually want….
*ARC provided via NetGalley for an honest review*
I have to be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this book. First, this was a "new to me" author and while I love finding new ones to add to my list, it is always a bit nerve wracking at the same time. I always hate to read someone's work and not like it, no matter who they are. Secondly, the synopsis sounded like every other NA that has been hitting the stands lately. Boy meets broken girl, he plays white knight to save her and they live HEA.
So, imagine my surprise when not only did the story not go down the typical path I expected. That is largely in part due to this author's amazing ability to put words on paper. She has created a story that allows you to connect so easily with the characters. While you may not have ever found yourself in the places or situations that they are, there is one thing you can relate to and that is....
Pride.
It is about the only thing Winter has and she clings to it, fiercely. If anyone can understand that, it's Cade. They have both been dealt a crappy hand in life and it is has left its mark on each of them. The difference is that Winter has been totally alone, no one to truly reach out to. The loneliness has caused Winter to build a wall around her heart to keep from letting people in so that she can never be disappointed. But Cade is determined to break through and is relentless in his pursuit of her.
I loved the emotions that I could feel with these two. Yes, there was sexual chemistry but their connection was so much deeper than that. You could almost see another brick slipping away from Winter's wall the more that Cade fought to knock it down. He was SO perfect for her, in more ways than one!
But just when Winter is finally letting Cade in, as much as she is able to anyway, life deals her another shitty blow. Can they survive the effects of it? And if they do, will the end of college decisions that could separate them, be the thing that could finally tear them apart?
I am SO happy I gave this book a chance. Not only did I get an AMAZING story to get lost in for a few hours, but I found a new author that I love! Another bonus is that this book can be read as a standalone. There will be another one for Cade's sister, which you get a sneak peek at in the back of Caged in Winter. It is one I definitely will be picking up!
I have to be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this book. First, this was a "new to me" author and while I love finding new ones to add to my list, it is always a bit nerve wracking at the same time. I always hate to read someone's work and not like it, no matter who they are. Secondly, the synopsis sounded like every other NA that has been hitting the stands lately. Boy meets broken girl, he plays white knight to save her and they live HEA.
So, imagine my surprise when not only did the story not go down the typical path I expected. That is largely in part due to this author's amazing ability to put words on paper. She has created a story that allows you to connect so easily with the characters. While you may not have ever found yourself in the places or situations that they are, there is one thing you can relate to and that is....
Pride.
It is about the only thing Winter has and she clings to it, fiercely. If anyone can understand that, it's Cade. They have both been dealt a crappy hand in life and it is has left its mark on each of them. The difference is that Winter has been totally alone, no one to truly reach out to. The loneliness has caused Winter to build a wall around her heart to keep from letting people in so that she can never be disappointed. But Cade is determined to break through and is relentless in his pursuit of her.
I loved the emotions that I could feel with these two. Yes, there was sexual chemistry but their connection was so much deeper than that. You could almost see another brick slipping away from Winter's wall the more that Cade fought to knock it down. He was SO perfect for her, in more ways than one!
But just when Winter is finally letting Cade in, as much as she is able to anyway, life deals her another shitty blow. Can they survive the effects of it? And if they do, will the end of college decisions that could separate them, be the thing that could finally tear them apart?
I am SO happy I gave this book a chance. Not only did I get an AMAZING story to get lost in for a few hours, but I found a new author that I love! Another bonus is that this book can be read as a standalone. There will be another one for Cade's sister, which you get a sneak peek at in the back of Caged in Winter. It is one I definitely will be picking up!
I bend my knees so we’re eye level and tug on her hand until
she meets my gaze. “I don’t know what we could have. It might be nothing. But
I’ll be honest . . . I haven’t felt like this in a long time, and that’s enough
for me to know I want to see where it goes. Can’t we just see where it goes?”
With a deep sigh, she says, “I’m not right for you, Cade.”
“How about you worry about if I’m right for you. Let me
decide the other.”
And then before she can stop me, before she can utter
another word of opposition, I slide my hand up her arm, over her shoulder,
until it’s wrapped around her neck. With my other hand, I swipe a piece of hair
back with my fingers, and then lean in, brushing my lips against hers. After
only a moment, I pull back just enough for her to be able to tell me to stop.
When nothing comes, I close the distance between us once again, taking her
bottom lip in between mine. I brush my tongue against it, coaxing her mouth
open, and she breathes this sexy little gasp as I slip inside. She tastes like
cookies and wine, and I want to fucking devour her.
She grips my shirt with both hands, clutching me to her, and
I stop holding back and press every inch of my body against hers, groaning as
my cock presses fully against her. The moment a whimper comes from her, I know
she feels it. And I can’t muster up any embarrassment, because I want her to
feel it. Even with all her brass balls and fuck-everything attitude, something
tells me she needs reassurance, so I give it to her. In every stroke of my
tongue against hers, every brush of my thumb along her jaw, I show her how much
I want her.
When her chest is heaving, her lips parted and swollen and
so fucking hot, I trail kisses down her neck, seeking out every inch of skin
that’s uncovered. Her head thumps back against the wall, one of her hands gone
from gripping fistfuls of my shirt. Instead, she’s holding my head to her, and
I don’t want to stop. I want to kiss and lick every inch of her, slip my hands
under the material of her sweater, unbutton her jeans, and not stop until I
feel her soft wetness against my fingertips.
But the knowledge that she’ll regret it if I don’t stop
forces me to slow down.
I pull back, loosening my grip on her and putting an inch of
space between us. I kiss the corner of her mouth, her cheek, and then her ear.
Against it, I whisper, “Don’t say no.”
There’s a beat of silence. Two. Three. And then she says the
sweetest word I’ve ever heard.
“Okay.”
Brighton Walsh spent nearly a decade as a professional photographer before deciding to take her storytelling in a different direction and reconnect with writing. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children.
No comments:
Post a Comment