Caged in Winter
(Caged in Winter #1)
Author:
Brighton Walsh
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Publisher: Berkley Books
Source: Publisher/NetGally
Review by: Jenn
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….
4 stars out of 5 stars
*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher. However, it did not influence this review in any way.*
Brighton Walsh has done it again. She has managed to create some wonderful, relatable, REAL characters that you feel like you might know in real life. Walsh's writing is always so easy to read and it flows very naturally so I never felt like the story was slow or forced.
Caged in Winter follows the story of Winter and Cade as they navigate the last few months of school. They are both dealing with a lot on their plate but are trying to make the most of their options. Winter has actually led a crappy life and so she has come to rely on only herself. She's a tough cookie and I applaud her getting to where she needs all on her own and doing it successfully. However, I actually had a bit of hard time relating to her and got annoyed by her several times through out the book. I tried to really be empathetic to her and her situation but the way she really closed herself off, to Cade and to anyone who tried to help her, really didn't make me her biggest fan. Though, I am happy that she does get what she always wanted because after all those years of hard work, she deserves some goodness in her life.
Cade, on the other hand, has me wrapped around his finger. He's tall, tattooed, is an absolute sweetheart to his niece, and is a chef. What more could a girl want? He's was so sweet and sexy and understanding of where Winter was coming from. He tried to make things easier for her but when Winter wouldn't allow him to help her, he found another way to do so. He did some stupid things that I will not go in too much details but it did cause a fight between him and Winter. It was in that occasion that Winter kind of irritated me because I knew what Cade said was stupid and said in anger so he didn't meant anything by it. She took it to heart even though she shouldn't have and then took it to an extreme. Whenever these little misunderstanding happens, I just want to lock the fighting couple in room and talk things out.
Other than that, I love everything about this book. The characters, the story, the flow, the writing. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, which will feature Cade's best friend, Jason, and Cade's younger sister, Tessa. After getting a small glimpse of these characters, I just know that it will awesome.
Excerpt
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.”
Giveaway
About the author:
Brighton Walsh spent nearly a decade as a professional photographer before deciding to take her storytelling in a different direction and reconnect with her first love: writing. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children. Visit her online at www.brigthtonwalsh.com.
