Showing posts with label Caged in Winter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Caged in Winter. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Tessa Ever After (Caged in Winter #2)
by Brighton Walsh





We met both characters in Caged in Winter. Jason is Cade’s best friend and Tessa is his sister.

After Cade leaves, Tessa is having a hard time adjusting to being the only one taking care of her daughter Haley. She is buying fast food and picking her up form school late. She feels guilty but she needs to work to pay the bills. Tessa is leaning more and more on Jason and pretty soon her high school feelings for him are coming back with a vengeance. Resisting him is too hard but, Jason is a player and she won’t make the same mistake twice. 

When Cade left, he asked Jason to keep an eye on Tessa. Jason, true to his promise helps Tessa in everything he can but after six months he has developed feelings for her and Haley as his own. But, how can he make it work when his parents are breathing down his neck and he has never been a serious relationship kind of guy?

~~

I love Jason and Tessa’s chemistry. They both tried hard to avoid falling for each other. Jason because he didn’t think he was good enough for her and Tessa because she wanted someone to stick around for the long run, definitely not a player.  I almost got mad at Cade at one point but he was a pretty good friend in the end. 

I hope to see certain characters getting their book next. 

"Just you, baby." 

Cliffhanger : No

4/5 Fangs


A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Pre-release Celebration Blitz
Caged in Winter by Brighton Walsh






Synopsis

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…

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Excerpt

cade
“Okay, now add the flour, but—” It’s too late, a puff of white exploding in Winter’s face before I can get the words out or reach to flip the switch. “You need to turn the mixer to low.”
She spins around, her cheeks covered in random white spots, some of the flour dusting her hair. “You couldn’t say that before, ‘Now add the flour’?” Her voice is low, her eyes narrowed, and I take a step back.
“Well, yeah, I guess I could’ve, but I just sort of figured you’d know enough not to add loose flour to a wildly spinning mixer.”
“Oh, you figured I’d know enough for that, huh? Even after I told you I’ve never made cookies before? Even then?”
She’s advancing on me now, and I shouldn’t be retreating like a scared animal. I have more than a foot on her, a hundred-plus pounds, but she looks pissed. And that glint in her eye tells me she’s up to something. I glance down at her hand, seeing a measuring cup half filled with flour, and I realize what she’s going to do a split-second before she does, but not soon enough to dodge it.
A cloud of white powder hits me straight in the face, and I cough as I inhale some. Wiping away the dust from my eyes, I say, “I can’t believe you did that.”
“Oh, well, I just figured you’d know enough to duck.” She shrugs and offers me a saccharine smile.
“I don’t think you want to start this with me, baby.”
“In case you missed the flour in your face a second ago, I already started it, baby.”
I stare her down, then reach over, grabbing the bowl of melted chocolate—my mom’s secret ingredient in her cookies—and dip my fingers into it. Winter narrows her eyes at me and takes a step back. “Don’t you dare.”
“Where you goin’? I thought you wanted to get messy.”
“No, I wanted you to get messy. I didn’t have a choice with this,” she says as she gestures to where the flour hit her. She darts her eyes down to the bowl of chocolate, then back up to my face. “Don’t, Cade. You’re going to get me dirty, and I have to be at work soon.”
“You maybe should’ve thought about that before you threw a scoop of flour in my face.” I don’t wait for her response before I smear the chocolate down her cheek to her jaw, then all the way down her neck and into the deep V of her shirt, stopping when I feel the swell of her breasts. “Whoops.”
“You did not just do that.”
“Looks like I did.” I shrug, putting the bowl back on the counter before I lick the chocolate from my fingers. She focuses on the act, her lips parted. I lean closer to her, drop my voice, and gesture to the spots of her skin that are covered. “You want me to clean you up, too?”
Glaring, she gives a jerky shake of her head, but a flush works its way up her chest to her neck—one of the tells she’s getting turned on.
I step closer, backing her into the corner until she’s pressed against the cabinets behind her. “Sure about that? It wouldn’t take much. Just a lick or two. Maybe a couple sucks. We’d probably have to take your shirt off, though, and your bra, too. I really got down in there.”
Her head’s tilted back as she stares up at me, her chest rising and falling in quick succession from her labored breathing.
I lean into her space, lick up a path from her neck to her ear. “I think you do. I think you want my tongue all over you, don’t you, baby? I got you all dirty. Seems only fair I clean you up.” Before she can respond, my mouth closes over her shoulder, my tongue tracing along the chocolate I smeared there. By the time I’ve dipped into the neckline of her shirt, my tongue in the valley of her breasts, her nipples are pressed tight against the material, and she’s got a white-knuckled grip on the countertop behind her.
“Want me to stop?”
I wait a second. Two. And when she gives the slightest shake of her head, I take. Gripping her face in my hands, my mouth covers hers, my tongue slipping inside. She groans into the kiss, her hands finally coming up to clutch my forearms.
“Wait.” She wrenches her mouth from mine, turning her head to the side. “Cade, wait. Your sister.”
I focus on licking every stray ounce of chocolate I can find, her hands a counterpoint to her words as she holds me close. “Not home. Gone till four.”
“Shit! Four. I have to be at work at four!”
“We’ve got time. Now stop talking.”
I peel her jeans and panties off, then lift her onto the counter, desperate to feel her around me. With one hand, I fumble with the button of my jeans, the other busy between Winter’s thighs, rubbing soft circles around her clit, getting her ready for me. She’s moaning, her head resting back on the cabinets, and the sight of her there, half naked in my kitchen, is too much. Too fucking much, and I can’t get my goddamn jeans off.

When she notices, her hands are there, opening my jeans and yanking my boxers down just far enough to pull me out. Her hands are around my cock, pumping slowly, and I need inside her now.

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 writing. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children.

Connect with her

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Sunday, October 12, 2014

Caged in Winter by Brighton Walsh

Caged in Winter
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MRSLEIF'S REVIEW
Winter Jacobson is working in a place she hates and with a manager she hates even more but she has no other choice. She is counting the days until she finishes college and can move far away.

Cade Maxwell is almost done with culinary school. He feels responsible for his sister and niece after her mother died.  He's very responsible and protective. So when he sees someone grabbing Winter at the bar she works in, he steps in to protect her. What he didn't expect is Winter becoming mad at him and blaming him for loosing her tips.

Cade can't leave things alone and he keeps on coming back for her, getting to know her while he walks her to the bus stop. The more time he spends with her, the more Winter starts warming up to him but when responsibilities pulled them in different directions, they must find a way to work it out or walk away from each other for good.

I thought Cade was awesome. He was super patient with Winter. He loves his sister and his little niece. I really can't blame him for anything he did. He only wanted to protect Winter.
I had some issues with Winter confusing independence with someone providing help when you needed it the most. I did feel bad for her upbringing and I'm glad she realized how good Cade was for her.  One thing I would have liked is for the epilogue to be longer.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs


MrsDaemon's Review
I am so glad I read this book, because enjoyed every aspect of this book. Cade was a total heartthrob, and I loved everything about him. He was extremely protective of his sister and niece, and cared about everyone around him. Cade always put others first, and I really admired that about him. He had a bad boy exterior, but underneath that hard exterior, he had a heart of gold. I also liked Winter because I felt like even though she had a horrible childhood, she learned how to survive on her own. I liked how independent she was, but sometimes I wish she was more willing to let Cade help her a little more. However, I could not relate to what Winter went through, so maybe I would have been just as guarded as she was. I was so happy when Winter finally opened up to Cade, because they had a wonderful relationship. I wish there would be a sequel because I want more of Cade and Winter, but I was content with how the book ended. This book really was a joy to read, and I recommend it to anyone who loves a good New Adult Romance. "Caged In Winter" will not disappoint. 

Cliffhanger: No

4. 5 / 5 Fangs 


MrsAlcide's Review
Winter is a girl with no family, growing up in the states custody, she has moved from home to home.  When she turned 18 she moved to a different state and got scholarships to go to college.  She is going to school full time and working full time at a local bar so she can pay for her apartment and food, even if the food is cheap ramen or frozen pizza. 

She is working one night when a customer gets a little “touchy”.  In comes Cade.  Cade is a culinary student on the fast track to becoming a fantastic chef.  When he sees the customer grab at Winter, he immediately knows he has to step in.  Winter is pissed for the interference; she has always been able to take care of herself.   From that moment on, Cade knows he has to have Winter, but Winter has other plans.

This book was cute.  It was sweet and had just enough angst and drama to keep me going.  I enjoyed the run/chase aspect of it.  My heart melted for Cade and Winter at times.  Their hardships and pasts were truly sad.  I can not wait to read Cade’s sisters book!

3.5/5 Fangs

 
MrsNorthman's Review
This is a story about letting go of your past and realizing that sometimes you have to rely on others.
Winter is counting down the days until she graduates and can leave behind her awful job and rundown apartment.  She's had a rough childhood, so she chooses to live her life alone.  With an extremely busy schedule, working full-time and taking a full course load, she doesn't have time for much else.  She's waitressing at a bar, where the dress code consists of a skimpy outfit and requires her to plaster on a phony smile, when she meets Cade.  A big, imposing guy covered in tattoos.
Everything changes the night she's groped at work and Cade steps in.  It ends up costing Winter the tip she rightfully deserved and leaves her pissed off and short on cash.  Cade is caught off guard by this feisty girl.  He has a lot of responsibilities and a grueling schedule himself, helping his sister raise his niece and trying to finish culinary school, but he wants to make the time for Winter. There is something about her that makes him want to protect her.  She sure doesn't make it easy for him though.  Putting her trust in someone or relying on them is out of the question. There is no way she will let her self-worth be wrapped up in some guy. Even Cade.
"I don't want to be scared anymore. I want to be the kind of person Cade sees in me.  The kind of person who's fearless, who spreads her wings instead of staying frozen on the ground. I want to fly for him."
Cade and Winter's story had a lot of potential, but it missed the mark for me in some ways.  I read this genre because I want to feel the intensity and the connection between the characters and watch them fall in love.  There just wasn't much to this story and the love part happened way too fast.  The best part of the book honestly was Cade. He was so protective of his family and Winter, really driven to make something of himself and overall just a genuinely nice guy.  Winter on the other hand, I really couldn't connect with. Sure, she had a rough childhood, but choosing to be alone when you have a great guy right in front of you, was really  hard to understand.  She pushed him away for the most ridiculous things.  Maybe I could have overlooked her stubbornness if there had been more to their story.  But there just wasn't.  They slipped in a few minutes together here and there, had a date and spent one night together, before Cade let the 'L' word slip. That was a downer for me.  I did really like Tess though and since the next book is about her, I might consider giving this author another chance. 
 
3/5 Fangs
*Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*