Caged in Winter by Brighton Walsh (Caged in Winter #1)
Released: November 4, 2014
New Adult
Berkley
Reviewed by Mandi
Last year I read two adult contemporary romances by Brighton Walsh and really enjoyed them. When I heard she was publishing with Penguin, I got excited. I don’t read a ton of new adult, but her previous books were very smartly written so I thought I’d give Caged in Winter a try. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for me.
Winter works at a bar that forces her to wear a very skimpy outfit – she hates it, but she makes good tips. With only two months to go until college graduation, she knows she can suck it up and just deal with it. When a drunken guy grabs her ass one night, another man steps in and comes to her rescue – except Winter doesn’t want to get rescued. Being rescued means the drunk guy and all his friends won’t leave a tip. Furious, Winter lashes out at her savior.
This man is Cade. A culinary student, Cade can’t stand the thought of someone disrespecting this gorgeous girl. He expected a thank you, but instead gets a tongue lashing. But this doesn’t dissuade Cade. He starts making excuses and showing up at the bar between midnight and one am so he can make sure she gets home safe. Winter hates to be coddled, and tries her best to ignore Cade when he shows up. But deep down she likes it, and these two start a friendship that turns into a romance.
That was the super brief set-up, but really there isn’t a ton that happens in this book. WInter is an extremely prickly, defensive heroine who I never warmed up to. She treats Cade so poorly in the beginning, I’m still confused as to why he tries to court her time and time again. I get her anger at first – a stranger interfering in her business is not welcome by her – but to continue to give him the cold shoulder time and time again got real old quick.
It’s a good reminder. A timely reminder. I have sixty-six days left, and getting mixed up with a boy like Cade is the last thing I need.
Last night after telling him my name, I went home high on nerves and anxiety. I fell asleep to the image of him under the street light. Dreamt about what it’d be like to have him for mine. To open up to him like I’ve never done with anyone else. When I woke up in the middle of the night, panting and sweating, that should’ve been enough warning. I’m not meant to form lasting relationships. To forge friendships based on respect and trust.
I’m meant to get through life on my own.
I’m meant to be alone.
Winter is so overly dramatic in this one. She grew up in foster care and just as she was about to find her forever home, that fell through. THis has a huge impact on Winter, and she has trust issues that weigh heavily on her. Cade too doesn’t have parents, as his dad died in a car accident and his mom died of breast cancer. He lives with his sister and her daughter. Cade is a much warmer character, who falls head over heels in love with Winter. I enjoyed Cade – I thought the culinary aspect is presented well and I understood him. I didn’t understand why he was attracted or how he fell in love with Winter. There are declarations of love that made me scratch my head. I never got it.
This book frequently changes between Cade and Winter – sometimes every two pages. It was a little abrupt. And Winter is just so darn emo and over dramatic, it made me roll my eyes instead of have empathy with her.
Love has only ever ended in ruins for me.
I didn’t want this. I never asked for this. I didn’t want this ache in my chest, this constant flutter in my stomach, this perpetual breath holding while I wait for the other shoe to drop. I didn’t want to have to worry about someone else, take someone else into consideration. But I do.
I can’t take the emo Winter! This is a miss for me.
Rating: C-
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