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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
I bow down to Brighton Walsh. She is offically one of my favorite New Adult authors. And the Caged in Winter series is one of my favorite New Adult romances. I loved Cage and Winter so hard last year, and now Tessa and Jason have stolen my heart! I don't even know who I liked more, and that is something that I did not expect to say before reading Tessa Ever After. I expected to love the book because Brighton Walsh writes amazing romances, but Cage and Winter were one of my favorite book couples of last year, so I didn't think that Tessa and Jason would come close to topping them. But they did. I love them both. And before I just start to fan-girl over Brighton Walsh, I will tell you why I actually loved Tessa Ever After.
Tessa is Cage's sister, and she has had to grow up rather quickly. She got pregnant with her daughter Haley when she was 17, and it was just Tessa and her brother taking care of her. When Cage moved away to become a chef, Tessa is left juggling a million different hats, and she is finding out just how hard it is to maintain a house, a full time job that barely pays the bills, and a very, very energetic little girl. Thank goodness for Jason. He is so good to Haley and Tessa. I liked him right off the bat. He is always there for her. And poor Tessa is doing a great job juggling everything, but all she can focus on are her mistakes or the areas where she doesn't think she is measuring up as a mom. I can relate because I am probably a little too hard and critical of myself too. But Jason and her friends were a wonderful support system for Tessa. I loved the group of people she surrounded herself with. And I loved the chemistry that her and Jason have.
Oh boy, do they have chemistry. I need to stop for a moment and fan myself. Jason and Tessa have known each other for years so they already had a great and solid friendship foundation. He knew Haley and they loved each other. I am not a kid person, and I don't typically like to read about them in my books, but Haley is just too cute to dislike. And I loved how Jason was with her. There didn't seem to be a as much drama as there was in the first book. And when there was drama it came from Jason's family. It was kind of interesting and I wanted to know how the whole family foundation was going to work out. It complemented the romance very well.
I want there to be more books in this series! The Caged in Winter series is one that I would recommend to everyone. Whether you are a fan of new adult or not, you need to read this book. Each book works as a standalone so you can totally start with Tessa Ever After and follow the story and characters just fine, but if you can, I would suggest starting with Caged in Winter and then read Tessa Ever After. They are both such wonderful books. Brighton Walsh has now cemented herself on my 'read-anything-by-her,-auto-buy-author' bookshelf. She is incredible. Tessa Ever After is on my favorites of 2015 list for sure.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
I bow down to Brighton Walsh. She is offically one of my favorite New Adult authors. And the Caged in Winter series is one of my favorite New Adult romances. I loved Cage and Winter so hard last year, and now Tessa and Jason have stolen my heart! I don't even know who I liked more, and that is something that I did not expect to say before reading Tessa Ever After. I expected to love the book because Brighton Walsh writes amazing romances, but Cage and Winter were one of my favorite book couples of last year, so I didn't think that Tessa and Jason would come close to topping them. But they did. I love them both. And before I just start to fan-girl over Brighton Walsh, I will tell you why I actually loved Tessa Ever After.
Tessa is Cage's sister, and she has had to grow up rather quickly. She got pregnant with her daughter Haley when she was 17, and it was just Tessa and her brother taking care of her. When Cage moved away to become a chef, Tessa is left juggling a million different hats, and she is finding out just how hard it is to maintain a house, a full time job that barely pays the bills, and a very, very energetic little girl. Thank goodness for Jason. He is so good to Haley and Tessa. I liked him right off the bat. He is always there for her. And poor Tessa is doing a great job juggling everything, but all she can focus on are her mistakes or the areas where she doesn't think she is measuring up as a mom. I can relate because I am probably a little too hard and critical of myself too. But Jason and her friends were a wonderful support system for Tessa. I loved the group of people she surrounded herself with. And I loved the chemistry that her and Jason have.
Oh boy, do they have chemistry. I need to stop for a moment and fan myself. Jason and Tessa have known each other for years so they already had a great and solid friendship foundation. He knew Haley and they loved each other. I am not a kid person, and I don't typically like to read about them in my books, but Haley is just too cute to dislike. And I loved how Jason was with her. There didn't seem to be a as much drama as there was in the first book. And when there was drama it came from Jason's family. It was kind of interesting and I wanted to know how the whole family foundation was going to work out. It complemented the romance very well.
I want there to be more books in this series! The Caged in Winter series is one that I would recommend to everyone. Whether you are a fan of new adult or not, you need to read this book. Each book works as a standalone so you can totally start with Tessa Ever After and follow the story and characters just fine, but if you can, I would suggest starting with Caged in Winter and then read Tessa Ever After. They are both such wonderful books. Brighton Walsh has now cemented herself on my 'read-anything-by-her,-auto-buy-author' bookshelf. She is incredible. Tessa Ever After is on my favorites of 2015 list for sure.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
So I thought it would be hard to top Cade... But Jason has done it. I loved this! I will be rereading closer to release and doing a full review then since this is a very early version, but if you haven't added these books yet ... RUN NOW
Liked this one a lot a lot. I'm so partial to guys who let a little girl worm her way into their hearts.
Loved, loved, loved so much! And holy hell was it hot. And swoony. And cute. And angst-less. And everything good and wonderful. Also I can say, with certainty, that Jason is my favorite Brighton Walsh hero so far. <3
My Review!
The best friend’s sister/sister’s best friend romance trope is one of my FAVORITES. And after reading Caged in Winter, I was dying to get my hands on Tessa’s and Jason’s story. Two characters I grew to love in the few scenes they were in during CiW, ones whose happy ending I wanted to read so badly. Because they both deserved that happy ending.
Tessa, who is so strong and selfless and hard-working, a girl who just wants to do right by her daughter. She’s worked extremely hard to become the woman she is now, and she feels like she’s failing. With Cade gone, she’s left on her own and she never realized how much he helped out. And she’s floundering, trying so hard to be the best mother she can be, putting so much pressure and expectations on herself. I loved Tessa’s strength, even when she was struggling. I loved that she kept fighting for more, for herself and her daughter. She’s her own worst enemy, and she’s better than what she thinks of herself, but she doesn’t see that. All she can see is a failure.
But Jason doesn’t see a failure when he looks at her. He sees a woman who had to grow up too fast, one who took control of her life and made something for herself. He can’t say the same for himself. He’s been in school for five years, wasting away his time because he knows that once he graduates, he has to work for his father. And that’s not what he wants. But he won’t let himself want anything else, won’t let himself dream of possibilities. And that almost stops him from losing the best thing that’s ever happened to him. Jason could be so clueless, so narrow-minded, but he had wonderful growth like Tess. He found something worth fighting for, a dream, and two girls who made his life infinitely better.
The romance between the two of them was HOT. Their chemistry is off-the-charts. Jason is a smooth, confident dirty-talker who knows what he wants and is not afraid to go after it. He’s a total Alpha, but one who cares so deeply for Tess and one who just wants to prove himself to her. *fans self* Tessa is more cautious, a little insecure. Her past relationships have given her a less than stellar opinion on sex and romance. She wants a little more for herself, something that she struggles with because how could she think she needs more than her little girl? But she wants love. Someone to share in the load, someone who will hold her at night and play in the snow with Haley. Is it selfish? I say hell no. And Tessa didn’t realize all along that the man who was perfect for them was right there the whole time. I adored reading about them falling in love. It was a passionate, steamy affair that made the two main characters better. In each other, they found a partner, and a love that had a strong foundation built in friendship, mutual respect, and understanding.
I have to say, I’m usually not a fan of kids in books, or main characters who are parents. Not that there is anything wrong with them, not at all. And I KNOW that they are sorely underrepresented in books, especially in NA ones. I’m in this age range, and let me tell you, so many of my fellow high school graduates have kids. It’s extremely common. So I don’t know why I don’t like reading them that much, but maybe it’s because I haven’t read enough good ones (and also could probably be because I don't like kids that much in real life). Being a mom was such an integral part of Tessa’s life and her development as a character. I love how awesome she is to her Haley, how patient and understanding, and you can see how much she loves her little girl. And Haley was such a great secondary character; she’s so freaking adorable. I especially loved the scenes with Jason and her (he dressed up for a tea party for her BRB MELTING FROM SWOONS), or all three of them together. They’re the cutest damn trio.
I also loved the additions of Paige and Adam, and of course, Cade (even though he needed to mind his own damn business and let Tess live her life the way she wanted to). Paige is the greatest best friend. She’s cool, confident, and so very different from Tessa’s more quiet demeanor. I want this woman to get her own book! GET ON THAT, BRIGHTON. Also, I’ve always loved the bromance between the three guys--Adam, Cade, and Jason. I want more of that, too. (I am so demanding).
I was not expecting to write such a long review, but I had so many thoughts and feelings about this book! I loved the focus on the romance, but I also loved the focus on family and friendships. Family doesn’t just mean by blood; it can be the people you choose for yourself. And that is something that Jason comes to realize. Tess and Haley became his family, and he would do anything for his girls. That ending was PERFECT. I adored Tessa Ever After so freaking much, I almost never wanted it to end.
Rating: 4.5 Paw Prints!
*Review can also be found at The Fox's Hideaway.
My Review!
The best friend’s sister/sister’s best friend romance trope is one of my FAVORITES. And after reading Caged in Winter, I was dying to get my hands on Tessa’s and Jason’s story. Two characters I grew to love in the few scenes they were in during CiW, ones whose happy ending I wanted to read so badly. Because they both deserved that happy ending.
Tessa, who is so strong and selfless and hard-working, a girl who just wants to do right by her daughter. She’s worked extremely hard to become the woman she is now, and she feels like she’s failing. With Cade gone, she’s left on her own and she never realized how much he helped out. And she’s floundering, trying so hard to be the best mother she can be, putting so much pressure and expectations on herself. I loved Tessa’s strength, even when she was struggling. I loved that she kept fighting for more, for herself and her daughter. She’s her own worst enemy, and she’s better than what she thinks of herself, but she doesn’t see that. All she can see is a failure.
But Jason doesn’t see a failure when he looks at her. He sees a woman who had to grow up too fast, one who took control of her life and made something for herself. He can’t say the same for himself. He’s been in school for five years, wasting away his time because he knows that once he graduates, he has to work for his father. And that’s not what he wants. But he won’t let himself want anything else, won’t let himself dream of possibilities. And that almost stops him from losing the best thing that’s ever happened to him. Jason could be so clueless, so narrow-minded, but he had wonderful growth like Tess. He found something worth fighting for, a dream, and two girls who made his life infinitely better.
The romance between the two of them was HOT. Their chemistry is off-the-charts. Jason is a smooth, confident dirty-talker who knows what he wants and is not afraid to go after it. He’s a total Alpha, but one who cares so deeply for Tess and one who just wants to prove himself to her. *fans self* Tessa is more cautious, a little insecure. Her past relationships have given her a less than stellar opinion on sex and romance. She wants a little more for herself, something that she struggles with because how could she think she needs more than her little girl? But she wants love. Someone to share in the load, someone who will hold her at night and play in the snow with Haley. Is it selfish? I say hell no. And Tessa didn’t realize all along that the man who was perfect for them was right there the whole time. I adored reading about them falling in love. It was a passionate, steamy affair that made the two main characters better. In each other, they found a partner, and a love that had a strong foundation built in friendship, mutual respect, and understanding.
I have to say, I’m usually not a fan of kids in books, or main characters who are parents. Not that there is anything wrong with them, not at all. And I KNOW that they are sorely underrepresented in books, especially in NA ones. I’m in this age range, and let me tell you, so many of my fellow high school graduates have kids. It’s extremely common. So I don’t know why I don’t like reading them that much, but maybe it’s because I haven’t read enough good ones (and also could probably be because I don't like kids that much in real life). Being a mom was such an integral part of Tessa’s life and her development as a character. I love how awesome she is to her Haley, how patient and understanding, and you can see how much she loves her little girl. And Haley was such a great secondary character; she’s so freaking adorable. I especially loved the scenes with Jason and her (he dressed up for a tea party for her BRB MELTING FROM SWOONS), or all three of them together. They’re the cutest damn trio.
I also loved the additions of Paige and Adam, and of course, Cade (even though he needed to mind his own damn business and let Tess live her life the way she wanted to). Paige is the greatest best friend. She’s cool, confident, and so very different from Tessa’s more quiet demeanor. I want this woman to get her own book! GET ON THAT, BRIGHTON. Also, I’ve always loved the bromance between the three guys--Adam, Cade, and Jason. I want more of that, too. (I am so demanding).
I was not expecting to write such a long review, but I had so many thoughts and feelings about this book! I loved the focus on the romance, but I also loved the focus on family and friendships. Family doesn’t just mean by blood; it can be the people you choose for yourself. And that is something that Jason comes to realize. Tess and Haley became his family, and he would do anything for his girls. That ending was PERFECT. I adored Tessa Ever After so freaking much, I almost never wanted it to end.
Rating: 4.5 Paw Prints!
*Review can also be found at The Fox's Hideaway.
I've heard nothing but good things about Brighton Walsh's books, so I was excited to read this one, especially since I love the sibling's best friend/best friend's sibling tropes. It did not disappoint! I loved these characters.
Wow, this was a perfect feel-good romance, with great sex scenes, friendship, love and a hea. I loved how Hailey's character was just as important as Page and Jason's. Wonderful.