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Winter Warmers #3
Cold Wood
The locals say the man in the woods is a beast.
But once he saves my life, I can’t keep away.
There is a path that runs through the deep, dark woods. I hurry along it every day, returning home from work to my grandmother.
Sometimes I hear things as I pass through the trees--scary things. Snapping twigs. Huffed breaths. Howls.
One night, the wolves are too hungry to stay back. One night, they chase me. That’s the night I meet him.
He’s huge. Scarred and gruff, with an ax clutched in his meaty hand. He looks as beastly as the legends say.
But he saves me. He cares for me. And now I owe him a debt.
A debt I desperately want to pay.
Cold Wood is a short and steamy instalove story, starring a wild woodsman and his girl in a bright red coat.
68 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 2, 2021
182 people are currently reading
501 people want to read
About the author
Cassie Mint
152 books1,389 followersCassie writes outrageous, OTT insta-love with tons of sugar and steam. She loves cookie dough, summer barbecues, and her gorgeous cat Missy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
May 3, 2022
This is slightly different from what I'm used to reading by Cassie Mint. It's a retelling of Red Riding Hood, there's a mountain man in the woods that h has to cross to get home from work.
It was an okay read and it didn't take me long to finish but I've definitely read more enjoyable novellas by Cassie Mint. Still, it was a good read to spend my time. 3 ⭐
September 22, 2022
1.5 stars
This was meant to be a kind of modern-day retelling of Red Riding Hood, but it didn't feel very modern, and the H was never really explained (why was he living in the woods like a weird caveman with scars in the first place?). Just seemed random, and the h was into the H before she met him bc she was "intrigued by his story" so there was really no getting to know each other involved. Then the H just decided it wasn't a good idea (no real reason) and then changed his mind. Yeah. Okay.
One full on steamy scene. Double v-card situation.
This was meant to be a kind of modern-day retelling of Red Riding Hood, but it didn't feel very modern, and the H was never really explained (why was he living in the woods like a weird caveman with scars in the first place?). Just seemed random, and the h was into the H before she met him bc she was "intrigued by his story" so there was really no getting to know each other involved. Then the H just decided it wasn't a good idea (no real reason) and then changed his mind. Yeah. Okay.
One full on steamy scene. Double v-card situation.
March 8, 2023
**3.8/5 stars**
This was fairly satisfying to read! Ruby is a young woman who works in the bookshop of a small village, she loves to read scary stories and grew up listening to rumors about the scary man in the woods. To get back home from work, she has to walk through the woods. One day, she leaves work too late and ends up encountering a pack of hungry wolves. Calling for help, she is saved by Blaise, the man from the woods...
Ruby was so sweet and jovial. I liked how she spoke her mind, didn't judge people on their appearance. Her strange little thoughts were interesting. She had a tendency to talk a lot but her character paired very well with Blaise's who was more quiet and reclusive.
Blaise was a scarred big teddy bear who liked to be alone, away from the rumors about him. He was super gentle and caring, even if he didn't want to show it at first. It was love at first sight for him, he didn't understand why this strange beautiful woman took an interest in him and tried to interact with him so much. He was gruff and protective.
They had a good chemistry. They encounters were very sweet and simple...I also liked the little references to Little Red Riding Hood; The red hood, the woods, the wolves, the hunter, the grand-mother, the basket of foods, Blaise calling Ruby ''Little Red'', etc. It wasn't a retelling of the tale but it had the undercurrent of it. I would've liked it if there had been more chapters, it did feel like the last two chapters were rushed but overall, not a bad story at all.
✔️HEA
✔️Novella
✔️Dual POV
✔️Age gap
✔️Dual virgins
✔️Grumpy/Protective H
✔️Sweet/Sunshine h
✔️No OW/OM
✔️No cheating
✔️Push and Pull
✔️Short separation
🔥 Steam level: 1.5/5
⚡Content warning
Would I recommend this novella? Yes, it was a nice little grumpy/sunshine story. It was cute, without angst or drama.
**Note that I do not rate novellas and full-length books by the same standards**
This was fairly satisfying to read! Ruby is a young woman who works in the bookshop of a small village, she loves to read scary stories and grew up listening to rumors about the scary man in the woods. To get back home from work, she has to walk through the woods. One day, she leaves work too late and ends up encountering a pack of hungry wolves. Calling for help, she is saved by Blaise, the man from the woods...
Ruby was so sweet and jovial. I liked how she spoke her mind, didn't judge people on their appearance. Her strange little thoughts were interesting. She had a tendency to talk a lot but her character paired very well with Blaise's who was more quiet and reclusive.
Who needs pretty and gentle when there are curses and demons to dream about?-Ruby
Blaise was a scarred big teddy bear who liked to be alone, away from the rumors about him. He was super gentle and caring, even if he didn't want to show it at first. It was love at first sight for him, he didn't understand why this strange beautiful woman took an interest in him and tried to interact with him so much. He was gruff and protective.
They’d never use me as a scary story if they knew the truth about me. I’m a teddy bear. A huge, scarred, angry-looking one, but a teddy bear all the same.-Blaise
They had a good chemistry. They encounters were very sweet and simple...I also liked the little references to Little Red Riding Hood; The red hood, the woods, the wolves, the hunter, the grand-mother, the basket of foods, Blaise calling Ruby ''Little Red'', etc. It wasn't a retelling of the tale but it had the undercurrent of it. I would've liked it if there had been more chapters, it did feel like the last two chapters were rushed but overall, not a bad story at all.
✔️HEA
✔️Novella
✔️Dual POV
✔️Age gap
✔️Dual virgins
✔️Grumpy/Protective H
✔️Sweet/Sunshine h
✔️No OW/OM
✔️No cheating
✔️Push and Pull
✔️Short separation
🔥 Steam level: 1.5/5
⚡Content warning
Would I recommend this novella? Yes, it was a nice little grumpy/sunshine story. It was cute, without angst or drama.
**Note that I do not rate novellas and full-length books by the same standards**
Winter Warmers Series
(Series Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.7 /5)
1. Winter Ward - 2. Thin Ice - 3. Cold Wood
- 4. Snow Storm - 5. Clock Work - 6. The Gift
June 10, 2022
"Cold Wood" is the story of Ruby and Blaise.
Heroine is a loner raised by her grandmother, who has always been warned against the wolf in the woods. One day while she is in distress, she is rescued by the hero- the grumpy scarred man hiding in the woods. She courts him, they fall in love, there's some drama leading to a HEA.
Enjoyed it.
Safe
3/5
Heroine is a loner raised by her grandmother, who has always been warned against the wolf in the woods. One day while she is in distress, she is rescued by the hero- the grumpy scarred man hiding in the woods. She courts him, they fall in love, there's some drama leading to a HEA.
Enjoyed it.
Safe
3/5
November 9, 2022
I do love these books with the virgin husky heroes who know everything about clits and so forth and what to do with them...
January 5, 2022
A (kinda) modern adaptation of Red Riding Hood. Our h worked for the local bookstore in a small town. She lived with her grandma, who live at the edge of the wood. She had to come home before dark because of the wolf (plus it's kinda creepy to walk through the woods during the dark, right?! especially the one with the wolves). One day she had to come home late and the wolf was surrounding her and BAM! there came a knight in tarnished armour, a giant with a gentle heart. Right at that moment, she wasn't only thankful for him saving her but also gave her heart away. And so began the love story between a reclusive beast with a gentle heart and cute sweet h.
The story was sweet and quick with good use of side characters, though not much. If you expect some elaborate background story, there's not much. There was some story on how the H became reclusive mountain man or even a bit on h's family, but not much to be a thorough story.
Dual virgin
No condoms
Dual PoV, 1st person
No drama/angst
No cheating
Safe read, HEA, epilogue
Overall score: 3.5 OTT instalove stars
The story was sweet and quick with good use of side characters, though not much. If you expect some elaborate background story, there's not much. There was some story on how the H became reclusive mountain man or even a bit on h's family, but not much to be a thorough story.
Dual virgin
No condoms
Dual PoV, 1st person
No drama/angst
No cheating
Safe read, HEA, epilogue
Overall score: 3.5 OTT instalove stars
December 6, 2021
delightful
A wonderfully sweet and steamy twist on little red riding hood.
Totally 100% safe. Double virgins. No cheating or abuse. HEA with epilogue years out.
A wonderfully sweet and steamy twist on little red riding hood.
Totally 100% safe. Double virgins. No cheating or abuse. HEA with epilogue years out.
January 22, 2024
This was a great short story, it’s classic Cassie Mint stuff. 😊 I liked both MCs and even tho there’s no real depth it was still nice to see the H getting a HEA and someone who wanted him after being shunned by the townsfolk. I did also really enjoy the little bits of humor !
It’s hard to rate novellas anything higher than a 3star since it typically feels rushed and like an unfinished story. Always left wondering how good it could’ve been had it been a full-length novel. 🥲
It’s hard to rate novellas anything higher than a 3star since it typically feels rushed and like an unfinished story. Always left wondering how good it could’ve been had it been a full-length novel. 🥲
August 26, 2022
This is a short novella somewhat inspired by the fairytale Little Red Riding Hood. Ruby is walking home one day when she gets cornered by a group of wolves. Blaise, the town recluse, swoops in to save her. Ruby is thankful to him for saving her and honestly cannot stop thinking about him after the fact. But Blaise thinks he is undeserving of this beautiful woman because of his past and scars.
I really enjoyed this retelling! It was hot, fun, but also pretty sweet :)
TROPES: height difference kindle unlimited, novella, "mine", recluse, scarred character, winter reads
I really enjoyed this retelling! It was hot, fun, but also pretty sweet :)
TROPES: height difference kindle unlimited, novella, "mine", recluse, scarred character, winter reads
July 4, 2022
3.5 out of 5 stars
I’m starting a buddy read tomorrow so I wanted something quick I could read in a few hours today. I’ve read a few Cassie Mint books and knew this would fit the bill. This was so quick, I don’t have a lot to say. It’s an adult retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. It was very short at only 69 pages and was just what I was looking for. There wasn’t time for a lot of world building or character development but I was fine with that. I enjoyed the time spent reading it and if you’re looking for something light and quick, I recommend giving this book a read. Not filling but kind of refreshing is what I’d say about this one.
I’m starting a buddy read tomorrow so I wanted something quick I could read in a few hours today. I’ve read a few Cassie Mint books and knew this would fit the bill. This was so quick, I don’t have a lot to say. It’s an adult retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. It was very short at only 69 pages and was just what I was looking for. There wasn’t time for a lot of world building or character development but I was fine with that. I enjoyed the time spent reading it and if you’re looking for something light and quick, I recommend giving this book a read. Not filling but kind of refreshing is what I’d say about this one.
January 3, 2023
Omg I fucking love this
If u suddenly find me sneaking into the woods at night looking for my own Blaise mind ya business.
Also what decade were we in bc the whole like cute cabin in the woods throws me off
If u suddenly find me sneaking into the woods at night looking for my own Blaise mind ya business.
Also what decade were we in bc the whole like cute cabin in the woods throws me off
February 26, 2022
Maybe 3.5 stars 🤷🏻♀️
November 30, 2023
I loved Cold Wood by Cassie Mint! It tells the story of Ruby, a young woman traveling home through the woods to her cottage. While on her journey, she becomes cornered by a pack of wolves. Fortunately, she is rescued by Blaise, who she soon realizes is the man from the stories she heard about living in the woods. Despite being warned that he is a dangerous outcast, Ruby learns that he is a kind and gentle man who is in need of love - much like herself.
Despite being a novella, the author packs a lot of detail into the story, making the characters feel fully realized. I particularly enjoyed the creative and subtle nods to the original fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood." The story's pacing was spot-on, and I appreciated that the characters didn't give in to their desires right away. This allowed for a delicious buildup of sexual tension and anticipation that kept me invested in their relationship until the very end.
✨ "Someone might hear." I wedge a hand between us, fumbling her coat buttons open.
"Good." Ruby's thighs squeeze around my hips. "They'll hear me begging you for more." ✨
Cold Wood is a fantastic read that I would recommend to any romance reader. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately purchased the entire series.
👥 Dual POV
📚 Standalone w/ HEA + 3 yr Epilogue
💋 Safe - dual virgins
Despite being a novella, the author packs a lot of detail into the story, making the characters feel fully realized. I particularly enjoyed the creative and subtle nods to the original fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood." The story's pacing was spot-on, and I appreciated that the characters didn't give in to their desires right away. This allowed for a delicious buildup of sexual tension and anticipation that kept me invested in their relationship until the very end.
✨ "Someone might hear." I wedge a hand between us, fumbling her coat buttons open.
"Good." Ruby's thighs squeeze around my hips. "They'll hear me begging you for more." ✨
Cold Wood is a fantastic read that I would recommend to any romance reader. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately purchased the entire series.
👥 Dual POV
📚 Standalone w/ HEA + 3 yr Epilogue
💋 Safe - dual virgins
August 13, 2022
My favorite trope is the ‘Imperfect Hero’ and boy did this have it! I love when authors don’t make their characters with washboard abs and perfect in every way. This author always makes me fall for her characters ❤️
-Dual virgins!
-Age difference (20h/ H- unknown but def older)
-Diverse H
-Sweet H and h
-11 day separation
Has a HEA ending, a 3 year epilogue with a baby on the way.
-Dual virgins!
-Age difference (20h/ H- unknown but def older)
-Diverse H
-Sweet H and h
-11 day separation
Has a HEA ending, a 3 year epilogue with a baby on the way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
March 28, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/28/2022)! 🎁
March 4, 2023
4 stars
A very cute and rather quick retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.
My really likey.
A very cute and rather quick retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.
My really likey.
April 10, 2022
This was fine. Red riding hood “retelling” that is short with a touch of steam… It was fine
January 11, 2022
This was an incredibly sweet, Red Riding-esque novella. The hero Blaise is a scarred up man in the woods…he hunts, yields an ax, and since the villagers don’t know him well or see him often, they’ve started scary stories about the “beast in the woods”. The heroine Ruby lives with her grandmother, works at a bookshop and has always fantasized about the “monster” in the woods spiriting her away for delicious times. Blaise ends up rescuing Ruby from wolves and she quickly is interested in him and let’s him know it. He’s more stand-off-ish at first and worried about his reputation hurting her, while she just can’t wait to get her hands on him. Short and sweet read. This has been the 3rd standalone novella I’ve read in this author’s wintery themed collection and I’m always left wanting more…more steam, more connection, more chemistry. But if you want short and sweet with just a scene of steaminess between the couple, check these novellas out.
February 3, 2022
Blaise and Ruby
Quick And easy read. Ruby has lived in the town all her life hearing about the monster in the woods. That's why she never ventured there after dark but she found herself almost caught up by an approaching snowstorm and she divided to get a shortcut to her grandmother's house. Big mistake. She stumbled upon hungry wolves and thinks her number is up. Until Blaise, the gentle but scared up giant cones to her rescue. 3.5* highly recommended.
Quick And easy read. Ruby has lived in the town all her life hearing about the monster in the woods. That's why she never ventured there after dark but she found herself almost caught up by an approaching snowstorm and she divided to get a shortcut to her grandmother's house. Big mistake. She stumbled upon hungry wolves and thinks her number is up. Until Blaise, the gentle but scared up giant cones to her rescue. 3.5* highly recommended.
September 7, 2023
Red riding hood.
I wasn’t really interested in a modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood but when it’s next in a series, you gotta do what you gotta do.
I thought it was okay, just a sweet story. There’s nothing that will make me come back and read it again. It’s just how you would expect it to be. A slightly pushy heroine in need of saving and a scarred mountain man that’s insecure because the people from town call him a monster.
I wasn’t really interested in a modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood but when it’s next in a series, you gotta do what you gotta do.
I thought it was okay, just a sweet story. There’s nothing that will make me come back and read it again. It’s just how you would expect it to be. A slightly pushy heroine in need of saving and a scarred mountain man that’s insecure because the people from town call him a monster.
July 26, 2022
I'm going down a fairytale rabbit hole, starting with Cold Wood. I enjoyed it. It's a sweet, steamy take on a classic fairytale. Four stars.
important bits:
dual virgins
no cheating
no OM/OW
safe
HEA + epilogue 3 years later!
important bits:
dual virgins
no cheating
no OM/OW
safe
HEA + epilogue 3 years later!
December 7, 2025
I’m a sucker for a retelling and this short Red Riding Hood novella really scratched that itch tonight. Blaise is an absolute teddy bear and I love a good gentle giant. I liked the overall writing style and I just had a great time reading this so I finished it in one go.
Read
June 8, 2022cute red riding hood retelling , sort of a burly grumpy savior protective hero and a very stubborn determined heroine.
June 29, 2022
Fanny flutters
March 28, 2023
A steamy take on Red Riding Hood - sort of. A short romance novella well written and fun to read. Available in KU.
April 3, 2022
FREE today (March 28, 2022) on Amazon.
December 3, 2021
Little Red is just asking for trouble. I enjoyed this take on the fairytale. No beast here, just a lonely misunderstood man.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 20, 2022
The couple: Blaise and Ruby
Romance genre: insta-love/fairy tale
Series: Winter Warmers
Length: 68 pages
Plot: Ruby works hard to take care of her grandmother and herself but she finds herself fascinated by the stories of the monster in the woods. When she meets Blaise one day (as she's up a tree, needing to be rescued), she realizes he's the monster, and he's not so monstrous after all.
Commentary: Well Ruby was spicy! She was so ready for something a little more from Blaise, and he was just a little clueless! I thought it was kind of sweet that he was so inexperienced also, but it was also really sad that he felt like he had to hide away for so long. Also, there was something wrong with her grinch of a grandmother.
Previous book in the series: Thin Ice
Next book in the series: Snow Storm
Romance genre: insta-love/fairy tale
Series: Winter Warmers
Length: 68 pages
Plot: Ruby works hard to take care of her grandmother and herself but she finds herself fascinated by the stories of the monster in the woods. When she meets Blaise one day (as she's up a tree, needing to be rescued), she realizes he's the monster, and he's not so monstrous after all.
Commentary: Well Ruby was spicy! She was so ready for something a little more from Blaise, and he was just a little clueless! I thought it was kind of sweet that he was so inexperienced also, but it was also really sad that he felt like he had to hide away for so long. Also, there was something wrong with her grinch of a grandmother.
Previous book in the series: Thin Ice
Next book in the series: Snow Storm
Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews