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The Reluctant Hearts Series

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From award-winning USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brighton Walsh comes the complete Reluctant Hearts series featuring strong-willed heroines and the heroes who fall head over heels for them. This set includes trope favorites such as opposites attract, friends to lovers, single mom, best friend’s little sister, and enemies to lovers.

Caged in Winter
Winter Jacobson doesn't have room in her life for a man. She's fought hard to get as far away as possible from the rubble she was born in to, and she's so close she can taste it. She doesn't have time for distractions, certainly not when they come in the form of a 6'4" wannabe Prince Charming.

Tessa Ever After
No one's off-limits for this playboy...except his best friend's little sister. Jason's the very definition of trouble, but Tessa can't get him out of her mind...or her bed. And every day she spends by his side only serves to keep her from the one thing she wants more than anything—a happily ever after.

Paige in Progress
She's the beautiful but aloof girl next door. He's a mistake that's come back to bite her. What happens when the best one-night stand you've ever had becomes your new neighbor?

Our Love Unhinged
When her knight in shining armor pops the question, she says yes. Of course she does. But two years isn’t long in the grand scheme of things, and certainly not enough time to erase the memories of the past. Sometimes, even the greatest love can’t silence fears.

1026 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 25, 2022

48 people are currently reading
1053 people want to read

About the author

Brighton Walsh

53 books2,141 followers
Award-winning USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brighton Walsh spent nearly a decade as a professional photographer before taking her storytelling in a different direction and reconnecting with her first love: writing. When she’s not lost in her own made up worlds, she’s probably either reading or shopping—maybe even both at once. She lives in the Midwest with her real life hero of a husband, her two kids—both taller than her—and her dog who thinks she’s a queen. Her boy-filled house is the setting for dirty socks galore, frequent dance parties (okay, so it's mostly her, by herself, while her children look on in horror), and more laughter than she thought possible. Visit her online at brightonwalsh.com.

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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Teresa Mary Rose.
1,294 reviews343 followers
January 25, 2022
Caged In Winter:
Caged In Winter is the kind of book that reminds me of when the New Adult genre was very new. I loved the books I read then and I loved Caged In Winter as well. This book was beautiful. Both Cade and Winter have scars from their past and because of that they have a clear plan for the future, and neither one of them was looking for a relationship, but one found them.

Winter is a tough cookie. Her past is rough and life has dealt her a shitty hand, but she has a plan and she is working toward it. She is fiercely independent and prides herself on being able to take care of herself, so when this guy strolls in to help her with a handsy customer, she isn’t thankful she is pissed he just cost her her tips. And this is how Cade walks into her life.

Cade is great. He is this perfect blend of good guy, with a slight bad boy streak, and he is fiercely protective. What I love thought is that he isn’t protective in the overbearing controlling alpha male way. It is clear he is protective over those he cares about and wants to help. Winter may not see that, but the reader can. Cade is the kind of guy I love to read about. We all love our alpha males and bad boys, but I have always said that there is something incredibly special about a good man and Cade is exactly that. He helps his sister and niece and is willing to do anything for them and that just melts your heart. Plus he is a chef covered in tattoos, can we say yum!

Caged In Winter also delivers some great secondary characters. Hayley is absolutely adorable and you have to love her. Tessa is another one I loved and I loved how strong her relationship was with her brother, Cade. Then there is Jason, who is a bit of a jerk, but I kinda love him and I think there is more to him than meets the eye.

Aside from characters though, I think my favorite thing about the book is that both Cade and Winter had actual lives. They had classes and jobs and commitments outside each other. They didn’t and couldn’t spend 24/7 together and it was realistic. It was a struggle for them to make time for one another and somehow find a balance and I loved how realistic that was. I mean, how many books do we read where a couple gets together and all of a sudden just spend every waking hour together like they never had any commitments before that person came along. I loved that the relationship aspect didn’t just fall into place easily and that it required work. Winter’s insecurities were a big obstacle for their relationship but life may have been an even bigger one.

Caged In Winter was a great story about overcoming your past and not letting it define you. The romance is gorgeous and the characters will work their way into your heart. More importantly though, this story shows that you can forge your own way in life and live out your dreams, you just have to be brave enough to try.

Tessa Ever After:
Last year I read Caged In Winter and in one fell swoop I fell in love with the book and discovered a new great author. I had really high hopes for Tessa Ever After and this book did not disappoint. I would even go as far to say that this is my favorite Brighton book to date. I devoured this story and I fell in love with the characters, the main ones and the secondary ones.

Tessa is an incredible woman and I give her all the credit in the world. I can’t even imagine balancing all of the responsibility she does and I admire her so much for it. She puts her daughter first in everything and it really takes a toll on her when she feels like she can’t keep up anymore. She is so strong and so brave and a wonderful mom.

And then we had Jason who I absolutely adored. Gahh I loved him so much. He fit in so well with Tessa and Hayley. The scenes with him and Hayley absolutely melted my heart… nail polish and hats and feather boas galore. Not only did he fall for Tessa but he fell for Hayley too and that was so important. Both of them were incredibly important to him and they came as a package deal. Hayley had Jason wrapped around her little finger and he loved it.

Now I wanna talk about that little cutie Hayley because she was such a sweetheart and so funny. She stole the show on so many occasions. I will never call lipstick anything other than blipstick again. I also absolutely adored Paige! She was such a great friend to Tessa and I loved that! I always love it when a book portrays a positive and strong female friendship. So many times books use the friendship and twists it and makes drama, but I love when a book shows that a friendship can be just that, a friendship. I think Paige needs a book next. Adam could also use a book… possibly together? *puppy dog eyes*

Tessa Ever After is everything I want from a new adult book but it doesn’t follow the typical formula. It has its own distinct feel and flair to it. Tessa and Jason together are so incredible and I loved them so much. Their chemistry is amazing and I love that they are such good friends as well. They both deserved to finally find this happiness together. And it is even sweeter because it came along when neither one was really expecting it.

All in all, Tessa Ever After was such a great read and I absolutely loved Jason and Tessa. New adult fans, you do not want to miss this series!

Paige In Progress:
This is one of my favorite new adult series and when I heard we were getting Paige's book I was ecstatic. I adored her in Tessa Ever After and I knew her and Adam together would deliver a great read and I wasn't wrong. This is everything I love about new adult.

Paige is awesome. I love her and her sarcasm and wit and intelligence. I also love that she takes stereotypes and throws them out the window. But damn did I want to shake this girl. She has some serious commitment issues and while she has good reason it didn't stop me from wanting to shake her. She pushed Adam really hard and put up a bunch of walls; there were times where I worried if she was going to push too far.

Adam, like all of Brighton's guys, delivered the swoon. Holy wow he was awesome. His nick names had me cracking up. I loved that he was such a good guy and that he was the one who was looking for a relationship. The switch in the normal gender roles was really great.

Now I know it's not his book but I have to talk about Jason because that boy is a scene stealer. He is hysterical and I cannot get enough of him. Just simple scenes where he is failing at playing mini golf had me cracking up. Maybe it's because he is my favorite, but any time he showed up he became the center of attention. His interactions with Adam were absolutely hysterical. So yeah still love Jason and I was surprised by how he managed to steal the show.

Other than all of that though, I also love that this book isn't just about the relationship between Adam and Paige. It also spotlights the importance of friendship (strong female friendship for the win) and family. Paige and Tessa have such a strong and positive friendship and I love that. And the friendship between Adam, Jason, and Cade is also great. The book demonstrates how friends are supposed to be and are not there to cause problems and drama or be forgotten the minute someone gets a significant other. On the family front, Paige's brothers were awesome and Adam's mom was adorable.

Paige In Progress was a great read and everything I love about the new adult genre. I am so glad we got Adam and Paige's story!

Our Love Unhinged:
This was such a good novella. I absolutely LOVE Cade and Winter and I loved getting to see into their happily ever after. I love them together and I loved seeing them happy and seeing how far they have come. This book is just good for the feels. It made my heart so happy. I also loved seeing Jason and Tessa and Paige and Adam again. I just love this group and I especially love Jason. That boy is my favorite of them all and he cracked me up. Our Love Unhinged is a quick and fun read and if you’re a fan of this series you gotta read it. And if you haven’t read this series you need to fix that.
Profile Image for Melenareads .
3,292 reviews79 followers
January 25, 2022
The Reluctant Hearts series set is a fabulous collection from Brighton Walsh!

Each book is a little sweet, a little spicy, and very entertaining. I loved the variety of tropes, too. Each story is engaging and its characters are unique. Brighton always writes heroes and heroines that you can root for and HEAs that will make you smile.

This is the perfect series to binge read!

Thank you to the author for providing an ARC for an honest review.
Profile Image for Marissa Chavez.
1,373 reviews4 followers
August 15, 2023
I’m loving this series so much!


Mine For Tonight

Wow! Paige and Adam were a lot of fun! They definitely brought the heat. Can’t wait to continue their story. 💜
Profile Image for Jenn .
745 reviews15 followers
January 15, 2022
The Reluctant Hearts Boxset from Brighton Walsh puts all 4 books from her Reluctant Hearts series in one convenient package WITH an all new super sexy bonus mini story. Each story (with the exception of Paige and Adam's mini story) is a complete stand alone with a HEA.

I was so excited to sit down with this book and dive into each and every story. I'm a big book binger- where I love to sit down with all the books in series and read them one after the other in order. I love having the interconnected stories fresh in my brain so I can make all the connections that the author puts in there- so this boxset is a really fantastic way to do that. Each story is emotional and angsty in its own way, while still being gripping and I had a hard time putting the book down until I got to the end of each book. The series title Reluctant Hearts really does encompass the core of these couples- where at least one person in each set was scared to follow their heart to love.

First up was Caged in Winter featuring Winter and Cade- this one is very angsty and definitely emotionally taxing with all the heartbreak and trauma both of these characters have been through. Winter has always had to face life on her own and has learned to never let anyone close and to be completely self-sufficient. Cade had faced many hardships in his own life and that had led him to take on all he can to make life easier for those he loves- giving him a bit of an overbearing white knight vibe. Cade is insistent but also patient while the skittish Winter comes around to both his friendship and desires for more. It's a lot of one step forward a couple leaps back with these two but the ease of their connection was fantastic.

Then there is Tessa and Jason in Tessa Ever After. Tessa is Cade's little sister and a single mom who is looking for her fairytale while Jason is one of Cade's best friends but a complete playboy who has never been in a relationship ever. These two are probably my favorite out of the series- they are just so sweet and sincere- and Hayley is so adorable. I love the friendship and familiarity these two have and it just adds another layer to the chemistry they find in all their bedroom activities. Insecurities and doubts on both sides do eventually rear their ugly heads and the heartbreak in this one made my own heart split- but the grand gesture, oh boy, I was full on swooning.

Paige in Progress is my second favorite book of the series. Adam is the third best friend in Cade and Jason's group while Paige is Tessa's best friend. Paige is a hilarious character and complete contradiction with her tinkerbell looks but long road trucker attitude and mouth. Adam is a hopeless romantic and likes when things are going to plan. I love the playful banter between these two, their non-date dates and yeah this story is steamy. Paige is definitely stubborn and has some real hangups on relationships and Adam is too uptight at times but they balance each other well and force each other to re-evaluate and grow.

And finally we finish off the series by revisiting Winter and Cade's relationship a couple years later in Our Love Unhinged. Winter had the most emotional and heavy hang ups when it came to relationships of any kind-so when Cade proposes, she reverts back to having feelings of abandonment and fear in the time leading up to their wedding. Winter's story still breaks my heart and revisiting all that was emotional. BUT when things finally start to click and she has that true breakthrough of her walls it was beautiful. Plus there are other little updates on all the other couples in the series.

Each book was fantastic on its own- while I did sometimes find moments to be a bit repetitive. The heroines are all great strong characters while all being vastly different and I loved how committed and just there to prove themselves each of the heroes were. So if you love angsty romance with some spice and a bit of humor thrown in, you will love this series!
Profile Image for JanFromNJ.
743 reviews9 followers
January 31, 2022
Angst, humor, romance, and some steamy scenes too! Every one of these stories are a delightful read.

Each of these are stand alone stories but boxed up together, it gives the reader a chance to bing on all the interconnected character stories. And wow will you swoon over these men!

First there’s Caged in Winter. Cade and Winter’s story. So much sadness and abandonment issues for Winter, that she refuses Cade’s “Prince Charming like” help and good nature. But. Cade is persistent. He’s got his own issues with being responsible for his sister and her daughter…. but he doesn’t give up on winning Winter’s heart. What I particularly loved was how Cade was described. Not your typical alpha male, but rather a big, scary guy who loves to cook and has a heart of gold.

Next is Tessa Ever After. Tessa and Jason’s story. Cade’s little sister and single mom to adorable Haley. And. Cade’s best friend. Jason comes from a wealthy family, his father clearly embarrassed his son chose art school over going to HIS university and following in his father’s footsteps. He definitely doesn’t want to follow in daddy’s footsteps. I loved how Jason adores little Haley. Cade has moved away now, and Jason has started watching out more for Tessa and her little girl. He’s always been attracted to Tessa but this is his best friend’s little sister and off limits! I also loved Tessa finding her own strength and being more on her own. And then? Tessa and Jason…..dating? Cade might punch out Jason! But…..it’s so endearing to see them struggle to make sense out of their mutual attraction. Oh and Jason and the pink post it notes? Bring on the tears. Love this couple!

Mine For Tonight - a short story
Adam gives drunken Paige a ride home (following a scene in Tessa Ever After). And then there’s the one night stand so hot you’ll fan your face!

Paige in Progress
Paige and Adam’s one night stand goes a completely different direction when Adam moves back to his hometown and becomes Paige’s neighbor. He’s home to help his parents’ business which is on the brink of bankruptcy. Paige is a “one and done” woman. Adam is relationship minded. Paige has been hurt; she’s not interested in relationships - only her career. But now Paige can’t stop thinking about that one hot night with Adam. Her best friend’s surrogate brother. Who knew he could be so….. satisfying. Paige didn’t. She fights letting him into her world. She has plans. Adam isn’t going to derail her. But their “non-dates” are such fun. And when they finally let their guard down? Holy hotness!!!!

Finally! Our Love Unhinged!
Cade and Winter. And their happily ever after. What more is there to say. “How much time do we have before you freak out?” Cade knows his woman. Damage control in full force. Such a fun conclusion to these stories. Happily Ever Afters are the best.




Profile Image for Neeru Rana.
1,025 reviews6 followers
January 24, 2022
A boxset that takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. There are so many feelings involved you get caught up with all the characters.

I connected differently with each couple but loved every single one of them. Specially Hayley. You can't help but loved her from book 1.

Cade, Tessa, Paige, Winter, Adam and Jason have different circumstances but teach you that every person is vulnerable and have their own insecurities and until you take a chance you can never attain the happiness you deserve.

It's a fun read and having my favourite characters in the other books was a bonus.

Our Love Unhinged is like the cherry on top. It's about Cade and Winter but also giving us a glimpse of other couples. Loved how things turn out in future.

It's an amazing read. A must read series 😁.

I received an ARC copy for a honest review 😊.
Profile Image for Stital.
1,012 reviews28 followers
January 23, 2022
Sweet, sexy and full of heart, this boxset is a lovely collection of a great series.

The Reluctant Heart Boxset allows for a wonderful and full glimpse into this friend and family group, with characters and stories crossing books and caring on a plotline that gives a sense of home.
Each of this books is beautiful in it's own way, and each couple has their own unique and captivating story, but what ties them all together is strength, love, hope and heart, collectively weaving a magical spell that will have you falling.

5 stars and a whole lot of love.
754 reviews
June 7, 2022
Great boxset

This boxset is the Reluctant Hearts Series. It contains "Caged in Winter, Tessa Ever After, Paige in Progress" stories and the novella "Our Love Unhinged." These stories are totally awesome. We have solid writing, well thought out plots, believable characters, laughs, and sobs at times. Brighton brings a well balanced story to each character.
Profile Image for Kirstie Ibrahim.
1,865 reviews20 followers
January 25, 2022
Caged in Winter - Really enjoyed this. I liked the characters and the storyline. It was good watching Winter grow and learn to love and trust.
Tessa ever after - Tessa is a real sweetheart and a fighter who keeps on going even though life is hard on her own with a kid. There's chemistry with Tessa and Jason and old teen crush feelings still there. They make a great couple and turn their love into a family, which is what Jason has been yearning for.
Paige in progress -I loved Paige and Adam together....opposites when it comes to relationships but so alike in every other way. An easy page turner that kept me interested.
Our love unhinged - A wonderful way to wrap this series up. Everything concluded perfectly
Profile Image for Cali Jewel.
5,249 reviews39 followers
February 13, 2022
Loved this highly entertaining, laugh out loud fun and sweetly sexy set of emotionally thrilling adventures. Each one is filled with witty and engaging charters, heart racing twists and undeniable passion. Great reading from beginning to end.
Profile Image for Cindy T.
519 reviews3 followers
February 19, 2022
great read

Following each of the couples stories is so easy. It sucks you in and you can’t wait until you find out what happens next.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews

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