All I wanted was a tattoo. What I got was a broody, enigmatic demigod with an electrifying touch and a mysterious past. We were night and day in every way possible, not an ounce of anything in common, and yet, I wanted him in the worst way. It didn’t matter that he was emotionally unavailable or that he was exactly the kind of man who would give my father a coronary should I dare to bring him … should I dare to bring him home. It didn’t matter that his heart was wrapped in barbed wire or that he made me promise never to fall for him.
None of it mattered because he was the most perfectly imperfect, beautifully tortured soul I’d ever known, and I was besotted, addicted to all the thrilling and wondrous ways he made me feel when we were together.
They say a single moment can change the entire trajectory of your life. But looking back, I never could have imagined all the ways my world would change the moment it collided with his.
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Brighten Karrington is a pre-med student with parents from the right side of town who are over-protective and extremely concerned about their image. When Brighten decides to do something for herself and get a little tattoo which she could hide she has no idea it will lead her to Madden Ransom, the kind of man women dream about.
Madden Ransom is a highly sought after tattoo artist with no tattoos. He is struggling with making sure his younger sister, Devanie, is taken care of by his mother who seems to be less and less interested. His father is in jail and Madden hasn’t talked to him since he went to jail all those years ago.
Brighten is so much different than Madden could ever expect but each of them have issues and Madden is not looking for a relationship. As the two begin to get closer will they be able to tear down their own walls or will the past stop them from finding their happy ever after?
This was such a good book that was filled with emotions from start to finish on so many different levels!!
I loved Brighten and although she grew up rich she really wanted her own path and didn’t want to do a career that didn’t make her happy. She knew why her parents were so protective over her but she wanted to make her own mistakes and follow her own dreams. She was so friendly and I loved that she was trying to find her own way.
Madden was an awesome character who was still so troubled about his past and everything that had happened that left him without Dallas. He was there for his sister as much as possible as he knew his mom was just not into it anymore which was sad. Right from the beginning you understand he avoids relationships yet there was something about Brighten that he just couldn’t stay away from.
The chemistry between Madden and Brighten was through the roof and what started out as “casual” slowly started becoming more and more but there were issues with that. I felt bad with when things began to go downhill with Brighten letting her parents know she didn’t want med school and then things began to get so much worse from there.
My heart broke for what Brighten went through with her parents and how Madden got dragged into it all. I knew things were about to go completely sideways but I just never imagined how much!
There were so many twists and turns towards the end that left me breaking into a million pieces and I had my fingers crossed that things were going to work out as it didn’t look good!!
The very, very end was awesome and I loved how Brighten reacted with the truth!
Such an amazing read that left my heart broken and then put back together just in time!!
Gosh I just could not put this book down! I suffered the next morning but it was so worth it lol
There is so much about this book that I want to say but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. This book is about two beautiful troubled souls that didn’t know they had more then most have in common. Madden a serious, soft spoken, unemotional gorgeous man who believes he can’t love or chooses not to love due to his past. Then there is Brighton a young beautiful, smart, strong girl who is more then capable to love and wants to move on from her past who by chance meets Madden who is her tattoo artist. Two beautiful people most deserving of a wonderful future but don’t know how to take that step forward with so much obstacles ahead of them.
This is a page turner and I feel like I have been waiting for this book! WR is getting her groove back and I can’t wait to see what she has coming next!!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Madden owns and runs his own tattoo studio. Brighton is a rich girl that is tired of her controlling family. So in an act of rebellion she goes to Madden’s place for a tattoo. Madden is wary of Brighton when she comes in because most girl like her just want to cause trouble. However no matter how hard Brighton tries she can’t get Madden to talk to her and see her for who she really is. Then she ends up being a mentor to his little sister and seems like they are forever running into each other. Can Brighton show Madden that she is more than her family’s money? Will Madden claim Brighton for his own?
This is an amazing story it’ll captivate you from beginning to end. The chemistry between them is off the charts hot. This is a well written and very entertaining story. I would recommend it to any book lover.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
WOW-Brighton and Madden’s story-incredible!
I love books by Winter Renshaw, and this one I think is my favorite! I loved getting to know Brighton and Madden, two opposites whose lives are intertwined more than each other really knows! So funny that a whim Brighton has to go get a tattoo would bring her to MADD INK and have her meet Madden. Brighton wants to move past just being the child of wealthy parents, she wants to really touch people’s lives. She volunteers for Big Brothers/Big Sisters and meets Devanie who blossoms under Brighton’s mentoring. Brighton does a lot of growing up in this book and Madden polishes his rough edges. I did not want the story to end, this will be one I read again!
Have you hear the saying opposites attract? Well this story is just that. Two people very different from each other, different worlds collide and they chemistry is explosive.
Brighton is a strong woman, far from a spoiled rich girl, she wants to live her life, not be a puppet controlled by her parents.
Madden is the bad boy, no bs type of guy. But he comes with baggage. When this two cross paths, sparks fly, but can two people from different worlds and problems really make it work? Would they travel together through everything that is gonna get thrown at them?
Winter Renshaw writes amazing characters, a story that it touches your heart and keeps you on your toes. The twist and turns keep you turning the pages until there is no more, but you surely finish feeling a great joy!!!
Definitely a 5 stars read!!! Truly recommend this story, one of my favorites from this author.
Pricked is the most amazing book Winter Renshaw has written since Royal. It’s filled with emotion and depth. At 25% through I thought I knew how it would play out, I was wrong. At 50% I thought I figured it out with the new twists, again I was wrong. At 75% I was hoping Pricked would at least have a HEA, since I was so off base with everything else. At 90% I piecing my heart back together. Bottom line; You NEED to read Pricked! It will keep you up at night just to read one more chapter. It will rip your emotions raw and leave you with a smile. And just to help you through the hard times, Pricked DOES have a HEA.
I thought this was going to be another story of the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. I was so wrong! This book is SO MUCH MORE! So much more emotional, angsty, deep and all with a surprising plot twist. Madden and Brighton are total opposites. He’s the untatted owner of so tattoo shop with his own dark past and she’s the rich girl desperately longing to spread her wings. The connection was instant, undeniable and unwanted. Fate wants what she wants though.
The characters are all strong and each with their own vulnerabilities. The story line was brilliant and ran at the perfect pace. I didn’t want to leave these two. They are two people I would love to be friends with. I’m looking forward to reading more from this talented author.
The storyline was well written and the characters were so well developed that as I turned the pages I felt like the characters jumped from the pages and pulled me right into their story as it effortlessly unfolded! I always enjoy reading this author’s books!
I am a HUGE fan of Winter Renshaw . I have really enjoyed everything I have read that she has written but I have to say this one is my absolute favorite. I would say it is my favorite of 2019 and it is but we are early in the year and will not seem as big as it really is, so I will say it is my favorite book out of the last 500 I have read, which is saying something. Madden is such a deep and interesting character with so many layers of hurt. Then there is Brighton. She is an interesting layered character as well but for very different reasons. Spending the bulk of her life sheltered and protected she is desperate to break free of her parents shelter and start really living her life. She starts this journey by getting a tattoo causing the beginning of her journey with Madden. As their story unfolds I felt myself being drawn into their feelings and lives as if they are real and I am on the outside observing. I became fully invested in these characters and their lives. The story was well thought out and executed. The writing, as always, is impeccable, entertaining and well done. I highly recommend all of Winter Renshaw books, but if you start with this one, know you are starting with the best of the best.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved the premise of Pricked, the intrigue, the secrets, the rich girl/poor boy aesthetic. Pricked was different than I expected. I was sure it was going to be a bad boy alpha romance, but it was so much more than that. Madden was better than I could have anticipated. He was fascinating – and not because he was a reformed bad boy – in a way that tugged at my heart and made me feel a kinship with him. Once I learned his secrets, I understood a good portion of the reason why.
When I read the blurb and started this book, I was sure Pricked was going to be an opposites-attract novel. And it was, on the surface. Once we got to know Brighton and Madden more fully it was obvious, they were both very hurt – in different ways – and only showed the world the façade they’d built to protect themselves. They were both also looking for someone to love them, to give them a soft spot to land, and to show them their worth. Their hearts and souls were so similar; it was no wonder they found each other and fell into such an easy relationship.
The only thing I wish about Pricked was that the ending not be so rushed. I felt like we were going full-steam ahead and were going to get some real answers and closure, then BOOM, flash forward epilogue. Sure, everything was tied up in a neat little bow in the epilogue, but I would have loved to have seen how it all played out, rather than recapped. I know tons of readers are just in it for the love story, and that felt (mostly) complete to me, but there were a few other storylines that deserved better treatment than they got.
This book will grab you straight away and not let go. I had every intention of just reading for an hour and getting to sleep, but that didn’t pan out at all. I was hooked and read it all that night. The characters are so real and the storyline so well written that it played out like a movie in my mind. Every time I thought about putting it down it was pulling me back in. Like I paused a movie and it was just replaying the most recent scene and I just had to read what came next. Do yourself a favor and pick this book up. I highly recommend it!
Beautiful butterflies and heartbreaking captors.
This is best book of Winter Renshaw I have read till date. It gave me feels similar to “P.S I hate you” which was packed with angst, drama and made me cry a lot. I stayed up late till early morning hours just to finish this book. It captured me from the start and I was not able to put it down. It gave me all the feels, it is packed with emotions and I felt like on a rollercoaster ride. When you think all is going to be fine and steady there is some turn, twist, unexpected event that made this plot interesting and captivating. Some made me ugly cry, some made me smile, others just shattered my heart.
Best written characters with whom I could easily connect. Not only the main but also secondary. All of them won’t left me indifferent towards them, each one has stirred something inside me, the good or the bad. Judgemental and stubborn Madden with troubled childhood, his sweet and smart teenage sister, Brighton who has overprotective and controlling parents and the parents themselves both Madden’s and Brighton’s with past that can ruin whatever is developing between them.
I loved every single line in this book and the ending was perfect and made up for all the heartache on the way. Fantastic and exceptional story!
Madden is a tattoo artist that keeps to himself. Brighton is a rich girl rebelling against her parents plans for her life. She asks Madden to choose a tattoo for her. These two are from different worlds but as they cross paths they begin to see they may have more in common. This was a good, heartfelt story that had just the right amount sexy and sweet.
I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am leaving a review.
This story is about what happens when unthinkable tragedy strikes and how it impacts life choices and circumstances after…
Brighton: a sheltered, naive, curious young lady of privilege with a heart of gold just bursting at the seams to break free from the constraints and restrictions that her family imposes on her and finally experience ALL that life has to offer; both the highs and the lows. In a rebellious move, she decides to get a tattoo and finds herself in the hands of a young man that will do just that.
Madden: the unlikely and unwilling hero who has become a guardian of sorts to his sister in the hopes of breaking the cycle that “traps” most of the locals from their “side of town”. Struggling with self-worth and unfamiliar with both receiving and giving love, he finds himself “caught” in Brighton’s web and curious enough to explore whatever it is that’s pulling him towards her so strongly.
Their chemistry is FIRE and in an unexpected twist of fate, their paths and circumstances seem to have intersected much earlier in their lives than they knew. As family secrets get revealed, what once seemed unforgivable becomes the thing that bonds them in a united effort to fight for their love and lives.
My only dilemma is that I already miss Brighton and Madden and want more of them!!
Bravo, Ms. Renshaw!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I could not put this book down! The way Madden and Brighton have things that intertwine had my heart all over the place! I loved this book and highly recommend reading this!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Madden is a very talented tattoo artists/owner who believes he should not be loved. Brighton just turned twenty two and has to report to her parents where she is going and when she will be home. Both characters are broken but come together in the most unusual way. They have sizzling chemistry and there are some surprises that will shock you. This was another fantastic story by Winter Renshaw. The details to the characters and storyline was wonderful to read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I have to admit that it took me a while to get into this story, and even though I thought it would be a good read (this author has never let me down) I wasn’t sure how good it would be.
I’m so glad I kept going because this story just got better and better. I really couldn’t put it down.
Just enough drama and intrigue that kept me wanting to find out both Madden and Brighton’s backstory and their secret.
The addition of Brighton’s relationship with Madden’s little sister was a perfect way to increase the depth of this story that was much more than the typical bad boy/rich princess romance.
Kudos to the author as the main character grew and opened his heart and protection to Brighton just when she needed it the most. Well written with good pacing that increased as the story went on.
A surprising and somewhat disturbing twist as their past is tragically intertwined and a lot more drama as they find their way back to each other.
Great story that was hard to put down!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wow! I absolutely LOVED this book! Brighton is trying to find her own path, she’s so strong, so determined. Madden is so closed off, but his journey and pain twisted my heart. They both have faced sadness. I love the metaphor with the butterfly… it’s a beautiful story, a journey. This is a must read!!
I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
The good, the bad, and the power of love…
There’s nothing fairytale-ish about this story. It’s not happy and bright. It’s heavy with emotion. And I loved it.
Brighton is the rich girl who wants to break free of her gilded cage. Madden is a tattoo artist who owns Madd Ink. In an attempt to rebel against her controlled life, Brighton decides to get some ink. She walks away with a tiny tattoo and a big crush on the mysterious, broody artist.
Madden, sigh, I loved him. And I loved Brighton. Both characters come with baggage, but both are determined to fight expectations. They were so different yet exactly what they each needed. She was far from the spoiled rich kid. Surprisingly mature and kind, she was philanthropic and traveling a carefully crafted path in her life. But she was running on auto-pilot and wanted to live life—both the good and bad. A tragic life event from a decade before drove her parents to be extremely overprotective, pushing her to crave freedom and independence with conviction. I loved seeing Madden’s walls slowly breaking down, without him even realizing it. He had depth, a good heart, and battled a bad hand in life with more strength and grace than what would be expected.
The writing is beautiful and the storytelling both engaging and emotional. There are a few twists you see coming, but it still quickens your pulse when they’re revealed. Thankfully, this is not an insta-love story, and I loved seeing how the relationship evolved from a tentative attraction to so much more. The author heartbreakingly wove together their backstories and gave them a chance to go their separate ways, but I loved how real their lingering love for each other felt, even when things were thrown in and tested their resolve.
The secondary cast was strong and well-rounded (I truly hated Brighton’s father and loved Madd’s sister), and each played their role in driving the story forward and giving you insight into the main character’s personalities. I felt the ending was a tiny bit rushed and resolved super-quick considering the span of time that had passed and the mountain of issues they had to overcome (that was a lot to drop in a single conversation). But after reading that epilogue, I didn’t care and it more than made up for it. I still had a few questions, but the epilogue was absolutely beautiful and had me smiling and wishing for more. Definitely worth a read.
This book is full of angst-y goodness, a few unexpected twists and a sweet love story. Brighton is sheltered and her parents have controlled her most of her life. Madden is cold and closed off emotionally due to events with his family (no spoilers). Their meeting seems serendipitous, as both characters are able to help the other. The relationship develops and Brighton opens up to Madden hoping he will reciprocate. Instead he pulls away for reasons he does not reveal to her. Everything is explained and ends in a HEA that left me satisfied.
The unexpected twists served to remind me that Winter Renshaw also writes psychological suspense under Minka Kent.