Author: Ella Goode
Release Date: January 15, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Novella
King built his fortress to keep people out, not in. After his abusive old man kicked the bucket, King took the family fortune and built a haven for women and children who needed protection. He has one rule and that is the women decide when they get to leave. When Hayden shows up, all his self-discipline goes out the window. He’s ready to risk it all to keep her…even against her will.
**CW/TW: mentions of past abuse **
What We Liked
♥ The H (King) built a safe haven community for women and girls looking to lay low or escape from abusive relationships/households.
♥ The banter between King and the h (Hayden) upon their standoff/meet cute was pretty entertaining.
♥ Alternating POVs between our two leads gave readers insights into their contrasting thoughts and personalities but similar in their instant attraction toward each other. Being in both of their heads was fun but also introspective of their depths once they let themselves open up.
♥ The epilogue is all too real and way too funny. Anyone whose been through childbirth or been their partners stress ball in the delivery room would relate and feel nostalgic (maybe? lol). After reading Secret Baby just before reading this was a refresher -- a reminder that bringing a baby into the world isn't always peachy keen and, uh, pain-free.
What We Didn't
- King's "Castle" is a bit misleading but King's Cabin doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Once you find out what King's first name it all makes sense.
- They didn't tell us what they named their kid! That's almost akin to a cliffhanger!
- A dude from the h' (Hayden) and her sisters (Danny) hometown showed up at the cabin (more like he tracked and followed her there) at the same time that two other people showed up at the gate struggling between finding solace there; there was so many things that were happening and being said in that scene that what happens to that guy (Ethan) wasn't clear or handled well. It was just vague by the non-answer that King gave Hayden when she asked about it.
- Speaking of the two other people that showed up at the gate, once they decided to seek solace at the cabin and got settled in, they kind of just got pushed aside.
The Ladies
Hayden // A no-nonsense, take no shit, take the bull by its horns, sarcastic kind of girl. She's got some fire in her that can light King up like no other, which is exactly what King didn't know he needed. She is pretty devoted to the farm at her home where she grew up at, but she is even more devoted to protecting her sister by having her sisters best interest at heart, even though it was a hard pill for her to swallow at first.
Cyn // King's cousin and assistant/basically co-owner that helps him run the cabin. She is a survivor, so this safehaven they've built to help women is close to her heart. The way she ribs at King and goes off about/at Jake is so hilarious. We wonder what their story is.
Danny // Hayden's sister, or Dr. Danielle Weston as the folks at the cabin knows her. As implied in Hayden's POV chapters - albeit very vague - Danny went through things with an ex or stalker that may or may not have prompted her to move out of the countryside of her hometown to the city to become a doctor, lay low and help others.
The Guys
King // Coming from an abusive household himself, King committed to providing safespaces for women from similar walks of life, a place that his mother needed but wasn't able to have. The instant he first encounters Hayden when she came-a-knockin', he knows that she's the one for him.
Jake // We get to know and hear a lot about Jake before we even meet him. Wish he was in more than a couple scenes after how much he was mentioned and talked about. And, again, we are curious about what's going on between him and Cyn.
Lust Factor
3.5 flames
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