To be fair, the blurb for Winter Renshaw’s Pricked doesn’t do the story justice. I imagine people will think this book is a modern day re-telling of the Sleeping Beauty story. Maybe it is in that Madden, the H of this story, “awakens” the h, Brighton, from a life as a caged bird. Or that Brighton is the true “prince” of the story in awakening Madden from his deep sleep of a life. However, this story is more about opposites attracting even when they try to avoid the attraction.
Madden is every romance reader’s physical dream: tall, dark, and handsome (according to Brighton). And like many romantic heroes, he is shut down, closed off to love. His tragedy of a life has left him indelibly “tattooed” with a hard shell. However, Brighton shines “light” into his darkness, and this causes a change in the lives of them both: “But it was a different kind of game with Brighton. Rock. Paper. Scissors. I was always the rock. She was always the paper. And it was never about winning. All she was doing was covering my dark with her light. My hard with her soft.”
Brighton is Madden’s polar opposite. She has been given the best of everything in life. While she too has endured tragedy, her struggles come from feeling like a caged bird with the expectations of her parents weighing heavily on her. You would think that Madden would be the impetus for helping her change. Instead, Brighton is her own hero. While I empathize for Madden, I prefer the character of Brighton in Renshaw’s story. She saves herself, and she breathes life into Madden. Yes, there is a time towards the end of the story when you find yourself wanting to strangle her a bit, but it is such a short time, and her empowerment shines forth in the end.
Together, Madden and Brighton complete each other. Their story shows the power of looking past our differences. Even more, they show us the truth of relationships: that two very different parts can become an incredible whole. Winter Renshaw’s story and her characters are the driving force of this book. If you love the romantic trope of “opposites attracting,” then you will not put down this book. I know I didn’t.
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In love and romance,
Professor A
Professor Romance 