I picked up Heartless because of you two, so thanks for that—this is all your fault. And I mean that in the best way possible.
Cade was everything. Grumpy on the outside, soft on the inside—absolute kryptonite for me. He’s probably one of my favorite male characters since You and Me by Tal Bauer. Rough, manly, cowboy vibes with that soft heart? I’m in. And Willa! I loved how sure of herself she was. That confidence really worked for the circumstances of the story and made her feel grounded in a way that kept everything from veering into weird territory. Yes, she was a bit of a “not like the other girls” trope, but she brought so much heart, maturity, and depth to the role. She felt real, and I loved how their dynamic included genuine conversations. Plus, the spice was *chef’s kiss* hot.
I 100% agree with what you said on the pod—emotional maturity and self-awareness are hot. And Cade? He has both. Willa does too, but for Cade’s character, it was very, very refreshing to have someone know what they want and yet still have some of those insecurities about themselves. And then, to still be able to give 110% for the naughty scenes? 10 out of 10. Love that part.
But again, the plot. The surprise baby situation—I hate it. I hate all of it. It’s just not my thing, and it made the story feel unnecessarily complicated. The nanny setup made me uncomfortable as well; it felt like a strange dynamic.
And, okay, I have to say it: I love when my grumpy heroes keep their grumpiness in the bedroom too. Cade turned into a dirty mouth himbo during sex, and while it was hot, it didn’t feel like the same guy! I wanted to see that nurturing side come out in a more genuine, less over-the-top way.
In the end, I loved the characters but hated the plot. I wish I could drop them into a different story entirely and just watch them fall in love in a different way.
Totally agree that if I could take Cade & Willa and plunk them into a different scenario, I'd like the book even more. Or even more TIME would help me feel more comfortable with the overall premise. They've known each other 2 months and he spent the first one being a dick. Was there chemistry? Yep. And even respect. But like ... I was married for YEARS before i was like, "Yep I want to raise a family with this guy." The trope makes it all feel so RUSHED, and while they seem happy with the outcome, the HEA felt a little forced to me.
Yes! Because as much as I loved the bj on the front porch… it didn’t feel true to Cade. He’s so thoughtful that that scene didn’t click for me (though I did objectively love it).
I’d love to see a version without the kiddo but that’s purely selfish. 😂 I’d also love to see this couple in a sci-fi. Could you imagine Cade as a space cowboy? 😈
I picked up Heartless because of you two, so thanks for that—this is all your fault. And I mean that in the best way possible.
Cade was everything. Grumpy on the outside, soft on the inside—absolute kryptonite for me. He’s probably one of my favorite male characters since You and Me by Tal Bauer. Rough, manly, cowboy vibes with that soft heart? I’m in. And Willa! I loved how sure of herself she was. That confidence really worked for the circumstances of the story and made her feel grounded in a way that kept everything from veering into weird territory. Yes, she was a bit of a “not like the other girls” trope, but she brought so much heart, maturity, and depth to the role. She felt real, and I loved how their dynamic included genuine conversations. Plus, the spice was *chef’s kiss* hot.
I 100% agree with what you said on the pod—emotional maturity and self-awareness are hot. And Cade? He has both. Willa does too, but for Cade’s character, it was very, very refreshing to have someone know what they want and yet still have some of those insecurities about themselves. And then, to still be able to give 110% for the naughty scenes? 10 out of 10. Love that part.
But again, the plot. The surprise baby situation—I hate it. I hate all of it. It’s just not my thing, and it made the story feel unnecessarily complicated. The nanny setup made me uncomfortable as well; it felt like a strange dynamic.
And, okay, I have to say it: I love when my grumpy heroes keep their grumpiness in the bedroom too. Cade turned into a dirty mouth himbo during sex, and while it was hot, it didn’t feel like the same guy! I wanted to see that nurturing side come out in a more genuine, less over-the-top way.
In the end, I loved the characters but hated the plot. I wish I could drop them into a different story entirely and just watch them fall in love in a different way.
Totally agree that if I could take Cade & Willa and plunk them into a different scenario, I'd like the book even more. Or even more TIME would help me feel more comfortable with the overall premise. They've known each other 2 months and he spent the first one being a dick. Was there chemistry? Yep. And even respect. But like ... I was married for YEARS before i was like, "Yep I want to raise a family with this guy." The trope makes it all feel so RUSHED, and while they seem happy with the outcome, the HEA felt a little forced to me.
I love your POV so much :) and "turning into a dirty mouth himbo during sex" is quite possibly my fave turn of phrase now.
I'd be curious what the new plot "world" we could drop them into!
Yes! Because as much as I loved the bj on the front porch… it didn’t feel true to Cade. He’s so thoughtful that that scene didn’t click for me (though I did objectively love it).
I’d love to see a version without the kiddo but that’s purely selfish. 😂 I’d also love to see this couple in a sci-fi. Could you imagine Cade as a space cowboy? 😈
Space cowboy is a good one. I immediately thought of Malcom Reynolds in Firefly 😂😂
OMG if only Mal were as self-aware as Cade is, but yes I'd read the hell out Cade as a space cowboy.