Trusting Cade (Custos Securities #1)Rating: 3.5 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novel


Zavier “Cade” McCade, 38, is a former Army Special Forces Captain who left his military career to open a security company that provides protection for both civilians and corporations. Working with three of his best friends, they pride themselves on providing the best security. Heading to California for a job/visiting family, Cade and his best friend Cooper stop by to visit Cooper’s sister, Maya, at the bakery she co-owns with her best friend Braden.

Braden Cross is a pastry chef who loves creating decadent confections, despite his inability to enjoy those creations himself. Feeling as if he’s finally getting back on his feet after a string of disastrous relationships, including his most recent escape from an abusive partner, Braden’s well-being is threatened when a stalker becomes bolder.

When Cade and Cooper learn of the stalker, Cade offers to step in and protect Braden. As the two are caught up in threats, break-ins, and vandalism, they closer together. While Braden trusts Cade with his life, he wonders whether he can trust him with his heart.

Readers should be warned that this book has scenes of abuse and kidnapping.

Cade is an alpha male character through and through. Former Army Special Forces, he is now in charge of the physical training for new recruits to their security business. Yet, despite having a thriving business, great friends, and a loving family, Cade feels as if he is missing something. I melted when I saw him with Braden – there is just something about a big, strong guy having a softer side that he doesn’t let out much.

Braden may be a diabetic. He may have a stalker, but he’s also a physically and mentally strong person – not the type of character one usually sees paired up with an alpha male. I was skeptical as the story played out as to how these two would work together, but I was pleasantly surprised!

I really liked the plot of this story. Someone is stalking Braden and Cade steps in to get to the bottom of it before the stalker gets to Braden. Along the way, the two find themselves falling for one another. Without ruining the story, the latter part of the book had me on the edge of my seat.

Despite the likeable characters and the interesting plot, this is one of those books where the blurb sounds spectacular, but it fell short in the delivery. At times it was almost painful to read because no one talks like these characters talk – and they talk an awful lot. It seemed as if every time one of them spoke, they gave a speech.

My other complaint about this book was the ending – yep, a cliffhanger. For those of you who’ve read my reviews, I abhor cliffhanger endings. While I didn’t like that this story ended this way, it does set the book up nicely for the next in the series.

Overall, this was just a so-so read for me. If you don’t mind cliffhanger endings and don’t mind overly wordy conversations, you might want to check this book out.

Wendy sig