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Cultivating Caden

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Quade Martin is hunting a murderer. A brutal killer who tore nine men limb from limb, leaving their body parts scattered across a field. Quade has been sent to dispatch this creature with expediency. Only…

When Quade meets Caden Daniels, he doesn’t understand how this skinny vegan could have the strength to commit unspeakable crimes. Caden is crying, for goodness sake. He certainly doesn’t seem dangerous.

The problem is, they never do.

Caden Daniels loves his life. He’s got two amazing friends, a flower shop, and everything is coming up roses. Until the night he makes the mistake of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and is set upon by the biker gang who threaten him. Caden swears he doesn’t understand how the men ended up dead, he only knew he had to get away.

As bad as that was, Caden finds there are things, like Quade Martine, in the Katadhin mountains that are much, much worse.

Quade opens up a world that Caden never knew existed. Lycans, giants, and an unbelievably powerful kid named Ten show Caden what’s hidden might be more home than what Caden knew.

Especially when the secret of Caden’s green thumb is revealed.

261 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 4, 2020

147 people are currently reading
123 people want to read

About the author

Parker Williams

64 books291 followers

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5 stars
156 (39%)
4 stars
126 (32%)
3 stars
79 (20%)
2 stars
25 (6%)
1 star
7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
Profile Image for Rosabel.
723 reviews260 followers
January 18, 2021
So this was awful, it had promise like all the shifter books but it was a mess. 😔🧐

The first chapter was interesting and then all went to hell, there was no structure to the story, the main characters were repeatedly thrown together for no reason at all. There was worldbuilding yes, but only in the form of the guys telling stories, not something actually happening to the characters. There was a system in the place they were living but once they got together all of that disappeared in favor of putting them together as I said, for no reason at all.

The love made no sense, they were angry at each other then in the next page they were loving each other, I do liked Ten, but he was also thrown repeatedly with the main characters for no reason at all. Like he went to sleep then he appeared again out of no where. No fucking sense!

So yeah, a mess, I only got until 50% or so and I'll give it 2,5 stars. Sad. 😔❤
Profile Image for Kaje Harper.
Author 92 books2,731 followers
April 3, 2021
This is a unique paranormal world, where Quade - a Lycan, not a werewolf, and you'd better remember that - escaped from his violent family pack into a community of other paranormal folk. But his beast nature makes him suited to enforcing the community's laws and protection. This time, he's sent after a man who ripped a group of bikers to literal bloody pieces. But when he catches up to the violent murderer, what he finds is a small, terrified man with powers he possibly didn't control. And Quade's driven to protect him, rather than punish or eliminate him.

For Caden, the world has been turned upside down. First a violent attack, then a bloody incomprehensible rescue, a capture, and being dragged forcibly from his quiet flower-shop-owning life into a new reality. He's battered, disoriented, and half the things this Quade guy is saying can't possibly be true. But as time goes on, complete with new very odd friends, and unexpected attacks, the truths of this new life turn out to be more weird than even Quade himself had realized.

This has a fated mates component, but the clash of cultures gave a bit of slowness to the trust and the relationship that helped make it plausible. The secondary characters are very important to the story, particularly Ten, a young boy with several sometimes-overwhelming abilities. The backstories are woven in well, without feeling info-dumpy, despite having a lot of backstory that's relevant to the narrative. There's an ongoing action plot, physical and magical, and some fascinating non-traditional species of beings. The violence and past abuse is significant, but the feel is more action than darkness, with an ending that is solid, warm, and HFN while leaving room for more adventures to come.
Profile Image for Achim.
1,301 reviews87 followers
Read
January 18, 2021
DNF @ 66%
This book and I ... it's not meant to be. I tried, I read even longer than I liked, hoping it might deliver enough to get through but ... interessting ideas even if the setup is a bit strange but I had so many issues with the world building and with every turn of the story the "but" and the "really?" got bigger. I wasn't able to really like or understood any of the characters - just maybe Ten if not for the scary fact that a 12 year old was meddling with the brains of the people and everyone was okay with it ... I better stop my ranting now, sorry for that but I was just so disappointed.
Profile Image for Sue bowdley.
1,449 reviews
January 1, 2021
I really don't know how to review this without spoiling it....It's a bit out of my comfort zone but i'm pretty good at picking i'm going to love and I know Parker Williams' writing style so I gave it a go and I'm glad I did....Caden and Quade are just perfect together...Quade is a Lycan and I won't spoil it as to what Caden is but when Quade finds him he quickly wants to protect him and they fall in love pretty quick....Weird things are happening though...Tennyson (Ten) was just brilliant...He really was a brilliant character and can't wait to get his story when he's grown up....Really is an amazing book and I'm glad I read it x
Profile Image for Mimi.
2,468 reviews
December 22, 2020
A different paranormal story

4.5 stars

I have read several co-written books by Parker Williams and K.C Wells but this is the first solo one and I enjoyed it so much.

This really is a whole new world. Shifters, mythical creatures and everything In between. Caden is a florist who was heading to visit his two best friends but things take a very wrong turn when he stops for gas. The story is fasted paced and very engaging. I really enjoyed and hope we can get a book about Ten or Alexander??
Profile Image for GeishaX .
384 reviews40 followers
April 15, 2022
1.4 Stars - dnf-ed at 60%

While the basic idea of this stand-alone is really promising and interesting and the author had several good ideas for the world building - the execution of this novel was seriously lacking.

To me the book felt like the plot was going in zig-zag - like the author made up most of the background and character development on the fly and unplanned. And there were too many not-so-subtle attempts to influence the reader towards the characters. Let's give Caden two shitty ex lovers. Let's have a cute boy with superpowers as a matchmaking fairy. Let's give the hidden base a long, fairy-like (and superfluous) backstory. A lot of this was too much balast drawing the attention away from the actual story besides being not really necessary and bloating the story up. I think with some (or more) serious editing this might have been a lot better but this way it fell short for me.
The writing voice itself was at best mediocre and sometimes it felt under-developed.
Profile Image for John-Torleif  Harris.
2,725 reviews13 followers
January 1, 2021
I loved this book!

I think that this book will be a bit of a hidden gem for people to find. I was, to be honest, expecting your typical shifter PNR with all of its tropes and formulas. We got that, but I found that this story also felt so much more than that as well.

Caden is unique among anyone else's characters in this genre. I loved that he had such staunch protectors and friends before he was able to meet Quade. The Lycan history that Quade grew up with was horrific, & doubly so compared to what it had once been. But when these two men worked together, through their past traumas, it was epic.

Added to that, we have Ten's story that is epic on its own scale, and heartbreaking in its tragedy.

I loved that all of these characters were able to grow, and come together in love and family. I hope that this doesn't remain a stand-alone, but even if it does, it was a delight to read, and one that I will certainly re-read.
Profile Image for Van Hardison.
215 reviews2 followers
January 16, 2021
Amazing spellbinding story

Parker Williams has created a vast and complex world with so many new takes on lycans, demons, sprites, and so much more. There are so many twists to the story that I didn’t see coming.

Cade, Quade, and Ten are fully developed characters and there are many secondary characters. The back story on Sanctuary was fascinating.

A nearly flawless story and ripe for so many more stories in this world. I would love to see more about Caden and Quade, Ten and A’Kosh, and more.
Profile Image for Erica.
376 reviews3 followers
December 4, 2020
Cultivating Caden by Parker Williams was given to me in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved this book. The story of Caden and Quade wires me in from the first sentence. The world building was so realistic and all the characters were wonderful. You can feel the emotions and wonderment from the start where you are on the edge of your seat one minute and sighing with happiness the next. The story was so awesome I had a hard time putting it down .
Profile Image for Becca.
3,225 reviews47 followers
December 4, 2020
This was SUCH a great story. With twists and turns that leave you gaping and wondering what is going to happen next. There are so many things that are happening in this book that you can't put it down. From the minute you pick it up, it's captivating. Especially when you leave about Caden and other like him. I'm hoping there is going to be more to this series eventually as the characters evolve and develop into even more. Another great hit from Parker!
Profile Image for Hearts Tea Cups .
200 reviews8 followers
December 14, 2020
Great story. Read it in one sitting. Nice and original world building. Love story was great and believelable (no insta love, it's a slow burn, kinda.).

Ten was an awesome side character and I really felt for him at the end even though I knew that down the line everything will be fine, a selfish part of me is still angry with the guys for breaking the bond and still wanting to treat Ten like a kid. In my opinion Ten is far from a child and shouldn't have been treated like a kid, maybe a teenager sure but not a child. I didn't approve of breaking the bond, I understand why they decided it had to happen, but I don't approve and it just ended up making me freaking sad for A’kosh, who came back for him and now has to watch him grow and fall for others guys while waiting for him to grow thought his teens and finally reach eighteen. Honestly? A’kosh might have been better with his people in the meantime, at least his sadness would have been somewhat deeminished if Ten wasn't in his face every time he walked the sanctuary.

So eventhough I highly enjoyed this story, the ending was bitter sweet for me because of Ten and A’kosh's situation. And it's more frustrating because this book is a stand alone and we'll never get a glimpse at their romantic relationship.


It's a shame this isn't a series because there was potential for it especially with all the different supernatural beings living in the Sanctuary...
Profile Image for Jess A Jaye.
520 reviews20 followers
December 13, 2020
There is some epic world building in Cultivating Caden, which I loved. I really liked the idea of Sanctuary, a safe haven for all sorts of supernatural and paranormal beings. The detail was so well developed Sanctuary felt like a character itself.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between MCs Caden and Quade as well as the sense of peril that run through the book. But the absolute highlight was Ten. He was a total scene stealer and I loved him. One of the best child characters I've read this year. He was adorable, snarky and at times a bit scary. The dynamic between him and Quade was everything. I desperately wanted Ten, Caden and Quade to become a family even more than I wanted Caden and Quade to become a couple.
I'd love to see more of Ten in a future book of his HEA
328 reviews5 followers
December 15, 2020
Before I start this review, there is no way I can do this book justice.

It catches your attention from the first paragraph and leaves you wishing you could hide away from adulting so you can finish!

The characters are so well written...Quade comes across as the ultimate Alpha, while Caden is so compassionate and nurturing.

But the story is stolen by the secondary characters...Ten is my all time favorite book character as of now!

SO highly recommended!
Profile Image for SC.
810 reviews26 followers
December 29, 2020
I was SO excited to start reading this book. New to me author, interesting blurb, shifters. Nice. The first couple of chapters had me thinking oh yeah, this is going to be a good book. Then it happened. It took a nose dive.

I won't even go into too many details, suffice it to say that whoever edited this book, didn't really read it, since through a good chunk of it, the names kept getting swapped around. Caden's two best friends? That whole part of the story should NOT have been in this book at all. Their D/s relationship was icky, as in not written well AT ALL. Ten, I could handle, Alexander seems interesting. The book started getting long, and wordy, and it all started to feel like filler and word count. The plot was moving in strange directions meaning no solid direction at all, there were timeline inconsistencies. I mean, it's just a mess. I think what really did me in, was the fact that you have Caden & Quade, who apparently love Ten like their son, but continuously refer to him as "that little bastard" and like to smack him on the head, a lot.

I just can't.
Profile Image for Cathy Brockman.
Author 5 books95 followers
April 6, 2021
So, I may be a bit bias since I have not read a Parker Williams book that I just love, but I will say his paranormal are his best and this one was top of the charts.
All the characters were intriguing, and there were so many. I will even admit Ten, a secondary character had my heart. The story was interesting, the plot was interesting and there were many twists. I almost cried a few times so you may need a few tissues (ok so I did) and it took days before my fingernails quit hurting where I bit them in the quick.
If you like paranormal stories with many kinds of characters... not just shifters. Psychics, multiple personalities, wood sprites… just to name a few, twists and turns, and a good romance, you will love this. I absolutely recommend it.
Profile Image for Angelica Holmes.
570 reviews1 follower
December 29, 2021
First Time for Author

This is my first time reading this author and I have mixed feelings about the story. I enjoyed the Over all story. Quade and Caden are have good chemistry together. Ten is also quite a character as well. He is funny and definately makes any scene he's in. The world building in the story is quite awesome and elaborate as well.
However I had a couple of things that caught my attention. The pacing for me was a little off. I feel like there was several slow places as well as random scenes that messed the pacing up. Also there were several places were things seemed rushed instead.
The Book is worth the read even with the glitches. I hope There is more do come.
479 reviews2 followers
August 9, 2025
A beautiful surprise! Complex and a crazy romantacy! 😍😍😍

Definitely a dream! Seductive and mind blowing. Quade and Caden fight fiercely for their world and family. As destiny brings them together there are forces ready to rip them apart forever. Quade's wolf is reacting strangely towards Caden and it's driving him nuts. Caden is so confused as to how his life is spinning so far out of control and he can't seem to get it together. Fate and the universe have a twisted sense of humor!😁 Parker Williams has created a vast and fantastic world where these crazy characters fall in love and save reality as they know it!!!😘😋 I highly recommend adding this to your library. You won't be disappointed!😉
Profile Image for Ellen.
780 reviews
March 26, 2021
I really enjoyed the supernatural world that the author built. I like how the demihumans are hidden from the "normal" humans (but of course the government knows about them), and I like the city (Sanctuary) that they built below the mountain to house everyone and keep them safe.

They lycan, Quade, and Caden's love was an insta-love, but only because of the adorable (and super-powerful) Ten that helped them along. I don't want to give away too much, but the fighting, supernatural creatures, and other worlds made for a fun read and now I'm hoping that Tennyson and his "mate" get their own story.

Profile Image for Duncan Husky.
194 reviews16 followers
April 5, 2021
I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. I liked Quade and Caden, and initially everything fell into place. And then it didn't. At the heart of it, I think the problem here is pacing. There are easily enough elements here for at least two books, but it all gets mashed together. And then in the final 20% there are suddenly settings and characters being introduced with no prior references or rationale. With some judicious editing and reconsideration of story structure this could all work, but as it stands it really is kind of a mess.
Profile Image for Patricia Nelson.
1,739 reviews20 followers
December 5, 2020
Leave it to super talented author Parker Williams to write a fantastic, grab-you-by-the-feels, amazing, intriguing, fascinating, excellent, exciting, poignant, fresh, original, delightful, unconventional, emotionally charged, unexpected, sexy, and totally awesome twist on the usual shifter storyline. It pulled me in from the very first page, and I would DEFINITELY recommend getting this marvelous gem for yourself.
Profile Image for TP.
1,039 reviews48 followers
December 5, 2021
Aww, man.

I feel so bad to downgrade this book from 5 to 2 stars. It really hurts me to do that when you had such great potential and then loose it at the second half of the book.

Up until chapter 12 it was an intriguing and exciting to read. I really enjoyed it.
The author had a great creativity. But then it all went downhill.
Because the author rushed through the emotional development and plot threads, the book lost all.
Where was the good editor?
Profile Image for Cynthia Osborne.
382 reviews5 followers
December 4, 2020
I was blown away with this book. The world building was amazing and had such wonderful characters that I fell in love with. Quade and Caden works hard to become whole as they both have problems With Caden not even knowing his other self he has a great deal to learn about.
I would recommend this to everyone who loves the genre and learning about different beings.
2,846 reviews14 followers
February 11, 2021
Loved this book--grabbed my attention and kept it through the whole book. The world building was excellent--just sparked my imagination. Not familiar with this author but will be checking him out. I am like one of the other reviewers--don't want to say much cause it could ruin the book for others. Definitely recommend reading.
Profile Image for April.
449 reviews2 followers
February 19, 2021
What an amazing book!

This book has everything! All kinds of paranormal beings, the tree of life, demons, different planets. It is all masterfully blended together to make a cohesive and wonderful story. I really hope there is another book that follows this one, this is such a wonderful world and deserves more stories!
Profile Image for Virginia Lee.
2,492 reviews34 followers
February 27, 2021
Wow

I have to say that the author took this story to the next level. What happens when you put a Lycan and sprite together. This was awesome story of overcoming your past and fears. Love to see more of what happens with Ten. Will the park survive their new residents mischief. This is a must read paranormal book today
Profile Image for ReadToFilth.
440 reviews4 followers
November 14, 2023
Sub-par story in my opinion. Everything was just so EASY. Oh, we have a plot point, we have a kid who can see the future and fix it. He's pretty much all-knowing, even if his powers go haywire for a few pages, we're all better now. Not memorable, had to re-read the synopsis to have any idea what it was about, and when I did remember I was annoyed.
1,233 reviews4 followers
December 7, 2020
Loved it! Parker Williams did it again. He drew me in and kept me. I love the people. I love the characters. I Love Ten. I was sooo happy for Caden and Quade. Fantastic story! Please say that Ten will have a story and so will Alexander and his people. Great Job!
Profile Image for Stephanie.
1,958 reviews16 followers
December 8, 2020
I love this story so much! Right from the first page I just couldn't stop reading. I love Caden and Quade! I was right on the edge of my seat. Parker Williams just pulled me right into this story and I didn't want to leave. Absolutely amazing story!
Profile Image for Holden Luu.
80 reviews4 followers
Read
December 15, 2020
The fantasy was fine I guess, but the insta-love at around 50% mark was kind of out of left field. I mean I am all for shifters' mates and everything but dropping the L-bomb for absolutely no reason was a bit jarring to me.
186 reviews6 followers
December 27, 2020
Not for me

Not a fan of the whole 'You can never leave cuz you have special powers trope'. Also didnt care for Quade at all. And I also dont usually care for kids in books. Ten was annoying. I only made it to about 18%.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews

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