Tag: Cindi Madsen

Review: Anatomy of a Player by Cindi Madsen

Posted April 17, 2019 by Rowena in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Anatomy of a Player by Cindi MadsenReviewer: Rowena
Anatomy of a Player by Cindi Madsen
Narrator: Joe Arden, Kristin Watson Heintz
Series: Taking Shots #2
Also in this series: Getting Lucky Number Seven
Publisher: Entangled, Entangled Embrace
Publication Date: January 25, 2016
Format: Audiobook
Point-of-View: Alternating First
Genres: New Adult
Length: 9 hours, 52 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Rowena's 2019 GoodReads Challenge
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

A new adult romance from Entangled's Embrace imprint...

This bad boy is about to get played…

After getting her heart broken by a player again, Whitney Porter is done with men. She's focusing on her future career and her first assignment at the college newspaper: Posing as a sports writer for an exposé on the extra perks jocks receive. But Hudson Decker, the bad boy of the hockey team, is about to test her resolve. To keep herself from breaking her no-sex rule with the temptingly tattooed athlete, she decides to use him for a side project: Anatomy of a Player, to help Whitney—and women everywhere—spot a player, learn what makes him tick, and how to avoid falling for one.

With his life spiraling out of control, Hudson Decker's looking for a distraction. When his teammates bet him that he can't land the gorgeous but prickly new reporter, he accepts the challenge, boasting he'll have her in bed by the end of the semester. But Whitney is so much more than Hudson expected, and soon enough, he's in too deep. The last thing he needs is another complication, but staying away isn't an option. One thing's for certain: this girl totally throws him off his game.

Anatomy of a Player is the second book in Cindi Madsen’s Taking Shots series and it was another quick listen for me. I listened to the entire book in a day and let the drama between Hudson and Whitney take me away for a while. I will say right off the bat that I enjoyed the first book in this series more than I did this one. The best friends trope gets me every time but on top of that, both Hudson and Whitney got on my nerves quite a bit while listening to their story.

After Whitney gets dumped yet again, she swears off boys and promises herself that she’s going to focus on school and get her journalism degree poppin’ by joining the school paper but the only job at the paper that she can get is as the reporter covering the hockey team. She also pitches a story that will expose the athletes at the school, the hockey team in particular, of breezing through school while the rest of the non-athletes bust their asses to stay afloat. Her job is to get as close as she can to the team, develop friendships so that they’ll tell her all of their secrets and she can bust their trust in her wide open when she betrays them all…for the glory of a story. This was my least favorite part of the story. I’m not a fan of journalist heroines and I was prepared to be annoyed as shit over Whitney’s plan but it wasn’t Whitney’s plan that I hated most about her. It was how immature she was that annoyed the snot out of me.

Hudson had his own stuff that he was working through and he annoyed me with the immature way that he handled his problems (he didn’t, he just partied too hard to distract himself) but over the course of the book, you see him grow into his own and when he finally starts to deal with his issues and everything in his life, Whitney included, I really liked the person he became.

The romance between Hudson and Whitney was solid and I did root for them, at the same time that I wanted to strangle them both but I chalked up their immaturity to their age and was able to let a lot of things slide and enjoy the story, them as characters, and just everything. Cindi Madsen’s writing style is easy to follow along with and I appreciated that. Hudson and Whitney did grow on me and I was satisfied with the way that their romance came together in the end. It was believable and I’m definitely interested in continuing the story.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

Taking Shots

three-half-stars


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Review: Getting Lucky Number Seven by Cindi Madsen

Posted March 21, 2019 by Rowena in Reviews | 1 Comment

This month’s reading suggestion for the TBR Challenge was about choosing your favorite trope to read and I have a lot of favorites but I chose the best friend’s to lovers trope because that’s in the top of the tops list and this book fit the bill perfectly.

Review: Getting Lucky Number Seven by Cindi MadsenReviewer: Rowena
Getting Lucky Number Seven by Cindi Madsen
Series: Taking Shots #1
Publisher: Entangled, Entangled Embrace
Publication Date: April 28, 2015
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible Escape
Point-of-View: Alternating First
Genres: New Adult
Pages: 363
Length: 6 hours, 32 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Rowena's 2019 GoodReads Challenge, Rowena's 2019 New to Me Challenge, Rowena's 2019 TBR Challenge
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

What's your lucky number?

Lyla Wilder is done being the shy, chemistry nerd extraordinaire. While every other college student is out having fun, Lyla is studying. With her cat. Well, she's played it "safe" quite enough, thank you. So she creates a "College Bucket List"―with item #7 being a night of uninhibited, mind-blowing sex...

But she needs some help from her man-whore best friend.

Hockey player Beck Davenport thought Lyla's transformation would be subtle. Man, was he wrong. With every item she ticks off, Beck finds himself growing seriously hot for his sweet, brainiac best friend. And if he's not careful, he'll end up risking their friendship in order to convince Lyla that he might just be her lucky #7...

Getting Lucky Number Seven is the first book in the Taking Shots series by Cindi Madsen and this book has been sitting on my TBR list for years. Ames brought this to my attention and I remember her telling me that she enjoyed it so I purchased it not too long after that and then I never touched it. When I was browsing the Audible Romance Package titles, I came across this series and knew that I was going to read this one finally so I downloaded the audiobook and listened to the entire thing one day at work. I haven’t read anything by Cindi Madsen before but I was looking forward to reading her and I’m happy to report that I liked this one and will definitely be reading more from this author.

This book follows two best friends, Beck and Lilah as they grow closer when Lilah decides to stop being a hermit nerd and get out there and have college experiences that she only reads about in books. She’s tired of being the frumpy nerd that guys can’t connect with so after a really bad date, she heads to her best friend Beck’s house and tells him that she’s going to put together a college bucket list and she needs his help with it.

She’s got a bunch of stuff on her list already, kiss a handsome stranger, get drunk at a college party, stuff like that but as she starts to check things off her list, she starts to add things and Beck, who loves his best friend as she is, is starting to see her in a different light. In a romantic light and though he wants to be there for her while she goes through this list, it’s starting to get harder to deny his attraction to her. When he finds out that number seven on her list is to have mind-blowing sex, Beck wants in on that list item.

This was such an easy story to fall into. I really liked both Lilah and Beck. They were a fun couple to get to know and I really liked seeing the both of them come into their own. I loved that Lilah could be there for Beck with everything that he was going through and even when I wanted to smack Beck upside his head, I really liked him. He was genuine in his affection for Lilah and that was exactly what she needed in her life. Cindi Madsen worked her magic with these two and their romance and I’m glad that I finally gave it a chance. I’m definitely finishing out this series. I recommend.

Grade: 4 out of 5

Taking Shots

four-stars


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May Bliss Release Day Blast

Posted May 16, 2016 by Rowena in Promotions | 6 Comments

TBBB_500

Do you love a sweet small town romance? Then get ready for Bliss's two new May releases, The Bad Boy's Baby by Cindi Madsen and The Wedding Wager by Barbara DeLeo.

The Bad Boy’s Baby by Cindi Madsen
Release date: 5/16/16

There are certain words that have always described Cam Brantley: Town bad boy. Soldier. Protector. But never, ever dad. Until he returns home from his latest military tour to discover the girl he had one smoking-hot night with is now mom to the adorable two-year-old Zoey. Who has his eyes.

Plenty of words could describe Emma Walker these days. Mom, dutiful granddaughter, budding designer, the town’s golden child. But when her longtime crush Cam Brantley comes back to town, she knows the perfect word to describe herself: screwed.

Cam and Emma are both shocked to discover he truly wants Zoey in his life. But Cam’s not sure he’s ready to be a dad, and Emma can’t gamble her daughter on maybes. As the long-simmering heat between Cam and Emma reaches a boiling point, he’ll have to work past his demons in order to be the man both girls need.

Buy Links

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | iBOOKS | KOBO

About Cindi Madsen

Cindi Madsen is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and young adult novels. She sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting, revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a pretty new pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music and dancing and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children. 

Author Website: http://cindimadsen.com
Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/cindimadsen
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CindiMadsenBooks/?fref=ts
Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1029223.Cindi_Madsen
Newsletter: http://cindimadsen.us7.list-manage2.com/subscribe/post?u=d9075e7bdc2e2871585172cff&id=ab24cbf645

Editorial reviews

“The Bad Boy’s Baby by Cindi Madsen was a sweet, heartfelt tugging romance that will be sure to leave readers smiling big.” ~Michelle T., Netgalley review

“If you are looking for a light hearted, well written, standalone baby romance, definitely give this book a read – you won’t regret it!” ~Lucia, Goodreads review

“Pure perfection! A sweet and warm-hearted romance about second chances, forgiveness, open mindedness, communication and the most important of them all: family.” ~Katrina B., Goodreads review


THE WEDDING WAGER 500x700

The Wedding Wager by Barbara DeLeo
Release date: 5/16/16

Nick Katsalos has a foolproof plan to save his parents’ floundering wedding venue. The last thing he expects is for Erin O’Malley, the captivating daughter of his parents’ biggest rival, to waltz in and charm the client who could finally get the family business back on track. Nick would be furious–if only he could stop thinking about her.

When Erin and Nick enter into a wager to determine who will win the contract she prepares for the worst…and is surprised by the glimpses of warmth she sees in the man behind the numbers. But Erin isn’t about to forfeit what could be the biggest wedding of the decade to a man as cold as Nick. Especially since securing it means she could finally prove to her father she’s just as capable of handling the family business as him.

But as the competition heats up, Erin and Nick must decide what’s more important—winning or love.

Buy Links

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | iBOOKS | KOBO

About the author:

Barbara DeLeo’s first book, co-written with her best friend, was a story about beauty queens in space. She was eleven, and the sole, handwritten copy was lost years ago, much to everyone’s relief. It’s some small miracle that she kept the faith and is now living her dream of writing sparkling contemporary romance with unforgettable characters.

After completing degrees in Psychology and English then travelling the world, Barbara married her winemaker hero and had two sets of twins.

She still loves telling stories about finding love in all the wrong places, with not a beauty queen or spaceship in sight.

Website: http://barbaradeleo.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbDeLeo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraDeleoAuthor/

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!


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Guest Review: Stranded with a Hero by Karen Erickson, Coleen Kwan, Cindi Madsen & Roxanne Snopek

Posted April 13, 2014 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: Stranded with a Hero by Karen Erickson, Coleen Kwan, Cindi Madsen & Roxanne SnopekReviewer: Tracy
Stranded with a Hero by Karen Erickson, Coleen Kwan, Cindi Madsen, Roxanne Snopek
Publisher: Macmillan
Publication Date: November 11th 2013
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-stars

Getting snowed in never felt so good as boundaries are crossed, opposites attract, and friends discovering more promise a Christmas no one will ever forget.

 

Tracy’s review of Stranded with a Hero by Karen Erickson, Coleen Kwan, Cindi Madsen & Roxanne Snopek

Loving Mindy by Karen Erickson
Mindy can’t believe she’s stuck with her ex–best friend—and the man whose heart she broke years ago—for the holidays, though the tension between them is more than enough to keep them warm. Josh Powers never forgot Mindy, but he can’t risk his heart a second time.

Mindy’s recently divorced and her ex-husband’s being a jerk. She was supposed to have the 2 boys fro Christmas but he “suddenly” tells them that he’s getting remarried in Hawaii during Christmas and Mindy can’t keep her boys from Hawaii. Now she’s lonely but not for long as her old friend Josh plows into a snow bank (trying to avoid hitting her cat) and has to come in to wait for the snow plow. Of course as there’s a blizzard happening he’s there for a while.

Josh has loved Mindy for years. He wanted to be with her but she pushed him away in high school when her then boyfriend, now ex-husband stated he didn’t like how much time they spent together. Josh sees this time with Mindy as a second chance and he’s not about to let her go without a fight.

The story was sweet in a reunited kind of way. Josh was all in from almost the word go and Mindy was quite comfortable with him despite her thinking, just minutes before, that she would never be with him. It was a bit frustrating at first because Mindy was on again off again but everything soon worked out.

White-Hot Holiday by Coleen Kwan
Naomi’s sworn off men like Aaron—rich, cocky, and dismissive of holiday traditions. Aaron decided to spend Christmas in sunny Australia to avoid snowy New York, not to fall for the woman his best friend warned him away from. But when a volcano grounds him, Aaron and Naomi’s relationship becomes eruptive.

Aaron is on vacation and is in Australia. He visits an old college buddy and meets his niece who’s about the same age as Aaron. He’s instantly attracted but he lives in New York so he really doesn’t think long-term. Of course Naomi’s different and he soon sees there’s more than just lust there.

The story also focuses on Aaron’s hatred of all things Christmas. Of course as he then gets stranded in Australia and is unable to make it home for Christmas he realizes that he misses all those things he previously thought were cheesy.

This story was ok. I liked Aaron’s discovery about Christmas but I found the rest of the story to be very slow.

An Officer and a Rebel by Cindi Madsen
The last person police officer Nate Walsh expected to discover in a snowstorm is his brother’s ex and former town rebel, Kelsey Cooper. She’s his complete opposite and totally off-limits, but as they wait out the storm together, all he can think is how he wishes she’d stay forever.

Kelsey was always a rebel in her own way. Never criminalistic but definitely one who walked the link of trouble. She misses her hometown so on her way to her mother’s house she decides to take an alternate route and see how the old town is doing. The tires on her car are bald though so when she tries to brake in order to avoid hitting a deer, in a snowstorm, she almost goes over the side of the hill. She’s saved by her Nate who is the brother of her one-time boyfriend, Derek.

Nate always had a thing for Kelsey so is thrilled when she takes him up on her offer to stay at his house. Of course he’s not making a move because his brother had mentioned that Kelsey was the one he let get away. Nate loves his brother and wouldn’t take his girl. But Nate and Kelsey get along so well and they’re amazing together and want to be together but there are many things standing in their way.

A very cute story which I really enjoyed. I loved Nate and Kelsey together and the way the author brought them together had just the right amount of sugar and spice.

Saving the Sheriff by Roxanne Snopek
Frankie Sylva was determined to free the reindeer cruelly held for a holiday roadshow, even if it meant risking her own life. Deputy Sheriff Red LeClair set out to save a stranger in a snowstorm, never expecting he’d be the one to be rescued.

Frankie’s trying to save some “reindeer” from being killed and puts them into a wild mustang sanctuary. Of course the man who’s watching the sanctuary, Red, finds her and since she’s stuck in the snow, takes her back to the owners house while the snow storm passes by. Red and Frankie are distrustful of each other but soon find the spirit of Christmas in each other.

I think this was my favorite of the anthology. I loved Frankie and her made up words to Christmas songs – they made me laugh. Of course when Red finally joins in it’s even better. It’s a great story about two lonely people who need each other at Christmas and I very much enjoyed reading it.

Overall rating: 3 out of 5

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place

This title is available from Entangled Publishing. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

three-stars


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What I Read Last Week

Posted December 24, 2013 by Tracy in Features | 0 Comments

Merry Christmas Eve! I hope you’re all done with your Christmas shopping.

Last week was very busy with work and unfortunately the blog suffered but hopefully I can do better this week. I’ll only work half a day tomorrow and then will have the rest of the week off – again, YAY! 🙂

The church had their Christmas Pageant this past Saturday. My girls were in it and they did great. My oldest was Mary and looked like she was giving birth to quadruplets, lol, and my youngest was the star. Both were adorable. 🙂

We went yesterday and spent the day with my hubby’s family as that’s when we could get together for Christmas. It’ll be nice not having to go anywhere on Christmas day but it will be weird not seeing my family. Thank heavens for group video chat, right?

So what are you doing on Christmas Day?

As I said it was busy so I didn’t get much reading done at all.

The first for the week was an anthology called Stranded With A Hero by Karen Erickson Coleen Kwan, Cindi Madsen, & Roxanne Snopek. There were a couple of good stories in here but I can’t say I absolutely loved any of them, unfortunately. I read this one for Book Binge so I’ll let you know when my review is posted. Overall 3 out of 5

The Backup Boyfriend by River Jaymes was an unexpected delight. This was a wonderful m/m story that I really enjoyed reading. I’ll post my review this week.

Last for the week was When the Rogue Returns by Sabrina Jeffries. The story is about a young couple torn apart by a woman’s family who get reunited after 10 years. Unfortunately the lies are hard to forget and it takes a lot to trust again. I really enjoyed this one and I’m loving the series so far. 4 out of 5

My Book Binge reviews that posted last week:
Crickets

Happy Reading!


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