Tag Archives: Cindi Madsen

Second Chance Ranch (Hope Springs) by Cindi Madsen-a review

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SECOND CHANCE RANCH (Hope Springs #1) by Cindi Madsen-a review

Second Chance RanchABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date: September 15, 2014

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

Sometimes love is right where you left it.

Sadie Hart has a plan: return to her small town of Hope Springs so she can regain her confidence—and bank account—before giving one more shot to her country music dream. The dream that means more to her than anything. The dream she chose over her high school sweetheart, the brooding and sinfully handsome Royce Dixon.

Royce has moved on from his memories of the beautiful Sadie. Now he’s focused solely on running Second Chance Ranch, where he rehabilitates troubled teens through ranch work. But when he needs a new employee and Sadie’s the only one to volunteer, he has no choice but to offer his old flame a job.

Whether riding a horse with the wind in her hair or mucking out the stalls, Sadie can still get Royce’s heart beating like no one else. But Nashville is her dream, and Royce can’t settle for second best.

•••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: SECOND CHANCE RANCH is the first instalment in Cindi Madsen’s contemporary Hope Springs romance series focusing on the people of Hope Springs, Wyoming. This is Royce Dixon and country singer Sadie Hart’s second chance storyline.

The premise follows Sadie and Royce as they dance around their attraction to one another. With her country music career floundering Sadie returns home to Hope Springs where she will find a job working at The Second Chance Ranch for at-risk teens. Royce Dixon, her high school sweetheart and former lover is the owner and manager of the Second Chance Ranch and Sadie is hoping to rekindle their relationship-if only for a short time.

The attraction between our leading couple has never wavered. Six years earlier Royce asked Sadie for her hand in marriage but Sadie had dreams of making it big in Nashville. Broken hearted, Royce has never forgotten about Sadie but seeing her again brings back too many painful memories. He knows Sadie is only in town for a short time but isn’t prepared to lose his heart all over again.

SECOND CHANCE RANCH is a sweet storyline about a second chance at love for two people who have never stopped loving one another. There is no foul language or graphic sex (only implied) ;there is a little bit of romance and a rekindling of a friendship. The secondary characters include some of the teens at Second Chance Ranch as well as both Royce and Sadie’s family.

If you like a quick, romantic read with no cliffhanger, and a happily ever after, Second Chance Ranch by Cindi Madsen is for you.

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy

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Ready to Wed by Cindi Madsen-Review and Interview with the Author

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Ready to Wed by Cindi Madsen-Review and Interview with the Author

Ready To Wed Banner

Ready To Wed
by Cindi Madsen
Release Date: July 22, 2014
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

Ready To Wed

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 22, 2014

Is there anything worse than getting jilted at the altar? How about being a wedding planner getting jilted at the altar for your own wedding…on a cruise already out at sea? When Las Vegas resident Dakota Halifax loses her fiance, she swears she’s given up on love altogether. She pours her heart into her weekly wedding advice column and fills her days planning events to celebrate others’ forever love. When her childhood best friend Brendan moves to Las Vegas and they reconnect, she starts to wonder if maybe love could find her again. But then her ex reappears, begging for another chance. Can someone once-burned and twice-shy ever find her way down the aisle again?

•••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: READY TO WED is a contemporary, adult stand alone romantic storyline by Cindi Madsen. The focus of the story is on wedding planner and columnist Dakota Halifax and the mess that is her life. From planning other people’s weddings to writing about the do’s and don’t’s of wedding etiquette, Dakota will find herself on the receiving end of a destination wedding and her fiance refuses to show. Humiliated and heartbroken Dakota returns home to Vegas where she discovers there is more than one person waiting in the wings to take her down.

Told from first person POV (Dakota) the premise follows Dakota in the weeks and days following her non-wedding. From discovering the truth behind her groom’s no-show to a vindictive co-worker at the local paper where she works, Dakota struggles with a place to stay and getting on with her life. Enter Brendan West –Dakota’s former childhood friend and sweetheart, and the man with whom she will fall in love. Dakota and Brendan’s reconnection sparks something deep within each of their souls, but Dakota is a little gun shy when it comes to putting her heart on the line-one again. The relationship is slow to build; there are no sex scenes; but the love story is sure to please.

Cindi Madsen pulls the reader into a charming, sweet and romantic storyline about two people who belong together. Once best friends in every possible way, Brendan’s family moved away from Vegas years before and his return may be just what Dakota needs.

The secondary characters include Dakota’s friend and wedding caterer Jillian; Dakota’s ex fiancé Grant; and a mixture of brides, bridezillas, co-workers and friends.

READY TO WED is a breath of fresh air. No major complications; no erotic sex; no confusing scenarios or bitter exes. Sometimes things happen for a reason, and in this case, not getting married set into motion a string of events that resulted in Dakota reconnecting with the first love of her life.

Copy supplied by the publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy

Interview blue

TRC: Hi Cindi and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of READY TO WED

Cindi MadsenCindi: Thanks so much!

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Follow Cindi: Goodreads / Website Twitter / Facebook

Cindi: I’m obsessed with music and shoes, love to dance, drink a lot of Mountain Dew, and of course love books!

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Cindi: Thanks to a teacher named Shelley Russell, who got me hooked on reading the Anne of Green Gables series, I was always looking for more books to read. As I decided to give writing a shot, I was lucky enough to meet with a fabulous group of writers and we formed a critique group. Even though we’re all crazy busy now, we still cheer each other on.

TRC: When not writing, what do you do to relax?

Cindi: TV & movies. I especially love when I discover a new TV series on Netflix and can plow through several episodes at a time.

Ready To WedTRC: READY TO WED is your latest contemporary romance release. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

Cindi: I went on a cruise with two of my girlfriends and as we were disembarking in Jamaica, I saw this bride standing all alone & I thought what if her groom doesn’t show up. That’d make one awkward boat ride home. So of course I decided to write a book where that happened, and in order to make it even worse for poor Dakota, I made her a well-known Las Vegas wedding planner.

TRC: Are any of the characters or the premise based in reality or a combination of reality and fiction?

Cindi: Dakota has some similarities to my sister, who was a tomboy as a kid and is now an organizational perfectionist (ie, control freak) I’ve teased her a bit about the control freak part and she’ll admit it, so I figure that makes it fair game. Let that be a lesson. Everyone I care about will eventually be used for inspiration in my books. Lol.

TRC: If you could virtually cast the leading characters –Dakota and Brendan-which actors or models would best represent your ideal image?

Cindi: Dakota would be Rachel Bilson & Brendan would be Justin Hartley. I’ve got a whole Pinterest board with their images & tons of wedding pictures on it if anyone’s interested. (You should be, because Justin Hartley is shirtless in some. Hehe) http://www.pinterest.com/cindimadsen/ready-to-wed/

TRC: Is this a stand alone storyline or a part of a series? If it is a part of a series, how many books do you have planned ?

Cinderella Screwed me OverCindi: It’s a stand alone. Cinderella Screwed Me Over and Ready to Wed both have the romantic comedy aspect and hopefully fans of one will also like the other.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties (research, logistics, background) did you encounter writing this particular story?

Cindi: I watched a lot of wedding planning shows and I’ve been to Vegas a few times, so that helped me pull those aspects together. I think the hardest part was casino security, and finding out enough to work in Brendan’s job. Other than that, I just felt kinda bad for putting Dakota through being stood up at the altar. Just not bad enough to not do it.

TRC: You also write the YA paranormal –Cipher Series. Would you please tell us something about the series and what plans do you have for the future for your heroine Summer Davis?

Cipher Series

Cindi: The third book, Resolution, came out in February, and that’s the last book in the series. Basically it’s about Summer, who finds out she’s a Cipher—which means she’s supposed to help people resolve issues with their loved ones before one of them passes on. Of course accomplishing that isn’t easy and can be emotionally & physically draining & she has a hard time not getting attached to the people she helps. It’s one of my favorite series, and I have a special place in my heart for Summer and Troy.

TRC: What are your thoughts on writing a series and ending an installment with a major cliff hanger?

Cindi: Patience isn’t a virtue I have, so I usually scream at those books. I think it works for some authors, and I’ll admit I set aside days to read what happens next when the next book comes out if I’m really into the series, but I like to have at least some closure with a heavy side of kissing at the endings of my books.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Cindi: I’d say it’s about 50-50 with most characters. Once I get to know them, I kinda know where they need to go, but they also surprise me sometimes. Then there are some characters *cough* Connor Maguire from Resisting the Hero *cough* who refuse to do what I tell them to do.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

Cindi: I feel like we need to experience things that are happening to them like they’re happening to us. I want my readers to sigh, laugh, cry, and fall in love along with my characters. I think part of that is just adding layers to your characters & then showing us the emotion instead of telling it. As writers we sometimes experience so much of our story in our heads that we forget to get it on the page. Good critique partners & editors will help you fix that, though.

TRC: Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon. How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of writer’s block?

Cindi: Music, walks, & TV. Sometimes I’ll get so close to a project or so frustrated, and all it takes is the right song to spark inspiration. Sometimes I need to go for a walk, get away from the pressure of staring at a screen and think with a side of fresh air. And sometimes I need to relax and watch a few hours of TV or a movie, where I don’t have to be responsible for the story. I use a combination of all three when I’m writing & editing.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Cindi: You should see the conversations I have with Rachel Harris-FB, email, text. We mix it up. And actually, no one should see those because they’re madness & inside jokes & people would question our sanity, but she’s saved me so many times! I also have a few local author friends who I regularly meet up with to chat or talk story. And my husband hears a ton of ideas, most of which he responds to with either 1) have aliens come or 2) add ninjas. I’m not sure why I keep asking him. Haha.

TRC: What three things would you like to accomplish in the next five years?

Cindi: Make all my deadlines, learn to balance time with my family & work better, and travel out of the country

TRC: What is something that few, if any people, know about you?

Cindi: I used to be crazy shy and quiet as a kid. I don’t think anyone would call me either now. Definitely not quiet anyway.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Cindi: I’m starting edits on Second Chance Ranch, the first book in my new Bliss Second Chances series.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Cindi: Jazz hands? Happy dancing? I guess that I like to jam out to music & dance.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food – Pizza

Favorite Dessert – Ice cream

Favorite TV Show – Veronica Mars or Friday Night Lights. Please don’t make me choose between the two.

Last Movie You Saw – Rush. Loved it!

Favorite Musical Group – Paramore & Three Days Grace. Again, choosing would hurt my soul. (I’m not dramatic or anything.)

Dark or Milk Chocolate – Milk chocolate for sure!

Secret Celebrity Crush – Jai Courtney. Guess it’s not so secret now 😉

Last Vacation Destination – New Orleans. Well, it was sorta for work, too, but it was so much fun!

Pet Peeve – Wet socks. I HATE them!

TRC: Thank you Cindi for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on all of your success. We wish you all the best.

Cindi: Thanks so much!

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Stranded with a Hero (Anthology) – a Review

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Stranded with a Hero (Anthology) – a Review

 

Stranded with a Hero (Anthology)
Authors:Karen Erickson, Coleen Kwan, Cindi Madsen, Roxanne Snopek
Release Date: November 11, 2013
Stranded with a HeroLinks to order Stranded with a Hero:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Description:
“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.”


Reviews;

This was a very nice anthology of short and sweet romance stories.  It’s the kind of book you can take and make a nice Sunday afternoon out of, while snuggled up by a roaring fire and glass of wine in hand.  I enjoyed all four stories, all were short, fun reads.  All the characters are easy to like and make you want to see them wind up with their HEA in the end.  Each and every story has it’s own flare and flavour to it, and had me getting more and more into the holiday mood, and made me want to bake up a batch of gingerbread cookies myself, and trim my tree all over again.  For anyone who’s looking for quick, fun reads, with sweet holiday romances thrown in, then this anthology is definitely for you.

Here’s a little recap on all four stories. 

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.”

This is a short, sweet, and endearing read.  It’s about two friends who had grown apart over the years, loosing their special friendship, only to finally find love during the year’s worst snowstorm.  The story picks up a number of years later and Josh is still hung up on Mindy, but now Mindy’s divorced and raising her kids.  Josh has tried to keep away from Mindy as much as possible since returning home, but thanks to Mindy’s wandering cat, poor Josh winds up crashing his truck into a snowbank outside Mindy’s house. Thanks to Mother Nature, the weather is so bad he can’t get a tow truck.  Josh and Mindy wind up getting snowed in for a few days, and over the course of those days, rekindle their friendship and realize there’s more then meets the eye in regards to the two of them.  It’s fun to see them reunite, become friends again and realize they do have real feelings for each other and that they were meant to be.  Their scenes together are fun and flirty and having it take place around the holidays is just the perfect touch.  Both characters are likeable and their conversations are heartfelt and warm. The emotion in this one hits all the high spots and had me grinning along and wishing I were stranded in a snowstorm with Mr. Right.  

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.”

This is another short, fun and flirty read.  Being a Northern Canadian, and being used to being surrounded by snow at least 5 months out of the year had me wondering what it would be like to be someplace like Australia at Christmas time with no snow.  I found myself sympathizing with Aaron whenever he’d be missing the snow and cold from back home.  Who knew it would take being halfway around the world and in balmy Australia for our hero Aaron to realize just what he has back home during the holidays.  It was fun to see his interactions with Naomi, and watch him go from a Ba-Humbug as she calls him, to Jolly ol’ St. Nick over a matter of days. I really liked this story, and enjoyed Naomi and Aaron. I felt they were well suited for each other and the sparks between flew from their first scene.  Their interations and conversations are real and charming and watching him do things he otherwise would never have considered doing before were quite fun.  The scene where they went to find a new Christmas tree, and then when he actually went and helped her at work(selling Christmas gifts) were priceless, yet charming. Oh the things a man will do to impress the girl he’s attracted to. Aaron is definitely a keeper and Naomi realizes this, but can she let go of her past breakup and take the plunge once again.  Thankfully Aaron is very persuasive, and in the end they both get what they are looking for in their HEA.

An Officer and a Rebel, 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.”

To keep the flow of fun, flirty and quirky going in this anthology Ms. Madsen hits all the high spots in this one.  You can’t help but love Nate and Kelsey, two polar opposites pretty much, but there’s no denying the chemistry between the two of them. Even though Nate is trying to do the right thing and keep things light between the two of them because she used to date his brother Derek, Nate can’t help his feelings. I felt so bad for Nate, that at one point I started talking to my Kobo telling Nate;”to hell with your brother, go for it already”.  You see Nate was always the golden boy of his family, and town, you know the boy next door, never gets into trouble kinda guy.  So here he is trying to do the right thing till he talks to his brother, but Kelsey’s not having any of it. She’s attracted to Nate, and knows he’s attracted to her, plus he’s pretty much let the cat out of the bag by kissing her and flat out telling her he’s always had a thing for her since highschool. Oh Nate what a tangled web you’ve woven for yourself.  😉   Watching Nate deal with his feelings and with Kelsey is comical at times. I especially enjoyed their snowmobiling scene, poor Nate trying to keep his mind off his feelings for Kelsey while waiting for his brother to text him back, but Kelsey has other plans.  She’s holding on tight, pinching his butt, basically torturing him.  I was LOL at that scene and couldn’t have agreed more with her tactics.  This story had me LOL at times, and other times wanting to slap Nate silly for being the well behaved, good mannered boy next door. All in all, this was a quick, and quirky read. I really enjoyed both characters, and any man who would beg his friend to fly him in his helicopter on New Years Eve to get the woman he wants definitely has my vote for Mr. Right. 

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.”

Once again we have another fun and quirky read with this one.  I found myself smiling and laughing most of the time thanks to Frankie and her sense of humour, antics and ability to just break out into song for almost anything. I’ve never before seen or heard of someone confessing to a crime by breaking out in song.  LOL!!  Well, maybe only in musicals 😉  Frankie is such a quirky character you can’t help but love her.  She is the perfect woman for Red, especially after the hand he’s been dealt by his ex.  Thanks to his ex, poor Red is miserable and pretty much sworn off women, so when he happens upon the whirl wind that his Francesca(Frankie) Slyva, his life gets expectantly turned upside down.  Since Red is currently divorced and not in a Christmas mood, he decides to play housekeeper for his friends and look after their Wild Mustang Santuary, and winds up meeting Frankie. She’s taken a trailer of Caribou and decided to rescue them from a meat packing plant and set them free on the Mustang Santuary property without anyone being the wiser.  However, as luck would have it, Mother Nature has other ideas.  Thanks to a nasty storm that’s moved in, the trailer gets stuck and she has nowhere to go, enter our Sheriff Red LeClair.  While they are waiting out the storm, Red finally learns the truth behind Frankie’s actions, and can’t blame her for what she did.  As they try and work out a plan, to help her, things begin to heat up between the two, and before you know it, they both realize they’ve fallen for the other.  It’s a rather sweet story, with some rather humourous moments, but at other times serious and endearing.  It’s a well balance story with well written characters who just compliment each other to a ‘t’.  I really enjoyed this one, it had me laughing and at other times had me swooning.  Frankie and Red are two wonderful characters who you can’t help but come to love and want to see make it to their HEA.  Along with Frankie and Red, we also meet some secondary characters who wind up adding a little more spice and fun to the story.  I really enjoyed these characters, and now want to go back and read their stories.

All in all this anthology is a winner in my books. I enjoyed each story.  They all had their own special moments and had me rooting for each couple.  Every single one of our hero’s is very swoon-worthy and makes me want to get stranded in a snowstorm and find my Mr. Right.  As for our heroine’s each one is different, but has her own quirks and fun little personalities that bring a nice balance to the relationship.  Like I said earlier, this anthology is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon curled up by the fire with a glass of wine. 

Until next time, Happy Reading everyone! 

Reviews by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

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Cover Reveals July 6, 2013

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Cover Reveals July 6, 2013

The Winter King.Nov 13jpeg

 

TITLE: The Winter King

AUTHOR: C.L. Wilson

SERIES:

RELEASE DATE: August 2014

 

 

 

First Rapture Aug 19

 

TITLE: First Rapture

AUTHOR: Alexandra Ivy

SERIES: N/A

RELEASE DATE: August 19, 2013

 

 

 

 

Dragos Takes a Holiday nov 13

 

TITLE: Dragos Takes a Holiday

AUTHOR: Thea Harrison

SERIES: Elder Race Novellas

RELEASE DATE: November 2013

 

 

 

First Ink

 

TITLE: First Ink (3rd Cover !)

AUTHOR: Laura Wright

SERIES: Wicked Ink Chronicles

RELEASE DATE: August 2013

 

 

 

 

othersphere Dec 13

 

TITLE:  Othersphere

AUTHOR:  Nina Berry

SERIES:  OtherKin

RELEASE DATE:  December 2013

 

 

 

Eternal Hunter Jan 14

 

TITLE:  Eternal Hunter (re-release)

AUTHOR:  Cynthia Eden

SERIES:  Nightwatch

RELEASE DATE:  January 2014

 

 

 

Tale of Two Dragons Nov 13

 

 

TITLE: Tale of Two Dragons

AUTHOR: G.A.Aiken

SERIES: Dragonkin 6.5 (novella)

RELEASE DATE: November 2013

 

 

Finding it Oct 13

 

TITLE: Finding It

AUTHOR: Cora Carmack

SERIES: N/A

RELEASE DATE: October 2013

 

 

 

Cipher July 13

 

TITLE:  Cipher

AUTHOR:  Cindi Madsen

SERIES:  N/A

RELEASE DATE: July 2013

 

 

 

Origin Aug 13

 

TITLE: Origin

AUTHOR: Jennifer Armentrout

SERIES: Lux

RELEASE DATE: August 2013

 

 

 

17999681

 

 

TITLE: River of Dreams

AUTHOR: Lynn Kurland

SERIES: Nine Kingdoms

RELEASE DATE: January 2014

 

 

Crash Into Me Sept 13

 

 

TITLE: Crash Into Me

AUTHOR: K.M. SCOTT

SERIES: New Adult

RELEASE DATE: September 2013

 

 

Face of Death Jan 14

 

TITLE: Face of Death (YA)

AUTHOR: Kelly Hashway

SERIES: Touch of Death #3

RELEASE DATE: January 2014

 

 

 

Simple Perfection Sept 13

 

 

TITLE: Simple Perfection

AUTHOR: Abbi Glines

SERIES: New Adult

RELEASE DATE: September 2013

 

 

Forever Us by Sandi Lynn

 

 

TITLE: Forever Us

AUTHOR: Sandi Lynn

SERIES: Forever #3

RELEASE DATE: November 2013

 

 

Sea of Shadows .April 14jpeg

 

 

TITLE: Sea of Shadows

AUTHOR: Kelley Armstrong

SERIES: N/A

RELEASE DATE: April 2014

 

 

Prince of Shadows Feb 14

 

TITLE: Prince of Shadows

AUTHOR: Rachel Caine

SERIES: A Novel of Romeo and Juliet

RELEASE DATE: February 2014

 

 

 

Compelled Feb 14

 

TITLE: Compelled

AUTHOR: Shawntelle Madison

SERIES: Coveted

RELEASE DATE: February 2014

 

 

 

Angel Seduced.Feb 14jpeg

 

TITLE: Angel Seduced

AUTHOR: Jaime Rush

SERIES: Hidden

RELEASE DATE: February 2014

 

 

 

The Shadow of Mist Sept 13

 

TITLE: The Shadow of Mist

AUTHOR: Yasmine Galenorn

SERIES: Otherworld Novella

RELEASE DATE: September 2013

 

 

 

Fatalism Aug 13

 

TITLE: Fatalism

AUTHOR: L.K.Collins

SERIES: New Adult

RELEASE DATE: August 2013

 

 

 

Revealing Us

 

TITLE:  Revealing Us

AUTHOR:  Lisa Renee Jones

SERIES:  Inside Out #3

RELEASE DATE:  September 2013

 

 

 

My Unexpected Forever Sept 13

 

TITLE:  My Unexpected Forever

AUTHOR:  Heidi McLaughlin

SERIES:

RELEASE DATE:  September 2013

 

 

 

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Act Like You Love Me by Cindi Madsen

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Act Like You Love Me by Cindi Madsen

Act Like you Love Me

Links to order Act Like You Love Me:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Description:
Brynn McAdams isn’t the awkward drama geek she was in high school—she’s grown up and confident, or at least she likes to think so. But when her old crush, the impossibly handsome and impossibly unattainable Sawyer Raines, comes back to town to direct her community play, Brynn finds herself determined to be someone other than the girl he doesn’t even recognize. Good thing she’s an excellent actress.  

After his bad breakup in NYC, the last thing Sawyer wants is to get involved with another actress. But the glamorous and beautiful Brynn draws him in, even though as her director, he knows she’s off-limits. There’s just something about the woman that feels…familiar. Like home.  

As Brynn’s lies start to snowball, she struggles to stop acting and come clean. But what if Sawyer is already falling for the fake Brynn, not the Brynn she truly is?


Review:

ACT LIKE YOU LOVE ME by Cindi Madsen is a wonderful contemporary romance, available just in time for summer!!  This novel will draw you in, hook, line and sinker!  Yes, that is a fishing reference, because our heroine works in her family’s bait shop, Bigfish!!  Brynn McAdams was an awkward teenager growing up and in love with the dreamy football player, Sawyer Raines.  She had a rough time in high school!  As a drama geek, she lost her skirt in a school production and earned the dreaded nickname—McFlasher.  Well, Brynn has outgrown her awkwardness and is a beautiful, confident woman.  

Brynn is starring in a local production and Sawyer Raines, the elusive and dreamy screenwriter, is roped into directing the play.  Sawyer doesn’t recognize the hot and sassy Brynn!  He thinks that she is an actress from LA and the comedy begins!!!

Brynn is performing the role of a lifetime!  Sawyer assumes many things about Brynn and she doesn’t correct him.  She even lets the man teach her how to fish!  She is the fishing expert, but she doesn’t want to lose her new connection to her childhood love!  It becomes a comedy or errors, which Brynn is Sawyer falling in love with?

This is a charming novel about a wonderful woman, afraid of rejection and a man who fears commitment!  Brynn is such an engaging heroine, I was rooting for her from the beginning.  She is so full of life and love! There are some great secondary characters too!  I loved their families, especially their matchmaking mothers!  Sawyer has some demons to overcome, due to the death of his father when he was a teen.  I won’t tell you the ending, but I was kind of surprised!  This is such an engaging story with a great cast of characters.  I felt like I lived in their lakeside town!  It’s great when an awkward teenager can overcome that insecurity and bloom as an adult!

Reviewed by Jules

Copy provide by Publisher

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All The Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen – a Review

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All The Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen – a Review

all the broken pieces

Description:
What if your life wasn’t your own?

Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar. As she stumbles through her junior year, the voices get louder, insisting she please the popular group while simultaneously despising them. But when Liv starts hanging around with Spencer, whose own mysterious past also has him on the fringe, life feels complete for the first time in, well, as long as she can remember.

Liv knows the details of the car accident that put her in the coma, but as the voices invade her dreams, and her dreams start feeling like memories, she and Spencer seek out answers. Yet the deeper they dig, the less things make sense. Can Liv rebuild the pieces of her broken past, when it means questioning not just who she is, but what she is?

Review:

All the Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen is considered YA, but it is totally different then most YA, with an original storyline.  The heroine of this story, is a young teenager named Olivia.  We meet her when she wakes up with no memory of anything, and her worried parents all over her happy she is awake.  Once Liv goes home, her mom is overprotective and gives her home schooling.  They have also moved from their home in Minnesota, as her father, who is surgeon begins a new job. 

Liv finds herself hearing different voices in her head, each with different opinions, like night and day.  She is afraid to tell her parents about these voices, and keeps it to herself.  She does convince her parents to allow her to go to school, so she can meet new people, and try to live a normal life.

The voices are still there, as she meets a nice friend, Kiera; a group of popular girls, whom are part of Kiera’s group, and from afar a young student, named Spencer.  It is Spencer, who she finds out used to be part of the popular gang, who draws out Liv, and between them, they help each other slowly get to learn about themselves.  It was a bit slow going, listening to Liv’s voices both giving her different advice how to do things, and her parents, not forthcoming on information about her past.  Liv begins to suspect something is not right, as she begins to have dreams, with people she does not know.  Is this part of her memory returning? When she asks her parents about some names from her dreams, they come up with unsatisfactory answers, which rises her suspicions even more.

As Liv becomes closer to Spencer, she starts telling him a little of why she lost her memory.  She also pulls away a little from the popular group, since Sabrina the leader likes Spencer.   Their relationship grows, and I found this simple romance of two friends very heartwarming.  Spencer has his own family issues that Liv helps him with, as he works with her on her memory; making them a great team.  It was also nice that there was no love triangle in this story. It was a story of two people, alone, somewhat broken; who learn to trust each other, and put all the broken pieces together.  Of course, Liv’s situation is more volatile.

As some of her memories unfold, and Spencer tries to research things from her memory, discoveries are found.  With no spoilers, the last ¼ of the book is very well done, and the plot speeds to a climatic ending.  It is a bombshell of an ending, and as the mystery is solved, most of the pieces fall into place to a satisfying conclusion. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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