CRAZY FOR THE COMPETITION (Hope Spring #2) by Cindi Madsen-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 9, 2015

The road to trouble is paved with sweet temptation…

Always the rebel in her ultra-conservative family, Quinn Sakata dreams of quitting her dad’s real-estate business and restoring the old Mountain Ridge Bed and Breakfast in her hometown of Hope Springs. Except that Quinn’s not the only person bidding on it. Worse still, her competitor is her high school crush, Heath Brantley, who is all kinds of ripped, tattooed hotness…

So much for her “nice, conservative boys” rule.

Heath has his own reasons for bidding on Mountain Ridge, and he won’t give in without a fight – even to the red-lipped hottie with a sailor’s mouth. But when their rivalry shifts into an unexpected zing of chemistry, Heath realizes he’s in deep trouble. Because it’s inevitable that emotions will get involved, and he needs to keep his eyes on the prize before they both get hurt.

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REVIEW: CRAZY FOR THE COMPETITION is the second installment in Cindi Madsen’s adult, contemporary Hope Springs romance series focusing on the people of Hope Springs, Wyoming. This is auto mechanic/ musician Heath Brantley, and real estate agent Quinn Sakata’s storyline. CRAZY FOR THE COMPETITION can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty . Any important information from the previous storyline is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives CRAZY FOR THE COMPETITION focuses on the building relationship between Quinn and Heath, as well as their competing proposals for restoring and renovating the old Mountain Ridge Bed and Breakfast. Quinn is hoping to restore the B&B to its’ original purpose, while Heath has plans to develop a hunting lodge that he and his older brother Cam will run together. When the local council is unable to make a decision, Heath and Quinn are roped into building a float for the local parade.

Quinn has had a crush on Heath since high school but three years his junior, Quinn was never on Heath’s radar. Heath has a bit of a reputation with the woman; Quinn is saving herself for marriage. Quinn’s Japanese ancestry finds our heroine caught between worlds: her family’s honor and Quinn’s relationship with a man considered less than desirable by her mom and dad. As the council considers both propositions for the run down B&B, our leading couple will find themselves falling in love knowing one or both will lose in the end.

The relationship between our couple is that of a developing friendship to falling in love. Because Quinn does not believe in sex before marriage, there is no $ex or sexual imagery although the desire for one another is off the charts.

Royce and Sadie from book one –Second Chance Ranch- plays supporting roles; Sadie is Quinn’s best friend, and the lead singer in the band with whom Heath plays. We are introduced to Quinn’s well to do and over protective Japanese parents whose image of their eldest child is less than positive. Quinn is a woman who seems to disappoint her parents whatever it is she plans to do. In this, much of Quinn’s self esteem hinders on her parent’s approval and love. Heath’s family situation finds our hero embarrassed by his father’s lifestyle, and his own need to protect his younger brother.

The blurb notes that Quinn has a ‘sailor’s mouth’ but truth be told, the language our heroine uses is not even close to bad….if one believes the use of the word ‘sh*t’ constitutes bad language then they haven’t really heard a true sailor mouth at work. In fact, I believe the word sh*t is only expressed three times in the story and one of those times by Quinn’s sister Maya. As this is truly a story of romance with no $ex or sexual situations, I believe the blurb is slightly misleading with its’ description of Quinn Sakata’s ‘sailor mouth’.

CRAZY FOR THE COMPETITION is a sweet story of romance and building love; family and friendship. The characters are engaging and realistic; the storyline enjoyable and fresh; the happily ever after heartwarming and wonderful. If you are looking for a simple, uncomplicated and ‘clean’ read, CRAZY FOR THE COMPETITION

Copy supplied by the publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy

SECOND CHANCE RANCH
Hope Springs #1
by Cindi Madsen
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance
Release Date: September 15, 2014

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of SECOND CHANCE RANCH

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date: September 15, 2014

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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.