ARC REVIEW: Crazy for the Competition (Hope Springs #2) by Cindi Madsen

Title: Crazy for the Competition
Series: Hope Springs #2
Author: Cindi Madsen
Publisher: Entangled Bliss
Published: June 9th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 214
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Cindi Madsen | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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.

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating.

I read the first book in this series, Second Chance Ranch, last year and absolutely loved it. There were a few characters in it that I was really excited to get to know better. One of them being Quinn of course. Quinn's book ended up being way more than I hoped it would be.

Quinn is one of those really great characters who, from the outside and to others, seems like she's a swirl of contradictions but deep down she's actually pretty simple to figure out. What I loved best was the fact that her Japanese culture played a huge part in her character. From her relationship with her family to her morals. Quinn tries so hard to please everyone and keep everyone happy, even at the expense of her own happiness. She was fun and playful and a very passionate person. I mean, even I ended up with a bit of a girl crush on her!

Heath... Shitballs, as Quinn would say. Heath is like every single fantasy I could ever have rolled up into one delicious, panty dropping package. He's tattooed and pierced. He's a musician. He's a country boy. He's good with his hands, like mechanically and construction wise. There's not much that this guy can't do. I'm sure there were hearts in my eyes and a huge, ridiculous grin on my face every time he was on the pages.

I loved the rivalry between Quinn and Heath. It didn't get vicious and was even playful and flirtatious through a lot of the book. I mean, they had their moments where the negative tension was unavoidable, but they fought so hard to keep the competition for the property separate since the sparks between them were undeniable.

The romance was achingly sweet. I mean I was in full on swoon mode through the whole thing. These two, quite literally, come from two different worlds. Not just their cultures. Heath is like the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks kind of guy and Quinn comes from money. Even with all the differences between them, nobody could really understand each other and where they're coming from better than the other one. Heath wants away from his dad just as much as Quinn wants to separate herself from her dad. Granted it's for different reasons but they both get it. It makes you really want to root for them to make it through all the things that get in their way.

Even though, to me at least, the resolution of the property war is pretty predictable, I mean, it's exactly what I thought the moment I started reading. Regardless though, it didn't take anything away from my enjoyment. If anything it was more of a relief and just an it's-about-time type of a feeling. The romance is sweet, the characters are wonderful and complex and it is just a really fun read. Well as is everything I've ever read by Cindi Madsen. Every time I pick up one of her books I expect laughter and unbelievable swoons. And every single time she delivers.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

ARC REVIEW: Getting Lucky Number Seven by Cindi Madsen

Title: Getting Lucky Number Seven
Author: Cindi Madsen
Publisher: Entangled Embrace
Published: April 28th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 218
Genres: NA, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Cindi Madsen | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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...

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

Basically the title of this one caught my eye, it was catchy like that, and then I saw Cindi Madsen's name attached to it and I instantly put in a request. I've read a couple of her books in the past and loved them to pieces, so there was no question, she wrote it, I wanted to read it. I think the bookish universe is trying to tell this non-hockey fan something, because twice now this week alone I have picked up a book where the main guy happens to be a college hockey player and I've loved it. From start to finish this book had me.

Lyla was completely adorable and awkward. And when I say awkward I mean awkward, but in this incredibly endearing way. Her social skills were cringe worthy. From her totally corny jokes to her nervous word vomits about her cat, Einstein, I couldn't help but wonder how on earth she landed a guy like Beck as a best friend. I guess that just goes to show how awesome he is though. But Lyla was such a fun character. I loved the fact that even though she made herself over outside and a bit on the inside, she was still that same adorably nerdy Lyla, just with more confidence and happier. Her makeover and bucket list really helped her discover who she was deep down and helped bring that girl to the surface. By the end I felt like she was the perfect blend of old and new Lyla. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I never thought that she was doing everything for the wrong reason. She wanted to be more bold and try new things. And she did, and if she didn't like the thing she wouldn't do it again but she was happy and proud of herself for at least trying it and discovering something about herself she didn't know before.

It probably isn't any big surprise that Beck is one of the newest guys to be marked down on the book boyfriend list for me. A guy who puts someone like Lyla above anybody else, even before anything happened with them, before the makeover, is pretty freaking amazing in my book. He was protective of her and basically even put her happiness above his own needs, so to speak. All I could think when I saw that was...wow. Okay granted nothing happened between them and it was strictly a best friend situation between them until after the makeover. But I feel like deep, deep down there was always something there and he just didn't recognize it. Just in some of his gestures and the way he took care of her. Some may argue it could've been in a brotherly way but I don't buy that. It's the little things that speak the loudest to me. He's not a big shallow jerk is basically what I'm saying and I was rooting for Beck and Lyla instantly. I mean he not only gets her corny jokes, even the sciencey type ones, but he thinks they're cute. Beck is pretty darn perfect!

The biggest reason I will grab a book by Cindi Madsen without even reading a blurb, besides the great characters she creates, is she's so freaking funny! With this book it was in the banter not only with Beck and Lyla but Beck's sister was really great too. But it was also in some of the situations that Lyla's awkwardness created. I feel like the night she goes to her first party and the, what I can only describe as verbal diarrhea, that comes out of her mouth with the first guy who approaches the new and more boldly dressed Lyla is worth reading this book alone. So. Freaking. Funny. Like I wanted to sit back and laugh and then just pull her aside and say aww honey no. No, no, no, no.

I think if I were to grasp at straws for things to complain about I would just have one that even in the grand scheme of things days later it isn't bugging me that much at all. But I'd have to say that, while things weren't perfect by any means and Beck and Lyla weren't this blissfully perfect happy couple. Things were very comfortable and good, if not confusing for the both of them, for quite a good chunk of the book. The moment where the crap hit the fan came in very late, at least in my opinion, within the book and there wasn't a lot of time to let that settle and sink in before it was all better. There wasn't enough time for that feeling to lay any sort of seeds of doubts that things could even be fixed. Granted I will say that Beck's grand gesture was pretty perfect for this story and I was grinning from ear to ear. That wasn't an issue. I guess I just felt like it was almost a rush from things are okay --> now they're really, really bad --> okay let's all live happily ever after. I know it's a ridiculous thing to complain about, but like I said it was a grasping for straws type of thing.

Truly, when it comes right down to it, this book was pretty freaking great. Another one that Cindi Madsen has knocked out of the park, in my opinion. I mean best friends falling in love and  on top of that it's the nerdy, awkward girl and the college hockey star, it's the perfect recipe! I cringed with laughter, it broke my heart a little bit, and it was all kinds of steamy and sweet all rolled into one! I would definitely recommend getting your hands on this one. Or any other of her books for that matter if you haven't read one yet!

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

ARC REVIEW: Second Chance Ranch (Hope Springs #1) by Cinid Madsen

Title/Series: Second Chance Ranch | Hope Springs #1
Author: Cindi Madsen
Published: September 15th 2014
Publisher: Entangled Bliss
Format: eBook | Pages: 232
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!

Cindi Madsen | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. In no way did that sway my review or my rating!

This book. This book! From the moment I started it all the way to the very end this book was read with a huge grin on my face. Second Chance Ranch is the second book I've read by Cindi Madsen and has solidified the fact that she is now one of my must buy everything type of authors. Both books I've read so far just make me happy as I read them and I can't wait to buy more of her work and lose myself.

Her characters are so rich and lovable. And you fall in love with all of them. From Sadie and Royce all the way to Cory and Quinn their best friends and even the kids at the ranch and Sadie's grandpa had me as well. It's not often where I find an entire book filled with characters that make me want to jump inside and stay there. Each having their own personalities and quirks that leap from the pages.

I love how second chances is a theme that runs through this book on different levels. Not only do you have this relationship between Sadie and Royce which grabbed hold of my heart and refused to let go. But you have Sadie with her musical dreams and you also have a group of really awesome troubled teens at the ranch that Royce runs. Well at least two of which you get to know a bit in the book. It all made for a very sweet and heartwarming book that I was sad to finish because I didn't want it to end.

I realized in getting this review ready that I have a 3rd Cindi Madsen book already on my Kindle...you better believe I'm going to jump on that one and get it read as soon as possible. I can't wait to read more of this series and anything else she writes for that matter. Thank you Entangled for allowing me to read and review this book!!!