Confessions of a Former Puck Bunny (Taking Shots #4) by Cindi Madsen Review

Confessions of a Former Puck Bunny by Cindi Madsen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cindi Madsen’s CONFESSIONS OF A FORMER PUCK BUNNY is a winning addition to the Taking Shots series. Former puck bunny and school newspaper editor of the Heights, Lindsay Rivera, has sworn off hockey players. However, persistent defenseman, Ryder "Ox" Maddox, makes it difficult when he becomes her math tutor. This story takes place at Boston College. It is suitable for New Adult audiences.

I like Lindsay. We met her in book two, ANATOMY OF A PLAYER. She was Whitney’s bitter editor because of being hurt by hockey star, Hudson Decker. Lindsay used to be a puck bunny, she didn’t like the person she became and swore off hockey players. She doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps, needing a man to support her. She is determined to become a successful independent woman.

Ryder is a great guy. He is a total math nerd and excellent tutor who doesn’t belittle the people he is helping. He comes off as quiet, but he has a great sense of humor. He has a lot of pressure being the son of a former NHL star and mother who is a politician.

I love the witty banter between Lindsay and Ryder. I like how both characters grow as a result of their relationship, becoming better individuals.

I enjoyed the plot and Cindi Madsen’s writing style. I love the confessions throughout the story. Sadly, Lindsay never really had any friends. I appreciated that she befriended the girls from the three previous books: Lyla Wilder, Whitney Porter, and Megan Davenport. The hockey passages were skillfully written. I love the paintball scenes. There were numerous unexpected twists that made the story compelling. The novel had a great ending that felt well resolved. I look forward to the next story in the Taking Shots series. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

ebook
Published May 8th 2017 by Entangled Embrace
Edition Language: English
Series: Taking Shots #4

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CONFESSIONS OF A FORMER PUCK BUNNY by Cindi Madsen: Giveaway

Every addict has their relapse.

CONFESSIONS OF A FORMER PUCK BUNNY
Taking Shots #4
Cindi Madsen
Releasing May 8th, 2017
Entangled Embrace

Confession #1: I used to be a puck bunny, but after a hockey player broke my heart, I gave up all things hockey. Now I’m just focused on finding a way to pass my math class so I can graduate college.

Confession #2: Ryder “Ox” Maddox’s deep, sexy voice sends fuzzy tingles through my entire body, and I’m powerless to stop it. Which is a big problem since the hot, surprisingly funny hockey player is my new math tutor.

Confession #3: I can’t stop thinking about how ripped Ryder is from all his hockey training, and how fun it’d be to cross lines with him.

Confession #4: I kissed a hockey player and I liked it.

Confession #5: If I’m not careful, I might relapse and fall for Ryder, and then I’ll be totally pucked.

Every thought turned to how strong he was. How much I’d like to see all those muscles without a shirt in the way.

Once he’d counted off twenty-five, he stood and, as if he’d been reading my mind, peeled off his shirt.

I stared. Not subtly, either. Nope, totally unabashed, taking in every dip and groove of his sweat-glistened skin.

“Since we’re playing dirty,” he said, shooting his wadded shirt over to his bag. He grabbed my hand. “Last machine. I’m not sure you can handle it, though.”

“I’m not sure you can handle it.” As far as comebacks went, not my best, but I mentioned he was shirtless and crazy ripped, right?

He sat down on the leg machine, the one where the seat reclined at a forty-five-degree angle, and then he lifted the weighted bar that rested at shin-height with his legs.

He reached for my hand, and since I’d already talked trash, I took it, even though I was starting to think I wouldn’t be able to handle it. He pulled me toward him, and I had no choice but to run my shins into the weights or to straddle the machine. I chose straddling, but kept space between us like I had earlier.

My heart hammered against my rib cage, beating in time with his leg lifts, the steady clink of the weights filling the air. Ryder’s eyes remained locked on mine, and energy crackled in the air between us. He sat up enough to run his hands up my thighs.

A dart of heat shot through my core, and my breath lodged in my throat. Ryder’s fingertips skimmed the skin between my pants and shirt and desire danced across my nerve endings. Still our eyes remained fixed on each other, and I wasn’t sure I was taking in oxygen anymore.

A distant part of me whispered that if I didn’t stop this…whatever we were doing, I’d be in trouble. But fighting my attraction to him was exhausting and the ache that’d formed between my thighs grew more persistent, drowning out silly things like common sense.

I leaned over like I had before, my hands braced on either side of him. He lifted the weights again, and then he brushed his lips against mine. Just a quick slide of soft lips.

My throat went completely dry. I pressed my palm flat against his stomach and slowly slid it up, feeling his firm chest and the hammering of his heart, which echoed mine.

Ryder gripped my hips and pulled me down to sit on his lap, eradicating the space between us. He lifted the weights with his legs a few more times, each rep bumping me tighter to him. Friction was definitely happening, and with each lift, it became clearer and clearer how much it was affecting him as well.

The tiniest whimper escaped my lips and he raised an eyebrow that added even more smugness to the curve of his tempting mouth.

Two could play dirty. So I sank farther into his lap and he groaned.

Of course, all it did was give me dirty thoughts and turn me on that much more.

He lifted his legs two more times, the movement shaky. He slowly ran his fingertips up my arm, across my collarbone, up my neck, and then he reached back and tugged my hair free of its ponytail.

He drove his hand into my hair, cupped the back of my head, and for one torturous moment, time stopped, both of us suspended right there on edge of crossing lines.

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. 

You can visit her Website, where you can sign up for her newsletter to get all the up-to-date information on her books. 

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Stacking the Shelves #134

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

For Review:

Fractured Silence (Talon Pack #5) by Carrie Ann Ryan
Confessions of a Former Puck Bunny (Taking Shots #4) by Cindi Madsen
Glass Faerie (Creepy Hollow #7) by Rachel Morgan

WON: 

When Darkness Falls (Darkness Falls Book 1) by Chanda Stafford (KindleScout)

Time of the Draig (Draig Clan #2) by Lisa Dawn Wadler (Book Unleashed) 

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Crazy Pucking Love (Taking Shots #3) by Cindi Madsen Review

Crazy Pucking Love by Cindi Madsen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cindi Madsen scores a hat trick with the third book in the Taking Shots series CRAZY PUCKING LOVE. I love this series. In this story, Megan Davenport, the little sister of team captain, Beck Davenport (book one), is a freshman at Boston College. She meets the boy of her dreams, Dane Kowalski, only to discover that he is her brother’s teammate and sworn off-limits. However, Dane and Megan have a class together and are both insomniacs, so they decide that the threat shouldn’t stop them from becoming friends. This contemporary sports romance is suitable for new adults.

I like Megan. We met her in book one, when she struggled with her parents’ death and was seeking out negative attention. Now she is starting school at Boston College with a list of positive goal. She wants a fresh start and to be true to herself. She is a sweet girl whom you can’t help but like. I love her geeky side and am glad she chooses to embrace that part of her and not worry about the popular crowd. I found her math equations amusing.

I enjoyed learning more about Dane’s character. Dane is Hudson Decker’s (book 2) best friend. The two grew up together in the Bronx. Dane has some issues concerning his ex-girlfriend that he needs to overcome to move forward. He is also worried about his younger sister, Lissa. He is a good guy, that cares about the people that are important to him.

I enjoyed the plot. I like how Megan and Dane meet. I like how they hang out at the diner. I thought the part about them both being insomniacs and understanding each other cleaver. I enjoyed the creative ways they spent time together. I love both their geeky sides. The two get each other and are a good fit. Both the characters grow and have obstacles to overcome as individuals and a couple. I enjoyed how the story ended. Cindi Madsen continues to do a phenomenal job with this series. I cannot wait for her next book in the series. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

ebook
Published November 7th 2016
Series: Taking Shots #3

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Stacking the Shelves #111

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!



Well I guess it makes sense to be heavy on the hockey side since the NHL started it's season this week.

For Review:

Incredible You by Lili Valente

Bottom of the Ninth (Game On in Seattle #6) by Jami Davenport 

Roster Addition ( To Love a Wildcat Novella) by V.L. Locey

Falling for Flynn: A Silver Fox Sports Romance (Hockey on Tap Book 1) by Kate Willoughby

Crazy Pucking Love (Taking Shots #3) by Cindi Madsen 

Dare To Love Series: Playing on a Dare (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Cassandra Carr 
Battle for Cymmera (Kingdom of Cymmera #3) by Dani-Lyn Alexander 

What did you add to your shelves this week?

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Taking Shots Survival Kit Giveaway

Celebrate our gorgeous new covers for the Taking Shots series—Anatomy of a Player and Getting Lucky Number Seven—with a Survival Kit giftbasket giveaway. These hot hockey players know you’ll need to stay warm so we’re giving away a velvety soft sherpa blanket, a stainless steel travel mug to fill with Moonstruck’s Classic Hot Cocoa, and you’ve gotta root for the team with this custom team colors necklace, all tucked inside a cute basket you can use at home!

Anatomy of a Player

Blurb: 

Whitney Porter is done with men. She's focusing on 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 no-sex rule. With his life spiraling out of control, Hudson is looking for a distraction. When his teammates bet him that he can't land the gorgeous but prickly new reporter, he accepts, 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. 

Available at:

Amazon     B&N     iBooks     Kobo     Entangled

Getting Lucky Number Seven

Blurb: 

Lyla Wilder is done being the shy, chemistry nerd extraordinaire. 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. With every item she ticks off, Hockey player Beck Davenport 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…

Available at:

Amazon     B&N     iBooks     Kobo     Entangled

Author Bio

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 new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, 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. 

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Anatomy of a Player by Cindi Madsen: Giveaway

Title: Anatomy of a Player
Author: Cindi Madsen
Age: NewAdult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Entangled

Blurb:

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.

Available at:

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Excerpt

It was all I could do to wait until the door to Whitney’s apartment closed to wrap my arms    around her and kiss her. “Lesson one,” I said against her mouth. “You don’t want your opponent to know your next move. Keep ’em guessing. Fake a little.” I tilted my head one    way, then moved it the other and lowered my lips to her neck.

I backed her up a few steps and pressed her flat to the door. “Get them against the wall.”

“Then what do you do with them?” she asked, her chest rising and falling with rapid breaths.

I kissed her again, tracing her lips with my tongue before sweeping it inside.

She ran her hands up my arms and linked them behind my neck. “Mmm. I like playing hockey more than I thought would. Do I get to check you now?”

Before I could think of a snappy comeback, she dropped her shoulder and bumped into me, shoving me a foot or so before going for some imaginary puck. I grabbed her arm and spun her back to me—while she gave a halfhearted attempt at resistance, we both knew it    was futile.

Her tiny squeal filled the air as I lifted her, my hands on the ass I couldn’t stop thinking about, and her legs wrapped around my waist.

“That was a pretty good check, but I’m afraid you’re going to need more extensive lessons.” I gave her a good once-­‐over, my blood rushing faster through my veins as I did so. “I’m thinking full-­‐body checks all around.”

She ran her palm down my whiskers, her touch calming even as it stirred up a lust-­‐filled storm. “If we start this, we’ll never get to the article or filling in my hockey education, and I was serious about that.”

“You’re saying if I’m a really good tutor at hockey, you’ll give me a chance to tutor you in    other things.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Who says I need tutoring?”

“Not me, baby. How about we tutor each other?”

“You never stop, do you?”

“I can go all night.”

She tried to pull off a reprimanding look, but she only held it a couple of seconds before a    grin broke free. She gave me a quick kiss, then she unwrapped her legs and slid down my body—one long, heavenly drag that made it hard to remember we were about to stop the kissing. Her gaze dropped to the obvious bulge in my pants, and she exhaled a shaky breath. “Water. I think we should start with water.”

While she went to get the drinks, I sat on the couch and started going through hockey plays to try to get to a place where I could explain them. When Whitney re-­‐entered the room, a gray and white cat trailed after her. As soon as he noticed me, he froze.

“He’s got a bit of an inflated ego,” Whitney said, “but he’s okay.”

I thought she meant the cat, but then she winked at me—right. I was the one with the inflated ego. There was a lot of inflating going on with me right now.

Author Bio

USA Today Bestselling author Cindi Madsen 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 new pretty pair, especially if they're sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, 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.

Visit her at www.cindimadsen.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter and learn about upcoming releases.

Cindi is the author of YA books All the Broken Pieces, Cipher, Rift, Resolution, and Demons of the Sun, and adult romances Falling for Her Fiancé, Act Like You Love Me, Resisting the Hero, Cinderella Screwed Me Over and Ready to Wed.

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Anatomy of a Player (Taking Shots) by Cindi Madsen Review

Anatomy of a Player by Cindi Madsen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved Cindi Madsen’s Anatomy of a Player. This contemporary new adult sports romance takes place at Boston College. Journalism major Whitney Porter swears off dating after once again being dumped by a player. She decides to focus on her career. She gets a job as a sports writer for her school newspaper covering the hockey team with the intension of uncovering a story about the perks the athletes receive. Meanwhile, left winger Hudson Decker’s team mates challenge him to a bet to get the uptight new reporter to sleep with him by the end of the semester.

We were introduced to Whitney in book one, Getting Lucky Number Seven. She is Lyla Wilder’s roommate. Hudson Decker is a teammate of Beck Davenport, who is also from book one. Both Whitney and Hudson start off their acquaintance with lies. As they get to know and like each other, both feel guilt for their secrets.

I love Hudon. He is considered the team bad boy but there is a lot more to him then his image. Except for making a bad bet choice; he is typically honest. He is upfront with girls, even though they sometimes choose to hear what they want and not what he says. He does not want to cheat. He works hard. I like that he does not want to enable his mom’s bad dating choices and put himself before her for once. I love that he values the gift he was given by being on scholarship for his team, and appreciate that he wants to pursue being a social worker, so he could help kids who have a difficult upbringing like he did.

I like that Whitney wants to be more than a pretty face. She wants to be taken seriously as a journalist. She is clever and determined. I like that she didn’t let her mom bully her into following in her footsteps. I like that she is open minded. She sees more than one view point in a situation and recognizes when she may have been wrong. Both characters saw a lot of growth in this story.

The title of the book is perfect, and I like how the name plays into the plot. Anatomy of a Player is believable and heartwarming. It is one of those books that you fall so in love with the characters that you do not want the story to end. I love Cindi Madsen’s writing style. It kept me fully engaged. I cannot wait for Dane’s story in book three.

Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

ebook
Expected publication: January 25th 2016 by Entangled: Embrace
Series: Taking Shots

View all my reviews

Stacking the Shelves #67

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

Bought:

All He Wants for Christmas by Elisabeth Naughton, Alexandra Ivy , Cynthia Eden , Katie Reus, Laura Wright, Skye Jordan

Chicago Blackhawks One Goal III: Inside Story of the 2015 Stanley Cup Champions Book

For Review:

Assassin's Kiss (Watcher's Kiss #2) by Sharon Kay
Make Me Sin (Bad Habit #2) by J.T. Geissinger 
Anatomy of a Player by Cindi Madsen
Love Lonely (A Love Lonely Novel Book 1) by William C. Cole
The Tao of Hockey by Melanie Ting

Freebies:

If you haven't heard about it yet.  Check out the Romance Read of the Month Club.  Members receive one FREE book per month!  Membership is FREE and books are exclusively free to members!  Click here join:  www.romancereadclub.com

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