Today’s stop is for Cindi Madsen’s Confessions of a Former Puck Bunny. We will have info about the book and author, and a great excerpt from the book, plus a great giveaway. Make sure to check everything out and enter the giveaway.

Happy Reading :) 

 

---

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Buy Links

 

  

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

Links

 

Facebook***Facebook Group***Twitter***Website***Amazon 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.

Confessions of a former PB (Puck Bunny) is book 4 in the Taking Shots series but you can read it as a stand alone. The former PB is Lindsay, the editor of the school paper. The hockey player is Ryder aka 'Ox'. Lindsay and Ryder are pretty different. She is about to graduate; he is a sophomore. She is all about words and language; he loves math. His dad was a pro hockey player; her mom is a gold digger. And Ryder is pretty much the only guy who doesn't know she slept with half the hockey team...

I liked Lindsay's approach to treating her addiction to hockey players. She didn't like the person she was becoming and she really does treat it similar to a drug addiction! She decides that she must quit cold turkey. However, like most addicts, she slips every once in a while...by looking at pro hockey players photos online! She wants to be different; she fears turning into her mother. So, when Ryder starts to show her some attention and interest, she panics and tries to bolt on him repeatedly. Ryder is determined though and makes a deal with her: he tutors her in math so she can pass the class and graduate and in return, she agrees to do fun things with him. I kind of loved Ryder's tenacity when it came to Lindsay. However, I could see the writing on the wall as to how this would play out...eventually he is going to find out she was a PB. Eventually his dad is going to find out Ryder is giving his time and attention to something other than hockey. Eventually Lindsay's mom will do something awful.

I have enjoyed this series a great deal! Anatomy of a Player was my favorite and ironically, the hero from that book, Hudson, is the hockey boy who broke Lindsay's heart and is now the reason for her former PB status. You get cameos from Beck and Lyla, Hudson and Whitney, and Dane and Megan which always makes me happy to see in a series. I didn't expect to like Lindsay quite so much. PB have a terrible reputation in any book about hockey players! They are always the sluts trying to steal away other girls' boyfriends. They are the sleazy girls who show up to a hockey game (where there is ICE) in tiny skirts that show their ass cheeks and hold signs letting every player know they are willing to 'ease their pain' after a game. So, picking up a book where the heroine was one of those girls? Yeah, I was skeptical that she would come across as vapid and narcissistic. However, Lindsay has realized the error of her ways. She still admits that she is physically attracted to the look of a hockey player but she doesn't want to be 'that girl' any more. Her struggle to 'stay clean' was actually a fairly enjoyable twist on the PB trope. My biggest issues with the story stemmed from the overall predictability of the plot.

 

• POV: dual 1st
• Tears: no
• Trope: hockey; college
• Triggers: none
• Series/Standalone: stand alone within an interconnected series
• Cliffhanger: no
• HEA: yes

The Score by Elle Kennedy, The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan, Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen...then you will probably like Confessions of a former Puck Bunny!


See full review on The Book Disciple

 

 

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

 

 

This is book four in the Taking Shots series, but all books including this one can be read as a standalone. It helps to know all the people in the world of college, hockey and life that Cindi Madsen so wonderfully created. We have met Ryder and Lindsay in previous books and now finally get their own story. While I loved all books in the series I must say this one was my favorite one so far. I really enjoyed Lindsay and her backstory, even the not so fun parts of her past, but it made her to what we know and love now. Ryder. Oh My Swoon. He has his eyes on Lindsay and is pulling out all the stops to win her over. Their journey was sooo much fun to read. Though, of course not all is rainbows and unicorns for them and they are hitting a rough spot. I love how Cindi Madsen always finds the most sweetest and romantic ways to make it up not only to the characters but also the readers. Overall, great funny, sweet, romantic but also heartfelt and sexy read.

I really enjoyed it.

Rating 5★

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buy Links

 

 

  

 

 

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.

 

Links

 

Facebook***Facebook Group***Twitter***Website***Amazon