Reviews: Falling For Her Fiancé + An Officer and a Rebel by Cindi Madsen

I declare this week the Cindi Madsen week! :D

Over the weekend, I read two adult romance books written by Cindi Madsen. The first one's Falling For Her Fiancé and the second one, which is a novella and is part of the Stranded with a Hero anthology, is An Officer and a Rebel. So here goes...

---

Title: Falling For Her Fiancé
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC (Bliss)
Release Date: January 14, 2013
Synopsis:
Danielle and Wes have been best friends since college, so when Wes needs a date for his sister’s wedding and Dani needs a partner for her company’s retreat, they devise the perfect plan: a fake engagement to get through both events unscathed. Adrenaline-junkie Wes can prove to both his ex and his family that he’s well and truly moved on, and serious-minded Dani can prove to her boss that she’s worthy of the promotion he seems to only want to give to a family-oriented employee.

But amid the fake swoons, fake kisses, and forced proximity, neither expects the very real feelings that develop. There’s nothing more dangerous than falling for your best friend…but what if the landing is worth the fall?
[Source]

BUY THIS BOOK

---

 

Review:
Cinderella Screwed Me Over was the first book by Cindi Madsen that I read. And I loved it so it set the bar high for the next Cindi Madsen books that I planned to read. Falling For Her Fiancé (FFHF for short) didn't quite made me feel what I felt towards CSMO but it was enough to satisfy me. For one, it was shorter. CSMO was unique because it was so different from the usual happily-ever-after stories we all know so well... But that's not to say that FFHF was not in good. There were lots of good things about it.

It really isn't so hard to sell to me the best friends-turned-lovers story because well, I dig this kind of stories. So there's that. But I also liked that this book tackled the issue of career vs. personal life. Both Dani and Wes had to decide whether their relationship was worth ditching their career goals to. They're miles away, and if they wanted to be together, one of them has to quit their job and move closer to the other one. This was an interesting twist and I think it was the best thing about this book. If you ask me, I think that's a touchy subject. Family should come first, I think, but I also believe that no one should force you to quit your job or pass up on an important promotion just so you can be together (unless your job sucks). I'm glad though that Dani and Wes were able to figure things out in the end. It also helped that the story was told through alternating POVs so it felt like I knew both Dani and Wes.

Overall, Falling For Her Fiancé was fun to read, like a good rom-com movie that will make you feel all fluffy inside.

---

 

Title: An Officer and a Rebel
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC (Bliss)
Release Date: November 11, 2013 (as part of Stranded with a Hero anthology; to be released as a stand-alone novel today!)
Synopsis:
Doing the wrong thing has never felt so right...

The last person police officer Nate Walsh expected to discover stranded in a snowstorm is his brother's ex—and former town rebel—Kelsey Cooper. His complete opposite in every way, Kelsey’s the girl he never allowed himself to want. But when she agrees to stay with him until the storm passes, he definitely finds himself wanting the gorgeous, tattooed woman. Too bad Nate’s sure his brother is still in love with her…

Kelsey had only meant to drive through her tiny hometown, not end up spending time there. With a cop. But despite her issues with authority figures, even she can admit Mr. Serious looks pretty hot in his uniform. Unfortunately, she’s sworn off relationships—and she’ll never be the girl for a nice guy. [Source]

BUY THIS BOOK

---

 

Review:
Novellas are tricky pieces. They're short and the author has limited space to work with. They have to cram everything and make it seem unhurried and still meaty like full-length novels. It's tough but because Cindi Madsen is amazing, she still managed to pull off a win with An Officer and a Rebel.

Nate is Wes' cousin and like Wes, Nate is a hunk and nice guy. Definitely not as adventurous as Wes but falling in love with the town's rebel is a risk in itself so you can't say Nate isn't gutsy. Plus, he's responsible and cares for his family a lot.

Kelsey's brave and has a kind heart. I love that she's different and doesn't try very hard to please other people. You gotta love someone who's confident of who he/she is.

Everything happens in just a week, and I'm pretty sure you'd think that's fast but no, this is not another case of insta-love because Nate actually fell in love with Kelsey years ago when she was still dating his brother.

I'm amazed that even though this was short, Cindi was able to raise some questions that are very common in relationships: Should you date someone even if your friend/sibling/cousin used to date that person? Should you give up your job and/or move to another town just to be with the one you love? Is love worth the sacrifice?

An Officer and a Rebel was a quick, nice read and plus points for it being a holiday book as well. I adore Christmas-y books. :)

---

These books proved once more that Cindi Madsen is a gem. I'll probably read more of her books just so I can experience her fantastic writing style.

Watch out tomorrow for my super fun interview with Cindi Madsen herself. Ciao! :)

---

As a reader and reviewer, I aim to write fair and honest reviews, both on this site and on Goodreads. Please read my Review Policy here.