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Taking Shots #3
Crazy Pucking Love
I just met the girl of my dreams. Megan Davenport is funny and smart, and she’s as much of an insomniac as I am. She’s also my team captain’s little sister, which I only found out after our passionate kiss. Megan is completely off-limits—her brother makes that very clear—and I know better than to think I can keep a relationship going during hockey season anyway. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be late-night friends, right? The only problem is, love makes you do crazy things, like breaking all the rules.
Each book in the Taking Shots series is a standalone, full-length story that can be enjoyed out of order.
Series Order:
Book #1 Getting Lucky Number Seven
Book #2 Anatomy of a Player
Book #3 Crazy Pucking Love
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 7, 2016
311 people are currently reading
1807 people want to read
About the author
Cindi Madsen
66 books2,265 followersCindi 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. 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. She and her family also take their Marvel addiction very seriously, as their one-eyed cat, Agent Fury, and their kitty named Valkyrie can attest.
You can visit Cindi at: www.cindimadsen.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter to get all the up-to-date information on her books.
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You can visit Cindi at: www.cindimadsen.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter to get all the up-to-date information on her books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
November 8, 2016
3 Stars
Another potentially lovable NA sports romance that was well-written but unfortunately suffered a number of flaws.
We met Megan Davenport in Getting Lucky Number Seven as Beck's little sister who was quite a rebel that time. Now she is already a freshman at Boston College and is about to have an exciting college life with the help of her "Fresh Start Checklist" that contains all her goals. In a college drunken party, she meets a gorgeous guy named Dane Kowalski and sort of forms an instant friendship with him. She doesn't know that Dane is actually an ice hockey star and a co-player of her brother, which is quite a conflict since Beck is such a protective brother and she's already attracted with Dane. Plus, Dane seems to feel the same way, too.
You know what's the obvious similarity of this book to the previous books of this series? The characters, the storyline, the dramas.. same old same old. It's the repetitive idea by which the male lead carries heavier baggage, thus he cannot give his "all" to the heroine because he's not capable enough to give it. Ugh.
What's with these hockey men and their never ending issues?
Now onto the good side.
I still found this book swoon-worthy despite my complaints. I felt the strong connection shared by the characters as well as the angst. Both characters were okay. I thought Dane was such a hot mess but he was a sweet person with a soft heart nonetheless. The sexy scenes, on the other hand, were burning hawt. There was certainly a chemistry between Dane and Megan and for that, I was at least happy. You just have to prepare for that cheesy ending though.
All in all, it was an okay read. Just another typical college sports romance with cliché tropes such as friends-to-lovers and friends-with-benefits. I wasn't completely drawn but I think other readers may find this book enjoyable and may love it more than I did.
(An ARC was provided to me by Entangled: Embrace and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
"I saw you, I wanted you, and I ignored everything else. I knew I was crossing a line I shouldn't, but crossing it felt so damn good."
Another potentially lovable NA sports romance that was well-written but unfortunately suffered a number of flaws.
We met Megan Davenport in Getting Lucky Number Seven as Beck's little sister who was quite a rebel that time. Now she is already a freshman at Boston College and is about to have an exciting college life with the help of her "Fresh Start Checklist" that contains all her goals. In a college drunken party, she meets a gorgeous guy named Dane Kowalski and sort of forms an instant friendship with him. She doesn't know that Dane is actually an ice hockey star and a co-player of her brother, which is quite a conflict since Beck is such a protective brother and she's already attracted with Dane. Plus, Dane seems to feel the same way, too.
You know what's the obvious similarity of this book to the previous books of this series? The characters, the storyline, the dramas.. same old same old. It's the repetitive idea by which the male lead carries heavier baggage, thus he cannot give his "all" to the heroine because he's not capable enough to give it. Ugh.
What's with these hockey men and their never ending issues?
Now onto the good side.
I still found this book swoon-worthy despite my complaints. I felt the strong connection shared by the characters as well as the angst. Both characters were okay. I thought Dane was such a hot mess but he was a sweet person with a soft heart nonetheless. The sexy scenes, on the other hand, were burning hawt. There was certainly a chemistry between Dane and Megan and for that, I was at least happy. You just have to prepare for that cheesy ending though.
All in all, it was an okay read. Just another typical college sports romance with cliché tropes such as friends-to-lovers and friends-with-benefits. I wasn't completely drawn but I think other readers may find this book enjoyable and may love it more than I did.
(An ARC was provided to me by Entangled: Embrace and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
November 7, 2016
While I enjoyed a good portion of this book, there are a few fundamentals that didn't win me over. Dane. He's got the reformed man whore vibe going for him but his hot and cold routine got old for me pretty quick. I also found his tying everything back to his ex annoying. Not to mention that he let that guide a lot of his decisions. He ineffectively internalized a lot. I felt he needed a little more growth. Megan was pretty solid but for her letting him yoyo with her too long. She definitely showed her growth, especially towards the end. The sexy scenes were pretty hot especially their first kiss /fans self. I liked the interactions that brought them closer together. First as friends, then four our reading pleasure: as more. The plot could've done without the ex angle or it should've owned it and done more with it. It felt like it had one foot in and one out with that. It's important but he doesn't find out what happened or gets closure?? All in all the story was ok for me. Some highs and some areas of opportunity. Safety: No Sharing. The h does flirt with a OM with intent to go home with him after H makes it clear he doesn't want anything beyond friendship. Nothing happens with OM. The H has an aggressive puck bunny that he considers sleeping with at one point after meeting the h. He doesn't follow through. No rape or abuse.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
dnf
November 7, 2016
DNF at 50% (I skimmed the last half)
I loved Megan, but Dane was just WAY too much in his head. The whole self-sacrificing martyr thing was annoying. As was the ad nauseam mentions of his ex-girlfriend Jasmine.
Unfortunately, this just couldn't hold my attention.
November 29, 2016
3.5 Stars
Me + Reading Crazy Pucking Love = Very happy!
This book was cute and I found the relationship between Dane and Megan fun to read about. I'm also a huge lover of the brothers-best-friend trope and that was a mega attention grabber for me. The forbidden friendship/relationship between Dane and Megan was really interesting and it always had me in suspense, waiting for Megan's brother to find out. The story was really well written and I didn't have any problems with that.
My main reason for the low-ish rating is that fact that this was the quintessential Young Adult to New Adult book. I've been having a great time reading more NA books than I ever thought I would since it's not my favorite genre. But in this book all the reasons I used to avoid the genre were present. I found the characters a little too immature for my liking, especially Dane with his constant whining about his ex.
Overall, not a bad book just one that I was meh about. I haven't read the other books int he series but I do think I'll be going back to do so.
Me + Reading Crazy Pucking Love = Very happy!
This book was cute and I found the relationship between Dane and Megan fun to read about. I'm also a huge lover of the brothers-best-friend trope and that was a mega attention grabber for me. The forbidden friendship/relationship between Dane and Megan was really interesting and it always had me in suspense, waiting for Megan's brother to find out. The story was really well written and I didn't have any problems with that.
My main reason for the low-ish rating is that fact that this was the quintessential Young Adult to New Adult book. I've been having a great time reading more NA books than I ever thought I would since it's not my favorite genre. But in this book all the reasons I used to avoid the genre were present. I found the characters a little too immature for my liking, especially Dane with his constant whining about his ex.
Overall, not a bad book just one that I was meh about. I haven't read the other books int he series but I do think I'll be going back to do so.
October 21, 2016
Smart Sexy and Hot with a side of Ice
Sweet collage romance, with intelligent people, who make well thought out decisions. Sexy, sexual tension with just the right amount of naked time. I just couldn't help but cheer these characters on, they were so well written.
Megan barely 18 is off to college to start her new life and her recovery from her past. Lonely but not alone, her brother attends the same school and plays hockey for them. she sets out to rebuild herself. Insomnia, is her evil friend, they are very close. She has a list of things she wants and goes after it. She is also smart, a math queen, loves it and wants a career in a field that uses it. Gotta love the smart girls !
Dane, is an over burdened brother, college student and hockey player who suffers from serious insomnia. He has a scholarship and a family that needs him to succeed. His history has made him swear of relationships, he will not go there again. He is a good guy, who just doesn't want to hurt someone with his being unavailable time wise.
The two meet, insomnia, and attraction bind them. Dane sets down the rule, Friends Only. Sure, that always works. LOL Well these two have a strange but fun friendship over late night romps around the city. It's when friendship turns into something more that things go wanky.
I love that this author made Megan, intelligent, and not a doormat. Bravo Ms. Madsen.
Sweet collage romance, with intelligent people, who make well thought out decisions. Sexy, sexual tension with just the right amount of naked time. I just couldn't help but cheer these characters on, they were so well written.
Megan barely 18 is off to college to start her new life and her recovery from her past. Lonely but not alone, her brother attends the same school and plays hockey for them. she sets out to rebuild herself. Insomnia, is her evil friend, they are very close. She has a list of things she wants and goes after it. She is also smart, a math queen, loves it and wants a career in a field that uses it. Gotta love the smart girls !
Dane, is an over burdened brother, college student and hockey player who suffers from serious insomnia. He has a scholarship and a family that needs him to succeed. His history has made him swear of relationships, he will not go there again. He is a good guy, who just doesn't want to hurt someone with his being unavailable time wise.
The two meet, insomnia, and attraction bind them. Dane sets down the rule, Friends Only. Sure, that always works. LOL Well these two have a strange but fun friendship over late night romps around the city. It's when friendship turns into something more that things go wanky.
I love that this author made Megan, intelligent, and not a doormat. Bravo Ms. Madsen.
November 26, 2016
I love this series, can't wait for next book!
November 7, 2016
Whenever I feel in the mood to read a fun, flirty, and witty romance, Cindi Madsen is always one of my go to authors!
This is the third book in her NA series called "Taking Shots," but is definitely a stand alone.
The setting is Boston College where we meet Megan, a freshman, and Dane a junior. Both have made mistakes they are desperately trying to forget but also rectify. They also have had enough drama in their young lives to last the rest of their days.
Megan is the nerdy type who is academically gifted, but is very lonely. She has just never fit in, never had friends she could trust, and was the butt of jokes in high school due to her parent's affairs. She ditches her stifling life in New Hampshire and enrolls where her older brother, Beckett, attends college hoping for a fresh start. Beckett is very protective of Megan, knowing all the crap she has dealt with over the past few years. He also plays hockey for Boston College and warns all his teammates his sister is off limits. He especially threatens one teammate in particular, who has a less than stellar reputation, to keep his hands off of her!
Enter, Dane, said teammate, who has set two goals - be a better person and focus on being the best when it comes to playing hockey. He is trying to get drafted into the NHL so he can financially help out his parents and four younger sisters. His checkered past with the opposite sex is common knowledge as he has become "one of those guys" who gets plastered every weekend to numb the pain of a really bad decision he made a year ago. By the end of an alcohol filled night, he usually finds himself in bed with a random girl and leaves her crying the next morning when he walks out the door unable to commit to anything other than a casual hook-up. He hates being "that guy" and vows to change. Refusing to hurt anyone else and knowing full well he isn't relationship material, he is determined to devote all his time and energy to playing hockey and getting his degree. Of course all bets are off once he meets the beautiful and funny Megan at a party and his heart decides it has other plans!
I enjoyed the dual POV writing style between Megan and Dane. Their chemistry was addictive and totally kept my interest.
*I received this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review*
This is the third book in her NA series called "Taking Shots," but is definitely a stand alone.
The setting is Boston College where we meet Megan, a freshman, and Dane a junior. Both have made mistakes they are desperately trying to forget but also rectify. They also have had enough drama in their young lives to last the rest of their days.
Megan is the nerdy type who is academically gifted, but is very lonely. She has just never fit in, never had friends she could trust, and was the butt of jokes in high school due to her parent's affairs. She ditches her stifling life in New Hampshire and enrolls where her older brother, Beckett, attends college hoping for a fresh start. Beckett is very protective of Megan, knowing all the crap she has dealt with over the past few years. He also plays hockey for Boston College and warns all his teammates his sister is off limits. He especially threatens one teammate in particular, who has a less than stellar reputation, to keep his hands off of her!
Enter, Dane, said teammate, who has set two goals - be a better person and focus on being the best when it comes to playing hockey. He is trying to get drafted into the NHL so he can financially help out his parents and four younger sisters. His checkered past with the opposite sex is common knowledge as he has become "one of those guys" who gets plastered every weekend to numb the pain of a really bad decision he made a year ago. By the end of an alcohol filled night, he usually finds himself in bed with a random girl and leaves her crying the next morning when he walks out the door unable to commit to anything other than a casual hook-up. He hates being "that guy" and vows to change. Refusing to hurt anyone else and knowing full well he isn't relationship material, he is determined to devote all his time and energy to playing hockey and getting his degree. Of course all bets are off once he meets the beautiful and funny Megan at a party and his heart decides it has other plans!
I enjoyed the dual POV writing style between Megan and Dane. Their chemistry was addictive and totally kept my interest.
*I received this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review*
November 8, 2016
4.5 stars
Crazy Pucking Love was a fun, sweet, cute and heartwarming read, loved it!
The plot was well written and entertaining, I found myself reading it all in one sitting.
Watching Dane and Megan come together turnout to be one heck of an emotional rollercoaster. They made me laugh, they frustrated me (looking at you Dane) they made me swoon and broke my heart with their stubbornness before they put it back together with their cuteness and love.
And their chemistry? it was smoking!
Megan was such a wonderful and endearing character, loved her humor, her honesty and her passion. She had such a big and forgiving heart, I admired her determination to leave her past hurts behind and work at herself to stay in the present and not get swallowed up with negative thoughts.
With Dane I had a love/hate relationship going on, just as he was making me swoon, he would take a step back, shut down his feelings for Megan leaving me frustrated and wanting to reach into my iPad to shake him! lol While I totally got/understood why he did it, it did get old after a while.
BUT once our boy realised life without Megan was not what he wanted, he was determined to win back Megan's trust and love. And the way he did it left me with a heart full of love, the boy did good ;)
The Taking Shots series has been a great read, each book can be read as a standalone and I highly recommend them all!
*Purchase Links*
Amazon ~ http://amzn.to/2fjV75O
Barnes & Noble ~ http://bit.ly/2eog9LR
iBooks ~ http://apple.co/2eJcuew
Kobo ~ http://bit.ly/2eRyTDZ
*Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts*
Crazy Pucking Love was a fun, sweet, cute and heartwarming read, loved it!
The plot was well written and entertaining, I found myself reading it all in one sitting.
Watching Dane and Megan come together turnout to be one heck of an emotional rollercoaster. They made me laugh, they frustrated me (looking at you Dane) they made me swoon and broke my heart with their stubbornness before they put it back together with their cuteness and love.
And their chemistry? it was smoking!
Megan was such a wonderful and endearing character, loved her humor, her honesty and her passion. She had such a big and forgiving heart, I admired her determination to leave her past hurts behind and work at herself to stay in the present and not get swallowed up with negative thoughts.
With Dane I had a love/hate relationship going on, just as he was making me swoon, he would take a step back, shut down his feelings for Megan leaving me frustrated and wanting to reach into my iPad to shake him! lol While I totally got/understood why he did it, it did get old after a while.
BUT once our boy realised life without Megan was not what he wanted, he was determined to win back Megan's trust and love. And the way he did it left me with a heart full of love, the boy did good ;)
The Taking Shots series has been a great read, each book can be read as a standalone and I highly recommend them all!
*Purchase Links*
Amazon ~ http://amzn.to/2fjV75O
Barnes & Noble ~ http://bit.ly/2eog9LR
iBooks ~ http://apple.co/2eJcuew
Kobo ~ http://bit.ly/2eRyTDZ
*Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts*
October 19, 2016
Received an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review
I loved this one so so much!
For me it had a lot of a nostalgic feeling, it's weird because I didn't experienced anything of it.
Still it gave me a good and fluffy feeling.
Dane and Megan their meeting was so funny and great, it was a great opening for their friendship.
There was a little sexual tension, but that was quickly put in action.
Hot and steamy action!
Megan also is a very strong person with all the things she went through.
Dane is a very good protective brother and carer for his sisters.
I always admire that.
Their banter was also lot's of fun. This one made me giggle and laugh and swoon.
They both have insomnia and that was rare, also it made me wonder because it sounded like fun.
Don't get me wrong I know it isn't fun to not sleeping, but their late night meetings were so much fun! It made me think about all the things I would want to do if I had insomnia.
I fall in love with them both from the very beginning and I hope you go buy it and fall in love too!
This was a new author for me and I'm very thankful for this one!
Won't be my last read of her!
November 7, 2016
The story of Megan and Dane was good but also frustrating. I loved the writing, all the cast of characters and even the college setting. You've got hunky, hockey players, good friends and minimal other women drama. The frustrating thing is how Dane keeps Megan at arms length throughout the whole story. The only thing that saved Dane for me was he genuinely liked Megan and they were good together. He just thought he wasn't good enough for her and unfortunately, this meant he jerked her around too much. Usually this would make me hate Dane, but he was too likeable to hate. I also liked a few of the single hockey players that I hope the author writes a book for each of them. ARC provided by NetGalley.
November 7, 2016
3.5 ~ "Just take my hand and follow me." ~ Stars
A chance meeting between hockey player Dane and math geek Megan set off sparks faster then either one expected. They hit it off immediately, only problem? Megan is his friend and team mate's little sister and completely off limits. Not trying to cause trouble and also trying to avoid unnecessary drama, Megan and Dane settle for friendship instead, but it's not long before good intentions burn up in the face of their attraction.
::: My Thoughts :::
Dane was really sweet when he wasn't beating himself up with guilt. When he was sweet, he said and did all the right things but man, as soon as he backtracked and jumped on the guilt/shame wagon, he would become Mr. Avoidance. He was so hot and cold with Megan, it became a little frustrating to read his POV because you already knew his happy wouldn't last long. It was like a shadow of misery enveloped him and Dane just welcomed that gloom and doom. Where was his alpha side to fight back? His instinct that yelled he wasn't gonna give up without a fight? Missing. M-I-freaking-A, that's where.
Megan was awesome, she was funny, smart, and even though she was dealing with her own past mistakes, I felt she always remained honest with herself. I loved that she was a friend first when it came to Dane. She always had his best interest at heart and supported him faithfully, even when he was being stubborn and acting like a major idiot. She wasn't a push over or a nagger, she definitely called him on his BS.
"You can't just act like an ass and then say, 'oh, I knew I'd be an asshole.' Just don't be one.
Just because she was willing to forgive Dane didn't mean she wouldn't say what she felt around him. I liked reading about a female MC that was loving and sweet but was also self confident and honest with herself, even when the truth hurts. Not only that but for a barely 18 year old college freshman, she was refreshingly mature for her age.
"Once in a while, you've got to take care of yourself in order to have anything to give."
This is a YA romance so there is a quiet a bit of drama, and it's long and drawn out drama. Its angsty and causes a lot of back and forth between Megan and Dane. It did get a bit frustrating because it felt like the characters would smarten up and learn from their mistakes only to have to revert back to old insecurities and doubts (I'm talking to you Dane! Lol) But the friendship and lasting love that forms between Megan and Dane made this a really enjoyable read.
It was hopeful and sweet and I never skimmed or stepped away. Read it from start to finish and really liked it. There is some hot smexy times only slight OW/OM drama. No Cheating, and ends with a HFN.
*** ARC provided for an honest review ***
A chance meeting between hockey player Dane and math geek Megan set off sparks faster then either one expected. They hit it off immediately, only problem? Megan is his friend and team mate's little sister and completely off limits. Not trying to cause trouble and also trying to avoid unnecessary drama, Megan and Dane settle for friendship instead, but it's not long before good intentions burn up in the face of their attraction.
::: My Thoughts :::
Dane was really sweet when he wasn't beating himself up with guilt. When he was sweet, he said and did all the right things but man, as soon as he backtracked and jumped on the guilt/shame wagon, he would become Mr. Avoidance. He was so hot and cold with Megan, it became a little frustrating to read his POV because you already knew his happy wouldn't last long. It was like a shadow of misery enveloped him and Dane just welcomed that gloom and doom. Where was his alpha side to fight back? His instinct that yelled he wasn't gonna give up without a fight? Missing. M-I-freaking-A, that's where.
Megan was awesome, she was funny, smart, and even though she was dealing with her own past mistakes, I felt she always remained honest with herself. I loved that she was a friend first when it came to Dane. She always had his best interest at heart and supported him faithfully, even when he was being stubborn and acting like a major idiot. She wasn't a push over or a nagger, she definitely called him on his BS.
"You can't just act like an ass and then say, 'oh, I knew I'd be an asshole.' Just don't be one.
Just because she was willing to forgive Dane didn't mean she wouldn't say what she felt around him. I liked reading about a female MC that was loving and sweet but was also self confident and honest with herself, even when the truth hurts. Not only that but for a barely 18 year old college freshman, she was refreshingly mature for her age.
"Once in a while, you've got to take care of yourself in order to have anything to give."
This is a YA romance so there is a quiet a bit of drama, and it's long and drawn out drama. Its angsty and causes a lot of back and forth between Megan and Dane. It did get a bit frustrating because it felt like the characters would smarten up and learn from their mistakes only to have to revert back to old insecurities and doubts (I'm talking to you Dane! Lol) But the friendship and lasting love that forms between Megan and Dane made this a really enjoyable read.
It was hopeful and sweet and I never skimmed or stepped away. Read it from start to finish and really liked it. There is some hot smexy times only slight OW/OM drama. No Cheating, and ends with a HFN.
*** ARC provided for an honest review ***
November 7, 2016
Link to full review below! Another great book in this series! See full review on The Book Disciple
December 18, 2018
I know, I know, it’s NA and the MCs are very young…
I get that the girl was only 18, but she was so desperate needy and clingy…
She chased the guy and he pushed her away. Not my coppa.
I didn’t like the male protagonist, I loathed him.
He abandoned his ex-gf when she needed him the most (her mother died and the guy didn’t come to the funeral, coz he was playing hockey *mad*).
I guess his celibacy and attempt to be a better person was meant to show me his remorse, but I didn’t buy it.
He abandoned the one, he would do it again.
And how could I like him if the night his ex-gf tried to kill herself he just drunk and partied?
It was cruel even for NA.
I get that the girl was only 18, but she was so desperate needy and clingy…
She chased the guy and he pushed her away. Not my coppa.
I didn’t like the male protagonist, I loathed him.
He abandoned his ex-gf when she needed him the most (her mother died and the guy didn’t come to the funeral, coz he was playing hockey *mad*).
I guess his celibacy and attempt to be a better person was meant to show me his remorse, but I didn’t buy it.
He abandoned the one, he would do it again.
And how could I like him if the night his ex-gf tried to kill herself he just drunk and partied?
It was cruel even for NA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2016
The book basically dragged. So many unnecessary events taking place, or better said the plot just didn't flow giving characters a good growth. Things happening here and there, it didn' make a story for me, I didn't feel it. And I disliked the female character. A lot of the times, she made the hero feel bad about himself, even after all his mistakes. Ok, he was very reckless and made mistakes all the time, and the sad thing is that he was aware of them and they made him feel disappointed in himself. But still, he went heads-first into this relationship that screamed bad concequences. All of it, just wrong. Realistically, this wouldn't work out in RL, in my opinion.
November 21, 2016
While Crazy Pucking Love can be read as a standalone (which is how I read it) I do think it would be beneficial to read the other books in the series first as there are a lot of references within the narrative to events that have occurred during the first two books.
Megan is a completely adorable character, starting college early as a way of escaping her past and attempting to conquer the deep-seated loneliness she has felt since losing her parents two years ago. Megan has a fresh start list and a wonderful way of creating equations for her life, determined to take control of the direction of her future and be true to herself all while fighting insomnia.
Dane also has insomnia and a metaphorical suitcase full of past regrets. Dane tends to take responsibility for things that are beyond his control which then eats away at his subconscious. Dane, too, has a list of things he wants to achieve, putting his mistakes behind him and creating a better future for himself and his family. Although Dane is a bit blinkered in his outlook; believing he has to sacrifice his own happiness in order to succeed. An unwitting partner in a toxic relationship, Dane is still carrying the burden of his ex's bad decisions tainting his view of the future and any new relationships.
Crazy Pucking Love shows the right person can come into your life at the most unlikeliest of times and change your whole perspective. Relationships require work but with the right person it occurs naturally. Character development is the basis of Crazy Pucking Love showing that to fully embrace the future you have to let go of the past.
Megan is a completely adorable character, starting college early as a way of escaping her past and attempting to conquer the deep-seated loneliness she has felt since losing her parents two years ago. Megan has a fresh start list and a wonderful way of creating equations for her life, determined to take control of the direction of her future and be true to herself all while fighting insomnia.
Dane also has insomnia and a metaphorical suitcase full of past regrets. Dane tends to take responsibility for things that are beyond his control which then eats away at his subconscious. Dane, too, has a list of things he wants to achieve, putting his mistakes behind him and creating a better future for himself and his family. Although Dane is a bit blinkered in his outlook; believing he has to sacrifice his own happiness in order to succeed. An unwitting partner in a toxic relationship, Dane is still carrying the burden of his ex's bad decisions tainting his view of the future and any new relationships.
Crazy Pucking Love shows the right person can come into your life at the most unlikeliest of times and change your whole perspective. Relationships require work but with the right person it occurs naturally. Character development is the basis of Crazy Pucking Love showing that to fully embrace the future you have to let go of the past.
February 16, 2017
I read this for the New Adult square for Romance Bingo.
I'm not a big New Adult fan, I'm in my 30s and find a lot of the storylines overplayed, immature, and forced angst, and I'm a huge hockey fan. This book was kind of in trouble from the beginning. Definitely don't read this looking for some hockey in your story, the few descriptions of games kind of read like basketball in the beginning, NCAA college players wear a full cage so hero's punch to someone's face wouldn't connect, and college athletes can't have a side job that pays, I think, over $2,000, so Dane wouldn't even think about that option. Rachel Gibson and Deirdre Martin write wonderful hockey romances that incorporate the feel of the game and it's obvious they've either researched it or are fans themselves.
The romance was so incredibly wishy-washy and drawn-out with the hero's reasoning for not wanting to call the heroine his girlfriend, wanted a relationship with her mind you, just not call it that and keep it a secret, was forced for continued story sake. He made promises to his high-school girlfriend but then left to go to college and she didn't take it well and he feels guilty. It was brought up over and over along with Dane's family and little sister drama that managed to annoyingly show up multiple times without being fully flushed out. The heroine's story line was better and her kick butt Math love and smarts was great to read about but she got dragged on the slow moving train of wishy-washy romance.
I'm not sure I could even call this light and fluffy, just drawn out.
I'm not a big New Adult fan, I'm in my 30s and find a lot of the storylines overplayed, immature, and forced angst, and I'm a huge hockey fan. This book was kind of in trouble from the beginning. Definitely don't read this looking for some hockey in your story, the few descriptions of games kind of read like basketball in the beginning, NCAA college players wear a full cage so hero's punch to someone's face wouldn't connect, and college athletes can't have a side job that pays, I think, over $2,000, so Dane wouldn't even think about that option. Rachel Gibson and Deirdre Martin write wonderful hockey romances that incorporate the feel of the game and it's obvious they've either researched it or are fans themselves.
The romance was so incredibly wishy-washy and drawn-out with the hero's reasoning for not wanting to call the heroine his girlfriend, wanted a relationship with her mind you, just not call it that and keep it a secret, was forced for continued story sake. He made promises to his high-school girlfriend but then left to go to college and she didn't take it well and he feels guilty. It was brought up over and over along with Dane's family and little sister drama that managed to annoyingly show up multiple times without being fully flushed out. The heroine's story line was better and her kick butt Math love and smarts was great to read about but she got dragged on the slow moving train of wishy-washy romance.
I'm not sure I could even call this light and fluffy, just drawn out.
November 2, 2016
4 ½ ★
It’s no secret that I’m in love with Dane since book two and couldn’t wait to hear his story and see him get his HEA.
So needless to say I loved this book…. For the most part.
I liked Megan, math genius, quirky, funny, just an overall nerd. I liked that she didn’t back down from him in the beginning and pretty much stood her ground and didn’t take no for an answer.
She wanted a fresh start and nothing will stop her and she sticks to it. I also liked her roommate and how that turned out. Maybe we will see her in future book
It’s no secret that I’m in love with Dane since book two and couldn’t wait to hear his story and see him get his HEA.
So needless to say I loved this book…. For the most part.
I liked Megan, math genius, quirky, funny, just an overall nerd. I liked that she didn’t back down from him in the beginning and pretty much stood her ground and didn’t take no for an answer.
She wanted a fresh start and nothing will stop her and she sticks to it. I also liked her roommate and how that turned out. Maybe we will see her in future book
November 3, 2016
Delicious and guaranteed to keep you up all night. Cindi Madsen is one of my favorite New Adult authors!
October 20, 2016
When I read and devoured the previous books in this series early this year I just couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. This book was everything that I was hoping it would be and more. It was sweet, funny and sexy. Once I started reading I didn't want to put it down at all. I was hooked from the first page until the last and once I was finished, I was left wanting more.
I loved the chemistry between Dane and Megan. I thought they were so cute together and I couldn't help but smile when they were together. They just "got" each other and I LOVED that it was a slow build with these two. They were truly friends before jumping into bed together and I really liked that.
Honestly, I think this is by far my favorite book in this series and I HIGHLY recommend. If you like books that can make you laugh, swoon like a schoolgirl AND have sexytimes, you need to read this one. Believe me, you won't regret it.
I loved the chemistry between Dane and Megan. I thought they were so cute together and I couldn't help but smile when they were together. They just "got" each other and I LOVED that it was a slow build with these two. They were truly friends before jumping into bed together and I really liked that.
Honestly, I think this is by far my favorite book in this series and I HIGHLY recommend. If you like books that can make you laugh, swoon like a schoolgirl AND have sexytimes, you need to read this one. Believe me, you won't regret it.
April 25, 2019
My favourite from the series so far and Dane is definitely my favourite male character from the series. ❤️
Really excited for Ryder's story.
Really excited for Ryder's story.
December 1, 2019
I'm giving up on this one at about 30%. I'm just not that interested in the plot and the audiobook narrators are just so-so. I think I might be done with college romance in general - it's not the fault of the book, just me.
November 22, 2016
College hockey is the background theme to this third story in the Taking Shot's series, combined with the forbidden romance trope of a player (in more ways than one) falling for his teammate's sister.
Beckett, who was the hero in Getting Lucky Number Seven knows that his teammate Dane is trying to make up for some mistakes he's made in the past but it still doesn't mean he wants him hanging around his younger sister Megan who is just starting at the same school. Little does he know that they already met at a party and had an instant connection, before they knew each other's real identities. Now that they know, Dane is determined to keep Megan strictly in the friend zone - plus he really needs to concentrate on hockey. But having a class together, and keeping their friendship going soon results in them being unable to deny their attraction. A secret friends with benefits fling might satisfy them both for a while but for how long with they be able to keep their relationship a secret and their feelings from becoming more serious?
I really enjoyed this story! The first two stories in the series were equally fun and flirty and this one follows in those footsteps. For a new college student, Megan has a good head on her shoulders and while she appreciates her big brother looking out for her, she also wants to have a chance to live her own life too. To that end, even knowing that he's made her off limits to Dane, it doesn't stop her from pursuing their friendship and eventually more. Dane is caught between falling for Megan and not letting down his friend. Plus the pressure of doing well at school and for his hockey team in order to have a career for when school is finished is equally important. There are some sexy scenes between Megan and Dane as they move from friendship to more, and the college atmosphere is well written as the background to their sweet romance. Their relationship goes through some ups and downs but they do get a lovely happy for now ending, appropriate for their stage in life, once all is said and done. If you like new adult sports romances and interesting and engaging characters, this series should be on your shelf.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
Beckett, who was the hero in Getting Lucky Number Seven knows that his teammate Dane is trying to make up for some mistakes he's made in the past but it still doesn't mean he wants him hanging around his younger sister Megan who is just starting at the same school. Little does he know that they already met at a party and had an instant connection, before they knew each other's real identities. Now that they know, Dane is determined to keep Megan strictly in the friend zone - plus he really needs to concentrate on hockey. But having a class together, and keeping their friendship going soon results in them being unable to deny their attraction. A secret friends with benefits fling might satisfy them both for a while but for how long with they be able to keep their relationship a secret and their feelings from becoming more serious?
I really enjoyed this story! The first two stories in the series were equally fun and flirty and this one follows in those footsteps. For a new college student, Megan has a good head on her shoulders and while she appreciates her big brother looking out for her, she also wants to have a chance to live her own life too. To that end, even knowing that he's made her off limits to Dane, it doesn't stop her from pursuing their friendship and eventually more. Dane is caught between falling for Megan and not letting down his friend. Plus the pressure of doing well at school and for his hockey team in order to have a career for when school is finished is equally important. There are some sexy scenes between Megan and Dane as they move from friendship to more, and the college atmosphere is well written as the background to their sweet romance. Their relationship goes through some ups and downs but they do get a lovely happy for now ending, appropriate for their stage in life, once all is said and done. If you like new adult sports romances and interesting and engaging characters, this series should be on your shelf.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
February 27, 2021
2021 Cărți cu Colți Book Challenge
#1 O carte. Orice carte dorești tu.
Sunt atât de bucuroasă că am dat peste cărțile acestei autoare.Întâmplător am citit prima carte din serie că mă plictiseam și nu aveam altceva la dispoziție ,dar după ce am terminat-o am rămas îndragostită.Acestă serie este cea mai distractivă și mișto din categoria de romance new adult până acum pentru mine. Are și destule scene mai steamy ,are și scene inocente ,are și dramă puțin să te țină în priză ,dar nu supărător de multă și are umor. Abia aștept să încep și următoarea carte din serie.
#1 O carte. Orice carte dorești tu.
Sunt atât de bucuroasă că am dat peste cărțile acestei autoare.Întâmplător am citit prima carte din serie că mă plictiseam și nu aveam altceva la dispoziție ,dar după ce am terminat-o am rămas îndragostită.Acestă serie este cea mai distractivă și mișto din categoria de romance new adult până acum pentru mine. Are și destule scene mai steamy ,are și scene inocente ,are și dramă puțin să te țină în priză ,dar nu supărător de multă și are umor. Abia aștept să încep și următoarea carte din serie.
June 20, 2019
Meh. That's how I feel about this book. Didn't connect with the story or with the characters. Dane could have been a member of my Book Boyfriend Club, but his inner monologues were boring and repetitive. Glad to bring this series to an end.
November 30, 2018
*3,7 stars*
November 26, 2016
3.5 stars
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 7, 2016
I just met the girl of my dreams.
Megan Davenport is funny and smart, and she’s as much of an insomniac as I am. She’s also my team captain’s little sister, which I only found out after our passionate kiss.
Megan is completely off-limits—her brother makes that very clear—and I know better than to think I can keep a relationship going during hockey season anyway. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be late-night friends, right?
The only problem is, love makes you do crazy things, like breaking all the rules.
•••••••••
REVIEW: 3.5 stars--CRAZY PUCKING LOVE is the third installment in Cindi Madsen’s contemporary, new adult TAKING SHOTS romance series focusing on the members of a Boston college hockey team. This is hockey player Dane Kowalski , and college student Megan Davenport’s story line. CRAZY PUCKING LOVE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Megan is Beckett Davenport’s (Getting Lucky Number Seven #1) younger sister-and as such is off limits to the guys on his team.
Told from dual first person points of view (Dane and Megan) CRAZY PUCKING LOVE follows the building romance and relationship between Dane Kowalski and eighteen year old Megan Davenport. Unbeknownst to Megan, Dane is a member of the college hockey team- a team in which her brother Beckett is a member and his over protective alpha attitude has placed Megan in the ‘hands off’ category as it pertains to his fellow team players. Dane’s attraction to Megan finds our hero pushing away the young woman with whom he is falling in love leaving a heartbroken Megan to deal with the anxiety of another failed relationship. Megan’s ‘Fresh Start Checklist’ - a bucket list of things to accomplish while at college including finding a guy with boyfriend potential -begins to fall apart when Dane walks away because of his past and Megan’s brother’s warning.
Dane and Megan’s backstories are heartbreaking and full of angst and lost opportunities. Megan’s parents were killed years before, and Dane’s parents were all but absent throughout most of his life. To escape his home town Dane walked away and never looked back but recent events find our hero battling more guilt than his secret relationship with Megan Davenport. The $ex scenes are mostly implied reading more like a YA story line than a new adult formula.
Several of the previous story line couples plays secondary and supporting roles including Beckett Davenport and Lyla Wilder (Getting Lucky Number Seven #1) as well as Hudson Decker and Whitney Porter (Anatomy of a Player #2).
CRAZY PUCKING LOVE is a bit of a frustrating story line in that Dane is reluctant to cross an invisible line as it pertains to his relationship with Megan, and his friendship with teammate Becket Davenport. For all intents and purposes the situational anxiety was unfortunate in that I was disappointed in the overall feel of the story. The push and pull of the relationship was tempered by the possibility of Beckett’s discovery, and in this, their ‘dirty little secret’ felt more like an affair than a growing love.
CRAZY PUCKING LOVE is a story of ‘forbidden love’; a young woman on her own for the first time falling for an older man who is friends with her over-protective brother. The premise is entertaining but maddening; the characters are caught between friendship and love; the romance is a struggle towards a happily ever after.
Copy supplied by Netgalley
www.thereadingcafe.com
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 7, 2016
I just met the girl of my dreams.
Megan Davenport is funny and smart, and she’s as much of an insomniac as I am. She’s also my team captain’s little sister, which I only found out after our passionate kiss.
Megan is completely off-limits—her brother makes that very clear—and I know better than to think I can keep a relationship going during hockey season anyway. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be late-night friends, right?
The only problem is, love makes you do crazy things, like breaking all the rules.
•••••••••
REVIEW: 3.5 stars--CRAZY PUCKING LOVE is the third installment in Cindi Madsen’s contemporary, new adult TAKING SHOTS romance series focusing on the members of a Boston college hockey team. This is hockey player Dane Kowalski , and college student Megan Davenport’s story line. CRAZY PUCKING LOVE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Megan is Beckett Davenport’s (Getting Lucky Number Seven #1) younger sister-and as such is off limits to the guys on his team.
Told from dual first person points of view (Dane and Megan) CRAZY PUCKING LOVE follows the building romance and relationship between Dane Kowalski and eighteen year old Megan Davenport. Unbeknownst to Megan, Dane is a member of the college hockey team- a team in which her brother Beckett is a member and his over protective alpha attitude has placed Megan in the ‘hands off’ category as it pertains to his fellow team players. Dane’s attraction to Megan finds our hero pushing away the young woman with whom he is falling in love leaving a heartbroken Megan to deal with the anxiety of another failed relationship. Megan’s ‘Fresh Start Checklist’ - a bucket list of things to accomplish while at college including finding a guy with boyfriend potential -begins to fall apart when Dane walks away because of his past and Megan’s brother’s warning.
Dane and Megan’s backstories are heartbreaking and full of angst and lost opportunities. Megan’s parents were killed years before, and Dane’s parents were all but absent throughout most of his life. To escape his home town Dane walked away and never looked back but recent events find our hero battling more guilt than his secret relationship with Megan Davenport. The $ex scenes are mostly implied reading more like a YA story line than a new adult formula.
Several of the previous story line couples plays secondary and supporting roles including Beckett Davenport and Lyla Wilder (Getting Lucky Number Seven #1) as well as Hudson Decker and Whitney Porter (Anatomy of a Player #2).
CRAZY PUCKING LOVE is a bit of a frustrating story line in that Dane is reluctant to cross an invisible line as it pertains to his relationship with Megan, and his friendship with teammate Becket Davenport. For all intents and purposes the situational anxiety was unfortunate in that I was disappointed in the overall feel of the story. The push and pull of the relationship was tempered by the possibility of Beckett’s discovery, and in this, their ‘dirty little secret’ felt more like an affair than a growing love.
CRAZY PUCKING LOVE is a story of ‘forbidden love’; a young woman on her own for the first time falling for an older man who is friends with her over-protective brother. The premise is entertaining but maddening; the characters are caught between friendship and love; the romance is a struggle towards a happily ever after.
Copy supplied by Netgalley
www.thereadingcafe.com
August 6, 2018
I loved this series! (This review is for all 4 books.)
I have a weak spot for hockey players and these guys were the best.
The series revolves around 4 college hockey players, three of whom live together. The first featured guy is a senior and the team captain. He isn’t as ‘chummy’ with the other three as he’s their leader but he also feels better not divulging too much about his personal life. Coming from a well-off family and now, orphaned, he has a lot of obligations to deal with, not to mention a younger sister. He turns to the girl who’s become his best friend for support, only to realize she means more to him than just a friend.
The second and third featured guys have been best friends since they were kids. They grew up playing street hockey when they couldn’t get on the ice. Both used their hockey skills to get into college and out of their crummy neighborhood. One is dealing with a violent past and falls for a school reporter looking for dirt on the team. The other has four younger sisters, one who’s getting in over her head in an attempt to get attention, an ex-girlfriend who doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with helping that sister get in over her head, and absentee parents. The last thing he needs is falling for the only girl who’s completely off limits. The third one is really smart, and the strong, silent type. He’s 2 years younger than the other, so they’ve kind of taken him ‘under their wings’ but sometimes, he’s the one teaching them a lesson. Falling for a girl who wants absolutely nothing to do with hockey players isn’t the smartest thing he’s ever done.
They all meet the girl of their dreams, each in different circumstances but all sweet, sexy, and fun.
I have a weak spot for hockey players and these guys were the best.
The series revolves around 4 college hockey players, three of whom live together. The first featured guy is a senior and the team captain. He isn’t as ‘chummy’ with the other three as he’s their leader but he also feels better not divulging too much about his personal life. Coming from a well-off family and now, orphaned, he has a lot of obligations to deal with, not to mention a younger sister. He turns to the girl who’s become his best friend for support, only to realize she means more to him than just a friend.
The second and third featured guys have been best friends since they were kids. They grew up playing street hockey when they couldn’t get on the ice. Both used their hockey skills to get into college and out of their crummy neighborhood. One is dealing with a violent past and falls for a school reporter looking for dirt on the team. The other has four younger sisters, one who’s getting in over her head in an attempt to get attention, an ex-girlfriend who doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with helping that sister get in over her head, and absentee parents. The last thing he needs is falling for the only girl who’s completely off limits. The third one is really smart, and the strong, silent type. He’s 2 years younger than the other, so they’ve kind of taken him ‘under their wings’ but sometimes, he’s the one teaching them a lesson. Falling for a girl who wants absolutely nothing to do with hockey players isn’t the smartest thing he’s ever done.
They all meet the girl of their dreams, each in different circumstances but all sweet, sexy, and fun.
October 22, 2016
An easy going coming of age college romance following hockey player Dane Kowalski and super intelligent, baby sister to the hockey team captain, Megan Davenport. When Dane meets Megan he has no idea she is related to his team captain, when he finds out he realises that she is completely off limits, so she is immediately friend zoned. Not quite what Megan had in mind. They both suffer from insomnia and end up spending quite a bit of time together late at night. Megan doesn't want to be in the friend zone, and Dane has trouble keeping her there. Will friends with benefits work? Dane has failed miserably at one relationship and is unwilling to hurt anyone else with what he believes are his misgivings. The story is sweet, and sexy all at the same time, told in dual POV, even the supporting characters are adorable. This is the third book in the Taking Shots series, but can be easily read as a standalone. I was provided with an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 14, 2016
dane is a relationship phobe. he made up all the excuses to megan. he is obviously still hung up on his ex so i guess thats mainly the reason why he cant commit
megan is a doormat. she accepts dane even when he wouldnt answer her texts and calls and even if he was obviously avoiding her
the story didnt work for me.
megan is a doormat. she accepts dane even when he wouldnt answer her texts and calls and even if he was obviously avoiding her
the story didnt work for me.
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