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Nailed It

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I'm Ivy Clarke. Bartender, best friend, and disbeliever in love.And now I'm in over my head, trying to flip a house all by myself.Thanks, HGTV.I'm not too proud to admit I need some help. Too bad the only one who can help me is the same man I want to throw out this house's second-story window. Jackson Gamble and I can't be in the same room together for more than a minute without devolving into a sparring match.Except for that one time…But enough about that. Jackson's looking for forever, and I don't believe in love, remember?Get in. Renovate. Get out. Keep my heart firmly in tact.Because it's much easier to fix up a house than a broken heart.

Full of humor and dripping with delicious tension, Nailed It proves that every heart can be ready for a little rehabilitation, if only you're willing to open it up.

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 23, 2017

71 people are currently reading
794 people want to read

About the author

Cindi Madsen

66 books2,264 followers
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. 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.

Follow her on Twitter @cindimadsen
Find her on FB: Cindi Madsen Books
See her inspiration pins on Pinterest.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
Profile Image for Wendy'sThoughts.
2,670 reviews3,284 followers
October 24, 2017
3 Flip/Flop Stars
* * * Spoiler Free
What do you do when you mother has shown you what a disaster love can be...Why after seeing said mother go threw numerous boyfriends, love matches and possible husbands like Kleenex, you vow to never ever commit to any man to make you Whole... You can do things all by yourself....


Well, sort of...maybe that one week with your best friend's brother really didn't count...

Anyway... on to blocking out all that made you cray, cray....

A good dose of HGTV Binge watching should do the trick.

And just when our gal thought she was setting herself straight and getting on with getting on... she sees her best memory home is for sale ...

Why that must be a sign... I mean how hard could a redo and flip be...
Her mom did it with guys... and now our gal decides to do it with this house...

Again... Can't be too hard, they do it all day long on HGTV....

So about that... ummm... not as easy as thought and coming to the rescue is that best friend's brother again... Only this time both of them are not all lovely dovey... more like snapping turtles.

This is a case of two who should just get over their hang ups and admit they are right for each other...

An arc was provided by author/publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

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Profile Image for Yodamom.
2,208 reviews215 followers
October 29, 2017
When I read the blurb I developed grabby hands. I'm addicted to the home repair/flip/home shows on TV. A romance about a yin jang couple working to flip a house, woot woot !
Ivy has a bit of career dread going on, she found her college degree didn't get her where she wanted to be so she's bartending aka floating free and untethered. She has commitment phobia from years of watching her mother cling, burn and crash through many relationships. Her childhood was sadly more shattered than nurtured. When she finds that her mother's ex BFF is selling her broken down home, Ivy jumps on her dream of flipping a house and restoring some of her past. The house was one of the few places she had happy memories growing up. Everything is going well until reality smacks her upside the head and she finds that the TV shows lied about how long and how easy it was. Isn't that always the truth of any repair job ? She calls her BFF for moral support. She the BFF, sends her sexy contractor brother over. Great right ? Yeh, well the sexy brother happens to be her ex, and it ended badly. Drama, drama, drama, with this near hate thing happening between them. Ivy has a huge anti attachment thing, he has a want attachment thing, his family wants him to have a wife and babies thing, and there is the obvious attraction that steams the windows. Well it's tangled web they weave.
Ivy was a bit over the top with her rules, and lists. I wanted to shake her, she was being such an idiot.
This guy as hot, kind, and handy < wink >. Over looking her moments of stupidity I enjoyed this book, it made me smile, chuckle and swoon a bit. The characters are interesting and the story was fun to read. I appreciated the author's choice of endings for the characters it wasn't the obvious route, and that made it better. Bravo Ms. Madsen.
Profile Image for Annika.
467 reviews124 followers
October 27, 2017
description

A funny, sexy and sweet slow-burn about a commitment phobe heroine and a delicious and determined yet incredibly patient hero (seriously, this dude is a saint) fixing up a house and falling in love.

Jackson was positively dreamy, drool-worthy and perfect book boyfriend material, and while I liked Ivy well enough, there were times that she annoyed the crap out of me with all her commitment phobic babbling and hot and cold behavior. While I did get where she was coming from, I still found myself skimming quite a few passages when her inner monologue about how her past made her the person she was now started up again, as well as her rambling about her not being good enough for a guy like Jackson.

I did love the ending though, as I did the fixer-upper part and the banter between the two leads, and an extra half a star goes to Black Widow the cat and her interactions with Ivy. I'm such a sucker.

Safety Gang:

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Melinda.
866 reviews10 followers
October 13, 2017
Nailed It by Cindi Madsen

Unfortunately this book was a bit of a miss for me. The blurb drew me right in, which is why I requested to read, but I didn't really feel the connection between the main characters, I couldn't feel any of the tension or passion that I should have felt from a hate-to-love love story. I also didn't actually like Jackson or Ivy: he came across as a bit weak and Ivy kind of annoyed me. I think that while the story had the potential to be great, the characters needed a lot of work. There was a small handful of moments that made me laugh and therefore a 2 rating.

*arc received from publisher via Netgalley in exchange for honest review.

**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.
Profile Image for Rê .
455 reviews55 followers
November 1, 2017
description

3 “Renovations & Romance” Stars

ARC via NetGalley.

Thank you, Entangled!

Two things caught my attention about this book: One, it was written by Cindi Madsen, who also happened to write one of my favorite YA Contemporary Romances of 2017, Operation Prom Date. Two, it promised a little bit of hate to love, and everyone knows how I feel abotu this trope.

Things got better when I leaned Jackson was actually Ivy's best friend's brother, which means double yay as far as I'm concerned.

description

Ivy and Jackson had great chemistry and the banter was pretty great. I also liked the humor aspect. Ivy had a good, fun voice, and most of her interactions with Jackson and Savannah made me smile.

description

I have to say I didn't see it coming from the level of heat in the first few chapters, but the romance turned out to be fade to black, which was sort of disappointing. Having said that, Ivy and Jackson still had some steamy scenes together.

I do have to say I wasn't a fan of the Caroline (the woman Jackson's family was "forcing" him to date) plotline. I wish he had made himself clear about not being interested in Caroline sooner. It was a bit of a jerk move to let her know he was taken the way he did.

Overall, even though this book didn't grab my attention as much as Operation Prom Date did, it was still a good and funny romance story.
Profile Image for Alison.
3,685 reviews145 followers
October 24, 2017
Ivy Clarke has a secret, she slept with her best friend Savanna's brother Jackson a while back - seven days of wonderful carnality until she realised she as developing feelings and broke it off. Brutal words were said on both sides and now their legendary sniping at each other has taken a nasty turn.

Ivy's mother Cora was the poster-child for women who only feel completed by a man. Ivy's childhood was a revolving door of new step-dads and dubious father figures as her mother latched on to one man after another. Why get a job when a man can provide? All too soon Cora would fall out of love, or the man would, and Ivy and her mother would be back with Cora's best friend Dixie, until she had the audacity to fall in love with one of Ivy's mother's cast-offs. Ivy has learned from her mother's failures and her own experience that the Clarke women can't do love, can't do commitment, can't do relationships. If her best friend Savanna is a relationship guru, Ivy is an anti-relationship guru.

When Ivy drives past Dixie's old house, the most constant 'home' in her childhood, and sees it up for sale she is hit by a wave of nostalgia and, in a fit of enthusiasm fuelled by to much HGTV, persuades Dixie to let her 'flip' the house by renovating and splitting the profits. Unfortunately, DIY isn't quite as simple as they make it look on TV and soon the house is looking worse than ever. Savanna calls Jackson behind Ivy's back and suddenly Ivy and Jackson are working together renovating the house, arguing about tiles and paint colours and, Ivy at least, resisting the chemistry that sparks between them.

I do love TV renovation programmes and I love a woman who has hardened her heart against love with a hero who's not afraid to keep trying to make connection. For me this was light-hearted, flirty, DIY heaven. I haven't read what I assume is the previous book in this series and TBH I didn't warm to Savanna so I'm not devastated, you certainly don't need to have read her story to enjoy this one.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return fro an honest review.

Bumped for release.
Profile Image for Irene.
1,908 reviews129 followers
October 23, 2017
4 Stars

Nailed It by Cindi Madsen is a sweet, fun, heartfelt and enjoyable read.

The storyline is engaging, the writing is well done, and the characters entertained me while watching them come together.
I enjoyed the way Ivy and Jackson's relationship unfolded, they made me laugh, they frustrated me and they made me swoon.
These two were good together, I was happy to see them get through Ivy's fears and insecurities to loving each other unconditionally.

description

Overall, Nailed It is a sweet and entertaining read that will keep you turning the pages and leave you with a smile on your face.
Another enjoyable read by Cindi Madsen.

*Get your copy today*
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2xwiXnw
B&N: http://bit.ly/2g7IiNb
iBooks: http://apple.co/2zcINdz

*Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.*
Profile Image for Brittany Piazza.
Author 2 books49 followers
October 5, 2017
Received for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I didn't love this one. Around 30% or so I did start getting extremely bored and found myself skimming more than I was reading.

It wasn't BAD per-se, just... drawn out. There just seemed to be a lot of info dump and I wasn't here for it.

The romance, though sweet, was very meh. For some reason I wasn't feeling the heat or tension that the author was trying to put across. I love hate to love romances, but this one didn't draw me in like they usually do.
Profile Image for SnoopyDoo.
655 reviews339 followers
October 22, 2017

It is no secret by now that I’m a huge Cindi Madsen fan and read pretty much any book she writes and always look forward to her books.
I’m also a sucker for second chance romance so when this came up for review it was a no-brainer for me.
I enjoyed the characters, they both were well written , although Ivy at times seemed a bit more on the annoying site. But overall I enjoyed her and she was easy to relate to.
Jackson was also enjoyable and very swoon-worthy, who also happens to be a funny but yet a bit cocky. I really enjoyed his side of the book/
The side characters were as much part of the story as the main, but didn’t take away from the main couple but perfectly complemented the main storyline.
Overall. I really enjoyed this book. Some parts were a bit slower and a bit to predicable but still very fun to read. Another win for Cindi Madsen.
I rate it 4 ★


 

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Profile Image for Tami .
1,123 reviews32 followers
October 2, 2017
I love second chance romances, but this one offered a little something different. DIY project gone bad. Girl bit off more than she can chew, hunky contractor rescues damsel. OK that last bit's kinda annoying, like we need rescuing. Cute book.

This review is based on the ARC provided by the author and/or the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Profile Image for Samantha (WLABB).
4,252 reviews277 followers
October 8, 2017
I love second chance romances, and when I saw this would have some sort of HGTV angle, I was all in.

Ivy was a person with a LOT of commitment issues. She couldn't really commit to a job or even a wall color, so how could she commit to another person? After watching her mother serial date/marry her whole life, and then fall apart when it was over, she had resigned herself to living loose and hook-ups only.

Jackson was also known for his chronic dating, but he was ready to settle down, should he find the right woman. He thought he had, but she fled when he expressed wanting more. This was his second chance, and he was not going to let her slip away.



So much to love!

The chemistry between Jackson and Ivy was undeniable. The temperature rose every time they were on page together.

Family and friends played a large role in this story. I really enjoyed the side plots involving Ivy's mom and Dixie were a nice little something extra, and I liked the way Madsen worked that tread into the main plot.

Jackson, Jackson, Jackson. My word! He melted my heart. He was so honest, patient, and sweet, but he had a backbone too, and I applauded him when he laid down the law.

The banter and verbal sparring was quite amusing. I loved the exchanges between Jackson and Ivy, but I also really liked the interactions between Savannah and Ivy. They were often fun, but they were also honest and heartfelt and you could tell they came with some love.

The walk down memory lane was such a great way to give us insight into Ivy's psyche. Ivy was not always the best at explaining her motives, but these vignettes let us see what was behind all the resistance to Jackson's requests.

The renovation was a lot of fun to be a part of. I love those makeover shows, and there were a bunch of descriptive scenes, where I felt like I was a part of one of those shows.



This one had a strong ending. If you have ever read any of my reviews, you may know I am a stickler for endings. I have often loved a book, just to be let down at the end, but this one did not disappoint. The ending was great and left me with a nice pitter-patter in my heart.

Overall: A fun second chance romance, filled with humor as well as heartfelt emotion, and left me with a sappy grin on my face. I couldn't help but root for this hero and heroine!

**I would like to thank the publisher for the advance copy!

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Profile Image for Mags.
3,034 reviews36 followers
October 19, 2017
**I was kindly provided with an ARC by Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review**

This was a good story, which for the most part I did enjoy. Although I must admit to being a little confused as to the premise of this story. As I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a hate to love story or a second chance romance. And honestly it kind of got stuck somewhere in the middle.

As for the two main characters Jackson and Ivy. I thought they were likable. Certainly Jackson more so than Ivy who frustrated me a lot. Especially as she spends a lot of time trying to justify her life as a single girl and not believing in love or commitment. Even though I could understand where her issues came from. And I also didn't feel like there was much of a connection or any chemistry between the two of them either.

As for the actual story I found it extremely sweet, a little angsty at times. Yet overall it was really easy to read and I'm sure anyone whose read 12 Steps to Mr. Right will enjoy Nailed It too.
Profile Image for Bette Hansen.
5,073 reviews40 followers
October 21, 2017
LOVED this book! It's light, sexy, and fun. In true HGTV fashion renovations lead to a fantastic happily ever after.

Ivy and Jackson were such fun characters and the chemistry jumped from the pages. Most people would think they hated each other seeing as they can't be in the same room without snapping at each other. Yet when Ivy takes on a project that is well over her head she knows the only person she can turn to is Jackson. Who knew working together to renovate an old Victorian was a great way to work through your frustrations with a person!

Definitely a fun read and a book I highly recommend.

Profile Image for Elizabeth Neal.
1,791 reviews146 followers
October 30, 2017
Ivy, a bartender, is many things, such as a best friend and love doubter, and as of recently, in over her head while trying to flip a house. Yes, she could ask for help, but it would come in the form of Jackson, but she wants to literally flip him on his, uhh...butt. They can't even breathe the same air without throwing verbal blows. Well, there was that one time their mouths were busy doing something else.

Jackson is helping Ivy, his sister's best friend, even though she tries to refuse it. Jackson is looking for forever, and it has Ivy in it. But she doesn't believe in it, due to her mom's continual string of boyfriends. She just wants to renovate the house and move on, as she usually does.

As these two work together, and Jackson struggles to show Ivy that he isn't like the men her mom went through, Ivy begins to believe, until the symbol of her happiest memories is up for sale, bringing everything back that she's trying to overcome.

Can Jackson convince Ivy his love is real? Can Ivy find peace, or at least closure, with her past and look toward her future? Will they finish the house? What about the one that holds special meaning for Ivy? Is a HEA for possible?

One-click now and follow along as two people work together and realize their chemistry and connection cannot be denied.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.**
2,354 reviews14 followers
November 14, 2017
Received an ARC at no cost to author, for my voluntary review. So this was a cute, funny, sexy book. The heroine had a commitment phobia , so the relationship was slow going. I enjoyed Jackson, he qas lovingly pafient. funny, sexy and sweet slow-burn about a commitment phobe heroine and a delicious and determined yet incredibly patient hero. He was boyfriend material I would graphics him. Ivy could annoy you, with her flip flop attitude, make a decision and stick with it, and enjoy and have fun.
Profile Image for Treena.
1,343 reviews83 followers
October 3, 2017
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

The characters from this book were the 2ndary ones from, 12 Steps to Mr. Right. Ivy is Savannah's bestie and Jackson is Savannah's brother. And while it's really not necessary to read "12 Steps", I think that reading "12 Steps" first will give one a better appreciation for this book. Besides, "12 Steps" was a really cute and fun story so reading that book wouldn't be a hardship anyway. 😉

But back to the review of this book.

If you're a fan of HGTV, of shows like Fixer Upper or the Property Brothers, then I think you'd enjoy this book. Heck, if ever you've tried to DIY something in your own home and have it turn out distressingly awful, you'd get a kick of the things that happen to Ivy. However, it was really Jackson who stole my heart.

He's sweet, sometimes gruff, but oh-so-swoony and gentle. And maybe it's just me, but there's just something about a guy who knows what to do, who is so capable, that really gets to me. Because you know guys like that will take care, good care, of you and your heart too.

So if you want a light, fun, rom-com type of read, you might want to give this one a shot because Jackson is totally a DIY hottie.

Profile Image for Veronica245.
658 reviews26 followers
March 23, 2023
It wasn’t a bad book, but it did not really grab me, I couldn’t wait to finish it for some reason and just kept getting distracted. It’s like it’s ok but it’s missing a level of everything…
Profile Image for Lenore Kosinski.
2,389 reviews64 followers
October 24, 2017
https://celebrityreaders.wordpress.co...

3 stars -- I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

Well bummer.  This one just didn't grab me.  I didn't dislike it, but it was solidly meh for me.  Since this book was entirely from Ivy's POV, I found I didn't have as much to go on for Jackson.  What I saw of him I definitely liked, but I have a feeling that I would have loved him even more if I'd had more time with him, or could have seen inside his head.

So really, all I had to go on was Ivy.  And Ivy was NOT my kind of girl.  I think I was supposed to empathize with her past and how that shaped her into the commitment-phobe she'd become.  And it worked to a point, my heart did actually break for the childhood she had, and the way her mother treated her, and how those experiences shaped her.  And if I'd seen some growth and change along the way, I might have tolerated it more.  But I just didn't buy hers.  I don't know why.  Honestly, it's one of those things you just feel from reading, but can't explain why you didn't connect.  It's like...I just couldn't connect with Ivy along the story.  And when we got to the end, it felt a bit more about-face-like instead of a slow journey.  I think it's because she clung so hard to her beliefs.  And I just got tired of it.

Along those same lines, this book became a bit repetitive at times...or at least it felt that way to me.  I felt like she would bring up the same incidences from her childhood to explain her relationship aversion.  Honestly, I wanted to start skimming just to see when she would finally figure things out.  I think I'm just not a patient reader.  Especially when I find myself unable to fully empathize with a character.

The other little thing that tweaked me that I wasn't expecting was the level of steaminess...or something.  I don't know how to categorize this.  See, I'll read sweet/clean completely fade to black stories.  And I'll read erotica.  But I don't think I've read this Entangled imprint before, and this story was somewhere in between.  Like I'd get the early sexy times part, but then when we got to the act it would just be glossed over.  And not to sound like a sex-starved idiot, but it felt like a tease, because I honestly felt like it was going the more detailed way, and then just when we'd get to that part, blah blah blah, generic glossover, done.  Seriously, this is the stupidest thing to complain about, but it just caught me off guard.  There's nothing wrong with it whatsoever, it's just not my personal favourite.  Or else I was just in a mood.  Who knows with me.

OK, I feel like all I've done is complain.  In general I really enjoyed the bantering and snarkiness between Ivy and Jackson...  Sometimes it felt a bit more hostile than I was comfortable with, but other times it hit that tone just right where I was laughing my butt off, and I could really feel the chemistry between them.  I also really enjoyed the relationship that Ivy had with Savannah, and how their friendship played a role.  And again, what I saw of Jackson I really adored.  I LOVED how he stuck by her, and waited out her stubbornness, and how he saw her...both her flaws and her strengths.

So yeah.  Like I said, it wasn't a terrible book.  I just didn't connect with it like I'd been hoping to.  Ah well, not every book is going to be a match.
Profile Image for A Klue.
1,500 reviews326 followers
October 24, 2017
I’ve been dying to get my hands on Ivy and Jackson’s story ever since they verbally sparred in “12 Steps to Finding Mr. Right”. Cindi Madsen nailed it once again by giving us a sassy, feisty heroine on the outside but conflicted, broken, and looking for love even though she doesn’t realize it on the inside. Her hilarious internal monologues often had me giggling aloud, and I absolutely loved both character’s quick comebacks to their back and forth banter.

Jackson, the good guy/construction worker hero, has just the right tools to mend her broken soul, folks. I’m talking about his heart and determination to get this girl to see the light and possibilities of a meaningful relationship with him. Well, his lips, hands, and other body parts came in pretty handy, too, of course. He took quite a few emotional punches to the heart as he let Ivy work through her fears and insecurities until she fully surrendered her heart and soul to him.

Yeah, there is some brief OW drama, because the main couple are not dating at the beginning, but he only went on a few dates with her. Details of some important events that happened after the end of book 1 but before this storyline began are eventually revealed. We are left with a surprising role reversal from your stereotypical romantic read, folks. This time around it is the heroine who tries to keep the hero at arms length, because she is afraid of getting hurt by committing to a relationship. The hero patiently struggles through on and off again rejection determined to be there for her when she is finally ready to let love conquer those deeply embedded fears.

Romance Safety Gang:

Title: Nailed It, Author: Cindi Madsen, Pages: 331, stand-alone but part of a series, lots of relationship angst, great back and forth banter, heroine’s POV, celibate during separation, afraid to love/sassy/feisty bartender heroine, wants to commit good guy, patient hero, very steamy scenes, briefly dates OW but not intimate with her, no OM drama.

Book 1 - 12 Steps to Mr. Right (Savannah & Linc), 9/26/16, Pages: 350
My Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Book 2 - Nailed It (Jackson & Ivy), 10/23/17, Pages: 331

(I received a free advanced reader copy provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No type of compensation was given to this reviewer. There is no relationship/affiliation between the reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)


Profile Image for Sandy S.
8,245 reviews208 followers
October 21, 2017
3.5 stars-

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 23, 2017

I'm Ivy Clarke. Bartender, best friend, and disbeliever in love.
And now I'm in over my head, trying to flip a house all by myself.
Thanks, HGTV.

I'm not too proud to admit I need some help. Too bad the only one who can help me is the same man I want to throw out this house's second-story window.
Jackson Gamble and I can't be in the same room together for more than a minute without devolving into a sparring match.

Except for that one time…

But enough about that. Jackson's looking for forever, and I don't believe in love, remember? Get in. Renovate. Get out. Keep my heart firmly in tact.
Because it's much easier to fix up a house than a broken heart.

Full of humor and dripping with delicious tension, Nailed It proves that every heart can be ready for a little rehabilitation, if only you're willing to open it up.

•••••••••

REVIEW: 3.5 stars--NAILED IT by Cindi Madsen is a stand alone, contemporary, adult romance story line focusing on building contractor Jackson Gamble, and bartender Ivy Clarke. We were first introduced to our couple in the author’s 12 Steps to Mr. Right. Ivy is Lincoln Wells’ cousin; Jackson is Savannah’s brother.

Told from first person point of view (Ivy Clarke) NAILED IT follows the acrimonious relationship between bartender Ivy Clarke, and building contractor Jackson Gamble. Ivy is hoping to ‘rehab’ and flip the house where her fondest memories of childhood began but our heroine struggles with the overwhelming amount of work, and a lack of funds to complete the job. Enter carpenter and contractor Jackson Gamble, Ivy’s ‘one week stand’, and her best friend’s brother. What ensues is the building relationship and love between Ivy and Jackson, and the fall out as Ivy struggles with her inability to trust, and her mother’s history of broken relationships.

Ivy Clark wants nothing to do with relationships, love or a long term commitment. Her mother’s history of different men, in and out of our heroine’s life, leaves Ivy struggling with an inability to trust or ever fall in love. Ivy has her own ’12 Step’ program she follows to ensure that her own happily ever after never occurs but she battles the loneliness of an empty bed, and a series of hopeless one-night stands. Jackson Gamble is hoping to settle down but the woman that calls to his heart refuses to acknowledge her attraction to, and the palpable sexual energy between them. As Jackson slowly works his way into our heroine’s heart, Ivy believes their time together expires with the sale of the house.

The relationship between Ivy and Jackson is a second chance romance. Years before Ivy pushed Jackson out of her life when their relationship began to take on something more permanent. Months of caustic back and forth banter would lead to a temporary truce as the couple battle their attraction working together. The $ex scenes are mostly implied or fade to black.

NAILED IT is a sweet story of romance; of one woman’s struggle to rise above her mother’s past; and one man’s battle with his attraction to a woman too jaded to give love a chance. The premise is cute and endearing; the characters are lively; the romance is delightful and charming.

Copy supplied by the publisher

www.thereadingcafe.com
Profile Image for Lauren loves llamas.
848 reviews108 followers
October 12, 2017
After spending a childhood being drug along as her mother chased her “flavor-of-the-month” guy, Ivy is anti-love, anti-relationships, and anti- any sort of commitment, down to what color to paint the walls in her condo. But it’s a spur of the moment decision that lands her in hot water when she decides to take on renovating her mom’s ex-friend’s house, the only place she ever really felt like home. In over her head, Ivy’s best friend’s brother, Jackson, is called in to lend his professional help. But while fixing up the house, will she also end up fixing her heart?

Sometimes, the right book comes along just at the right time. This book has a lot of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, second chance romance, DIY home renovation, and a heroine with emotional “issues", to put it mildly. Ivy has a very set view of life, condensed into a series of rules. While I could see how her stubbornness could get frustrating for some readers, I thought the slowness with which she opened up to Jackson was believable and so sweet. I loved the chemistry between Ivy and Jackson - the bantering, the sex scenes, everything. And, oh, I adored Jackson. I loved that he was willing to give Ivy space to deal with her issues while at the same time setting boundaries. I loved that he was capable of being supportive of her quirks and past trauma while also gently pushing her boundaries.

Though this is the second book in a series, this works perfectly fine as a stand-alone. In fact, I’ve already added Savannah and Linc’s story to my TBR list. If you want something that’s well-written, humorous, and hot, then this is the perfect book for you. In summary, this is a light, comfy, funny read, the perfect thing to curl up with a cherry Coke in your window reading nook and devour in one sitting.

I received an ARC from the publisher in return for an honest review.
Profile Image for Floryie.
295 reviews31 followers
January 17, 2018
As soon as I saw the author's name, I was sure that I wanted to read the book. And then the blurb was interesting enough to want me to commit to the story.

The starting was intriguing with the way Ivy and Jackson were butting heads. But the story was slow in forming into the rest of the tale. It took me a while to get into the flow. Sometimes, Ivy irked me with her actions. I kind of understood her reasons but still she was too much against love!

Then it picked up a bit with the banter between the pair and the hide and seek they were playing with their close ones and themselves which ultimately culminated into THE declaration by Jackson at his parents'. The romance was super hot though both the protagonists were stubborn. I liked Jackson better, way better with his way of dealing with Ivy and his steadfast strength in his love. I wasn't much into Ivy and it changed only a tiny bit towards the end.

The ending was swoon worthy though Ivy's rules and her sudden change nearly gave me whiplash. I can't say I loved the book but it was read-able and I enjoyed parts of it. In truth I expected more from a Cindi Madsen book!

I received a free copy for reviewing purposes voluntarily. This doesn't affect my review in any way.

My one line review : A duel in love between an equally stubborn pair.

My rating : 3.5/5

My reread factor : 3/5

Floryie
Profile Image for Becky Burciaga.
1,530 reviews19 followers
October 5, 2017
Having already read Savannah and Linc’s story in 12 Steps to Mr Right, I knew immediately that I was going to thoroughly enjoy Ivy and Jackson's journey in finding their HEA. Their getting there was so completely captivating I just knew hands down that I was in for a fast paced story with the type of writing I've experienced from this author in her previous books.

Even though I was often frustrated with Ivy and her roadblocks to happiness with her rules to NOT having a relationship with Jackson, her finally getting there was quite the ride. Her banter with Jackson was priceless, the dialogue quick, smart, and engaging. The emotional aspects and gentleness that Jackson brought to the story was one of the reasons I couldn't put the book down and read it in one sitting.

I will continue to be a loyal reader of Ms Madsen's book and look forward to what she has in store next.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.
Profile Image for Zoe Forward.
Author 36 books1,129 followers
December 10, 2017
Nailed It by Cindi Madsen is a cute, fun and quick read. The writing pulls you in and the author pens memorable characters.
I was so drawn in by the idea of the DIY house flip fix-up. Had to try it. Our heroine Ivy is post-college but not sure how to use her degree. She’s got childhood issues and mommy issues that make her a commitment phobe. Now she’s found passion in the idea of flipping a house badly in need of renovation, but ding-ding-ding: those TV shows lied on how easy everything was to get done. A call to her best friend ends up with said friend’s brother, a sexy contractor, stepping in to help. Enter Jackson (drum roll). I liked this character. He’s patient, putting up with a lot from Ivy (there’s a lot of hot and cold coming from this woman toward him). They’ve got some history. Overall, I liked how their relationship unfolded.
Profile Image for Heather 123.
954 reviews7 followers
November 13, 2017
Eh...this book was just okay for me. I admit there were parts I skimmed because they were just drawn out and boring. Overall the story wasn't bad; a cute story about how a girl who fears commitment falls for her best friend's brother.

As I said some parts were drawn out, paragraph after paragraph of internal dialogue where Ivy recounts her past over and over again. Since she had known Jackson for years he obviously knew much of this which is why the author didn't have you learn of her past through dialogue between the two characters. That said, this was an incredibly boring way to read about it.

It had potential...unfortunately it fell short for me.
Profile Image for KDRBCK.
7,379 reviews67 followers
October 5, 2017
Nailed It by Cindi Madsen is a standalone romance novel.
Meet Ivy Clarke. She works as bartender and has serious commitment issues. When her childhood refuge is about to be sold, she proposes to flip the house. Thanks to HGTV she feels equipped to do so. But then she sees she´s way over her haed in this and she needs help. Help from Jackson Gamble, her nemesis. They can´t be in each others company without slinging insults, bicker, banter and playing pranks on each other.
Jackson wants a forever and the white picked fence with her. She fights that tooth and nail.
Nailed it is a beautifully thought out, beautifully written and beautifully told story. I love the writing, the words and tha characters.

Favorite Quote : " Every heart can be ready for a little rehabilitation. "
I recommend the book and give 5 stars. Thank you, Cindi Madsen !
Profile Image for Isha Coleman.
8,929 reviews172 followers
October 22, 2017
Nailed It by Cindi Madsen  
I have an affinity for cheeky and entertaining.  Cindi Madsen hit the nail on the head (pun intended) with Ivy and Jackson.  Nailed It combines two of my worst addictions: HGTV and hilarious, steamy, heartwarming romance to create an irresistibly tempting renovation of the heart.  The ultimate fixer upper has arrived and left a lasting impression on my heart.
Profile Image for Maddy's Reading.
437 reviews2 followers
October 25, 2017
#bestFriendsBrother #iLoveJackson #BlackWidow #CherryCoke #ManGlitter

“I’d tried everything to stop it, but he’d ignored my super-reinforced walls and had me breaking all my rules”

“I’ve never felt the way I feel when I’m with Jackson, and yes, I am a better, happier person with him.”

“Would you rather be right, or would you rather be in love?”

“You and me? We’re not a risk, babe.”
“We’re a sure bet.”

Review to follow
ARC generously provided by the author in exchange of an honest review
Profile Image for Nicki.
610 reviews20 followers
October 8, 2017
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Having been in a bit of a contemporary romance rut, this book was a godsend. Ivy was an awesome main character. She was funny, fiercely independent, and endearingly jaded. Her journey from a commitment adverse cynic to someone who maybe-sorta-kinda loves someone was compelling and sweet. Her relationship with Jackson was not only adorable, but believable and healthy. I really enjoyed this, and am already looking into the rest of the author's books.

4.5/5
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