A relationship based on lies changes drastically on a road trip where two people find a connection they never expected to find. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Counterfeit Boyfriend by Cindi Madsen, along with my impressions of it, then add it to your bookshelf. In honor of this fun and flirty standalone romance make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a mystery book bag along with a signed book from the author too!
My twin brother’s talked me into a lot of crazy things, but taking his place on a road trip with his girlfriend so he can party with his friends is a whole new level of insanity. What’s even more insane is I somehow find myself agreeing to it—thanks, alcohol, guilt, and bribery. I’m determined to undo the arrangement, but then I meet Gwen, this sexy redheaded hurricane of energy and brains.
And then she kisses me. Just like that, I’m driving her up the coast, on our way to a wedding with a mess of complications. With each hour and each stop, I’m falling harder and harder for a woman who doesn’t know my actual name.
I’m trying to do the right thing. Or the lesser of the wrong things. All my life I’ve had to clean up my brother’s messes, but for the first time ever, I’ve landed the upper hand in one of our switcheroo schemes. Now I’ve just got to come clean and convince Gwen that I’m the brother she should be with.
BUY AT AMAZON here.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Some romances you read for the gut-punching emotions, while some you read for the shear enjoyment of it. This book is exactly that...fun and flirty and a story that requires a suspension of believability to fully appreciate it. This is the kind of book that you read to escape by enjoying the characters and their banter. It ultimately makes for an entertaining journey, if not a memorable one, that kept me in a happy daze from the first page to the last.
Ethan and his twin brother Evan would often trade places as children to fool others for fun, but as adults the idea doesn’t seem quite so harmless. Evan though thinks it’s the perfect idea as he has plans with friends and doesn’t want to attend a wedding with the girlfriend he’s ready to dump. While Ethan has reservations about taking a road trip with Evan’s soon-to-be ex, the moment he meets Gwen his concerns vanish in the face of his instant attraction to the bubbly redhead. As the miles tick by his heart becomes more and more invested. Guilt too becomes unrelenting as Ethan longs to tell her the truth but doesn’t want to jeopardize their growing connection. It eventually all comes to a head, all the lies and all the truths about how the two of them feel, in a conclusion that reminds readers why Ethan’s the more responsible and more swoon-worthy of the two brothers as he boldly won over Gwen all on his own. Ethan’s always been the honorable one, the brother to work hard and make his parents proud. He’s loyal and caring and I enjoyed seeing his protective side come out when he was around Gwen. Whereas Evan is a carefree and fun loving playboy, Ethan’s romantic and longing to find real love and HEA and is clearly the perfect match for Gwen. Though I hated his lying to Gwen for so long I could forgive him as he too hated lying and beat himself up about it which was an admirable quality that had me rooting for them to reach HEA.
Gwen’s an immensely likable heroine, the kind you can see yourself hanging out with. She’s bubbly, outgoing, with a positive outlook despite being betrayed by her ex-friend and ex-boyfriend. While she enjoyed hanging out with Evan at first it quickly became clear that something was missing between them. Getting ready for her road trip though has her rethinking dumping Evan as she wants some sexy eye candy as armor for when she goes home to deal with those who betrayed her. She notices many differences surrounding her travel buddy, an unrelenting attraction that wasn’t there before. While she was holding back before, she now can’t help the naughty thoughts running through her head in interactions that were fun and flirty. As their trip progresses she gets deeper insight into her travel mate, discovers more to love, in scenes that felt like unending foreplay. I was charmed by their banter and each sensual word and deed that brought them closer together. Once she discovered the truth though it was a heartbreaking moment that ultimately led to a richly rewarding conclusion courtesy of the stand up hero. Through it all Gwen remained strong, forgiving towards those who did her wrong in the past to make a HEA with Ethan.
From the first page to the last this was an entertaining story with appealing characters. Ethan and Gwen were charming together and I was rooting them on every step of the way. Twin brothers Ethan and Evan were very different with Ethan the good guy you can always count on and Evan the slacker who cares only about himself. Ethan is an adult with his future laid out before him while Evan needs to grow up before I’d be willing to see him in a heroic light in his own book. Gwen has her own memorable interactions with others that define her character too. She’s been hurt by people close to her in the past which is why Ethan’s lies were so heartbreaking. Her ex-friend and ex-boyfriend committed the ultimate betrayal and it speaks volumes about Gwen’s kind heart that she forgave all in the end. Her interactions with her lifelong friend Tori were full of playfulness that brought a smile to my face too and have me longing to get to know more about the feisty friend. Despite the bright spots there were a few things that happened in this book that felt implausible and frustrating. An incident involving an allergic reaction was silly (and dangerous really) while the overall lie being told by Ethan was hurtful considering Gwen’s past. While these acts dimmed my enjoyment a bit, Ms. Madsen’s sweet characters and sensual interactions made it easier to put aside my issues and just enjoy this story for what it was...an entertaining road trip with a cheer-worthy romance.
Ethan and his twin brother Evan would often trade places as children to fool others for fun, but as adults the idea doesn’t seem quite so harmless. Evan though thinks it’s the perfect idea as he has plans with friends and doesn’t want to attend a wedding with the girlfriend he’s ready to dump. While Ethan has reservations about taking a road trip with Evan’s soon-to-be ex, the moment he meets Gwen his concerns vanish in the face of his instant attraction to the bubbly redhead. As the miles tick by his heart becomes more and more invested. Guilt too becomes unrelenting as Ethan longs to tell her the truth but doesn’t want to jeopardize their growing connection. It eventually all comes to a head, all the lies and all the truths about how the two of them feel, in a conclusion that reminds readers why Ethan’s the more responsible and more swoon-worthy of the two brothers as he boldly won over Gwen all on his own. Ethan’s always been the honorable one, the brother to work hard and make his parents proud. He’s loyal and caring and I enjoyed seeing his protective side come out when he was around Gwen. Whereas Evan is a carefree and fun loving playboy, Ethan’s romantic and longing to find real love and HEA and is clearly the perfect match for Gwen. Though I hated his lying to Gwen for so long I could forgive him as he too hated lying and beat himself up about it which was an admirable quality that had me rooting for them to reach HEA.
Gwen’s an immensely likable heroine, the kind you can see yourself hanging out with. She’s bubbly, outgoing, with a positive outlook despite being betrayed by her ex-friend and ex-boyfriend. While she enjoyed hanging out with Evan at first it quickly became clear that something was missing between them. Getting ready for her road trip though has her rethinking dumping Evan as she wants some sexy eye candy as armor for when she goes home to deal with those who betrayed her. She notices many differences surrounding her travel buddy, an unrelenting attraction that wasn’t there before. While she was holding back before, she now can’t help the naughty thoughts running through her head in interactions that were fun and flirty. As their trip progresses she gets deeper insight into her travel mate, discovers more to love, in scenes that felt like unending foreplay. I was charmed by their banter and each sensual word and deed that brought them closer together. Once she discovered the truth though it was a heartbreaking moment that ultimately led to a richly rewarding conclusion courtesy of the stand up hero. Through it all Gwen remained strong, forgiving towards those who did her wrong in the past to make a HEA with Ethan.
From the first page to the last this was an entertaining story with appealing characters. Ethan and Gwen were charming together and I was rooting them on every step of the way. Twin brothers Ethan and Evan were very different with Ethan the good guy you can always count on and Evan the slacker who cares only about himself. Ethan is an adult with his future laid out before him while Evan needs to grow up before I’d be willing to see him in a heroic light in his own book. Gwen has her own memorable interactions with others that define her character too. She’s been hurt by people close to her in the past which is why Ethan’s lies were so heartbreaking. Her ex-friend and ex-boyfriend committed the ultimate betrayal and it speaks volumes about Gwen’s kind heart that she forgave all in the end. Her interactions with her lifelong friend Tori were full of playfulness that brought a smile to my face too and have me longing to get to know more about the feisty friend. Despite the bright spots there were a few things that happened in this book that felt implausible and frustrating. An incident involving an allergic reaction was silly (and dangerous really) while the overall lie being told by Ethan was hurtful considering Gwen’s past. While these acts dimmed my enjoyment a bit, Ms. Madsen’s sweet characters and sensual interactions made it easier to put aside my issues and just enjoy this story for what it was...an entertaining road trip with a cheer-worthy romance.
My rating for this is a B-
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Cindi Madsen is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and young adult novels. She sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting, revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a pretty new pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music and dancing and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband, three children, and one overly-dramatic tomcat.
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Great review! It sounds like an awesome read.Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteWould love to read this book. Sounds quite entertaining.
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