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mcdubsreads's review
5.0
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I read the synopsis and decided to give it a chance. I am so glad I did. This is the third book in Lex Martin’s Dearest Series. I have not read the first two books and was able to follow the story. This is a beautifully written story that has perfect flow and pace; never a dull moment. I flew through the book so quickly because of two reasons; one the writing for the reasons mentioned before and two the characters. They were relatable and entertaining.
Daren and Madeline are two people who have been hurt and have hurt. These past experiences create fears within them that make them reluctant to start a new relationship. Feeling that their best option was to be “friends with benefits” sounded perfect until their feelings for each other grew.
I loved the pace in which their relationship and feelings for each other grew. As a reader you weren’t left waiting for something to happen or impatient for someone to make the first move. It all happened at the right pace.
Madeline was the right combination of strength and vulnerability while Daren was the right combination of alpha and softness. He always knew when and when not to push Madeline. And I can’t write this review without mentioning how hot the sex was between these two. Good Lord was it hot!! Grab a fan you’re going to need it.
If you are looking for a book that you will not be able to put down with heat and humor, this one is it.
Daren and Madeline are two people who have been hurt and have hurt. These past experiences create fears within them that make them reluctant to start a new relationship. Feeling that their best option was to be “friends with benefits” sounded perfect until their feelings for each other grew.
I loved the pace in which their relationship and feelings for each other grew. As a reader you weren’t left waiting for something to happen or impatient for someone to make the first move. It all happened at the right pace.
Madeline was the right combination of strength and vulnerability while Daren was the right combination of alpha and softness. He always knew when and when not to push Madeline. And I can’t write this review without mentioning how hot the sex was between these two. Good Lord was it hot!! Grab a fan you’re going to need it.
If you are looking for a book that you will not be able to put down with heat and humor, this one is it.
irmathebookwhisperer's review
4.0
Beautiful ending of beautiful series. I enjoyed reading it. The caracters are all so likeable and sweet. Awesome! I can't wait to read more books by this author.
arden19's review
3.0
Dearest Clementine was so good I was looking forward to this one. I admit, I read reviews of the second book and made the decision to skip it, but the reviews made this one sound so much better. I was disappointed. The "friends with benefits" story line is so dumb. I don't think it works the way authors think it does, with all the ground rules, monogamy, etc. The characters are in a relationship by the time all is said and done. No matter how they want to spin it, they're dating. Pure and simple. That's why I hate this type of story line so much. The way the relationship with Clementine was handled was so much better. I liked that. A lot. But this one, not so much. The twist at the end was good, because of course it's the part where they have the realization that they love each other. I just want to scream, DUH! when that light bulb goes off. Because seriously, duh. I know it's a romance, and I know there's usually a HEA, but I'd like a little more meat with story. Maybe it's time for a genre change for me.
sarahluvsromance_1201's review
4.0
This audio was probably my fave of the series. Loved the plot and characters
lindsay_co2bl's review
5.0
Kissing Madeline…I’ve read the two previous books by Lex Martin and loved both of them. So when I had the opportunity to read this one, I jumped at it. I’ll be honest and say, from the blurb alone, I couldn’t recall either character name from the previous books. It wasn’t until I was a few chapters into this book that I realized that Daren was Clem’s ex and Madeline was the college reporter that interviewed Clem toward the end of her book. I’ll admit that I lost a little steam there. I wasn’t a huge fan of Daren (I hold grudges against fictional characters) and even though he stepped up and helped Clem and they made nice and it was all water under the bridge for them, I wasn’t sold on him. But…
…I quickly fell for him. There was so much more to him than just being a jock. And I loved how he loved Maddie. Even when they were just “friends with benefits”, he didn’t look at another girl. He was all about her. While I don’t condone cheating (and FYI: there wasn’t any in this book), it was nice to know his side of what happened with Clem. I fully expected his ex to show up and cause trouble but she didn’t.
I also really liked Maddie. She seemed so real and it was easy to feel for her. She was just coming out of a bad break up and my biggest complaint about that was the lack of confrontation with the guy and the chick he was caught cheating with. I wanted more from that! But…beyond that, I loved her story. I never felt like she was being stupid about her relationship with Daren. Yes, they kept the relationship quiet because she was afraid of losing her job by dating him, but she had good reason.
I loved them together. Every moment of them was just pure perfection. I loved their chemistry, I loved their banter and I loved their history. I loved finding out that they had met back in high school and that he asked her out. That was beyond sweet.
There was a little suspense/mystery/scandal element to the book (it was a long build with little hints that it was coming) and I totally called it. But when the scandal broke, I loved how Daren stood by Maddie.
As much as I liked the previous two books in this series, I have to say that this was hands down my favorite. I don’t know if the author plans to continue the series with more characters/friends but if not, there was a very nice ending showing where each couple is a few years down the road.
…I quickly fell for him. There was so much more to him than just being a jock. And I loved how he loved Maddie. Even when they were just “friends with benefits”, he didn’t look at another girl. He was all about her. While I don’t condone cheating (and FYI: there wasn’t any in this book), it was nice to know his side of what happened with Clem. I fully expected his ex to show up and cause trouble but she didn’t.
I also really liked Maddie. She seemed so real and it was easy to feel for her. She was just coming out of a bad break up and my biggest complaint about that was the lack of confrontation with the guy and the chick he was caught cheating with. I wanted more from that! But…beyond that, I loved her story. I never felt like she was being stupid about her relationship with Daren. Yes, they kept the relationship quiet because she was afraid of losing her job by dating him, but she had good reason.
I loved them together. Every moment of them was just pure perfection. I loved their chemistry, I loved their banter and I loved their history. I loved finding out that they had met back in high school and that he asked her out. That was beyond sweet.
There was a little suspense/mystery/scandal element to the book (it was a long build with little hints that it was coming) and I totally called it. But when the scandal broke, I loved how Daren stood by Maddie.
As much as I liked the previous two books in this series, I have to say that this was hands down my favorite. I don’t know if the author plans to continue the series with more characters/friends but if not, there was a very nice ending showing where each couple is a few years down the road.
amybosica's review
5.0
“Everyone has baggage, Daren.”….It’s learning not to make the same mistakes that matters”
Lex Martin has done it again! I am giddy, happy and just so excited! Kissing Madeline was such a fantastic read. I have been waiting for Daren’s story for a long time. His character has grown so much since we first met him in Dearest Clementine.
Kissing Madeline is Maddie and Daren’s story. After Maddie catches her boyfriend in a compromising situation, she vows to never date another athlete again. Her career is now her primary focus. Sounds good, right? What she didn’t plan on was her new neighbor Daren…. Daren has worked hard to make it as a pro football player. He lives, breathes and exists for football. He doesn’t do relationships. That is until the girl next door gets under his skin. Now his thoughts are no longer consumed with football. He has Maddie on his mind all the time…… What starts out as just friends friends with benefits, quickly turns into something more. But, being in the spotlight isn’t easy. Will Daren and Maddie be able to handle the pressures of their jobs, but also being in a real relationship?
I loved everything about Kissing Madeline. As soon as I read the synopsis for this story, I knew it was going to be a good one, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. This story starts off with one heck of a bang. I was hooked from that instant and had to read more. I was captivated and did not want to put this book down! I loved Daren and Maddie together. They shared such excellent chemistry and balanced one another perfectly. Maddie was just the woman that Daren needed. Someone who understood just how important his career was and didn’t crucify him over mistakes he made as a younger man. And Daren, he loved and supported Maddie, even when he was in denial about the way he felt. I was in awe of his strength and love, especially towards the end. Read it, you’ll understand!
Kissing Madeline was everything that I wanted and more. I laughed, I swooned, fell in love and even had some tears in my eyes. This story also had some great twists. I had a few ideas about who was behind the things that were going on and loved watching how it all played out! By the time, I got to the end of the story, I had the biggest smile on my face. This story had the best possible ending and wraps up the series as a whole in the best possible way. I know this book says that you can read it as a stand-alone, and you totally can. But, if you have the time, I would recommend that you read the first two books, just for maximum impact. I have been a huge fan of Lex Martin and the Dearest series, since I first read Dearest Clementine. I can not recommend this series enough. If you’ve been thinking about reading this series, this is one that should not be missed.
* I received an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*
Lex Martin has done it again! I am giddy, happy and just so excited! Kissing Madeline was such a fantastic read. I have been waiting for Daren’s story for a long time. His character has grown so much since we first met him in Dearest Clementine.
Kissing Madeline is Maddie and Daren’s story. After Maddie catches her boyfriend in a compromising situation, she vows to never date another athlete again. Her career is now her primary focus. Sounds good, right? What she didn’t plan on was her new neighbor Daren…. Daren has worked hard to make it as a pro football player. He lives, breathes and exists for football. He doesn’t do relationships. That is until the girl next door gets under his skin. Now his thoughts are no longer consumed with football. He has Maddie on his mind all the time…… What starts out as just friends friends with benefits, quickly turns into something more. But, being in the spotlight isn’t easy. Will Daren and Maddie be able to handle the pressures of their jobs, but also being in a real relationship?
I loved everything about Kissing Madeline. As soon as I read the synopsis for this story, I knew it was going to be a good one, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. This story starts off with one heck of a bang. I was hooked from that instant and had to read more. I was captivated and did not want to put this book down! I loved Daren and Maddie together. They shared such excellent chemistry and balanced one another perfectly. Maddie was just the woman that Daren needed. Someone who understood just how important his career was and didn’t crucify him over mistakes he made as a younger man. And Daren, he loved and supported Maddie, even when he was in denial about the way he felt. I was in awe of his strength and love, especially towards the end. Read it, you’ll understand!
Kissing Madeline was everything that I wanted and more. I laughed, I swooned, fell in love and even had some tears in my eyes. This story also had some great twists. I had a few ideas about who was behind the things that were going on and loved watching how it all played out! By the time, I got to the end of the story, I had the biggest smile on my face. This story had the best possible ending and wraps up the series as a whole in the best possible way. I know this book says that you can read it as a stand-alone, and you totally can. But, if you have the time, I would recommend that you read the first two books, just for maximum impact. I have been a huge fan of Lex Martin and the Dearest series, since I first read Dearest Clementine. I can not recommend this series enough. If you’ve been thinking about reading this series, this is one that should not be missed.
* I received an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*
nzhouey's review
4.0
The ending for this one was a little unrealistic in my opinion in terms of Dani. I saw it from a mile away though regarding the big plot line.