REVIEW: ACT LIKE YOU LOVE ME (ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE #2) by CINDI MADSEN

Series: Accidentally in Love #2
Category/Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Entangled Bliss
Publication Date: 6/10/13
Format: eARC
Pages: 242
Source: Received from publisher for review

What would you do for a second chance with your first crush?

 Brynn McAdams isn’t the awkward drama geek she was in high school—she’s grown up and confident, or at least she likes to think so. But when her old crush, the impossibly handsome and impossibly unattainable Sawyer Raines, comes back to town to direct her community play, Brynn finds herself determined to be someone other than the girl he doesn’t even recognize. Good thing she’s an excellent actress.

After his bad breakup in NYC, the last thing Sawyer wants is to get involved with another actress. But the glamorous and beautiful Brynn draws him in, even though as her director, he knows she’s off-limits. There’s just something about the woman that feels…familiar. Like home.

As Brynn’s lies start to snowball, she struggles to stop acting and come clean. But what if Sawyer is already falling for the fake Brynn, not the Brynn she truly is?

 

 

Falling for Her Fiance has been a favorite book of mine by Cindi Madsen's, so far. So when I learned that it was going to be the first in The Accidentally in Love series, I was suuuuper happy. Act Like You Love Me is a wonderful follow-up to FfHF, and I would now be hard pressed to say which book is my favorite.

If you've read book one, you might remember Wes's friend Paul (the guy who lent Wes a ring). Act Like You Love Me is about Paul's younger sister Brynn. Brynn is such a endearing and really engaging character. She was a drama geek in high school and was very awkward. Her high school memories are painful, to say the least, but she's made a nice life for herself since. She's developed a style that works for her, runs a business with her brother, and fills her time by performing in plays. But Brynn is still that same girl from high school in ways. She still loves to break out in song, quotes lines from plays into conversation, and often has her head in the clouds. As much as Brynn has moved on, she never quite got over the heartbreak of being shot down by Sawyer Raines. Her new director.

Sawyer Raines left home as soon as he graduated and never wants to settle there again. In fact, he never wants to settle at all. His father's death after a difficult illness left Sawyer with a fear of  love and commitment. So when he comes home temporarily to help his mom, Sawyer is thrown when he meets the sweetest, funniest, most beautiful girl he's ever known, Brynn Sawyer doesn't remember Brynn from high school, or the fact he shot her down. Despite the fact he's leaving town, Sawyer wants to know get to know Brynn, and have a relationship. But he quickly realizes that the more he gets to know her, the harder leaving will be. I have to admit, I was a little worried about Sawyer in the beginning, thinking he would be a huge jerk. Rest assured, because Sawyer was a truly sweet guy, who just needs to realize that it's okay to  take a chance on love.

So you may be wondering, why doesn't Brynn just tell Sawyer who she is? For starters, that's kind of a huge part of the story, so if she had, well, you know... And it should be noted that the play Brynn is in and Sawyer is directing is The Importance of Being Earnest. That is a classic play about mistaken identity and half truths all in the name of love. (I highly recommend the movie adaptation with Colin Firth, Rupert Everett, and Reese Witherspoon.) So it is cool that there are some parallels between the book and the play. But also, when you see how hard high school was for Brynn and how thrown she is about seeing Sawyer again, and that he's actually interested in her, it really makes sense. Plus, who's going to say, "Hey, remember me? The girl you humiliated when I asked you to Prom?" This is a case of self-preservation that snowballs into a huge lie. And you know it's not going to end well, but you just have to hang on for the ride. Most importantly, along the way, Brynn comes to realize that that the "real" her is great just as she is, and only someone who can recognize that deserves her heart.

Bonus points: Wes and Dani are in Act Like You Love Me!

Most readers are lucky enough to find authors who write books that feel like they're written specifically for them. For me, Cindi Madsen is one of those authors. Any time I read one of her books, and this series in particular, I have the best time. Her writing has such charm and quick wit, and it truly makes me happy. That's not to say that humor is all that's going for her writing, because tucked in between the charm and fun is always a thoughtful story. As I was reading, I kept feeling like Act Like You Love Me had a similar tone as one of my favorite movies. About halfway through, it hit me: Never Been Kissed! (And now I'm realizing that movie is due for a re-watch.)

Act Like You Love Me is another great book from Cindi Madsen and Entangled Bliss.


Favorite Quote:

  "You're just...you're like a hurricane. You come in talking a hundred miles an hour, swinging your arms around and saying things like 'living life'. You've gotta hold back when you first meet people. Ease them into the crazy."    ~(Paul to Brynn) eARC, 29%


  "Cute." What every guy dreams of being called by a beautiful woman."
  Tingly warmth wound through her, and she was sure she was grinning like an idiot. "Well, cute and very macho, of course. Drinking grape soda makes you a total non-conformist and gives you that bad-boy edge every girl looks for."  ~eARC, 61%


  "Maybe I didn't see you in high school, Brynn McAdams...but now you're all I see, everywhere I look."

Purchase Act Like You Love Me at:

   

The Accidentally in Love Series

(click on cover for GoodReads page)

My Review of Falling for Her Fiance

Cindi Madsen 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 new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, 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.

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