Cover Image: The Wedding Deal

The Wedding Deal

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Member Reviews

Charlotte and Lance are as opposite as opposites can be. She's a stickler for rules and Lance looks for every loophole. So of course when Lance takes over managing a NFL team that has been struggling to stay on the field he has to make HUGE changes and he's not willing to be gentle about it. Charlotte is the HR manager and it's her job to listen, hold hands and put out fires. Only Lance is starting up fires faster than she can put out. But once he realises he needs her on his side Lance is willing to go above and beyond, including taking her on a 'work trip' as he attending his brother's wedding festivities. SO Charlotte pulls out her forms and he signs anything he needs to, to keep her by his side and his family and co-workers off his back. He just didn't realises that he's signed up for more than he bargained for.

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The Wedding Deal is the first book in a brand new series called Heart in the Game by Cindi Madsen. The first book is focused on Lance, the team's new owner, and Charlotte the HR manager. Lance recently inherited the team from his grandpa and he is trying to find the right combination of people in order to create a winning team and bring it back to its former glory. That's why he fired so many people and is making Charlotte crazy.

I loved Charlotte's character. There was something about her insistence on having everything in paper that spoke to my inner micromanager. She was kinda anal about it, but I liked it. Lance is a good man despite him firing a lot of people. He knew when he made mistakes and he tried to fix them, which is a good quality for someone to have.

While I was reading the book, I was wishing that it will be a part of a series and I am very happy to see that the author plans to write more books. I want to see how the team will fair once the season begins and if they are going to win the superball. Some secondary characters spoke to me and I want to read their stories.

Overall, The wedding good was a good book and I enjoyed it a lot. The pace was good and there was chemistry between Lance and Charlotte. They were a nice couple and I look forward to seeing them in the upcoming books.

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Having read Until We're More I knew I would enjoy the read. Especially after reading the blurb about a stick-to-the-rules-girl, who isn't afraid to yell at her hot-as-sin-boss. Yeah, my kind of story. And indeed: Charlotte is the HR manager of a football team and good at her job. Unfortunately however, her boss has just died and his grandson, the famous ex-quarterback Lance Quaid is now in charge. And after just a few hours he has already fired a whole bunch of her co-workers. Off course without following procedures or filling in forms.
So now it is up to her to tell him no. So, Charlotte marches in to yell at him, only to discover that he may have a point. But now he needs Charlotte to save his ass.
But since his brother is getting married, he has to fly across the nation to get to the wedding. With so much to do and without a date, he decides to combine his problems: if Charlotte comes to his brothers wedding, they can continue to work together and it will keep his mother of his back.
But when sparks are flying, how can they keep a good working relationship? After all: romance at work is a big no-no according to the personnel handbook... And Charlotte always sticks to the rules...
Funny and cute, four out of five stars from me and hopefully awaiting a next story in the series. Thank you Netgalley for providing the arc.

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What guy, especially a former quarterback, wouldn't be thrilled to learn they'd inherited a football team? It's like a dream come true, right? Well, not if they happen to be the worst team in the NFL. With the draft in a few weeks, Lance's opportunity to turn it around is tight, and firing the majority of the staff doesn't help, but he knows it's what needed to be done. Thank goodness he still has Charlotte, his HR manager. Of course, she seems to like yelling at him, and for some reason he finds that unbelievably sexy.

Charlotte has made it a rule to follow the rules, that's how closely she sticks to the book, but Lance is the outlier for any rule ever made. He's outspoken, has never heard of a filter, and believes in NOT following the rules. Oh yeah, and he's now her boss. What that means is she's quite busy covering his butt, albeit it's a sexy one, but it can be exhausting.

When Lance asks, in a purely professional manner, for her to join him for his brother's wedding, despite the fact they do talk business, she begins to see a different side of him, one that's just as appealing as the other. As things come together regarding the team, it's quite obvious they want to as well, but mixing business with pleasure hardly ever works out, right? Okay, what if the weekend is just a trial run, or a sample of what they could have to say they tried? Or...they discover they've found their soulmate and don't know what to do next.

One-click now and follow along as two people, seemingly complete opposites, realize that's part of the appeal.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.**

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The Wedding Deal combines sports romance with office romance and a touch of hate to love you! Combine one former QB with no filter with one prim and proper HR rep and you have a situation bound to create trouble. Oh, and the team? Yeah, they are the worst in the league. Dead last. The story is an easy read so if you need something light and fun, this is a good pick!

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The Wedding Deal is a fabulous read. If you love romcom's, sport and office romance then this one is for you. Charlotte is adorable. I love her by the books way. She is just amazing when it comes down to her knowledge of football. I love how she keeps her Lance in check as they work together. Lance may be an ex quarterback but he is trying everything he can to rebuild his family team. Lance is a little broken and not to quick to trust. He is doing everything he can to get his team back to the top. You can just feel the chemistry between Lance and Charlotte grow as they make their business/Lance's brother wedding week trip. I love Lance's family and the giggle moments that follow. Charlotte and Lance fit together so well. You will have some swoon worthy moments, giggle moments and possibly a little pass the tissue moment too. I can't wait for more books to come. This is a need to one click book. You will just love Lance and Charlotte so much.

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Lance Quaid the former NFL quarterback is now the owner of a football team that he must quickly turn around.. I thought it was a great idea to have a romance involving the team owner.. I also loved the behind the scenes of building a team.. Draft day was definitely my favorite scene. Charlotte James is the head of Human Resources, and is tasked with explaining that human resources side to the new owner.
Things are not great between the two at he beginning of the story. But Lance needs help and discovers that Charlotte is great with football statistics. Eventually, the two become attracted to one another, and I loved the fact that Lance wanted Charlotte to make the decision of moving forward. .
The romance was fun. The dialogue was great. .

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The Wedding Deal is a fun sports romance by Cindi Madsen. Even if you do not enjoy football I think you will love the passion the two of them have for the game and trying to build a new team. I thoroughly enjoyed the scenes where they were talking players while using the white board and post it notes. You get caught up in their enthusiasm.

Charlotte is a wonderfully likable character. She is the HR Director for her favorite football team which just got a new owner. Do you see the trouble coming? She comes with some personal baggage between her father and the guys she has dated. She is such a rule follower it is hilarious.

Lance is the new owner after his grandfather passes away. He was once a star quarter back. The opening scenes with him and Charlotte and then him and the team were extremely entertaining.
In addition, the scenes with him and his family were precious. I loved his mother and her interactions with her family and Charlotte.
Chemistry throughout the book.
Sexual content - 3 only a couple of scenes but they were well documented. chemistry throughout the book,
drinking 2- drinking whiskey, and bachelor and bachelorette parties
Language - yes and he gets in trouble for it quite often from his HR lady .

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Fun, quick, entertaining read!

The Wedding Deal by Cindi Madsen is a fun, quick read. The banter between the main characters is so entertaining! I did not want to put this book down! I think if you like romcoms, you can’t go wrong with this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book and I am providing my honest review.

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What a great love story! Light-hearted, humorous, and a heroine with just enough sass to knock a smokin' hot former quarterback now NFL team owner to his knees. Did I mention he's her boss? After Lance fires more than half of the Mustangs staff, Charlotte scrambles to help him rebuild the team before the new season begins. Lance soon realizes just how valuable she is with her insight of players coaches, stats of every player in the league, and exactly who would be the perfect fit for the team. While on a week long trip to his brother's weddding, Charlotte and Lance discover how attracted they are to one another but is Charlotte willing to cross that line with her boss? Will her hormones really give her a choice? I loved reading Charlotte and Lance's story and look forward to the next in the series. Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

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3.5 stars

The Wedding Deal by Cindi Madsen is a well written and entertaining read.

I enjoyed the storyline, it held my interest from start to end and I enjoyed watching Charlotte and Lance come together.

Overall, The Wedding Deal is a sweet, fun and entertaining read that I highly recommend.

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advance copy.*

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Football, romance, and Cindi Madsen add up to a winning combination!

I love Cindi's writing style and so I was excited when I saw she was writing a sports romance based around a football team. I knew I would like it, but The Wedding Deal is one of my favorite books this year.

Charlotte is smart, talented, and knows her football. She is Director of HR for the Mustangs and Lance is her new boss.

After his grandfather passed away, Lance took over the team and is ready to make some big changes to improve on their losing record from the previous season.

The chemistry between them is perfect and I loved their banter. The pop culture references and jokes Charlotte makes are hilarious, and even funnier when Lance doesn't understand them. My favorite thing about them though is that they are good people with big hearts who support each other and want the team to do well.

The story takes place over the week of Lance's brother's wedding and the pacing of the plot was perfect. It didn't feel like their working relationship to friendship to more was rushed or forced.

I really hope there is more Mustangs football books to come!

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This was my second Cindi Madsen book and it has reinforced that I should have started reading her a long time ago. This book was more contemporary compared to the NA I first read and this book has caused me to seek out more contemporary reads. This book’s sports elements were awesome. Madsen chose to focus on a new owner and his head of HR and I ate it up. This along with Madsen’s distinct humor she has cultivated it was sure to resonate with. Honestly, I feel like this book was made for me.

Charlotte has a sexy librarian vibe despite that being the furthest thing from her mind. Her rule following and moral compass are admirable and frustrating in the same breath which of course makes for some fun sexual tension.

Lance had me in his pocket from the start. His unbridled passion to turn the team around was HOT. Add his adoration for his family and I am already a swooning mess. I love a hero that wants to do everything 110 percent and Lance embodies that. Plus he gives excellent retorts making the banter utter perfection.

I really liked Madsen’s first book but I LOVED this one. This book was the perfect mix of hot, funny, and sweet.

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3.5 stars--THE WEDDING DEAL is the first instalment in Cindi Madsen’s contemporary, adult HEART IN THE GAME romance series. This is former NFL quarterback and team owner Lance Quaid, and HR manager Charlotte James’ story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Lance and Charlotte) THE WEDDING DEAL follows the building but forbidden relationship between the former NFL quarterback and San Antonio Mustangs’ owner Lance Quaid, and the team’s HR manager Charlotte James. Upon the recent death of his beloved grandfather Lance Quaid inherited the struggling NFL San Antonio Mustangs. Already at the end of his rope Lance fires the majority of the team executive and coaches but retains his feisty HR manager Charlotte James. Lance and Charlotte must pull together in an effort to reorganize and recruit for the upcoming season but Lance’s brother’s wedding throws a kink into their tight schedule. Needing a plus one to keep his mother off his back, Lance invites Charlotte to Nag’s Head, North Carolina where their search for a new executive and quarterback continues. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Lance and Charlotte, and the potential fall-out as Lance’s issues of trust come to a head with the reveal of team secrets and Charlotte’s past.

Charlotte James has a head for statistics; a mind for numbers and in this she is a stickler for rules and regulations, so much so that her relationship with Lance is directly affected by her need to recite and follow the rules. Lance Quaid struggles between head and heart knowing to get involved with a member of his staff could bring about another round of publicity that will affect negatively against himself and the team.

The relationship between Lance and Charlotte begins acrimoniously as Charlotte continues to speak her mind. A case of instant attraction tempered by Charlotte’s almost obsessive-like quality to quote and obey the rules, Lance battles his need for a woman whose secrets are about to be revealed. The $ex scenes are passionate but limited, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Charlotte’s friend and roommate Shannon, and Lance’s large extended family including his parents Maribelle and Chuck, brother Mitch and fiancee Stacey, and her bridesmaids Grace and Bridget; sister Taylor and husband Scott, nephews Aaron and Austin, as well as an assortment of prospective team members and executive.

The world building focuses on the game of football- behind the scenes as our leading couple struggle to rebuild a team that has fallen below expectations. There is plenty of rules and regulations, legalese and statistics as Charlotte is not above laying down the law and offering her opinion.

THE WEDDING DEAL is a story of family, friendship, betrayal and trust. The premise is engaging; the romance is flirty and fun; the characters are sexy and sassy but I did have an issue with the frenetic change in third person perspectives so much so that I had to re-read several passages in order to clarify which point of view was presented.

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The Wedding Deal is such a fun book to read. To be honest, I haven't read a lot of football romances (I mostly read hockey ones), but this was a great one to start with!

Charlotte has been working for the Mustangs for seven years now and is good at what she does. When it comes to her work the rules and paperwork are very important. Even if that means she needs to put her new boss in his place.

Lance just took over his grandfather's football team after he passed away. When an injury cost him his own career, being able to do something this great so young wasn't something he ever expected. So much has to happen in the weeks before drafting, he doesn't have time for people not doing their jobs or falling in love. It seemed like a good idea to take Charlotte on a trip with him to his brother's wedding. So much had to be done, there was no time to waste.

Even though I knew how this story played out once Lance asked Charlotte to go on the trip with him, The Wedding Deal was so much fun to read. One thing I loved was that even though this is a romance, a lot was explained when it came to putting together a team and getting ready for a draft. I may not be the biggest sports fan, but I was actually really interested to read about this. The author balanced romance and sports really well! It was nice that the book wasn't only about the romance between the two main characters.

Charlotte is good at keeping track of statistics and having a father who is a football coach (even though that's complicated), she knows a lot about sports. Being a woman in this world isn't always easy. Not many men will listen to her opinion, so when Lance asks for it, she feels good about herself. It was nice to see the female lead be invested in the sports side of the story as well. Just because it's mostly a man's sport, doesn't mean that women don't know what they're talking about. In The Wedding Deal she really learns to let loose and not always let the rules lead the way.

Lance knows a lot is riding on this draft day. This team hasn't had many wins and he wants to change that! He's under a lot of pressure and doesn't see romance as an option. Like Charlotte, he notices an attraction, but knows he can't do anything about it. Lance needs to learn to control his temper at times, but he is a hard worker. He will work for his goals.

It was a lot of fun watching the attraction between Charlotte and Lance grow and play out. In many ways they both deserved a happily ever after. Both of them didn't have the best track record when it comes to dating, so there are a lot of obstacles to get over. While part of me things the drama near the end was a bit much, I loved the grand gesture at the end! I am a sucker for those, haha.

Besides the romance and sports, Lance's family is so much fun to read about. I loved that the author included different family and wedding events. I wouldn't mind taking a trip to the coast and stay at the beach they were at! Sounds like the perfect place to relax!

If you're looking for a book filled with amazing characters, humor, sports, romance and some steamy moments definitely pick up The Wedding Deal!

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This book was so much fun! The perfect combination of rom-com with a few serious undertones to balance everything out. It's a quick and light read, that had me turning pages almost non-stop.

I absolutely ADORED Charlotte. Smart, funny, nerdy, and competent, she put Lance in his place from day one and kept him on his toes every day after.

Lance was a well-rounded character as well, coming from humble beginnings. And I liked how he listened to and respected Charlotte, even when he was teasing her about all the rules.

Yes, some parts were predictable. It's a romance, so it's rare to find a completely fresh idea. But Madsen's handling of these tropes was clever and enjoyable. I would have liked a stronger example of Lance realising his error at the end, but it did not detract from the quality of this book.

Dialogue, characters, pop culture references ... all spot on. (One reference to the "leather packet" of a condom notwithstanding.) Funny moments, heartfelt moments, edge of your seat moments all combine to make this a true delight. I can hardly wait for the next in the series!

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what happens when you need to fire your entire front office, you've just taken charge of the losingest team in the nfl, your hr rep is hot, and your mom insists you bring a plus one to your brother's wedding, which happens to take place two weeks before the draft that will determine the future of your recently inherited football team?

if you've had these questions, the wedding deal is here to answer them. and let's not discount the sparks that will fly while answering said questions. because even as charlotte has lance filling out every form possible in the hr handbook, there's a sexual chemistry between them that is both inevitable and undeniable.

the back-and-forth between these two is just as enjoyable as all the kissing.

**the wedding deal will publish on march 25, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (amara) in exchange for my honest review.

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This was an okay read for me. I had a difficult time liking Charlotte, all she talked about was going by the book, quoting the sections of the employee manual, just got to boring and repetitive. I liked Lance and his family though. Cocky yes, but just liked his character way more than Charlotte. loved the dynamics when the employee manual wasn't front and center, and being a football fan also, loved that she was able to pull stats out so quickly. Things got better once they started heating up, but overall, just okay.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book

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I have enjoyed many Cindi Madsen YA titles in the past, so when I saw she had a sports romance book coming out, I couldn't wait to read it. I found it to be so funny with fantastic banter, and SO SWEET! I loved the chemistry between Lance and Charlotte, and since I married a college football player, I always enjoy a sport-heavy story. And Madsen definitely knows her football! It was fun to read about what happens behind the scenes during the draft.

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Perfect.....I was a goner. You know that feeling you have when you’re caught by a great story, and all you can think about is getting back to the story and it staying with even after you have finished reading it?......Let me tell you, that is what this book did for me and more. Definitely a must read and one of my top favourites of 2019. Can’t see this not being in the top 10 books I’ll read of 2019, that’s how fantastic this book really was. Totally deserves more than the 5 stars that I can give. Well done Cindi Madsen and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

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