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 …
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.
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Love this one! I can’t wait to pick up another Cindi Madsen 😀
3.75 stars-COUNTERFEIT BOYFRIEND by Cindi Madsen is a contemporary adult, stand alone romance story line focusing on veterinarian’s assistant Gwen Cosgrave, and attorney Ethan Haynes.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Gwen and Ethan) follows the building relationship between veterinarian’s assistant Gwen Cosgrave, and attorney Ethan Haynes, a relationship built upon a lie. For three months Gwen Cosgrave has been dating businessman Evan Haynes but unbeknownst to Gwen, Evan’s identical twin brother is about to make all of her fantasies come true. With her best friend’s wedding only days away, Gwen struggles with her less than exciting relationship with Evan Haynes but a more animated and romantic ‘Evan’ embarks on a cross country journey with our story line heroine. Enter Ethan Haynes, and the man with whom Gwen will fall in love. What ensues is the twin ‘switcheroo’ romance between Ethan and Gwen, and the fall-out when the truth is revealed.
Evan and Gwen’s relationship was dying a slow dance of death. Neither one felt ‘anything’ beyond friendship and Evan wasn’t willing to endure several days alone with a woman for whom he wasn’t romantically involved. Pushing his twin brother into taking his place, Evan will come to realize that perhaps he has made the biggest mistake of his life.
The relationship between Ethan and Gwen is one of immediate attraction but Gwen senses something different about the man with whom she has been dating for close to three months. His attitude and demeanor are completely different, so much so, that Gwen finds herself falling in love with a man she knows nothing about. The limited $ex scenes are passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
We are introduced to Gwen’s over-protective roommate and best friend Tori, as well as Ethan’s brother Evan. There is definitely some palpable sexual attraction between Tori and Evan, attraction disguised by angry words and condescending remarks.
COUNTERFEIT BOYFRIEND is a sweet story; a sexy and sassy tale between two people caught up in a lie that is about to destroy them both. The premise is entertaining and inspiring; the romance is spirited, playful and tender; the characters are colorful and charismatic. COUNTERFEIT BOYFRIEND is an enjoyable and energetic story.
5 Spectacular Stars!
Review by Nancy
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Inventive, humorous, and profound, Counterfeit Boyfriend by Cindi Madsen is fascinating! When twin brothers Ethan and Evan switch places, we get an incredible story of deceit, love, and lust.
Evan has convinced Ethan to switch places plenty of times, but when he asks Ethan to switch with him and take his girlfriend on a road trip, he knows it’s a horrible idea. He is determined to put a stop to the switch, despite his brother, but then he meets Gwen. The chemistry vibrating of off her was instantaneous. He knew there was no way he was letting this woman down. Ethan is in over his head, he doesn’t realize what he is getting himself into, he has to tell Gwen at some point, but as the days pass, it only gets harder and harder. Falling for his brothers girl is not an option.
Gwen is determined to break up with her boyfriend, before her road trip, even if that means she will be attending a wedding without a date. And then something changes, the morning of her planned breakup, she sees him in a different light, it’s almost like he’s a different person. For months she had been searching for the feeling, the one that told her he could be the one. Then on that morning it hits her like a ton of bricks, thinking it’s a fluke, she decides to test the waters on the road trip. When her boyfriend shows her nothing short of perfection, she can’t help but fall in love. When Gwen figures out why the black and white change, she is devastated. She feels betrayed and deceived.
They say the truth is key, Ethan realizes he made the biggest mistake of his life lying to Gwen. Will the feeling of betrayal be stronger than the love Gwen feels for Ethan?
I loved this book! I was clenching my fists waiting for the climax. Madsen definitely did this book justice. It was well written, the characters were well developed. The connection she created between the two main characters was phenomenal. An absolute must read!
Kind of far fetched, but a fun read if you get past that
I liked it a lot just wish there more to it or a SQL
After reading Until You’re Mine, and falling madly in love with Shane and Brooklyn, I just knew that I had to experience more books by Cindi Madsen. So I jumped heart first into Counterfeit Boyfriend to see if I would love it just as much. It wasn’t long and I was completely smitten with the story and Ethan and Gwen. They took me along for the ride on their carefree road trip where I was ready and impatiently waiting for their romance to explode.
Ethan Haynes sucked me in and charmed me with his quieter, contemplative ways. He perfectly compliments Gwen in every way and I enjoyed every minute of him getting to know her on their journey together. He is everything that a reader could want in a book boyfriend. He is attentive, funny, charismatic all wrapped in the most yummy GQ package that you could ever imagine. I am #TeamEthan all the way baby!
Gwen is so hilarious and heart warming that you can’t help but love her from page one. She keeps us guessing all the time and waiting breathlessly for her and Ethan to get up close and personal. Gwen was like a fresh breath of air with her great sense of humor and thirst for adventure on her trip to a wedding that she didn’t want to attend in the first place. She also shows us her bravery and tenacity. What can I say…I thought Gwen was kick ass!
Cindi Madsen takes us readers on the road with her newest couple and shows us all the sights as well as a quick road to matters of the heart along with their scorching hot desire for one another. Counterfeit Boyfriend was funny, heartfelt, and left me with visions of stuffed animal unicorns, allergy mishaps, and sexy muscled twins playing switcheroo. I cannot wait to see what this amazing author has in store for us next!
First of all, I owe the author and NetGalley an apology on this one. Somehow I failed to do a release day review. But hopefully what I have to say about the book will make up for my forgetful empty-headedness…
Second of all, this is one of those books that goes down a potentially bumpy road. There’s some stuff here that should have irked me, and in the hands of a lesser author, might have irked me. But because it was well written, with adorable characters and plenty of funny, sexy, emotional and heart-warming scenes, I ended up really enjoying it.
The bumpy road I speak of is the premise. I’m not a fan of mistaken identity stories, or men who openly deceive women. In this book, you have jerkwad Evan who has been dating Gwen, and wants to get out of a planned event with her. So, instead of being a grown-up and dumping her, he asks his twin brother, Ethan, to pretend to be him and go to the event with her. He’ll dump her after the event, he tells Ethan. Ethan’s a ridiculously good guy and knows that his brother is an idiot, so he goes and meets with Gwen, fully intending to tell her the truth and let her know what a douchecanoe his brother is. But when he gets there, he really likes Gwen and wants to see more of her. He stupidly agrees to go to the event with her, and stupidly keeps pretending he’s his brother. Normally that kind of stupidity would make me hate Ethan, but he’s so sweet and well-meaning that I don’t. Don’t get me wrong, I want him to tell Gwen the truth and get a little annoyed every time he doesn’t, but I just can’t stay mad at him. He’s too adorable.
Gwen’s a great heroine, too. Smart, full of energy and drive, and a genuinely nice person. She’s perfect for Ethan. In fact, she’d been planning to dump Evan, but when Ethan showed up, she had a change of heart and felt the chemistry between them. Hilarity and sexy times and road trip adventures ensue.
Was I irritated with the mistaken identity and wanting Ethan to just tell the truth? Yep. Is it a tiny bit instalove-y? At times, sure. Do I care? Not in the least. This one is well-done, fun, and full of feels and laughs. It’s a nice, light, easy read that I really enjoyed. And the way Ethan goes about making everything up to Gwen at the end? Perfect in every way. (Also, side note to the author: if there’s a story in the works for Tori, I will 1-click the crap out of it. Please and thank you.)
All-in-all, highly recommend. That’s about all I can say.
Full disclosure: I received an ARC from NetGalley free of charge.
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3 1/2 stars for me. Twin brothers one is the ultimate slacker Evan and the other is just passed the bar lawyer Ethan. Evan convinces Ethan to take his place with his girlfriend he is thinking of breaking up with and go to a wedding with her in her hometown. Gwen feels a spark that she has never felt when meeting her ‘boyfriend’ to plan the road trip to the wedding.
Gwen and Ethan are adorable together and have the ultimate road trip stops on way to wedding. Ethan feels the need to come clean to the women he is falling in love with. Can an twin swap work?
Cute plot, snarky dialogue that is great
Reviewed by: Alex L.
Counterfeit Boyfriend – I had so much fun reading this book, which is the first read for me by this author. Gwen is just fun to listen to; her thoughts and her words. Ethan turns out to be a good man even though he did the favor for his brother.
Plenty of events to make this fast paced story intriguing. Well written, very funny and tense sexual attraction makes this an entertaining read. There’s infrequent use of vulgar language and some sex. Paperback. 4*
Trying to help his identical twin brother, Evan, out of yet another jam, all around good guy Ethan is about to be knocked off his feet, when he meets Evan’s girlfriend, Gwen.
That great feeling that you get while reading a book, the feeling that almost makes you feel giddy while reading – the mere fact that you find yourself smiling for no particular reason; that is what I experienced while reading this delightfully enjoyable read.
The attraction and desire between both Gwen and Ethan was intense and it had me turning the pages faster and faster to see what would happen next. I don’t want to give any of the story away but I will tell you that the swoons were in full effect!
I for one had an instant and major book-boyfriend crush on Ethan! He was a great character that went more than skin deep. This good guy kept me wanting more and had wishing that I was dating him for myself. So, if you could use a pick me up and a new book boyfriend, this one is for you!
“4/5 Beaming Brains” – Laura http://www.litupmymind.com
I was completely intrigued with the blurb of Counterfeit Boyfriend by Cindi Madsen. A twin brother who needs his twin to take his please on a road trip with his girlfriend because he wants to hang with his friends. Nothing can go wrong, right?
Ethan is used to having his twin, Evan, talk him into situations he knew better than to get involved in, but his brother has a way of convincing him. So, when his brother talks him into accepting, he decides to come clean and tell the woman the truth. Then he meets Gwen is swept away by her. Now all he wants is her.
The last thing Gwen wants it to attend this wedding. Her ex and ex-best friend will be there, but she owes it to her other friend. So, having her hot and sexy boyfriend go with her should help, right? But she is not feeling the spark with Evan. But when they meet to talk about the road trip, something is different and all of a sudden, she is feeling all the sparks.
So, begins Gwen and Ethan’s journey. With each moment they share, Ethan is falling harder, except Gwen has no idea who he really is. All she knows is that man is somehow different in all the best ways. He listens, is caring and does not mind any of her quirks. So maybe this road trip will not be so bad. But as they fall harder for each other, how will Gwen react when the truths come out?
Considering the plot of the story, Counterfeit Boyfriend by Cindi Madsen was a really sweet and adorable romance. I loved every reading every moment of it and expect we may get Evans’ story soon as well!
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
Counterfeit Boyfriend is a fun and quick read. How much trouble are those twins going to cause? When will Gwen figure it out? It’s a quirky and fun tale that I had a blast reading.
Evan convinces his twin brother Ethan to take his place on a weekend road trip with his girlfriend. Once the road trip begins, with reservations from all parties, we have to see how the truth will come out. There are entertaining twists and details while the two take on the road in a Camaro.
Those twins! Boys! (As a mom of two of the endearing creatures, I think I can say that….though luckily mine aren’t twins.) Ethan is the responsible brother, who goes along with his carefree brother Evan’s plans and gets caught up in the crazy. I loved how he tried to be a good man to his brother’s poor girlfriend, despite the deceitful start. Girlfriend Gwen is adorable in her quick talking “hurricane of energy.” During their time on the road, Gwen and Ethan have an easy give and take that speaks to a level of adult ready for a relationship.
Ethan and Gwen started, of course, with a bit of awkwardness as one would imagine. But within minutes, Ethan finds Gwen endearing and sparks fly. You can quickly tell that Gwen and Ethan are going to work out much better than Gwen and Evan were. I love the way these two work there relationship during this road trip. Road trips are great for couples!
Ms. Madsen has a fun writing style. I loved all the references to super heroes and movie quotes. “My decision-making skills may be impaired, but he’d never take my freedom!” I was laughing in so many places due to the fun quotes-seriously, that quoted line is something my bizarre group of friends would say too. The writing was not only fun, but flowed so nicely.
I had a lot of fun reading this book. I was quickly rooting for Ethan and Gwen, while simultaneously dreading the moment Gwen found out it was Ethan not Evan. And Evan, man, you spend the whole book kinda hating the dude (because he’s acting like a dude). I really hope Evan does some growing up and gets a book of his very own with a girl who is right for him.
Star Ratings:
Plot = 4/5 Characters = 5/5 Heat = 4/5 Writing Style = 5/5 Overall Rating = 5/5
When Ethan agrees to pull a switcheroo with his twin on a road trip with Evan’s girlfriend, the whole thing has disaster written all over it.
I loved absolutely everything about this book. I laughed so much and I cried some. This was a slow burn but it still had some heat. I haven’t read a story like this one so I never wanted it to end. I loved the connection between Gwen and Ethan but I also loved the other characters I got to meet. I so want this to be a series so all the side characters can get their HEA!
*This is my voluntary review of an advanced reader copy*
Counterfeit Boyfriend is a new, standalone novel from author Cindi Madsen. It is most definitely a romantic comedy, so if RomCom isn’t your thing, stop right now!
I have to admit, after reading the blurb of this book, I was a bit hesitant to read the story. I mean… how in the world could this actually turn out to be an HEA?! But I was curious enough to find out, and since the handful of books I’ve read by this author have all been excellent, I decided to dive in just to see….
And I’m SO glad I did! Why I even doubted Cindi Madsen, I’m not sure. The kids are driving me a bit crazy this week, so we’ll blame it on them!
From the very beginning of the story, you just know that Gwen and Ethan’s story is a big ‘ol train wreck waiting to happen. But you can’t stop reading, because you simply HAVE to know… how in the world is the author going to make this all OK?! And somehow, with her great imagination and wonderful writing talent… she just DOES. And in the process, she makes you fall in love with Ethan, although you cringe at his part in the deception. He’s likable (lickable?!!!) and lovable, even when you want to smack him for going along with his twin’s crazy plan. Gwen is equally likable and quirky, despite the fact that at times you simply want to shake her a bit and tell her to wake up and listen to her intuition! But she’s also real and easy to relate to when it comes to all the people she’s left back home, and all the issues she’s having to deal with surrounding each of those relationships. I felt like she was a genuinely good person all around, and a million times more graceful and forgiving than I ever was at her age.
Counterfeit Boyfriend is a well-written, enjoyable story with equal parts comedy and angst that keeps you turning the page to see how in the world these two characters can figure it all out and forgive enough to move forward to their HEA.
NICUnurse’s Rating: I give Counterfeit Boyfriend a solid 4.5 stars. Even if you think you’ve read all the books with the same “twins switching places” premise and this one won’t be any different, I guarantee that 1. You are wrong, and 2. You will love the spin the author puts on her version. Give it a shot, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! Congratulations Cindi Madsen!
So cute. I loved every minute of this book. Nothing says trouble like twins switching places. I think that’s what I loved most is just waiting to see if and when Gwen would figure it out. Ethan I love him. Even with his hesitance about taking his brothers place you know he is just an amazing guy. That spark that ignited with Gwen during the road trip is amazing. I love road trip books because of the fact that anything can happen. Watching Ethan and Gwen fall is so special. You really feel for her when she finally discovers that there was a switch. Evan is the more of douche twin brother out of the two. But I really want him to get a book just because. This book is so good and I really couldn’t put it down.
Counterfeit in all the good ways. Ethan is Evan 2.0. If only he could find the words to let Gwen know…
She hadn’t been feeling it. Sparks. There were exactly zero sparks. But she needed a date for her friend’s wedding and he is her boyfriend, so…
Except he isn’t. And Ethan has no idea how to tell her the truth as he continues to fall for this beautiful woman.
It’s sweet and fun. Counterfeit Boyfriend is an entertaining romp.
Ethan must have been out of his mind when he agreed to help his twin. Now he’s in over his head and if he’s not careful, his heart could be the ultimate casualty. CounterFeit Boyfriend is all a romantic comedy should be. Cheesy, over the top and fun. Cindi Madsen creates characters that are hard to walk away from and a pleasure to revisit again.
2 1/2 stars. This just didn’t do it for me. The actual writing style was good, but the story was lacking. I found my attention wandering off. I was irritated that Ethan didn’t say something to Gwen from the very beginning. And do not get me started on the ice cream scene! Why would Gwen allow her boyfriend, who she is planning to kiss, order ice cream with peanut butter cups when she has a peanut allergy????? The end result of an allergic reaction could have been achieved by something more plausible. This book was not for me.