Until You’re Mine by Cindi Madsen is a masterful slow burn, full of sexual tension that will consume readers!

About ‘Until You’re Mine’ by Cindi Madsen:

You might’ve heard of me, Shane Knox, the guy who rose quickly through the MMA fighter ranks, only to crash just as fast. No one cares about personal reasons when it comes to losing fights and money. I’m determined to get back to where I was. For you to hear my name again. I’ve finally convinced the owner of Team Domination to take a chance and get me back in fighting—and winning—shape. What I didn’t bargain for is the guy’s spitfire of a daughter. Factor in her two professional-fighter brothers who are acting as my coaches and the fact that my career hangs in the balance, and Brooklyn’s the last girl I should be fantasizing about.

The closer we get, the more I want Brooklyn. The stakes are high, and I know there’s a big chance of both of us getting hurt, but I won’t stop until she’s mine.

‘Until You’re Mine’ by Cindi Madsen book review:

I must admit that before diving into Until You’re Mine, I was going through a book slump. For whatever reason, the last few books that I had read just didn’t do it for me. So even though I had read books by Cindi Madsen in the past, I was nervous that I wasn’t going to like this one thanks to my slump. But I was so, so wrong.

Right from the start, I was hooked on Brooklyn and Shane’s story. Cindi Madsen wastes no time in getting things going, which I think really helped me. There wasn’t a ton of backstory to get through before readers get to see Brooklyn and Shane meet.

That’s not to say that they don’t each have things the reader needs to learn about them; it’s just taken care of as the story unfolds. I read romance novels because I want to see a couple’s story, so I appreciated that I didn’t have to wait for it to get going.

“He lifted his shirt to wipe away the sweat on his forehead and Holy shredded abs, Batman. The glistening dips and grooves highlighted all the work he’d done on them. He cleared his throat, a smug grin curving his mouth when I slowly raised my gaze a foot or so. I tucked my hair behind my ear. ‘You’re in my line of sight. It’s not my fault you think your abs are so damn special that you try to show them off every second.'”

Although there’s an instant attraction between the two, Brooklyn is actually already in a relationship at the time and is only supposed to be in town temporarily to help her family’s business. Meanwhile, Shane is heavily training to make his return to MMA fighting. They’re both supposed to be focusing on other things, and yet they can’t help but getting drawn to one another.

Since they can’t act on their attraction, this leads to two very frustrated characters. Their sexual tension also leads to some great back-and-forth banter between them. At the same time, though, it’s obvious that they do have deeper feelings for one another. Underneath all of that banter they’re actually really sweet and caring.

“From how he insisted on walking me out, regardless of assuring him there was no need, to his witty, surprising sense of humor. He’d not only taken my psychopath teasing in stride but also turned it back on me. Then there were the glimpses of the person underneath the showy fighter front…A confusing swirl of emotions rose up, churning through my stomach and making me question things I didn’t want to question.”

One of the things that I liked most about Shane, actually, is that he’s not really the typical alpha male I’m used to seeing in MMA romance novels. Yes, he’s strong and cocky, but he treats Brooklyn better than even some of her own family does. Similarly, what’s awesome about Brooklyn is that although she’s been in crappy relationships, she can hold her own in the ring and is fiercely independent.

The novel was nearly perfect for me, the one area where I felt a little disappointed was that Shane’s big fight didn’t feel like it got the attention it deserved. He’s working toward it the whole book and so I expected a bit more from it. At the same time, I appreciate how much of the novel went to the couple’s relationship, so I wouldn’t want to take away from that either.

Until You’re Mine by Cindi Madsen will be released on January 22! Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, or Kobo. And don’t forget to add it to your Goodreads!