The Make Me Series, Book #3
Heat Factor: Lotsa orgasms
Character Chemistry: Do they have things in common? Does it matter if they’re sexually compatible?
Plot: Becka and Aaron have a one-night stand and oops! Now she’s pregnant.
Overall: This book was not for me
I said I’d read this book for accidental pregnancy week because it was already on my bookshelf (a friend picked it up for me at a conference) and…well, I found nothing pleasurable about this book. I didn’t like that Aaron told Becka she was a “strong little thing” the first time they hooked up. I felt like the way he forced her to move into his apartment was a million red flags wrapped in a bundle of more red flags—and I couldn’t believe her friend was like, “Oh yeah, it’s definitely the best plan to move in with your baby daddy who you met once!” And, if I’m being honest, I’m in a space right now where reading lots of sex scenes that do nothing to move the plot or characterization forward is not that interesting to me.
Let’s just chalk it up to: don’t like the trope, and don’t like bossy, rich, alpha heroes, and don’t feel like reading about clit sucking. (A side note for Katee Robert stans: this book predates her really going all-in on the wild side of erotic romance, and is less steamy than many of her more recent titles.)
Setting aside my personal preferences, was this a well-constructed romance?
Well, I’m not sure that I actually bought the love between Becka and Aaron. Sexual attraction? Sure thing. But is that enough for Aaron to decide that he wants Becka forever? I guess for him, it’s a case of if you know you know. I did appreciate the caretaking that went on here, even if Aaron is sometimes heavy-handed about it.
That’s the thing, though, isn’t it? The fantasy that this book is selling is that you can be messy, but someone out there will still love you for your authentic self and take care of you when you need it. So looking at the story from Becka’s perspective as a stand-in for the reader, it absolutely succeeds.
The other thing that this book does really well is the black moment and reconciliation. Becka and Aaron have a fight, and *both* run away in ways that make sense given their characterization. And then they both quickly realize, with the help of their friends, that they’re being utter idiots, and both return and apologize. And then they have an actual conversation about the specific underlying issue that triggered the fight. When the book ends, while I know that they have a lot of issues to continue to work through in their relationship, I also know that they’re willing to put in the work to make their HEA continue to happen every day, and that’s a beautiful thing.
So while pretty much 100% of the setup didn’t work for me, the ending is still wonderful.
Buy Now: Amazon
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