Title: Make Me Want Series: Make Me #1
Author: Katee Robert
Published: March 1, 2018
Genre(s): Romance: Contemporary, Romance: Erotic
Page Count: 224
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads:“I want everything.”
She’s taking control. And it’s driving him wild!
Lucy Baudin’s ex did a number on her self-esteem, but it’s time for her to regain control. In her job as a lawyer she’s bold, confident. But in the bedroom she needs inspiration to reawaken her inner seductress. Asking her friend Gideon Novak for help seems wrong…yet so deliciously right!
I picked up Make Me Want so I could say I’d given Harlequin’s new(ish) Dare line a try. So now I’ve tried it. Once was enough. Probably never again.
However, I’m sure there are readers who might really enjoy this—obviously Harlequin didn’t start a new category romance line just for fun. Make Me Want is a quick love story that’s heavy on the romance and light on everything else. It’s erotica with a little bit of meat on its bones. And I do see the appeal—it’s just not my style.
Firstly, I was extremely put-off by the entire premise of the book. Lucy is a high-power defense attorney in New York City. She’s looking at a promotion to partner, but fears that she won’t get said promotion unless she has a spouse. Because the senior partners are all Good Ole Boys, I guess. She mentions that a single female coworker was passed up the year before, ostensibly due to her lack of a husband. So, Lucy calls in Gideon to help her find a man. As one does. They have a lot of sex and then fall in love. All fine and dandy.
Except, let’s rewind. It sounds to me like Lucy’s firm engages in discriminatory employment practices—not promoting otherwise qualified women because of their marital status/gender? Lucy, come on. You’re an attorney! FILE A GODDAM LAWSUIT. Helloooooo.
But instead of filing a lawsuit, Lucy just decides to pander to her sexist bosses and find herself a husband. Mkay. This doesn’t look to me like a strong, capable female professional whom I want to root for, you know?
Anyhoo. The rest of the book is pretty much just a parade of sex scenes between Lucy and Gideon. I think Katee Robert writes good, steamy scenes. No real complaints about that. It’s just that I prefer some character building and interpersonal conflict to supplement my sexytimes. Erotic romance is, clearly, not the genre for me. And that’s okay!
So, at the end of the day, I’ve done what I set out to do: give Harlequin Dare the old college try. Make Me Want wasn’t a book that gave me much beyond a pleasant mental escape, but I can’t really say there’s much wrong with it either. For readers who like books about wealthy workaholics in the big city boinking each other silly, I bet this book is great. For me? Not so great.
