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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Make It Sweet by Kristen Callihan
Lucian and Emma have both found themselves without the job that had defined them and needed time to lick their wounds and plan for their futures. The fact that they find themselves in the same place at the same time and attracted to one another while healing is the basis of the story. Will they find a way forward? Can they fulfill their dreams after the dream they were living changed suddenly? Will they find a new way to be successful? And, will they find a way to be happy together? The story is written well and does eventually have a HEA. Athletes have an expiration date and Lucian may have reached his. Actors can go on forever, but they do have to adapt, change, and take on new roles to learn and grow. Relationships require communication, respect and commitment and that is what this couple does well as they work toward a future together.
Did I like this book? It was okay. I didn’t really connect with Emma and Lucian as much as I would have liked to and wondered if they fell for one another because they truly cared or if proximity and broken dreams were the catalyst Their story was somewhat predictable but sweet even when steamy.
Would I read more by this author? I am not sure. It would depend on the synopsis and if it appealed at the time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars
Lucian and Emma have both found themselves without the job that had defined them and needed time to lick their wounds and plan for their futures. The fact that they find themselves in the same place at the same time and attracted to one another while healing is the basis of the story. Will they find a way forward? Can they fulfill their dreams after the dream they were living changed suddenly? Will they find a new way to be successful? And, will they find a way to be happy together? The story is written well and does eventually have a HEA. Athletes have an expiration date and Lucian may have reached his. Actors can go on forever, but they do have to adapt, change, and take on new roles to learn and grow. Relationships require communication, respect and commitment and that is what this couple does well as they work toward a future together.
Did I like this book? It was okay. I didn’t really connect with Emma and Lucian as much as I would have liked to and wondered if they fell for one another because they truly cared or if proximity and broken dreams were the catalyst Their story was somewhat predictable but sweet even when steamy.
Would I read more by this author? I am not sure. It would depend on the synopsis and if it appealed at the time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Loved this book!
So charming and reminds me of Emily Henry’s writing style! More people should be talking about this book. A definite favorite. Really enjoyed this! I appreciated that the hero had more back and forth with his acceptance of his injury and how that affected his career. Healing and acceptance are often not a linear process so I appreciated that the book explored that.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3 stars. i'll just say all the smut dialogue literally killed every vibe in this book.
i didn't mind the characters. i actually really liked emma a lot up until the end. i don't dislike her. still like her. but i was just so annoyed by how she handled it and yeah just the ending annoyed me to hell lmao.
i got this book in a BDWAB last year and finally read it. i wasn't expecting it to be a hockey romance but it was, kind of. not intensely hockey focused but was still central in a way, but don't go into it if you're expecting in-action hockey. it was still nice, though. the writing style was really nice and descriptive with a good flow, but when the thoughts started bleeding into the narrative (read: when the very HORNY thoughts bled into the narrative), it started to get really obnoxious. lowered the rating off the bad, because it was overtly in my face off the bat when emma and lucian met.
i liked lucian, mostly. i liked the concept of him. i hated how in-your-face horny he was. like, what is it with presumably cishet authors and always having to painstakingly, in great detail, tell us how hard the MMC's dick is and how it's straining against his pants like oh my god. hate that so bad. hate it. anyway i like that lucian is good at cooking and baking and that there's a backstory for it. it's also cute that he's handy around the house with carpentry and stuff.
the smut wasn't poorly written or anything but i skimmed like 89% of it. i really don't care for smut and i usually just skip it unless i know it's going to be a porny book and that's what i'm going for, but if it's not and not necessary to the story, i just gloss over it. the dialogue in the sex scenes in this book were really bad. like, first of all let me preface this by saying the nicknames used in this book were obnoxious. those nicknames turned into innuendos and puns that made their way into dialogue during sex, such as lucian referring to emma's vagina as a "sweet honey box" like ARE WE KIDDING LMFAO??? that alone dropped its rating. the dialogue altogether dropped its rating. there was so much smut. and then we spent the span of like 50 pages talking about emma's nipple like you've got to be kidding me right.
and spoiler for the ending:lucian is a former pro hockey player who had to retire because he was getting debilitating migraines due to the number of head injuries he's had. after some charity event, he's approached by his former team and gets an offer to go back and play for them, which he entertains. emma and lucian's family obviously don't get it well because they're worried about his safety and life.
on one hand, i understand their side completely, but it annoyed me that the author didn't write a single one of them even trying to understand lucian's perspective. at least emma, for fuck's sake. like, i understand their apprehension and their fear for him, but i would've loved some inner thoughts where emma considered why lucian wants to do this and at least why he'd want to see it through. it was just a practice skate to test the waters, not a full-on game.
because i understand it from lucian's perspective. hockey was his entire life and he had to retire early while his body is otherwise in pristine condition, save for the chronic migraines. i understand him wanting to go out and tease the idea, just to see if it'd work, just to know for sure. the whole entire book, though, after that charity event, i was waiting for the career twist in lucian becoming a coach for a local kid's team, or even for a high school or college or, hell, even an AHL team, or other minor league team. like, yes, it was teased earlier on that he'd entertain the idea of becoming delilah's pastry chef, which i also would have loved to see, but he could do that part-time with coaching? best of both worlds? he loves cooking and baking, and he also loves hockey. if he coached, he could fulfill that love of hockey without the danger.
when emma and the others were talking about lucian's big beautiful hockey brain, i was just WAITING for someone to say to put it to use as a coach. that was disappointing. idk if the author just didn't consider it, but that seemed like such an obvious solution and a complete miss that it wasn't, in fact, the solution. it felt like lucian settled while emma got it all. like, sure, maybe the message is that hockey doesn't have to be lucian's entire life anymore and that he's found fulfillment outside of it, but like, damn, there's something else he could do to still keep everything he loves.
anyway this book wasn't terrible but those things really irked me, and the ending really, really disappointed me.
i didn't mind the characters. i actually really liked emma a lot up until the end. i don't dislike her. still like her. but i was just so annoyed by how she handled it and yeah just the ending annoyed me to hell lmao.
i got this book in a BDWAB last year and finally read it. i wasn't expecting it to be a hockey romance but it was, kind of. not intensely hockey focused but was still central in a way, but don't go into it if you're expecting in-action hockey. it was still nice, though. the writing style was really nice and descriptive with a good flow, but when the thoughts started bleeding into the narrative (read: when the very HORNY thoughts bled into the narrative), it started to get really obnoxious. lowered the rating off the bad, because it was overtly in my face off the bat when emma and lucian met.
i liked lucian, mostly. i liked the concept of him. i hated how in-your-face horny he was. like, what is it with presumably cishet authors and always having to painstakingly, in great detail, tell us how hard the MMC's dick is and how it's straining against his pants like oh my god. hate that so bad. hate it. anyway i like that lucian is good at cooking and baking and that there's a backstory for it. it's also cute that he's handy around the house with carpentry and stuff.
the smut wasn't poorly written or anything but i skimmed like 89% of it. i really don't care for smut and i usually just skip it unless i know it's going to be a porny book and that's what i'm going for, but if it's not and not necessary to the story, i just gloss over it. the dialogue in the sex scenes in this book were really bad. like, first of all let me preface this by saying the nicknames used in this book were obnoxious. those nicknames turned into innuendos and puns that made their way into dialogue during sex, such as lucian referring to emma's vagina as a "sweet honey box" like ARE WE KIDDING LMFAO??? that alone dropped its rating. the dialogue altogether dropped its rating. there was so much smut. and then we spent the span of like 50 pages talking about emma's nipple like you've got to be kidding me right.
and spoiler for the ending:
on one hand, i understand their side completely, but it annoyed me that the author didn't write a single one of them even trying to understand lucian's perspective. at least emma, for fuck's sake. like, i understand their apprehension and their fear for him, but i would've loved some inner thoughts where emma considered why lucian wants to do this and at least why he'd want to see it through. it was just a practice skate to test the waters, not a full-on game.
because i understand it from lucian's perspective. hockey was his entire life and he had to retire early while his body is otherwise in pristine condition, save for the chronic migraines. i understand him wanting to go out and tease the idea, just to see if it'd work, just to know for sure. the whole entire book, though, after that charity event, i was waiting for the career twist in lucian becoming a coach for a local kid's team, or even for a high school or college or, hell, even an AHL team, or other minor league team. like, yes, it was teased earlier on that he'd entertain the idea of becoming delilah's pastry chef, which i also would have loved to see, but he could do that part-time with coaching? best of both worlds? he loves cooking and baking, and he also loves hockey. if he coached, he could fulfill that love of hockey without the danger.
when emma and the others were talking about lucian's big beautiful hockey brain, i was just WAITING for someone to say to put it to use as a coach. that was disappointing. idk if the author just didn't consider it, but that seemed like such an obvious solution and a complete miss that it wasn't, in fact, the solution. it felt like lucian settled while emma got it all. like, sure, maybe the message is that hockey doesn't have to be lucian's entire life anymore and that he's found fulfillment outside of it, but like, damn, there's something else he could do to still keep everything he loves.
anyway this book wasn't terrible but those things really irked me, and the ending really, really disappointed me.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Hands down a SOLID 4.5!
''Don’t try to pick up the pieces of the broken ones. You’ll never be able to set them back to the way they were again.''
I mean wow. I couldn't put this one down. Their interest piqued as soon as they cautiously felt each other out, like normal people. The banter, the flirting, the way the tension between these two grew to an intensity that I enjoyed feeling. The fact that right off the bat these two carry out actions as singular people that show the TYPE of people they are.
Luc adores is grandmother and respecting her even though he will be going out of his way... Then Em just fakes that whole thing during the first drive to Rosemont...
''Thank you for saving me from my masculine pride.'' Wow.
He's a star athlete, built different, a handy man, a family guy, a carpenter, and he COOKS LIKE A PROFESSIONAL?? Dude where have you been all my life and why can't you be real.
The back and forth, the build up, the oops!spice, even when they know they shouldn't be doing so. And the slow burn of the smut encounters just caught me so off guard because for once I didn't roll my eyes at a smut scene, I actually wanted them to have at it already.
Dammit I rooted for them. As I read, as I learned about them, as they interacted... I WANTED THESE TWO TO BE TOGETHER SO BADLY AND I LOVED IT.
As individuals, their circumstances really ran them through a ringer, and they really had been through a lot. But I loved how Emma didn't have confidence issues or body insecurities or self-esteem issues. Yes she took a blow from the career change. But as a person she was so self assured and I just loved her monologues so much. I was in Rosemont, hiding away with her and absolutely dying because I couldn't taste how good the desserts were explained.
As for Luc, I think I need me one of those. He had a lot to work through. But he adores Emma, from the get go and I loved him for it. Oh to be so treasured, loved, thought about, absolutely finding it a necessity to feed and take care and protect... I love Lucian! There I said it!
Though the last couple chapters and his big decision had me yelling at the book myself... I also believe some mistakes need to be made, so we know, and it makes the next step resolute.
Did I enjoy my heart beating out of my chest at chapters 23-24 and then having my eyes leak at the last 30 pages and even visibly flinch when Amalies disappointment rung through the air at Luc's decision... No. But also. Yes.
I love when my emotions run rampant. And I love that I couldn't put this book down. And I read it in one sitting. And they might be one of my favorite couples.