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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-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
Just as when I reviewed the supposed second volume of this series, I’m going to start this review off with some housekeeping. This book is listed as Volume I of the Make Me series. I felt I was missing something when I started reading the first story in this compilation of two short stories. I’m sure it would have been okay to continue without digging any further, but I’m a completionist all the way. I found that the four stories in these two volumes were released as individual stories under the Mills & Boon’s Dare imprint in 2018 and 2019. Make Me Yours, the first story in this compilation, was actually book #3 in the series. So I did what any sane person would do and read my ARC of Forbidden Games first. While, strictly speaking, these stories can all stand alone, I felt I got more depth by reading them in the original order.
Make Me Yours
Becka and Aaron start off with a bang, literally. They are fire together, until a problem with their condom. Becka immediately puts a fortress around her mind and heart and takes off as though Aaron is just another one-night stand. Aaron, being a playboy most of his adult life, knows there is something different about his connection to Becka yet also understands her reasons for getting out of there so quickly. He just cannot get her out of his mind.
Good thing, because Becka shows up a few months later pregnant with his baby. Aaron is very overbearing. He has good thoughts and ideas when but terrible execution. Becka is not used to answering to anyone so they are going to both learn to compromise.
Aaron quickly learns what does and doesn’t work when trying to get closer to Becka. He’s always mindful to not spook her, he wants her around for the long haul. Not just because she’s pregnant with his kid but because he’s falling in love. Becka’s falling in love, too. She has a lot of walls to climb over to learn to trust that emotion and trust the love of anyone other than her sister.
Once again the author has both the main characters realizing how stupid they are being at the same time after things go south. I love that about this series. And I love the way Aaron can be so dominating yet so soft. It’s a great combo in a man.
Make Me Need
The pairing of Trish and Cameron was pretty obvious from the previous story. Not knowing either character well, I was pleasantly surprised by how much chemistry they have. This is a grumpy/sunshine story with Cameron being the grump and Trish being the sunshine. Of course, there is much more to be found under their external presentation.
Cameron instantly sees through Trish’s fake smiles and chipper nature, which throws her off since even those closest to her rarely notice when she is covering up her true feelings. It comes out that, although her mom is a wonderful person, there is a dynamic to their relationship that has caused Trish to always want/need to smooth things over.
Although it’s never put on the page, Cameron seems to be neurodivergent. He’s uncomfortable with most people and doesn’t understand when subterfuge is used, even if there is no ill intent. Cameron is easily frustrated with dishonesty, even when done in the “normal” course of business and interpersonal relationships with those around you. Trish seems to understand this and doesn’t let his harsh tongue and frowny face discourage or scare her.
I love the micro-trope of “I’ve never seen him like this with anyone else”. I especially loved it here, as it seemed Cameron needed that special someone in his life. And Trish needed someone who would put her happiness above all else.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Pregnancy
This book includes two different stories into one. The first book follows a one night stand where Becka gets pregnant and Aaron wants to be with her. The second one follows Aaron’s sister who begins to fall for his best friend. I really enjoyed book one a lot more than the second one. The first story had great pacing and had a fun storyline. The second one had an all over the place pacing even though the story itself was great. I also felt that I was not able to connect with the second couple as there vibes were different in book 1 compared to book 2. This book follows Becca, Aaron, Trish and Cameron.
Becka is the FMC of story 1. I really enjoyed her character and seeing her grow even though her parent’s weren’t in the picture. Aaron is heads over heal for Becka but don’t know how to get her to fall in love with him. I loved his overprotectiveness and seeing him care so much for her. Then we have Trish who’s so sweet and loves her job. Then we have Cameron who instantly begins to fall in love with Trish. I didn’t connect with these two in story 2 but liked seeing her development. There weren’t many side characters except mainly the couples being in each other’s stories. The romance is varity of tropes with some steamy scenes.
The ending was overall pretty good and I really enjoyed reading the book. It was a quick read and I loved the feeling to finish two books in one. Also I love Katee’s writing and haven’t hated anything by her. I recommend checking this out if you like short story billionaire romance.
*this book was sent to me by the publihser to give an honest review in return*
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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
2 stories 1 book. I liked both stories. Both had many of my favorite tropes. Enemies to lovers, he falls first, grumpy/sunshine, etc. The stories are more like novellas than actual long stories, so take that into consideration when reading. I enjoyed it and read it fairly quickly. The spice, the intimacy, and overall the MCs falling for each other. Chef’s kiss. You know there always had to be something holding them back. No spoilers here; read on and find out what exactly that is.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While I am a fan of Katee Robert, I will admit I haven’t completed their entire back catalogue (working on it 😊). That was to my advantage though, because it meant I could jump into Illicit Temptations with fresh eyes. Previously published under the titles Make Me Yours and Make Me Need, Illicit Temptations presents the first two stories in the Make Me series in one concise volume. As someone who isn’t super keen on collecting novellas individually, this felt right.
Admittedly, I didn’t read the entire book in one sitting—which is something I am prone to doing. I picked it up as a sort of entertaining cleanse between much more emotionally draining reads. As such, Illicit Temptations acted as the perfect popcorn read. It was fun, sexy, funny, and the dialogue was fantastic.
That being said, I would not write either story in this book off as pure erotica. Both held just the right balance of smut and substance for me to not feel like everything was rushed for the sake of adding in another sex scene.
Surprisingly, my favourite was Make Me Yours. Normally I am not a “surprise pregnancy” person, but for this story it just worked, and I loved Aaron and Becka for how relatable each was in their own way. However, both novellas were good and definitely felt connected enough to exist within the same book. In all honesty, having now read the first two entries, I am so excited that more from this series will be getting the same treatment. Forbidden Games, volume 2 of the Make Me series, will be releasing next January, and will contain stories 3 and 4—Make Me Want and Make Me Crave. I already know I will be buying both collected works like a dragon with a sexy horde as soon as they’re released.
Admittedly, I didn’t read the entire book in one sitting—which is something I am prone to doing. I picked it up as a sort of entertaining cleanse between much more emotionally draining reads. As such, Illicit Temptations acted as the perfect popcorn read. It was fun, sexy, funny, and the dialogue was fantastic.
That being said, I would not write either story in this book off as pure erotica. Both held just the right balance of smut and substance for me to not feel like everything was rushed for the sake of adding in another sex scene.
Surprisingly, my favourite was Make Me Yours. Normally I am not a “surprise pregnancy” person, but for this story it just worked, and I loved Aaron and Becka for how relatable each was in their own way. However, both novellas were good and definitely felt connected enough to exist within the same book. In all honesty, having now read the first two entries, I am so excited that more from this series will be getting the same treatment. Forbidden Games, volume 2 of the Make Me series, will be releasing next January, and will contain stories 3 and 4—Make Me Want and Make Me Crave. I already know I will be buying both collected works like a dragon with a sexy horde as soon as they’re released.
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4⭐️ for both stories!
3 ⭐️ for Make Me Yours, mainly because i just don't love surprise/accidental pregnancy. But Becka and Aaron were great and it was still a hot read!
5 ⭐ for Make Me Need cause Cam and Trish - WOOF. This one was soooo hot. I'm a little sad I didn't get an actual 'sex on the office desk' scene but what we did get was great.
As always, Robert excels at inertwining emotional development in her sex scenes in both stories, which is why I always enjoy her books more than most other smut authors. The sex is hot but it's even hotter because it's *vulnerable* and *emotional*. I can't wait to read Forbidden Games to enjoy the other two novellas in this world!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3 ⭐️ for Make Me Yours, mainly because i just don't love surprise/accidental pregnancy. But Becka and Aaron were great and it was still a hot read!
5 ⭐ for Make Me Need cause Cam and Trish - WOOF. This one was soooo hot. I'm a little sad I didn't get an actual 'sex on the office desk' scene but what we did get was great.
As always, Robert excels at inertwining emotional development in her sex scenes in both stories, which is why I always enjoy her books more than most other smut authors. The sex is hot but it's even hotter because it's *vulnerable* and *emotional*. I can't wait to read Forbidden Games to enjoy the other two novellas in this world!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
Illicit Temptations by Katee Roberts is a collection of short stories that can be enjoyed on their own. Katee’s writing is always enjoyable, and this collection was no different. The stories are quick reads that mix some steamy moments with solid character growth. While the plots aren’t very complex, they focus more on everyday situations and decisions. The characters feel real, with believable thoughts and reactions. Although the stories are a bit predictable, they are still fun to read, and the spicy scenes are appropriate for all adult readers.
Thank you Harlequin-Romance via NetGalley for the opportunity to provide an honest and authentic review of this ARC.
Thank you Harlequin-Romance via NetGalley for the opportunity to provide an honest and authentic review of this ARC.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the first time I've read any of Katee Robert's contemporary romance and I definitely prefer her romantasy.
In both of these novellas rolled into one book, there's a lot of forced proximity and chemistry with so little actual communication. The spice is hot, the relationships are frustrating. The story development is a bit meh.
In both of these novellas rolled into one book, there's a lot of forced proximity and chemistry with so little actual communication. The spice is hot, the relationships are frustrating. The story development is a bit meh.
medium-paced
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes