By reading this book I didn't especially enjoy the story. I couldn't relate to the characters. Connor was not the type of personality to attract me and Mckanzi was so not the type of a girl that I could relate to. The story was ok and in the end, they have their HEA.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

4 Stars

Book 2 in the Men of Gold Mountain series can be read as a stand alone book and is a lust to hate to love book. Connor and Mack were instantly attracted to each other but after learning that the handsome chef was just passing through Gold Mountain, Mack decided to protect herself and back away, quickly. That was three years ago but with his revolving door of women, Mack feels justified in labeling him a man whore. Connor has become the chef and Mack, the bartender of the same restaurant/bar. Working beside each other daily, they've fallen into this acerbic banter back and forth that would cut lesser mortals to shreds but is fun for the reader.

When the new owner of the bar where they work decides to gives them an opportunity to reinvent the bar/restaurant, they have to figure out a way to lay down the weapons and find a way to agree. This is an opportunity of a lifetime for them both to partner and co-own something amazing. In brainstorming, they learn plenty about themselves and each other. The chemistry between the chef and the bartender sets the kitchen on fire. Can Mack let Connor in or will her fear of him running cause her to run first? Can Connor stick it out to get something great or will he do what he does best and leave?

Great story with complex characters! Angsty but with tons of heart.

Review by AnnMarie

Make Me Beg by Rebecca Brooks is the second book in the Men of Gold Mountain Series. This story is about MacKenzie (Mack) and Connor. Connor is a drifter. He can't seem to find a place he really wants to stay in for a long time and Mack is living in the past and can't seem to let go of her past life. When Connor and Mack are placed into business together, they can't seem to agree on anything. Only thing they can agree on is how hot the sheets turn when they are in them together. The banter between the two is hilarious and the sex is hot. But what happens when true feelings are brought forward and the love/hate relationship is at a standstill?

Sadly on this occasion this one unfortunately wasn’t for me.

4 stars
I liked these 2 unlikeable characters! First you have Bartender Mackenzie Ellinsworth. She is also known as Mack. She is kind of a know it all, a little mean, and a little immature. She likes playboy Connor Branding , but is mean to him because she likes him..... well she discovers that later on. She is mean to him because he is a dog.

Connor has a thing for Mack. he always has. He just needs to prove to her he is worth the risk. Connor doesn't know about Mack's past, so he thinks she is just has the wrong perception of who he really is or can be, with the right women.

Fun, flirty, sexy read! Enjoyed it a bunch. Great chemistry between the main characters and likable secondary ones. I did not read the first book but it was not necessary although I am sure I would enjoy it as well.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

“It’s life…. It’s okay to make a mess every once in a while.”

Take one feisty female with fears of abandonment, and mix with one *coughs* player trying to find his path and what do you get? Fireworks, people – fireworks!

One word sums Mack and Connor up: denial. Their attraction to one another is as plain as the nose on their faces, but self-imposed roadblocks and misconceptions keep getting in their way. We really can be our own worst enemies sometimes, can’t we?

However, given a once in a lifetime chance to establish their own bar/restaurant, they must work together to revamp and design the business. Easier said than done when they can’t agree on anything. The only thing they can agree on is not agreeing, lol.

But….

All that pent-up aggression needs to find an outlet somewhere *winks* I’ll give you two guesses *snorts* how it gets released *hums Marvin Gaye*

I wanted to bump their heads together at times – I was ranting and raving at my kindle on more than one occasion. Especially with Mack. If you looked up the definition of stubborn female in the dictionary, I swear you’d see her picture. Yet, as her backstory is revealed you understand why she has built her walls so high. Doesn’t make it any less frustrating though, lol.

Connor is the type of guy that gives you dry mouth, and he cooks. Yay! Psst, c’mere. Just between you and I, there is this one picnic scene – holy exploding ovaries, Batman *wiggles eyebrows* He may enjoy the company of a selection of females (slight understatement) but there is a depth of emotion just bubbling underneath the surface. Never judge a book by its cover, eh?

I was up and I was down with this story, wondering how it would all turn out. I lost time and it was over before I knew it. If that’s not a sign of a great read, then I don’t know what is.

I’ll leave you with my favourite quote from the book:

“Because wasn’t getting to know someone all about the little things? And the little things added up to bigger ones until you had a connection with someone. Until you were sharing a friendship, a romance, a life.”

Le sigh…. isn’t that what we all strive for?

Oh, just a quick side note. Although this is book 2 in the MOGM series, it can be read as a standalone. That’s what I did. Although, I bet like me, you’ll immediately be off downloading book 1 once you finish. Whaaaaa?? I need to know what happened, lol.

Fast, fun read. Easy to like characters and yummy imagery!

Make Me Beg is the second story in Rebecca Brooks’ Men of Gold Mountain series. The title (and cover) likely make you think that it’s going to contain some pretty steamy scenes, and you wouldn’t be wrong. The title also signals the way the main characters treat each other for most of the story, one or the other always having to come out on top in their passionate relationship. The truth is that they won’t find a happy ending until they learn to lay everything on the table and come to each other as equals.

Connor Branding has been backed up by his family wealth and privilege his whole life. As a result he’s never had to work hard for anything, going through chef school and taking time to travel around. A transient stop in Gold Mountain becomes a temporary home base, with a job as a chef at a local bar and a chance to sample the abundance of female tourists. When the opportunity to invest in a new restaurant to take the place of his current employment comes up, he has grand ideas. With the backing of his father’s money, he can turn it into an upscale resort restaurant, and prove that his training hasn’t all been for naught. The catch is that his co-worker Mackenzie is going to be his business partner. They’ve got a ‘frenemies’ type of relationship , working surprisingly well together despite their constant sparring. But joint partners in a new venture? That’s a whole new ball game.

Mackenzie Ellinsworth knows what it’s like to be on her own. With an unknown father and mother who died of a drug overdose, she was moved from one foster home to another as a child. A dishwashing gig helped save her, and led to her gaining the barkeeping skills that she parlayed into a career. The bar owner who took her under his wing as a teenager became her family, and when he passed away, she promised him she’d start her own place named Mackenzie’s in his honor. This is her chance and only one thing is standing in her way – the rugged playboy who was supposed to leave town and not hang around to defy her at every turn. A chance discovery that they are both using the same dating app leads to the first in a series of steamy encounters where they find that their inability to keep their hands off each other is as inevitable as the fights they have over the direction of the new restaurant. Can they find the compromise they need to make a go of both a joint business venture and a real relationship?

On the surface, this is a pretty straightforward romance. Co-workers who eventually become lovers is a fairly common trope, as is the whole enemies to lovers theme. Connor and Mackenzie don’t truly fall into ‘enemy’ category as they hang around with the same circle of friends, but their initial meeting doesn’t put them on the best footing. When Connor first rolls into town and flirts with Mack behind the bar, she’s flattered but knows he’s not going to stick around and it’s not worth the emotional or physical investment to let things go further. Getting the message that Mack isn’t interested, Connor turns his eyes to other women, and then ends up staying in town. For the next few years Mack doesn’t want to admit to herself that she’s jealous of the women Connor spends his nights with, though she can see that none of his encounters are serious (which in a way proves to her that he’s not commitment material). And Connor just seems genuinely oblivious to Mack’s hurt feelings and takes her snarky attitude towards him as par for the course.

When the attraction between them comes to the surface, it’s as if a pressure cooker is finally letting off steam. After the first explosively sexual encounter they promise it won’t happen again. And then after the second – the same. And the third – and so on. When they do admit that they are sexually compatible, they still hold back from any kind of emotional commitment. At the same time as they are having these passionate and secretive encounters (heaven forbid any of their friends find out!) their public disagreements about what kind of restaurant they want to invest in escalate. Eventually, keeping business and pleasure separate becomes impossible and leads to some serious conflict that threatens to ruin all of their plans.

Connor and Mack are both very likable yet very different characters. Connor is the playboy, the handsome flirt who always gets what he wants (or so others perceive). His skills in the kitchen are underrated and there are some delicious foodie scenes where he proves his talent (and his sexually dominant personality). He has the desire to be recognized for those skills, yet worries about failure. Mack is a self-reliant woman who has experienced so much loss in her young life that her walls are almost impossible to scale. She doesn’t want people’s sympathy – even her close girlfriends know nothing about her upbringing – she wants to be judged for the here and now, for her talent in mixology and her drive to succeed. Letting Connor into her body is easy. Letting him into her heart is much more challenging.

What surprised me about this story is the depth of emotion between Connor and Mack as they navigate the minefield of their growing relationship. In spite of their very different backgrounds, Connor and Mack both fear failure for similar reasons. Worry about disappointing the parental figures in their lives is what drives them and puts them on the collision course for their different views of what kind of restaurant they want. And there is no right or wrong person in this argument, so without compromise, it’ll be broken hearts all around. The sex, as much of a magnet as it is for these two, is not enough to hold them together and there are tears, accusations and gut wrenching truths that lead to forgiveness, redemption and eventually that all important happy ending. Make Me Beg is an entertaining and sexy romance with imperfect characters who find that the way to true love is not easy but is worth the effort.

This review is posted at All About Romance and feedback updated with the link. An abbreviated version will be posted at sale sites.

Make Me Beg is the second story in Rebecca Brooks’ Men of Gold Mountain series. The title (and cover) likely make you think that it’s going to contain some pretty steamy scenes, and you wouldn’t be wrong. The title also signals the way the main characters treat each other for most of the story, one or the other always having to come out on top in their passionate relationship. The truth is that they won’t find a happy ending until they learn to lay everything on the table and come to each other as equals.

Connor Branding has been backed up by his family wealth and privilege his whole life. As a result he’s never had to work hard for anything, going through chef school and taking time to travel around. A transient stop in Gold Mountain becomes a temporary home base, with a job as a chef at a local bar and a chance to sample the abundance of female tourists. When the opportunity to invest in a new restaurant to take the place of his current employment comes up, he has grand ideas. With the backing of his father’s money, he can turn it into an upscale resort restaurant, and prove that his training hasn’t all been for naught. The catch is that his co-worker Mackenzie is going to be his business partner. They've got a 'frenemies' type of relationship , working surprisingly well together despite their constant sparring. But joint partners in a new venture? That's a whole new ball game.

Mackenzie Ellinsworth knows what it’s like to be on her own. With an unknown father and mother who died of a drug overdose, she was moved from one foster home to another as a child. A dishwashing gig helped save her, and led to her gaining the barkeeping skills that she parlayed into a career. The bar owner who took her under his wing as a teenager became her family, and when he passed away, she promised him she'd start her own place named Mackenzie's in his honor. This is her chance and only one thing is standing in her way - the rugged playboy who was supposed to leave town and not hang around to defy her at every turn. A chance discovery that they are both using the same dating app leads to the first in a series of steamy encounters where they find that their inability to keep their hands off each other is as inevitable as the fights they have over the direction of the new restaurant. Can they find the compromise they need to make a go of both a joint business venture and a real relationship?

On the surface, this is a pretty straightforward romance. Co-workers who eventually become lovers is a fairly common trope, as is the whole enemies to lovers theme. Connor and Mackenzie don't truly fall into ‘enemy’ category as they hang around with the same circle of friends, but their initial meeting doesn't put them on the best footing. When Connor first rolls into town and flirts with Mack behind the bar, she's flattered but knows he's not going to stick around and it's not worth the emotional or physical investment to let things go further. Getting the message that Mack isn't interested, Connor turns his eyes to other women, and then ends up staying in town. For the next few years Mack doesn't want to admit to herself that she's jealous of the women Connor spends his nights with, though she can see that none of his encounters are serious (which in a way proves to her that he's not commitment material). And Connor just seems genuinely oblivious to Mack's hurt feelings and takes her snarky attitude towards him as par for the course.

When the attraction between them comes to the surface, it’s as if a pressure cooker is finally letting off steam. After the first explosively sexual encounter they promise it won't happen again. And then after the second - the same. And the third - and so on. When they do admit that they are sexually compatible, they still hold back from any kind of emotional commitment. At the same time as they are having these passionate and secretive encounters (heaven forbid any of their friends find out!) their public disagreements about what kind of restaurant they want to invest in escalate. Eventually, keeping business and pleasure separate becomes impossible and leads to some serious conflict that threatens to ruin all of their plans.

Connor and Mack are both very likable yet very different characters. Connor is the playboy, the handsome flirt who always gets what he wants (or so others perceive). His skills in the kitchen are underrated and there are some delicious foodie scenes where he proves his talent (and his sexually dominant personality). He has the desire to be recognized for those skills, yet worries about failure. Mack is a self-reliant woman who has experienced so much loss in her young life that her walls are almost impossible to scale. She doesn’t want people’s sympathy – even her close girlfriends know nothing about her upbringing - she wants to be judged for the here and now, for her talent in mixology and her drive to succeed. Letting Connor into her body is easy. Letting him into her heart is much more challenging.

What surprised me about this story is the depth of emotion between Connor and Mack as they navigate the minefield of their growing relationship. In spite of their very different backgrounds, Connor and Mack both fear failure for similar reasons. Worry about disappointing the parental figures in their lives is what drives them and puts them on the collision course for their different views of what kind of restaurant they want. And there is no right or wrong person in this argument, so without compromise, it’ll be broken hearts all around. The sex, as much of a magnet as it is for these two, is not enough to hold them together and there are tears, accusations and gut wrenching truths that lead to forgiveness, redemption and eventually that all important happy ending. Make Me Beg is an entertaining and sexy romance with imperfect characters who find that the way to true love is not easy but is worth the effort.

I had not read the first book in this series but I found that I was able to keep up with the couple. Connor and Mack had a tension and passion that jumped off the pages from the beginning. The fight to stay on the straight and narrow was palpable.
The enemies to lovers story is mesmerizing. The push and pull between the two of them and then the need to set things straight. The story is well thought out. Mack and her self assured confidence, Connor and his coat of armor that protects his sensitive side. Peeling the layer back on these characters realizes fun, sweet moments, passion, angst, and a little roller coaster ride that is captivating until the end.

Make Me Beg by Rebecca Brooks was amazing!!
Mackenzie and Connor were brilliant together! They had the absolute perfect connection. They had the steam and romance that made them so incredibly captivating to read about.
I loved the characters and plot together. They were perfectly paired! I can not imagine having these characters in any other profession or story.
Go and pick up this novel for yourself today!
4/5 Stars!!

Bartender Mackenzie Ellinsworth has always gone it alone. So when she has a chance to open her own bar and restaurant, she’s got a plan for how it should go. Not in that plan: a ripped and rugged playboy stepping in to take over. Mack doesn’t do players, and she doesn’t do one-night stands. If Connor wants to work with Mack, he’s going to have to keep his strong, sexy hands to himself.
Connor Branding is determined to prove he’s not the directionless playboy Mack thinks. But opening a place together causes more problems than it solves. The two of them can’t agree on anything—except how scorching hot their chemistry is. Connor may be ready to indulge every desire Mack’s been denying herself…but turning business into pleasure is likely to get him burned. 

My favorite books are those that are about a couple who have known each other for years and yet...they've never gotten together. I love a sassy female lead and a sexy guy who can hold his own. Connor is someone I would have as a best friend - as a matter of fact, he reminds me of my best friend!! He can give as good as he gets. Mack is just one of those heroine's that chip away at your sanity piece by piece. You could feel the slow build up of their chemistry from the very first chapter. Mack's main problem is that she's afraid that Connor is going to leave, but what she doesn't realize is that she's pushing him right out the door. Not only did this book have great chemistry, but it had humor and sexiness with a plot. The only downside was....ABBI!!! I hated that girl. I wanted to throat punch her as soon as she came on the scene. I know, we as writers, put them in there to have some conflict. However, I wanted to cause my own conflict and just slide past her name every time I saw it! I know it's a book, but when you get invested in characters and start seeing them as people then you "done good child!!"

I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's.

Connor and Mack have spent the last three years working together at the Dipper, he as the chef, she at the bar. When they are given the opportunity to open their own restaurant together, they discover that they each have very different ideas of what that restaurant should look like – and neither wants to give in to the other. Sparks fly between them and suddenly, the restaurant is not the only thing between them.

Both Connor and Mack draw the reader into their drama. They are explosive together, both stubborn and determined, and both filled with misconceptions about the other. Connor thinks Mack has an ego, is ice cold, and unwilling to compromise. She thinks he is just waiting to leave, has no ambition, and is a man whore.

Make Me Beg has a lot going for it: the characters are memorable and the sex scenes are on fire. Watching the two of them stumble into a relationship while also trying to navigate their ideas for their restaurant was enjoyable. Ms. Brooks draws you into Connor and Mack’s lives and relationships and you can’t help but root for them.

However, much of the drama is due to a lack of communication between the two, so much so that sometimes I wondered why the two of them didn’t at least attempt to speak to one another about their point of view. Or, if they themselves couldn’t sit down and do it, one of their mutual friends could have forced them to communicate with each other. While Mack is both a prideful and private person, that none of their friends know anything about her past left me bemused as it goes a long way to explaining why Mack is who she is. When Connor reaches his breaking point, I was a bit confused as to why he gives up, given what he knows about Mack.

Nonetheless, Make Me Beg is a nice romance read with enough heat to satisfy (the lake scene in particular is very memorable!) and characters you can’t help but love.

4 Stars.

4.5 Stars
This is book two in The Men of Gold Mountain series and it features Mackenzie "Mack" Ellinsworth and Connor Branding. These two have enough spark to set the sheets on fire! That is, if they'd stop fighting the pull long enough to realize they'd be better off together than apart. Mack finds it the hardest because of her past. Inside this book is some of the most scorching phone sex EVER! The partnership would have been magic but again they're fighting each other for all the wrong reasons.

Great story with loyal friends in a small mountain resort community. I can't wait to read the next book in this fantastic series.

This is Book 2 in the "Men of Gold Mountain" Series and I really enjoyed reading it.
The chemistry between Mckenzie and Connor is huge and the banter between them is fun and entertaining.
This hate-love relationship started the first day Connor came to town , just for a couple of days on vacation. later he decides to stay but Mack needs stability and Connor cannot provide her that so although they work at the same bar. He, as the chef; she, as the bartender, it never happened anything between them until the day they collide and the sparks fly...

Entertaining and fun read!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley

This novel is the second in the Gold Mountain series. It can be read as a stand-alone without feeling as though you're missing the background story. There are glimpses from characters in Make Me Stay, but you aren't left in the dark. I've been fortunate enough to read both novels and would encourage you read them in order.

Mackenzie or "Mack" as she's better known, is a self-made bartender or mixologist. She loves Gold Mountain and never wants to leave. Her life dream is owning her own bar, but she doesn't have the funds to do that. When the opportunity arises to co-own a "new" bar, she gladly accepts.

Connor, a chef who has dreams of running his own fine dining restaurant, works as the chef in The Dipper alongside Mack. Sam approaches them with news that The Dpper is losing money, but she has a plan. Sam suggests they work together to come up with a concept that is different, but will draw vacationers in. Since they will all own the bar together, they all have to agree with everything proposed.....

The snappy, witty banter between Connor and Mack keeps you interested. They both come into the deal with LOTS of personal baggage. Connor's dad fronts his portion of the money and is putting a lot of pressure on Connor to succeed. Mack grew up in foster care, when two guys took her in and showed her the ropes of running a bar. In tribute to these men, she feels she owes it to them to succeed in building a bar like they owned--before it went out of business. They both come up with amazing ideas, but they can't seem to get their plans to "mesh". Instead of delving into the reasons behind their ideas and getting to know each other, they regard each other with preconceived notions. Mack sees Connor as a player who's on his way out of the door. Connor sees Mack as a hard-nosed, egomaniac who wants to see her name on the sign. Will they be able to see past their preconceived notions to build their dream restaurant or will they let their pride get in the way?

I really enjoyed this novel and highly recommend reading it. I read a gifted copy of this novel and all opinions expressed are my own.

Rebecca Brooks is back with the second book in the Men of Gold Mountain book and she turns up the heat with Connor and Mack’s story. It’s about to get very hot in the mountains.

This book had me hooked from the first chapter to the last. I could not get enough of Connor and Mack and not only their chemistry, which was scorching hot, but of their hard and fast fall for each other.

I admit the way they went from a one-time only hook-up to unable to keep their hands off each other made me hot and laugh. Add in the fact they are keeping it a secret from their friends, while trying to work out the in’s and out of planning a new bar together, one that neither can agree on how it should be and you get fireworks, snark, sparks and more.

Yes Connor is unbelievably hot but there is more to him than this and we get to see him unfold as he fights what he can have with Mack all the way. Not that she makes it easy either. Mack has hasn’t had the silver spoon upbringing Connor had so she’s a tougher nut to crack but when she does, she does so in style.

Wait till you get to what I have dubbed dual grovelling chapter, loved it because it was so very much perfect for Connor and Mack. This book was so much fun to read. I already hear a re-read calling my name.

I can’t get enough of this series and I have my fingers crossed we don’t have to wait long for more.