Cute but predictable.

This review is going to be a short one, due to the fact that I'm trying not to include spoilers.

Make me want is the story of a firefighter with a tragic past and festering guilt a mile high working with a female humanitarian. The two are at odds on the subject of a firewall being built to help give safety to firefighters fighting wild fires in the mountains.

This novel was really cute. The back and forth banter between the two characters and their very different opinions on the firewall had me intrigued. Even though I liked this novel, i had a little trouble staying with the story line. My attention was lost in a few parts. some parts were extremely predictable.

I enjoyed the angsty moments Tyler's character brought to the book. His story was heartbreaking. The guilt he is constantly living through and what not broke my heart. I had trouble connecting with Abbi's character. I wanted to slap her and tell her to look at the bigger picture.

Throughout this novel I felt like there were holes in the story. One major hole is when Abbi finds herself on the mountain in trouble. I wanted more from this part of the story. I wanted to feel her actual fear and see her survival instinct kick in. I was disappointed more detail wasn't added into this one scene.

Overall, this novel was good and I liked it, but sadly I didn't love it.

A fake relationship that turns into a one-night stand that turns into something so much more makes Make Me Want an incredibly fun read. Rebecca Brooks’s third Gold Mountain story is a sexy, fast-paced read that I hated to put down.

I adore well-drawn characters who are flawed and vulnerable and Tyler and Abbi fit the bill perfectly. Tyler is a hot as hell firefighter with a good but damaged heart. Tyler’s past has left him with a desire to be needed for fear of being left otherwise. To make things worse, he has recently lost his best friend to a wildfire and he’s grieving heavily when he takes on the job to oversee a firebreak in Gold Mountain. He doesn’t expect to pick up a woman his first night in town, but the sparks he and Abbi strike off one another are hot enough to burn. The only problem is, she’s the lead naturalist whose promotion depends on fighting the firebreak. Abbi is a strong-willed, independent heroine whose past has left her fearful of ever fully trusting a man. The fact that she’s drawn to Tyler – a man standing between her and her dream job – only exacerbates the problem. Usually I can take or leave stories where the hero and heroine are on opposite sides of a fight because it leads to a lot of false drama, but Ms. Brooks does a really good job of showing where Tyler and Abbi are coming from. Neither of them is fully in the right or wrong, and though they argue the arguments are logical, not just emotional.

I really enjoyed watching Abbi and Tyler play off one another, both in bed and out. Make Me Want is definitely sexy good fun, but Ms. Brooks doesn’t pay lip service to the emotional obstacles Tyler and Abbi have to face if they want to have a chance. As with the last Gold Mountain book, Make Me Beg, I enjoyed the downs as well as the ups in the romance because the characters’ strengths and weaknesses were showcased really well. I thoroughly enjoyed Make Me Want from beginning to end and I cannot wait to read more Gold Mountain books.

DNF

I'm clearly the odd one out with this book in reading the other reviews.

The first 25% grabbed me and held me; it was interesting watching how their relationship turned from an intense, hot one night stand to that of working on opposite sides.

However, the constant back and forth "I like you, I hate you" just became too repetitive for me.

As I said, my opinion is not shared by most who read this book so keep that in mind.

Rebecca Brooks brings out the big guns with Make Me Want. Tyler is a tall drink of water with a sexy swagger and a thirst for danger. Abbi is a wannabe bad girl that craves independence despite that lingering fear of the unknown. In no way is this a hearts and flowers romance. Ms. Brooks thrives on creating tension and the hot and cold temperatures permeate every interaction between the main characters. Abbi and Tyler are not easy, but the unpredictability delivers a scrumptious reward.

Just not for me. I found her to be obnoxious and stubborn to the point of stupidity. And he was a bit of a sad sack. I did finish the book, but it was fairly predictable.

Two wounded hearts collide in what is just supposed to be a quick dash of fun, but neither can resist the magnetic pull towards each other when life keeps bringing them together! Rebecca Brooks always brings us a sexy read filled with passion, angst and a fun group of characters. Always a joy to return to Gold Mountain and see what they have in store for us this time.

Wildland firefighter Tyler McCall is running away from memories he can't handle right now and has taken a temporary job in Gold Mountain, Washington. He's got his sights set on getting in, doing the job and getting out with the lead on a future job to head for immediately afterward. His priorities just might change when he gets set up for a short-lived rescue of a damsel in distress at the local pub ... and ends up ready to hook-up with her before the night is out!

Abbi Haas doesn't need any man to rescue her, but when the hottie that her BFF sends over to ruffle her exes feathers turns out to be smokin', she's willing to take him for a ride before she sends him on his merry way too ... only her best of intentions are thrown for a loop when he shows up at her job the next day as a consultant in the project she's determined to cancel before it gets off the ground!

I had a bit of a problem investing in these characters and their story. While I felt the bones were certainly there, the execution was a lacking. My main issue was the switching back and forth of POV, sometimes right in the middle of a chapter. Many times I had to retrace my steps and reread to figure out whose thoughts I was reading. Unfortunately, this distracted from the rest of the story.

when tyler mccall rolls into gold mountain in make me want he has no intention of making friends with the locals. after all, this is just a résumé-building stop on his way to fire safety management somewhere else. the last thing he expects to do on his first night is rescue a woman from an aggressive ex by pretending to be a new boyfriend. and he's also not expecting the sexual chemistry with this woman to be off the charts, especially since he's never been one to smooth-talk the ladies. and even worse, the last thing he expects is to realize that this woman is abbi haas, the naturalist opposed to the firebreak he's come into town to implement and oversee.

abbi is passionate and headstrong and so badly burned by a childhood trauma that leads her to think the absolute worst of anyone who is actually trying to help her. this makes her both a sympathetic character and utterly enraging. because she is so passionate about her cause, but it also feels like she never listens to opposing viewpoints. she is so righteous and certain and it becomes a bit overwhelming. she immediately assumes that tyler is being misogynistic and condescending, and while his delivery leaves a lot to be desired, his position is based on his experiences as a firefighter and his knowledge of what it means to deal with the devastation it leaves behind. and his poor delivery and lack of tact has more to do with his own failings in personal communication rather than some deep-seated misogyny or misbegotten sense of superiority.

mostly i wanted these two characters to have a conversation where abbi actually listened. one where she didn't immediately assume the worst and leave poor tyler at his wit's end. because as reader's we were privy to his thoughts and could see where things went sideways every time they tried to talk. ultimately, i liked the book, i just wished that abbi were a little less frustrating a character. because i wanted to like her, i wanted to be on her side because it seemed like it should be the nobler side, but oh man, she made it difficult. tyler for all his demons is a good guy. and why it took abbi so long to see it, well, her history of sexual abuse makes the whole thing complicated.

If you enjoy a good love/hate relationship, this is a good one. Both main characters have demons they are running from, which causes them to constantly butt heads despite the attraction they feel for each other.

Tyler has a need to protect others to compensate for losing his best friend in a fire. Abbi has a need to be independent due to a trauma she lived through in her teens. Not only are they opposites personally, they are also on opposing sides concerning a fire break that may or may not get constructed in the mountain. Nothing is really cut and dry personally or professionally.

Personally, I would have liked less butting of the heads, but I loved everything else about the book. Both characters are very likeable and I wanted to see them get their happy ending. I would consider this a mid to high angst read with no cheating. ARC provided by NetGalley.

What’s it About? So Abbi Haas has a bad habit of choosing well, bad men and when one of them won’t take “no” for an answer she’s forced to accept help from a total stranger. A totally hot, sexy, stranger. Abbi has no trouble pretending he’s her latest boy toy, even down to the seriously hot night they spend together but before the morning comes she finds out that her rescuer is firefighter Tyler McCall and he’s in town to inadvertently cause trouble for her at work. Yup they’re work enemies which turns into off the clock enemies, with some benefits. Tyler doesn’t want to get into anything serious, he’s still running from his own demons but something about Abbi calms him and he wants to get to know her even as she puts his future plans at risk.




Overall reaction to the story? Hee hee, I really liked this enemies-to-lovers romance! Make Me Want checked a lot of my boxes when it comes to that particular trope. Both characters were flawed but likable and totally flammable when they were near each other! The story flowed easily, the conflict believable, and who could resist a gruff firefighter with a heart of gold? Not me that’s for sure!



Describe the hero in five words: Quiet. Gruff. Stubborn. Caring. Vulnerable.

Did you like him? Yup.

Why? Tyler’s reason for being in Gold Mountain is part business, part running from the past and he’s totally vulnerable to that past which made him more of a hero to me. His capacity to love and grieve and even to acknowledge that he was grieving was impossible not to love. I liked that he didn’t just give into grief and become this depressing, brooding firefighter. He was quiet but he didn’t stop to help and he didn’t even try to stop himself from caring about Abbi. He may not have wanted to fall for her but yeah, he didn’t exactly plan on how not to fall for her. He was great.



Describe the heroine in five words: Stubborn. Survivor. Intelligent. Determined. Vulnerable.

Did you like her? For the most part.

Why? Abbi is hands down a real survivor. She survived her past but she didn’t deal with it. She carried it around with her and it totally influenced her view on life, love, and relationships with men. I actually liked that about her because she was so flawed from this experience and while she tried to present herself in an I-don’t-need-to- be-saved light, she actually did need to be saved but only she could save herself. I liked that while she needed saving, the author made it clear that only Abbi could forgive and save herself. Tyler was only the catalyst for that. She wasn’t perfect though, she could be a bit too much of a hard heart sometimes and it drove me nuts but I could understand why she was that way.



Let’s talk about the romance: Hot! Hot! Hot! Tyler and Abbi wasted ZERO time getting hot and heavy with each other and then that heat had some ice water dumped on it when the truth about their respective jobs (They were on opposite sides of an issue) came out. However, it didn’t take long for that chemistry to start burning again but this time, their jobs made them spend time together and their own curiosity lead them to get to know one another. The balance of heart and heat made Make Me Want go from just sex to a true blue romance. I really enjoyed it.



How about that supporting cast? Abbi’s friends pop in here and there to offer some advice and later some tough love. Mack is back and lets the reader in on how her love life with Connor is going (Solid), and of course her other friends Claire (I so need her story) and Sam (I so missed her story). The secondary cast doesn’t play too much of a role since it’s all on Tyler and Abbi to fix themselves but Abbi’s onetime fling does provide an additional conflict albeit a more personal one.


Click It or Skip It? Click It. I enjoyed the sexy and the sweet part of Make Me Want and was a bit sad when it ended.

3,5 stars

I like a good firefighter story, This one was more of a behind the scenes firefighter since Tyler has suffered a huge loss and is not lying low with fighting fires. So, now he working behind the scenes for the Forest Service. He meets Abbi as soon as he gets to town. Her ex is bothering her so he pretends to be her new boyfriend. Too bad she is the opposition to his new job. Sparks fly, both physically and work wise between the 2.

It was a quick read. Nothing too deep. I like Tyler. Abbi was a little annoying for me... but it was a unique story!

The author obviously did a massive amount of research and background leading up to writing this story, all the technical terms and procedures were all there making this story so much more realistic. Loved Abbi she was such a free spirit after being through so much much, and god bless him Tyler had an awful time too, their chemistry was off the charts and I loved reading their story

Not at all what I thought it would be when I read the synopsis but that's not necessarily a bad thing!

Make Me Want tackles two very difficult issues that happened to each of the main characters in their pasts. Each event continues to affect each of them deeply - shaping who they are now.

Tyler was adorable - that perfect combination of sexy take charge kind of guy but also not afraid to open up and display some very personal emotions!

It was harder to warm up to Abbi's character. She's so busy proving she can do everything on her own, she's pushing away those around her, including Tyler. Without giving the story away, Abbi and Tyler are also at odds at their work (each on an opposing side of an issue) which only further complicates their relationship.

Can they overcome their obstacles enough to be together? Can each let go of the hurts from their pasts and move on? You will be wondering this right up to the end of the story!

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Tyler is in Gold Mountain for the summer to supervise the firebreak the forest service was putting in. On his first night in town, he helps a woman, Abbi, ward off advances from her ex boyfriend by pretending to be her current boyfriend.
The attraction between Tyler and Abbi is instant and they can't help but give in to it. But the night comes to an abrupt end when Abbi learns the reason Tyler is in town, and Tyler learns that Abbi is the naturalist trying to stop the firebreak from being constructed.
Soon the whole town knows about their (fake) relationship and they have no choice but to agree to pretend in public. Soon real feeling start coming into play and confusing them both.
Make me want was a good read. I enjoyed the push and pull between Tyler and Abbi. The drama and the sexy scenes kept things interesting. I enjoyed catching up with the characters from the previous books.
Overall a fun read.

3.5 stars.

This story has a tonne of potential.
The plot is great and diverse. There's a lot of ways the author could have taken the characters so it definitely keeps you guessing what was going to happen next. I loved the whole frenamies situation Tyler and Abbi had. It made for some hilariously awkward situations, lots of banter and some super hot loving. The side characters played entertaining parts in this story aswell breaking up the drama a little without straying to far from the original plot.

Tyler and Abbi are both dynamic troubled characters. Tyler is the perfect kind of hero, attentive and sweet just generally a well rounded character. But he isn't without is own demons and unfortunately for him with his scars still too fresh he sometimes tried to save her when she didn't need it. He was closed off and in denial about the trauma he'd been through and instead of talking about it he tried to push it behind him and forget. It was never going to be that easy though and pretty soon it came back to bite him in the ass.
Abbi was a little more difficult to figure out. She wore this I am women, I can do it myself persona like an armour. When deep down she was drowning in her past, wanting acceptance but refusing help or love. I understood her fears and the reasons why she came across so prickly. I admired her wanting to be strong but I couldn't help feel completely frustrated by her throughout the story either.

I enjoyed the story enough. I really liked Tyler's character and felt him and Abbi are perfectly matched. The storyline was great and consistent throughout and the side characters were a great addition to the story.

I have to be honest and say that at times I felt disconnected to their story. It's just felt a little drawn out and a little vague. I feel there wasn't enough about their past, their families.. what happened there?. It brushed over the bad aspects like how Abbi was the family outcast and that Tyler's dad didn't really care about him but it wasn't enough to get a good grip of the histories for me and I think that in part was a reason for me not connecting to their story.

It was just an ok read for me however I do want to go back a read the previous stories in the series to see if that gives me a better outlook on this one. Maybe I'm missing something from them that's not in here. So this review may change a little if I feel like I read something there that factors into this story.

I kindly received this ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was ok, it was not my favorite in the bunch. I liked Tyler, more than I liked Abbi. Again, my favorite part was actually reading about the rest of the cast from previous books, and reading how they were doing, especial Cole and Mack. Abbi, kind of annoyed me, I understand that she had a traumatizing experience, and that she was trying to be independent. However, she did not have to treat Tyler, the way she did in the hospital after he just saved her life, that was just cruel to me, and then to just expect him to come back to her, no she needed to make the first move, but again that is my opinion, am glad everything worked out. I personally loved myself some Tyler.

When introduced to the main characters, we find Abbi with major hang ups and Tyler with major guilt. Author did a really good job of depicting abuse by a teacher but at times felt Abbi was unlikeable and that no guy would put up with her seesaw emotions.

Overall a good solid romance. Interesting storyline. Enjoyed!

Excellent. This is my first book by Rebecca Brooks but will not be my last. I love strong heroines and Abbi sure is one. Loved the steamy chemistry and interaction between Tyler and Abbi. This story has it all fun, exciting, drama, emotional, and hot, hot, sexy scenes. I would recommend this book. Eventhough this book is part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone.

Oh wow I am so happy to be giving this book 5 stars, it totally deserves it. Just loved this book. It delivers fantastic characters which you just fall in love with and a brilliant storyline that you just get lost in the most enjoyable way. Love Rebecca Brooks and her books. Fantastic series, a must read. Totally recommend this book to everyone