This was great, truly. It was entertaining from the beginning. I laughed, swooned and got emotional- all great things for when reading. I hope this becomes a series!

I loved this book - it was so sweet and spicy all at the same time.

I always think it is the characters that make or break a romance and in this case Olivia and Noah absolutely made it. Noah is the broody, tattooed supposed bad boy with a heart of gold. Olivia is the quiet, cautious 'good girl' who hides a secret side. I loved that they both had these hidden sides that nobody but each other was allowed to see.

The chemistry between these two was great. They really brought out the best in each other and had each others backs.

The side characters were great additions to the book and I hope we will see some more of them in the future.

The only thing that pulled it back from a 5 star for me was the miscommunication trope that is used part way through - I always find these tropes so frustrating and it seemed out of character for these two who generally seemed to have really open communication with each other.

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this book

Let me start off saying that I ate this book up!! The only reason I didn’t cocoon myself in bed and read this book in one sitting was because of -sigh- life, but I was really tempted!

Anyway, Make Me Dream of You is the first book in Rae Kennedy’s Make Me series and Noah & Livvy have the best story to kick things off! Though you start off the book thinking that Noah is this emotionally unavailable bad boy, he really isn’t. Instead, he’s just a guy still dealing with some trauma from his past, but at the same time, here comes his, “perfect drop of sunshine. Heaven personified,” Livvy🌻

And from the beginning, you could feel the connection they had. Yes, this is a slow burn, but trust me when I say it does not disappoint because they both did not shy away to try and make it known to each other (and perhaps a realization to themselves) that they obviously had something!

Aside from the main story about Livvy and Noah, readers will also get to know the other characters (some who will have their own book in the near future) and Rae Kennedy really does a good job at differentiating each person that it makes you even more excited to read on. That being said, I’m really not a fan of Bex, but will give her the benefit of the doubt that she’ll eventually relieve herself by the time her book comes around!! AND I already know I’ll be devouring book two when it comes out because I’m sucker for a golden retriever mmc and ooou WOOD! I needed Wood and Macy’s book like YESTERDAY 👏🏼

Rae Kennedy, congratulations on the new series! I absolutely adored Noah and Livvy’s story and am honored to have been an arc reader thanks to you & Netgalley! 💜

I LOVED IT.

The proof is that I devoured it in a day. I was hooked by the first chapter. I couldn’t tell you how many times I said “oh my god”, was giggling and yelled at the characters (in the best way).

It had some of the best tropes; slow burn, forced proximity, secret relationship, workplace romance and childhood crush to name a few. A jealous, protective MMC with dark hair, blue eyes & tattoos 😍, whose favorite word is F#ck. With a shy, artistic, coming of age, virgin FMC. With instant attraction and chemistry.

The anonymous online relationship full of sexting was a nice touch. Not to mention the Titanic moment (draw me like one of your french girls) AND the hot tub scene 🤭


Spice Level: 4🌶️

I would truly rate this as 4.5⭐️


Fav quotes from Noah: “don’t touch her” / “mine” / “if you hurt here i will end you” / “good girl” / “don’t go, come here” 🥵

Thank you Rake Publishing and Rae Kennedy for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

OBSESSED!!! I read this book in one day because I could not put it down. It had the perfect amount of spice and the tension between the main characters was wild. I LOVED the dynamic of having the online chat where they are talking to each other without knowing they were talking to each other. Also, the side characters were so entertaining and fun. Can’t wait to read more in the series when they come out!

This was my first book I've read by Rae Kennedy and I really enjoyed it! These characters were sweet, adorable and loving. Noah had my heart since the very beginning. I love how passionate Livvy is about art. This was a sweet contemporary romance that you will enjoy! One of my favorite characters was Wood, I'm hoping we get a book with him and Macy. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Rae Kennedy.

This story is a little predictable but that doesn’t make it bad. It is an emotional and forbidden romance. He’s a tattoo’d and overprotective/brooding MMC. She is the little sister of his ex high school girlfriend. We have a lot of fun tropes including “what happened to you?!” and a virgin FMC. It’s a quick read with some spice and I am interested to see the next books in the series.

Livvy has had a crush on Noah since she was thirteen and he was her sister's boyfriend.
Noah is not dating her sister anymore and now that Livvy is a grown up, he has realized that she is gorgeous.
But everyone knows your sister and friend's ex boyfriends are off limits, right?
I liked the story. He is the typical bad boy, player, tattoo artist and she is the younger and naive girl. But the story is nice. And some of the supporting characters are fun.

PHENOMENAL writing, plot, EVERYTHING. I have zero qualms or questions besides: When can I get my hands on book 2?!?

Livvy is a newly graduated fine arts student that decided to move back home to figure out post college life. Noah is a gorgeous, tatted up tattoo artist Livvy has swooned for since the day she saw him with her older sister, Bex, in high school. One night Livvy is hanging out at the bar when a drop dead gorgeous Noah starts talking to her. She. Is. Dying inside. She quickly realizes he doesn’t recognize her and makes him work for it. To stay away from spoilers I’ll finish by saying you follow the story of their friend group in a forced-proximity situation that just gets even more intense as the story progresses.

Honestly the best ARC I have read! I cannot wait for book 2!

Make Me Dream of You by Rae Kennedy
Rating: 4/5

"Make Me Dream of You" by Rae Kennedy is a captivating and heartwarming romance that follows the rekindled connection between Livvy and Noah, years after their initial encounter. Livvy, fresh out of college and eager to navigate the world of dating, finds herself drawn to Noah, her sister's former flame. Despite their undeniable chemistry, both grapple with the complexities of their past and present circumstances.

I found the characters to be particularly endearing, with Noah portrayed as a multifaceted individual dealing with personal trauma, and Livvy shining as the story's ray of sunshine, albeit with a touch of naivety. The dynamic between the two protagonists is portrayed as charming, and their love story unfolds with adorable sweetness.

Through the book's dual point of view, readers gain insight into both characters' innermost thoughts and emotions, adding depth to their journey.

With its seamless blend of romance and intrigue, "Make Me Dream of You" held my attention from beginning to end.

I wholeheartedly recommend this captivating read to fans of contemporary romance.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Rake Publishing, and the author, Rae Kennedy, for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Tropes/Themes:
-MF contemporary romance
-Forbidden (sister’s ex-boyfriend)
-Opposites attract (devil x angel vibes)
-Workplace (he hires her to work in his tattoo shop)
-Secret/hidden identity (they’ve been chatting anonymously online)
-Dual POV

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

This story follows Noah and Livvy (it’s always weird reading a romance with my name in it!!!). Noah previously dated Livvy’s sister Bex back in high school, and Livvy has been secretly pining for him ever since she was an awkward/quiet 13 year-old. Several years later, Livvy has moved back to Seattle after finishing college and stumbles across Noah at a bar. They quickly start to form a connection but both are conflicted though. Livvy knows Noah is off limits since he's her sister's ex, and Noah is still a little enamored with the anonymous girl he's been chatting with online for months...

I thought this was entertaining overall. It was heavy on the instalove, but I thought the relationship was fairly developed by the end. They had a lot of sweet interactions and doting moments. I particularly liked how infatuated Noah was with Livvy right from the start and wanted to be around her 24/7. There were a ton of side characters that completed the plot/romance well. I thought the secret/hidden identity trope was handled/resolved. I didn't rate this higher mostly because I thought the 3rd act conflict was a little over the top (but luckily didn't last too long), and I thought that some of the heavier themes were breezed over a little too quickly for my liking.

I sincerely hoping this is going to be a series though, because there are certain side characters I desperately need to see get their own book (iykyk).

CWs for traumatic loss of loved ones (parents/sibling), drowning

Thank you to Rake Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of Make Me Dream of You in exchange for an honest and independent review.

Okay, give me a moment while I fan myself after reading this one. If you are looking for a whole lot of spice wrapped up in an adorable love story, look no further! Okay, let me pull myself together as I try to outline the story here...

Livvy is pretty sure she's dreaming when she runs into her older sister's ex-boyfriend, Noah, while out at the bar one night in Seattle. Thirteen year old Livvy would NEVER believe this could be real life eight years later. Noah was the foundation of all Livvy's inappropriate teenage fantasies, but has always been off limits and out of reach, until fate intervenes eight years later with Livvy fresh out of college and ready to explore what an actual relationship may look like.

There's just one problem, there's no way her sister Bex will ever approve of Noah pursuing Livvy in any manner, let alone in the way Livvy has invaded every inappropriate thought Noah has had since running into her at the bar. With an interesting sexting plot twist, a nude modeling session, tattoo parlor antics, a house fire, and an almost drowning, this book literally has it all and so much more.

I love that this book leaves absolutely NOTHING to the imagination. While I've personally never been into the tattooed and tortured type, Noah definitely makes a strong case for heartthrob of the year. Caution: do not read this one in front of your family members, on public transit, or in a waiting room. Absolutely everyone is going to know EXACTLY what you're reading and there's no hiding it. We are officially into May of 2024, and I can confidently say this is the spiciest book I've read this year and I'm here for it! If you're not into spice, then I would strongly suggest to walk on by this one, but if it intrigues you then start throwing elbows to get your hands on this one May 16th!

This was simplistic but not on the bad way. This author knows how to create chemistry and it was no different with these two.

I would have liked more depth not only in their relationship but how Noah overcomes his trauma. I felt like the surface was scratched and not much more.

I'm really looking forward to Wood's story though.

This drew me in right away. From the cover to the description and then when I started the book and seeing the story unfold in both Noah and Liv’s POV. Noah had a lot of trauma to deal with and Liv was just a ray of sunshine. These characters were so perfect together and their love story was so cute. I loved seeing how their relationship grew and evolved with the twists and turns and inner thoughts. Wood was a great character too. I was laughing so much at him. This book made me so happy I couldn’t put it down, I had it in my hand every free moment I had. There was a perfect balance of spice, story line and character growth.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley and boy am I glad I did.
I wasn’t planning on reading this book in one go but I did, such an easy read. I think it was the perfect size book. The cover is chefs kiss!

I felt like I related to Livvy so much in this book and that the fact she got her happy ending just made me so giddy, kicking my feet, absolutely loved it and the fact that I have a soft spot for tattooed men made the book so much better.

I love that this book is both FMC and MMC point of view. I also enjoy the little text messages that were included throughout, such a fun touch!

Also the smut, 🌶️🌶️🌶️

This book started off so great. There was such witty sentences that still make me giggle. The beginning concept was great, an online app where he was "getting off" while she's saying all the right things online, but really eating chips on the couch! But really instead of two strangers, they have a history from years ago and now they've found their way back.
Somewhere probably around midway, it just lost steam. I don't know what got me, it just stopped been as fun to read. The miscommunication thing is an "ick" for me which didn't help.
For me, the book just ended on a flat note....

I really enjoyed this book. The description and the cover was what drew me to it. I loved that I was able to read it in just a few days and even though it was a shorter book I liked that it didn't feel unfinished. The story was cute, the smut was good, I loved all of the characters. Noah is a “bad boy” who swears off dating and Livvy is his ex girlfriend’s little sister who has had a crush on him since she was 13. Livvy is a little naive and insecure and Noah was definitely working through some trauma. I enjoyed the growth that both of these characters had and I absolutely loved Noah’s cousin Wood he definitely made me laugh throughout the book. I would recommend!

Make Me Dream of You highlights characters Olivia "Livvy" Bishop and Noah Dixon who have already known each other years ago when Noah was dating Livvy's older sister Bex. Now after several years, Noah and Bex are no longer together and have moved on with their lives. Livvy encountered him at a bar and realized she is still carrying a secret infatuation on him. But there's a famous code to never date your sibling's ex, or anyone's ex of a family member, so she tried so hard to fight her feelings for him. However, Noah seems to feel the same away for her as he no longer sees her as the infatuated awkward teenager before. Now he sees her as someone attractive and irresistible.

I admit I wasn't much of a fan of the dating-a-sister's-ex trope but I eventually warmed up to the story once I realized how sincere the main characters are for each other. Their story was sweet and they fought for it in the end so I became okay with it. Also, the romantic development was gradual and I loved it. It didn't happen very fast and it wasn't slow-burn either. I love that even though Noah was portrayed as a "bad" guy with all his tattoos, he was still a perfect gentleman and he respected Livvy despite the sexual tension going on every time they interact. But at the same time, I was also not surprised with his dirty mouth every time he talks dirty to her. Lol.

The only thing I was wondering and felt like I wanted to know more, was how Noah conquered his nightmares when it comes to his painful past. It wasn't quite emphasized how he gets to have those nightmares. Did he try to talk to a real therapist aside from chatting and opening up with a stranger online? Was he already healed when he started to fall in love with Livvy or will he still be experiencing those sleepless nights from time to time?

Over all this was a good romance New Adult book with a good amount of smut that will make your toes curl. Noah and Livvy are one of those cute couples. I also adore the side characters who brought more color to the story. Not much with Bex who wasn't really there with Livvy when it matters, but as a whole, the characterization was great and I enjoyed everyone's banters.

Thank you Net Gallery for providing me with this ARC.


When livvy returned home from graduating college she crash’s at her sisters place, while she waits for her interview to bartend at the place her sister works, she stumbles across Noah Dixon, her childhood crush and sister's ex-boyfriend.
Noah doesn't date, and hasn’t for years. But does that stop him from trying to chat up Livvy? No way. But after he finds out she's his ex's little sister now knowings she's off limits, he’s only other option is to keep messaging his mysterious woman, Angel. They’ve been talking/sexting for the last eight months.

And yes I know what your thinking, who is this ‘Angel’. Well you guess it, it’s Livvy.
Wanting Noah to notice her, Livvy offers to do a naked modelling session with Noah, which turns into a fiery disaster and Noah offers her to crash at Wood's place with him. Talk about forced proximity, and let’s not talk about the sexual tension between them… overall this was a really good book and I will definitely be reaching for another Rae Kennedy book soon enough.

4.5⭐️ 3🌶️

Loved this book, started it after dinner and could have read it all in one sitting easily! Witty, good character development, perfect spicy and love the added texting scenes. Looking forward to the Woods, bec and hopefully a Macy book when she finally dumps her boyfriend! Will be recommending to friends for sure. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the pleasure of reading this book! 4.5 starts