Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Make Me by Tessa Bailey

5 reviews

kateb15's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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allingoodtime's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-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

4.5

Man, I love Russell. That’s not to say he’s perfect, because he’s not. Yet for me, Russell’s cons make his pros so much more special. Abby is also a fantastic character, but these two do not know how to ask for help. Or to even express they may need help.

Abby is working herself to death because she has always felt that she cannot make waves in her family. If she makes waves, people leave. If she expresses anything other than contentment with her lot in life, she is punished with silence. Now she is the only one holding her family’s business together and she doesn’t feel as if she can share her stress. Not that her friends can do her job, but they could be a support for her. In many ways, Russell is the same. More because his buddies are well off and Abby grew up rich so, because of things that happened in his past, he feels less than. Of course, none of them look at him that way. But he never brings up his company, his plans for his company, or even his life growing up before they all met.

From the moment Abby and Russell met he has been obsessed. I love his possessiveness with her, but I know some people don’t like that. He can go from a caring teddy bear to a dominant jerk when it comes to Abby’s safety. But he’s the type of guy who will remember if she mentions her pastry in passing or who notices how she drinks her coffee and he will be sure to use that information to get her to smile when she’s down. He has a secret nickname for her that he adorably tries to pass off as no big deal when Abby first hears him call her the name. But as sweet and protective Russell is with Abby, he keeps pushing her away.

That is where the story didn’t work for me. I understood on a certain level Russell’s need to keep Abby at arm’s length, but he really wasn’t fair to her when he would get overwhelmed with his desires and get her hopes up. It’s his insecurities that cause the rift, but she doesn’t know that and it’s heartbreaking.

Of course, I was still rooting for them and I love the yearning and the makeup at the end of this book. It was a great wrap-up to this series. 
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rshearon's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted relaxing medium-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

4.25

god i love and share tessa bailey’s virgin kink!!! she nails it every time!!!! the MMC and his issues were a little annoying in this one, but his mouth made up for it (classic tessa bailey). the epilogue made me tear up because i loved this little three-book universe a lot! 
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clairew97's review against another edition

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3.5

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smuttymcbookface's review

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lighthearted medium-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

2.75

There were a lot of things I wanted to love about this book. A blue collar MMC, with a need to protect the FMC who won't stand up for herself.

Unfortunately, there were just too many things that didn't work in the story's favour.

Starting with the positives, the plot was light and easy to follow. The sex/build up scenes were well written, with hints of dominance which was great. The MMC was rough and ready, with cropped head hair and abundant chest hair, which was a nice surprise.

However, beyond that, this was a lackluster read. The conflicts between MMC and FMC where petty, and took miscommunication to an annoying level. The MMC was self-admittedly chauvinistic, which can often be fine, but ultimately was a fight-inducing flaw. And the repeated plot of "I have to leave her now because I don't deserve her" after fooling around with the FMC, a naïve virgin, was painful to read.

The icing on the cake was the final reunion, when
after a 10 day break, FMC runs up the stairs in his house to make him chase, and when he does catch her, he literally crawls to her on his knees, at which time she unironically says they can date or get married, she didn't mind
. At this point, they had been apart much much more than they had been together after turning the relationship sexual. A HEA was quite a stretch to believe at this point.
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