A review by agrippinaes
Make It Sweet by Kristen Callihan

4.0

Rating: 4 stars
What I Liked: This is a delicious and gentle book. The writing in it is absolutely gorgeous: the descriptions of food, of Rosemont, of people, just everything is absolutely perfect: I wanted to be there on the estate and eating all of the wonderful food that was being prepared. I’m not usually a fan of romances based around food and cooking but this one was almost enough to change my mind. The food featured in the book is erotic all on its own. I also loved the idea of Rosemont as a place of healing - it sounded wonderful.
The plot is quite simple but it has just enough going on to keep things interesting. The central romance is lovely - they have great chemistry and the sexual tension is very high; I think this is one of the hottest books I’ve read in a long while. I also think it feels like a slow burn even though it isn’t really; I was so eager for something to happen between them it felt like it was a long wait. The two characters were good as individuals as well and I thought they were very well-suited to each other.
I really enjoyed their romance and how they came together
SpoilerI liked the build up; the scene by the pool, their slightly combative interactions initially - also the scene where he scares her, I loved the fact that he apologised immediately and they talked through the incident afterwards.
. The emotions felt very clear and real, and I really felt for them as they began to face problems within the relationship.
Lucian’s pain regarding his career felt very palpable and whilst I was fully on Emma’s side over it I really felt for him when he realised what a mistake it would be to go back to playing hockey.
What I Didn’t: I didn’t really hate anything about the book at all, but I did find it a bit slow towards the start. It’s a very gentle read even though it’s got some quite angsty moments, so the pace in general is very steady. This isn’t an issue as I know it’s just that kind of book - it’s meant to be devoured slowly, I think, rather than read in one sitting. But I almost DNF at the start as it didn’t capture my attention immediately.
Overall: It’s just a lovely book - it covers some difficult topics but does them lightly and gently, and the result is a very sweet and heartwarming romance that still manages to be very hot and steamy. It was a pleasure to read.
Would I Recommend It?: Yes, if you want a gentle but steamy contemporary romance that’s a mixture of a sports and chef romance.
Would I Read Something By The Author Again?: Yes.
Content Warnings:
SpoilerHead injuries, brain injuries, child abuse (in past), mentions of domestic violence, discussions of creepy fans.