Scan barcode
A review by lmrivas54
Make It Sweet by Kristen Callihan
5.0
Simply delightful! I loved this pure romance story and both characters. It’s lovely and so entertaining, and I realized that I’ve missed this author’s books so much. It’s a story of two famous persons whose career is in peril and how they overcome their situation. And in so doing, find each other and find themselves.
When Luc Osmond was five years old, he told his parents he wanted to fly. One airplane ride didn’t make him happy though, because he wasn’t doing anything, just sitting there. When his father registered him in hockey lessons, that’s when he found his calling. Flying over the ice, playing hockey, planning plays in the ice rink, that’s when he found himself. Unfortunately, at twenty-eight years old, he was forced to retire due to concussion syndrome, and has turned into a grumpy recluse at his grandmother’s estate in Southern California.
“But the sad truth was there was nothing left for me anywhere else. My fiancée was gone, my career was gone, and I was broken. Which meant I was at Rosemont. And, apparently, at my grandmother’s beck and call.”
Emma Maron clawed her way to Hollywood fame, finally landing a prize spot as Princess Anya in the famous Dark Castle series. During the reading of the script for this last season, she has just learned that she’s getting the ax. When she got to her rented house, that she shares with her boyfriend Greg, she found him screwing the maid. So she escaped to Rosemont to hide for a while and deal with the sense of loss and the fear about her future.
“Fame was a weird phenomenon. You chased it, but once you had it, you never felt secure or safe. Paranoia about who was in your life for what reasons, fear that you’d never be good enough, popular enough.”
Pretty soon, Luc and Emma realize that Luc’s grandmother Amalie is playing matchmaker. Luc stubbornly resists falling under Emma’s charms and eventually falls. Emma is so beautiful and sassy and she’s not scared of his grumpiness. She nicknames him Brick, which for some reason delights him, and later also starts calling him honey pie. Luc can’t help but be enchanted and amused by her antics. Pretty soon, the guy who won’t talk much and never smile, starts smiling, joking and laughing. She opened up his heart and he starts dealing with his loss.
“For a year I hadn’t felt a glimmer of sexual need or attraction. Hadn’t even missed it—which was cause for concern as well. But I’d been resigned to my apathetic state. As effectively as sticking a plug into a socket, Emma Maron had shocked my system into wakefulness. And I didn’t like it.”
Luc learned to bake with his grandfather, a very famous pastry chef. At Rosemont, he takes to baking and pretty soon Emma is addicted to his pastries. We see how Luc expresses his love through his cooking and how much Emma appreciates his talents. We get a glimpse at previous book Dear Enemy characters, Macon and Delilah, and see Luc sharing his talents with Delilah during their wedding weekend. I loved this part!
This book was such a perfect romance for me! One character broken, having lost his beloved career, the other character wounded by the loss of a prized role and scared of her future. Together they overcome their insecurities and reinforce each other. They find love in between laughs, endless conversations, quiet moments of rejoicing in each other’s company.
I loved Emma’s character, so sassy and plunky. She was so sweet and considerate, but when Luc got nasty she gave back as good as she got. Her sassiness is what woke him up from his grump and made him start enjoying life again. Enjoying this book made me remember how much I love this author’s stories. For me, they are perfect romances, with delightful characters, a strong story with enough angst and steam, and a heavy dose of sweet. Loved it!
When Luc Osmond was five years old, he told his parents he wanted to fly. One airplane ride didn’t make him happy though, because he wasn’t doing anything, just sitting there. When his father registered him in hockey lessons, that’s when he found his calling. Flying over the ice, playing hockey, planning plays in the ice rink, that’s when he found himself. Unfortunately, at twenty-eight years old, he was forced to retire due to concussion syndrome, and has turned into a grumpy recluse at his grandmother’s estate in Southern California.
“But the sad truth was there was nothing left for me anywhere else. My fiancée was gone, my career was gone, and I was broken. Which meant I was at Rosemont. And, apparently, at my grandmother’s beck and call.”
Emma Maron clawed her way to Hollywood fame, finally landing a prize spot as Princess Anya in the famous Dark Castle series. During the reading of the script for this last season, she has just learned that she’s getting the ax. When she got to her rented house, that she shares with her boyfriend Greg, she found him screwing the maid. So she escaped to Rosemont to hide for a while and deal with the sense of loss and the fear about her future.
“Fame was a weird phenomenon. You chased it, but once you had it, you never felt secure or safe. Paranoia about who was in your life for what reasons, fear that you’d never be good enough, popular enough.”
Pretty soon, Luc and Emma realize that Luc’s grandmother Amalie is playing matchmaker. Luc stubbornly resists falling under Emma’s charms and eventually falls. Emma is so beautiful and sassy and she’s not scared of his grumpiness. She nicknames him Brick, which for some reason delights him, and later also starts calling him honey pie. Luc can’t help but be enchanted and amused by her antics. Pretty soon, the guy who won’t talk much and never smile, starts smiling, joking and laughing. She opened up his heart and he starts dealing with his loss.
“For a year I hadn’t felt a glimmer of sexual need or attraction. Hadn’t even missed it—which was cause for concern as well. But I’d been resigned to my apathetic state. As effectively as sticking a plug into a socket, Emma Maron had shocked my system into wakefulness. And I didn’t like it.”
Luc learned to bake with his grandfather, a very famous pastry chef. At Rosemont, he takes to baking and pretty soon Emma is addicted to his pastries. We see how Luc expresses his love through his cooking and how much Emma appreciates his talents. We get a glimpse at previous book Dear Enemy characters, Macon and Delilah, and see Luc sharing his talents with Delilah during their wedding weekend. I loved this part!
This book was such a perfect romance for me! One character broken, having lost his beloved career, the other character wounded by the loss of a prized role and scared of her future. Together they overcome their insecurities and reinforce each other. They find love in between laughs, endless conversations, quiet moments of rejoicing in each other’s company.
I loved Emma’s character, so sassy and plunky. She was so sweet and considerate, but when Luc got nasty she gave back as good as she got. Her sassiness is what woke him up from his grump and made him start enjoying life again. Enjoying this book made me remember how much I love this author’s stories. For me, they are perfect romances, with delightful characters, a strong story with enough angst and steam, and a heavy dose of sweet. Loved it!