Make Me Love You

Gallery Books

Make Me Love You
Johanna Lindsey
2016

The Summary
"One duel could be considered a matter of honor, but three duels are attempted murder!  With enlightened society outraged at such reckless behavior among young noblemen, the Prince Regent orders Robert Whitworth and Dominic Wolfe to end their dispute by allying their families through marriage.  Whichever party refuses to comply will forfeit his lands and title.

"Most young women on the brink of their first London Season would resent being sent to the Yorkshire moors to marry a complete stranger.  But not Brooke Whitworth.  Bullied by her brother and mistreated by her parents, she developed courage, resiliency, and even a little cunning.  She views the arranged marriage to Lord Wolfe as a welcome escape.  There's no room in her heart for fear.  She will make him love her.

"But Brooke hadn't counted on the Wolf's being so big, formidable, and handsome, or on his hating her simply because she is a Whitworth.  When she learns why Dominic challenged her brother to so many duels, she attempts to unwind the mystery of a tragic death in the hope of unlocking her future husband's heart--and turning his strong passions into an exquisite, enduring love for her alone."

The Good
I rather enjoyed Make Me Love You.  I've not read much by Johanna Lindsey--in fact, I don't recall ever reading one of her novels before this moment--but I found I liked her latest novel.  Romance novels, as I've admitted, are something of a guilty pleasure for me and this one is no different.

It's a fun, adventurous little romance and it was oddly comforting to me.  (I was reading it over Halloween when I was freaked out about watching horror movies, so, honestly, it was a great distraction from all the spooks and goblins knocking at my door.)  Plus, I kind of liked reading about two very different people finding their way to love one another.

I like that Brooke stands her ground in front of Dominic; I like that Dominic is willing to bend his rules and humor her requests, as time goes on.  I mean, I can't not like a guy who, despite his misgivings, allows his--girlfriend?  Fiancee?  Lover?  I'm not really sure what to call her, as he doesn't appear to like her very much at the beginning of the book--betrothed to bring a hulking wolf-dog into his home.  Honestly, that's probably the sweetest gesture he could make.

I'm getting to be such a sucker for love stories.  It's terrible, really.

The Bad
Some of the relationship building in Make Me Love You felt forced; some parts of the plot felt crude and contrived, like the incident with the highwaymen.  I mean, I suppose it could happen, but, overall, it merely felt like a crude device to propel the story along and, honestly, I didn't think it was very clever.  It was an interesting deviation, but it wasn't something I expected to encounter and it wasn't something I really enjoyed.

Personally, I didn't think much of the premise.  Arranging marriages for mutual benefit is, in my mind, a hallmark of fabricating Victorian and Regency relationships in romantic novels; likewise, I think the forced union between the Wolfe and Whitworth families is a diabolically clever ultimatum made by the Prince Regent.  However, I'm a little doubtful that Brooke, for all the years of neglect and abuse she suffered, would immediately jump into a relationship with a man and think she could make him love her.

Love is a powerful thing, yes, but I've never categorized it as a quick or spontaneous thing.  Lust is different, of course, and it makes for quick work; however, love is a little more intricate and, in a word, complicated.  I felt Brooke, for all her supposed cleverness, should have recognized that love, like Rome, wasn't built in a day.  It takes time--and yet their relationship, their mutual affection seemed to coalesce at an astonishing rate.

I couldn't believe it.  I didn't believe it.

In that regard, I considered it a little disappointing.

The Ugly
Abuse.  Neglect.  Exploitation.  Attempted murder.  Gambling, cheating, lying.

And that's just Brooke's brother, Robert.

Honestly, Make Me Love You runs the gambit when it comes to disappointing male figures.  Brooke's father is a terrible tyrant; her brother is, as she dubs him, a "blackguard" and a scoundrel; and Dominic, her intended, has a temper that causes him to lash out emotionally and, on occasion, break her heart.

Let's just say I'm not exactly impressed.