Monday, April 28, 2014

Review: Make You Mine by Macy Beckett

Make You Mine by Macy Beckett
Series: Dumont Bachelors, Book 1
Publisher: Signet
Genre: Contemporary Romance Make You Mine Cover
ISBN: 9780451465337
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

A girl like her comes around once a century…

For ninety-nine years, every man in the Dumont family has remained a perpetual bachelor. Residents of Cedar Bayou, Louisiana, whisper about a voodoo hex cast upon the family, sabotaging each man’s chance at marriage. In truth, the Dumont men have their own player personalities to blame, and Marc is no exception. As captain of his family’s riverboat, he’s broken hearts up and down the Mississippi. That is, until his high school crush strolls onboard...

Allie Mauvais rocks the boat when she fills in as pastry chef. She hasn’t seen Marc since senior year, when rumors flew that her great-great-grandmother was the one who cursed the Dumonts. After two weeks on the water, neither can deny the attraction that still burns between them. But to truly reach Marc’s heart, Allie must show him that the hex is all in his head and it’ll take more than her mouthwatering sweets to prove it. Will Allie’s love be enough to finally make Marc hers?

Like the sweet treats Allie bakes, Make You Mine is utterly delicious! Sexy bachelors, a decades-old curse, a little voodoo, a wealth of endearing characters, and a slightly star-crossed romance make this first Dumont Bachelors book a rousing success.

Allie Mauvais is a pastry chef who’s more famous for her supposed voodoo priestess abilities than any cruller or cookie she makes. Plagued by her heritage, Allie uses her powers of observation along with some plain old fashioned psychology to help those who come to her seeking guidance and love charms. Allie is a kind-hearted soul with a great sense of humor and I absolutely adored her from the start. I’m almost sad she’s a fictional character, for I’d love to have her as a friend, were she real. Though she’s as friendly and hardworking as can be, life often throws lemons at Allie; her resemblance to her great-great-grandmother, Juliette Mauvais, has some people believing she’s evil and/or malicious.

The current generation of Dumonts may not believe Allie’s evil, but she’s definitely bad luck. Ever since Juliette Mauvais cursed their family, the Dumont men have been unlucky in love, not a one of them ever making it down the aisle. Marc Dumont has a particular reason to be wary of the curse – the one time he asked out Allie in high school he ended up with an unpleasant affliction the next morning. When Allie comes aboard Marc’s river boat to serve as pastry chef, things start to go wrong. Though Allie insists the curse isn’t real, Marc can only see evidence to the contrary. Even so, he can’t resist his attraction to Allie and it’s not long before things heat up as they cruise along the Mississippi. I loved watching Allie and Marc’s relationship develop. The two of them have that special, indescribable “something” that swiftly charms the reader and makes the pages of Make You Mine fly by.

But the road to happily ever after isn’t a smooth one. Marc is an intelligent, rational man, but the overwhelming proof he’s seen has him believing there’s no way to break his family’s curse. Because of this, he screws up with Allie even though he wants to be with her. Allie’s equally determined to make him see that the supposed curse is all in his head. But is it? I won’t spoil any details of the story, but suffice it so say that author Macy Beckett weaves in details that make solid arguments for both sides.

With its steamy romance, its hero and heroine’s easy Louisiana charm, and the mystery of whether or not there’s a curse on the Dumont men, Make You Mine is a captivating read. Add in a cast of fun, endearing secondary characters – including Marc’s siblings, Allie’s sister, and the adorable couple from the Dumont Bachelors prequel novella, Make You Blush – and the story simply shines. I flat-out loved Make You Mine and Ms. Beckett has me hungry for more Dumont bachelors!


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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