B+
Title: Make Me Yours
Author: Bettina Krahn
Publication Info: Harlequin 2009
ISBN: 9780373794836
Genre: Historical: European
There is something I need to say before I start this review…I LOVE the Sony 505 Reader and it’s going to kill me to return it! My reading life is changed forever and I don’t know if I can go back now.
The ability to carry multiple books with me, that I can whip out at anytime, is amazing. Likewise, reading on my treadmill has never been easier. It’s hard to walk/run with a book in your hand, but the largest font size on the Sony allows me to see from a distance! I didn’t want to love it, but I did!
Now, on to the review of Make Me Yours.
One of the most frequent names tossed around as someone to add to your TBR pile is Betina Krahn, and with my handy Harlequin gift code in hand, I purchased a Harlequin Historicals bundle from the Sony Store. Yes, I said Harlequin and Historicals in the same sentence. If you haven’t checked out Harlequin lately they will surprise you. Not only do they offer all genres of romance, but the quality of the writing is on par with anything NY publishers put out as single titles. Case in point, Mrs. Krahn and Make Me Yours.
From eHarlequin.com:
Mariah Eller was only trying to save her inn from being trashed. So how did the widow manage to attract the unwanted—and erotic—attention of the Prince of Wales? Not that being desired by royalty is necessarily bad… Only, Mariah much prefers the prince’s best friend….
Jack St. Lawrence is very tempting, and very loyal. And he knows that the prince gets involved only with married women. So he figures sexy Mariah is safe…until the prince demands Jack find her a husband!
The problem? Jack and Mariah can’t fight their sizzling attraction. And once they give in to their desires, the situation is even worse. Because the prince’s man has found a husband for Mariah.
Himself…
There were so many wrong steps Mrs. Krahn could have taken with this story – plot paths that would have made the story a clichéd mess. You’d expect Mariah to have been unhappy with her dead husband, but no, he was a fine man who made Mariah happy. No deep dark drama to be found there. She could easily have given Jack some dark secret or made him beholden to the prince for some family drama.
But, Krahn didn’t do any of the stale dramatic plot twists or techniques that others might use. Instead, she created a lovely and charming story about Mariah and Jack finding love even while knowing Mariah might still have to become the prince’s mistress. She created a historical that took the very real trails of a woman chosen to be mistress against her will, and handled with finesse and comedy.
The contemporary sexual feel of the writing was another plus. It worked seamlessly into the historical setting. Krahn uses the backstory of Mariah’s first husband to explain how Mariah came to be sexually advanced for the time period. No parts of this story were wasted, and the plot moved along nicely because of it.
My favorite scenes are those when Mariah is provoking Jack and purposefully leaving him speechless. Particularly funny are the ones where she creates a list of what Jack desires in a woman since the prince will surely want the same.
Likewise, Mariah’s constant questioning of the attributes of the men on the list Jack created is done with comedic touches, but still drives home the very real consequences Jack should have considered before casually throwing his list together.
I really enjoyed Make Me Yours and will pay more attention to future releases by Mrs. Krahn.
This book drove home the quality of Harlequin books and the delightful authors they publish. If I leave you with one impression, let it be to read a Harlequin and you’ll discover the goodness for yourself!
This book is available at Amazon, Book Depository, Powells and Books on Board – and of course from eHarlequin.
I got that bundle too, and this book was far and away the best in the bunch – totally would have given it the same B+ grade! I also liked the way she broke romance tradition: not only was the heroine a widow who was NOT a virgin, but she had actually enjoyed sex with her husband, and wouldn’t mind a second helping with someone new, thankuverymuch.
It was a refreshing, fun and quick read and the hero was as likable and quirky in his own way as the heroine – even with all the references to his “John Thomas” (is that historically accurate? I didn’t bother to check).
Sounds like a good book. I’ve been pleased with most of the Harlequin purchases I’ve made in the past year or so. I quit buying them for years because they all seemed so similar but BOY has that changed!
I’ve got several keepers from the Spice line , Nascar line of all things and Super Romance line.
I totally love this book for all the reasons you state: it’s sex positive message; the strength of both characters; the lack of wasted space. It’s a delicious little historical romance.
I totally agree with the review and the grade, I bought Make Me Yours on recommendation of Jane (DA) and I really enjoyed the book a lot.
But I still do buy Harlequin categories only on recommendation, and since ManmaNice says that Bettina Krahn’s book was far and away the best in the Harlequin Historicals bundle, I will continue like that (and continue being grateful for recommendations 🙂 )
Thumbs up for me too—terrific book. And with two such intelligent, vibrant characters.
Appreciate the technical review too. Every single time I go on a trip, I end up having shoulder pains and/or mailing books home because of the number I lug with me. I may succumb to the lore of an electronic reader just to get that under control. I suppose issues abroad of computing are easily solved? Just having the right plugs/batteries? I’m just starting to research this 🙂
Thanks for this review. I haven’t read Betina Krahn in a long while so will make a point to pick this up.
This was a fantastic read for me. It was an A for me. Since BK is used to the longer wordcount format, I wasn’t sure she could pull this one off, but boy did she. It was fun and she did an awesome job! I don’t buy categories at all, so if they can pull more writers in like BK I might have to change my book buying ways. 😉
@MamaNice My copy of English Through the Ages places the expression John Thomas as being in use before 1880, so it’s borderline.
I bought this book based on the DA recommendation and I enjoyed it.
I haven’t read this book YET but for Betina Kahn is a writer who has never disappointed me or failed to deliver a story that’s unique. Her voice is exactly the type that I love to read. Try some of her single titles. You will fall in love.
Janet W—I know the new Kindle 2 comes with a combination plug that works in your USB port on your computer or plugs into an adapter to use wall electrical power to recharge. Evidently the adapter can handle foreign power convertion with just a different plug arrangement so you can travel to multiple countries with no worry
Unfortunately you can’t wirelessly update your holdings abroad though you can stop into any internet cafe and download a new book to your Kindle. How does the Sony handle that? Not wanting to lug around a suitcase full of books was exactly why I bought my Kindle. Also, great for commuting and reading saucy novels in public.
I took advantage of the great deals at Harlequin a couple of weeks ago, and one of my purchases was MMY by Betina Krahn. It was also a return to Harlequin for me….in high school, the romance stands at the library and I were BFF and they were filled with Harlequin.
The dialogue and unique plot were great fun, and Mariah was a humorous and engaging heroine. I sometimes had to check to make sure what time period it was, because at times, the dialogue seemed almost too contemporary.