ARC Book Review | 'Make Me Yours' By Melanie Harlow*

 

Boy oh boy do I have a treat for you today.

Ever since I stumbled upon Melanie Harlow and her books a few months or so back, I've been low key obsessed with her writing and find myself pretty much buzzing with excitement when I get the sniff of a new book. 

It started with the Cloverleigh Farms series, and quickly progressed when Harlow announced a brand spanking new series - The Bellamy Creek crew. Starting with Blair and Griffins story in the first book, 'Dive Me Wild, were quickly introduced to a whole group of new characters, and its easy to fall straight in with them.

Two characters that stood out for me initially were Cheyenne and Cole, and it was clear straight off that their story was one waiting to be told. Thankfully their story is one that gets explored in Harlow's latest offering, 'Make Me Yours.'

'He’s my brother’s best friend.

The hot single dad next door.

And one accidental sext later, my massive crush on him is no longer a secret.

It’s my own damn fault. I’m thirty years old, for heaven’s sake. I’m a kindergarten teacher and a (reasonably) responsible adult. I should know better than to get tipsy and draft a fake text listing all the dirty things I wish Officer Cole Mitchell would do to me.

I wasn’t supposed to hit send.

He wasn’t supposed to see it.

And he definitely wasn’t supposed to text back telling me to go on . . .

Because after that, things escalate quickly.

Cole is everything I’ve ever wanted. He’s sexy and protective. A devoted father to his little girl. A dedicated cop the whole town adores. The kind of guy you can trust to keep his hands to himself, even when you’re desperately hoping he won’t.

I’m not the girl he thought he’d end up with, but after all this time, I might finally get the chance to say the words I’ve always dreamed of . . . make me yours.'

Cheyenne Dempsey is Griffin's younger sister, a kindergarten teacher who still lives at home with her mum into her 30s. She hasn't yet found the love of her life, instead constantly finding herself pining away after the boy next door. As her brothers best friend, she had long accepted that Cole would never see her the way she wanted him to, and vowed to keep her feelings under lock and key. But after a message that was never meant to get sent finds its way to Cole, she finally starts to see a change in their relationship.

Cole Mitchell is the hunk next door, the object of Cheyenne's affections and Griffins best friend. A police officer in their small town and a single dad to boot, he hasn't dated or been with anyone since his wife passed in childbirth nine years earlier. His sole focus is being a good dad to his adorable daughter Mariah, and his devotion to her is something that instantly made me love him. But he's found himself feeling lonely, and the constant badgering from his friends and family to get back on the scene frustrates him. But newfound chemistry with his best friends sister, one who was put off limits years ago, has him start to question everything.

The development of Cheyenne and Coles relationship was beautiful from the start, and if I'm honest took me down a route I was not expecting. The two are cautious and careful with their feelings, and so considerate of others and what they are doing. They don't let their lust dictate them, which was a refreshing take for once! Cheyenne has loved Cole ever since she was young, and as much as she wants him she won't settle for anything less than what she has always dreamed of.

Cole had his own demons to conquer in his route to being with Cheyenne, and my heart broke for him along the way. The death of his wife had affected him so much, and he always found himself putting on a brave front for his daughter and everyone around him.

The pairs chemistry and passion was so sizzling and close to the surface, all it took was a slip of the finger from Cheyenne on a text that was never meant to be sent and it all came bubbling to the surface. They had always had a close friendship, but all it took was that text to amp up their relationship 1000 percent to something more. Their journey from friends to something more was beautiful and pretty much had me cheering at all the key points.

If you're looking for a small town, second chance romance featuring a hot cop and an adorable heroine, then Make Me Yours is definitely the book for you.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.