{"id":11366,"date":"2019-03-19T00:00:43","date_gmt":"2019-03-18T22:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelesbianreview.com\/?p=11366"},"modified":"2023-06-13T17:48:42","modified_gmt":"2023-06-13T15:48:42","slug":"im-gonna-make-you-love-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelesbianreview.com\/im-gonna-make-you-love-me\/","title":{"rendered":"I’m Gonna Make You Love Me by Tracey Richardson: Book Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"I'm<\/a>I’m Gonna Make You Love Me by Tracey Richardson<\/b><\/span> is a lovely age gap, opposites attract romance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Claire Melbourne might normally love her job as a newspaper editor, but today she\u2019s having the day from hell. Her paper missed out the scoop of the decade and she had to fire the flighty intern who was responsible for the mistake. And even though Ellie Kirkland doesn\u2019t have the chops for journalism, she\u2019s so damn sweet that letting her go was kind of like kicking a puppy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ellie\u2019s used to being the black sheep of her family, as the not-medically-inclined daughter of two doctors, not to mention her twin sister who\u2019s followed their mothers into medicine. Now that Ellie\u2019s been let go from the paper, she\u2019s really not looking forward to telling her family, even if she knows Claire did her a favour and got her out of an industry that\u2019s all wrong for her. Now she just needs to figure out what she\u2019s going to do with her life. <\/span><\/p>\n

Just when Claire thinks she\u2019ll never see Ellie again, she starts running into the much younger woman all the time. What should be awkward for them (and is at first), quickly takes a turn as the chemistry grows between them. Can Claire drop her hardass work persona and set aside her misgivings about their age difference long enough for she and Ellie to find something lasting? <\/span><\/p>\n

The Characters<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Claire and Ellie might just be my favourite couple that Tracey Richardson\u2019s written so far. I hesitate to call Claire an ice queen because she\u2019s not closed off to everyone, although I could see why some might see her as one. She\u2019s certainly tough as nails on the job and I especially enjoyed seeing her soften thanks to Ellie. And who could blame her? Ellie is the loveliest girl next door, full of kindness and optimism, even if she has some insecurities thanks to her family. Claire is good for Ellie too, since Ellie goes on her own emotional journey and becomes stronger by the end.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are some great side characters between Claire\u2019s best friend Jackson, and Ellie\u2019s roommate and cousin Marissa, plus her family. They help us get to know the leads better and are integral to both of the women\u2019s character arcs. I hope Marissa and\/or Ellie\u2019s sister Erin get their own books in the future!<\/span><\/p>\n

The Writing Style<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Richardson\u2019s writing is easy to sink into and this book was no exception. The romance has a nice burn to it that\u2019s slow, but not too slow, and I marvelled at how natural Claire and Ellie\u2019s journey from former boss\/employee to happily ever after was. <\/span><\/p>\n

Even better for me, it\u2019s set in my hometown! I loved seeing where Ellie and Claire were going in and around Windsor, Ontario as they were going to places I know and listening to the Motown radio station I grew up with. It\u2019s a love letter to the area and the sounds of Motown, with Richardson\u2019s fondness for both coming across throughout the whole book.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pros<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

The character work, the romance, and of course that setting! I also loved that each chapter begins with the title of a Motown song.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Cons<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

The cover includes major elements in the story, but it still doesn\u2019t really do it justice. Don\u2019t let the cover hold you back from buying this book, because it really is lovely.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re a fan of contemporary romances, especially those with age gaps or opposites attract pairings, I recommend picking up I\u2019m Gonna Make You Love Me. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be reading this one again (especially if a spinoff happens!).<\/span><\/p>\n

Excerpt from <\/b><\/span>I’m Gonna Make You Love Me by Tracey Richardson<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

[Claire] started the ignition, pressed the button to retract the roof, and nudged the car into traffic heading south on Ouellette Avenue.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWow,\u201d Ellie said again, the breeze tossing her dark hair across her face. \u201cI keep saying it, but this is awesome. I hope Piper behaved in here when you drove her home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe did. I think. But she was in the backseat, so\u2026\u201d Not that this backseat had ever seen any action. Not as long as her mother owned it, nor as long as she\u2019d owned it either. And why the hell was she thinking about the backseat and its lack of action while Ellie was sitting beside her, looking like she was made for this thing\u2014her head thrown back, a smile that had settled permanently on her lips, her long legs stretched out in front of her, hair that looked so post-sex it wasn\u2019t funny. She even looked as though she\u2019d settled in for a long trip, not a fifteen-minute drive.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s the radio in this thing?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGood. The original was pretty horrible. I updated it a couple of years ago.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t have a car like this and not have a good stereo system. May I?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGo for it.\u201d Find your Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift<\/i>. But to her surprise, Ellie didn\u2019t change it from the oldies station. In fact, she cranked the volume on \u201cThe Way You Do The Things You Do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I love Motown music!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh no, not you too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ellie bopped her shoulders to the beat. \u201cCool. You love Motown too?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s say I\u2019ve come to grudgingly appreciate it later in life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt totally suits this car, don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

No, but strangely enough, it suits you<\/i>, Claire thought.<\/span><\/p>\n

Get This Book On Amazon<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(this link works for Amazon UK, US, Germany, Italy and Canada)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

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[tweetthis]I just read this review for I’m Gonna Make You Love Me by Tracey Richardson[\/tweetthis]<\/p>\n

Bits and Bobs<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n