Review: Love is Love
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 17, 2014
The third installment of Ann Lister’s The Rock Gods Series focuses on Ivory Towers’ drummer, Cooper Rand. At the end of book two, Take What You Want, readers are given a glimpse of what’s to come between Cooper and Jayson Keller, Chase and Danni’s best friend, but let me tell you, experiencing it fully in Make You Mine is so much better! This is an amazing love story between two men who have never experienced more than simple hook ups, never looking for more than that because the concept of love was one they never felt fit them until they literally bumped into one another and their attraction sizzled.What I love most about Coop and Jay’s story is that readers are with them from the very start of their relationship. At the beginning, they both try to downplay their feelings for one another and simply see their time together as nothing more than sex, but all it takes is their hands intertwining during a moment of passion to show both of them that what they feel for each other is so much more, and even though both are hesitant to say anything out loud, it’s clear as day to readers that what they’ve started will continue to grow.As the story progresses, Ann Lister does a great job of showing the complications that can occur in a bicoastal and societal judged relationship as well as the strength that is required to make it work despite all that is going against it. The way Cooper and Jayson learn how to communicate with each other and be honest with their feelings is what allows them to overcome all that they are faced with, and because readers are given both of their point of views throughout their journey, we witness their love blossom and grow into the forever kind. The sex that begins it all is still a huge part of their relationship, and Lister shows just how much they truly connect as a couple with those steamy scenes, but she also proves what they are to each other based on the ways they support and care for one another as well. Another aspect of the text that really works for me is the personal growth both Coop and Jay demonstrate, which in my opinion, truly illustrates what someone is willing to do for the right person.Make You Mine is a testament to the idea that love is love; it’s not about gender or race or even the number of partners in the relationship. It’s about trust, communication, and commitment and Ann Lister does a fantastic job of weaving that message throughout all of her stories, but it resonates the most in Coop and Jay’s story due to the bigotry they face. I’ve only read a few books in the M/M genre, but if there are more like Ann Lister’s books, it will quickly become one of my favorites.A complimentary copy of the text was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.4.5 poison apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)