I enjoyed both stories. Lucy and Gideon was a cute story to me. However, I feel like Roman and Allie's story had a lot more fire and was a great lazy sunday read.

Make Me Want is the first piece of work that I’ve read of Katee Robert’s, and I have to say that I understand the hype surrounding her books. Her writing flows and is easily digestible, albeit predictable at times. The catch, however, is that this particular book, thematically, is a dime a dozen in the grander spectrum of romance novels. No less enjoyable, but certainly not the end all, be all of the romance genre.

The novel follows the story of Lucy, a well-respected and high-power defense attorney in New York. Within the first few pages, we learn that she’s seeking to be made partner but has some apprehensions about her eligibility due to her lack of spouse with the other lawyers of her firm being traditionalists who put their own perceptions ahead of what’s right based on track record or pedigree.

Enter Gideon, our male love interest, and a headhunter with a past connection to Lucy herself. Gideon is meant to serve the role of finding Lucy a husband, but in typical romance fashion, falls for the girl instead. Except, he had really fallen for her years prior when they were in college and Lucy chose Jeff over himself. Filter in some additional romance jargon and scenes and a plethora of steamy scenes later, Gideon reaches the conclusion outwardly that no one he knows, or will know, is worthy of Lucy and thus he’s the only man capable of both fulfilling the job and it not be part of some elaborate charade.

Now, despite that lackluster description and watering down of Make Me Want’s plot, remember that I said I enjoyed this. As a piece of romance fiction, it was very enjoyable to read. Sure, it fell into some pitfall traps often showcased within the romance genre, but as a gateway into the genre proper, as well as into the world of Katee Robert’s mind, I would argue this was a splendid first foray, and I’m eager to see what else Robert has in store in her bibliography.
Would I recommend this? Yes. Would I also recommend going into it with low expectations and just for something on the simple side to read? Also yes.

Overall, I’d give this book a 3 out of 5 moons. The bones are there, I just wish there was a bit more meat.

Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 | 3/5

―

The “sequel” to the previously installment, Make Me Crave is a steamy, vacation-centric, “enemies”-to-lovers story that follows Allie Landers, a business owner, and Roman Bassani, an intermediary that works for a larger corporation to broker deals and takeover investment opportunities for his client.

From the jump, there is a bit of a chase, as Allie is elusive and difficult to get ahold of, some might even say she’s outright avoiding Roman which, to a degree, she absolutely is. His tenacity, however, knows no bounds, as he ends up following her to the secluded private island resort where she’s staying for vacation. A non-disclosure agreement keeping Roman from sharing his motivations and identity with Allie, the two embark on an idyllic and fast-paced romance in a paradise setting.

Between the first two installments of the “Make Me” series, Make Me Crave was the more enjoyable of them. The weaving of the two’s romance, paired with the nature of their encounter and the overall tension between the two characters was, somehow, far more believable. Both parties are staunchly independent, and to a degree, view the potential of a love connection and intimacy to be wholly compromising of their character and its exactly this vulnerability that makes the story enjoyable and easy to identify with.

Overall, I’d give this book a 4 out of 5 moons.

Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 | 4/5

―

As for the collection, Forbidden Games, as a compilation of these two installments, I’d give it a 3.75 moons out of five, rounded up to four.

Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌖🌑 | 3.75/5

☠️

Not my favorite of Katee's books, but still scratched that itch that only Katee can! This is a bind up of two of her previous books. I feel like I might have read these out of order. They standalone, but the characters build up as the series goes on. They are good and steamy, but nothing super groundbreaking like her newer work!

Make Me Want" and "Make Me Crave" offer readers a double dose of passion, power dynamics, and personal growth. The two stories are tied together by a common theme: characters caught between desire and professional stakes, making for an intriguing setup.

In "Make Me Want," Lucy Baudin is on the brink of a career milestone and determined to reclaim her confidence. Her decision to hire Gideon Novak, her ex’s best friend, adds an undeniable tension. Gideon's lessons in control, trust, and touch are both steamy and risky. While their chemistry is evident, the moral implications of Lucy’s choice can feel a bit murky, adding complexity to an otherwise sizzling plot.

"Make Me Crave" transports readers to a more exotic, secluded setting, where Allie Landers and Roman Bassani explore unexpected romance on a private island. The blend of vacation bliss and cutthroat business stakes creates a compelling dynamic. The push-pull between their personal desires and professional ambitions kept me turning the pages, even if the rivalry sometimes felt repetitive.

Overall, these stories offer a blend of escapism and complicated romance. If you enjoy tales where characters must confront their boundaries, this duo might just be your next guilty pleasure read.

Part 1: Really enjoyable book, except for the parts where I wanted to shake the main characters 😅 Oof, I kept wanting to tell Gideon to get his head out of his ass so many times! The groveling made up for it though in the end, haha.
The phone sex 😍 chef's kiss!
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Part 2: lust at first sight!
Both books had the theme of one character believing the couple had irreconcilable differences despite their strong physical connection.
I did like the portrayal of flawed MC's, who (finally!) realized their mistakes and apologized.
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
While the intimacy in both books was steamy, it wasn't way out there. I was kinda expecting more based on some of the author's other works, but that's ok.

I’ve been reading more Katee Robert lately, and this was a great one to get into! I really enjoyed it, and I am eager to read more from this series. I’m grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the chance to read it!

Short stories and I always could have enjoyed more, but these were so sexy and spicy and feel good reads. I enjoyed them and would definitely recommend.

I loved these 2 books! Gideon and Adonis... I mean Aaron... Were absolutely amazing mmcs. These may be my favorite books ever written by Katee Robert. 5/5 highly recommend!

I will forever nab any Katee Robert book I can get my hands on, even one that is a special edition that I've read before. This two-in-one edition is filled with passion, tension, and insane chemistry. Make Me Want and Make Me Crave both deliver on the spice and emotional depth, making this volume a must-read for anyone who loves complex relationships with plenty of heat.

Lucy and Gideon
This was a book filled with all the classic tropes. We had friends to lovers, second chance romance (in a way), best friend's ex, and spice lessons. Lucy is a high powered attorney, which I love as I am a lawyer as well. She went through a pretty dramatic breakup a couple years back when she found out her fiance had bee cheating on her. Not surprisingly, she took that too heart and it messed with her self esteem. Enter Gideon. Gideon and Lucy used to be really close as Lucy's ex was his best friend. Gideon always had feelings for Lucy but decided to be the better man. When Gideon found out her ex was cheating on her, he told Lucy and the engagement was off. Gideon felt guilty about this and pulled away. flash forward 2 years and Lucy calls Gideon in for a business proposal. She wants him to help her find someone to marry so that she can get a promotion for work. on the side she also wants him to teach her to be better in the bedroom.

Gideon at first tries his best to keep things professional, but almost immediately his feelings for Lucy come back. While she is thinking that his is trying to set her up, he is trying to get her to see that he is the one for her.

It was so funny to see Lucy get set up with Aaron since we already know who Aaron ends up with, who happens to be Lucy's younger sister. The way the story comes together is great.

Typically I would think this story is rushed, but considering they knew and had feelings for each other prior it felt well paced.

Roman and Allie
Our final couple. This gave more enemies to lovers vibes. Allie is a gym owner and Roman is trying to get her to sell her gym to his client. When Allie goes on vacation, Roman follows her. The two had never met prior, so when they meet at the resort they have no clue who each other are. After a passionate night together, they realize as soon as they exchanged names that they slept with the "enemy." They decide to keep business off the table so that they can keep seeing each other for the duration of the trip, but inevitably they fall for each other.

When they get back to New York it is clear that Allie has doubts about continuing the relationship while Roman is all in. Although they briefly called things off, eventually they realized how great they are for one another and get back together. We know they stay together due to Illicit Temptations.

My favorite part of these books are how hard the men fell. They are so down bad for their women right from the start and I ate it up.

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I've read so many of Katee Roberts books, and this is one of my favorites.
So spicy, so well written. You'll want to read it in one sitting.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

This book came into my life at the perfect time - I was coming down with some autumn illness and needed a romance novel that allowed me to turn off my brain and enjoy myself. I did not need drama, lots of involved intricate plot, or anything other than a dopamine hit. What I needed was a good old fashioned friends to lovers and enemies to lovers combo to bring me some happiness.

The first book in this duology, Make Me Want, is about Lucy and Gideon. Lucy wants Gideon to help her find a husband so she can get a promotion in her toxic male workplace, but Gideon has a hard time putting aside his feelings for Lucy due to their past friendship. A classic friends to lovers set up, this was a pretty standard spicy romance read. Not groundbreaking, but an enjoyable way to pass the afternoon.

The second book, Make Me Crave, is a vacation romance. Allie is a gym owner trying to figure out how she is going to keep her business afloat, and Roman is a headhunter working for an investor who wants to buy out Allie’s gym. Allie staunchly does not want to sell, as her gym is paired with a non-profit women’s shelter. However, before realizing who each other are, they meet on vacation and have a fling which intensifies once they realize they are working against each other. This story had a lot of purposeful lack of communication in order to drive the plot (the whole time I was screaming “This could be solved if you just TALKED TO EACH OTHER”), but overall was a fun read.

I liked this duology more than Illicit Temptations and would recommend reading it first!

I had such a blast reading this collection! I really love Katee Robert's writing, and I'm glad that these books are being republished, because honestly I don't think I would've read them otherwise, because I'm not much of a contemporary romance reader, but I love her stories, so this is the best!

I really enjoyed the first collection in this series, but I knew going in that the events in this collection happened first, since in Make Me Yours, it started with one of these couple's wedding. So while I read them out of order, I still really enjoyed these stories!

The thing that Katee Roberts does really well, is making characters and romances that you just had to read more of! Lucy who wants to make partner, but has the understanding that it won't happen unless she's married, and Gideon, who's so very attracted to her and hates that his friend hurt her, yeah, it was complicated, and delicious to read!

Allie and Roman's story, where they have a chance encounter, when it turns out they're clashing in their work lives? That was such a delight, and I was so excited to see how their personal dynamics would affect their work lives, I couldn't get enough!

Loved reading these books and I can't wait to read more by Katee Robert!

Godddd Katees books are addicting. Shes an automatic add to cart kind of author for me.

This book is no exception. Her spice levels, her detail levels, her everything levels are off the charts.
Honestly if this book piques your interest even a LITTLW BIT - grab it. You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you for letting me get an early read!

Katee Robert never fails to deliver, and Forbidden Games is yet another testament to her incredible versatility as a writer! Whether it’s monster smut, contemporary romance, or paranormal tales, Robert always knows how to hook you with her addictive storytelling and captivating characters.

This book combines two of her shorter, sultry works into one delectable volume, and I devoured it in no time. In Make Me Want, Lucy Baudin is about to make partner at her law firm but needs a boost in the confidence department after a rough breakup. Enter Gideon Novak—her ex’s best friend and a man who has been secretly yearning for her for years. Their chemistry is sizzling, and watching Gideon teach Lucy how to trust again, both in and out of the bedroom, is nothing short of tantalizing. Robert beautifully explores themes of vulnerability and empowerment, making this a truly unforgettable romance.

Then there’s Make Me Crave, where the stakes are higher, and the attraction even more irresistible. Allie Landers has just experienced the best vacation fling of her life, only to discover her mystery man, Roman Bassani, is the very person trying to invest in her company. Their chemistry is explosive, and the island backdrop adds a perfect layer of escape and tension. As they navigate their personal and professional desires, Robert masterfully blurs the lines between rivalry and passion.

Each story is perfectly balanced with heat, emotion, and a dash of danger. If you’re a fan of her Neon Gods series or just love a steamy, well-crafted romance, Forbidden Games is a must-read. Katee Robert continues to be a force in the romance world, and this book is yet another gem in her brilliant collection!

I'm really happy that Katee Robert has been re-relasing her older material. I may have never read the O'Malleys series if I hadn't seen it re-released and I love that series.

In this case, Robert is re-releasing her "Make Me" series as two volumes, versus 4 novellas. In Forbidden Games, there are two related stories. In the first one, Gideon is asked by Lucy, an old firend, to help her find a husband for work purposes. He is generally a headhunter, so he's set up for such a request, but he has also always been interested in Lucy since he met her, right before she ended up withi his firend. Now that the firend is out of the picture, Gideon has an opportunity to become more than firendly with Lucy. She asks for "lessons" in the bedroom since she is gun shy after her previous relationship. This of course helps them discover their true feelings for each otther.

The second story is Roman, Gideon and Lucy's friend, who is trying to help connect Allie with an investor to keep her gym/woman's shelter alive. He follows her on vacation to a private island and they decide to have a fling, which Roman wants to make into a larger relationship. In both cases the sexual relationship is front and center, and the underlying reason they're together is secondary/doesn't really make sense to pair with an affair, but I enjoyed both stories and am Looking forward to reading the second book in the series, Illicit Temptations (even though they are published in a different order, the storylines made more sense to me to read them in a different order.)

I received an advanced copy and am giving an honest review.

4.5⭐ I love Katee Robert! I didn't even read the synopsis for this book, I accepted it solely based on the fact that it was written by one of my favorite authors. And I was not disappointed. The first story is sweet and spicy, the second is exciting and spicy. See the common theme?

Forbidden Games is an update of 2 Katee Robert stories from 2018 and made into a duet: Make Me Want and Make Me Crave. Well, this duet of stories will make you want and crave more from Katee Robert! It did for me!

The tropes for Make Me Want are love from afar, ex's best friend, close proximity, lessons learned and slow burn. Lucy is still trying to get over the feeling of betrayal. And Gideon has been waiting 6 years to make his move and is tired of waiting.

The tropes for Make Me Crave are enemies to lovers, one night stand, close proximity, he falls first, and voyeurism. The chemistry between Roman and Allie was out of this world! Allie has always had to depend on herself. This has made her into a very independent woman and is reluctant to hand over the reins of everything she believes in. Roman has a client that he knows 100% has the same values as Allie and will help her turn her gym and non-profit into successful entities. But a signed NDA prevents him from giving her all the details. I love his big gesture that convinces her that he supports her and that he's trustworthy.

The two stories are very different from each other and yet together they make a great duet because it feeds on so many of my desires.

Thank you Katee Robert and NetGalley for this ARC. The above is my own and personal opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of Forbidden Games
by Katee Robert

This is both Book 1 & Book 2 in The Make Me Series combined

First of all Katee Roberts is amazing, if you have not picked up a book by her yet.. run do not walk.. I devor her books!
and Forbidden Games is no exception her storytelling captivates you form the beginning, and every release she has is a buy on the spot
Couples are Gideon & Lucy Roman & Allie
Spice level 5+ stars
Pre Order Now and Thank me later

Thank you to harlequin for this eARC! I've said it once, I'll say it a thousand million times, KATEE ROBERT!! NEVER MISSES!! I'm literally going to finish typing this review then go order this book because I MUST have it in my hands. Lucy and Gideon may be the hottest straight couple I've ever read...in my life?? I'll be thinking about the board room scene every single day from now on. Their chemistry was insane and Katee delivered on it every second of the book. And then following it up with Allie and Roman? Yeah I feel insane. Run around the block scream at the top of my lungs INSANE!

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC of Forbidden Games in exchange for an honest and independent review.

As a note, this is Book 2 of the Make Me series by Katee Robert. Prior to reading this installment, I had in fact not read Book 1. That being said, after reading this book, I will be immediately going out and tracking down Book 1 if it is anything like this one. It’s important to note that you do not need to have read the first book in order to fall in love with Volume 2. I’m actually entirely unsure if there’s any connection between them at all, but you better believe I will find out the answer to that shortly!

Volume 2 is uniquely composed of two entirely separate stories, with slightly overlapping characters, which made this all the more fun! I have honestly never read a book set up like this, but I am entirely on board! Two spicy romance novels for the price of one? Count me in! And when you really get down to it, these books are overflowing with spice. The pages cannot contain the level of spice within it. And it’s done so wonderfully that it doesn’t take away from the story as a whole! There is an actual storyline in both stories that have you so invested in the characters, you cannot help but keep reading, which is so refreshing.

I’ve read some pretty heavy reads lately and I just needed something that was light and fun and kept me engaged, and this book certainly checked all of those boxes. I’m glad to have found Katee through NetGalley and I’m genuinely excited to read other books she has done. Excuse me while I go take a cold shower now..