Swoon-worthy Romance! Make it a Double by Sawyer Bennett

Last Call #2

Publisher: Big Dog Books, LLC

Publication Date: April 21, 2014

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Source: Purchased via Amazon

~Synopsis~

Brody Markham has endured a nightmare, spending the last five years in prison and losing everything that was dear to him. Now he’s back home, trying to survive in a world he doesn’t recognize anymore. While his family and friends desperately try to reach through to him, he shelters himself further and further away from their love.

Alyssa Myers has worked her entire life to distance herself from the luxurious and privileged lifestyle in which she was raised. Running her non-profit agency, The Haven, she is content to spend her days helping abused animals find sanctuary, which fulfills her in a way that money just can’t buy.

Maybe it’s that she recognizes in Brody some of the same characteristics she sees in her homeless wards, but Alyssa is powerless to stop her personal quest to make Brody whole again.

While Brody struggles to surface from the darkness, Alyssa tries to protect her heart in case he’s not willing to accept the light that she offers him.

~Review~

This book brought me back to life. I had been in a reading slump for a while but when I picked up Make it a Double, I felt like my old self again. I was sucked in and entranced throughout the entire book. I am so madly, deeply in love with Brody that it's not even funny. He stole my heart and no other book boyfriend has been able to capture since then.

Brody has been through a tough five years and now he is just trying to find a new normal in his life. He is definitely not the same man he was and that had taken a toll on his relationships with his family. He is a bit bitter, jaded and sullen. He doesn't want anyone's help, especially Alyssa. He sees her as a spoiled, rich girl and because of his past, this rubs him the wrong way. The problem is, Brody doesn't really know her and he's making a snap judgement. I totally understood his anger, considering all he has been through but I wanted to knock him upside the head for they way he judged her in the beginning.

Alyssa comes from a very wealthy family but she is definitely not a spoiled brat. She is so sweet and humble and she doesn't want to be defined by her family wealth. She is so down to earth and she wants to use her money to do good things. She opens an animal shelter and uses her money to make it an exceptional place for misplaced animals to go. I tried to volunteer at an animal shelter once and after the first day, I couldn't go back. I almost cried and there was no way I could see these animals like this day in and day out. However, I loved that Alyssa was able to build a state of the art facility that wouldn't make the shelter more of a home for these animals.

Brody and Alyssa definitely have some chemistry but it's not something that is instant. Brody is kind of a dick to Alyssa at first and he makes a lot of assumptions about her. I really liked the way she held her own against him though when he treated her poorly. She was able to prove to him pretty quickly that she is not who he thought she was and then he becomes intrigued. What I loved most was how volunteering at the shelter and getting to know Alyssa healed Brody. He was able to find his way back to the man he was before and while he will never be the same, he realized that he still has a lot of life to live and he can be happy again. Alyssa showed him that. My favorite thing about this book was the development of their relationship. It wasn't fast paced or instant love. They really had to get to know each other to get past their judgments and really fall for each other.

Overall, this was an amazing book and probably one of my favorites for the year so far. While I loved the first book, On the Rocks, Make it a Double was even more spectacular. The development of Brody and Alyssa as characters as well as their relationship together was incredible. I also really liked the plot and Sawyer did a great job of adding a little suspense and drama in there to make it intriguing and a real page turner.

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE