Review: Made by J. L. Lora @jtothelove #TakeControlTBR

Wow! Talk about intense. When I started this book, I was not sure what to expect as my experience with the previous installment was below par. Well, this installment delivered more than I expected.  The story picked up from where Boss left off.  It focuses on the relationship between Noah and Gia. I first met them in Boss and from that moment, I wanted to learn more about them as it was evident they shared an undeniable chemistry.

Gia is a part of a trio of women who have been friends since they were kids.   As adults, they became a force to reckon with. Together they were known as the fearsome Trinity. The birth of Trinity arose out of the desire to enact revenge on a common enemy.  However, Gia questions the actions of the group, fearing that karma would come back and bite them in the butt.  Ironically, as she contemplated her role in the trio, she would find herself in a precarious position, set up by someone from her past.  From this moment, her life would go through rough patches.  However, with the help of her best friends and the love of her life she survived the terrors of her situation.  However, she would come to realise she was not safe, a fact that was reinforced when her friends came to her rescue.  Her freedom came at a price. A price, which had her running to escape the tentacles of her past. Her actions resulted in her lying to her friends but most of all it led to her hurting Noah.

I understood her need to protect the people she loved, especially Noah. However, I did not agree with her decision to lie, which led to her hurting those she loved.  In her efforts to protect them she would come to realise that outrunning your past is not as simple as it may seem. Her actions were born out of fear and the issues she had with trust, which resulted from a childhood trauma.

Noah, the consummate playboy never knew a beautiful slip of a woman would bring him to his knees. Meeting Gia changed his life in ways he never imagined.  He proved to be loyal and protective. No matter what Gia threw at him, he made it his duty to be her anchor during the stormy times of her life.

I loved their slow burning romance. Despite their explosive chemistry their romance moved at a steady pace. They fought hard for their love amidst the challenges and obstacles created by their own hands and that of their enemies.

Like the previous book in the series, Made was a story of revenge. It moved at a steady pace but by the last eighty percent it increased its momentum.  There was not a lot of action as I would have expected under the circumstances.  Events occurred, but they were told instead of shown, which took away from the story in terms of excitement and suspense. As stated earlier it was not until the last eighty percent that the nail biting suspense begun. I had issues regarding the person responsible for the upheaval in Gia’s life.  His name was mentioned, and I knew he was behind all the bad things happening, but it would have been good to see this aspect of the story through his eyes.  I believe the story could have benefited from his voice. Despite this, I found this instalment to be a better read than the previous book.  The writing flowed, and the story was easier to follow.

Conclusion/Recommendation
Made shared a story of friendships and survival and it whetted my appetite for the next book in the series.