Customer Reviews

Make Me Hot

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Make Me Hot is the journey of Morgan Bayley, a woman whose physical features affects how she feels about herself. As a child she was teased for having an unshapely nose. And now that she's an adult, she yearns to be beautiful. Will plastic surgery be her only way out?

This is a pretty unique and topical storyline that deals with important self-esteem issues. Marissa did a great job with her descriptions. I actually felt like I was in the operating room lying on a table going under the knife.

Another important and noticeable aspect -- although the character was phyiscally described as unattractive, Morgan's inner spirit radiated in this book and you really do get the impression that beauty is only skin deep.

Make Me Hot should be enjoyed by those that want to read about female empowerment and learning how to love oneself.

Let's face it; our society is obsessed with looks. With the popularity of reality shows such as Extreme Makeover, How Do I Look and Swan, it is evident that plastic surgery is all the rage. Author Marissa Monteilh has taken this ever-popular makeover trend and used it as the basis for her latest novel, Make Me Hot, an enlightening look at what happens after the transformation.

Morgan Bayley has been teased about her extra large and crooked nose since she was a kid. Even her father makes unflattering comments about it and instead favors Morgan's younger and more attractive sister Olympia.

At the tender of age of fourteen, when a geeky boy finds Morgan attractive and hormones rage, she becomes pregnant and never hears from the boy again. Fast forward several years and despite her unusual looks, Morgan is excelling in her career. She has successfully raised her daughter Corliss, who is a promising esthetician, and she owns a beautiful home. She also has a very handsome boyfriend, Jabril, whom she's been dating for five years. While she appears to have it all, her looks continue to haunt her. The hurtful teasing she endured as a youth has turned to uncomfortable and awkward stares. Even Jabril, who claims to love her just as she is, berates her and does not miss an opportunity to take jabs at her looks.

So when her best friend Tyra secretly enters Morgan into a makeover contest and she wins, she seriously considers cashing in on her prize-- plastic surgery on anything free of charge. All she has to do is unveil her final look on a special show on television. Although initially she has reservations about the whole thing, she eventually decides to take the chance to finally be beautiful. But will being gorgeous finally make her happy? What about her family and friends? Will they love the new Morgan?

At a time when plastic surgery, liposuction, gastric bypass and breast implants are ever so pervasive, Marissa Monteilh delivers a powerful novel that is not only timely but thought provoking. The author does an excellent job of walking readers through one woman's intense journey of self discovery, when her self-esteem falters and she believes changing her outer appearance will make all the difference. It was interesting to see the character experience this emotional roller coaster. The step-by-step makeover process was engaging as well.

This reviewer enjoyed the premise of the plot, and the nice twists within the story, however, the ending left something to be desired. It seemed as though the author wanted to drive home the moralistic message, which resulted in contrived dialogue and an almost scripted conclusion. Nonetheless, Make Me Hot was an enjoyable read and is recommended for anyone who has even remotely considered surgically altering their appearance.

Morgan Bailey has never felt beautiful due to her long nose that made her the subject of many jokes and much teasing. She has learned to accept her distinctive features and now at the age of 39, Morgan has a successful career, beautiful home, and a long-term relationship with Jabril. But underneath it all, Morgan is still carrying the emotional scars from being a teen mother, losing her mother at an young age, and dealing with a father who always seemed to favor her younger sister. Despite everything, she is shocked to find out that she is the winner of an makeover contest that her best friend Tyra has entered her in. At first, she is hesitant to go through with it until she catches Jabril chatting online with another woman, and after he demands that she not go through it, she decides to for once do something for herself.

But what she doesn't count on is after the makeover and unveiling on national television, secret after secret begins to come to light, an attraction to an man she's been chatting with online leads to an unexpected reunion and her relationship with Jabril begins to fall apart. Now that Morgan is HOT, she is getting all the attention she always wanted or least, thought she wanted. She learns that true beauty comes from within and she learns to embrace the beauty she had all along. Make Me Hot is something that all women with body issues should read, it is touching yet powerful look at self-acceptance. Kudos to Ms Monteilh for tackling the issue of body image. I give this book 4 stars. Reviewed by Shay C of PeoplewholoveGoodBooks

Morgan Bayley has always had a distinctive look--big eyes, a wide smile and an unusually large nose. In her childhood, her mother was her biggest advocate for helping her to feel good about her unique look. Her first boyfriend seduced and abandoned her and left her, a teenager, with a daughter, Corliss. Her mother died when she was in her late teens. She has constantly carried the emotional scars throughout her life from looking different. Life begins to evolve. Morgan is older now and she has created a life for herself--a career, a home, and a new friend, Jabril. Her daughter is now grown and they have a very close relationship. Her father has moved in with her after her younger sister began her career. But life as she knows it changes drastically when her best friend enters Morgan in a makeover contest and she wins. Morgan has mixed emotions about getting the makeover and her boyfriend refuses to allow her get the makeover. Morgan decides to get the makeover anyway and is surprised when everyone treats her differently. Morgan's inner beauty has now also become her outer beauty and she must learn how to deal with life from a new perspective. Marissa Monteilh creates a novel from the old adage "beauty is more than skin deep" and allows the reader to watch a character go full circle in her self-discovery.

Morgan, like many people, wanted to improve/enhance her looks. The individuals who loved Morgan, loved her because she was beautiful on the inside, and to them, she was equally attractive on the inside.

Morgan was her own worst critic so her best friend Tyra arranged a makeover that changed Morgan's life forever. Whether it was for the better, you'll have to read this unique story of self-acceptance and judge for yourself.

Morgan's boyfriend, Jabril, at times made me so upset with his controlling ways. However, Marissa Monteilh, cleverly pens Jabril's making us realize nobody's perfect, but the heart doesn't lie. Jabril had his own issues to overcome.

If you're considering plastic surgery of any kind, please read Make Me Hot first.

Mariss you are a great writer! Can't wait for your next book.

Morgan Bayley is a thirty-nine year old woman who has struggled all her life to accept her average looks. Now the opportunity has come for her to be viewed beautiful by the world's standards, however she finds out beauty ain't all it is cracked up to be in Marissa Monteilh's Make Me Hot.

Tyra, Morgan's best friend since junior high school, understands the emotional scars that Morgan carries from being teased unmercifully about her "abnormal looks", especially her large nose. Tyra enters Morgan into a radio contest for an extreme makeover without her knowing. When Morgan wins, she is hesitant at first, but after a fight with her controlling and attractive boyfriend, she decides to go for it. As she goes through months of recuperation she develops an online relationship with a sweet, self-proclaimed average guy, J. J. who seems to have everything in common with her. When Morgan tells J. J. to stayed tuned for her big revealing on BET, they find out they share more in common than they thought. After the revealing, Morgan's life is turned upside down and she realizes that true beauty is more than skin deep.

Ms Monteilh's extreme makeover concept, although not entirely new, took on a much deeper theme than "getting revenge on the kids that teased me." There was no class reunion to attend, or man that she wanted to use and excuse. I appreciated that about this book. However, I was not engrossed with these characters. While I related to Morgan's insecurities, as everyone could, some to a greater degree than others, I remained a spectator. And although I did want to know how everything worked out for her, I never rooted for her and I stayed as impassioned as a tennis referee. The men in the story (her dad, boyfriend and J.J.) acted as catalyst but that was it. This reader did not have an opinion of how their role in Morgan's life should play out. The lies and secrets that were revealed after Morgan's makeover were a bit predictable and contrived. Lastly, I felt the story climaxed too soon and the fallout seemed longer than necessary. However, I will admit that I did appreciate the resolution of the story. I felt it was truly in keeping with the development of Morgan's character.

The title Make Me Hot is a bit deceiving, but the premise is decent and different. The message, beauty is more than skin deep, is loud and clear literally and figuratively, which is good to remember. Everyone can appreciate that kind of insight.


Kotanya

APOOO BookClub

Growing up being teased by other kids and later ignored by those surrounding her, Morgan Bayley has always hid behind her physical attributes, specifically a nose that dominates her face. To those around her, Morgan, though successful in her career, plays it safe. She holds her tongue, allows her boyfriend to manipulate and control her, and never confronts her father over what she has perceived to be favoritism to her beautiful sister. Although she's somewhat "okay" with herself, a great opportunity comes her way. Her best friend enters her into a make-over contest sponsored by a local radio show. Surprisingly, Morgan wins and with the possibility of enhancing her outer appearance to match her inner personality, she must decide if she will accept the grand-prize, which is cosmetic surgery -- free of charge, with no limitations on what she can have done.

As the title implies, MAKE ME HOT is about one woman coming to terms with what society describes as beautiful and at what costs she'll go to acquire it. Marissa Monteilh does a superb job of showcasing the fears, insecurities, and frustrations of not only the main character, but includes her supporting staff. Each one plays a key role in Morgan's journey to discovering herself. Monteilh's writing is fast-paced and inspiring as she mixes each plot and sub-plot to result in a book that will be well received by readers, those with self-esteem problems and those who may not be aware of how their words may affect someone else struggling through the whole phase of acceptance. At the end, the reader is clearly able to recognize the good and the bad of Morgan's decisions on both a physical and an emotional level.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Great story! If you don't believe me read the reviews!! Gosh people review the book don't tell the story leave that to the author.

Morgan Bayley has always been insecure about her books. The childhood memories of the constant teasing about her unusually large nose have followed her into adulthood. Morgan also had to deal with the pressure of being a teen mom and losing her mother by the time she finished high school. To make matters worse, Morgan's non-supportive father always seemed to favor her more attractive sister Olympia. Morgan is fast approaching the age of forty with a successful career and a daughter who is now a doctor. But Morgan still has a problem with her image in addition to a dead-end relationship with her boyfriend Jabril. But when Morgan's best friend Tyra enters her in an extreme plastic surgery makeover contest, she becomes the beautiful woman that she's always dreamed of being. Will this beauty come with a price?

Make Me Hot by Marissa Monteilh is a wonderful story about self-discovery. Monteilh did an exceptional job of illustrating how one's problem with self-image can affect their whole lives. What sparked my interest the most in this novel was the plastic surgery plot. I really felt the confusion and uncertainty that Morgan went through in deciding whether or not to go through with the procedure. Marissa Monteilh also did a good job of not only showing the physical changes of having plastic surgery, but also the psychological changes as well. Make Me Hot is a thought-provoking, entertaining read. Marissa Monteilh is definitely a hot author to watch.