[1] Brown presents an at-times unflattering picture of the individual Beatles;[7] he depicts Lennon as lacking in kindness, belittles George Harrison's quest for spiritual enlightenment, and portrays Paul McCartney as self-serving and insincere.

[10] Late in January, as a result of one of Brown's revelations, the British tabloid The Sun published an article about McCartney having fathered an illegitimate child in 1964 – a story about which the press had long been aware but had previously lacked corroboration.

The reviewer concluded: "The Love You Make is about an entire generation's loss of innocence – the Beatles lost theirs long ago, and their fans, at least those who believe Brown and Gaines' version of events – can lose theirs now.

"[8] Kirkus Reviews considered the book "long, unfocused" and written in "sleazily faceless journalese", adding: "Throughout, the preoccupation is with the Beatles' private lives (women, drugs), with the neurotic miseries of homosexual manager Epstein, and with business deals; the music is secondary at best."

[16] Authors Stuart Shea and Robert Rodriguez criticise Brown for the inaccuracy of his account, which included recollections of episodes "he could not possibly have been privy to", and for exaggerating his importance in the Beatles' history.