It was meant to be a one-night stand. One night of passion. Scorching hot. Then Beth Cantrell and Eric Donovan were supposed to go their separate ways. That’s the only reason he lied about his name, telling her he was really his wild younger brother. Hiding his own identity as the conservative Donovan. The “good” one.

But passion has its own logic, and Eric finds he cannot forget the sable-haired beauty with whom he shared one night of passion. When Beth discovers that Eric has lied, however, she knows he cannot be trusted. Her mind tells her to forget the blue-eyed charmer. If only every fiber of her being did not burn to call him back.

Title: REAL MEN WILL
Author: Victoria Dahl
Series: Donovan Brothers Brewery, book 3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: HQN Books
Year of release: 2011, October 25
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Requested an e-ARC for review from publisher through NetGalley

First line:
Beth Cantrell hadn't thought about him in almost six months.

Memorable Scenes:
- Cairo and Beth's 'wax talk' > priceless
- scene in the entryway of Beth's house after drinking wine with Beth's dad > OMG beyond hot

Beth Cantrell is the manager of erotic boutique the White Orchid. Even though she has this exciting job she thinks of herself as neither cool nor hip or spunky She is self-concious and doesn’t want to be seen as a novelty or held to other people’s standards or expectations.

Eric Donovan was an interesting character. He is serious, intense and quiet. Controlfreak is an understatement when it comes to describing him and he hates being wrong or ashamed. Eric was a complex character for me. I never really disliked him, but I did not approve how he treated his siblings in their books and in his own book, definitely in the beginning I thought he didn't own up to what he'd done...

However I did understand where he was coming from. He felt like he had to work extra hard to prove himself and to be the parent to his siblings, always setting the right example and when the opportunity arose to be a little wild and wicked albeit under the assumption of his brother's name and reputation he thought it wouldn't hurt. He's also pretty quick on drawing conclusions and accusing his siblings of stuff without giving them the benefit of the doubt. Not a fine trait to be honest. As I said, Eric was a complex character because on one page I'd have the urge to smack him and on the other I would feel sorry for him and sympathize.

I read the anthology story in THE GUY NEXT DOOR where Eric and Beth's story started so I was waiting for the confrontation when Beth found out Eric had lied to her. And it was awesome. I loved how stunned Eric was when he realized he was found out and Beth's fury of having been lied to. Sparks flew in that scene and I was looking forward to how this was going to pan out. However in the first part of the book I felt there was more attention given to the sibling bickering and drama because of Eric and Jamie's not so good relationship than there was for Beth and Eric's romance.

And man, as rude and condescending as Eric was in BAD BOYS DO, Jamie was obnoxious and bratty in REAL MEN WILL, especially in the first part of the book.

Though I liked this book better than Tessa’s book I didn’t like it as much as I did Jamie’s. Once again I missed the humor, the spark that makes Victoria Dahl's books stand out to me from other contemporary romances. It really wasn’t a bad book and it's well-written as Victoria Dahl knows her brewery/hospitality stuff and the sexy times are hot but when you don't mesh with the characters and you miss the spunky humorous vibe, like me, it still misses the mark a bit.

Favorite Quotes:
[…] she suddenly felt as if she’d swallowed a heart that was way too big for her chest. She wanted him to touch her so she could turn to him. At the same time she wanted to edje around him and run away.

She knew from experience that a first kiss said a lot about how a man would perform in bed. For example, that guy two years ago who’d immediately thrust his tongue down her throat…that had been his level of restraint and subtlety during sex, as well. Foreplay had been something along the lines of “Brace yourself, I’m coming in!”

Eric swallowed hard. “My office is this way.” He gestured toward the hallway and she glared at his hand as if she wanted to snap it off.
“We might want to stay out here. Whoever you are, you’re less likely to end up dead if there are witnesses.”

He tried to think of something witty to say. Or something sexy. Or just a few words that might make sense when strung together. But his brain had gone into Neanderthal mode at the husky appreciation in her voice.

Olivia Bishop is no fun. That's what her ex-husband said. And that's what her smart bob and glasses imply. So with her trademark determination, Olivia sets out to remake her life. She's going to spend time with her girlfriends and not throw it all away for some man. But when an outing with her book club leads her to a brewery taproom, the dark-haired beauty realizes that trouble—in the form of sexy Jamie Donovan—may be too tempting to avoid.

Jamie Donovan doesn't mean to be bad. Sure, the wild streak in his wicked green eyes has lured the ladies before. Now it's time to grow up. He's even ready for a serious romance. But how can that be when Olivia, the only right woman he has ever met, already has him pegged as wrong?

Title: BAD BOYS DO
Author: Victoria Dahl
Series: Donovan Brothers Brewery, book 2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: HQN Books
Year of release: 2011, September 27
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Requested e-ARC from publisher via NetGalley

First line:
This wasn't a book club; this was a manhunt.

Memorable Scenes:
-Hot tub scene > sweet and hot
- Gwen's jaw drops to the floor scene > so funny
- the mirror scene > smokin' hot
- phone call from Olivia's mom > she was memorable in the sense that I wanted to smack the condescension right out of her!
- the scene where Jamie finally gives Eric a piece if his mind > made me teary-eyed
- Jamie decking Victor > I so wanted to do that myself

Olivia Bishop is a 35 year-old teacher who has decided she is going to take her life in her own hands after living under her ex-husbands thumb, wishes and whims. She’s a planner and a list-maker (hmm, that sounds familiar), proper and prim and competent and calm. She also has difficulty forming friendships.

Jamie Donovan is a 29 year-old bartender and part owner of the Donovan Brewery. He’s a persistent stickler, charming and sweet. But he also has guilt over his past behavior eating away at him. Though Jamie has this aura of being the black sheep of the family, the bad boy with no sense of responsibility, I think this image is more in his mind (and amplified by his older brother Eric’s behavior towards him and regard of him) than that he really is.

Nonetheless, he decides to show his family he's capable of taking things serious and starts following courses on food and beverage management at college so he has a foundation for his plan to turn the Donovan Brewery tasting room into a pub that serves simple meals. Jamie strikes a deal with Olivia. He helps her loosen up and have some fun and she advices him on his plans for the tasting room. I loved how Olivia thought she and Jamie were so different, but deep down with all the superficial layers stripped off they weren't all that different.

I really liked Jamie. He exceeded the expectations I had of him after reading the first book. But I loved Olivia too. At first her hang-ups over the age-difference annoyed me a little but because she stopped making those remarks pretty soon into the story I really warmed up to her fast. I recognized quite a few things from myself in Olivia, which made it easy to relate to her. I think one of the reasons I really liked this book was that certain things about Olivia just struck home with me and I always love books or characters that do that.

This second book of the trilogy was much more to my liking than the first book. For one I liked the romance in this book better because it was the romance that was the centre point of the book. The chemistry and dynamics between Jamie and Olivia were awesomely done and I was happy to see there is no suspense plot to distract from the lovely romance. There are still things going on however but they all fit within the romance-driven storyline and complement it rather than detract from it.

I don’t know what it is with this trilogy but at the beginning of this book I again missed Victoria Dahl's trademark humor. I missed it a lot in Tessa's story and though it got way better a bit further into BAD BOYS DO and my faith in Victoria Dahl's contemporary magic was most certainly restored, I'm a little sad that the humorous note to her writing in this trilogy doesn’t seem to reach the level of her Tumble Creek books.

However, what I missed in humor was more than made up for by emotions. Especially the second half of the book was pretty emotional. Not only did the tension between the siblings (more importantly Eric and Jamie) get kicked up a good notch but also the escalation of the conflict that was brewing between Olivia and Jamie reached its highpoint.

I really hope Eric gets a taste of his own medicine in his book because in these two first books he was a real ass (no other way to put it), especially to Jamie and I couldn't figure out why. There were moments I strongly disliked Eric in this book...but he did some good groveling so in the end so he’s tentatively starting to squirm his way back in my good graces. Someone who will never be redeemed in my eyes is a-hole Victor, Olivia’s ex-husband…Man I wanted to smack that guy right out of this book! But ah well, if I could’ve done that, there wouldn’t have been much of story, would there?

BAD BOYS DO is a cute and sweet character and romance-driven contemporary romance that I really enjoyed because of the trope, the romance and the great characters. After a (for me) rocky start, Victoria Dahl has completely reeled me completely back into this trilogy with this great read and I’m now anxiously eyeing my e-Galley of REAL MEN WILL and can’t wait to see how Eric will get his due.

Favorite Quotes:
Now that the smile was directed at her, Olivia found herself mute. Her lips parted. Nothing came out.
"This is Olivia," Gwen volunteered.
"Hello, Olivia."
Good Lord. How did he make the few syllables of her name sound like a kiss. A deep, slow kiss. Olivia actually shivered.

Boy, she was regretting that generously padded bra now. False advertising and potential daylight nudity did not mix.

"Please tell me he calls you Ms. Bishop while he licks you like a lollipop." (Gwen to Olivia)

He felt strange. Not himself. Not charming and easy and smooth, but mindless and rough. He wanted to find everything she'd never done, just so he could be the one first. He wanted to take her so thoroughly that she'd have no inclination to move on to a third lover, or a fourth.

She didn't know what this grief was. She couldn't love him, not so quickly. She couldn't feel betrayed; he'd never promised her anything. So what was this awful ache?

He hadn't taken anything, because Olivia had given herself, and there was power in that. She was going to take that power and turn it into something amazing. She was going to emerge from this smarter and stronger. But first she was going to cry like a baby and let herself mourn what she never had.

ONCE SHE SLIPPED THROUGH HIS FINGERS. . .

Aidan York has spent ten years mourning the woman he once loved and lost. He's filled the void in the only way he knows—by distracting himself with wild behavior and scandalous trysts. It's a hollow existence, but it dulls the pain. Until the day he encounters a ghost: the woman he thought drowned at sea, alive and as enchanting as ever. . .

NOW HE’LL KEEP HER IN HIS ARMS. . .

When Kate Hamilton sees the man she once hoped to spend her life with, she is hit with a storm of memories and longing. But though resisting Aidan's passion proves impossible, Kate must try not to love him all over again. For her seemingly quiet London life shields a dangerous secret, one that will catch up to her the moment she lets herself fall. . .

Title: IT’S ALWAYS BEEN YOU
Author: Victoria Dahl
Series: York Family, book 2
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Kensington Zebra
Year of release: 2011, August 1
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Bought via The BookDepository

First line:
"Thank you, Mr. York. It's been a pleasure, sir. A pleasure."

Memorable Scenes:
- the kiss after the chess game > poignant turning point in the book
- Aidan's talk with Jude > the humorful banter that lacked throughout the rest of the book was definitely present in this scene


Kate Hamilton (Katie Tremont - Katherine Gallow, yes Kate has quite some aliases) is the heroine of this second installment in the York Family series. Kate's ordeal has changed her from happy and vivacious to quiet and on guard and definitely wary of men.

The hero is Aidan York, the middle York sibling. Aidan is still grieving the loss of the love of his life and he’s a bit cynical. Honestly I was expecting a more tortured hero in Aidan and in the beginning he seemed to be headed that way but from the moment Kate re-enters his world it felt like he turned into this lovesick puppy and his character lost a bit of its strength.

This book contains a complicated yet beautiful and poignant romance. Aidan was led to believe Kate had drowned at sea while Kate married another man and left for the Far East thinking Aidan had abandoned her. Something tragic happened to send her back to England but she's trying to fend for herself and has not contacted her family. Though some may frown upon Kate for some of the choices she makes, I understood her motivation. However I did think she should've told Aidan sooner about her problem.

The love scenes were beautifully written and quite steamy. They were emotional and made the romance part stand out in the book. The mystery of what happened to Kate in Ceylon was intriguing to say the least. With little and cryptic hints every few chapters the entire story eluded me for a big part of the book but I didn't mind. There was more emphasis on romance than on the mystery and I liked that.

Contrary to her contemporaries and the first York book, Victoria Dahl toned down the humorous note considerably in this book and considering the characters and their romance it fit. This doesn't mean there wasn't any humor at all but it was kept subtle in favor of the intricacy of the romance. I thought this was well done, even if I did miss the laugh-out-loud humor I’ve grown used to by Ms. Dahl.

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN YOU is a lovely historical romance that I read with a wistful smile on my face and a twinge in my heart. Simple but wonderful writing with characters that make you root for them both was mixed with a little mystery and a heartfelt romance.

Favorite Quotes:
Granted, he was no longer grief-stricken and angry. But he could not seem to rid himself of the space in his chest that left his heart knocking hollowly around.

He glanced her way and caught her looking, and he smiled. He smiled, and it was as if there were a lamp inside her and someone had just struck the flame.

“[…] But Katie Tremont is not just some jaded, bored wife. She is the woman you used to love. And she is the woman who never once contacted you in the past decade.”
“I’m well aware of that. You needn’t fear for my heart, brother. It’s no longer tender. I’ve spent years banging it against other women’s backs, as you kindly point out.” (Edward and Aidan)

Kate heard a soft sound of want, knew that is was her own quiet moan, and opened her mouth to him. His tongue glided inside. She felt the shock of it as if she’d never been kissed, as if all those kisses they’d once shared had been an invention of her lovesick brain.

She’d kissed Aidan York, after all.
My God, she’d kissed him. Opened her mouth to him. Rubbed her tongue against his as if she’d never spent a day apart from his body. She was supposed to be a married woman, yet she’d licked at his mouth as if she were starving for it.

Too much of a good thing…

With her long ponytail and sparkling green eyes, Tessa Donovan looks more like the girl next door than a businesswoman—or a heartbreaker. Which may explain why Detective Luke Asher barely notices her when he arrives to investigate a break–in at her family's brewery. He's got his own problems—starting with the fact that his partner, Simone, is pregnant and everyone thinks he's the father.

Tessa has her hands full, too. Her brother's playboy ways may be threatening the business, and the tension could tear her tight–knit family apart. In fact, the only thing that could unite the Donovan boys is seeing a man come after their "baby" sister. Especially a man like Luke Asher. But Tessa sees past the rumors to the man beneath. He's not who people think he is—and neither is she.

Title: GOOD GIRLS DON’T
Author: Victoria Dahl
Series: Donovan Brothers Brewery, book 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: HQN Books
Year of release: 2011, August 30
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Requested a digital review copy from the publisher via NetGalley

First line:
Tessa Donovan stared across the parking lot of Donovan Brothers Brewery, mesmerized by the flashes and swirls of blue and red across the gray brick of the building.

Memorable Scenes:
- the scene after the dinner date at Flagstaff House > against the wall ALWAYS scores with me ;)
- the "art of fellatio"-class at The White Orchid > OMG! I hope Beth & Eric's book follow the same timeline as I'd love to read the rest of that scene from Beth's POV!

Tessa Donovan is the mediator/peacekeeper between her two brothers, one staid and responsible and the other carefree and charming. Tess is bubbly (at first a bit too bubbly for my taste) but underneath the vivaciousness there's fear and vulnerability. She’s afraid of change and willing to do anything to keep the peace. She is almost frantically holding on to her brothers for fear she'll lose them like she did her parents, for fear they will leave her and she’ll be all alone...

I’m still on the fence about Tessa. I couldn't get a grip on her. One moment she'd be a responsible and mature woman of the world and the next she'd be like an overexcited 16yo. I did like how her character developed throughout the book because in the end she did lean more towards the mature woman than to the 16yo.

Luke Asher is a hot cop. He’s been through a lot and he's naturally inclined to protect and take care of others. I liked Luke but at the end of the book I still didn’t haven the feeling I really knew him.

Though it had a slow start, the romance part picked up pretty fast and I loved especially the developments after all misgivings and roadblocks thrown by Tessa's brothers are negated. If I remember correctly it was the kickball game scene that was the turning point for me in the book. Because that was the scene where the romance took over the lead from all the other stuff going on.

The Donovan siblings are a tight but complicated bunch. They love each other unconditionally and except for some jerky and eyebrow raising reactions from protective brothers Eric and Jamie towards Tessa I liked the family dynamics a lot. I also liked secondary characters Wallace Hood, the Donovan’s brew master and Simone Parker (Luke’s partner)

There was a lot going on in GOOD GIRLS DON’T. As I’ve mentioned before, at first it distracted me from the romance. I felt like there was a lot going on and the focus on the romance was lost in all that. There’s a robbery to solve, there’s a mysterious pregnancy causing havoc and speculation, there are business deals to be made, and then there was the romance between Tessa and Luke. The other stuff took up a lot of pages and the romance was snowed under. The outcome of the robbery and father of the baby plots were clear to me pretty early bit I didn't mind as having them figured out left me room to focus on Tessa and Luke again.

The writing is as always right up my alley. There is no doubt I love Victoria Dahl’s writing. It’s clean, crisp and funny, with the right amount and mix of humor and emotion. And come on, any author who references to Twitter, Punk'd and has her heroine using the words 'Oh balls' can't go wrong with me. Yet, like with another recently reviewed book I found myself reading towards the love scenes and/or scenes where Tessa and Luke would be together on the page.

GOOD GIRLS DON'T was a good read. I loved the romance but there were too many side stories going on that detracted from that excellent romance and these side plots were not intriguing enough to lift the book to a higher level for me. It displayed Victoria Dahl's knack for romance and humor and despite not finding it her best contemporary romance work to-date I did enjoy reading it and I’m looking forward to the other two books in the series.

Favorite Quotes:
Luke had known Jamie for ten years, and his demeanor had always registered on a scale that started with sleepy and topped out at laid-back.

"I'm not sweet."
Boys. Tessa leaned towards him and lowered her voice to a whisper. "It's okay, Luke. Despite what you've heard, men can be sweet and hot at the same time."

No wonder Jamie didn't want her dating Luke. They'd gone to college together, and her brother had likely seen girls drop their panties at the first hint of Luke's smile.

Now, finally, his kisses grew rough. Gorgeously rough. His mouth tasted of heat and wine, and the scent of his skin clung so tightly to him that she had to press closer and closer to get enough of it.

When she turned to him, Luke felt an ache wind through his heart. It touched every chamber like a cruel hand. His chest felt too small.

He'd have to prove restraint and stamina later. Because right now her tongue was rubbing and her mouth was sucking and...this was so wrong. This was Tessa. Yet the feeling was netter than any fantasy he could've spun about her.

This was a dangerous situation. There couldn't be anything more dangerous than a combination of fascinating personality and smoking-hot sex.

"I'll take care of your heart, Luke. I swear I will."

Ready, Set, Jett by Lori Foster
A vacation from her no-strings romance with her sexy next-door neighbor. That's what Natalie Alexander needs to get her head—and heart—together. But her solo trip south turns into a disaster when gorgeous Jett Sutter turns up with another challenge.

Gail's Gone Wild by Susan Donovan
Single mom Gail Chapman insists on chaperoning her teenage daughter's spring-break trip to Key West. But she never expects to face temptation—in the hunky form of Jesse Batista, the mysterious man in the cottage next door.

Just One Taste by Victoria Dahl
All-work-and-no-play businessman Eric Donovan won't be distracted by a "businesswoman" who's all wrong for him. Beth Cantrell owns a women's erotica shop! And she has a juicy little secret. Can she tempt him to put pleasure before business for once?

Title: THE GUY NEXT DOOR
Author: Lori Foster, Susan Donovan, Victoria Dahl
Series: Lori Foster’s story is the prequel to her new series “Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor”. Susan Donovan’s story is standalone and Victoria Dahl’s story is a prequel too, to her “Donovan Brothers Brewery” series.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Books
Year of release: 2011, February 15
Format: Mass Market Paperback, Anthology
Source: Requested from the publisher via NetGalley


READY, SET, JETT by Lori Foster

Neighbors Natalie Alexander and Jett Sutter have been seeing each other for a while but where Natalie only wants the sex, for Jett it’s turned into wanting more than that and taking the next step to make it an official relationship.

Natalie has her reasons for keeping the relationship strictly physical, even though she’s slowly but surely falling for Jett. Her past bad experiences with men and love hold her back from giving into those feelings and develop a more intimate emotional relationship with Jett.

I enjoyed reading this story, especially reading about the contrast in the people surrounding Natalie and Jett. Natalie’s dysfunctional family was the complete opposite of Jett’s loving and caring family. I’d take his nosy and meddling sisters over her cold and distant father and stepmother any day.

The end of this novella felt a bit rushed as after Natalie’s doubts and hesitation her declaration of love and agreement to marry Jett came a bit quick and out of nowhere. Still, it was a nice and entertaining anthology story that made me curious about the first full-length book, in this new series, which features Natalie’s sister Molly.

READY, SET, JETT was a very nice introduction to a new series that promises to be both hot and action-packed. I do hope to see a little more depth in the characterization and story-development but I really can’t hold those things against this story as it was a short one and I had a nice time reading it.

Rating:
7.3 out of 10 - GOOD READ!

GAIL’S GONE WILD by Susan Donovan

Gail Chapman accompanies her 17 year-old daughter and daughter’s best friend on their Spring Break to Key West and they end up neighbors to a local celebrity, the well-known author J.D Batista (Jesse Dominic Batista). Jesse’s been burned by money-grabbing, fame-seeking women before and is very cautious even though he’s very attracted to the fascinating woman next door.

Gail is an English professor. I loved her character. She’s soft-hearted, protective of her daughter and a little insecure. But she’s also honest, quick-witted, direct and a little geeky. Jesse was sweet, big-hearted and self-assured despite his trust issues with women.

I loved this story! It was fast-paced, well-rounded and I liked how the story was set up and wrapped up. It also was a little steamier and more erotic than the first story and that always works for me.

GAIL’S GONE WILD was an easy and quick read and I was fascinated by the vacation (spring) fling storyline and Susan Donovan’s humorous writing style. I’ve read a book by Donovan before and it made me buy up her entire backlist so I should’ve known I was going to love this story as much as I actually did.

Favorite Quote:
It was the small hoop earring that sent her over the edge. It caught the sunlight and zapped her like a laser. Later she would convince herself that the bright flash had short-circuited her brain.
“I haven’t had sex in two years,” she blurted out, breathing hard. “I’m a wreck. I came here hoping to meet a man of dubious character who could make my knees weak. I’m sorry but it’s the truth. I’m unstable and very, very deprived. You should probably stay away from me.” (Gail to Jesse)

Rating:
8.5 out of 10 - GREAT READ!

JUST ONE TASTE by Victoria Dahl

For the record: JUST ONE TASTE is the first and foremost reason I pre-ordered the print paperback of this book and requested the galley at NetGalley. I’m addicted to Victoria Dahl’s writing and any book she writes or any anthology she contributes to must be added to my bookshelves. That being said…I do have a bone to pick with Ms Dahl but I’ll get to that later, in the actual review of this story.

Eric Donovan is at a local business convention trying to strike some (distribution) deals for his brewery. Beth Cantrell is at the same convention for her sex shop. A case of mistaken identity (Beth thinks Eric is his ladies’ man brother Jamie), a sinfully delicious torte and instant chemistry leads to an explosive encounter they both want to keep private. Unfortunately they’re small-town people and in small towns nothing stays private for long.

In this novella, the prequel to Victoria Dahl’s new series centered on a family-owned brewery, we’re introduced to the Donovan siblings. The hero of the story is Eric: the eldest Donovan brother and “behind the scenes” business manager at Donovan Brothers Brewery. He’s smart, dependable, cautious and staid. From these adjectives you’d think Eric is a little boring but nothing is further from the truth. You know what they say about the quiet and staid ones *wink* and hey, this is a Victoria Dahl story… boring is NOT in her vocabulary.

Beth may seem the total opposite of Eric as she’s the manager of a boutique erotique (doesn’t that sounds so much more sophisticated than a sex shop? LOL), but she’s a levelheaded, composed and analytical woman who’s not so very different from Eric. Beth is the typical Victoria Dahl heroine I love so much: unapologetic, independent, wicked and not afraid of expressing her sexuality! I loved her. I loved Eric too, despite him not telling Beth he wasn’t Jamie right away.

JUST ONE TASTE is the steamiest, hottest of the three stories in this anthology (want to guess which one is my favorite?). Victoria Dahl doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the heat in her contemporaries. The scene in the winebar was scorching!

As steamy and fun as this read was, I wasn’t completely satisfied when I finished it. At the end I realized this was a prologue to Beth and Eric’s story and not the full story. So there was no resolution/closure to their story and in the end Beth still doesn’t know Eric isn’t Jamie.

After finishing JUST ONE TASTE I immediately went to Victoria Dahl’s website to see which of the Donovan Brothers Brewery books continues to tell Eric and Beth’s story and damn, crap and other expletives I cannot use as this is a civilized blog. It’s the effing last book of the first three coming out this Fall. It’s not that I’ll mind reading Tessa’s and Jamie’s stories but still, Ms Dahl, the strain this puts on my patience is not welcome and waiting for this until November is going to be the death of me! Thank you very much for that!

Favorite Quote:
Eric had a sudden fear that this night would turn him into a pervert who got off on fondling used underwear in his darkened living room.

Rating:
8.5 out of 10 - GREAT READ!

Overall rating for entire anthology:

HE IS NOT WHAT SHE HAD IN MIND.
Jude Bertrand is not an excellent dancer. Nor does he wear the most fashionable coats. But when Marissa York's brother approaches him, desperate to preserve Marissa's tenuous reputation, Jude does prove heroic enough to offer to marry the girl. In fact, the union should more than make up for his lack of social graces - and his own scandalous past...

BUT MINDS CHANGE...

Marissa knows that betrothal to the son of a duke - even one as raw and masculine as Jude - will save her from ruin, but that doesn't mean she's happy about it. Soon, though, she finds that Jude has a surprisingly gentle touch - and plans to use it to persuade Marissa that their wedding day cannot come soon enough...

Title: A Little Bit Wild
Author: Victoria Dahl
Series: Victoria Dahl said for now to call this "the York series", book 1
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Kensington Publishing (Zebra)
Year of release: 2010, August 3
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 329 pages
Source: Received for ARC-review from the author
First line: The man above Marissa York groaned loudly, his breath shuddering over her cheek.
Memorable Scenes:
- Marissa and Jude in the garden talking about a book Marissa has read and has lent to Jude and J goading her into touching his legs > hot and disarming scene and the start of Marissa’s change of heart where Jude is concerned.
- Marissa confessing to her brothers who she’s been intimate with > humiliating for Marissa but endearing and funny at the same time

Marissa York is a bit thoughtless and bored with her life. She’s a wild child, fearless and a bit lonely. I wasn’t liking Marissa much at first. She is the first heroine I’ve read by Victoria Dahl who has managed to even annoy me a bit, she wasn’t very likeable and I was really hoping this would change during the book and be redeemed. Sometimes she comes across as a bit spoiled, shallow and her family (brothers) seems to indulge her whims a bit too much but they do try to make her see the error of her ways.

She tries to come across as calm, composed and put together but underneath there’s something simmering. She wants to break free from her shell, deep within she’s wild, passionate and impulsive but she tries to keep it contained and when she can’t anymore she does impulsive things or says things without thinking first, it’s like she reaches a boiling point and it all has to come out. This was an aspect of her character that I did like and I am happy to say that in my eyes she was sufficiently redeemed at the end of the book.

Jude Bertrand is the bastard but acknowledged son of a duke and a French courtesan. He is not the typical gentleman as he is rough and ungracious in appearance but he’s also sly seducer who is wicked and silver-tongued. I did like Jude as the hero. He’s very frank and outspoken and he handles Marissa very well. He doesn’t seem fazed by her awkward feelings toward him or her open dislike and disapproval of him and I liked that a lot in his character. Normally I favor Victoria Dahl’s female characters but in this book, it was Jude who stole the show for me

The secondary characters, though not many, were a nice addition to the romance and the plot. I loved their parts in the book and especially Aidan York, one of Marissa’s brothers captured my attention and the little background info on him was very intriguing. But I also liked the little bit of drama queen behavior that Marissa’s mother displayed every time she appeared on the pages and I was amused by Edward’s attempts to stay calm and cool amidst all the mayhem. I understand from Victoria Dahl’s website that A LITTLE BIT WILD is the first in a new series and I hope there will be future stories on Aidan, Edward and cousin Harry.

As it took Marissa a while to warm up to Jude, it also took me a few chapters, well more than a few chapters, about 7 or 8 chapters, to warm up to this historical romance by Victoria Dahl. I adore her contemporary work and A LITTLE BIT WILD is the first historical romance I’ve read by her and I am definitely going to read her other historicals too as I have them all on the shelves but if I have to choose based on A LITTLE BIT WILD between her contemporary work and her historical work, I absolutely choose her contemporaries.

I did get a bit tired of the constant repeating of Jude’s inelegance, unattractiveness and largeness. Yes, I understand that he’s not a pretty elegant man but the constant repeating of it got bothersome at one point as by page 60 it was mentioned on almost every 2 to 3 pages. I understand that attention has to be drawn to it, because it’s part of the romance plot and his interaction with Marissa but it just gets annoying when it’s repeated so many times.

About half way through the book, just before it seemed to fizzle out, as the pace was slowing down a bit, nothing seemed to be happing, the blackmail plot was introduced.
The blackmail plot did surprise me with its outcome. I was speculating as to whom the blackmailer could be and I was completely off in all my guesses and though I really liked the idea of this plot I felt the motive for the blackmail was bit farfetched.

I did love the way Victoria Dahl let Jude court Marissa, It was mainly a verbal courtship, very slowly, very seductive, one baby step at a time and it was very nice to see Marissa melting and falling for Jude little by little, to see how she became fascinating and intrigued by him. Really well done and it was one of the things that I consider a big plus of the book.

The humor that I love so much in Victoria Dahl’s contemporary work is also present in this book too, it’s definitely there but I do think it’s a little bit subtler and I suspect it has to do with the time-period and fitting into the historical vibe. There’s humor in the dialogues, in the interactions between the family members, in the drama queen antics of Marissa’s mother, in the way Marissa handles herself sometimes, the way she thinks about Jude, the way Jude talks to Marissa and in all the little humoristic subtle banter between them. And it all put a smile on my face while reading. Another thing I liked were the love scenes. Though there aren’t many and they were not explicit, they weren’t sedated either as they were definitely sensual, and very well written.

I loved the ending of this book. Around chapter 20-21 Marissa realizes she’s actually fallen in love with Jude and wants to keep him in her life. Those last few chapters of the book were very emotional. I would have loved this intensity in the whole book because it packed a pretty good emotional punch at the end and made me tear up a bit earning this book an extra half point.

A LITTLE BIT WILD is an unconventional historical romance with against-the-grain characters and though I liked the pace, the plot, the love scenes and the humor it remains just a good read for me. It didn’t blow me away, it wasn’t very intense but it was an enjoyable, light and fun historical read with a sometimes annoying heroine, a wonderful hero and a perfect ending.

Favorite Quote:
Jude and Marissa discussing her indiscretion with Mr. White:
“He wasn’t rough?”
“Oh no! He was only…unimpressive.” (…) “I mean–“
“Unimpressive eh? Well, that is a tragedy, but perhaps a welcome one for a lady’s loss of innocence.”
How so?”
(…)
“It can be painful, and I would hate to think of you in pain.”
“Well, there was a bit of discomfort, but I rather think that was due to him squishing me.” She snuck a glance at Jude. “Now that I think of it, you look unfortunately heavy.”
(…) I can assure you I’ve not yet squished a lady. Not even once.”

Back Cover:
Raw, animal magnetism...

...is a big red flag to prim and proper office manager Jane Morgan. After a rough childhood with a mother who liked her men in prison-jumpsuit orange, Jane changed her name, her look and her taste for bad boys. So why is she lusting for William Chase with his tattoo-covered biceps and steel-toed boots? The man blows things up for a living!

She gives herself one explosive, fantasy-filled night with Chase. The next day it's back to plain Jane and safe men.

But when her beloved brother becomes a murder suspect, it's Chase who comes to her rescue. And Jane discovers that a man who's been around the block knows a thing or two about uncovering the truth…

Note from reviewer:
You all know I try to include memorable/funny/arousing quotes in all my reviews and you’ll also note that, except for one, they are missing in this review. That is because with LEAD ME ON Victoria Dahl managed to get me to writing another separate Quote Post while breaking the all time record for most quote markers in one book. I had stopped doing the Quote Posts as they are pretty time consuming but for this record breaking book I will make an exception and do one, once more. As I am seriously lacking time right now I promise to have the LEAD ME ON Quote Post up early in the first week of January 2010.



And now for my review:

Victoria Dahl has a sense of humor that strikes a cord with me. Every. Single. Time. Every. Single. Book! With LEAD ME ON the giggles started at page 10 and set the pace for the most of the book!

Quote:
But even his promising career couldn't make her forget the fact that he made love like a rabbit. (...) She'd tried to let it go. She really had. A man couldn't be judged on the depth of his thrusts alone.

Victoria Dahl had me laughing, panting, frowning and even tearing up right there in the end. All these feelings make for a great read and that is exactly what LEAD ME ON was for me. In this final installment of the Tumble Creek Trilogy Victoria Dahl puts it all out there for us to read, judge, challenge and enjoy.

Reading about Jane and how she wanted to separate her past from her present gave me the Superman vibe: Conservative business persona from the present by day, including the glasses and wild, wanton, dirty little sex pot by night, or let’s say with Chase! She has kept her good girl act up for 10 years but the right man, Chase, makes her want to drop her act, even if she has a really hard time actually doing that because she doesn't want to go back to being the girl she used to be and Chase makes her want to lose her self-imposed inhibitions. There was a moment I was a bit disappointed in Jane and though I understand why she did what she did in that scene and that it was part of her characterization but I still wanted to slap her silly.

Jane fits right in with Victoria Dahl's other heroines in the Tumble Creek Trilogy. I'll even go as far and say she's the boldest one of the three. Molly (heroine book 1) has nothing on Jane. I think people who didn't like Molly will like Jane even less, but since I loved Molly, I loved Jane too. Especially when she shed her "respectable" restrained persona and allowed the true Jane to surface and she finally embraced her past and stopped trying to hide the person she was and stopped trying to deny where she was from.

There will be readers out there who aren't going to like Jane because of some of her actions, her views on life and the things she sometimes does or says. I did like her, a lot. Fear, disappointment, and self-preservation drive her to overcome her crappy past. She is driven by ambition to leave a past she is not proud of behind her. Underneath that ambition she is vulnerable, caring and loyal. She may seem superficial, materialistic and snobbish and with her background, her high and mighty attitude seems wrong but Victoria Dahl pulled it off and made me like Jane as much as I liked her other heroines. Jane's fight with and ultimate surrender to love was beautifully written. Jane's groveling, which was totally justified and called for made me like her even more than I did before. And just when I thought I'd dodged the bullet on the emotional-make-me-cry stuff, the lovely and talented Ms. Dahl had me tearing up right at the end, with a smile plastered to my face.

As I am writing this review, I discovered that I didn't write down many notes on Chase. This doesn't mean Chase wasn't a very major factor in my liking this book. Chase is the man every woman dreams about, whether you're a good or a bad girl! What woman can resist that big, tattooed demolition man who gets excited when he blows things up and who knows how to make a woman feel like a woman? I sure couldn't and Chase has taken his rightful place next to Ben (hero book 1) on my favorite heroes list. Chase is a straight forward as they come. I love how Victoria Dahl switches the traditional roles in her books and puts the men in the position of wanting a decent, respectful relationship, whereas the women are only looking for a tumble in the bed. And without compromising femininity, masculinity and true romance she gives them all want they wanted and more!

In the secondary characters department Victoria Dahl scored once again too. I hated the ex, Greg, really he was the ass of all asses! But I loved Grandma Olive, Chase's dad, Jane's step dad Mac and of course Quinn and Lori. Even Molly, whom I really wasn't expecting to make an appearance, made it to this party, right at the very end and was her usual extravagant self.

As with the other books in this trilogy, there's a side plot next to the romance, this time it's the story thread of Jane's brother being arrested for something he didn't do. I liked that in all three books of the trilogy the sub plots are all different and tackle different subjects within law enforcement and suspense. A suspense writer Victoria Dahl is not but she does a great job in fusing the plot and the romance together. The balance is perfect for contemporary romance and since that is what she writes, no complaints or critique from me there.

This book had a bit of everything: humor, fun, emotional stuff, hot sexing and some soul searching. I really laughed out loud when the fry selection process came up. (OMG I eat my fries exactly like Jane does!). I got flustered at the scene on the biker bar parking lot and my heart ached for the stuff Jane went through as a child/teenager. I absolutely love the role that parents play in the formation of the characters in Victoria Dahl's Tumble Creek books. The parental influence, the way they were brought up, all contribute to the three-dimensional feel to the characters.

If you are tired of the fluffy and the PC you need a dose of Victoria Dahl’s Tumble Creek books. When you peel of the layers of humor and the hot sex you’ll find that each and everyone deals with real issues, real people and stuff we sometimes don’t want to deal with but have to. LEAD ME ON was the perfect example of this with serious emotional stuff seeping through next to the Victoria Dahl signature style of sharp, snappy and laugh-out-loud funny humor, proving that her writing is about more than naughty heroines, sex-on-a-stick heroes and salacious sex scenes.


Rating: 9.0 out of 10

Jacket Copy:

Lori Love is yearning for something more...


She’d always planned to get out of tiny Tumble Creek, Colorado, but when her late dad left her his beloved auto repair shop, Lori stayed. Now she needs some excitement in her life and, according to her best friend, some hot, no-strings-attached sex would be just the thing to get Lori’s engine purring.

Quinn Jennings has buildings on the brain—not love and romance. A serious architect, he’s delighted to discover that Lori is willing to skip dating protocol and head straight for the sheets. Using the Lori’s collection of steamy books as a guide, Quinn gets busy making all her wildest fantasies come true. Mind-blowing, meaningless sex is one thing, but then life in Tumble Creek takes a dangerous turn for Lori, and Quinn’s protective instincts kick in. Suddenly he cares. More than either of them ever expected…

Lori Love took over her father’s garage after his death and even though it messed up her professional ambitions and her dreams of traveling the world, she makes the best of it. She’s stubborn, independent and realistic. She is not a girly girl and is seen as one of the boys. In the small town of Tumble Creek she even has the rumored reputation of being a lesbian because nobody has ever seen her romantically involved with a man. When she’s looking for a man to have a sexual fling with, her best friend’s brother is the last one she’d think of, but he is available and when he volunteers very willingly she decides to go for it.

Quinn Jennings is the embodiment of perfection, at least in his parents’ eyes. He’s an accomplished architect who is a workaholic to say the least and scatter-brained is another description that fits him well. Nonetheless, he’s adorable and hot. Sometimes he’s the foot-in-mouth type of guy but his heart is definitely in the right place. When he finds out his sister’s best friend is looking for a volunteer to have a fling with, he doesn’t hesitate, he decides to take a chance and see where it leads them.

I loved Lori and Quinn and their story. They were lovely characters and their story was a very enjoyable read. There is a suspense plot intertwined through the romance again but it’s a very small plot and not the focus of the book. This is perfectly fine with me since it’s a contemporary and not a romantic suspense. However, the plot did present the perfect background for the emotional ending of the book and it also provided some insight in Lori’s character and motivations for the choices she has made in her life. What must be mentioned in this review is the resolution of the plot. As small as the plot was, the resolution was amazingly done. I was leaning towards the right person with my suspicions of who the “villain” would be but the motivation for this person’s actions was brilliantly found and totally took me by surprise.

START ME UP is a contemporary romance that was very much to my liking: not too complicated but with enough intensity to keep me captivated and even with the more staid Lori and Quinn (in comparison to Molly and Ben from TALK ME DOWN) the sexual tension leaped up from the pages. But it’s not only sex and fun. Both Quinn and Lori have emotional issues they have to deal with. For Quinn it’s his parents’ constant praise and approval of him while when at the same time they disapprove of his sister Molly because she chose her own way and doesn’t meet their expectations. For Lori it’s giving up her dreams, education, ambitions, and love life; in short giving up herself, in order to take care of her father and his needs and wishes when he becomes ill and later after his death.

I loved the amount of secondary characters, both the familiar and the new. Among the familiar of course Ben and Molly couldn’t be absent and I loved that they made a few appearances. The balance between romance, characters and hotness is perfectly done but I expected nothing less after TALK ME DOWN and THE WICKED WEST. Compared to other contemporary romance authors I’ve read, Victoria Dahl takes the love scenes quite towards the erotic side. Yes, they are explicit, but also tasteful and classy. Arousing yet never crossing the line to vulgarism. The use of the snippets from the erotica books Lori reads and Quinn’s “research” of the stories in order to find out what Lori liked, was another ingenious element in START ME UP and the verbal fights between Lori and Quinn, were delightful to read, not to mention the unbelievably hot make-up scenes they would have after them.

START ME UP is one of the books I read in July that I just flew through. From the moment I started reading I couldn’t stop. Between the numerous clever and laugh-out-loud one-liners and Lori and Quinn’s off the chart chemistry filled with sexual innuendo, there’s a story of dreams and independence. Sincere compassion and heartfelt and genuine love shine through the book. All brought to me by way of a writing style that is down to earth and delectable scenes that made me fly effortlessly through page after page until I reached the last one and felt crushed because there weren’t any left to enjoy.

Victoria Dahl’s writing is witty, hot and sensual. I haven’t sampled her historical writings yet but her contemporaries definitely are a hit with me and they are right up my alley: funny, sassy, fast-paced and excellently written. She is among the authors whom have made contemporary romance my favorite genre at the moment! START ME UP has become one of my favorite books and that’s not just because of the mention of Formula One and Amsterdam, or the snippets of Spanish or the fact that one of the walk-on secondary characters has my husband’s name.

I could go on and on with my praise of Victoria Dahl’s talent and maybe I’m starting to become repetitive with my worship but this is where it comes down to: Victoria Dahl is talented as hell and her Tumble Creek trilogy should be on every contemporary loving romance reader’s keeper shelf. Just don’t forget to keep a fan in arm’s reach. Oh and some tissues, because just when I thought I’d make it through a book with dry eyes and after all the hotness and fun, Victoria Dahl made me cry at the end with some beautiful, emotional scenes!

With START ME UP Victoria Dahl has written a contemporary romance novel as it is meant to be! Humorous, brazen, engaging and emotional yet uncomplicated.

Quotes:
Lori put her hands on the headboard.
The electric slide of his hand down the small of her back made her shiver. “Good girl.”
A jolt of lust swept through her belly, to her absolute mortification. You do not have daddy issues, she told her body in her best feminist voice. Her body responded by arching back in a blatant effort to please him. Hussy, the stern voice hissed, but hussy was no insult to her greedy body.

He stood there a moment longer, fantasizing once again of rescuing Lori Love. She’d turned out to be a damsel in distress after all, but not the innocent, helpless kind. No, she was a damsel of a different sort. The brave kind who fought and lied and did really dirty things to the knight in shining armor.

Jacket Copy
When Lily Anders gave up her proper English roots to settle in the Wild West, she didn’t dare hope that she’d meet someone who shared her own wicked bedroom secrets. But the virtuous Sheriff Hale has never told anyone about his shocking desires. Will he give in to the surprising temptation of the young widow?









Widow Lily Anders inherits her brother's house in Wyoming and leaves England to start a new life in America’s Wild West. Sexual desires she’s concealed after her husband's death return in full force when she recognizes the town's sheriff, Tom Hale, for the dominant partner he could be for her. They embark on an erotic secret relationship that develops into something profound and as explosive as the sexual fireworks they produce.

Lily is subservient but by no means weak. She is determined to make something of her life in America and to put the past with her family behind her. Sheriff Hale is pragmatic, tough and just that little rough around the edges to make you melt for him. He thinks something is wrong with him because of his craving for sexual dominancy and desperately, yet fruitlessly, tries to suppress them.

Hale’s reluctance and the way Lily slowly diminishes it gave the story a nice twist. I like erotic stories about men suppressing their darker sexual urges until they meet the right woman. Sheriff Hale is exactly such a man and I loved him. At first I was wondering if Sheriff Hale's first name would ever be given and luckily for me Dahl didn't disappoint, although I did expect it to be a little more exotic than Tom and understand why for most of the book he's addressed as Sheriff Hale. Lily and Sheriff Hale are neighbors and what starts as a little taunting and voyeurism ends in awakening and empowerment for Lily and acknowledgment and acceptance for Sheriff Hale. And what starts out a purely physical relationship evolves into a strong emotional connection between them.

For a short story there are quite a few secondary characters but they all are more there to provide the main characters with a background than that they have truly crucial roles in the storyline. Still the story wouldn’t be complete without them.

What is it with the novellas of late? THE WICKED WEST is the 4th one I've read in a short while and again I was treated to a top-notch novella. It is another rounded and well-executed story with a romance and characters that are fleshed out excellently and better than in some full-length books I’ve read. Dahl even managed to work in a small side plot of some mysterious cattle theft. I used to dread reading anthologies/novellas and only read them to complete series of full-length books but Dahl, Dare and Byrne are making me eat my words and I'm starting to look forward to them a whole lot more now.

Dahl is so good in building up the tension with scenes where Lily seduces Sheriff Hale from afar that when they finally engaged in physical contact, I myself was ready to explode. Dahl does voyeurism, spanking, Dom/sub and a little bondage with flair and class I can appreciate. The scenes are explicit without ever getting crude or distasteful. And without distracting from the erotic or romantic vibe, she managed to capture the Wild West of that time-period, which I am guessing is somewhere in the 19th century since a specific timestamp is not given, with descriptions and characters.
My only little (very, very little) point of criticism is the use of the word whore in the novella. I understand that it worked for the scenes and the characters but for me it still has this negative connotation to it that I didn't like to associate with Lily or Hale and their otherwise lovely written story.

THE WICKED WEST gave me goose bumps. The good kind! Couldn't stop reading even when I had to go to bed. The words "Yes, Sheriff" will never be the same to me. I do hope her venture into erotic romance will not stay limited to THE WICKED WEST because she definitely has a knack for it!

Quotes:
She let her eyes fall to the ground as she always did when he was near. Something about him made her want to curl up at his feet and purr. He was so powerful. So in control.

Jacket Copy:
What happens when the girl next door isn’t so innocent?
Molly Jennings might look like the girl next door, but she has one naughty little secret: her job. Molly is a very successful writer of erotic fiction. Until her inspiration runs dry—thanks to a creepy ex—and she decides it’s time to move back home to tiny Tumble Creek, Colorado.

Tumble Creek doesn’t have much going for it, but one look at luscious chief of police Ben Lawson, who starred in her girlhood dreams, and Molly is back in business. But while her fantasies are pouring out on paper, the town gossip is buzzing at her door and, worse yet, a stalker seems to be watching her every move. Thankfully, her very own lawman has taken to coming over, often. The only problem now is that Molly may have to let the cat out of the bag about her chosen profession, and straight-laced Ben will definitely not approve…

I start this review by apologizing to Ms. Dahl for not reading her work sooner. If TALK ME DOWN is an indication of her writing skills and talent, I am really looking forward to reading the historicals.

The story of TALK ME DOWN centers on Molly Jenkins, who inherits her aunt’s house in her small hometown, Tumble Creek. Molly left Tumble Creek a long time ago and has made a life for herself in Denver as an erotic romance novelist. A profession she keeps secret from everyone around her. The inheritance comes at an opportune moment since she's experiencing a case of writer's block and trying to find a way to get away from her obsessed ex-boyfriend. Besides, going back to Tumble Creek entails she can try to rekindle the feelings between her and Ben Lawson, the town's chief of police and the man who she had her very first crush on. Molly's return to the small town of Tumble Creek causes a lot of turmoil especially with Ben, who hasn't forgotten the inappropriate feelings he had for his best friend's little sister. The spark between Molly and Ben lights up immediately and Molly's secretiveness about her profession creates a challenge for Ben but when a stalker threatens Molly’s life and scary things begin to happen, keeping Molly safe and alive becomes Ben’s main goal.

I loved the characters, their interactions and dialogues. Molly is feisty, outspoken and has a sassy personality. There are moments where her self-consciousness and childhood insecurities come to the surface but she always bounces back from it. She's a product of her upbringing. She always had to compete with her smart and perfect brother to get noticed or appreciated by her parents for the individual she is. But her attempts mostly backfired and she has accepted that she will never be what they want her to be. This makes it hard for her to open up and reveal her secrets and feelings, even to Ben. And Ben...well there's nothing I didn't like about him. A rough diamond. He is practical, reserved, rugged and serious in an utterly sexy way. The way he went about to find out Molly's profession was fun to read. His contradictory feelings whether to pursue a relationship with Molly were endearing and his protective side made my heart melt.

I discovered Victoria Dahl when her debut historical novel TO TEMPT A SCOTSMAN was mentioned on the old ROOB-message board as a release in August 2007. At the time I was like a drug-addict in my book-buying habits: always looking for the next fix and I bought it immediately. As I bought like crazy then, the book arrived and disappeared to the bookshelves, unread. The next historical novel by Dahl followed the same path. Then I found out she was writing contemporary novels too and decided to buy TALK ME DOWN, still without having read a single letter by her hand. It's becoming repetitive now but TALK ME DOWN also didn't make the TBR-pile and went straight to the bookshelves. Until a few weeks ago. I had been reading some intense paranormal books and wanted something lighter to vary because variety is the spice of life! My eye caught the cover of TALK ME DOWN, I remembered some funny comment Victoria Dahl had made on Twitter and that sealed the deal.

Reading chapter 1 I knew I had made the right choice and by chapter 3, I was totally hooked on Victoria Dahl's refreshing and down-to-earth writing. With a little childhood scandal, a bit of stalker mystery and a lot of hotness this was a book straight up my alley. It was fast-paced, filled with delicious humor and great characters that had a nice chemistry going. It read smoothly and the mix of humor, sex and a little suspense made it a novel that really stands out in my collection of contemporary reads. Lovely sweet moments alternated with laugh-out-loud fun and sensually scorching moments.

For me the way Victoria Dahl combined witty fun with sultry passion and just the right amount of suspense made it a contemporary romance as it should be: sharp and witty. The unexpected explicitness made it a sizzling hot treat I find hard to say no to. I can't wait to read the erotic story Molly wrote during this book and I am looking forward to the second Tumble Creek book: START ME UP. It can't get here soon enough because I'm ready and willing to go back to the small town of Tumble Creek any time!

So if you're looking for a fun read with plenty of red-hot sensuality and a pinch of suspense? Pick Victoria Dahl’s TALK ME DOWN! It would be my first choice from the bookshelves if I ever need a pick-me-up read.

Quotes:
A sudden metallic screech interrupted, terrifying her into a scream. She sprang up, flinging the vibrator across the room. (...)"Oh.My.God." She thought she'd electrocuted herself with a defective sex toy. Her heart was still trying its best to escape from her chest, jumping ship at the first sign of danger.

His hair was slightly damp and it clung to his nape. Molly bit back a groan, trying to fight the urge to walk over and run her tongue down the back of his neck. She'd never even kissed the man, but right now she wanted to eat him up, swallow him whole, ditch Lori and this bar and drag him home with her for mindless, sweaty, dirty sex. He looked young and hot and delicious.