Smitten by Books

TURN IT UP
Author: Inez Kelley
Publisher: Carina Press
Pub. Date: August 2011
Retail: $5.99
Word Count: 85, 000
Format: Digital

Sexual innuendos and tensions sizzle as Dr. Hot and the Honeypot, co-hosts of the raciest night-time talk show in three states, heat up the small station radio waves on ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’. Best friends Dr. Bastian Talbot and self-proclaimed sex-goddess Charlie Pierce share mattress-scorching banter in public but their personal lives are PG-friendly.

But Dr. Hot has a secret. He wants to be more than her medicine-man sidekick. He wants forever. Charlie doesn’t do forever. Sex is easy, love is temporary. She will be his lover, but never his wife. Undaunted, Bastian sets a plan in motion ON AIR to win her hand and puts a proverbial lock on his zipper: No sex without marriage. Charlie turns the tables and turns up the heat in an on-air wager.

Listeners in three states tune in to learn who will win in the Race to Wed or Bed.

Bring on the Battle Royale… spicy and sweet, this book is one heck of a treat!

I am very lucky to have had the opportunity to read many of Inez Kelly’s previous books. They are hot and steamy and I totally recommend them to readers who like a bit more spice in their reading. This story, however, has some racy language and subject matter yet the heat is not as high as one would expect. Is that a bad thing? Not in the least! This book has enough excitement without sex scenes in every chapter to keep the reader interested. Right from the opening pages, Inez turns it up for her readers with witty banter charged with sexual energy. I love a book I can laugh with but the chemistry the author has created between her main characters adds a dimension to the comedy that is rarely done well in the romance genre.

Shock-jocks Charlie and Bastien are best friends. Their hands-off, platonic relationship is suddenly no longer enough for Bastien who can’t seem to get naked images of Charlie out of his head. So in a spur of the moment decision, he proposes to his dream girl but is quickly shut down. Charlie wants to rock Bastien’s bones but marriage is not in the cards for this scared girl with a bad history. Live, on the air during their radio show, Bastien lays down the law– he won’t sleep with her unless she agrees to marry him. Fans of their hit radio program, Let’s Talk About Sex, jump on that challenge when Charlie rebuts with a law of her own – she won’t even consider marrying him unless she can test drive the goods first. So the race for Wed or Bed ensues and the reader is led on a sensual journey that keeps you turning pages.

I love a strong independent heroine and Charlie fits the bill perfectly. But she is one messed up women with a ton of baggage and no desire to remedy that. She may want Bastien, she may love him too, but she is not about to become June Clever for him. She stands her ground, which I like about her, however, some of her objections irritated me but didn’t take away from the story.

Bastien has the hot doctor thing going on! Not only is he well-built and nice to look at but he is smart, sensitive, and totally head over ears in love with Charlie. His determination to marry her for all the right reasons makes me all squishy inside. He is the perfect hero for this story.

I can’t review this book without mentioning a silent hero in the guise of Bastien’s brother Caz. The man is a messed up musician trying to get his head on straight but the glimpses you get of his life and troubles caused tears to stream down my face. I was completely thrilled to find out that Caz gets his own little Epilogue that can be downloaded directly from the author’s website… I very highly recommend that you read it too.

The plot of this book is well paced, the characters fantastic, and the love scene perfectly matched to the love story. The only slight issue I have is that some of the issues they have for not having sex (Bastien) or getting married (Charlie) are a little superficial. But they are real issues that couples in their situation would have and that depth to the plot adds dimension and realism to the story. Overall, this is one heck of a read and I very highly recommend it to any contemporary romance fan.

Rating: 9.5 (Near Perfect)

Heat Level: 4 (Hot)

Reviewed by Danielle