Start Me Up (Tumble Creek, #2)

Jul 02, 2009 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, victoria-dahl, 2009-reads, hero-beta, heroine-i-wanna-bitch-slap-annoying, romantic-suspense, series-tumble-creek, i-read-own-faves-keepers, favorite-romance-series, small-town-lovin, humorous-at-times-or-fluffy-fun, 4-to-5-stars, heroine-undeserving-of-awesome-hero, best-wittiest-banter-dialogue, hero-nice-guy-gets-the-girl, best-snarkasm-humor, heroine-sassy-full-of-attitude, heroine-tomboy-lady-in-pants, hh-smart-intellectual-brainy-geek, hero-starchy-loosen-up-buttons-babe, dirty-talk-turns-me-on, hero-bedroom-bad-boy, ending-abrupt-poor-epilogue-needed

4 ½ stars – Contemporary Romance

Top Ten Things I Loved About Start Me Up:

1. A deliciously sexy beta hero – Nerdy architect (and ultimate fantasy giver with a wild bedside manner) Quinn Jennings
2. A sassy, feisty heroine – Girl mechanic Lori Love
3. Heroine’s obsession with erotic books and hero’s willingness to please and serve in the bedroom that leads to lots of hot sex, steamy role play, and wickedly fun fantasy reenactments
4. Quinn’s sultry Spanish bedroom talk...YOWZA!!
5. Witty dialogue and...more

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Sep 08, 2009 Miss Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, 2009

No I love you? *grrr*. What the heck is going on here? I read these books for my “I love yous” and HEAs. This one had a ‘nice’ ending, but there was no professing of love and marriage.

We met Lori in Talk Me Down, the first in the Tumble Creek Series. She’s ran her father’s mechanic shop and tow truck business for the past ten years. He received a closed head injury after a bar fight and has been in need of constant care until his death a few months back She had to give up college to come home a...more No I love you? *grrr*. What the heck is going on here? I read these books for my “I love yous” and HEAs. This one had a ‘nice’ ending, but there was no professing of love and marriage.

We met Lori in Talk Me Down, the first in the Tumble Creek Series. She’s ran her father’s mechanic shop and tow truck business for the past ten years. He received a closed head injury after a bar fight and has been in need of constant care until his death a few months back She had to give up college to come home and take care of dad. She still dreams of travel but that’s about the extent of it. She’s not really happy with her life, but feels this is what she is meant to do and “whah whah whah”.

Quinn is her best friend’s brother that she’s known for years, but only recently noticed how hot he is. He’s a whork-o-holic architect. He’s supposed to be a hot nerd. Nerds are at the bottom of my hero list.

After reconnecting, they make a deal for a sex only, no strings relationship. Both think this is a no-brainer, but of course they start to develop feelings for each other right away. Quinn actually takes Lori’s erotica books and does research on what she likes. His toes curl and some of the stories, but he is game. I found this totally refreshing that the nerd becomes a major alpha in bed. I think this was very hot and original.

There is some suspense which features sheriff Ben Lawson from Talk Me down investigating the death of Lori’s father. It may not have been an accident after all.

Overall, I liked the book. It wasn’t as funny as Talk Me down , but the suspense story was better in this one. Quinn is really great, and he’s officially become my first nerd love. However, I don’t think Lori appreciated him, and she griped at him too much.

One final annoyance: There is a comedienne named Loni Love, and throughout the whole book I kept reading Lori as “Loni” and it bugged the crap out of me.

This book contains mildy erotic love scenes with some D/S.
(less)

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May 14, 2012 Lady Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Contemporary Romance, Erotica, Mystery

Shelves: read-in-2012, adventure, adult, contemporary-romance, fiction, kindle, romance, thriller-suspense, victoria-dahl, best-series, broken-women-finding-their-hea, chick-lit, contemporary, favorites, erotica, humor, love-the-author-a-must-buy, suspense, mystery, bdsm

HOLY HELL... Quinn is my new favorite fictional stud!

Loved this story!
'Lori Love'...wow I can just imagine how Quinn purrs when He says her name ... *sigh*
Is an amazing character! I love her strength and Sass!
.. and Quinn.. well lets just say that Quinn has made it to my top 10 fictional stud list.

Favorite part:
Quinn has done some 'research' and read a few of Lori's favorite erotic books, and has discovered that Lori reads about bondage, and Quinn is willing to try and satisfy her fantasy.
.. a...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, contemporary-romance, set-series

This is book two in the Tumble Creek Series, and even thought it didn't outshine the first book it was still amazing, I loved the real raw emotion you got from the characters and I LOVED that it was tied up in a pretty bow at the end. Yes you did get the happy ending but not the unrealistic happy ending you usually do. Lori was an amazing character and Quinn was a perfect fit for her. They just rocked and god were they steamy and HOTT... I also loved how the the Jane who is the Heroine of book 3...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Susanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-contemporary-romance, best-heroes, giggles, perfect-for-me, book-boyfriends, up-for-reread

This book was so good *sigh happily* I have a big grin on my face and I am in total bliss. It was amazing amazing amazing. Ratings are not everything. This goes straight to favs. I am actually beginning to tire in my checks from smiling so much.

There are so many great reviews out there but I will say that this was the hottest, funniest romance I've read in a long time. I blushed and laughed so much! I love this series and you should definitely read them in order - Molly and Ben play a big role...more

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Jun 09, 2010 LethalLovely~I'll Be Your River rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who likes contemporary romances with sassy, smart women.

Shelves: contemporary-romance, pnr-monthly-reads, reviews, 5-and-4-star-ratings

My Thoughts:

I've only read one other book by Dahl,Lead Me On, & I must say that Lori is not nearly as much of a biatch as Jane was. Although she does have sometimes overwhelming insecurities. She refuses to see that Quinn wants her for herself & is not simply "slumming" with the town mechanic. The sex scenes were hot, the h/h were hot & I enjoyed the chemistry between them. I never thought geeks were something to drool over until I met Quinn & he has definitely changed my stance....more

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Sep 10, 2010 Alisha rated it 4 of 5 stars

In a nutshell:Oh, this was a breeze to read. Finished it with a smile in my heart. Again, the characters were great.

Ms. Dahl, you're two-for-two. :o) This book was a delight to read from beginning to end. The two characters highlighted in this book are supporting/minor characters from Talk Me Down: Vivacious mechanic Lori Love, and the very work-focused architect Quinn Jennings. Lori catches up with her best friend's brother when she is hired to repair some equipment for an upcoming building pro...more In a nutshell:Oh, this was a breeze to read. Finished it with a smile in my heart. Again, the characters were great.

Ms. Dahl, you're two-for-two. :o) This book was a delight to read from beginning to end. The two characters highlighted in this book are supporting/minor characters from Talk Me Down: Vivacious mechanic Lori Love, and the very work-focused architect Quinn Jennings. Lori catches up with her best friend's brother when she is hired to repair some equipment for an upcoming building project. She's feeling like she's dead-ended in her life, and decides she needs a sizzle (read: hot fling) to distract her from her worries. Lucky for Quinn, he happens to be at the right place at the right time, and doesn't mind being her boy toy. ...at first. :o)

As with the previous novels, the most enjoyable component of the book is the characters. Lori in particular was my fave. She's got a fun and outgoing personality that belies a hardworking, responsible-to-a-fault woman with a lot of regret and guilt. I love that she's a sucker for smexy romance novels! And likewise I found it (bitter)sweet that she basically "gave up" her original plans and dreams to care for her parent. It seemed like a sizable majority of the story was spent following her "perspective," so I suppose it's no surprise she comes out as my fave. But Lori and Quinn together...wahoo! It's actually together--even through simple interactions like chatting--that they really shine. And the romantic get-togethers, well...they were more than sufficiently hot.

I also loved the gradual addition of a layer of mystery and thrill on top of the main romance. It's nothing outrageous--this is lil' ole Tumble Creek, after all--but it was exciting and very well integrated with the love story thread.

Another fun little addition was the occasional snippet from (fictional) romance novels that Lori reads. At first I sort of didn't get why such a device was used, showing the actual "book" excerpt rather than simply making reference--though there was a story or two that was weaved into certain scenes with either Lori or Quinn, to hilarious effect--but after a while I didn't care; they were fun and cute cutaways.

By the end, I think I'd decided that I liked this book more than the fantastic first installment. Dahl really knows how to create a read that is both effortless and immensely satisfying on several levels.(less)

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Apr 13, 2011 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, contemporary, series, childhood-sweethearts-or-friends, comedy, crime-police-mystery-private-invest, falls-for-sibing-s-friend, fiction-vixen-reviews, friends-to-lovers, hot, lots-of-sex, read-2011

Joint review with Sophia originally posted on Fiction Vixen.

Catherine and I are talking about Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl today. Since this is a book chat the following may be considered slightly spoilery. We’ve tried not to reveal anything key that would ruin the book for anybody, but everyone has a different opinion about what a spoiler is so keep that in mind if you decide to read any further.

Lori had always planned to get out of tiny Tumble Creek, Colorado, but when her late dad left her hi...more

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Jul 14, 2009 Isis FG rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Isis FG by: continuation of a series

Shelves: 2009, info-full, reviewed, genre-romance-contemporary, published-2009, stars-3, series-tumble-creek

Rating: 3.5 / 5

A fun, sexy, easy to read book. It's got some interesting characters and situations. But I had the same problem with this book that I did with the first in the series: that the heroine isn't entirely likable. Which takes away some of the enjoyability of the book.

Start Me Up is the second book in Victoria Dahl's Tumble Creek series, which borders between contemporary and erotic romance. Though this book can pretty much stand on its own, I'd personally recommend reading them in orde...more

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Jan 28, 2010 Nikki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, victoria-dahl, recommended-to-me, reviewed, series

Lori Love had to return to Tumble Creek to take care of her father, leaving her dreams in the dust. Now, ten years still working at her father's trucking company, she decides she is missing something in her life. Sex. And when she accidentally outs her secret plans to a Mr. Quinn Jennings, the table turns and now the secret fantasies are about to come to life.

This book was hot, I mean wow, I am speechless. The role-playing of the scenes from erotic books was just hot. But, again even with all t...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Clio rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

Start Me Up is the best of the series, in my opinion. Lori Love's tragic history makes her one of the most fully realized characters I've come across in contemporary romance in a while. She was a gifted college student, on the brink of accomplishing her dreams to travel well beyond her roots in Tumble Creek, when a debilitating accident forces her to come home to take care of her dad and his auto repair shop. Ten years later, her father has finally succumbed to his injuries, but Lori is stuck: s...more Start Me Up is the best of the series, in my opinion. Lori Love's tragic history makes her one of the most fully realized characters I've come across in contemporary romance in a while. She was a gifted college student, on the brink of accomplishing her dreams to travel well beyond her roots in Tumble Creek, when a debilitating accident forces her to come home to take care of her dad and his auto repair shop. Ten years later, her father has finally succumbed to his injuries, but Lori is stuck: she can't sell the business because it barely turns a profit and she can't afford the cost of environmental cleanup necessary before she could sell the land.

Lori wants sex, but not a relationship (she doesn't want to put down roots in Tumble Creek since she's still hoping to escape, though the chances of escape fade with each passing year), so she takes up Molly's brother Quinn. Quinn's agreeable to the sex-without-dating deal because he sucks at relationships (his words, not mine): he's too absorbed in his work to pay women the kind of attention that relationships require. Despite the mutually agreed upon limits, the arrangement only makes Lori feel more trapped, because Quinn makes her feel all the more keenly what she has lost. He is brilliant and educated, while she had to drop out of school. He lives a glitzy, sophisticated life, rubbing elbows with the rich and famous in Aspen, while she works in shapeless coveralls and always has grease under her nails. He has been all over Europe and travels extensively for his work, while she hasn't left Tumble Creek since her Boston University education was interrupted by her father's injury.

There aren't a lot of romance stories involving women in traditionally male jobs (at least not blue collar jobs; female lawyers and doctors aren't too hard to find), and Start Me Up was refreshingly novel in flipping some of those gender stereotypes (for example, Lori rolls her eyes because Quinn doesn't know anything about his car and bought it mostly because he likes how it looks), while also exploring some of the tensions of being a woman in a man's job (as when Lori must take precautions to protect herself when she goes out alone to answer after-hours calls for tow service). The book also explores class tensions without the stereotypes and elitist value judgments so often inherent in books dealing with class divisions: Lori is blue collar, but she isn't trashy or stupid or crude; Quinn is comfortably wealthy, but not stuck up. At home in blue jeans drinking beer from the bottle, Quinn is just as comfortable in Lori's dingy and dated apartment over the garage as he is in his more posh pad in Aspen (especially since all either of them really care about, in either location, is the bed.)(less)

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Jan 31, 2013 Bookswithbenefits rated it 4 of 5 stars

Best line: "Flirting with a stranger was one thing, but now she had the acute sense that she looked foolish. A fraud. A sow's ear trying very hard to become a silk purse, or whatever that damn expression was."

Worst Line: "Baby, that is one fine ass."

Synopsis: Lori dreamed of seeing the world, but, when tragedy strikes, she returns home to keep her father's garage afloat. But being tied down in a small town is starting to make Lori itch for restraints of a different sort. She wants to clean the g...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Chelsea Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars

Oh! Start Me Up! Kick on the starter give it all you got! I have no idea why this song was not playing at least once while they were at the bar. Maybe the author felt it would be too cheesy... anyways I think I liked this book a lot more than I should have. It could have been because I was coming down from a bad book run, I have no clue but I really did like it. Let me be the first to say that I absolutely love women mechanics, especially when they have a girly side to the. I think there is some...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, romance, romance-steamy

I enjoyed this book by Ms. Dahl more than I enjoyed some of her later novels. Our heroine, Lori, had dreamed of the big city, but when her father died moved back to her small town to take over his auto body shop. Our hero Quinn is one hot architecht.

Lori loves romance novels and each chapter begins with a few verses from a pretend novel. Quinn steals a few of these books away to learn more about ways to get Lori excited. This modeling of behavior is a theme, but not the key conflict in the stor...more

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Mar 07, 2012 KatiD rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: rntv-reviews

Reviewed by Kati Dancy
2.75 stars

Lori Love is the local mechanic in tiny Tumble Creek, Colorado. She didn’t always want to be a mechanic. For years, she wanted to travel, to discover new places and new experiences. But when her father got sick, she took over working at the shop he owned, and when he died, after racking up thousands of dollars in medical expenses, Lori ends up tethered to the shop and to a life she never really wanted. She knows that with perseverance and hard work, she might be a...more Reviewed by Kati Dancy
2.75 stars

Lori Love is the local mechanic in tiny Tumble Creek, Colorado. She didn’t always want to be a mechanic. For years, she wanted to travel, to discover new places and new experiences. But when her father got sick, she took over working at the shop he owned, and when he died, after racking up thousands of dollars in medical expenses, Lori ends up tethered to the shop and to a life she never really wanted. She knows that with perseverance and hard work, she might be able to pay off the debt and get started on her “real” life. But this means very little frivolity, silliness, and certainly no time for any kind of a serious relationship. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t want sex. She definitely does, but only in a no strings attached kind of way.

Quinn Jennings is Lori’s best friend, Molly’s brother. He is a rising star in architecture, and is passionate about his job. So passionate that often times other aspects of his life suffer. He is easily absorbed in his work and in his free time is building his dream home. That’s not to say he doesn’t want sex, he’s just awful at relationships because he’s so absorbed in his work and doesn’t have time for all the protocols of dating that women seem to expect. But when Lori comes out to repair a piece of construction equipment at his dream home, they reconnect, and he finds that Lori is a gorgeous, desirable woman. He decides to pursue her, and is thrilled when he finds that she’s just looking for some meaningless sex, certainly nothing serious. But as Quinn gets to know Lori, he realizes that she might just be the woman he has been waiting for all of his life. But will he be able to convince her to take a real chance on love?

This is the second of Victoria Dahl’s foray into contemporary romance. And for the most part, it is a very successful one. Quinn is a great hero, one who is smart and driven, and willing to go the extra mile to make his woman happy. He realizes pretty quickly that he and Lori are having more than just sex, and he’s willing to take the experiment to a new higher level. It is Lori that I had a problem with. She is adamant that she is not going to get into a relationship with Quinn; she’s just having a fling with him. Even when all indications are she’s falling for him. Her absolute certainty that they have nothing in common and that she could never have a serious relationship stymied me. I didn’t find her reasoning about why she couldn’t fall in love with Quinn to be credible, and every part of me was frustrated with her lack of either self-awareness or understanding that today’s women can have both, a career AND a loving relationship. My issues with Lori aside, there is much to recommend the book. Dahl writes beautifully choreographed love scenes, which combine genuine emotion, adventurous loving and very steamy sex. Her heroes continue to delight. Quinn is an ideal contemporary hero, respectful of the heroine, sexually attracted, a gentleman and possessed of a terrific sense of humor. Now if I’d only felt that Lori deserved him. Overall, Start Me Up is a serviceable contemporary romance that I think a lot of romance readers will enjoy, but for me, my lack of connection with the heroine lowered the book’s final grade.

*REVIEW ORIGINALLY POSTED AT ROMANCE NOVEL TV*(less)

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Mar 06, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

One thing I love about Dahl's heroines is that they're unapologetically sexual critters. They have sexual histories and they enjoy getting down and dirty without feeling guilty about it. Lori is no exception, and in fact we meet one of her ex-boyfriends in the story. She reads like an adult woman with a past, with enough life experience to actually carry on an adult relationship. Although her life has been in stasis for years, she doesn't sulk around about it; she carries on as best she can and...more One thing I love about Dahl's heroines is that they're unapologetically sexual critters. They have sexual histories and they enjoy getting down and dirty without feeling guilty about it. Lori is no exception, and in fact we meet one of her ex-boyfriends in the story. She reads like an adult woman with a past, with enough life experience to actually carry on an adult relationship. Although her life has been in stasis for years, she doesn't sulk around about it; she carries on as best she can and cultivates dreams for the future.

Quinn is freaking adorable. Beta heroes are rare in romance land, so if you're like me and have a distinct fondness for them, Quinn is a fantastic speciman. Smart and slightly dorky with a sense of humour, he's very much the absent-minded professor who's finally found something to make him sit up and pay attention to what's going on around him.

My one issue came near the end, and might be more of my freaky brain issues than an actual flaw. Without going into spoiler territory, suffice it to say I struggle to believe the antagonist would come out and offer a full confession the way he did. Under the circumstances, it does make a certain sort of sense, but it was one of those things that just niggled at me. Your mileage may vary.

The dialogue shines and the sex scenes sizzle, particularly when Quinn and Lori are acting out one of her naughty fantasies. (Nothing too hardcore here, just frisky fun, so the BDSM wary can rest easy.) It's easy to believe these two honestly enjoy each others' company, in spite of the jealousy and arguments that keep popping up between them. They're the kind of couple for which arguing is a form of foreplay, which means there's as much fighting as there is banter, but either way, the dialogue flows naturally and with a kick.

Ultimately, when I pick up something written by Victoria Dahl, I expect a lot of fun. Between the mockery of punishing kisses and the sex ninja, there was much giggling to be had, and you'd better believe I'll be harrassing Dahl next year when her next contemporary comes out.(less)

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Feb 27, 2012 Amanda Ryan rated it 5 of 5 stars

HA-CHA-CHA! This book is uber hawt. This is probably my favorite of Ms. Dahl's so far, not only because it's DELICIOUSLY Raunchy, but also because the leading characters are super adorable.

Lori Love comes back to her home town in order to take care of her dad. Fast forward many years later, her dad has long since passed away and she's taken on his garage business. Lori has been a master mechanic since she was a kid, and she's starting to feel...antsy. She's always wanted to travel, and she left...more

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Sep 26, 2010 Jane Stewart rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

2 ½ stars. Some good sex scenes, but the story could have been better. Heroine’s actions were not reasonable.

STORY BRIEF:
Lori’s father died after a head injury. Lori left college to care for him and run his towing and auto repair business. She’s a good auto mechanic, but her dream was to travel the world. She can’t follow her dream since she is working his business to pay off his medical bills. She can’t afford to sell the garage due to costly EPA clean up issues concerning oil on the property....more 2 ½ stars. Some good sex scenes, but the story could have been better. Heroine’s actions were not reasonable.

STORY BRIEF:
Lori’s father died after a head injury. Lori left college to care for him and run his towing and auto repair business. She’s a good auto mechanic, but her dream was to travel the world. She can’t follow her dream since she is working his business to pay off his medical bills. She can’t afford to sell the garage due to costly EPA clean up issues concerning oil on the property. She tells her best friend Molly that she wants to find someone for a sexual fling. Molly’s brother Quinn accidentally hears this and offers himself to Lori. Quinn is an architect who is frequently distracted and inattentive due to his work. He forgets dates and times with girlfriends. Lori has been friends with him for years, so she understands. She’s not bothered by it. Quinn discovers that Lori reads erotic romance novels. He borrows one of her books so he can study what she likes. On their first night together he acts out one of the scenes, and it’s the best sex ever for both of them. He borrows other books as well. Lori has self esteem issues. Two of Quinn’s former girlfriends are tall, gorgeous, and sophisticated. She doesn’t believe Quinn would ever like her – other than for their temporary fling. Some side stories include the police chief reopening Lori’s father’s case. He believes her dad was hit in the head by someone instead of an accidental fall. There is an unusual amount of interest by developers wanting to buy land Lori owns. Vandals cause damage to Lori’s property.

REVIEWER’S OPINION WITH SPOILERS:
I selected this book because I wanted to read about a guy who reads romance novels as research and then acts out scenes with his girl. This part of the story and some of the sex scenes were good. But the rest of the story was lacking. The last 70 or so pages bothered me. Lori fell in love with Quinn but she broke up with him and told him to stay away for no good reason. She claimed she had troubles and needed to be alone. He wanted to help. The couple separating (which is typical for romance novels) was not well done. I need to be able to buy it, believe it, or understand it, but I didn’t. I was also annoyed with Lori’s reaction to the vandalism. She quickly claimed it was probably nothing more than teenage pranks. However, the reader could easily see other motives for the vandalism. When the reader sees a link, I am annoyed when the heroine doesn’t. I don’t require a smart heroine. I just want believability or reasonableness. The ending was not a typical HEA, but I thought it was happy enough for this genre.

DATA:
Story length: 359 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 11. Total number of sex scene pages: 45. Setting: current day Aspen and Tumble Creek, Colorado. Copyright: 2009. Genre: contemporary romance.

OTHER BOOKS:
For a list of my reviews of other books by this author, see my 4 star review of “Lead Me On” posted 3-23-10.(less)

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Jul 05, 2010 Liz B rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporaryrealisticfiction, romance

4.5 stars

This one was terrific. I love s sexy nerd hero, and Quinn certainly was one. I also really, really liked Lori Love, the auto mechanic heroine.

Make no mistake--this is a steamy one. Lori and Quinn do some role-playing. What I liked was that their sexual relationship, including the role-playing, functions as a way to help them develop their relationship.

Dahl is one of the best I've read recently at switching the third-person viewpoints from the hero to the heroine. I think that's part of...more

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Mar 13, 2010 Casse NaRome rated it 4 of 5 stars

I usually hate bondage books, I can't stand anyone (male or female) being submissive. Now, that said, I looooooved Start Me Up. I love that it was completely different sex than Talk Me Down. I love the fantasy and role play. I love how the heroine and hero went about it. How realistic they were doing it. Okay dirties not *doing IT* but making Lori's fantasies come true and the way they were shit nervous about it. Yall are so nasty, pervs.

I also adored Quinn. Like to the point we could date until...more

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Nov 11, 2009 Sabrina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ok, here's my review in a nutshell: BUY THIS BOOK! Then, buy Victoria's entire backlist and be first in line for every new release.

I'm beyond excited to have read my first book by Victoria! She's a fantastic writer who combines quick whit, strong female characters, sexy as hell love scenes, and an overall interesting plot into a fantastic read. Authors like Victoria are why I love to read and why I created Cheeky Reads in the first place. She gets readers like me and what we want. It's like she...more

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Nov 08, 2009 Kath rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A great follow up to "Talk Me Down" and I actually liked it better than the first one in this series. Loved the characters in this series as a whole and loved that Ben and Molly from book 1 were part of this one as well. You really get to start to know the characters. You really do have to read "Talk Me Down" first as Aidan and Lori are both in that story and it add to their background. I don't think you'd get as much reading this one on it's own.

Really liked Lori and Aidan both as characters. L...more

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Aug 10, 2009 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars

After reading "Talk me Down" I wasn't sure how any other contemporary romance could win my heart. But, after reading Start Me Up, I've learned that my heart can be an incredibly fickle bitch! Start Me Up is more funny, more sexy, and more romantic than Talk Me Down. Of course, I'm a sucker for the "old friends" vehicle so I was already pre-disposed to like this book. (I'm also a sucker for exes getting back together if anyone is keeping score!)

Because I didn't talk a lot about the sex in Talk Me...more After reading "Talk me Down" I wasn't sure how any other contemporary romance could win my heart. But, after reading Start Me Up, I've learned that my heart can be an incredibly fickle bitch! Start Me Up is more funny, more sexy, and more romantic than Talk Me Down. Of course, I'm a sucker for the "old friends" vehicle so I was already pre-disposed to like this book. (I'm also a sucker for exes getting back together if anyone is keeping score!)

Because I didn't talk a lot about the sex in Talk Me Down, let me make up for that here. Wait....can I do that without giving anything away? There is one sex scene in here that made my book catch on fire. Seriously. I burned my fingers turning the pages. It is spoilerific to tell you what it is, but, trust me when I saw you'll know it when you see it! Hot. Now that sex is all the rage in romance books, the scenes can range from ho hum, to pretty damn ridiculous. It is the rare writer who can write sex in a way that isn't just believable, but incredibly exciting. Worth re-reading. Again. If it sounds simple to you, that's because you haven't read enough bad examples. Quinn and Lori weren't exceptionally hot separately, but they were combustible when together. It just reinforced my already widely held beliefs: Nerds (and Geeks) are hot. But please, don't take my word for it. That means more for me!

The characters, alreeady introduced in Talk Me Down, were developed nicely here. Although, I have to admit, I had a hard time picturing Lori in my head. The description was there, but that isn't what I wanted her to look like so I could never get a focus on her physical appearance. Her personality, though, was crystal clear. Dahl gets a bad rap on her heroines, but I happened to love Lori Love. I don't think she was unsympathetic at all. I thought she was a bit hard headed at times, but never in a way that seemed uncharacteristic. It always seemed to be in the way of someone who was used to fending for herself and not relying on the kindness of strangers, or even friends. She wasn't whiny about the things she'd given up, just matter of fact. She wasn't asking anyone to feel sorry for her, and she didn't waste time feeling sorry for herself either. If anything, that made her more sympathetic because who wants to read 300+ pages of someone feeling sorry for themselves? And who doesn't have a longing for something more? Something else? You can be happy with what you have and still wish you had something different. Travel? College? Or whatever it may have been you feel you've missed out on. That is a universally human characteristic (even if you don't want to admit it) which made Lori seem all the more likeable.

Quinn surprised me. The impression I had of him from Talk Me Down didn't go away -- he lived up to my geeky expectations -- but there was an entirely different side to him that I was surprised to meet. His interactions with Ben were especially entertaining. And just thinking about him speaking Spanish is taking....away....the chill....of the air conditioner..... ahem. Right. Geeks (and nerds) = sexy. All I'm saying....

The only "complaint" I might have about this book is that the ending and resolution seemed a bit rushed. You got an explanation about "who did it" and why. And, you know, it solves the mystery, but didn't seem particularly satisfying as endings go. I almost wish it had been an ongoing thing, continued into the next book, so it could be more exciting. But, it certainly wasn't disappointing enough to move this off the five star mark. All in all, it was a fantastic book. Run, don't walk, to pick it up.(less)

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Jul 26, 2009 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

I really wish I could give this four and a half stars. I loved it, just as much as I loved Talk Me Down, but for different reasons.

TMD had more suspense and I was genuinely afraid for our heroine. In SMU, I never had the same fear, but I loved the heroine more. So they balanced out. :)

Lori Love is a girl mechanic. And every guy in Tumble Creek thinks she bats for the other team. She encourages this view because it keeps away the creeps, but she's a very lonely girl with a healthy sex drive thank...more I really wish I could give this four and a half stars. I loved it, just as much as I loved Talk Me Down, but for different reasons.

TMD had more suspense and I was genuinely afraid for our heroine. In SMU, I never had the same fear, but I loved the heroine more. So they balanced out. :)

Lori Love is a girl mechanic. And every guy in Tumble Creek thinks she bats for the other team. She encourages this view because it keeps away the creeps, but she's a very lonely girl with a healthy sex drive thanks to her introduction to erotic literature from her friend Molly!

Quinn is Molly's brother. A successful architect, he's very nerdy and focused on his work. He's never had many successful relationships, but when Lori offers him sex on a platter, who's he to say no? Until he starts to care about the fact that their relationship is only about sex - he wants it to be more..

I know some Loris. Women who gave up their dreams for practical reasons and have never had the opportunity to go back and follow them, or even to make new ones and follow those. Her sexual frustration is one sign that she needs some desperate change in her life, but her insatiable appetite is only a symptom of something deeper. It was a beautiful journey. I connected more to Lori than I did to Molly in the first book.

Quinn is a DELIGHTFUL Beta hero, with the advantage of turning into a total Alpha for the sake of Lori's fantasies. What a guy! ;) His internal dialogue was touching, because we knew he was completely focused on her pleasure the entire time, and he fulfilled her fantasies - and that fulfilled his. Nice.

The sex was hotter than in TMD. Naughtier, and more central to Lori and Quinn's relationship, IMO. But definitely naughtier. And hot. Did I mention hot?

The suspense.. meh. But at that point, I wasn't really concerned with what was going on with Lori's father's land or death. I just knew it had to be figured out before she could actually move on and get on with the gettin' it on with Quinn!

I borrowed this from my mom, but I will be buying a copy for myself.(less)

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Jul 30, 2010 Jessi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: colorado-setting, contemporary-fiction, romance

Summary: "Lori had always planned to get out of tiny Tumble Creek, Colorado, but when her late dad left her his beloved auto body shop, she'd stayed. Now, according to her crazy best friend, Molly, what Lori needs is some excitement, in the form of hot, no-strings-attached sex...and lots of it. 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 protocols and head straight for the sheets. And aided b...more Summary: "Lori had always planned to get out of tiny Tumble Creek, Colorado, but when her late dad left her his beloved auto body shop, she'd stayed. Now, according to her crazy best friend, Molly, what Lori needs is some excitement, in the form of hot, no-strings-attached sex...and lots of it. 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 protocols and head straight for the sheets. And aided by the steamy books on Lori's bedside table, he's busy indulging both of their wildest fantasies. But when life in Tumble Creek takes a dangerous turn for Lori, Quinn's protective instincts kick in. Suddenly he cares. More than either of them ever expected..."--p. [4:] of cover.

First Line: "Baby, that is one fine ass."

Victoria Dahl writes a very steamy romance, and this was even steamier than her others. The basis of the story is that Lori is in a professional, personal, and sexual rut and to ease the tension she decides to take a lover. She doesn't mean to choose Quinn for a summer fling - they have known each other since grade school - but she finds herself especially attracted to him, and he seems to return the sentiment. He also stumbles across her favorite collection of erotica (the story contains snippets from the stories), and he uses the material for inspiration in their encounters. Needless to say there is a lot of time spent in the bedroom. There is a bit of a mystery, although I have to admit that I guessed who (although I was a little off on the why) very early in the book. Still, I liked both Lori and Quinn - even though I personally would hate to be in love with an absolutely workaholic - and felt like their relationship developed logically and romantically. I also very much enjoy that Dahl's happily ever after does not have to be instant marriage and pregnancy. Instead, she allows the end to be each character working through their personal issues until they come to the realization that do care for each other. It leaves room for future happiness, but is not forced. I also enjoy how often and how hard Dahl's books can make me laugh. I can't wait to read the third book in the Twisted Creek series.(less)

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Jan 03, 2010 Alana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-contemporary

Lori Love always dreamed of leaving her tiny hometown of Tumble Creek. But when a nasty accident left her father in desperate need of medical care, Lori put her plans of European travel on hold and became tiny Tumble Creek's new auto mechanic. Lately, though, with debts piling up and a new investigation into her father's death, Lori needs an escape from Tumble Creek and an adventurous new lover. And that's where absent-minded but talented architect Quinn Jennings comes in - he's terrible at rela...more

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Dec 29, 2009 Tina Burns rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was an audio read:

I really enjoyed the first of the Tumble Creek series by Ms. Dahl, Talk Me Down so I had high hopes for Start Me Up. However, the more into the book I read (or listened) the more annoyed I became with the heroine, Molly. I found it hard to relate to her, she was so self deprecating. She found no redeeming qualities in her self for so long in the book that I began to feel the same way. Quinn, the hero, of course felt differently, but here again was a too strong (emotionally...more

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Dec 07, 2009 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

"You read romance novels all the time. What are the most obvious signs of true love? Drama! Arguments! Tension!"

"Those are also the most obvious signs of domestic abuse."

With this brief exchange between protagonist Lori and her best friend Molly, Victoria Dahl sums up a problem many contemporary readers have with romance novels. They're fantasy: the white knight rescues the princess, true love conquers all, one good lay solves all your problems. Of course, in real life, obsessive love often lead...more

"You read romance novels all the time. What are the most obvious signs of true love? Drama! Arguments! Tension!"

"Those are also the most obvious signs of domestic abuse."

With this brief exchange between protagonist Lori and her best friend Molly, Victoria Dahl sums up a problem many contemporary readers have with romance novels. They're fantasy: the white knight rescues the princess, true love conquers all, one good lay solves all your problems. Of course, in real life, obsessive love often leads to heartbreak and violence. In Start Me Up, Dahl strikes a satisfying balance between the fantasy of true love and the reality of work, debt, and family history.

I love that Dahl uses erotica and romance novels to frame Quinn and Lori's romance. Lori, who took over her father's job as the town's auto mechanic when he was badly injured ten years ago, as well as his medical bills, has no personal life. She escapes reality by plowing through boxes and boxes of erotic novels. Quinn, her supposed summer fling, reads her favorite books as "homework" before their dates. This device allows them to pretend they are only acting out (very, very satisfying) fantasies, even as their relationship deepens into something very real.

Meanwhile, the surprisingly not-annoying mystery plot has Lori wondering what really happened to her father ten years ago, and whether it has anything to do with the parcel of land that has so many local developers interested. Dahl never puts Lori into a TSTL or extreme damsel in distress situation. Ultimately, Dahl's clever resolution brings the threads of the story together by reminding the reader just how dangerous illicit, obsessive love can be.

It is also satisfying that Molly and Ben, the hero and heroine from book one, are not married and popping out babies in book two. Just as Quinn and Lori get a realistic HEA, Ben and Molly are pursuing a modern relationship that doesn't involve instant and forever happiness. Dahl manages to combine a hot, sweet romance with the reality that relationships take honesty, hard work, and compromise. Very refreshing. (less)

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Aug 26, 2011 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, ebook-own

Victoria Dahl's contemporary Tumble Creek series is kinda of like SEP if she took more risks with her characters, especially in the boudoir. Lori moved back home years ago while attending college after her father sustained a serious injury that left him a basically incapacitated state. She's taken over his garage and given up her dream of traveling the world to be there for her father and even after he passes away she can't seem to leave. When an interesting opportunity to get some action comes...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Azhureheart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-mf

Liked it a lot. Very funny read.
Quin was very much the absentminded nerd who's secretly a sex ninja - best of both worlds, really.
Lori, despite her awful surname (Love, seriously?!!) was all kind of awesome. Maybe she could have been less secretive and more trusting with Quin about the land (especially since she's known him for ages) but I liked how laid-back she was. She could be angry but she didn't stay that way long.
Molly was outrageous (and loud)in the best way and I really want to read T ...more

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Start Me Up (Tumble Creek #2)

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