Lead Me On (Tumble Creek, #3)

Jan 08, 2010 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of hot contemporary romance

Shelves: contemporary-romance, victoria-dahl, series-tumble-creek, tattoos-piercings-body-art, heroine-i-wanna-bitch-slap-annoying, heroine-abused-traumatic-past-rape, hero-i-wanna-marry, hero-im-gaga-over, hero-stud-mantel-hall-of-fame, yowza-hotness, why-do-good-girls-like-bad-boys, 2010-reads, hero-addict-excon-lawtrouble-thief, hero-mix-of-alpha-beta, hero-beta, i-read-own-faves-keepers, humorous-at-times-or-fluffy-fun, favorites, hero-bad-boy-playboy, favorite-romance-series, small-town-lovin, best-top-favorites, heroine-odd-spinster-wallflower, heroine-curvy-plump-not-stick-thin, heroine-plain-jane-ugly-duckling, heroine-beautiful-bombshell, 5-stars, best-faves-of-2010, hero-too-yummy-perfect-to-be-true, heroine-undeserving-of-awesome-hero, best-wittiest-banter-dialogue, hero-tattalizing, best-snarkasm-humor, heroine-badgirl-improper-scandalous, a-all-time-fave-hero, heroine-classy-lady, humor-fall-off-the-couch-funny, heroine-sassy-full-of-attitude

5 stars – Contemporary Romance

Dahl’s Tumble Creek is a fun, sexy contemporary romance series with quirky, realistically flawed heroines, totally delicious, to-die-for, yummy heroes, loads of sarcastic, witty humor, and smokin’ hot love scenes. Lead Me On is no exception and in fact, I think it just might be my favorite book in the series so far.

Prim, proper, polished, and proficient office manager Jane Morgan is looking for a secure relationship and a stable, neatly planned future with the “rig...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: set-series, contemporary-romance, reviewed

This book blew me away; I loved the first two books and couldn't wait for this one to come out. I knew it was going to be a good read because Jane seemed so untouchable in book 2, but what I got was beyond good. Jane's character hit close to home for me even though our pasts weren't exactly the same in a lot of ways they were and I understood where she was coming from. It broke my heart actually, and maybe that's why I feel so protective over Jane. I know its silly to feel protective over a char...more

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Jul 09, 2010 MaggieReadsRom rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, arcs

4.5 stars

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 t...more

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Feb 19, 2010 Tam Herra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, contemp-romance

Another great contemporary from Dahl.

So few times authors seem to get it just right but Victoria Dahl is very good at developing a real relationship. In this book Jane has a mess of a past that she is ashamed of and slowly (willingly and not so willingly) that past is revealed to Chase. It wasn't all revealed at once causing the "big conflict" that the characters have to get over right before the end of the book when everything is magically resolved. No. Here Jane is slowly revealed over time an...more Another great contemporary from Dahl.

So few times authors seem to get it just right but Victoria Dahl is very good at developing a real relationship. In this book Jane has a mess of a past that she is ashamed of and slowly (willingly and not so willingly) that past is revealed to Chase. It wasn't all revealed at once causing the "big conflict" that the characters have to get over right before the end of the book when everything is magically resolved. No. Here Jane is slowly revealed over time and amongst other struggles as her life falls apart around her. And it's great because it's believable. The affection that Chase feels for Jane is believable. At first, he sticks around for very different reasons (curiosity and sexual attraction) than he does in the middle and the end of the story. It's really nice to watch a relationship develop like that. In many romances the development of the relationship and the affection within the relationship can seem a little far fetched, but here it was fleshed out expertly. I loved reading this book.

** A lot of people don't like Jane. Chick's got issues, sure. But I can understand what she is going through. Sometimes it's hard to sort out the 'you, you' versus the 'you as people see you'. She has a terrible past and was considered the worst kind of female dirt. I can understand why she grips onto her good-girl-facade so hard. And of course, she stereotypes (of course she would seeing herself in such black and white terms "good-girl" "bad-girl dirt slut" she would see others in black and white too) which is why she needs to learn to see Chase properly. I understand this struggle, so I didn't hold it against Jane, she had a lot to learn and work through and sometimes that is the hardest when you think what you are doing and that your outlooks are what is "socially desirable". Dahl does a good job in showing that what is often considered social desirable isn't what is actually the best choice (Chase v.s. the lawyer). Jane's a good character! Don't be so down on her.

I am a big fan of the Tumble Creek Series and this book makes it official: Victoria Dahl you are now my #1 favorite author on good reads. I simply cannot wait for another Dahl contemporary!!(less)

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Dec 26, 2009 Auntee rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of the series; fans of hot contemporaries

Shelves: contemporary-romance, made_me_cry, husband-worthy_hero, 2009_reads

Even though the heroine of this book, Jane Morgan, at times drove me absolutely crazy, it didn't matter, because I loved this story! It was hot, cute, funny, sexy, frustrating, and somehow it even got me crying. A very enjoyable, thoroughly developed little romance, with characters you'll have no trouble picturing in your head, and featuring an awesomely sweet, sexy, to-die-for hero that you'll just want to...well, I'll leave that up to your imagination!

This is the third book in Victoria Dahl's...more Even though the heroine of this book, Jane Morgan, at times drove me absolutely crazy, it didn't matter, because I loved this story! It was hot, cute, funny, sexy, frustrating, and somehow it even got me crying. A very enjoyable, thoroughly developed little romance, with characters you'll have no trouble picturing in your head, and featuring an awesomely sweet, sexy, to-die-for hero that you'll just want to...well, I'll leave that up to your imagination!

This is the third book in Victoria Dahl's Tumble Creek series, and it can be read as a stand alone, even though the character of Jane was first introduced in the previous book. This book delves into the character of architect Quinn Jennings's (Start Me Up) 29-year-old office manager/right hand (wo)man Jane Morgan, and oh boy, what a complicated woman she is! I don't really know where to start, and I definitely don't want to give away any spoilers, because half the fun of reading this book is finding out all about Jane's wild, rebellious past. To say that prim, proper, cool and efficient Jane is nothing like she was as a teenager, is an understatement. Jane is neurotic, passionate, funny, frustrating, and just about drove me crazy with all her 'issues' about her past, and many times throughout the book I wanted to say "Forgive yourself already, give yourself a break...you were young...get over it". Thank God she had a really decent, patient, mature, level-headed (and oh-so-sexy) great guy who wanted to be in her life, excavation company owner Billy Chase (or "Chase" as he liked to be called).

Jane was dead set on turning herself into the opposite of the person she used to be, even to the point of practically cutting her family out of her life, and trying to make herself want a safe, educated, boring, successful man in her life, but one look at the big, tattooed hunk who walked in the office for an appointment with her boss, and "oh crud", Jane wanted him. But she doesn't want a bad boy type anymore, or does she? And is Chase what he appears to be, or is he something more?

Well, Jane isn't able to resist Chase, and tells him up front that there can never be anything serious between them. Basically she just wants to use him for sex, and at first Chase is okay with being just her 'booty call'. But then he starts to have feelings for her, and it hurts him that she won't consider him for more than being her boy toy. This is when I started getting frustrated with Jane and feeling bad for Chase. Chase was a really great guy with so much to offer, and why couldn't Jane see that? And why didn't he just walk away? But then little by little, Victoria Dahl reveals more and more about Jane, peeling away all her layers, and the reader gets to see the real Jane, and why she acts the way she does. So then my irritation turned to sorrow for her--I was sorry that she couldn't forgive herself for her past, and sorry that she couldn't open her eyes and see the best thing that could ever happen to her was patiently waiting for her to make peace with her past.

There's so much more in this book that I could go into: Jane has a younger brother who ends up in serious trouble with the law, and Chase is right there to help; Jane has a family who she's a little ashamed of and a mother who she's angry at; Jane has a grandmother who's a real character and is quite a hoot (she has some of the funniest lines in the whole book!); Chase has his own sad past and a father with an alcohol problem; Jane has an ex who's trying to blackmail her...it's hard to believe that this book is only 344 pages, because there's plenty of background material here. But Ms. Dahl is such an excellent storyteller and things move along so quickly with no dead spots at all, that the book seems like it's only 100 pages in length.

Now, the loves scenes...there was a handful, and each and every one was smokin' hot. No disappointments there! Jane and Chase were very passionate, and sweet Chase was not afraid of using the "L" word. And Jane's fascination with Chase's tattoo...you'll just have to read it.:)

The ending...very sweet and satisfying, as Jane finally, bravely faced her past, putting it in the past, and fought for the future she wanted to have. The final page where Chase talked about the future he wanted with Jane made me smile, laugh out loud, and then had me tearing up. Fabulous ending to my favorite book in the series. A big 5 stars.(less)

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Apr 19, 2013 Clio rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, class-divide, big-misunderstanding

Lead Me On centers on the troubles of Jane Morgan, who is Quinn's prim-and-proper office manager. Like Start Me Up, it deals with class differences, but it is not as good at avoiding offensive stereotypes. I found Jane Morgan to be an unpleasant character because she is so very class conscious and judgmental. (Ms. Dahl seems to know that Jane's mindset is unpopular, because the character is always acknowledging her snobbery but forging ahead anyway, even when other characters point out how very...more Lead Me On centers on the troubles of Jane Morgan, who is Quinn's prim-and-proper office manager. Like Start Me Up, it deals with class differences, but it is not as good at avoiding offensive stereotypes. I found Jane Morgan to be an unpleasant character because she is so very class conscious and judgmental. (Ms. Dahl seems to know that Jane's mindset is unpopular, because the character is always acknowledging her snobbery but forging ahead anyway, even when other characters point out how very misguided she is.) In childhood, Jane's mother was a "prison groupie," marrying one prisoner after another; Jane is the product of a conjugal visit. She spent her childhood writing letters to her incarcerated father, but when he disappeared after his release from jail, Jane (then named Dynasty Mackenzie) went a little wild at the tender age of twelve. She took up drinking, drugs, and promiscuous sex with many, many men (some twice her age), but by adulthood she has turned her life around: she has a new, respectable name, a new, respectable job, a new, respectable life, and she is confident that no one from her past would recognize her.

Unfortunately, Jane finds that she isn't attracted to respectable men, so after dumping her assistant D.A.-boyfriend, she initiates an affair with Billy Chase (just "Chase"), who she believes is just a construction worker who "likes to blow stuff up," but who the reader knows is actually the owner of his own excavation company and the go-to expert for tough and intricate excavation work ("Chase could blow out a wall of rock fifty feet wide and leave the hundred-year-old barn that stood two feet away without even the slightest creak of boards."). Jane propositions him for a one time hookup, a birthday gift to herself, and he accepts because, well, he's a guy, and she's a D cup. Yet when her brother is arrested and comes under suspicion for murder, Jane suddenly finds that she needs Chase: his father is a former state police officer who is willing to investigate the case for the defense.

Chase is a really relatable hero, but it's hard to see why he's willing to put up with Jane's snobbishness (except for the aforementioned D cup). He drives a dusty pickup and has tattoos, so it doesn't even occur to Jane that Chase is not just a peon at his company, but the boss. Because he doesn't display books in his apartment, she assumes he's uneducated, though he's got a degree in geology and is an expert in his field. She tells him with a brutal lack of subtlety that he's good enough for sex, but not good enough to be a partner in her carefully crafted life, and for the first three quarters of the book he just shrugs complacently, as if he didn't already know about her turbo-slut adolescence. (He does, but Jane doesn't know he knows.) Jane ultimately learns the error of her ways and acknowledges her hypocrisy, but I think I'd have had more respect for Chase if he hadn't waited around for her to do it.
(less)

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Mar 23, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

My new favorite Victoria Dahl novel. Ms. Dahl writes spicy romances. I’ve found that with spicy romances the plots can be somewhat threadbare or contrived and serve merely as bridges between the spicy scenes. Not so with this book.
The best way to described this book is that it felt like a freight train was coming straight at me, but instead of getting runover I was able to grab the nose and go on a full throttle ride.

**Mild spoilers ahead**

Our heroine, Jane/Dynasty grew up as white trash or s...more My new favorite Victoria Dahl novel. Ms. Dahl writes spicy romances. I’ve found that with spicy romances the plots can be somewhat threadbare or contrived and serve merely as bridges between the spicy scenes. Not so with this book.
The best way to described this book is that it felt like a freight train was coming straight at me, but instead of getting runover I was able to grab the nose and go on a full throttle ride.

**Mild spoilers ahead**

Our heroine, Jane/Dynasty grew up as white trash or something similar. No other way to describe it. After a harrowing incident of rebellion in her teens, she rejects who she was and develops a new straight-laced identity. She still stays in contact with her family, but she lives in constant fear that those around her will discover her past. As a result she shuts herself out of romance. She also creates artificial expectations of what she is looking for in a man, something that will resemble none of her former life. Unfortunately, the type of man that she believes she should be interested in and that she is actually attracted to are worlds apart.

Our hero, Chase, carries some of his own baggage and is not all that he appears. Jane thinks he’s just a construction worker. Even when she finds out he’s a successful business owner who happens to sport a tattoo, Jane has problems accepting that she could or should fall in love with him. Good thing he sees through her B.S. and has a lot of patience.

There are so many aspects of this book that I enjoyed. The characters are far removed from the type of people I’d meet in life, but they still felt very real and their actions seemed to be consistent with who they are throughout. They are both likeable and really develop as people throughout the story. The romance unfolded and developed in fits and spurts, rather like a romance in real like. The story dragged a little at the end, but overall a good romance.

My biggest complaint about the book is Chase's reaction when he sees a Green Bay Packer flag in his dad's yard. He comments that he'd never lived anywhere near Michigan. Who cares if he didn't live near Michigan - the Packers are from Wisconsin. Get it right people! Of course this gets back to my complaint that there aren't enough romance novels set in the upper Midwest. (less)

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Jan 31, 2013 Bookswithbenefits rated it 3 of 5 stars

Best line: "She had an illness." (Self-depricating humor as the heroine considers her feelings for the hero.)

Worst Line: "You look like a wet dream walking." (A "compliment" the hero plays the heroine.)

Synopsis: On the outside, Jane Morgan is an neat-freak, a conservative office admin who is prim and proper, but her appearances belie her past as a former wild-child whose quiet life is about to get topsy turvy as her hormones and her family life spin out of control. When Billy Chase enters the pi...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Rosario (http://rosario.blogspot.com/) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Anyone meeting boring, buttoned-down office manager Jane Morgan would never how she grew up and what she was like as a young teen. That's exactly what Jane wants. She works very hard to make sure no one even suspects that she was raised by a mother who chased afer convicted criminals all over the country, and that as a messed up teen she let too many boys do things she now regrets. Her life was out of control, but after a particularly bad episode, she turned it around through pure grit.

Now Jane...more Anyone meeting boring, buttoned-down office manager Jane Morgan would never how she grew up and what she was like as a young teen. That's exactly what Jane wants. She works very hard to make sure no one even suspects that she was raised by a mother who chased afer convicted criminals all over the country, and that as a messed up teen she let too many boys do things she now regrets. Her life was out of control, but after a particularly bad episode, she turned it around through pure grit.

Now Jane's life is the polar opposite of what it was: a serious, sedate job, a boring wardrobe, and only dating white-collar men. And then William Chase comes into her life. Chase is blue-collar to the max. Tattoos, motorcycles, huge muscles, the works. He's also a really nice, responsible man, but even though he excites her like no men she has met before, Jane refuses to see beyond the fact that he looks like the kind of man she would have gone for in the past. She decides to give herself a present and have one night with him, but she will absolutely not consider any further involvement with the man.

But then, her brother is accused of murder, and suddenly, Chase is her last hope of saving him.

God, I loved this. Jane is my favourite kind of heroine: complex and imperfect, downright unlikeable at times, but real. She can be frustrating, since so many of her decisions here stem from fear and prejudices, but Dahl knows this perfectly, and justifies exactly why Jane would make those wrong decisions (hell, Jane herself is not completely blind to the fact that she's making the wrong decisions with Chase). As a reader, I couldn't help but sympathise completely and understand why she was making those mistakes.

She changes, though, and it was lovely to see. And I have to say, I really appreciated that what Jane had to learn was not that tough, stereotypically manly men are the only kind of men women are really attracted to and she needs to accept it, or some such rot. No, she needed to learn to accept herself, and look beyond her prejudices to be able to accept Chase as he was. That's a message that's rooted in character, and one I could stand behind.

Chase is lovely as well, and he has some family issues to deal with as well, but really, Lead Me On is all about the heroine's journey. Much as I loved Chase, Jane is the star, and his role is mostly to be there for her and understand where she's coming from. And since I'm very heroine-centric in my reading, that was fine by me!

I mentioned family issues in the previous paragraph. Well, the family stuff was as fascinating as the romance, which is something I often find is the case with Dahl. I especially loved the way she dealt with Jane's relationship with her family, especially her brother. She loves him, but she's got her eyes open with him. She recognises when he needs tough love and hard as it might be for her, she does what she thinks would be best for him in the long run, even if (view spoiler). I was very impressed with her at the end when she lays out to him exactly what the consequences of his supposedly victimless crime of just stealing a few purses could be, and what they actually led to in this story. Really great stuff.

The only issue I had with the book, which keeps it from the A grade the heroine and the romance deserve, was the whole to-do with Jane's ex, and his unrealistically vindictive plotting. That felt a bit out of place, and didn't work for me. Other than that (very small) element, this was amazing.

Dahl's contemporaries are addictive. It's a shame I started with her historicals, which didn't particularly wow me. I appreciate the idea of her characters in historicals, but I always felt her voice was a bit off. Her voice is so much better suited to books such as this one, and the absolutely wonderful Donovan Brothers Brewery trilogy. She's got a new one coming up, with the first book out later this month, and I can't wait.

MY GRADE: A very strong B+.(less)

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Jan 18, 2012 KatiD rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-review-ish

Jane Morgan had a tough childhood. Her mother was something of a prison groupie. Marrying Jane's dad, who was in prison, and then, when they divorced, marrying another man, Big Mac, who had also been in prison. Jane's stepdad, Mac is more of a father than her biological father ever was. Jane spent most of her young teens behaving very, VERY badly. Acting trampy and attracting the attention of completely inappropriate boys. As an adult, Jane is horrified by her youthful actions and has swung the...more Jane Morgan had a tough childhood. Her mother was something of a prison groupie. Marrying Jane's dad, who was in prison, and then, when they divorced, marrying another man, Big Mac, who had also been in prison. Jane's stepdad, Mac is more of a father than her biological father ever was. Jane spent most of her young teens behaving very, VERY badly. Acting trampy and attracting the attention of completely inappropriate boys. As an adult, Jane is horrified by her youthful actions and has swung the extreme opposite direction. She's an accomplished professional, and has modeled herself as conservative and quiet. She only dates the "right" men, and wants a quiet, unassuming life.

All of that changes when William Chase walks inter her office. Chase runs Extreme Excavation, and, well, he blows things up for a living. He's got tattoos, and drives a pick-up truck, and is everything she does NOT want in a man. He takes one look at Jane and is intrigued. She's all buttoned down and uptight, and he's just sure there's more to the story. He asks her out, and she politely declines. He shrugs it off, but gives her his number anyway.

A few nights later, Jane decides (after a few adult beverages) that she's going to have one night of trashy sex to celebrate her birthday. She decides that Chase is the guy. She calls him, he accepts and they end up having decidedly steamy sex at his place. But when he gets up to get in the shower, she bails. Unfortunately, Chase is thinking this is the beginning of a possible relationship, and Jane is thinking that perhaps they can use each other for sex. Will they ever be able to work it out?

I was thrilled to read this book and truly enjoy it. The first two this series just didn't work for me, when they seemed to work for every other romance reader in the world.

OK, I'll be willing to admit it, Chase just totally worked for me on every level. No really. EVERY level. He was hot, self-aware, protective, apparently excellent in the sack, and had tattoos. He's everything I love in a romance hero. And I loved how he worked to thaw out Jane and help her through her issues. I actually enjoyed Jane, and usually, I end up having a high level of annoyance with heroines who push perfect heroes away. But I understood Jane's reluctance, and I thought that Dahl gave her a terrific back story that was completely credible and justified her actions throughout the book. This book was entertaining, quick and wonderfully engaging. I'm thrilled to be able to say I'm on the Victoria Dahl bandwagon.

Final grade: A(less)

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Nov 16, 2011 Amy Denim rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Women who love tattooed men

So, this was my first foray into Victoria Dahl's contemporary world of romance. And I realize that I read the third book of this little series first (I normally hate doing that, I love knowing who all those other characters are who've now become secondary) and will now probably go back and read the other ones. This just happened to be the one on the shelf at the library when I went looking for a Victoria Dahl contemporary.
Whew boy, was this book hot!
Now, I recently finished a Lora Leigh book, an...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Madame X rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance

I enjoyed Lead Me On thoroughly as I read it, and I felt satisfied and happy as I turned the last page, but shortly thereafter I realized there were lots of things wrong with it. So it was really fun to read, but no "keeper".

The plot's been summarized plenty of times, so I'll keep it brief here. We know Jane Morgan is a former wild girl who's been walking the straight and narrow for a while, and she wants so badly to keep her former self at a distance that she's alienated herself from her famil...more I enjoyed Lead Me On thoroughly as I read it, and I felt satisfied and happy as I turned the last page, but shortly thereafter I realized there were lots of things wrong with it. So it was really fun to read, but no "keeper".

The plot's been summarized plenty of times, so I'll keep it brief here. We know Jane Morgan is a former wild girl who's been walking the straight and narrow for a while, and she wants so badly to keep her former self at a distance that she's alienated herself from her family. And we know Chase is a bad-boy-made-good; where Jane opted for a personality transplant, Chase found a way to make his wild side responsible and profitable. He owns a demolition company, he has a college degree...he's not ashamed of his very visible tattoo because he's a complete, balanced individual who owns every part of himself.

My problem with Lead Me On is that Jane makes one off-putting mistake after another, while uber-eligible Chase just keeps...chasing after her. While I was reading, it felt really good to see warm, generous, understanding, devoted Chase ooze masculinity and never give up on his girl. In hindsight, however, his behavior makes no sense at all. Jane puts a lot of effort into driving Chase away, and the way he's described...well, he could have his pick. At the beginning, while Chase is still on the fence about Jane and hasn't really fallen for her, he keeps coming back for more abuse. And later, as their relationship develops, her offenses scale right along with the depth of their attraction. Fun at the time, but in retrospect even a die-hard romance reader like myself has a hard time finding his behavior realistic.

Then there's Jane's lame lawyer boyfriend, Greg. He's an example of the type of "appropriate" man that Jane tries to date - he's a lawyer. And that really didn't work for me, even as I was reading. The guy is so off-putting and mean, right from the beginning, that I thought less of Jane for going out with him. Jane thinks she's comparing a white collar guy (Greg) to a blue collar guy (Chase), but really, she's just comparing a worthless jerk to a good man. Does Jane really think that every man with a graduate degree is a good potential mate? Because that's pretty pathetic. Every time Jane wondered why she couldn't settle down with a man like Greg, a part of me just wanted to slap her.

Meanwhile, Jane wanders about totally mystified about why she likes these "bad boys" and she thinks it's because her trailer-trash true self just won't reform, but meanwhile we keep meeting her step-dad...a motorcycle repairman covered in tattoos who's as nice and solid and protective as a man can be. I really did not understand why Jane couldn't see the obvious; it's not like she hasn't had a decade to figure it out.

These quibbles seem really important to me in retrospect but I barely noticed them while I was reading. It's sprightly, quick, sexy, a pretty easy read. I'd pick up a Victoria Dahl again, although I'd rather get it from the library than the bookstore.(less)

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Apr 17, 2011 Susanna Carr added it

Shelves: contemporary-single-title

Jane Morgan is ashamed of her wild teen years, so much so that she transformed herself into a prim and proper woman. She changed everything about her -- her name, her behavior, and she tried to sever her connections with her past. But as much as she tried dating respectable and professional men, she longed for big, tattooed guys. Inappropriate guys. Guys like William Chase.

Jane only wants a one-night stand with Chase. The sex is amazing, but she can't let her image slide. She dumps Chase and the...more

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Sep 26, 2010 Jane Stewart rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

Prim and proper woman tries to hide her white-trash past. She rejects a great guy because of his looks. I loved the ending.

STORY BRIEF:
Jane’s mother had relationships with men in prison. Due to father problems, Jane bleached her hair, wore lots of black eyeliner and slept around. At age 18 she transformed herself. She changed her name to Jane and became an office manager for an architect. She now acts prim and proper and only wants to date guys in business suits. Chase shows up at the office wit...more Prim and proper woman tries to hide her white-trash past. She rejects a great guy because of his looks. I loved the ending.

STORY BRIEF:
Jane’s mother had relationships with men in prison. Due to father problems, Jane bleached her hair, wore lots of black eyeliner and slept around. At age 18 she transformed herself. She changed her name to Jane and became an office manager for an architect. She now acts prim and proper and only wants to date guys in business suits. Chase shows up at the office with tattoo-covered biceps and steel-toed boots. He blows things up for a living – construction site excavations. Jane is attracted to him only as a fling. He wants more. She is having a hard time resisting him. Her problem is that he reminds her of her past which she wants to forget. When Jane’s brother becomes a murder suspect, Chase helps Jane.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
Above average for romance. I loved the character Chase. Jane used him for sex, insulted him and kept pushing him away. He kept asking her out and was there for her when she needed him, but he stood up for himself. In his words, she only saw him as “a slab of meat.” Much of the story was Jane hiding from herself and her past. She didn’t recognize what a great guy he was and what a great relationship they could have. Her recent boyfriends were a dentist and a district attorney. Those relationships didn’t work, but that’s the kind of guy she thought she wanted, not a tattooed construction guy. I didn’t enjoy reading about some of Jane’s actions. Much of the book was a 3-star story, but the last 30 or so pages were 5 stars.

The following were in the last part of the book which I loved. I loved the insight about the mother and what she did. I loved the conversations and interactions between Jane and Chase. I liked seeing Jane’s actions and acceptance of her past. These subjects were thought provoking. I felt great at the end.

DATA:
Story length: 336 pages. Swearing language: strong including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 5. Total number of sex scene pages: 24. Setting: current day Aspen and Carbondale, Colorado. Copyright: 2010. Genre: contemporary romance.

OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve reviewed the following Victoria Dahl books.

4 stars. Lead Me On. Copyrt 2010. Review Date 3-23-10.
3 stars. A Rake’s Guide to Pleasure. Copyrt 2008. Review Date 12-4-08.
2 ½ stars. Start Me Up. Copyrt 2009. Review Date 3-29-10.
2 stars. To Tempt a Scotsman. Copyrt 2007. Review Date 5-10-10.(less)

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May 22, 2010 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-books

This was my first foray into the world of Victoria Dahl, and I was not disappointed at all. I don't usually read a lot of contemporary romances (you may have noticed) but this was a good one to get the ball rolling.

Jane Morgan, the heroine, could write a book about reinventing yourself. She's changed her name, gotten a new career, a new look, and spends as little time with her family (especially her mother) as possible. Above all else, Jane doesn't go for bad boys, or rough boys, or any kind of...more This was my first foray into the world of Victoria Dahl, and I was not disappointed at all. I don't usually read a lot of contemporary romances (you may have noticed) but this was a good one to get the ball rolling.

Jane Morgan, the heroine, could write a book about reinventing yourself. She's changed her name, gotten a new career, a new look, and spends as little time with her family (especially her mother) as possible. Above all else, Jane doesn't go for bad boys, or rough boys, or any kind of boy other than the smartly dressed, highly educated, professional dudes she thinks she's attracted to.

All that is a complete load of crap, as Jane well knows. Jane's terrified of people finding out about her crazy wild youth, and that fear explodes when Billy Chase, the owner of a demolition company, walks into the architectural firm where Jane works. Billy is exactly the kind of guy that Jane is attracted to, so naturally she runs as fast and as far as she can.

Billy, on the other hand, is a remarkably chill guy; he's not afraid to pursue Jane or to deal with her neuroses, which are like the Energizer bunny- they just don't quit. As the story goes on, both characters have some lessons to learn about letting go of the past, about letting other people lead their own lives, and about living life to the fullest without worrying about the opinions of other people.

While Jane is getting her act together and Billy is pursuing Jane, an interesting side plot involving Jane's brother getting arrested for a murder he didn't commit- by trying to help her brother, Jane has to confront many facets of her own past, as well as some prejudices she didn't know she had.

One of my favorite things about this book was that the characters were not perfect, by any stretch, but they were very human. Jane is probably the best example of this- she has a whole lot of emotional baggage that never lets up- everything she does and every thought she has is affected by these issues. Jane's like that friend you have from high school, the one who always manages to call during dinner time and, after either talking about nothing or complaining for what seems like forever, apologizes for about a half hour when you accidentally let it slip that you were eating when the phone rang. And yet, you love this person! As much as I may not have agreed with Jane's decisions most of the time, I do feel that it's a situation where different people respond to situations differently.

Billy Chase is a great guy, through and through. He bears a lot of responsibility, not just through his job, but also for his family and for people that he cares about. He's a really great match for Jane, really, because he's understanding and accepting, but is not willing to be her dirty little secret. He wants a real relationship or he wants nothing at all, which was exactly the catalyst Jane needed to stop running for cover every time a triggering issue came up, which for her was all the time.

Side note- the author's writing style in this book is HILARIOUS! The dialogue is sassy and sharp, the interactions are genuine, and the word usage is spot on. Good dialogue is hard to come by but it was present in this book in abundance.

Although this was my first book by Victoria Dahl, it definitely won't be my last. This was a great book to curl up with under a blanket after a long day of work. Lots of fun, good characters, an interesting story, spicy sex (this book certainly earns a Scandalous Books designation), the works.

Overall Grade: A-

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Mar 31, 2010 Jessi rated it 3 of 5 stars

My least favorite of the Tumble Creek books so far. Maybe because the heroine was so rooted in her past and didn't really change? Maybe it was the, um, explicit "romance" scenes. Not sure. I really enjoy Victoria Dahl but every once in awhile she makes me "Urp?" in my mind and have to rethink what's going on. Anyways...
Jane Morgan has completely overhauled her life. It took thirteen long years but she is far, far away from the trampy, drunk, drugged-up teenager that she used to be. Now she only...more My least favorite of the Tumble Creek books so far. Maybe because the heroine was so rooted in her past and didn't really change? Maybe it was the, um, explicit "romance" scenes. Not sure. I really enjoy Victoria Dahl but every once in awhile she makes me "Urp?" in my mind and have to rethink what's going on. Anyways...
Jane Morgan has completely overhauled her life. It took thirteen long years but she is far, far away from the trampy, drunk, drugged-up teenager that she used to be. Now she only dates respectable men and dresses to hide her smokin' hot curves. But... there's something missing in her life. She broke up with her newest boyfriend after four months (though they had only been sleeping together for a few weeks) because they didn't have any flare.
But who is she "flaring" with? Oh, the tattooed dude who blows shit up for a living. Yep, she's in lust with the bad boy. But she doesn't want to be because she grew up with her mother who flitted from one romance to another, all with jailbirds. So Jane's not going to do that. Nope. She's just going to have a quick fling with Chase and get it all out of her system. A quick inoculation to get her through the rest of her life. Except that Chase won't go away. He likes her and he wants them to have a relationship. Then Jane's brother is thrown in jail and her whole world is upended. It turns out that Chase knew her back in her rebellious years, a secret she's been trying to suppress. Except that now it's all going to pieces. Jane hires Chase's alcoholic father to help with the case. Her brother ends up going to jail for theft but being cleared of the murder charges. And Jane and Chase end up together. She has to get over her fear of being seen with this rough and tumble man in public and he, well, he was pretty darn perfect anyway. Of course, that's after Jane fends off previous boyfriend who tries to blackmail her into sex thus proving that sometimes the pretty boys ARE the jerks and the scary-looking guys are all teddy bears. The End.(less)

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Mar 09, 2010 Catherine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, angst, romance, series, excellent

If you've read the previous book "Start Me Up" you'll recognize Jane as Quinn's ultra professional secretary. She's just as organized and cool as she seemed in the last book, but now we get a little insight into what makes her tick.

Chase is working with Quinn on a residential project and meets Jane when he goes to the office. He hits on her as a whim but Jane turns him down. He ends up giving her his business card in the hope she might change her mind and give him a call. When Jane gets a little...more If you've read the previous book "Start Me Up" you'll recognize Jane as Quinn's ultra professional secretary. She's just as organized and cool as she seemed in the last book, but now we get a little insight into what makes her tick.

Chase is working with Quinn on a residential project and meets Jane when he goes to the office. He hits on her as a whim but Jane turns him down. He ends up giving her his business card in the hope she might change her mind and give him a call. When Jane gets a little tipsy out with a friend she ends up giving herself an early birthday present and gives him a call.

Jane was an interesting character. Her snobbery and prejudices made her a little hard to like, but the way that she owns up to her views and admits they're not valid made it easy for me to sympathize with her. She had a really hard time growing up and started acting out as soon as she hit puberty. At the time she didn't care what she was doing or what people thought, but after she changed her life she hid who she used to be and didn't want to be involved with anyone or anything that might associate her with the kind of girl she used to be.

The author definitely didn't spare Jane from her mistakes growing up. Her actions were described but they were never excused. It was up to the reader to decide their own opinion of it. I cannot think of a single other heroine I've read with a past quite like this. I loved that the author a chance and didn't sugarcoat Jane. I really liked her character and appreciated what she was able to build after having sunk so low.

Chase was a less in depth (though no less endearing) character. Even though he had a past of his own and issues with his dad he was a much more stable adult. He moved past the problems that he had in life and became comfortable in his own skin. I was pretty surprised about Chase and Jane's past association. How hard to be around someone who hasn't just heard about your worst but has seen it in person. I was glad they were able to move past it.

Chase and Jane were pretty perfect together. They really seemed like they fit together. I liked that Chase finally drew the line and wouldn't let himself be used anymore. I liked that he was able to indulge her wild behavior but also able to help her finally move past her low opinion of herself. This book really did a good job illustrating that you can't judge a person by how they look on the outside. I loved every time Chase popped up with another fact about himself that made Jane feel foolish for her assumptions.

I do have to mention one thing that bothered me though. What was the deal with everyone thinking that someone with a tattoo had to be low class? I totally understand Jane's view on it, and she admits that she has issues that make her classify people like that, but what about everyone else? When Jane starts having issues Quinn immediately jumps to some pretty harsh conclusions about Chase that seem to be based on how he looks. Also when Ben (hero of "Talk Me Down") meets him at the end it makes mention of him reacting to the tattoos. Where exactly are they living that tattoos are only on criminals and poor/low class people? I just find it odd that everyone in the book seems like they would be shocked if a rich person in a suit flashed a tattoo.

Great book and I can't wait to read another by this author! (less)

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Feb 28, 2010 Marquetta (LoveToReadForFun) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Never judge a book by its cover. And that's exactly what Jane Morgan did when William Chase walked into her office looking like a sexy construction worker. He had bad boy written all over him. He was the type of man that Jane could not resist. But she had to because she was a responsible, mature woman who turned her life around. She's good at her job and respected by her boss. She won't let her love of the wild side ruin it for her.

This is the 3rd book in the Tumbler Creek series. I liked the bo...more

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Jan 15, 2010 Fiendishly Bookish rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporaryromance, 5-star, favorites

Wickedly delightful are the first words that come to mind when reading Victoria Dahl. And that means ANYTHING by Dahl. Her Tumble Creek series cuts straight to the chase, with vividly quirky contemporary characters that might appear to live hum-drum lives but in actuality are anything but. Their personalities will stay long in your mind after the novel is done, or at least till you pick it up-which I am betting not long after you read it the first time.

Lead Me On is the sauciest of the three (o...more

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Nov 20, 2011 Kerry sullivan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This book was reviewed for Musings of a bookworm

The Blurb
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...more

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Jul 02, 2010 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Overall, the book wasn't half bad. The thing that really bothered me about it was how quickly I finished the book. It seems like Dahl's books end as soon as they start. Or, that could be because i have a hard time putting them down.
I never thought i could get into a book about some frigid snob that likes everything proper and orderly. What really intrigued me about Jane's character was the fact that she was a different person on the inside than her frigid outter shell first leads you to believe...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 1 of 5 stars

I am very disappointed in this book. I read the first two in the series and I absolutely loved them, but this one just didn't do it for me. I ended up giving up a little over half way through because I just didn't care about the heroine. I had really hoped that I would like Jane--she seemed like a cool person in Start Me Up, and while she isn't a bad person, she isn't someone that I would want to hand out with. First of all, she is a total snob. She doesn't want anything to do with Chase because...more

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May 21, 2010 Adwina Ralston Cumberbatch rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: absolute-all-time-favorites, crying-out-loud, steamy-hot-romance

awalnya gw baca ni buku karena ni buku masuk list best contemporary novels
dan critanya emang bagus.. bgt

Jane Morgan adalah seorang sekretaris di sebuah perusahaan ternama. Penampilannya rapi, pake kcmata, pokonya punya kesan businesswoman bgt
ngga ada yg tau kalo Jane Morgan itu nama samaran ajah
saking malunya ama masa lalu dy sebagai remaja liar ( dulu smpet 3some bareng cowo.. weleh2)
dy ngubah namanya dan berniat berubah

sampai suatu hari dia ketemu cowo super HOT, tinggi, seksi, tipe badboy (in...more

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Jan 04, 2010 Sophia (FV) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rating: 4.5 stars

Jane has reinvented herself and turned her back on her past. No longer is she the promiscuous young woman headed for trouble at every turn. Now, she has a good job, dresses conservatively and only dates “appropriate” men hoping to one day get married, and have children. She does her best to distance herself from her family, who are a constant reminder of the life she left behind and she lives in fear of being found out.

Chase is a blue collared, steel-toe boot, jean wearing rough...more

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Feb 07, 2010 Cherise rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-or-review-copy, romance

This is the third and final book in the Tumble Creek Series. You can read this easily without having read the first two, I did and didn’t feel lost at all.

Jane Morgan has worked hard to put her ugly past behind her. Keeping her both her clothing and her manner reliable, appropriate and always business like, Jane has made her self indispensable to her boss. She loves her job and the feeling of accomplishment it gives her.

When tattooed and rugged William Chase steps into her office, she sees a man...more

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Jan 06, 2010 Kath rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book in some respects, but it was rather disappointed. I really disliked the main character Jane. She's trying to overcome a past that she's not proud of and is trying to meet the "right" kind of guy, but deep down she wants the sort of person that comes from her roots, but not necessarily with the criminal background.

Loved Chase, but felt sorry for him as Jane constantly used him and he kept coming back for more, even when he eventually put his foot down. Jane seemed to be way to c...more

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Nov 08, 2010 Rva Booklover rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favorites, favorite-couples, hero-hall-of-fame, heroine-hall-of-fame

Add me to the group who is kicking themselves for not reading Victoria Dahl earlier. This was the first book of hers I read, and as soon as I finished it, I ran to the computer to order the 1st two in this trilogy. Strong, smart and funny heroines who are adored by their men. Now I have read them all,loved them all, but Lead Me On struck the strongest chord.

Jane is portrayed as an efficient, painfully formal, woman who gets knocked off her feet by the tattooed wonder that is Chase. Things get e...more Add me to the group who is kicking themselves for not reading Victoria Dahl earlier. This was the first book of hers I read, and as soon as I finished it, I ran to the computer to order the 1st two in this trilogy. Strong, smart and funny heroines who are adored by their men. Now I have read them all,loved them all, but Lead Me On struck the strongest chord.

Jane is portrayed as an efficient, painfully formal, woman who gets knocked off her feet by the tattooed wonder that is Chase. Things get ever so HOT between them really quickly. Chase's reaction to Jane leaving after their first encounter is priceless. He is vulnerable where Jane is concerned, and determined to get her to see him as more than a breathing sex toy. I would want a Chase if I was a single girl - all red blooded hotness and strong devotion, with a backbone. Yum.

Jane is an enigma. She has reinvented herself after a traumatic childhood and an out of control phase as a teenager. She lives in fear of being recognized as the girl she was and being judged by her past rather than what she has made herself into. What Jane fails to get is that the harder she pushes her past away, the more of a hold it has on her. She can't forgive herself for what she did as a teen, and she is determined not to fall into the same patterns ever again. ( For those of you who consider Jane shallow and immature, please look at it this way; she is stuck in the past, striving for a future she can never attain until she comes to grips with herself. Yes, she is stunted because her past behavior is a huge obstacle she is unable to overcome. She has never fully matured because part of her is still stuck in that teenager phase she has never managed to reconcile. If you never behaved in a way that was utterly shameful and then had to face people that knew you when, I don't think you can identify with how Jane feels. People, especially in a smallish town or suburb, don't forget former bad behavior. Let me just say I find this to be a completely realistic portrayal of how young adults react when they are faced with a less than exemplary teenagerhood.)

Jane can't deny her attraction to the big, bad and tattoo enhanced Chase, but insists on keeping their relationship a secret. Chase is not one to be hidden. He knows the danger of not shedding light on the dark secrets in the corner, knows that gives the secrets a power they don't have if they are acknowleged and dealt with. Chase is just Zen like in his approach to life. He is the perfect counterpoint to all of Jane's angst, and helps her learn how to deal with her issues, and how to forgive herself. I love that he didn't give into being her dirty little secret, and I love that she didn't instantly capitulate to his demands.

The story is terrific, and has all of the wish-I-knew-them characters I now know to expect from Ms. Dahl's works. Mac is just wonderful, and Grandma Opal is the bee's knee's. I loved how we got glimpses of the "real" Jane from her interactions with Grandma. Let the snarkiness fly!

Ultimately, this is a story that warns the reader of judging the surface without looking too deeply at the person within. I love the layers upon layers we get to peel back with both Jane and Chase, because really, we are all more that meets the eye, aren't we? I love how Ms. Dahl gets that, and weaves those discoveries seamlessly into the story.

This book has it all - good story, great character development, steaming, scorchingly hot sex,( really) laugh out loud funny, and a believable outcome. Ms. Dahl is now on autobuy/keeper shelf for me! (less)

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Feb 14, 2010 Alea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-for-review

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….

This is the third and final book in Victoria Dahl's Tumble Creek series and like others have told me it's the best (with Start Me Up coming in a close second for me)!

Just like the other two books in the series this book takes a closer look at Quinn's secretary/office manager/receptionist/part owner Ja...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Laurie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, hot-romances, favorites

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 br...more

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Aug 25, 2010 Jessi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, romance, colorado-setting

Summary: William Chase with his tattoo-covered biceps and steel-toed boots is not exactly what prim and proper office manager Jane Morgan had in mind. The man blows things up for a living...how could she deal with that? But when her beloved brother becomes a murder suspect, it's Chase who comes to her rescue. -- JCPL Catalog

Tone: Uptight, Funny, Steamy
Setting: Aspen, Colorado, Scenic
Characters: Hidden Past, Worried, Stressed
Language: Humorous, Contemporary
Pacing: Uncontrolled, Fast-paced

Well, I...more

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title link	preview: Lead Me On
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Lead Me On (Tumble Creek #3)

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