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Taking Chances #3
Turned Up
Dillon Alexander has been Kit Derby’s nemesis since third grade, when he beat her in the school spelling bee. They’ve been competing ever since, driving each other to be the best at everything from science fairs to bake sales. While working together one night during their senior year, they stopped bickering long enough to share an emotionally charged kiss. But a tragedy that same night left them both racked with guilt, driving Dillon out of town and leaving Kit determined to keep her distance.
Now an emergency room physician, Dillon has returned to their hometown of Chance, Nebraska. Soon he and Kit fall back into old habits, sparring in public while trying to stay out of each other’s arms. But when a blizzard traps them overnight at Kit’s grandmother’s farmhouse, the real competition begins: Who will be the first to give in to the feelings they’ve denied for a decade?
Now an emergency room physician, Dillon has returned to their hometown of Chance, Nebraska. Soon he and Kit fall back into old habits, sparring in public while trying to stay out of each other’s arms. But when a blizzard traps them overnight at Kit’s grandmother’s farmhouse, the real competition begins: Who will be the first to give in to the feelings they’ve denied for a decade?
8 pages, Audible Audio
First published August 29, 2017
470 people are currently reading
956 people want to read
About the author
Erin Nicholas
152 books3,803 followersErin Nicholas is the New York Times bestselling author of over sixty sexy contemporary romances. Her stories have been described as toe-curling, enchanting, steamy and fun.
She lives in the Midwest with her husband who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books, her kids who will never read the sex scenes in her books, and family and friends who say they’re shocked by the sex scenes in her books (yeah, right!).
You can find Erin on the web at www.ErinNicholas.com, on Instagram at ErinNicholasBooks, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ErinNicholas... and on BookBub at https://www.bookbub.com/profile/erin-...
She lives in the Midwest with her husband who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books, her kids who will never read the sex scenes in her books, and family and friends who say they’re shocked by the sex scenes in her books (yeah, right!).
You can find Erin on the web at www.ErinNicholas.com, on Instagram at ErinNicholasBooks, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ErinNicholas... and on BookBub at https://www.bookbub.com/profile/erin-...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews
December 3, 2019
This is my second book from miss Nicholas. When the first time i listen to her other book, i remember i do not like it. However, Turned Up brings so much surprises to me.
The story of second chance romance always be one of my favorite. And I love the story between Dillon and Kit. I especially adored Dillon determination to win Kit back. He is fierce and unwaver on his conquest. When both of them stranded on the secluded cabin during snow storm, both of them forced to break down their own emotional wall and be honest with each other.
I love the character development and chemistry. Their deep conversation is engaging. Minor thing, its bit dragging in the middle. Nevertheless, i do enjoy the book. Very much.
4 stars
The story of second chance romance always be one of my favorite. And I love the story between Dillon and Kit. I especially adored Dillon determination to win Kit back. He is fierce and unwaver on his conquest. When both of them stranded on the secluded cabin during snow storm, both of them forced to break down their own emotional wall and be honest with each other.
I love the character development and chemistry. Their deep conversation is engaging. Minor thing, its bit dragging in the middle. Nevertheless, i do enjoy the book. Very much.
4 stars
August 1, 2017
Turned Up was a fun rivals-to-lovers romance with amazing characters and the sexiest of the romances in the Taking Chances series.
Kit Derby and Dillon Alexander have been rivals since the third grade when Dillon became the first person to beat Kit at anything. Since then, the two compete at everything and are always pushing each other to be better. Now both back in their hometown, they work in the same hospital while continuing to try and one up each other. When the two are trapped alone together by a blizzard overnight, they must face the feelings they’ve been denying for years and decide where their relationship will go once they’re back in the real world.
I really enjoyed the push-pull of Dillon and Kit’s relationship and the level of banter was excellent. Enemies or rivals to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and it’s so well done in Turned Up. When Dillon and Kit are in public they bicker a lot, but then as soon as they’re alone they jump each other. There’s a ton of heat in their relationship and I think of the three romances theirs definitely included the most sex scenes. However, there is more to their relationship than just the physical and I like how supportive of each other they were and how much they actually talked about stuff.
Roughly half of this book takes place with the characters snowed in during a blizzard, so there’s a lot of time where it’s just the two of them. It was nice getting to see how the characters interacted inside that bubble and how they adjusted to the change in their relationship after they’re back in everyday life. I loved how much we got to see of the couples from the first two books in this series. The author has tied the lives of these six people together very well and I really enjoyed their friendships.
Overall, Turned Up was an excellent continuation of the Taking Chances series and I definitely recommend this series to anyone looking for some fun contemporary reads.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
Kit Derby and Dillon Alexander have been rivals since the third grade when Dillon became the first person to beat Kit at anything. Since then, the two compete at everything and are always pushing each other to be better. Now both back in their hometown, they work in the same hospital while continuing to try and one up each other. When the two are trapped alone together by a blizzard overnight, they must face the feelings they’ve been denying for years and decide where their relationship will go once they’re back in the real world.
I really enjoyed the push-pull of Dillon and Kit’s relationship and the level of banter was excellent. Enemies or rivals to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and it’s so well done in Turned Up. When Dillon and Kit are in public they bicker a lot, but then as soon as they’re alone they jump each other. There’s a ton of heat in their relationship and I think of the three romances theirs definitely included the most sex scenes. However, there is more to their relationship than just the physical and I like how supportive of each other they were and how much they actually talked about stuff.
Roughly half of this book takes place with the characters snowed in during a blizzard, so there’s a lot of time where it’s just the two of them. It was nice getting to see how the characters interacted inside that bubble and how they adjusted to the change in their relationship after they’re back in everyday life. I loved how much we got to see of the couples from the first two books in this series. The author has tied the lives of these six people together very well and I really enjoyed their friendships.
Overall, Turned Up was an excellent continuation of the Taking Chances series and I definitely recommend this series to anyone looking for some fun contemporary reads.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
August 27, 2017
Erin Nicholas’s ‘Turned up’ is generally an easy, light read and while I hadn’t been invested in small town Chance for a long while, Kit’s and Dillon’s supposed enemies-to-lovers trope brought me back instantly to that simmering sexual tension that had to snap sometime.
Only that I didn’t quite know what to feel about their complicated history that started in high school which Nicholas outlined, seeing as I was expecting (and perhaps hoping for) more of a straight-up competitive ‘hate’ to love sort of relationship because those seem…hotter somehow. Yet, what it takes for them to move past the will-they-won’t-they stage is apparently some kind of disaster or a snowstorm, where dating, rather than occasional pent-up sex over the months and years will become the new norm.
But as most stories go, past the initial honeymoon stage, there’re always obstacles to flatten, some of which become the biggest thorn in the flesh that eventually lead to the pairing’s HEA. The format here isn’t too different, only that I felt emotional mountains were made of molehills that could have easily been solved by talking and some strategic and intelligent positioning so that Kit/Dillon wouldn’t have to listen to what everyone in a small town and what they had to say about their relationship.
I didn’t like how Kit gave credence to how the mayor’s wife tried to dictate the way Dillon’s and her relationship should go and that she did irked me, because it really looked as though they were getting into a whole new rhythm of their own before she starting doubting everything they had. Seriously? Worse yet, she’d started to believe that she could only be the best when Dillon was there to compete with her and push her to be better and that this eventually became the conflict in the climax seemed, well, annoyingly petty. Kit’s way of running to deal with feelings got tiring (and in some way, TSTL) as well, when her inability to face up to how relationships DO change people felt like an identity crisis that only teenagers rather than professionals should be worrying about. Thankfully though, that was brief enough, though sufficiently lengthy to trigger the personal peeve of mine when couples get together deliriously happy before someone suddenly shifts and turns tail because of an external influence and then acts completely out of their depth.
And I’m going to say right here, that this is probably splitting hairs because of my admittedly short fuse when it comes to stupid behaviour. Yet that was the only downer—with enough push-pull that just didn’t convince me at all—that would have otherwise made this a very, very good read.
*ARC by Netgalley
(still grateful, mind)
Only that I didn’t quite know what to feel about their complicated history that started in high school which Nicholas outlined, seeing as I was expecting (and perhaps hoping for) more of a straight-up competitive ‘hate’ to love sort of relationship because those seem…hotter somehow. Yet, what it takes for them to move past the will-they-won’t-they stage is apparently some kind of disaster or a snowstorm, where dating, rather than occasional pent-up sex over the months and years will become the new norm.
But as most stories go, past the initial honeymoon stage, there’re always obstacles to flatten, some of which become the biggest thorn in the flesh that eventually lead to the pairing’s HEA. The format here isn’t too different, only that I felt emotional mountains were made of molehills that could have easily been solved by talking and some strategic and intelligent positioning so that Kit/Dillon wouldn’t have to listen to what everyone in a small town and what they had to say about their relationship.
I didn’t like how Kit gave credence to how the mayor’s wife tried to dictate the way Dillon’s and her relationship should go and that she did irked me, because it really looked as though they were getting into a whole new rhythm of their own before she starting doubting everything they had. Seriously? Worse yet, she’d started to believe that she could only be the best when Dillon was there to compete with her and push her to be better and that this eventually became the conflict in the climax seemed, well, annoyingly petty. Kit’s way of running to deal with feelings got tiring (and in some way, TSTL) as well, when her inability to face up to how relationships DO change people felt like an identity crisis that only teenagers rather than professionals should be worrying about. Thankfully though, that was brief enough, though sufficiently lengthy to trigger the personal peeve of mine when couples get together deliriously happy before someone suddenly shifts and turns tail because of an external influence and then acts completely out of their depth.
And I’m going to say right here, that this is probably splitting hairs because of my admittedly short fuse when it comes to stupid behaviour. Yet that was the only downer—with enough push-pull that just didn’t convince me at all—that would have otherwise made this a very, very good read.
*ARC by Netgalley
(still grateful, mind)
November 14, 2017
Turned Up
Taking Chances #3
Erin Nicholas
Super sweet romance! Snowed in with a hot sexy crush that you have major chemistry with. Sign me up ;)
This was book 3 in this series about 3 different romances in small town of Chance. Best friends who have all found love ❤️
Thanks NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
Taking Chances #3
Erin Nicholas
Super sweet romance! Snowed in with a hot sexy crush that you have major chemistry with. Sign me up ;)
This was book 3 in this series about 3 different romances in small town of Chance. Best friends who have all found love ❤️
Thanks NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
August 2, 2018
3.5 stars
I'm glad I stuck with this - a cut above most CRs I've read recently.
It starts slowly, with the set-up hammered home just a little too often. Yes, we get that Kit and Dillon (doctors in a small Nebraskan town) are personally and professionally at odds, while still lusting after each other. But the set-up's delivered with humour against a convincing hospital background, and Kit's kick-ass doctor is worth cheering on. Though it's pretty clear, as soon as the words "snow" & "isolated house" appear, that H&h are going to get stranded and Things Will Happen. They are and they do.
What lifts the story from the run-of-the-mill is that - far from denying their chemistry - Kit and Dillon have actually
It's not an unusual plot, but the MCs were engaging, and this passed a very pleasant couple of hours. Erin Nicholas was a new-to-me author, but I'll certainly be looking out the others in the series.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.
I'm glad I stuck with this - a cut above most CRs I've read recently.
It starts slowly, with the set-up hammered home just a little too often. Yes, we get that Kit and Dillon (doctors in a small Nebraskan town) are personally and professionally at odds, while still lusting after each other. But the set-up's delivered with humour against a convincing hospital background, and Kit's kick-ass doctor is worth cheering on. Though it's pretty clear, as soon as the words "snow" & "isolated house" appear, that H&h are going to get stranded and Things Will Happen. They are and they do.
What lifts the story from the run-of-the-mill is that - far from denying their chemistry - Kit and Dillon have actually
It's not an unusual plot, but the MCs were engaging, and this passed a very pleasant couple of hours. Erin Nicholas was a new-to-me author, but I'll certainly be looking out the others in the series.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.
November 29, 2017
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an advance readers copy of this book
This was such a quick book to read. Very entertaining with a very sexy romance. I loved that the characters have a lot of history and you can tell from the first page. This was an opposites attract situation and I love those kinds of romances. The ending was a bit abrupt. I would have liked it if the book was just a little bit longer to wrap up things nicer but besides that, this book was a solid read.
Final rating: 4/5 Stars.
July 30, 2017
Extremely good book. A noticeable part of a series, but still able to stand on its own.
This review is based on the ARC provided by the author and/or the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
This review is based on the ARC provided by the author and/or the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 18, 2017
Loved Dillion and Kit's story!! Throughout the series they've had this snarky banter going back and forth. It seems they've been competing against each other all their lives and they just don't know any other way to be. Yes, the sexual chemistry may have spilled over into a couple of hookups but anything more than that just wouldn't work.....would it??
Erin Nicholas once again gives us a fun, super sexy story that warms the heart and gives us all hope for out HEA. Love her writing style and I adore how "real" all her characters feel. I highly recommend this book and series! It's a must read.
Erin Nicholas once again gives us a fun, super sexy story that warms the heart and gives us all hope for out HEA. Love her writing style and I adore how "real" all her characters feel. I highly recommend this book and series! It's a must read.
August 31, 2017
Received an ARC for my fair review for netgalley. I did enjoy book, this was another enemies-to lovers story. Kit and Dillon, were always competing, but in reality they had feelings for each other that they never admitted. And then there is a snow storm..I will let you take it from there. Read it, you will enjoy.
August 13, 2017
***ARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley***
This was a small town, enemies to lovers, second chance romance. It is the 3rd in the series, and while there are characters from the 1st 2 books (it's a small town romance, it would be odd if there weren't) you don't need to have read the other books to enjoy this one...although I do recommend them.
Yeah, there was a lot going on in this one, and this doesn't always work for me. In fact, if you have read my reviews, one of the main issues I have is with books that try to do too much.
But, as you will notice by the rating, this one got the balance just right.
I think because in order for it to really work, it all had to be there. The small town, the inability of them to get away from one another, it had to exist or they never would have gotten past the reason that they didn't work initially, in the past (hence why they needed to also be a second chance) and, the enemies to lovers? Well, that was the draw that kept them coming back to one another, the need to push one another, to challenge each other to be better, and to be unwilling to let one another settle for 2nd best.
It all just worked, and it worked very well.
Dillon and Kit started in high school. With an attraction that maybe wasn't handled totally correctly (but in a way that is forgivable, with an encounter that left them both feeling just a little guilty...even though they didn't need to feel any guilt at all) and the resulting time and distance separation that they needed to find their own footing without one another constantly there. I loves that, as the story goes on, you get some of the details of the other times they have been drawn to one another, and of the reasons that it didn't work, and the reason why this time is different.
Stories where the hero and the heroine are trapped somewhere need a lot of elements in order for them to work, and this one works so well. Their past, the attraction, the fact that their previous encounters have all ended with one of them leaving (at least emotionally, often physically as well) all builds up into a wonderful romance with 2 people who are finally forced to stay in the same place. The conversation, the getting to know one another, that happens is so real, and so emotional, that you can't imagine them ending up anywhere but together.
I also think the story worked as there was no "great breakup scene" for them. Yes, there is the angst of the relationship, and the push and pull of figuring that out...but they do it together. And, there really is no other way for that to have happened after the closeness and openness of their night in the blizzard. I loved that Erin Nicholas didn't lose the momentum of the connection by staging the "big fight" that is so often a part of the developing relationship. Dillon and Kit had done enough of that, seeing them together, even if it was reluctantly on Kit's part, worked for the story and honestly, it is the main reason this was a 5 star read for me.
The other reason this one hit all the 5 star buttons for me is how much Dillon just plain loves Kit. These can be a hard sell, as you need the romantic hero to be a hero, to woo the woman, to be the male you want in a romance...and that can be tough when you start the book with the hero already in love with the heroine (even if she doesn't fully see it) but the way Nicholas writes Dillon, the way instead of forcing his love on Kit he shows her, with gloves, and s'mores, and blanket forts, and just generally caring about her, well, that works so well.
The romance is well balanced with the touches of life in a small town, with the disappointments of life in general, with the idea that sometimes, even when you are doing the right thing, and feel good about it, it is nice to have that push. That person there to challenge you, to come in (even if at the last minute) to shake up your world just a little bit.
I recommend this title.
And, while we are at it...my spelling bee nemesis word is "petition" and I have spelled that right since the 4th grade.
This was a small town, enemies to lovers, second chance romance. It is the 3rd in the series, and while there are characters from the 1st 2 books (it's a small town romance, it would be odd if there weren't) you don't need to have read the other books to enjoy this one...although I do recommend them.
Yeah, there was a lot going on in this one, and this doesn't always work for me. In fact, if you have read my reviews, one of the main issues I have is with books that try to do too much.
But, as you will notice by the rating, this one got the balance just right.
I think because in order for it to really work, it all had to be there. The small town, the inability of them to get away from one another, it had to exist or they never would have gotten past the reason that they didn't work initially, in the past (hence why they needed to also be a second chance) and, the enemies to lovers? Well, that was the draw that kept them coming back to one another, the need to push one another, to challenge each other to be better, and to be unwilling to let one another settle for 2nd best.
It all just worked, and it worked very well.
Dillon and Kit started in high school. With an attraction that maybe wasn't handled totally correctly (but in a way that is forgivable, with an encounter that left them both feeling just a little guilty...even though they didn't need to feel any guilt at all) and the resulting time and distance separation that they needed to find their own footing without one another constantly there. I loves that, as the story goes on, you get some of the details of the other times they have been drawn to one another, and of the reasons that it didn't work, and the reason why this time is different.
Stories where the hero and the heroine are trapped somewhere need a lot of elements in order for them to work, and this one works so well. Their past, the attraction, the fact that their previous encounters have all ended with one of them leaving (at least emotionally, often physically as well) all builds up into a wonderful romance with 2 people who are finally forced to stay in the same place. The conversation, the getting to know one another, that happens is so real, and so emotional, that you can't imagine them ending up anywhere but together.
I also think the story worked as there was no "great breakup scene" for them. Yes, there is the angst of the relationship, and the push and pull of figuring that out...but they do it together. And, there really is no other way for that to have happened after the closeness and openness of their night in the blizzard. I loved that Erin Nicholas didn't lose the momentum of the connection by staging the "big fight" that is so often a part of the developing relationship. Dillon and Kit had done enough of that, seeing them together, even if it was reluctantly on Kit's part, worked for the story and honestly, it is the main reason this was a 5 star read for me.
The other reason this one hit all the 5 star buttons for me is how much Dillon just plain loves Kit. These can be a hard sell, as you need the romantic hero to be a hero, to woo the woman, to be the male you want in a romance...and that can be tough when you start the book with the hero already in love with the heroine (even if she doesn't fully see it) but the way Nicholas writes Dillon, the way instead of forcing his love on Kit he shows her, with gloves, and s'mores, and blanket forts, and just generally caring about her, well, that works so well.
The romance is well balanced with the touches of life in a small town, with the disappointments of life in general, with the idea that sometimes, even when you are doing the right thing, and feel good about it, it is nice to have that push. That person there to challenge you, to come in (even if at the last minute) to shake up your world just a little bit.
I recommend this title.
And, while we are at it...my spelling bee nemesis word is "petition" and I have spelled that right since the 4th grade.
August 31, 2017
Erin Nicholas offers up a spicy, fun, and entertaining romance in Turned Up, the third book in her Taking Chances series. Rivals since childhood, Kit Derby, the town’s resident psychologist, and Dillon Alexander, one of the town’s physicians, explore a relationship that neither one can really define after years of one-upmanship, a teenaged tryst that left them both feeling things they had no idea how to handle, and a few other encounters that left them off balance. Packed with emotion, along with some truly fun and sexy times, I enjoyed Turned Up immensely.
There was something refreshing about this story in that Kit and Dillon compelled one another to do better, be better, to always strive for excellence and that isn’t a bad thing. Yes, these two were rivals and while at times they weren’t always nice to one another it was obvious to see that they always had respect for the other. Over the years they had moments that caused them to reassess their lives, moments that left them feeling raw, and moments that confused them all of which have led them on a journey to one another, albeit kicking and screaming.
Dillon has spent his life since medical school in intense situations, always helping those in need. Moving back home to Chance, Nebraska he has had to adjust his way of thinking when it comes to his patients. These are people he knows, people who knew him growing up, and people he will see day in and day out and for Dillon learning to connect and be more emotionally available is hard, but he also knows that with Kit’s help he can get there.
Since returning to Chance after medical school Kit has not only made a name for herself for the excellent mental health care she gives her patients, but also in the way she always is on top of everything, for her service to the community, and her dedication to every committee and event she volunteers her time to. She is confident, self sufficient, and strong but when she is around Dillon she feels different and that scares her more than anything.
I love that despite the fact these two pushed each other to always be better, that they challenged one another to do more that once they began to see each other as more than rivals they were off balance. Dillon wanted to be a better man, to be aware of his feelings and to offer his patients the support they needed. Kit feared losing herself, her edge because with Dillon around she was happy. At times I wanted to remind Kit that it is not good to try and self analyze, her internal struggles drove me a wee bit nuts, but I also loved that Dillon and her friends called her out on it more than once.
Seeing the couples from the other two books, plus the friendship between them all was charming and amusing and put a huge smile on my face when they were all together. Once again Erin Nicholas delivers big time with this excellent romance filled with friends, family, and small town antics.
Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
July 30, 2017
Ms. Nicholas has done it yet again. She managed to top herself. The third and final book in the Taking Chances series, Turned Up was, without a doubt, my favorite. I knew from the previous two books these two would have some serious chemistry, but oh my! They exceeded my expectations!! Not quite enemies, but rivals for sure, Dylan and Kit took outdoing each other to a whole other level. But when they put aside their differences and came together (both in life and between the sheets) they were a totally unstoppable force!
I love the town of Chance and the people who inhabit it. Their friendships, love stories and rallying together spirit made this series such a fun, sexy and enjoyable read! You don't want to miss this story!!!
Happy reading!
I love the town of Chance and the people who inhabit it. Their friendships, love stories and rallying together spirit made this series such a fun, sexy and enjoyable read! You don't want to miss this story!!!
Happy reading!
August 13, 2017
Erin Nicholas is good. For a little while, she helps readers get out of their heads and get in touch with their hearts. If laughter is the best medicine, Turned Up is spot on with the dosage. Kit and Dillon are book smart but clueless when it comes to the heart. Egos explode, sparks fly and love grows. What happens when the bane of your existence morphs into the love of your life? Crazy, sizzling and irresistible fun.
August 31, 2017
Dillon and Kit are great together. Doesn't matter if they're competing, working together, bantering, or getting hot and sexy. I have been looking forward to this third book in Erin Nicholas's Taking Chances series and I loved it! TURNED UP is a fantastic story of not quite frenemies turning into lovers. It was great catching up with all the characters from the town of Chance. I found plenty of humor, love and steamy scenes in Erin Nicholas's latest. This is why her books never disappoint! 4.5 stars
~Complimentary copy downloaded from NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
~Complimentary copy downloaded from NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
August 10, 2017
The third book in the Taking Chances series.
My favorite. Emotional, and heart warming.
When Kit Derby and Dillon Alexander were kids they were competitive. Now as adults even more. Both in the medical field he an ER doctor, and her being the town physiatrist.
But when she happens to be first on the scene of an accident. She has to do what she can.
Soon that involves delivery a baby.
A shocking turn of events puts them overnight at her grandmothers house. It was there intention of just looking in on her. But to both of there surprise she wasn't there.
I enjoyed the bantering back and forth between them.
Friends for so long, but also something else neither would put a name too. After one night they had
a feeling. Maybe they always knew.
Highly recommend..
I was provided a copy in exchange for an honest review.
My favorite. Emotional, and heart warming.
When Kit Derby and Dillon Alexander were kids they were competitive. Now as adults even more. Both in the medical field he an ER doctor, and her being the town physiatrist.
But when she happens to be first on the scene of an accident. She has to do what she can.
Soon that involves delivery a baby.
A shocking turn of events puts them overnight at her grandmothers house. It was there intention of just looking in on her. But to both of there surprise she wasn't there.
I enjoyed the bantering back and forth between them.
Friends for so long, but also something else neither would put a name too. After one night they had
a feeling. Maybe they always knew.
Highly recommend..
I was provided a copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 28, 2017
Kit and Dillon's story was all sweetness and spit fire! Kit had loved Dillon for as long as she could remember. For Dillon it took a bit longer to realize his feelings. Unfortunately for them it took being stranded to really come to terms with how they really felt about each other. The way they fought...its no wonder the sparks flew! I loved ever minute of them being stranded...the multiple layers, the chili, the blanket tent, and of course...Chutes and Ladders. I will forever think of Kit and Dillon when my boys pull that game out to play. Job well done, Ms Nicholas...excellent book. A must read.
March 25, 2018
MY RATING: 5/5 STARS
I received a copy from Thomas Allen & Sons in exchange for an honest review.
I love Erin Nicholas. I read her books from Forever Romance last year and fell in love with her works because she always writes the best small town romances that make your heart flutter and your stomach do little flips. Turned Up is no exception. I was 10 pages in when I knew this book was at least a 4 out of 5 stars read because of how it was written. The sexual tension from the characters were palpable and when it wasn't sexy times, it was like Erin Nicholas dumped sugar into the pages because the characters were so sweet.
Turned Up follows the trope of enemies to romance. Dillon and Kit have been competing ever since the third grade. Kit was an overachiever. She worked hard ever since she was young to be the best at everything. When one day, Dillon challenges Kit, they both begin this rivalry to be the best. Kit would stay up later to study more because she wanted to have her name above his on a list. And he in turn, became perfect at everything. Dillon moved to become an emergency room physician after touring with Doctors without Borders and Kit became the town's psychiatrist. They push each other to be what the best versions of themselves even though they annoy the hell out of each other.
I loved Dillon not only because he was incredibly sexy but because he was this man that wanted to take care of everyone including Kit. He was never the type to think he was right all the time but realized he had faults and he needed to fix them. I also loved Kit because she allowed herself to be vulnerable to the only man that made her heart skip a beat. Instead of being perfect, she allows herself to make mistakes, stutter, trip over words, and be less put together. The book could have been this whole story about how these two big characters never admitting feelings for each other and it would have been so frustrating but that wasn't the case. Dillon owned up to his feelings and told Kit that he wanted sex but he also wanted more. He wanted everything of Kit's. And Kit's scared because she had a history with Dillon that always made her feel guilty.
The ending of this book was amazing. I didn't expect to cry so badly but when you're loved one is in danger and you're trying to calm them down so they can do their job and get the hell out of there, it gets really emotional guys.
MY RECOMMENDATION:
I'm tearing up as I write this review because Erin did such an amazing job at writing this story that showed so much emotion. I also would like to applaud Erin's writing. She's able to pin down exactly what characters are feeling that a lot of writers struggle with. She's also smart and intuitive about character's motives and emotions. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU TO CHECK OUT THE SERIES AND I'LL BE READING THEM AS WELL!
I received a copy from Thomas Allen & Sons in exchange for an honest review.
I love Erin Nicholas. I read her books from Forever Romance last year and fell in love with her works because she always writes the best small town romances that make your heart flutter and your stomach do little flips. Turned Up is no exception. I was 10 pages in when I knew this book was at least a 4 out of 5 stars read because of how it was written. The sexual tension from the characters were palpable and when it wasn't sexy times, it was like Erin Nicholas dumped sugar into the pages because the characters were so sweet.
Turned Up follows the trope of enemies to romance. Dillon and Kit have been competing ever since the third grade. Kit was an overachiever. She worked hard ever since she was young to be the best at everything. When one day, Dillon challenges Kit, they both begin this rivalry to be the best. Kit would stay up later to study more because she wanted to have her name above his on a list. And he in turn, became perfect at everything. Dillon moved to become an emergency room physician after touring with Doctors without Borders and Kit became the town's psychiatrist. They push each other to be what the best versions of themselves even though they annoy the hell out of each other.
I loved Dillon not only because he was incredibly sexy but because he was this man that wanted to take care of everyone including Kit. He was never the type to think he was right all the time but realized he had faults and he needed to fix them. I also loved Kit because she allowed herself to be vulnerable to the only man that made her heart skip a beat. Instead of being perfect, she allows herself to make mistakes, stutter, trip over words, and be less put together. The book could have been this whole story about how these two big characters never admitting feelings for each other and it would have been so frustrating but that wasn't the case. Dillon owned up to his feelings and told Kit that he wanted sex but he also wanted more. He wanted everything of Kit's. And Kit's scared because she had a history with Dillon that always made her feel guilty.
The ending of this book was amazing. I didn't expect to cry so badly but when you're loved one is in danger and you're trying to calm them down so they can do their job and get the hell out of there, it gets really emotional guys.
MY RECOMMENDATION:
I'm tearing up as I write this review because Erin did such an amazing job at writing this story that showed so much emotion. I also would like to applaud Erin's writing. She's able to pin down exactly what characters are feeling that a lot of writers struggle with. She's also smart and intuitive about character's motives and emotions. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU TO CHECK OUT THE SERIES AND I'LL BE READING THEM AS WELL!
August 26, 2017
I have had some issues with the characterisation of the women in the previous books in this series so I waited with bated breath for this one - I loved it!
Dillon Alexander and Derby have been arch rivals since kindergarten. He's the big bad ex-Marine, all-round celebrity emergency doctor who has recently returned to be an ER doctor in his home town of Chance, Nebraska. She's the local psychiatrist, essential when your small town is in the tornado alley and suffers more tornadoes than anywhere else in the USA.
Kit has secretly been in love with Dillon since she was 16 years old but after a steamy kiss led to unbearable tragedy Dillon left town and has rarely been seen since. It's probably just as well because every time Dillon and Kit do meet in public they fight like cats and dogs, but when they meet in private it all gets far more X-rated.
Can these two ever sop fighting long enough to discover what they have in common? Will being trapped alone in a snow storm help them or will they be too busy, gettin' busy?
I loved everything about this. Dillon was great and Kit was a strong confident woman. I particularly liked the conflict near the end of the book, it felt real and EXACTLY the sort of concern a woman like Kit would (and should) have when entering into a relationship like this. Finally, Erin NIcholas has allowed her kick-ass female character to stay that way.
The angst about the past was suitably low key and almost irrelevant.
Thoroughly recommended for those who like small-town romances between two people who were rivals almost from birth. Delicious.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Dillon Alexander and Derby have been arch rivals since kindergarten. He's the big bad ex-Marine, all-round celebrity emergency doctor who has recently returned to be an ER doctor in his home town of Chance, Nebraska. She's the local psychiatrist, essential when your small town is in the tornado alley and suffers more tornadoes than anywhere else in the USA.
Kit has secretly been in love with Dillon since she was 16 years old but after a steamy kiss led to unbearable tragedy Dillon left town and has rarely been seen since. It's probably just as well because every time Dillon and Kit do meet in public they fight like cats and dogs, but when they meet in private it all gets far more X-rated.
Can these two ever sop fighting long enough to discover what they have in common? Will being trapped alone in a snow storm help them or will they be too busy, gettin' busy?
I loved everything about this. Dillon was great and Kit was a strong confident woman. I particularly liked the conflict near the end of the book, it felt real and EXACTLY the sort of concern a woman like Kit would (and should) have when entering into a relationship like this. Finally, Erin NIcholas has allowed her kick-ass female character to stay that way.
The angst about the past was suitably low key and almost irrelevant.
Thoroughly recommended for those who like small-town romances between two people who were rivals almost from birth. Delicious.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
August 19, 2017
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Turned Up is exactly the type of book I'm looking for when I'm in the mood for a rivals-to-lovers romance.
Kit Derby and Dillon Alexander have been rivals since the third grade. They always argue, always strive to be better than the other, and as a result they both have become two of the most "type A, overachieving, kick-ass [people]" (Bree, Kit's best friend's words, not mine). Now both are back in their hometown, both work in the same hospital, and both have taken on trying to open a free clinic.
However, when circumstances throw them into a room together with nothing to do but focus on each other instead of a situation...of course the sparks fly and a good time is had by all. Until Kit runs out the door and they return to the status quo. This time, when the two are trapped alone together by a blizzard overnight, they must face the feelings they’ve been denying for years.
Rivals (or enemies) to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and it’s so well done in Turned Up. I really enjoyed the push-pull of their relationship and the banter between the two was on point from page one. There’s a ton of heat but there is more to it than just the physical. While the sex scenes were plentiful, they were very well done and they were liberally sprinkled with actually talking about stuff that didn't feel contrived or forced.
Roughly half the book is spent snowed in during the blizzard. The other focuses on how Kit and Dillon adjust to their newly public and dating status and it was very well done. While there was the obvious angst at the adjustment, there was no huge-breakup-and-get-back-together scene (thank goodness) to which this book gets the extra star into the five rating.
The only oddity to mention was I have no idea why the author felt the need to have the mayor's wife dictate to Kit how she thought she should run her and Dillon's relationship. Nor did I feel it really in character for Kit not to get pissed for being dictated to (even if she did agree with the points). She would have arrived at this realization on her own eventually. But really, it's a fairly minor blip on the radar and I'm going to pretend it never happened.
This is my first book by Erin Nicholas and the first in her Taking Chances series. I'll be pre-ordering this one and checking into her others as well. Highly recommended for rivals-to-lovers fans or those that really just love seeing sparks fly!
(Bonus points for smores, board games, and blanket forts. Be still my heart.)
Turned Up is exactly the type of book I'm looking for when I'm in the mood for a rivals-to-lovers romance.
Kit Derby and Dillon Alexander have been rivals since the third grade. They always argue, always strive to be better than the other, and as a result they both have become two of the most "type A, overachieving, kick-ass [people]" (Bree, Kit's best friend's words, not mine). Now both are back in their hometown, both work in the same hospital, and both have taken on trying to open a free clinic.
However, when circumstances throw them into a room together with nothing to do but focus on each other instead of a situation...of course the sparks fly and a good time is had by all. Until Kit runs out the door and they return to the status quo. This time, when the two are trapped alone together by a blizzard overnight, they must face the feelings they’ve been denying for years.
Rivals (or enemies) to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and it’s so well done in Turned Up. I really enjoyed the push-pull of their relationship and the banter between the two was on point from page one. There’s a ton of heat but there is more to it than just the physical. While the sex scenes were plentiful, they were very well done and they were liberally sprinkled with actually talking about stuff that didn't feel contrived or forced.
Roughly half the book is spent snowed in during the blizzard. The other focuses on how Kit and Dillon adjust to their newly public and dating status and it was very well done. While there was the obvious angst at the adjustment, there was no huge-breakup-and-get-back-together scene (thank goodness) to which this book gets the extra star into the five rating.
The only oddity to mention was I have no idea why the author felt the need to have the mayor's wife dictate to Kit how she thought she should run her and Dillon's relationship. Nor did I feel it really in character for Kit not to get pissed for being dictated to (even if she did agree with the points). She would have arrived at this realization on her own eventually. But really, it's a fairly minor blip on the radar and I'm going to pretend it never happened.
This is my first book by Erin Nicholas and the first in her Taking Chances series. I'll be pre-ordering this one and checking into her others as well. Highly recommended for rivals-to-lovers fans or those that really just love seeing sparks fly!
(Bonus points for smores, board games, and blanket forts. Be still my heart.)
March 26, 2018
Standalone/Cliffhanger: Standalone
Ages of H and h: in their 20s
Multi-Luv'n/Ménages:
Was There Descriptive Sex:
Descriptive Sex &/Or Drama Between H/h With OW/OM:
>>If So, Before or After H/h Hookup:
Contains Cheating:
Amount of Sex In The Book:
HEA/HFN/etc Ending:
Will This Meet My 'Safety Gang' Buddies' Approval:
Any Triggers/Warnings: No
>>Detail: N/A
Do You Recommend This Book: Yes.
Will You Re-read This Book: Yes
Would You Read More Books By This Author: Yes
My Thoughts
Loved the chemistry between Dillon and Kit, it made for a really enjoyable read.
Ages of H and h: in their 20s
Multi-Luv'n/Ménages:
Was There Descriptive Sex:
Descriptive Sex &/Or Drama Between H/h With OW/OM:
>>If So, Before or After H/h Hookup:
Contains Cheating:
Amount of Sex In The Book:
HEA/HFN/etc Ending:
Will This Meet My 'Safety Gang' Buddies' Approval:
Any Triggers/Warnings: No
>>Detail: N/A
Do You Recommend This Book: Yes.
Will You Re-read This Book: Yes
Would You Read More Books By This Author: Yes
My Thoughts
Loved the chemistry between Dillon and Kit, it made for a really enjoyable read.
September 3, 2017
My Musings
I struggled with this last book because the internal conflict seemed a bit weak to me. Same basic story as the first two, but without any year jerking moments which saved the first two books. Still, I am glad I read this last zone in the series. Happy ☺reading 📚!
I struggled with this last book because the internal conflict seemed a bit weak to me. Same basic story as the first two, but without any year jerking moments which saved the first two books. Still, I am glad I read this last zone in the series. Happy ☺reading 📚!
August 8, 2024
all of these books were so cute
August 29, 2017
Turned up (Taking Chances book 3) by Erin Nicholas
Wow! Turned Up is an amazing book. I loved every aspect of this book. Turned Up has a lot of heart swoon moments. Just wow. Erin Nicholas is an amazing author. Erin Nicholas has all the qualities I find amazing in an author. Erin Nicholas always delivers with her books. Her books are a breath of fresh air.
In Turned Up we finally get to read Dylan Alexander's and Kit Derby's story. Let me just say together they are a powerhouse. Kit is the town psychiatrist and Dillon is the ER doctor in Chance, Nebraska. Kit and Dillon have been friends and competing with each other since the third grade. When they get stuck at Kit's grandmother's house in a blizzard things really heat up.
I found this book very amazing. I couldn't put it down. The plot in Turned Up was powerful, enticing and passionate. I loved the chemistry Kit and Dillon have. Turned Up has all the elements that make a great read. I love the town Chance, Nebraska. I love the details of this book. It is clear to see Erin Nicholas did her research.
I highly recommend this book. I give it five stars and two thumbs up. A must read for every romance lover.
Wow! Turned Up is an amazing book. I loved every aspect of this book. Turned Up has a lot of heart swoon moments. Just wow. Erin Nicholas is an amazing author. Erin Nicholas has all the qualities I find amazing in an author. Erin Nicholas always delivers with her books. Her books are a breath of fresh air.
In Turned Up we finally get to read Dylan Alexander's and Kit Derby's story. Let me just say together they are a powerhouse. Kit is the town psychiatrist and Dillon is the ER doctor in Chance, Nebraska. Kit and Dillon have been friends and competing with each other since the third grade. When they get stuck at Kit's grandmother's house in a blizzard things really heat up.
I found this book very amazing. I couldn't put it down. The plot in Turned Up was powerful, enticing and passionate. I loved the chemistry Kit and Dillon have. Turned Up has all the elements that make a great read. I love the town Chance, Nebraska. I love the details of this book. It is clear to see Erin Nicholas did her research.
I highly recommend this book. I give it five stars and two thumbs up. A must read for every romance lover.
July 26, 2017
From the very beginning I knew I'd adore this book! Erin Nicholas has a way of pulling you in and making you so attached to her characters, they become part of your life and you just can't put the book down!!
Dillon and Kit have known each other forever, they have competed against each other in so many things and that competition has helped them both develop into the people they are today. People who are so attracted to each other, who really love each other but just don't know how to live their lives together so during the course of the book we see their attraction develop and them try to work out how they can be together.
It's sweet and romantic yet hot and steamy at times, it's frustrating and annoying, I laughed out loud and even got a bit teary! I loved every second and was gutted to reach the end!!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Dillon and Kit have known each other forever, they have competed against each other in so many things and that competition has helped them both develop into the people they are today. People who are so attracted to each other, who really love each other but just don't know how to live their lives together so during the course of the book we see their attraction develop and them try to work out how they can be together.
It's sweet and romantic yet hot and steamy at times, it's frustrating and annoying, I laughed out loud and even got a bit teary! I loved every second and was gutted to reach the end!!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 24, 2017
The 3rd book in the Taking Chances series was my favorite. Kit & Dillon were high school friends/rivals that never grew out of their rivalry. And when Dillon moves back to town and they are thrown together in different situations, they find that their rivalry is so much more! Their friendship, competitiveness and love for each other is fun & sexy in another excellent book by Ms. Nicholas.
August 29, 2017
Ok. I absolutely loved books one and two in the Taking Chances series but book three, Turned Up, is my new favorite. I didn't think that was possible but Erin Nicholas really outdid herself with this one. It was such a fun story to read that I swear I had a smile on my face throughout the whole book. Well, except for one part where her amazing writing totally triggered my emotions. Erin is totally sneaky like that. Here I am smiling and swooning away and then BOOM. Tear jerking moment. And I totally loved it! Kit and Dillon were so freaking adorable together. They're pretty much rivals with really hot chemistry and have known eachother forever. I loved that aspect of their relationship. And I loved how combustible they were. I will never look at Chutes and Ladders the same way again. Read this book and you'll know what I'm talking about. I am feeling so lucky that I had the chance to read an ARC of this book so early but now I'm sad that this series might be over. At least I've got Sapphire Falls to go back to.
August 29, 2017
Dillon and Kit have intrigued us from the very beginning of this series. They love to challenge and push each other and have been doing so since grade school. There has always been a spark between them, though neither one has wanted to admit to it in the past. After being stuck together in a snow storm Dillon and Kit both start to realize their true feelings towards each other. Starting a relationship throws Kit off kiltered. She has always been a strong independent woman who know what she wants, and being with Dillon leaves her unbalanced. Turned Up is a fun, sexy romantic read that will have you looking at marshmallows and Chutes and Ladders in a whole new way!
September 30, 2017
Erin Nicholas is one of my go-to authors and the Taking Chances series has been so enjoyable. As much as I have enjoyed the first few novels in this series, I absolutely loved Turned Up! Dillon and Kit were an entertaining couple and I was rooting for their happily ever after from the very beginning.
There are a lot of romance novel standard plot devices in this book...rivals turned lovers, stranded together, etc. but Ms. Nicholas still managed to make the story feel fresh and entertaining. I was up reading long after I should have gone to sleep because I was sucked into this story. Dillon and Kit were explosive, but also very realistic. Their drama (the blizzard) may have been manufactured, but what happened between them while they were trapped together was very real and included some real soul searching. And watching them navigate life after they came to these revelations was a fresh twist on the story.
Aside from being intrigued by Dillon and Kit, we also got to check in with the couples from previous stories. I loved the way the lives of these six characters were intertwined so naturally that it didn't feel like we were pulled out of this story just to check in on the status of the others.
Ms. Nicholas' books are always ones I recommend, but this is one of my favorites and any fan of small town romances should grab a copy!
There are a lot of romance novel standard plot devices in this book...rivals turned lovers, stranded together, etc. but Ms. Nicholas still managed to make the story feel fresh and entertaining. I was up reading long after I should have gone to sleep because I was sucked into this story. Dillon and Kit were explosive, but also very realistic. Their drama (the blizzard) may have been manufactured, but what happened between them while they were trapped together was very real and included some real soul searching. And watching them navigate life after they came to these revelations was a fresh twist on the story.
Aside from being intrigued by Dillon and Kit, we also got to check in with the couples from previous stories. I loved the way the lives of these six characters were intertwined so naturally that it didn't feel like we were pulled out of this story just to check in on the status of the others.
Ms. Nicholas' books are always ones I recommend, but this is one of my favorites and any fan of small town romances should grab a copy!
August 29, 2017
Dillon and Kit seem to but heads a lot, but man does Dillon speak his mind, “in other words, I’ll carry your pretty ass out there if I have to. And hold you down if you try to leave.” His body stirred at the idea. “Now that I think about it, please make me carry you out there and hold you down.” Dillon likes to give his woman compliments, “I’m sure that I’ll do whatever it takes to keep getting blow jobs from you. Darn, girl, that was amazing.” I loved this book, although Kit and Dillon argue a lot they were perfect for each other.
September 16, 2017
I was given an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest opinion.
I have read several books by Erin Nicholas and none of them have ever disappointed me. They have just the right amount of story, steam and sex!
I absolutely love chapter 12 and never dreamt the book would take that kind of unexpected turn.
I'm looking forward to future stories about their weddings!
I have read several books by Erin Nicholas and none of them have ever disappointed me. They have just the right amount of story, steam and sex!
I absolutely love chapter 12 and never dreamt the book would take that kind of unexpected turn.
I'm looking forward to future stories about their weddings!
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