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Turner Twins #2
Turn It On
Pushing the sensual limits can set off all kinds of alarms
Turner Twins, Book 2
Inheriting her grandmother s home is a dream come true for web designer Maxine Turner. She s looking forward to a little freedom from the constant demands of her beloved, crazy mob of a family. When vandals expose just how vulnerable she is living alone, she seeks help.
Ryan Claymore s well-thought-out life was wrenched out from under him when responsibility for his special-needs stepbrother landed on his shoulders. Going from military man to business man hasn t been easy. He counts himself lucky he s found Maxine to trade his security-system knowledge for her website expertise.
The red-hot chemistry that sizzles between them comes from out of the blue, and they both fight a losing battle to resist. Even the secret Ryan hides isn t enough to keep Maxine from working her way into his heart and his bed.
But something else might tear them apart. Whoever seems determined to destroy her home, and her sanity along with it."
Turner Twins, Book 2
Inheriting her grandmother s home is a dream come true for web designer Maxine Turner. She s looking forward to a little freedom from the constant demands of her beloved, crazy mob of a family. When vandals expose just how vulnerable she is living alone, she seeks help.
Ryan Claymore s well-thought-out life was wrenched out from under him when responsibility for his special-needs stepbrother landed on his shoulders. Going from military man to business man hasn t been easy. He counts himself lucky he s found Maxine to trade his security-system knowledge for her website expertise.
The red-hot chemistry that sizzles between them comes from out of the blue, and they both fight a losing battle to resist. Even the secret Ryan hides isn t enough to keep Maxine from working her way into his heart and his bed.
But something else might tear them apart. Whoever seems determined to destroy her home, and her sanity along with it."
131 pages, ebook
First published December 17, 2009
About the author
Vivian Arend
166 books2,632 followersNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Vivian Arend loves to share the products of her over-active imagination with her readers. She writes contemporary, western, and light-hearted paranormal romances. The stories are humorous yet emotional, usually with a large cast of family or friends, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after. Vivian lives in British Columbia, Canada, with her husband of many years—her inspiration for every hero and a willing companion for all sorts of adventures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
June 20, 2012
Turn it On is the first book of the Turner Twins, and since there are only two siblings, I’m assuming there will only be two books. That said, the Turner family is such a riot of cousins, aunts, uncles… that this could easily turn out to be an open ended series!
I had really no set notion about what to expect when I began this book, but I was expecting something more heavy on the suspense end of the romantic suspense spectrum. That said, even though this turned out to be a much more emotional read than I thought it would be, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s humorous, heartwarming, and at times heartbreaking, and definitely a relationship driven story. But beyond all that, it's also a very hot read.
I enjoyed getting to know Maxine Turner and Ryan Claymore. They are funny, quirky people who are perfect for each other. My heart broke for Ryan’s brother, Carl, but I admired Ryan and Maxine so very much for their devotion to him.
I’m very much looking forward to reading the next book in the ‘series,’ Turn it Up which is Maxwell Turner’s story. And just an FYI – it’s a Turner family tradition to name everyone some variation of Max, which I thought was a fun addition to the story.
The bottom line: Nothing deeply compelling or thought provoking here. Just a fun, romantic, sexy story - and isn't that exactly what we're looking for, sometimes?
3.5/5 stars
Sexual Content: This story contains lots of sex and includes vaginal, oral, anal play and anal sex. There's also a mildly sexy bit of playing in public.
May 31, 2012
Story Rating 4 Stars
Characters Rating 5 Stars
Romance Rating 4 Stars
Heat Level 5 Stars
Overall Rating 4 Stars
WOW, this was a HOT one and I really enjoyed it. I really liked the Characters in this book too. The story was good and kept me wanting to read more. I'm very happy that I read this book and look forwards to Turn It Up in the near future.
Characters Rating 5 Stars
Romance Rating 4 Stars
Heat Level 5 Stars
Overall Rating 4 Stars
WOW, this was a HOT one and I really enjoyed it. I really liked the Characters in this book too. The story was good and kept me wanting to read more. I'm very happy that I read this book and look forwards to Turn It Up in the near future.
February 8, 2010
I really loved this novella, it was just what I was craving…a great straightforward contemporary romance, just a man and a woman and their story of love.
Max is from a large and protective family who is learning to spread her wings, assert her independence, and discovering that learning to say “no” to her family allows her the freedom to find herself. Ryan, on the other hand hasn’t had the best experience with his family growing up, and has been happy living life as a military man…at least before he discovered he had a brother that needed him, and is now having to learn all about being part of a family along with the obligations and commitments that go with it.
Max and Ryan have great chemistry from the moment they meet. One of the things that I loved about their story is that there was a real progression to their relationship. Even though they were immediately attracted to each other the reader gets to experience how their relationship progresses from mere attraction to a lasting type of love. Max meets her brother, Ryan meets her family and friends....my point here is: They get to know each other as they fall in love. Discovering why and how the characters fall in love with each other as it happens to them is one of the reasons why I love reading romance.
The only criticism I have for this story is that at one point Max considers ending her relationship with Ryan because he has become to overprotective and overbearing after a series of increasing malicious threats and vandalism to her car and property. But this deliberation occurs immediately following a party with Ryan and her friends, where they were all having a good time. End of the chapter. Then at the beginning of the very next chapter she’s thinking of breaking it off. And while it wasn’t completely unexpected that her character would rebel against Ryan’s increasing protectiveness, I mean he’s an ex-military man, who run’s a security consulting firm, and who has come to have strong feelings for Max. She’s trying out freedom for the first time. It’s only natural that he would feel the way he does, and for her to feel the way she does. It was such an abrupt shift…from party, to possible breakup without a transition that I had to stop and turn back a page just to make sure that I hadn’t missed something. I wish that there would have been at least one scene where Max either expressed her thoughts internally about Ryan’s increasingly overbearing and overprotective nature as he reacts to the danger surrounding her, or a scene wear Ryan completely overreacted to something that happened, prompting Max to consider ending their love affair. That being said, other than this one drawback I thought Turn It On was pretty close to perfection.
Turn it On by Vivian Arend is the perfect short story if you are looking for a quick, yet tremendously satisfying romance fix. Her stories are guaranteed to be red hot and steamy romances that have emotion, sigh-worthy moments that in fact may leave you breathless, and characters that you’ll grow to love. Despite its short length it doesn’t feel like a novella, but a full length novel because of the evolution of Maxine and Ryan’s love story. It’s amazing to me that she can work such magic in so few words. It’s a little gem that I loved, and worth every single penny. I can’t wait to see what she will have in store for us in the 2nd book in the Turner Twins series.
Max is from a large and protective family who is learning to spread her wings, assert her independence, and discovering that learning to say “no” to her family allows her the freedom to find herself. Ryan, on the other hand hasn’t had the best experience with his family growing up, and has been happy living life as a military man…at least before he discovered he had a brother that needed him, and is now having to learn all about being part of a family along with the obligations and commitments that go with it.
Max and Ryan have great chemistry from the moment they meet. One of the things that I loved about their story is that there was a real progression to their relationship. Even though they were immediately attracted to each other the reader gets to experience how their relationship progresses from mere attraction to a lasting type of love. Max meets her brother, Ryan meets her family and friends....my point here is: They get to know each other as they fall in love. Discovering why and how the characters fall in love with each other as it happens to them is one of the reasons why I love reading romance.
The only criticism I have for this story is that at one point Max considers ending her relationship with Ryan because he has become to overprotective and overbearing after a series of increasing malicious threats and vandalism to her car and property. But this deliberation occurs immediately following a party with Ryan and her friends, where they were all having a good time. End of the chapter. Then at the beginning of the very next chapter she’s thinking of breaking it off. And while it wasn’t completely unexpected that her character would rebel against Ryan’s increasing protectiveness, I mean he’s an ex-military man, who run’s a security consulting firm, and who has come to have strong feelings for Max. She’s trying out freedom for the first time. It’s only natural that he would feel the way he does, and for her to feel the way she does. It was such an abrupt shift…from party, to possible breakup without a transition that I had to stop and turn back a page just to make sure that I hadn’t missed something. I wish that there would have been at least one scene where Max either expressed her thoughts internally about Ryan’s increasingly overbearing and overprotective nature as he reacts to the danger surrounding her, or a scene wear Ryan completely overreacted to something that happened, prompting Max to consider ending their love affair. That being said, other than this one drawback I thought Turn It On was pretty close to perfection.
Turn it On by Vivian Arend is the perfect short story if you are looking for a quick, yet tremendously satisfying romance fix. Her stories are guaranteed to be red hot and steamy romances that have emotion, sigh-worthy moments that in fact may leave you breathless, and characters that you’ll grow to love. Despite its short length it doesn’t feel like a novella, but a full length novel because of the evolution of Maxine and Ryan’s love story. It’s amazing to me that she can work such magic in so few words. It’s a little gem that I loved, and worth every single penny. I can’t wait to see what she will have in store for us in the 2nd book in the Turner Twins series.
February 18, 2011
This short story lacked sizzle for me. Character development was good but the overall chemistry between the couple fell flat and there were a lot of moments in the story where as the reader I questioned "really"? Are we really expected to over look that and be okay with the holes within the plot? The vandal that continued to reek havoc on the heroine's home was predictable. I'm hoping I will enjoy the next book, Turn it Up more.
2.5/5 stars
2.5/5 stars
January 30, 2010
The first quarter of this book was kinda blah to me, it got better as time went on. There were some really hot scenes! My favorite part off the whole this was the ending of course it was a HEA, but they didn't do the whole break up move away I can't get through life with out you blah blah story to finally realize they were meant to be with it ending a half of a page later. 4 Stars ;)
March 14, 2011
NOTE: This book should be read after Turn it Up (Turner Twins 2) as it contains spoilers. Publication wise they are #1 & #2 but not story wise. Read Turn It Up first.
March 8, 2014
not the lowest of the 2s, but not all that high, either. okay prose, but plenty of problematic psychological character construct to give pause.
not, like, EPICALLY, CRINGINGLY bad, but there's enough alphole assery and woe-is-me heroine silliness that i was fairly annoyed with this book. the hero and heroine are mary sues in their own ways -- she's epically hot, has a lucrative job that apparently doesn't require that she ever actually work, and just inherited a gorgeous forty-acre estate with a victorian mansion in perfect condition. and she's only, like, twenty-five years old. nice, right? he is an ex–navy seal or similar, with the biceps of an action hero and the face of a baldwin, and his new business is going gangbusters back at home, which leads him to her. so, fairly annoyingly perfect, but enough of their interaction didn't make me too, too sad, so i didn't throw my e-book against the wall.
but as the plot progresses, she's constantly victimized -- not just psychologically, getting dumped on by an abusive ex and taken radically advantage of by her family who know no healthy limits, but actually physically, when she gets the tar beaten out of her, and we get the graphic details. (well, she is a lady after all! maybe she deserved it?? . . .) ugh.
so, naturally, he sweeps in To Protect Her, Ma'am. yuck, yuck, yuck. agency please, female protagonist. look into it.
but the worst thing about this book? even more horrifying than the heroine's being beaten to a bloody pulp? than the asshole hero's bossiness and swooping in to tell her what's right? even more garbage-y than all that garbage? was when he decorates her house for christmas for her -- because she was in traction in the hospital after her latest beating and hadn't been able to do it herself -- and she cries because it's so beautiful. reader, THE LIFE-SIZED LIGHTED PLASTIC MISTER AND MISSUS SNOWMEN IN THE MIDDLE OF HER LIVING ROOM ARE SO BEAUTIFUL THEY MAKE HER CRY.
ugh. reader. she's not the only one crying. i'm in tears, because they ain't no accounting for taste.
not, like, EPICALLY, CRINGINGLY bad, but there's enough alphole assery and woe-is-me heroine silliness that i was fairly annoyed with this book. the hero and heroine are mary sues in their own ways -- she's epically hot, has a lucrative job that apparently doesn't require that she ever actually work, and just inherited a gorgeous forty-acre estate with a victorian mansion in perfect condition. and she's only, like, twenty-five years old. nice, right? he is an ex–navy seal or similar, with the biceps of an action hero and the face of a baldwin, and his new business is going gangbusters back at home, which leads him to her. so, fairly annoyingly perfect, but enough of their interaction didn't make me too, too sad, so i didn't throw my e-book against the wall.
but as the plot progresses, she's constantly victimized -- not just psychologically, getting dumped on by an abusive ex and taken radically advantage of by her family who know no healthy limits, but actually physically, when she gets the tar beaten out of her, and we get the graphic details. (well, she is a lady after all! maybe she deserved it?? . . .) ugh.
so, naturally, he sweeps in To Protect Her, Ma'am. yuck, yuck, yuck. agency please, female protagonist. look into it.
but the worst thing about this book? even more horrifying than the heroine's being beaten to a bloody pulp? than the asshole hero's bossiness and swooping in to tell her what's right? even more garbage-y than all that garbage? was when he decorates her house for christmas for her -- because she was in traction in the hospital after her latest beating and hadn't been able to do it herself -- and she cries because it's so beautiful. reader, THE LIFE-SIZED LIGHTED PLASTIC MISTER AND MISSUS SNOWMEN IN THE MIDDLE OF HER LIVING ROOM ARE SO BEAUTIFUL THEY MAKE HER CRY.
ugh. reader. she's not the only one crying. i'm in tears, because they ain't no accounting for taste.
May 29, 2012
I found myself really liking both Max and Ryan in this one. Max with her big family, who she lets run all over her and her sweet innocence and Ryan, for his changing his life in a heartbeat to help a brother he never really knew about. I liked that Max was trying to pull away from her family, to find her own place in the world and that she didn’t hide from her attraction from Ryan. I was also glad that Ryan didn’t hide from his attraction either and that he realized that with Max he needed patience to help her learn what a real adult relationship is about. It seemed like once they both trusted each other there wasn’t anything that they wouldn’t do with or for each other.
July 9, 2010
TURN IT ON was my first unsolicited and non-win ARC request and I'm pretty proud of that. When Vivian Arend asked if I was interested in reviewing her upcoming new contemporary release I jumped at the chance. First because it was a contemporary romance, a genre, which holds a dear place in my reading heart and second because I had Vivian Arend on my radar for a while but an earlier opportunity to sample her work hadn't occurred yet.
TURN IT ON is the story of Maxine Turner and Ryan Claymore. Ryan used to be in the army but family circumstances forced him to retire his commission and start a security installation firm. Maxine runs a PR and advertising/web design business with her twin brother and she has just inherited her grandma's old home. But strange things are happening at the place and when her and Ryan's paths cross professionally because Ryan hires Turner Networking Team, she decides to use his expertise and hire him in turn to install a security system in the old house. From the start sparks fly between them that have nothing to do with the jobs they're doing for each other but their respective familial responsibilities are threatening the budding feelings.
Ryan is truly a good guy, he may seem a bit gruff but that's just the outside. He is caring, loyal and very romantic. He left the army to take care of his handicapped half-brother who was gravely injured in a car accident that killed his mother. I was impressed by Ryan's care and love for his brother and the way he tried to adjust his life so he'd be and remain able to do so. The portrayal of Carl and his disability was beautifully written and touched my emotions deeply.
Maxine is a charming, vibrant, independent young woman. She has a good life, working and enjoying it, though she sometimes wishes her family would realize that she is a grown-up woman capable of living her life as she wishes to. Despite her confident demeanor she has a kind of sweet shyness over her. Not the innocent kind but just enough to let her inhibitions and a little bit of inexperience shine through. Ryan is the one who helps her overcome this with his sexual confidence and straightforwardness.
I loved Ryan and Maxine. The chemistry between them was hot and immediate. The sex scenes were sexy and alluring. Ryan has a romantic heart but he's also pretty intense, sexually. He goes for what he wants. He doesn't embellish and is pretty explicit about how he wants things. I love that in a hero.
Family plays a big role in TURN IT ON. Both on Ryan's side and on Maxine's. With Ryan it's the responsibility for Carl and the fact that Carl is the only family he has left. With Maxine it's quite the opposite. She has a huge family and all the members of it make demands on her and it's hard for her not to let them run her life. For a story of that isn't overly long there were many secondary characters, some just walk-ons but others playing their part in either the romance or the plot. Of the secondary characters Carl, Maxwell and his wife Natasha were the ones who captured my attention and interest the most. As the back cover copy indicates there’s a small suspense plot threaded through the romance. It was a little bit predictable and guessing who the perpetrator was, was easy but as the plot wasn’t the focus of the book, that didn't bother me much.
My first encounter with Vivian Arend's work was a very nice one. TURN IT ON is a very sweet and moving contemporary romance in which emotional moments alternate with hot and sexy ones. The instant chemistry didn't only occur between Maxine and Ryan but also between Vivian Arend’s writing and me. I was pulled into the story from the get-go and was captivated by the smooth, easy and seductive writing style and story.
TURN IT ON is about taking chances, living life and enjoying special things and moments in it. It's the kind of contemporary romance I love to read. The romance is captivating and emotional, the characters are easy to relate to and the physical attraction is hot. Vivian Arend's writing style is one I am very partial to after reading TURN IT ON and I've already gotten myself some more of her work while waiting for the book on Maxwell, the other Turner twin.
Rating: 8.0 out of 10
TURN IT ON is the story of Maxine Turner and Ryan Claymore. Ryan used to be in the army but family circumstances forced him to retire his commission and start a security installation firm. Maxine runs a PR and advertising/web design business with her twin brother and she has just inherited her grandma's old home. But strange things are happening at the place and when her and Ryan's paths cross professionally because Ryan hires Turner Networking Team, she decides to use his expertise and hire him in turn to install a security system in the old house. From the start sparks fly between them that have nothing to do with the jobs they're doing for each other but their respective familial responsibilities are threatening the budding feelings.
Ryan is truly a good guy, he may seem a bit gruff but that's just the outside. He is caring, loyal and very romantic. He left the army to take care of his handicapped half-brother who was gravely injured in a car accident that killed his mother. I was impressed by Ryan's care and love for his brother and the way he tried to adjust his life so he'd be and remain able to do so. The portrayal of Carl and his disability was beautifully written and touched my emotions deeply.
Maxine is a charming, vibrant, independent young woman. She has a good life, working and enjoying it, though she sometimes wishes her family would realize that she is a grown-up woman capable of living her life as she wishes to. Despite her confident demeanor she has a kind of sweet shyness over her. Not the innocent kind but just enough to let her inhibitions and a little bit of inexperience shine through. Ryan is the one who helps her overcome this with his sexual confidence and straightforwardness.
I loved Ryan and Maxine. The chemistry between them was hot and immediate. The sex scenes were sexy and alluring. Ryan has a romantic heart but he's also pretty intense, sexually. He goes for what he wants. He doesn't embellish and is pretty explicit about how he wants things. I love that in a hero.
Family plays a big role in TURN IT ON. Both on Ryan's side and on Maxine's. With Ryan it's the responsibility for Carl and the fact that Carl is the only family he has left. With Maxine it's quite the opposite. She has a huge family and all the members of it make demands on her and it's hard for her not to let them run her life. For a story of that isn't overly long there were many secondary characters, some just walk-ons but others playing their part in either the romance or the plot. Of the secondary characters Carl, Maxwell and his wife Natasha were the ones who captured my attention and interest the most. As the back cover copy indicates there’s a small suspense plot threaded through the romance. It was a little bit predictable and guessing who the perpetrator was, was easy but as the plot wasn’t the focus of the book, that didn't bother me much.
My first encounter with Vivian Arend's work was a very nice one. TURN IT ON is a very sweet and moving contemporary romance in which emotional moments alternate with hot and sexy ones. The instant chemistry didn't only occur between Maxine and Ryan but also between Vivian Arend’s writing and me. I was pulled into the story from the get-go and was captivated by the smooth, easy and seductive writing style and story.
TURN IT ON is about taking chances, living life and enjoying special things and moments in it. It's the kind of contemporary romance I love to read. The romance is captivating and emotional, the characters are easy to relate to and the physical attraction is hot. Vivian Arend's writing style is one I am very partial to after reading TURN IT ON and I've already gotten myself some more of her work while waiting for the book on Maxwell, the other Turner twin.
Rating: 8.0 out of 10
February 23, 2012
I picked this book up because I had read a positive review of the second book in the series, and I'm one of those people who has to read series in order, so... went for this one first. Alas, I did not find it to be an incentive to move on to the second book.
Max Turner and Ryan Claymore meet when Max checks him out as a potential contractor to install a security system in her home, which has been recently subject to vandalism. Instant attraction of the too-distracted-to-pay-attention-to-what-I'm-doing sort ensues, and the pair work their way into a relationship, constrained by her overwhelming family, his (secret) family demands, and the problems of continuing attacks on Max's house and property. This story was crowded with story lines, and I found that none of it added up to much emotionally. Much more could have been done with Max's self-image issues, or with the relationship between Max and Ryan's brother, in order to bring some depth to the growing relationship. Instead there were sex scenes just sort of dropped in because they had to be there -- none of them really did much to drive the story forward -- and a villain whose identity was obvious from the moment he first opened his mouth. The book did not succeed for me as a mystery/suspense, as erotic romance, or as straight romance. Bleah.
Max Turner and Ryan Claymore meet when Max checks him out as a potential contractor to install a security system in her home, which has been recently subject to vandalism. Instant attraction of the too-distracted-to-pay-attention-to-what-I'm-doing sort ensues, and the pair work their way into a relationship, constrained by her overwhelming family, his (secret) family demands, and the problems of continuing attacks on Max's house and property. This story was crowded with story lines, and I found that none of it added up to much emotionally. Much more could have been done with Max's self-image issues, or with the relationship between Max and Ryan's brother, in order to bring some depth to the growing relationship. Instead there were sex scenes just sort of dropped in because they had to be there -- none of them really did much to drive the story forward -- and a villain whose identity was obvious from the moment he first opened his mouth. The book did not succeed for me as a mystery/suspense, as erotic romance, or as straight romance. Bleah.
February 21, 2011
This was a good contemporary romance. There wasn't a lot of conflict - either internal or external - just two people getting to know each other and falling love. It was a sweet, sexy slide, too.
Ryan was sweet and attentive. Their early dates and the way he wanted to take care of Max was cute. Max's independence was important to him and he didn't try to take that away from. The result was she felt cherished. Max wasn't sure about getting involved with Ryan, especially after the way her ex treated her. But the fact that he was so sure of himself helped eased her fears. They really complimented each other, each giving and taking just the right amount.
The book wasn't wholly without conflict - the vandalism at Max's place doesn't stop, which causes some tension between the couple. I started to get really annoyed with Max over this, but she was redeemed. Plus, Ryan isn't completely up front about his brother in the beginning. His reasons for keeping his brother a secret were admirable, but I understood why Max was so upset about it.
I do have to say..the whole "Max" thing in the Turner clan was pretty cheesy (Pretty much every person in the family has "max" in their name, one way or another).
Overall a sexy contemporary romance.
Ryan was sweet and attentive. Their early dates and the way he wanted to take care of Max was cute. Max's independence was important to him and he didn't try to take that away from. The result was she felt cherished. Max wasn't sure about getting involved with Ryan, especially after the way her ex treated her. But the fact that he was so sure of himself helped eased her fears. They really complimented each other, each giving and taking just the right amount.
The book wasn't wholly without conflict - the vandalism at Max's place doesn't stop, which causes some tension between the couple. I started to get really annoyed with Max over this, but she was redeemed. Plus, Ryan isn't completely up front about his brother in the beginning. His reasons for keeping his brother a secret were admirable, but I understood why Max was so upset about it.
I do have to say..the whole "Max" thing in the Turner clan was pretty cheesy (Pretty much every person in the family has "max" in their name, one way or another).
Overall a sexy contemporary romance.
February 25, 2011
Fun, sexy-hot, read. Had to fan my face on several occasions. Strong, alpha male & cute, loving, independent female with very good chemistry. Some of my favorite quotes:
"What if I told you I'm not hungry for dinner?" That's right girl, get your man.
"Sometimes we're going to get dirty and rough and raw. You need to be ready for it. You need to be ready for me." Hello Mr. Durty!
"But it's all making love. The kisses, the touches. All our senses involved at the same time, including hearing. I love hearing you groan." Thank the lawd, cause I continually groaned while reading this book.
"...family comes in all shapes and sizes, there's no one size fits all. You get to pick your friends. You don't get to pick everyone in your family and it takes a special kind of courage to survive that reality." AMEN to that!
There are so many other good ones but you need to go get the book to find out!
xoxo
"What if I told you I'm not hungry for dinner?" That's right girl, get your man.
"Sometimes we're going to get dirty and rough and raw. You need to be ready for it. You need to be ready for me." Hello Mr. Durty!
"But it's all making love. The kisses, the touches. All our senses involved at the same time, including hearing. I love hearing you groan." Thank the lawd, cause I continually groaned while reading this book.
"...family comes in all shapes and sizes, there's no one size fits all. You get to pick your friends. You don't get to pick everyone in your family and it takes a special kind of courage to survive that reality." AMEN to that!
There are so many other good ones but you need to go get the book to find out!
xoxo
September 7, 2013
Short novel
The overall tone was very sweet and almost "chaste Harlequin" like, while some sections were way steamier. For the first part of the book, I honestly thought the blend weird, as if a chaste and cute book had been rewritten and edited to add racier parts. However once the main characters started having sex, I was no longer baffled by this dichotomy.
The investigation and mystery behind the pranks and threats done to Maxine was really poor. The culprit was obvious from his first appearance, if not before.
However the characters were nice, though a bit schematic, and their love story seemed both very realistic and romantic.
The overall tone was very sweet and almost "chaste Harlequin" like, while some sections were way steamier. For the first part of the book, I honestly thought the blend weird, as if a chaste and cute book had been rewritten and edited to add racier parts. However once the main characters started having sex, I was no longer baffled by this dichotomy.
The investigation and mystery behind the pranks and threats done to Maxine was really poor. The culprit was obvious from his first appearance, if not before.
However the characters were nice, though a bit schematic, and their love story seemed both very realistic and romantic.
July 8, 2015
Sex scenes replace most of the relationship and character development. Enough sex that it started to feel repetitive and dull - and enough odd word choices to turn steamy to squirmy. 'Turgid', 'crotch', and 'pussy lips' are not really the sexiest words available.
Not in love with the young, timid woman needing a big, strong older man to teach and protect her. Our heroine tries for brave independence but mostly seems unrealistically gullible.
The difference between a close family upbringing and a dysfunctional, broken family during growing years didn't get the focus it deserved in this story.
Not in love with the young, timid woman needing a big, strong older man to teach and protect her. Our heroine tries for brave independence but mostly seems unrealistically gullible.
The difference between a close family upbringing and a dysfunctional, broken family during growing years didn't get the focus it deserved in this story.
December 12, 2010
The romance was believable, sweet and sexy. Max and Ryan both seemed like fabulous people with realistic flaws. I enjoyed the interactions with Maxine's extended family (who are named Maxwell, Maxilla, etc.) and watching Ryan care for his half brother. On the negative side, the whole who is trying to drive Maxine out of her home? storyline has such a hit-you-over-the-head obvious answer that even though I know the characters aren't shown everything that the reader is shown, it's hard not to think they're all idiots. So, basically, great romance, awful suspense.
January 25, 2011
for some reason I put off reading this book. I love Vivian Arend's Six Pack Ranch and can't figure out why I didn't snatch this one up.
I am so glad I did. I absolutely fell in love with Max and Ryan. I pre-ordered Turn It Up today. It's going to be weird reading it since it's a pre-quel and I am obsessively anal about reading books in order. But I REALLY, REALLY want to know what happend with Junior and Tasha on that SWING =)
D
I am so glad I did. I absolutely fell in love with Max and Ryan. I pre-ordered Turn It Up today. It's going to be weird reading it since it's a pre-quel and I am obsessively anal about reading books in order. But I REALLY, REALLY want to know what happend with Junior and Tasha on that SWING =)
D
January 10, 2015
This could have been so good...and just wasn´t..I didnt feel anything for the characters they just felt flat and uh...uninteresting..I didnt care what happend at all....
And she was actually kind of stupid not understandigt the vandalism wasn´t just a child prank..duh one time a prank 10 times something else...
And she was actually kind of stupid not understandigt the vandalism wasn´t just a child prank..duh one time a prank 10 times something else...
June 16, 2016
Okay read, not my favorite but entertaining. I really wanted to know just what the age difference was between Max and Ryan though since it was one of the issues. I thought this was going to tie into the other series, Still not sure if this is or not though. Can’t image what the next one will be about but I’m hoping it’s still the same characters.
August 27, 2011
It was an enjoyable read. Not as good as Turn it Up, in my opinion. Even though, this is the first book in the series, it should be read second. The heroine was plucky and resourceful, while the hero struggled with his need to basically Dom her life. 3.5 stars.
January 4, 2015
sexy sweet dramatic and fun but DAMMIT they have these labeled in the wrong order if u ask me!! the second story happens chronologically BEFORE this one... now I feel like I'm going backwards and must read it now. hate when authors do that.
July 29, 2010
So sweet! I loved this book!
March 22, 2011
really wish i could do 3 and 1/2 stars, but i just don't think it was 4. it was good though, i liked ryan and maxine a lot. on to read book 2.
May 20, 2019
This did not age well in 7 years. Hoo boy. This chick is TSTL and the sex was really awkward. Quite a few unresolved plot threads. Doesn't compare at all to this author's better work.
June 21, 2012
I loved this one. A sweet and sexy love story with a great HEA. Ryan will be on my list of favorite guys now. Nice mix of Alpha, sex, tenderness etc.
May 23, 2012
This was a nice read. Nothing intellectual or too complicated, but a nice quick read.
May 25, 2025
Great older man story. Ryan never knew what family was until he got involved with Maxine.
Ryan is a lot older than Maxine but does age really matter? He is just out of the military because he has to come back to take care of his half brother who is in nursing home after an accident. He keeps this a secret from Maxine as the start getting closer. Ryan owns a security company and Maxine has asked to install security in the home she inherited from her gramma because things are starting to happen and can't be explained. As things escalate, Ryan is more concerned for her safety. Who is doing all the vandalism and why? How do the finally catch them? It will really surprise you who the culprit is.
Ryan is a lot older than Maxine but does age really matter? He is just out of the military because he has to come back to take care of his half brother who is in nursing home after an accident. He keeps this a secret from Maxine as the start getting closer. Ryan owns a security company and Maxine has asked to install security in the home she inherited from her gramma because things are starting to happen and can't be explained. As things escalate, Ryan is more concerned for her safety. Who is doing all the vandalism and why? How do the finally catch them? It will really surprise you who the culprit is.
April 26, 2019
It could have been a romance full of suspense, but unfortunately 75% were sex scenes, enough sex that it felt repetitive and boring, the rest was a predictable plot.
The hero is a former military man, now owner of a security company engaged to secure the heroine's mansion which has been vandalized. He installs wires along the windows, doors and washbasins. What kind of security is that? The house has no close neighbours, it takes the police some time to show up - where are security cameras???You'll need those to identify the culprit.
The heroine is a web designer but hardly ever works, she has to be available for her family baking, babysitting, doing random jobs.
The hero is a former military man, now owner of a security company engaged to secure the heroine's mansion which has been vandalized. He installs wires along the windows, doors and washbasins. What kind of security is that? The house has no close neighbours, it takes the police some time to show up - where are security cameras???You'll need those to identify the culprit.
The heroine is a web designer but hardly ever works, she has to be available for her family baking, babysitting, doing random jobs.
September 11, 2017
I was a little confused at first. I thought this was the 2nd book... and I was wondering why it was tagged as the 1st book. It turns out, this was released first but it happened after the 2nd book (Max and Tasha's). Anyways, I think it was ok. I just don't get the mystery side of the story. I didn't like it that much. There seem to be some loopholes on that side of the story. I think it could have been done better. The start was really nice though - I loved how Ryan and Max met. :)
April 20, 2019
This was part of a duo in the Favorite Tropes collection(Book 2).
I can't decide if I'm just not a fan of this trope, or just these books in particular.
This one was definitely better than the other one, but only marginally.
I loved that it included a special needs family member. I got a decent sense of place. Character development was good. Ryan was kind of a dom in the bedroom, but barely.
Otherwise, nothing about this story pulled me in.
I can't decide if I'm just not a fan of this trope, or just these books in particular.
This one was definitely better than the other one, but only marginally.
I loved that it included a special needs family member. I got a decent sense of place. Character development was good. Ryan was kind of a dom in the bedroom, but barely.
Otherwise, nothing about this story pulled me in.
August 3, 2021
Read in the box set.
Pleasant and enjoyable with only a small amount of drama.
Liked Ryan for Maxine, they suited.
His honour and integrity in looking after Carl, a special needs half-brother he hardly knew, was wonderful.
Sad to have family betray you like this.
The whole MAX name thing, ludicrous but funny.
Pleasant and enjoyable with only a small amount of drama.
Liked Ryan for Maxine, they suited.
His honour and integrity in looking after Carl, a special needs half-brother he hardly knew, was wonderful.
Sad to have family betray you like this.
The whole MAX name thing, ludicrous but funny.
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