Start Me Up

START ME UP is the fourth installment in J. Kenner’s contemporary, adult MAN OF THE MONTH erotic, romance novella series focusing on a fund raiser for the popular Austin, Texas bar known as The Fix. This is shock jock DJ Nolan Wood, and CPA Shelby Drake’s story line. START ME UP can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. SOME BACKGROUND: The Fix on Sixth, a local Austin hangout and bar, is in desperate need of renovations and a quick influx of cash so a plan is put into motion, by a group of regulars, a plan that includes a Man of the Month calendar competition, and a reality show aimed at rehabbing the bar. Told from dual third person perspectives (Nolan and Shelby) START ME UP follows the building relationship between Austin shock jock radio DJ Nolan Wood, and CPA Shelby Drake. Shelby has her life planned out from the perfect job to the perfect husband but meeting DJ Nolan Wood found our heroine thinking about the possibilities of stepping out of her comfort zone. A chance encounter with Nolan Wood, at the Fix on Sixth, ended with a one-night stand that Nolan wanted to turn into something more. Shelby’s plans for the future didn’t include a radio DJ with an over the top personality-a personality that could jeopardize her career path, and the relationship with the people back home. What ensues is the secret relationship between Shelby and Nolan, and the potential fall-out as Shelby refuses to acknowledge the man with whom she is falling in love. START ME UP focuses less on the man of the month competition and more on the developing relationship between two people at opposite ends of the personality and business spectrums. Their highly sexual relationship becomes anonymous fodder for the shock jock’s early morning drive in program, fodder that Shelby refuses to acknowledge fearing a loss of respect from her family, friends and co-workers. The premise is fast paced and energetic; the characters are colorful and sassy; the romance is quick to build, erotic and fun but once again, I take objection to the use of a certain four-letter word that the author some how adds to most of her romance stories.

I'm still loving this whole series, but this was more of a 3.5 star read for me, and this is my least favorite book in the series. It's still a good book; a steamy fun quick read, but I felt like there was a lack of development in the relationship of it's star characters. This book goes all the way back to the first book time lapse wise and because the book is short, but the timeline in the book is the long without flashbacks, there's just something missing for me. Each book of the series so far has had some sort of romance cliché; i.e. friends first, second chance love, best friend's little sister; so I'm guessing this one is opposite attract (there might be a better tag for it). Nolan is a great character; sexy, funny, sweet, caring, and has had some bad moments, but nothing overly tragic. Shelby is the intelligent, good girl who dates the right guy, has a solid career on the rise. Nolan brings out her inner "bad" girl. When we get to see the characters together the chemistry is hot, but I feel like we don't seem them together a lot. Another comparison to the other books, is that the epilogue of each book sets up the next book; however, the epilogue from the previous book doesn't present it's self until towards the end of this book. Based on the epilogue of the previous book and how each book has worked out so far, I was expecting something different. This is still a solid read and if you've enjoyed the three previous books then your going to enjoy this.

“Mornings With Wood” Shelby Drake is a career-focused, button-down accountant. Her conservative demeanor walks the straight line of a professional CPA but she’s missing a little bit of passion and excitement in her life. That all changes when she meets, oh so sexy, Nolan at the Fix, Austin’s downtown bar and grill. The night of the bachelorette party gets a little crazy, and with a bit of a dare from her girlfriends, Shelby locks eyes with Nolan. The instant attraction leads to a blissful one night fling. Well, that was the plan. Nolan Woods is a successful morning radio host. With a radio show called Mornings With Wood, his schtick is a bit raunchy, raw and funny, and the commuters love him to help liven up their morning ride. Nolan can’t forget Shelby and blurts it all out the next morning. To Shelby’s horror Nolan has overshared the intimacy she thought was special. But Nolan’s a gentleman all the way and she calls her the phantom woman. As hard as these two resist, Shelby and Nolan are worlds apart, she’s quiet and he’s boisterous. But Nolan brings the excitement and fun Shelby’s craved all along. Start Me Up is the book 4 in the Man of The Month series, and a great addition. With Nolan’s promotion of the Calendar contest and The Fix on his morning show, we get a glimpse of how the bar is progressing towards financial stability. This is a delightful romance of how opposites attract. I received and voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy.