Talk Me Down

I had to revisit this review, just as I often revisit this book. Dahl's Tumble Creek series is a favorite of mine to re-read, and "Talk Me Down" is a favorite within the series. While the drama/thriller portion of the story doesn't do much for me, I adore the relationship between the main characters. Molly makes me laugh out loud, and the development of her relationship with Ben is steamy and sweet.

Re-read 2/9/11 - Recommended this one to my girlfriend last weekend, she loved it so much I had to re-read it again myself. I love, love, love this book. I finished it with a happy sigh. It cracks me up that the last time I read this book was just this past November (and now I'm re-reading it in February. I read this every 4 months? show more Really?!). I'm such a sucker for Victoria Dahl.

Re-read July 2011 - Waiting for all the August releases sent me back to TALK ME DOWN. Even though Netgalley came through with advanced copies of GOOD GIRLS DON'T and BAD BOYS DO, I still came back to TMD for a booster shot afterwards.

re-read Nov 2011 - Three times in one year, who has a problem? Read Olivia Cunnings BACKSTAGE PASS again, which got me all hot and bothered for great characters (and hot bothering). While TALK ME DOWN isn't as "erotica-y" as BACKSTAGE PASS, the chemistry between Molly and Ben is fabulously well written. I tend to skim the parts from the "stalkers" POV, but all of the scenes in The Bar (and the truck) have me slowing down and savoring every word. show less

I still can't quite put my finger on, after reading three of Ms. Dahl's books, how she can write so that when I read I feel drawn in and comfortable. Reason number one why I love her work. This book (and this series) have a the great feeling of comfort reads, books you want to relax into after a long hard day or take with you to the bathtub with bubbles.

The characters in all of Ms. Dahl's book are what make the book worth reading. She unfurls each and every one of them slowly and lets you get to know them at your own pace. They are all strong and yet each of them has a flaw that makes them equally human. I love Molly in this book because she is fun and she is the comic relief, everyone else is so serious, her humor is her strength and show more her flaw. I also equally love our hero Ben; he is sexy, dreamy, and oh-so-naughty in all the best ways...and that cowboy hat, yes, sir!

The plot in this story is equally complex and simple. Boy meets girl, girl has problem, boy helps with problem, happily every after, yet there is so much more going on. I love the twists and turns Ms. Dahl throws in the book that make the plot just as enjoyable as the sensual side of the story.

I already covered the comfort the author brings through her writing and she also has a smooth writing style, easy to understand and follow. She also writes some of the hottest sensual scenes around...the only author I can match her in heat with is Kresley Cole, and she is the hottest in my book. Definitely give this book a try, you won't regret it! show less

I wavered between a 3 and a 4 for this book. I'd say it suffered from Mary Jo Putney disease - an excellent emotional story derailed a bit by a poorly executed suspense plot.

Before I read this, I had seen people disparage the heroine as behaving like a "dog in heat." Apparently I am a shameless hussy, because this is one of the few contemporary heroines I've read who took her sexuality by the horns and I thought it was wonderful to see.

Molly Jennings is an erotic romance writer who's moved back to her small hometown nestled in the Rockies. She's moved into the house her aunt willed to her to get a fresh start away from a creepy stalker ex and hopefully rediscover her muse. When she bumps into Ben Lawson - police chief, her older show more brother's friend, and her serious crush from way back when - she also wonders if she can't make a couple dreams come true.

I was reading this while en route to a vacation and my fellow fliers must have thought me insane from all the giggling I was doing. The interplay between the characters is hilarious. Molly and Ben are always joking with each other and laughter is a big part of their relationship, both in bed and out. I really felt the connection between the two and loved watching them feel each other out.

As wonderful as Molly and Ben were, I did not care for the suspense plot. I found the stalker ex drawn cartoonishly and found the twist ending bizarre and unnecessary. While I understood her reasons for keeping her job secret, I couldn't buy her reasoning for not mentioning the stalker ex. Even if she was sure it wasn't him bothering her in Tumble Creek, I could see no reason to justify keeping a juicy secret like that.

As for her job, that made sense. Her first novel was too personal - she based it off the time she walked in on Ben getting a blowjob from a girlfriend - and she didn't want her fantasy made public or Ben dragged into the gossip circuit. Ben's school principal father had created scandal with his affair with an 18 year old student. Understandably, Ben doesn't want to be associated with sex or scandal ever again.

I loved both Molly and Ben and can't wait to continue the series. Molly was wonderfully in charge of her own happiness and orgasms and Ben was a refreshing blend of responsible, take-charge alpha and understanding, insecure beta. Dahl's a much better contemporary voice than a historical one. show less

The funny parts were funny, the sexy parts were sexy and the scary/suspenseful parts were scary. Unfortunately, the romance was not very romantic. The hero, Ben, was generally likable and I could see why Molly, the heroine, had had a crush on him for so long. Molly, unfortunately, was... she was kind of Pollyanna-ish, which I could deal with, and she was kind of impulsive, which I could also deal with, and it wasn't that she was stupid, but... all of her excuses for engaging in highly questionable and honestly kind of immature behavior made me really not respect her. I honestly can't see Ben putting up with her in a long term sort of way, which makes this a sort-of HFN but not a believable HEA.

There's a lot to like in this novel. Molly is a lot of fun - spunky and determined to get what she wants (Ben). She's unafraid and unashamed of sex, and she's not ashamed of her career, either. The secret is kept for other reasons. There are bits of this that are downright hilarious (like accidentally setting the siren off in his truck), fun scenes when Molly is out with her girl pals and absolutely set on tantalizing the police chief out of his wits.

Dahl also captures the charm of an old relationship reawakening as something new - all of the pent-up sexual tension that Ben didn't allow himself to feel and Molly's fantasies. But also tender scenes like when Ben refuses to take nude photos of Molly, but leaves beautiful shots of her ear show more and the curve of her neck next to her on the bed when she wakes up. Their relationship is, of course, made more difficult by the town's gleeful gossip and Ben's fear of public attention. And all of that works.

What definitely doesn't work as well is the stalker subplot. Although I could sympathize with Molly's fears that Ben would fall for her ex's charm just like everyone else did, stalking crimes are dangerous. And while Molly showed good sense in calling the cops when she did see someone, it was incredibly stupid not to tell someone (particularly her law enforcement boyfriend) about her ex harassing her. She never fell over the line into TSTL for me, but I was definitely exasperated that she kept THAT a secret.

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Talk Me Down
3.5 Stars

Molly Jennings is a writer of erotic romance, but she keeps her profession secret from her family and friends. After a difficult break-up, Molly returns home to Tumble Creek to escape her manipulative ex and becomes involved with her childhood crush turned Chief of Police, Ben Lawson. No stranger to scandal, Ben is wary of falling for the secretive Molly, but must put his reservations aside when someone starts stalking her...

Molly is an endearing mix of witty sarcasm and ditzy silliness. Despite her often good intentions, she is constantly getting into trouble and calling Ben to come to the rescue. For most of the book, Ben is an incredible hero, sexy, honorable and loving. Unfortunately, toward the end, he turns show more into a petulant, sanctimonious jerk whose humungous ego almost gets Molly killed.

The plot is comprised of two main threads, Molly’s secret profession and her creepy stalker. While the keeping secrets trope is usually a no-no for me, in this particular case it isn’t too bad perhaps because Ben is aware of the secret from the get go.

The suspense plot seems obvious and straightforward at first but the twist at the end caught me completely by surprise, so kudos to Dahl in this respect.

All in all, a mostly light and entertaining read with a heart-pounding climax. Will read more by this author. show less

Molly Jennings is hopeful that moving back to her small home town of Tumble Creek will help alleviate her writer's block as well as provide the distance to convince her stalker ex-boyfriend to back off. While Molly's writing of erotic novels takes off in Tumble Creek, particularly when she reconnects with sexy police chief Ben Lawson, someone still has it in for Molly although it remains unclear whether it's her creepy ex.

I was in the mood for a romance novel and this filled the bill. Molly and Ben's romance is enjoyable even if the suspense plot is a little wobbly. If you like Dahl's writing or slightly smutty contemporary romance, give this one a try.