Lead Me On by Victoria Dahl
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: HQN Books
Available: January 1, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0373774340
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Book received from: Publisher

The wrong man just might be her perfect fit...

Primal attraction is a big red flag to prim and proper office manager, Jane Morgan. After a rough childhood with a mother who liked her men in prison jumpsuit orange, Jane changed her name, her look and her taste for bad boys. So why is she lusting for William Chase with his tattoo-covered biceps, steel-toed boots and unadulterated sex appeal? The man blows things up for a living!

She gives herself one explosive, fantasy-filled night with Chase. The next day, it’s back to plain Jane and safe men.But when her beloved brother becomes a murder suspect, and her lawyer ex-boyfriend won’t help, Jane turns to Chase. And she discovers a man who’s been around the block knows a thing or two about uncovering all kinds of truths.

Lead Me On is the third book in the Tumble Creek series.  It can easily be read as a stand alone novel.

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

Chase is a blue collared, steel-toe boot, jean wearing rough guy with muscles and tattoos (skull tat, yum).  He’s everything that turns Jane on and everything she has turned her back on.  He owns an excavation company and shows up one day at the architecture firm Jane works for. 

When they meet, Chase feels a spark of attraction but isn’t really sure why.  Jane is plain, dressed conservatively and is throwing off vibes that clearly say she does not approve of him.  He’s confused by his
attraction—

Her skin looked soft as all hell, and he couldn’t help but wonder how a lady like this would respond to being nibbled. But why the hell was he thinking about nibbling a complete stranger?

—but then decides it’s because he’s “pumped and horny as hell” a result of a recent blast his excavation company executed.  A good explosion always gets him going. 

After getting some mixed vibes from Jane, Chase decides to ask her out and is promptly turned down.  However he is excited by Jane’s prim and proper persona—he wants to “mess her up”—so he leaves her a business card hoping she’ll change her mind. 

Later, after a few drinks with a friend, Jane gives in and decides just one night with the sexy Chase can’t hurt.  Chase jumps at the chance for a date with her and they share a very, very steamy night together and then begin a complicated affair thereafter. 

Jane’s life is further complicated by her brother who has been arrested and may be charged with murder.  On top of all the other things she is juggling and despite her efforts to distant herself from her past, she must find out the truth about the crime and prove her brother is innocent.

I always say I like my heroes and heroines imperfect and Chase and Jane fit nicely into that category.  Jane is fearful both of her past and being exposed as a fraud. She also fears falling for a man that she thinks is not good enough for her.  Her actions are at times cruel, and selfish but she always seems to come around and realize these faults and tries to make amends. She’s got issues to say the least but it was easy to sympathize with her and I found her character extremely likeable.   

Chase has the rough and tough exterior but when it comes to Jane he’s all soft on the inside.  He’s very loveable and patient with Jane but maybe just a bit too much at times. While his kindness toward Jane is admirable, she really makes him work for their relationship and I constantly wondered where his limit would finally be. 

Victoria Dahl’s secondary characters are both interesting and engaging.  Two stood out for me above the rest though.  First there was Mac, Jane’s ex-con step father.  He’s a prime example of why not to judge a book by it’s cover.  Jane considers him a loving father and credits him for saving her from her path of destruction. 

The other secondary character that stood out for me was Greg, Jane’s jack rabbit lover/ex-boyfriend.  (Read the book if you want to know what the jack rabbit reference means.)  He truly was a character to hate.  His character was written so effectively, that when reading about him I had a scowl on my face.  He was a great villain, easy to despise and I looked forward to someone kicking his ass.

Lead Me On is a wickedly sexy read and packed plenty of humor and romance.  I didn’t want to put it down once I started reading and the only true disappointment I felt was in finishing it. I wanted more!

Visit Victoria Dahl at: Website | Blog |Twitter | GoodReads

Purchase a copy of Lead Me On

Other books in the Tumble Creek Series:

Talk Me Down (Tumble Creek #1)

Start Me Up (Tumble Creek #2)

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