Review: Turn It Up
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 08 1, 2011
Bastian and Charlie have been best friends for years. Charlie was there for Bastian when his marriage was falling apart. They also co-host a radio show as Dr. Hot and they Honeypot. Over the years, Bastian's feelings for Charlie have grown into more than just love as a friend. He wants the HEA and he wants it with Charlie. Charlie doesn't believe in love and the white picket fence. Her friendship with Bastian is the most normal relationship she has ever had and she doesn't want to ruin it by throwing sex and love into the mix. Bastian is determined to win Charlie's heart and show her that forever is possible. But Charlie doesn't believe in forever and feels that by giving in to Bastian's demands, she will be losing herself and her best friend in the process.I loved the premise of Turn It Up. It's rare in a romance where they hero is the one experiencing unrequited love. Bastian is a traditional kind of guy. He loves marriage and the idea of being connected with someone forever. His first marriage didn't work but he has not given up on the idea of happy ever after. Once Bastian lets the cat out of the bag and tells Charlie how he feels, he's not afraid to put everything out there.I really liked the dynamic of Bastian and Charlie's relationship. Bastian is a great, supportive friend to Charlie and even when the relationship changed, he continued to have Charlie's back. Their sexual banter on their radio show emphasized the great chemistry that they had with each other.I enjoyed reading Turn It Up but I had a problem with Charlie throughout the entire book. I could not warm up to her at all and felt that Bastian deserved better. Many of her actions were hypocritical and childish.  I felt that there wasn't any growth in Charlie's character until the very end and by then I had stopped caring. Charlie displayed a lot of bravado and confidence in her sexuality but she had no self-esteem. And her lack of self-esteem was on full display towards the end of the book. Charlie's notion that she wasn't good enough for Bastian irked me. Bastian constantly proves that she was more than good enough and Charlie turns a blind eye to it. Not once did Bastian display any hesitancy in being with Charlie or that the fact that she was a sex talk show radio host bothered him. Heck, he worked with her and his co-workers at the hospital were aware of it. I didn't see any growth in Charlie as the story progressed. If anything, it felt like she regressed at times.I felt that the emotional aspect of Bastian and Charlie's relationship was one-sided. Bastian constantly showed Charlie that he wanted more than just a physical relationship and how much he truly loved her. Charlie would be awed by Bastian's display of kindness and love and then would undermine whatever headway Bastian had made by wanting to get physical. This was a constant push and pull throughout the book. Bastian would display his heart and Charlie would step on it.Turn It Up is a good story about what happens when you fall in love with your best friend. Bastian and Charlie definitely had great chemistry. I loved their sexual banter as Dr. Hot and Honeypot. And when Charlie was trying to convince Bastian to come over to the dark side and give in to her sexually, it was hot! Despite my issues with Charlie and her lack of emotional growth, I still recommend this read if you are a fan of Inez Kelley.