TURN IT UP is another wonderful contemporary romance by Inez Kelley.

Dr. Bastian Talbot and Charlie Pierce are co-hosts of the late night radio program "Let's Talk about Sex with Dr. Hot and the Honeypot." The sexual banter between their on-air alter egos has never threatened their long-standing (and platonic) friendship. Everything changes when a "s'morgansm" is quickly followed by Bastian's declaration of love and a marriage proposal. Charlie doesn't do commitment, though she's more than willing to have sex with him before mourning the loss of a dear friendship. Bastian, holding out for forever, refuses to have sex with Charlie until she says yes to his proposal. Thus the on-air and off-air battle of wills, known to all as The Race to Bed or Wed, begins. Who will give in first? And at what cost?

Because one of the characters is refusing to have sex, TURN IT UP is less overtly erotic than some of Ms. Kelley's other books. However, there is no absence of sexual tension and playfulness. I was fully invested in both the friendship and romance between Bastian and Charlie. At the heart of this story is the emotional struggle in redefining their relationship and trusting a different future than what each believed was possible. Their desires, longings, and fears were palpable. I couldn't stop reading until I found out how they got to their happily ever after. The supporting characters' (Bastian's brother and Charlie's mother) have their own journeys that serve to enrich the story.