Opening Up was not at all what I expected. It was the story of Asa and PJ. Both characters were unique and interesting. Fairly early in the book, their romance was solidified. The book was well-written. The dialogue was realistic and believable, but the conflict between PJ and Asa was minimal because they were both such nice people - almost too nice, too perfect. The main conflict in the book was between PJ and her father. Even at the end of the book, when the reason was revealed, we still don't get any real motivation behind the father's actions. What happens to the father? What happens to the company? What happens with PJ's mother, brothers, and sisters? Maybe some of this will be addressed in future books in this series. In the past, I've enjoyed the work of Lauren Dane. I hope future books in this series are more satisfying. ( )

I want to be PJ Carlson when I grow up ( )

Smart, funny, sassy heroine who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go for it. Grumpy, pierced, tattooed self-described grease monkey who thinks she’s too young for him.

I enjoyed every minute of this. ( )

4.5 "Rev up your engines" stars!!

Opening Up is the first installment in Lauren Dane's deliciously erotic Ink & Chrome series and wow!! It is an absolutely FANTASTIC beginning to what promises to be a knock your socks off, über steamy series featuring sexy alpha men and the women who win their hearts. MAJOR props for choosing blue collar, rough around the edges heroes and Oh. My. Gawd! LOVE that they work on cars and motorcycles. And not just any cars. Vintage muscle cars! *fans self*

Oh, yeah, now on to the review ;) . Asa Barrons co-owns Twisted Steel with his close friend Duke Bradshaw and he crosses paths with PJ (aka Penelope Jean) Colman at an industry event where she representing her family's tire business. PJ holds a corporate position in the company but her true love is her fledgling custom paint business. The two are instantly attracted to one another but Asa has a strict rule about mixing business with pleasure and he is also convinced she is too young for him. But an attraction as strong as theirs is too powerful to ignore and they share one night of sizzling sex. However Asa immediately puts the brakes on their budding relationship and although PJ is disappointed, she moves on with her life but that does not mean she has given up on tempting him into reconsidering his decision.

PJ is the youngest of the Colman siblings and she has worked hard to prove herself to the rest of the family. After trying and failing to win her father's approval, she finally dropped out of college to begin working in the family corporation. She is quite successful in her current position but PJ knows that adding her custom paint and detail business to the company would add to their bottom line and bring in new clients. As someone working in a male dominated field, she is used to proving herself, but neither her father nor uncle take her seriously and when they refuse to entertain her idea, she takes a calculated risk and quits the company to start up her own business. PJ is smart, sassy and self-confident and all of this combined with her stellar reputation makes it easy for her grow her new business. She also sees Asa on a fairly regular basis once she strikes out on her own since their careers are so closely intertwined.

Asa oozes sex appeal and he is an adrenaline junkie but he also has a very tender, gooey side that he keeps hidden underneath his tattooed, pierced and somewhat menacing exterior. He has nothing but respect for PJ but he is a little extremely protective of the people he cares about. This, along with his mistaken belief that he knows what is best for her (!), figure prominently in his decision to end their relationship after their night of incredible sex. But in actuality, he breaks it off with her because she challenges his ability to maintain control and his feelings for her are very different than any he has experienced before.

Surprisingly, the relationship between Asa and PJ is pretty evenly balanced. Sure, Asa is a take charge kind of man, but PJ is no shrinking violet. She knows what she wants and what she likes and she has no difficulty letting Asa know when he crosses a line with her. There is little conflict between them since they actually communicate with one another and talk through their problems with little angst or drama. Their compatibility extends to the bedroom and their sex scenes are quite naughty as Asa shows PJ just how pleasurably a little pain can be.

PJ's issues with her father are the main source of friction in the story. She continues to hold out hope he will take her seriously and show his appreciation for her but she does not make much progress with him. This part of the storyline is wrapped up rather nicely and although not everything is sunshine and rainbows in the end, the resolution is realistic.

Opening Up is a well-written novel with fabulously developed, engaging characters. It is fast-paced with a distinctive storyline that is compelling and interesting. The romance is slow growing and believable and the sex scenes are exquisitely sensual and quite erotic. All in all, it is a warm, witty and scrumptiously sexy beginning to Lauren Dane's Ink & Chrome series that will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment. ( )

This book killed it! Loved the writing, the story and the characters.

Alternative heroine that isn't annoying and over the top with how 'different' she is. Asa the hero is also amazingly diverse and well written.

Just loved this whole book. ( )