Review: Call on Me (Loving on the Edge #8) by Roni Loren
Contemporary Romance
Released: July 7, 2015
Berkley

Reviewed by Sheena

Oakley Easton wants two things: to be a good mom to her daughter and to ditch her less than ideal night job. Hooking up with bad boy drummer Pike Ryland? Not on the agenda. She needs a promotion. Not sex, tattoos and rock ’n’ roll.
Pike isn’t about to let Ms. Prim and Proper shut him down so easily, especially when he stumbles upon Oakley’s sexy night job. She’s only playing a role on those late night calls with strangers, but when he gets her on the line, all bets are off. He won’t stop until that sultry voice is calling his name for real.

But as they move from anonymous fantasies in the dark to the flesh-on-hot-flesh reality of the bedroom, the risk of falling in love becomes all too high. And the safe, quiet world that Oakley’s worked so hard to create is about to be exposed to the one person who could ruin it all.

Favorite Quote: “Are you charging me by the minute?…You’re kind of cute when your ego is bruised.”

I could not put it down. It may actually still be in my hands.  Call on Me is a fantastic novel full of authentic characters and so FUNNY!! I love a good romance, and Roni Loren has delivered the perfect balance of humor, drama and sexy times!  Oakley is a single mom, regimented in her routines and determined at all costs to make the best life possible for her daughter Reagan. No stranger to hard work, Oakley makes ends meet…by operating a phone sex line.  Though stunning, Oakley is not exactly who you would expect to have such a kinky side gig, but the juxtaposition between “daytime mom” Oakley and her alter ego, sex line worker, “Sasha,” is part of what made this novel so damn charming.

Pike was a force to be reckoned with.  I’ve long been invested in Pike since first glimpse in Not Until You.  He enters her life by pure happenstance and is her most forbidden temptation from the start.  Pike is a quintessential playboy drummer for a successful rock band, however, there is so much more to him than even he is willing to let on.  Their initial spark is undeniable and hilarity ensues.  The  comedic dialogue propels their romance forward and the dirty talk – *bites knuckles* – I mean, it’s a Roni Loren romance and the heroine is a phone sex operator. Enough said.  Oakley and Pike were two sides of the same coin.  They both yearned for a stable and loving family unit and true love, yet were living lives that presented road blocks to achieving their dream.  Pike went through women like water and Oakley was wound up and sealed tighter than Fort Knox. Both extremes providing a natural barrier and preventing anyone from really getting in to know and love them.

After some prodding and pushing from Pike, the two begin a tentative affair.  Oakley does not want to be hurt by the rolling stone she sees in Pike and Pike can’t fight the pull he feels towards making Oakley his.  I am totally #TeamPike and relished every moment of him breaking her resolve and insinuating himself into her desires.

“Now- [he] slouched back in his chair, legs wide in that cocky man way – “Let’s see how much you mean that.  The restroom is in the back right corner of the restaurant.  Go in there and take off your panties.”

“What?” She’d heard him, but the knee-jerk reaction was impossible to stop.

“You heard me just fine.  It’s a clean, private, one-person bathroom with a lock.  Take the panties off, put them in your purse, and then slide your fingers into your pussy until you’re good and wet for me.  I want you slick and ready. Once you’ve done that, you can come back out here and finish your dinner….you have five minutes”

“Now?  Pike, I-…”

“Just don’t think too hard about it…”

She nodded and pushed back from the table.  “Okay.”

The desire that sparked in his eyes when he saw that she was complying nearly had her stumbling in her heels as she stood.  “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

He lifted his hand and wiggled four fingers.  “You’re down to four minutes.  Don’t make me wait longer than that.  Can’t have our food getting cold.”

Annnnnd take my word for it.  The food sooo did not get cold!  When they allow themselves to finally give in, life happens and they are faced with an unexpected OMFG! circumstance.  Oakley reverts back to an old trauma and Pike…does not handle it well.  How they face their obstacle reveals the naked truth about who they are to one another and lets just say I was nearly catatonic with distress during this meaty part of the plot.  As a matter of fact, their shocking situation has a profound affect on Pike, whose reactions are pivotal.  In the interest of spoilers let’s just say thank GOODNESS for his friends and loved ones that stand up for him!  Pike is such a good hero!  Understanding, but immovable in his honor and how he patiently convinces Oakley that he wants to be there for her.  He is not perfect and when he is wounded emotionally he still manages to take the high road and want to fix things.  Oakley has her flaws, however, she is a fantastic mother and a lady in the streets but a freak in the sheets!!   Her maturity and nurturing vibe is just what Pike needs to balance his spirit.

Another stand out are the superb secondary characters, who are refreshingly relatable.  Though Call on Me is book 8 in the series, it works quite well as a stand alone. If you are a series veteran, you will be giddy over the slices of life you can glean from their appearances in Call on Me.  If you are new to the series, these supporting characters are diverse and colorful enough that they beg you to find out more about them.  Pike and Oakley do not disappoint as they tackle blending families, special needs and even statutory rape (it is very mild and I doubt it be a trigger of any kind).   In a short span of time, they find one another, engage in some push/pull, come together (literally– heh), fracture and then emerge from their tumultuous courtship a little scarred but all the more solid!  It’s a roller-coaster, but one I will gladly buckle up for- over…and over…and over…

Grade: A

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