cocktailsandbooks1's review
3.0
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books
If you like a tall dark mysterious Italian alpha man than this is the perfect book for you.
This is about Leo Perconti the oldest of 6 brothers and sisters who is called in to Boston to try and save his family’s flagship hotel that is being run by his younger brother Marco. Leo is hoping that by marrying off his younger sister Arianna to a wealthy aviation tycoon he can forge a partnership that will save the family business and fortune. Leo is also coming off a nasty divorce and has sworn off love and has asked his brothers to follow suite to help try to repair the family image. Needless to say Leo has a lot of saving to do and no one to really look out for him – so when he meets Karin Norell he is blindsided.
Karin is working as an intern at the hotel trying to balance work and school to get her hospitality degree. The hotel staff is overworked and underpaid and she ends up doing more then just looking at spreadsheets and ends up cleaning rooms when the maids call in sick. Karin and Leo meet when Leo mistakes Karin as a maid when she is forced to get his room ready for his visit. Leo has a dark side in the bedroom and shows Karin what a submissive sexual relationship looks like. Karin soon becomes more and more addicted to Leo and his dominating ways which puts them in some extremely compromising positions. Their feelings for each grow non the less and Leo finds that its ok to trust again.
I really liked Leo – he is head of a family and has taken a lot of burden on himself to try and save the family. He has been impacted by events that have taken place in his past that cause him to deal with anxiety and depression that he does have to take medication for. I appreciate the fact that even though as Leo’s relationship with Karin grows he continues to take his medication even when he feels like he is doing better. I commend Suzanne Rock for depicting that behavior throughout the book – it sends a great message that I believe is very important. I also like his brothers and sister – they are a family unit and would do anything for each other and that shows throughout the book. There is a great setup for the next book with Arianna that I am looking forward to.
To me the weak link is Karin – there were times I found her naive to the point of annoying. She is extremely smart and does have some great ideas to help Leo but then there are things she does and says that I found hard to believe. I am also confused about her back story – we as the reader only get a few glimpses of specific things for Karin while for Leo we meet members of his family and get a full picture of his story. Seemed a little lopsided to me and it was hard for me to invest in Karin like I could with Leo. I am hoping the next book will show us more of Karin since it feels like Karin and Leo’s story is a little unfinished.
Overall it’s a good story and does a great job to set up the Perconti family for the next books.
Reviewer information can be found under the Tags section of the post on our site.
If you like a tall dark mysterious Italian alpha man than this is the perfect book for you.
This is about Leo Perconti the oldest of 6 brothers and sisters who is called in to Boston to try and save his family’s flagship hotel that is being run by his younger brother Marco. Leo is hoping that by marrying off his younger sister Arianna to a wealthy aviation tycoon he can forge a partnership that will save the family business and fortune. Leo is also coming off a nasty divorce and has sworn off love and has asked his brothers to follow suite to help try to repair the family image. Needless to say Leo has a lot of saving to do and no one to really look out for him – so when he meets Karin Norell he is blindsided.
Karin is working as an intern at the hotel trying to balance work and school to get her hospitality degree. The hotel staff is overworked and underpaid and she ends up doing more then just looking at spreadsheets and ends up cleaning rooms when the maids call in sick. Karin and Leo meet when Leo mistakes Karin as a maid when she is forced to get his room ready for his visit. Leo has a dark side in the bedroom and shows Karin what a submissive sexual relationship looks like. Karin soon becomes more and more addicted to Leo and his dominating ways which puts them in some extremely compromising positions. Their feelings for each grow non the less and Leo finds that its ok to trust again.
I really liked Leo – he is head of a family and has taken a lot of burden on himself to try and save the family. He has been impacted by events that have taken place in his past that cause him to deal with anxiety and depression that he does have to take medication for. I appreciate the fact that even though as Leo’s relationship with Karin grows he continues to take his medication even when he feels like he is doing better. I commend Suzanne Rock for depicting that behavior throughout the book – it sends a great message that I believe is very important. I also like his brothers and sister – they are a family unit and would do anything for each other and that shows throughout the book. There is a great setup for the next book with Arianna that I am looking forward to.
To me the weak link is Karin – there were times I found her naive to the point of annoying. She is extremely smart and does have some great ideas to help Leo but then there are things she does and says that I found hard to believe. I am also confused about her back story – we as the reader only get a few glimpses of specific things for Karin while for Leo we meet members of his family and get a full picture of his story. Seemed a little lopsided to me and it was hard for me to invest in Karin like I could with Leo. I am hoping the next book will show us more of Karin since it feels like Karin and Leo’s story is a little unfinished.
Overall it’s a good story and does a great job to set up the Perconti family for the next books.
Reviewer information can be found under the Tags section of the post on our site.
noveladdiction's review
2.0
I was trying to come up with the best word to describe this book.. and the only one that keeps popping up, time and time again, is "cliche." It was the same old same old. Nothing felt new or special or exciting. And there were quite a few times I rolled my eyes so hard that I gave myself a headache. There were a few moments in the book that gave me hope, but overall, this book was nothing new and nothing special.
See my actual/full review of AT HIS SERVICE on Romance Reviews Today in July 2015.
I received a free, advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
See my actual/full review of AT HIS SERVICE on Romance Reviews Today in July 2015.
I received a free, advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
cheryls's review against another edition
3.0
The dominant side of this gorgeous Italian man started out being very sexy. I wouldn't go as far as saying he was abusive but he was possessive and obsessed. At times I couldn't tell if he was trying to protect her or just keep her hidden for his own purposes. It bothered me that Karen thought that his behavior was okay and kept going back for more. I thought she'd be a stronger woman but it turns out that her strength was business and not relationships.
The story line was good but I found Leo's siblings more interesting than his relationship with Karen.
Received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The story line was good but I found Leo's siblings more interesting than his relationship with Karen.
Received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
poisonivy70's review
2.0
Leo Perconti, known by his employees as “the General” loves to give orders. When Karin finds herself trapped in the Presidential suite retrieving her co-worker’s phone, she ends up taking them, since Leo mistakes her for a party girl. She doesn’t correct Leo’s impression, at first. Then he finds out, and still loves the fantasy of his little maid. A torrid D/s affair, and some romance, happens.
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
The Good: Hot sex. The general idea of badass hotel owner with control issues and the ingenue certainly has its appeal. Leo is a myriad of pills for anxiety, depression, etc. which isn’t a common thing for romantic heroes. The setup is there for an interesting romance….
The Bad: Unfortunately, too often those interesting ideas get lost in Illogical plot points, which ultimately drag down the story. For example, the family is in the red. It’s stated several times that the brothers are frivolous, drunk or running around wasting money. Then the one who’s supposed to be the smart one? Leo’s spending money and more concerned about sex than the family falling apart. Karin is allegedly smart, but she runs out of a hotel wrapped in a sheet. A hotel that she knows is being watched by paparazzi. She hides in plain sight while listening to conversations. Does internet searches about BDSM at her place of business, but doesn’t close the browser. All of these little moments that all added up to my eye-rolling more than getting lost in the story.
The story also seems as if it was taken straight from the serial format, which unfortunately lead to alot of repetition, and alot of sex. While hot, it still felt overabundant, and I found myself skimming more than not.
Everything In Between: Leo and Karin have some chemistry but I struggled to see the love springing out of their affair. There’s certainly an attraction, but their encounters seemed fueled more by their libidos than any emotional connection.
The Bottom Line
It was ok. I think fans of the serial format with a heavy emphasis on sex, and over the top billionaire fantasy might enjoy this more than I did.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
The Good: Hot sex. The general idea of badass hotel owner with control issues and the ingenue certainly has its appeal. Leo is a myriad of pills for anxiety, depression, etc. which isn’t a common thing for romantic heroes. The setup is there for an interesting romance….
The Bad: Unfortunately, too often those interesting ideas get lost in Illogical plot points, which ultimately drag down the story. For example, the family is in the red. It’s stated several times that the brothers are frivolous, drunk or running around wasting money. Then the one who’s supposed to be the smart one? Leo’s spending money and more concerned about sex than the family falling apart. Karin is allegedly smart, but she runs out of a hotel wrapped in a sheet. A hotel that she knows is being watched by paparazzi. She hides in plain sight while listening to conversations. Does internet searches about BDSM at her place of business, but doesn’t close the browser. All of these little moments that all added up to my eye-rolling more than getting lost in the story.
The story also seems as if it was taken straight from the serial format, which unfortunately lead to alot of repetition, and alot of sex. While hot, it still felt overabundant, and I found myself skimming more than not.
Everything In Between: Leo and Karin have some chemistry but I struggled to see the love springing out of their affair. There’s certainly an attraction, but their encounters seemed fueled more by their libidos than any emotional connection.
The Bottom Line
It was ok. I think fans of the serial format with a heavy emphasis on sex, and over the top billionaire fantasy might enjoy this more than I did.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
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