tinasbooknook's review against another edition
3.0
Liked, but didn't love, not quite sure why. Good characters and it's fun to see more of what is happening st Top
deanie's review against another edition
4.0
Javier Leones doesn't understand monogamy. He's a known playboy, both at Top restaurant (where he's a chef) and at club Sanctum (where he's a Dom), so his co-worker and neighbor Juliana O'Neil could be forgiven for thinking all he wants from her is a one night stand. Military veteran Juliana had once hoped to be a chef, but after the traumatic amputation of her dominant hand, she thinks both her professional and personal dreams are out of reach. Can Javier convince Juliana that he wants more from her, both as a lover and as a chef?
I really disliked the first two books in the Masters and Mercenaries series, so I'm not sure why I even tried this book. Maybe it's my obsession with the Food Network that makes me want to read about chefs. But unlike the first two books, this book is full of characters that seem like they could be real people -- Javier, caring for his disabled veteran brother while starting his first long-term relationship. Juliana, who's let her injury take away her dreams. It's a thoughtful look at the trauma and recovery of veterans hidden away in a BDSM romance novel -- and it's wonderful.
I really disliked the first two books in the Masters and Mercenaries series, so I'm not sure why I even tried this book. Maybe it's my obsession with the Food Network that makes me want to read about chefs. But unlike the first two books, this book is full of characters that seem like they could be real people -- Javier, caring for his disabled veteran brother while starting his first long-term relationship. Juliana, who's let her injury take away her dreams. It's a thoughtful look at the trauma and recovery of veterans hidden away in a BDSM romance novel -- and it's wonderful.
lyshreads's review
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
thesassybookworm's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would but not as much as I hoped I would. You can pretty much chalk that up to me being over the whole uber manwhore thing lately. I knew going in that that was exactly what Javi was, but I had hoped we would not get a front row seat for his actions. But we do. And his manwhore past is in our face constantly throughout the book (the last throwaway comment at the end of the book about the condoms and lube in the broom closet was nasty and totally unnecessary at that point). And not only do we the reader get a front row seat, so does the heroine (Jules). And honestly, that type of scenario is one of my least favorite in my romance books. Mostly because I lose respect for the heroine because no woman with an ounce of self-respect would want to get into a relationship with a guy who she has seen with a revolving door of women. At least she wasn't sitting around pining for him while he was screwing everything that walked right in front of her. So that was a positive. That was the bad stuff. Now on to the good stuff...
The writing as always was top notch. It was well paced. The plot was engaging and kept me turning the pages. The Rafe mystery was a little underdeveloped, but he intrigued me, and I hope we will be seeing him in his own book one day. The sex scenes were reasonably hot (if a little on the light side). It is always a treat to see characters from other books. Especially my man Ian (I wanted more of him). Jules, I adored. She was sweet and feisty. I loved that Miz Blake introduced us to a female vet amputee. Something you rarely ever see in romance books. Javi, what can I say. I liked him for the most part. Except when he threw his little hissy fit because of Jule's preconceived notions about him. I mean if you act like a manwhore that has sex with coworkers in broom closets, then don't cop an attitude when you are treated like the manwhore you have always been.
As a couple, they missed the mark for me. The transition from him going from wanting to give one woman his collar than when that didn't work out going on a sexathon for two straight weeks, and then all of a sudden wanting a relationship and professing his love for the heroine was WAY too fast for me. And I just didn't buy it. The other issue I had was as I mentioned above the constant mentioning of his manwhore past. WAY too many comparisons between the heroine and his past hookups. Way too much inner thoughts on Javi's side about his history with women and even the heroine kept bringing up his "other women" in conversations. For "ME" that hindered my ability to connect with this couple. It's hard to get onboard with a relationship if I am being beaten over the head by one-half of that couples past sexcapdes all the time. Lastly, it was all wrapped up in an OK ending. Personally, I would have liked more, but this author isn't big on epilogues, so it is what it is.
Wrapping this up, I'll admit I'm a bit sad because I have had an issue with the last few books I have read by this author. I don't hate them. I can only think of one book that was a total miss for me. I always enjoy them overall. But with the ridiculous OTT manwhore heroes of late and the reader constantly being beaten over the head with the hero's past. Where I use to be SO over the moon excited when a new Lexi Blake book was released, I now enter into them with a lot of trepidation and caution. And that really kind of sucks. Nevertheless, the good has outweighed the bad thus far, so I am still hanging in and keeping my fingers crossed the next book is a hit.
hereisbridget's review against another edition
5.0
Lexi Blake never fails to deliver an AMAZING read! At Your Service left me with a smile so big, I was worried my face was permanently stuck like that! Seriously. Jules and Javi were EVERYTHING. Their story squeezed my heart. It's emotional, heart-warming, hot, and funny! Everything I could want in a bite-sized read! I cannot wait for the next Lexi Blake book!
*I received a copy from the author*
*I received a copy from the author*
malissac's review against another edition
4.0
I throughly enjoyed the story of Javier and Juliana. I have been quite anxious to get my hands on Javier's story, I mean how was Lexi Blake going to redeem Javier the 'manwhore'? I can admit to some serious worry, but I should have never feared a moment, Ms. Blake pulls of his redemption flawlessly and she wrote the only heroine that could have done it, Juliana.
What happens when two people who feel that they don't deserve love come together? I loved the pull and push between these two. I can honestly say that normally that little bit of angst would drive me nuts, I am not an angst type of girl but I loved how it went with these two. How the relationship between Juliana and Javier builds, how they fight their demons and their fears without every fully giving up on one another, how open Javier is with his feelings. I loved the strength of Juliana, particularly at the end of the story when she isn't fighting her own demons but she is fighting to save the love she has found with Javier. Sometimes what a strong hero needs is a stronger and more determined heroine and Juliana is all of that, though it may have taken her a while to get there. I loved how Juliana starts as Javier's rock during a difficult time, how that then changes to Javier being there when Juliana needs him most, then back again to Juliana holding them together, and finally them both coming together and realizing that they need to be each other's strength.
We get a lot of Sean and Ian in this book as well and Gah, I loved it. I will admit now that when this whole series began I was not a fan of Ian's, but with every book I fall deeper and deeper in book boyfriend love with him. Sean, oh Sean, I have missed him in the Masters and Mercenaries books so it is so wonderful to walk back into his world and see how much he has grown. He is so much like Ian and becomes more and more similar with each book and it just makes me chuckle every time those two brothers come together.
At Your Service, was such a wonderful book. The romance, the character development, the laughter, the friendships....it is classic Lexi Blake and something I have come to love about this series. I want to be friends and family with these people. I want to watch them grow and change. I love that with Topped we get the stories of Veterans. Veterans who come with not just a history of having fought for their country, but of having been to war, of having survived and not always easily. I love that Lexi Blake gives us a glimpse into the life of these Service Members who come back with not only 'opened eyes' but changes in their minds, changes in their bodies, changes in their life. I love how Lexi takes their pain, their ups and downs, their fall and their recovery, seamlessly into their love stories. I love how she doesn't use their military service simply as a gimmick but as a major role in their stories, because if this were 'real life' those issues would be just that, a major part of their life and their relationships.
If you love Lexi Blake this is a great addition to this series. If you have never read any Lexi Blake you can go ahead and pick this one up, there is a long past that goes along with these stories but you won't be overly lost and you will be getting an amazing story and I am certain a desire to go back to the first book and begin at the well, beginning.
~ HAPPY READING ~
http://www.readsallthebooks.com
What happens when two people who feel that they don't deserve love come together? I loved the pull and push between these two. I can honestly say that normally that little bit of angst would drive me nuts, I am not an angst type of girl but I loved how it went with these two. How the relationship between Juliana and Javier builds, how they fight their demons and their fears without every fully giving up on one another, how open Javier is with his feelings. I loved the strength of Juliana, particularly at the end of the story when she isn't fighting her own demons but she is fighting to save the love she has found with Javier. Sometimes what a strong hero needs is a stronger and more determined heroine and Juliana is all of that, though it may have taken her a while to get there. I loved how Juliana starts as Javier's rock during a difficult time, how that then changes to Javier being there when Juliana needs him most, then back again to Juliana holding them together, and finally them both coming together and realizing that they need to be each other's strength.
We get a lot of Sean and Ian in this book as well and Gah, I loved it. I will admit now that when this whole series began I was not a fan of Ian's, but with every book I fall deeper and deeper in book boyfriend love with him. Sean, oh Sean, I have missed him in the Masters and Mercenaries books so it is so wonderful to walk back into his world and see how much he has grown. He is so much like Ian and becomes more and more similar with each book and it just makes me chuckle every time those two brothers come together.
At Your Service, was such a wonderful book. The romance, the character development, the laughter, the friendships....it is classic Lexi Blake and something I have come to love about this series. I want to be friends and family with these people. I want to watch them grow and change. I love that with Topped we get the stories of Veterans. Veterans who come with not just a history of having fought for their country, but of having been to war, of having survived and not always easily. I love that Lexi Blake gives us a glimpse into the life of these Service Members who come back with not only 'opened eyes' but changes in their minds, changes in their bodies, changes in their life. I love how Lexi takes their pain, their ups and downs, their fall and their recovery, seamlessly into their love stories. I love how she doesn't use their military service simply as a gimmick but as a major role in their stories, because if this were 'real life' those issues would be just that, a major part of their life and their relationships.
If you love Lexi Blake this is a great addition to this series. If you have never read any Lexi Blake you can go ahead and pick this one up, there is a long past that goes along with these stories but you won't be overly lost and you will be getting an amazing story and I am certain a desire to go back to the first book and begin at the well, beginning.
~ HAPPY READING ~
http://www.readsallthebooks.com
pavi_fictionalworm's review against another edition
4.0
Lexi Blake is one of my top authors of all times – and I have never, not once, NOT liked her work – I might have had little issues with the characters themselves (I can’t like every human being on this planet after all!) but not the way Ms. Blake writes these books!
At Your Service is a novella, but Ms. Blake makes sure that her readers do get to enjoy a whole lot more than what could be expected from a novella.
Javier is a chef at Top, Sean Taggart’s restaurant and is the kind of flings – but I have always understood that there is a level of intensity to him, that most might miss, especially if they only look to his surface and not what lies underneath him.
Jules is a war veteran, and lost her arm – things that she believes that she has dealt with and moved on from, but since the first meeting, it’s easy to see that it isn’t quite true.
Javier and Jules have always been attracted to each other, and both do end up acting upon that attraction, but for different reasons. But I absolutely adored how Javier, even with his past and proclivities; pretty much knew what he wanted from Jules the moment their relationship changes and how he acted upon that certainty with single minded focus! Jules, however, did get on my nerves, for a little while, especially with the judgmental attitude she showed towards Javier!
In the end, though, for a novella, this book did make sure that the reader got what they came for – a hot ride for two wildly opposite players and their journey to HEA!
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lauraanne9's review
4.0
***ARC Provided by the Author and InkSlingerPR***
This series is just fun. Each one of them has been great and while they are a series, each one has managed to feel like a totally different story in the same world.
Juliana and Javier work together and she is trying to put her life back together after an injury. I love that she is not "perfect" and I love that she is not necessarily the stereotypical heroine of a romance story. Sometimes stories and characters appeal to me for different reasons, and I think this is true for everyone...and the idea of a heroine who isn't perfect, well, I loved this.
As always, the writing and the relationship were strong and compelling. You like the characters, and the secondary characters added to the story in interesting ways.
I recommend this title.
This series is just fun. Each one of them has been great and while they are a series, each one has managed to feel like a totally different story in the same world.
Juliana and Javier work together and she is trying to put her life back together after an injury. I love that she is not "perfect" and I love that she is not necessarily the stereotypical heroine of a romance story. Sometimes stories and characters appeal to me for different reasons, and I think this is true for everyone...and the idea of a heroine who isn't perfect, well, I loved this.
As always, the writing and the relationship were strong and compelling. You like the characters, and the secondary characters added to the story in interesting ways.
I recommend this title.
eve1972's review
4.0
I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would but not as much as I hoped I would. You can pretty much chalk that up to me being over the whole uber manwhore thing lately. I knew going in that that was exactly what Javi was, but I had hoped we would not get a front row seat for his actions. But we do. And his manwhore past is in our face constantly throughout the book (the last throwaway comment at the end of the book about the condoms and lube in the broom closet was nasty and totally unnecessary at that point). And not only do we the reader get a front row seat, so does the heroine (Jules). And honestly, that type of scenario is one of my least favorite in my romance books. Mostly because I lose respect for the heroine because no woman with an ounce of self-respect would want to get into a relationship with a guy who she has seen with a revolving door of women. At least she wasn't sitting around pining for him while he was screwing everything that walked right in front of her. So that was a positive. That was the bad stuff. Now on to the good stuff...The writing as always was top notch. It was well paced. The plot was engaging and kept me turning the pages. The Rafe mystery was a little underdeveloped, but he intrigued me, and I hope we will be seeing him in his own book one day. The sex scenes were reasonably hot (if a little on the light side). It is always a treat to see characters from other books. Especially my man Ian (I wanted more of him). Jules, I adored. She was sweet and feisty. I loved that Miz Blake introduced us to a female vet amputee. Something you rarely ever see in romance books. Javi, what can I say. I liked him for the most part. Except when he threw his little hissy fit because of Jule's preconceived notions about him. I mean if you act like a manwhore that has sex with coworkers in broom closets, then don't cop an attitude when you are treated like the manwhore you have always been.
As a couple, they missed the mark for me. The transition from him going from wanting to give one woman his collar than when that didn't work out going on a sexathon for two straight weeks, and then all of a sudden wanting a relationship and professing his love for the heroine was WAY too fast for me. And I just didn't buy it. The other issue I had was as I mentioned above the constant mentioning of his manwhore past. WAY too many comparisons between the heroine and his past hookups. Way too much inner thoughts on Javi's side about his history with women and even the heroine kept bringing up his "other women" in conversations. For "ME" that hindered my ability to connect with this couple. It's hard to get onboard with a relationship if I am being beaten over the head by one-half of that couples past sexcapdes all the time. Lastly, it was all wrapped up in an OK ending. Personally, I would have liked more, but this author isn't big on epilogues, so it is what it is.
Wrapping this up, I'll admit I'm a bit sad because I have had an issue with the last few books I have read by this author. I don't hate them. I can only think of one book that was a total miss for me. I always enjoy them overall. But with the ridiculous OTT manwhore heroes of late and the reader constantly being beaten over the head with the hero's past. Where I use to be SO over the moon excited when a new Lexi Blake book was released, I now enter into them with a lot of trepidation and caution. And that really kind of sucks. Nevertheless, the good has outweighed the bad thus far, so I am still hanging in and keeping my fingers crossed the next book is a hit.
bookishlyruby's review
5.0
Review originally posted at Ruby's Books
*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.
The newest story in the world of the Masters and Mercenaries, and the spin-off series, Top, is just as good as expected, if not more.
Juliana is a really brave, awesome heroine. I love how she helps Javier, even though she had nothing to gain from it. There's a great thing that Blake does with Juliana's character, and it's the thing we all do, which is to take advice that we don't follow ourselves. It's interesting to see exactly how Jules is dealing or not dealing with the fact that she's missing a hand, and also how she knows just what to say to Javier when faced with his brother's injuries. I loved seeing that in her. I truly respect her, and the progress she made by the end of the book was phenomenal. I loved seeing that, the growth she had, going from accepting what happened to her, and adapting, to dealing with her past.
Javier is a truly great guy. In his case, I loved seeing how he goes from playboy to a one-woman-guy, and see how Sean Taggart helped him realize what he needed to do in order to get the girl. I also thought it was really sweet of him to do what he did to help Juliana. Sure, he kind of stuck his foot in his mouth (okay, more like both of his feet), but I understood that. He's a pretty selfless guy, and I truly felt sorry that he had to deal with his brother alone. But as I was saying before, he does something amazing for the woman he loves, and it was simply the greatest thing ever, even though he didn't know how to express it the right way. Anyway, it was a great thing and I loved him for it.
I have to talk a little bit about Javier's brother, Rafe. He's a man who has to deal with what happened to him while he was serving his country, and as much as he knows just how to push everyone away from him, he is also a guy who craves connection to someone, he just doesn't know how to accept it in his current situation. I also liked that, as much as Javier hated him for it, Rafe gave his brother a little dose of honesty. I do hope that in the future Rafe will find the strength he needs to deal with his issues in a healthy manner, and that he'll find himself again.
The pace is, as usual, great, and the story kept me hooked from beginning to end. There were sad scenes, there were hot scenes, and there were insanely funny scenes as well. Also a glimpse of my favorite couple ever, Ian and Charlie.
As already expected from a Lexi Blake story, I adored this book, and I cannot wait for the next one to come out. In the meantime, I feel like a reread is in order.
*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.
The newest story in the world of the Masters and Mercenaries, and the spin-off series, Top, is just as good as expected, if not more.
Juliana is a really brave, awesome heroine. I love how she helps Javier, even though she had nothing to gain from it. There's a great thing that Blake does with Juliana's character, and it's the thing we all do, which is to take advice that we don't follow ourselves. It's interesting to see exactly how Jules is dealing or not dealing with the fact that she's missing a hand, and also how she knows just what to say to Javier when faced with his brother's injuries. I loved seeing that in her. I truly respect her, and the progress she made by the end of the book was phenomenal. I loved seeing that, the growth she had, going from accepting what happened to her, and adapting, to dealing with her past.
Javier is a truly great guy. In his case, I loved seeing how he goes from playboy to a one-woman-guy, and see how Sean Taggart helped him realize what he needed to do in order to get the girl. I also thought it was really sweet of him to do what he did to help Juliana. Sure, he kind of stuck his foot in his mouth (okay, more like both of his feet), but I understood that. He's a pretty selfless guy, and I truly felt sorry that he had to deal with his brother alone. But as I was saying before, he does something amazing for the woman he loves, and it was simply the greatest thing ever, even though he didn't know how to express it the right way. Anyway, it was a great thing and I loved him for it.
I have to talk a little bit about Javier's brother, Rafe. He's a man who has to deal with what happened to him while he was serving his country, and as much as he knows just how to push everyone away from him, he is also a guy who craves connection to someone, he just doesn't know how to accept it in his current situation. I also liked that, as much as Javier hated him for it, Rafe gave his brother a little dose of honesty. I do hope that in the future Rafe will find the strength he needs to deal with his issues in a healthy manner, and that he'll find himself again.
The pace is, as usual, great, and the story kept me hooked from beginning to end. There were sad scenes, there were hot scenes, and there were insanely funny scenes as well. Also a glimpse of my favorite couple ever, Ian and Charlie.
As already expected from a Lexi Blake story, I adored this book, and I cannot wait for the next one to come out. In the meantime, I feel like a reread is in order.