Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Nobody Does it Better by Lexi Blake - Review

       

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Author: Lexi Blake
Publication Date:  20 February, 2018
Publisher: DLZ Entertainment, LLC
Series:  Masters and Mercenaries, book 15
Genre:  Contemporary Romance, BDSM
Age Recommendation: 18 and Up
Rating: 3 Stars

~ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~

Book Description:

A spy who specializes in seduction

Kayla Summers was an elite CIA double agent, working inside China’s deadly MSS. Now, she works for McKay-Taggart London, but the Agency isn’t quite done with her. Spy master Ezra Fain needs her help on a mission that would send her into Hollywood’s glamorous and dangerous party scene. Intrigued by the mission and the movie star hunk she will be shadowing, she eagerly agrees. When she finds herself in his bed, she realizes she’s not only risking her life, but her heart.

A leading man who doesn’t do romance

Joshua Hunt is a legend of the silver screen. As Hollywood’s highest paid actor, he’s the man everyone wants to be, or be with, but something is missing. After being betrayed more than once, the only romance Josh believes in anymore is on the pages of his scripts. He keeps his relationships transactional, and that’s how he likes it, until he meets his new bodyguard. She was supposed to keep him safe, and satisfied when necessary, but now he’s realizing he may never be able to get enough of her.

An ending neither could have expected

Protecting Joshua started off as a mission, until it suddenly felt like her calling. When the true reason the CIA wanted her for this assignment is revealed, Kayla will have to choose between serving her country or saving the love of her life.


      


My Review:

I hate to say that I struggled with Nobody Does it Better.  I think part of that is beause I had been waiting/anticipating Kayla's story for so long that perhaps I built it up to be something more than what I should have.  Now this is not to say that I didn't enjoy this book, I really did, it just took me a long time to get through it.  It is one of those books that you struggle to fall madly in love with so that you can do nothing but read, it is a book that I read in pieces here and there, a bit of a slow burn in a way.  Maybe it is simply the fact that this is the final book in the Masters and Mercenaries series and I am not ready to let it go. All that said the story itself, the plot, the relationship, everything we have come to expect and want from a Lexi Blake book is all there.

I have had a crush on Kayla for the longest time.  She is such a conundrum for me, a light, a bit of fresh air, but also this hardened warrior, a killer, a complete and total bad-arse.  We see who she might have been if circumstances had not changed her but to know who she is now because of those circumstances is what makes her such an amazing heroine.  Just when you think maybe she isn't all that you thought, that maybe she's been beaten down and used too many times she shows you what a fierce woman she truly is.  Nothing will stop her from protecting the ones she loves and holds dear and when shocking revelations come to light she will be the last woman standing and she will do it on her own terms and in he own way.

Josh, Josh is a had character to love and I am not sure that I will every fully like him.  He is a broken man, he was a broken boy... there is so much story lived in his few short years but he is quick to blame, accuse, react and so back and forth on his feelings he gives readers whip lash.  I know that Kayla  and the CIA/DEA/McKay-Taggart are all partially to blame for this but for someone who craves complete control it was amazing to me how out of control his life seemed.  I think I almost could have seen him more as the s and Kayla as the D in their D/s relationship.  Of course everything works out but the getting there at times was frustrating.  He is one of those characters you occasionally want to slap upside the head with his own book.

There is a lot happening in Nobody Does it Better, so many plot twists, stories to close and ones to set up I think that at times the romance got lost in all of that.  Now what that does is make for an action packed book and for fans of Masters and Mercenaries it will give you everything you have come to crave...though I would have liked to have had more interaction with the Taggert, but when wouldn't I, haha?  I like the set up for the spin-of, The Lost Boys, one I am really excited about and have been hoping for since those characters were introduced.  I am hoping that we will still get a book for Jared because honestly if anyone deserves one it is that guy, he's been teased for a while now.

While this book can I think be read as a standalone, you will have a full grasp of all the ins and outs if you start from the beginning, however being that this is book 15 I can see how it would be daunting to begin at the...beginning.  If you want to jump in here and just get read for the Spin-Off with out having read the 14 that come before I feel confident you won't feel as though you are lost or missing pieces of the story, but I would love to have you go back and start from book one because getting to know the Taggart's has been a true joy and though you might want to slap a few of them (ahem, Ian) upside the head with the book a time our two you will fall in love with them and have meet some amazing characters along the way.  If you are fan of the series, don't miss this one.  It may feel different for you, as it did for me, but it is still a wonderful read from Lexi Blake and a wonderful look to the future of her stories.

~ HAPPY READING ~





Excerpt:

 “Kayla?” Her eyes came up, a flash of recognition there. “Yes?” “Are you going to sign the contract or do you have more questions?” She picked up the pen sitting on top of the contracts that would bind the two of them together for the next six months. They would reevaluate the relationship at that point in time, but for the next six months, she was his. His bodyguard. His submissive. Bought and properly paid for. He would take care of her and she would give him what he needed. She signed with a flourish and sat back, a gleam of curiosity in her eyes. He was curious, too, and there was zero reason to not satisfy their curiosity. Hard and soft limits had been gone over. They would find their communication style as they went along. But first she should understand that he was in control. “Come sit on my lap.” She didn’t hesitate. She stood and turned, shifting so she could maneuver her way onto his lap. Her weight came down on him and he wrapped an arm around her waist. Damn but she made him feel big. He’d seen her take out a man twice her size, but sitting here in his lap she felt small and vulnerable, and fuck but that did it for him. He slid a hand along her knee, letting himself indulge in the silky-smooth feel of her skin against his palm. “Did you do as I asked?” He was well aware his voice had gone husky, deeper than normal. “Yes, Joshua.” She squirmed the tiniest bit, as though trying to find a comfortable position. It might be difficult for her because she was sitting right on his cock, and it was harder and thicker than he could ever remember it being. “How can I trust you?” This was all part of the game he loved. Here he could let go and play out the darker of his impulses—to control, to take, to possess. See. Want. Have. “You’ll have to check,” she replied. “Though shouldn’t we go inside?” He reached out and picked up his cell with his free hand, pushing one number and connecting to the security room. He put them on speaker. She needed to understand what she was up against in order for the game to be fair. “Landon?” “This is Burke,” the deep voice replied. “Shane’s on patrol. What can I do for you?” “Burke, I would like to fuck my submissive on the third-floor balcony. Is anyone watching us? Can you see any cameras pointed our way?” A low, masculine chuckle came across the line. “No, Mr. Hunt. And given the angle relative to the beach, you should enjoy your evening without worry. The only peepers I would worry about would be your next-door neighbor, and Jared is out for the night.” “I wouldn’t care if he wasn’t. Keep up the good work.” He hung up and his hand tightened. “I would prefer when we’re playing that you don’t question me like that. I know where I want to fuck you. I know when I want to fuck you, and I’m in charge. If I want you in the middle of a crowded freeway, your only response is a yes or a no. Not to question me.” She seemed to relax back against him, as though she was giving up the struggle and choosing to submit. “Yes, Joshua. Yes, I understand, and yes to the sex. Please.” He liked the breathy please and loved how she squirmed. Still, he wasn’t absolutely sure she’d obeyed him, and he was a man who required proof. He slid his hand up her thigh. “Spread your legs for me.” Her knees fell apart, and he could feel the heat from her core. He slipped a hand up until he made contact with her softest skin. No panties. Nothing but wet heat waiting for him, and it was obvious the play had cranked her up, too. His free hand eased one button on her shirt free, and then another and another until he could move in like a soldier conquering territory. No bra. Her breasts were like the rest of her. Soft and delicate. One nipple rolled against his palm, hardening then and there. “I can see you’ve been an obedient sub,” he said, his mouth against her ear. “You need to stay that way or there will be punishment. I’m not a sadist, Kayla. I truly don’t get off on your pain, but I will give it to you if you need it. I am a disciplinarian. I gain satisfaction from your obedience. In exchange, I’ll show you how good it can be to obey me.”  



 
NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

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