Rating: 
Summary: Popular fiction, written with style and panache
Review: At last popular fiction, written with style and panache, finds the balance all women seek. Such a blend creates a strong character with which women can identify involving the struggle to leave the girl behind for the maturity of womanhood complete with full sexuality, independence and strength.
Rating: 
Summary: There's a story here somewhere ...
Review: I hope the next novel this author writes is the tale of how a woman who can't write well manages to promote herself so wildly and not be embarassed by it. This book is amateur drivel and not worth a read.
Rating:
Summary: "Outstanding."
Review: It has been pegged an "erotic thriller." And yes, there are pages that will have you cutting your eyes sideways to see if anyone is reading over your shoulder while you meander through the danger zone.You'll find nestled in with "phone sex", the psychiatric profiles of her characters and an interesting story line. Julia begins an adventure that takes her to places she's never even thought about. The changes in her life aren't made hastily. The reader travels along and feels Julia's uneasiness as she takes a 360-degree turn from her comfort zone, landing briefly in a tar pit. If you get through the prologue, you won't have any problem sliding into Julia's silk camisole. And you may find out along with Julia, that some of the masks we choose to hide behind may cut off our oxygen flow. You can privately take away any newfound knowledge without anyone being the wiser. It can be your little secret. Rose's first novel is an intelligent rendering of subject matter that either is not addressed, or done in such a distasteful, unbelievable manner that most women can't relate. "Lip Service" is a welcomed change that will have you venturing into the erotic thriller section of your favorite bookstore, looking for the author's next effort.
Rating:
Summary: Erotica That Thrills
Review: A woman who rediscovers her sexuality and allows the many layers of herself to merge, has to be an erotic tale. However, MJR weaves in psychological elements that may put this novel in the sub-genre of Erotic Thriller. I eagerly await Ms. Rose's second novel _Living the Questions_.
Rating:
Summary: Delicious!
Review: A young woman is trapped in a love less marriage (yes, typical cliche here but keep on reading) to a psych who treats her more like a patient than a wife. She goes "undercover" to gather information for a book but ends up being caught by the police for committing wrongful acts. Add to that her revival of a relationship with a male friend from her college years... whom she has spoken to on the phone- long distance- for near 20 years yet hasn't seen his face for years. A compelling mix of romance and suspense.
Rating:
Summary: Looking forward to the next one, Melisse!
Review: Any Creative Director worth their salt knows that nothing sells like sex! Thus, the graphic telephone sex conversations in this book may well propel the book to deserved commercial success. I myself was more interested in the beautiful prose - the intricate examination of character and relationships was expertly handled. The plot was also nicely developed. If anything, the gratuitous sex only served to undermine and cheapen the obvious quality of the writing. I recently watched the movie of the Thomas Crown Affair and wondered why a classy-looking lady like Renee Russo would need to take her kit off. I see a parallel here and hope that MJ will be able to transcend the genre in future rather than stick to the wornout and cliched sex formula a la Harold Robbins and imitators - although there is undeniably a big market for such books.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling
Review: Delicious. A young woman is trapped in a love less marriage (yes, typical cliche here but keep on reading) to a psych who treats her more like a patient than a wife. She goes "undercover" to gather information for a book but ends up being caught by the police for committing wrongful acts. Add to that her revival of a relationship with a male friend from her college years... whom she has spoken to on the phone- long distance- for near 20 years yet hasn't seen his face for years. A compelling mix of romance and suspense.
Rating:
Summary: Impossible to put down.
Review: M. J. Rose's first novel displays talent above and beyond most mass market fiction writers today. Lip Service is a smart, sexy psychological thriller that engages the reader's fantasy and imagination without becoming even the least bit pornographic. While sex is an integral part of the plot, it does not overwhelm the story itself, which is about the growth and strength of the protagonist Julia. This book might not be the best choice for you if your favorite magazine is a Focus on the Family publication, but for anyone else Lip Service is a wonderful leisure-time read that is next to impossible to put down.
Rating:
Summary: All lip but no service
Review: After reading about this book in Forbes, I thought this would be a good read based upon the author's aggressive marketing. I reviewed the Amazon reviews and anticipated a quality read. Frankly, I was very disappointed. I am a male but have no problem with the female prespective and interesting character development. This book fell woefully short. I believe the author does a good job of developing the primary character. All other characters were only briefly touched with generalizations and stereotypes. The interaction of the main character with others was also very brief and unfulfilling. Her love interest is not fully developed and did not emotionally attach the reader into "feeling" the emotion. The "sex boss" villian is also briefly sketched and not developed enough to dislike. Her husband and stepson are developed better but I did not feel she drew a conclusion to the husband. Also, the husband has a major problem mentioned throughout the book but it really is not substantial to the book storyline and could be left out completely. There is a surprise 40 pages from the end and it does draw the first substantial emotion from the reader. The final conclusion with the stepson is also mildly interesting but does not create the emotional attachment I desired. All in all, I definitely wouldn't recommend the book. I'm interested how many reviews were positive and can only conclude that females will better understand the feelings of despair by the writer.
Rating:
Summary: Truly A Must Read Book!
Review: Truly A Must Read Book! This was truly a great book. I first browsed through the pages in the bookstore. I bought the book and could not put it down. You could actually feel the pain and anxiety that Julia felt jumping off the pages. M. Rose really did a great job when she wrote this book. I have read many books and by far Lip Service ranks in the top 5. Keep up the good work M. Rose.
| 
