Rating: 
Summary: A Stunning, entertaining work of Fiction
Review: If there's any new novel to be considered different, unique, and a total exciting read, this one is it. Lip Service crosses all traditional boundaries and enters into a realm of brilliant fiction. On the outside, Julia Sterling appears to have a wonderful life. She lives well, married to a successful psychiatrist and experiencing her own career in journalism. In the beginning, I find myself wishing I had her life. Until the first time her husband turns her away and treats her like one of his patients. Suddenly, I can't wait to see how she gets out of this life she's somehow fallen into. Things take on a new twist when Julia is hired to write a book about a local sex-therapy clinic. Her husband tells her not to do the job, that it would be too stressful for her "condition". Yet when Julia approaches the owner of the clinic to turn down the job, she finds herself not only accepting it, but asking if she can study the therapists' ways, their techniques, and learn their skill...by becoming one herself. In doing so, she becomes aware of parts of her she didn't even know existed. Parts of her that her husband had never touched. Parts that her long-time friend Jack had never even managed to bring to the light. Through the pages of the book, we follow along as Julia uncovers these hidden areas of her being, tentatively at first, and then later on with actual enjoyment. She experiences an awakening long overdue for a neglected woman. Until she has a caller who is different. This caller makes her uneasy at first, then begins to terrify her, shaking her explorative new existance to the core. The story heats up as Julia finds herself trapped in a tangled web, unsure of what to do about the caller, this new job she's taken on, and all other aspects of what appeared, at one time, to be a perfect life. The sinister mystery between these pages will keep you turning them. It's erotic, and real. The work is sensual to its core, even in the vivid descriptions of Julia's surroundings. You feel like you're there, and that's where you want to be. M.J. Rose has achieved the unachievable with this novel - she's brought romance, mystery, erotica, and fine literary talent all together to create a stunning, entertaining, and satisfying work of fiction.
Rating:
Summary: A sensuous and sinister mix of suspense and erotica!
Review: Could a novel be erotic and intelligent at the same time? Of course! M.J. Rose has made a special blend of erotica and suspense in Lip Service. This novel is utterly intelligent and extremely well crafted. It is also very sexy and provocative. Also, the author must have made a lot of research on psychology. In Lip Service, Julia Sterling's life couldn't be better. Well, at least the social circle around her thinks so. After all, she is married to a respected psychiatrist, has a wonderful stepson and lives on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Her ordered life is suddenly threatened when she decides to research the perverse world of phone sex for a book. She has discovered a sexy, perverse and sinister world in the fantasies that she concocts for the anonymous callers. This is a world that her husband knows nothing about. Will she tell him her dark secret? What will happen to Julia? And are sexual fantasies and fetishes as disturbing as one might think? This book covers several taboo subjects regarding male and female sexuality. It questions morality and the inhibitions that society has placed upon us. I marvel at Rose's courage to write about such thought-provoking subject. This is one of the best thrillers I have ever read. I recommend it most highly.
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating
Review: This novel offers a fascinating view into the world of phone sex. The believable heroine does not anticipate how becoming a telephone sex therapist will force her to confront some of her own sexual issues, blowing apart her carefully constructed world. The book is fun to read and hard to put down.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ
Review: MJ Rose has successfully created an intriguing psychological story that also contains some hot sex scenes. Julia Sterling is an uptown Manhattanite with a seemingly picture perfect life but underneath the pristing layer of her "sterling" existence lie relationships so richly layered and dysfunctional they ring almost too true.Through a journalistic assignment Julia is introduced to the world of phone sex where she litterally discovers her voice. Her sexual awakening also brings about an awakening of her entire life. MJ Rose has given us one of the most convincing women characters in erotic fiction. Every facet of Julia's personality is so well rounded you'll swear you know her, or at least have met her. Sex industry labels merge with roles such as mother, wife and friend in ways that are not only belivable but definitely needed.Riddled with erotica and woven full of intense drama, Lip Service is not only hard to put down but stays with you long after you're done. this is a great first novel and a definite must read!
Rating:
Summary: A Five Star Review
Review: "Goes farther and Deeper than VOX" M.J. Rose's LIP SERVICE probably won't be a best seller, but only because it's self- published and falls into the netherworld of the erotic novel genre. That's unfortunate, because this book is more than one-handed reading-- it's just plain good reading with some super hot spots. The author has managed to incorporate details of the phone sex life into a literary novel with intricate plot, fully developed characters and dramatic tension. Woven into a normal story of a normal woman and her somewhat normal, troubled marriage, is the story spend her time and earn her livelihood making strange men come over the phone. I highly recommend Lip Service as a work of fiction that deals honestly with phone sex while maintaining a fairly high literary standard. For those who thought Nicholson Baker made the ultimate and deeper by focusing on the real world of the real call girl. Reviewed By Marcy Sheiner, editor of Herotica 4 and 5 (Plume) and the Write Erotica, due out in Spring 1999 (Cleis), and is writing Sex for the Clueless, to be published by Citadel in the fall of 1999. sns@sexsense.co
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good!
Review: Lip Service is a very interesting book. The author draws you into the world of phone sex in a concept that I didn't expect. The conclusion of the story seems abrupt and could have used a bit more detail. However, it's an interesting story and is very enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Read this author again and again
Review: Lip Service sizzles. Everyone has wondered what the phone sex world must be like. This erotic taste of that world is exciting and suspenseful, like M.J. Rose's other books. Pick it up for a super summer read. It's hotter than the beach.
Rating:
Summary: NOTE from the author - I've not written any reviews:
Review: The reviews that you see with my name on them were sent to me by honest to God real readers who asked me to post for them. This was done becuase these folk were not very savvy with the net and I have all their origninal notes and emails to me. I wasn't aware that the posts would appear with my name on them as well as the readers. I'm sorry if it is misleading. And the only reason I've given the book four starts is that I couldn't submit this note without stars.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!!
Review: This is an incredible book. I believe we find what we need when we need it. Reading about Julia made me feel like I wasn't alone. I'm glad I read it before I read these reviews. Some of them are way off base. Then there are all the reviews from the author. I guess they are to counteract the bad reviews. but they just aren't necessary. I am recommending Lip Service to all the women i know.
Rating:
Summary: question about the ending
Review: i read the book lip service i loved it but at the end i was confused is there a second half of the book that talks about her getting together with the guy jack she fell in love with cause to me the ending was not really saying to much about her getting together with jack or whatever else is going on...thanks
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