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geisttull's review against another edition
2.0
not bad - but not really erotica. no one even has sex. don't think i'll have to read any more of her.
beastreader's review against another edition
2.0
Julia Sterling is the wife of Dr. Paul Sterling. Her husband is a psychiatrist. When Julia met Paul, she was seeing a psychiatrist. So when during the beginning of their marriage when Paul would treat Julia more like one of his patients then his wife, this would explain why Julia dealt with it. As the years passed however, Julia wanted Paul to see her more as his wife and not as his patient. This included being sexual in the bedroom. They have no relationship. Paul does not even want to touch Julia.
Julia is offered a chance to write a book. It is about sex and therapists. In order to truly do the book justice, Julia decides to take a course in learning how to be a “phone sex therapist”. Soon, Julia is talking to many clients.
I had really high expectations of this book. I know what M. J. Rose can produce and so I was excited to try her as an erotic author. Unfortunately I was not feeling this book at all. The phone sex scenes were not enough to keep me interested. The characters after a while got on my nerves. I found Julia’s husband, Paul to be really condescending. The way that he constantly psychoanalyzed Julia was awful. The way that Julia would put up with Paul was annoying. I found myself yelling at her in the beginning to just leave Paul. I know why Julia had her reasons but she did not need to stay.
I could understand how Julia became drawn to phone sex as she was not getting any. It was during these times that Julia really opened up. When the story was fully revealed and was winding down, I thought the ending was just ok. There was no real surprise that the reader could not see coming. Overall, this was not one of my favorite erotic novels. I think I will stick to M.J. Rose’s reincarnation series.
Julia is offered a chance to write a book. It is about sex and therapists. In order to truly do the book justice, Julia decides to take a course in learning how to be a “phone sex therapist”. Soon, Julia is talking to many clients.
I had really high expectations of this book. I know what M. J. Rose can produce and so I was excited to try her as an erotic author. Unfortunately I was not feeling this book at all. The phone sex scenes were not enough to keep me interested. The characters after a while got on my nerves. I found Julia’s husband, Paul to be really condescending. The way that he constantly psychoanalyzed Julia was awful. The way that Julia would put up with Paul was annoying. I found myself yelling at her in the beginning to just leave Paul. I know why Julia had her reasons but she did not need to stay.
I could understand how Julia became drawn to phone sex as she was not getting any. It was during these times that Julia really opened up. When the story was fully revealed and was winding down, I thought the ending was just ok. There was no real surprise that the reader could not see coming. Overall, this was not one of my favorite erotic novels. I think I will stick to M.J. Rose’s reincarnation series.
pianorunner421's review against another edition
3.0
I was not sure I was going to like this when I started but ended up not being able to put it down. Interesting twists of plot throughout. Very enjoyable read
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
Lip Service by M. J. Rose is a sensual journey of self discovery. Read my review in its entirety HERE.
bluenicorn's review against another edition
2.0
For what it was, it was alright. But I still didn't think it was that great.
supera710's review against another edition
3.0
I received a copy of Lip Service courtesy of NetGalley.
Julia is the wife of Paul, a psychologist, that treats her more like a patient than his wife. Years before, when she left her carefully scheduled and sheltered routine for college, Julia had a bit too much fun and lost control of life, causing a nervous breakdown. That put her in therapy for 4 years, introducing her to Paul. Since becoming Paul's wife and stepmother to his son Max, Julia has been the perfect wife and mother, never acting out. Then one night at a fundraiser, she meets Sam, a sex therapist. She decides to collaborate on a book with him about his practice, as well as become a 'sex therapist' via phone sex, just so she can experience first hand what she will be writing about. Turns out Julia rather likes the phone fantasies, and it liberates her, waking her up to how sexless her marriage is and how stiffed she feels.
Lip Service was slightly erotic, but since reading Fifty Shades, I'm not sure anything else is going to make me blush. I enjoyed the mystery and love story in this book. I read it in one sitting, so it obviously caught and held my attention. And I was relieved that Julia finally recovered her backbone and stood up to her husband about the way he doctored her.
Julia is the wife of Paul, a psychologist, that treats her more like a patient than his wife. Years before, when she left her carefully scheduled and sheltered routine for college, Julia had a bit too much fun and lost control of life, causing a nervous breakdown. That put her in therapy for 4 years, introducing her to Paul. Since becoming Paul's wife and stepmother to his son Max, Julia has been the perfect wife and mother, never acting out. Then one night at a fundraiser, she meets Sam, a sex therapist. She decides to collaborate on a book with him about his practice, as well as become a 'sex therapist' via phone sex, just so she can experience first hand what she will be writing about. Turns out Julia rather likes the phone fantasies, and it liberates her, waking her up to how sexless her marriage is and how stiffed she feels.
Lip Service was slightly erotic, but since reading Fifty Shades, I'm not sure anything else is going to make me blush. I enjoyed the mystery and love story in this book. I read it in one sitting, so it obviously caught and held my attention. And I was relieved that Julia finally recovered her backbone and stood up to her husband about the way he doctored her.
sean67's review
4.0
I read this book because I thought MJ Rose seemed like an interesting author based on the Face Off short she did with Lisa Gardener.
At first I found the sexual talk a bit repulsive, and almost overwhelming, but the crux of the plot wasn't about that, and the horrific relationships she had were explored in interesting ways, her husband is a right weirdo.
Anyway interesting tale, I will continue too explore MJ Rose.
Butterfield #1
MJ Rose #2
At first I found the sexual talk a bit repulsive, and almost overwhelming, but the crux of the plot wasn't about that, and the horrific relationships she had were explored in interesting ways, her husband is a right weirdo.
Anyway interesting tale, I will continue too explore MJ Rose.
Butterfield #1
MJ Rose #2
beeclark's review
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
novelgoddess's review
4.0
GoodReads Synopsis: Lip Service probes the secret world of phone sex and one woman who becomes empowered by what she discovers there. Not since Erica Jong's Fear of Flying has a novel so masterfully examined the relationship between sexuality and identity.
On the surface, Julia Sterling's life seems blessed. Married to a renowned psychiatrist, living on Manhattan's tony Upper East Side, Julia deeply loves her stepson, and is forging a career as a journalist.
When a writing job at The Butterfield Institute - a sex therapy clinic - exposes her to the world of phone sex, Julia glimpses a world that stirs her erotic fantasies but threatens her carefully constructed reality. As she explores her emotional and sexual connections to the men she knows and several she will never meet, she confronts evil, perversity, and her own passions.
My Thoughts: I really got sucked into this story. A bit of history on me, I used to work for a 900# company way back in the early 90s…I wasn’t a phone operator, I was in the background building the program and dealing with the long distance carriers and the FCC. The phone sex operators in this story were using the phone as a means of therapy, rather than the way the 900 numbers were used in the 90s.
The story was riveting. Poor Julia went through a breakdown while in college. The only child of a rather renowned psychiatrist. It was through her father that she met her husband, Paul, her father’s protégé. Paul was drawn to her, but not for the reasons one would imagine. Paul has been more of a live in Dr. to Julia rather than a husband and Julia has allowed it. While researching her book for the Butterfield Institute that Julia starts to come out of her shell and really live. The research journey she undertakes opens up a new world for her in a number of different ways and we get to watch her blossom into a completely different person than the one we are introduced to at the beginning of the story. Her transformation made the book very hard to put down.
I liked Rose’s writing style and apparently this book is a prequel to a series she wrote about the Butterfield Institute. I will be checking out those books.
On the surface, Julia Sterling's life seems blessed. Married to a renowned psychiatrist, living on Manhattan's tony Upper East Side, Julia deeply loves her stepson, and is forging a career as a journalist.
When a writing job at The Butterfield Institute - a sex therapy clinic - exposes her to the world of phone sex, Julia glimpses a world that stirs her erotic fantasies but threatens her carefully constructed reality. As she explores her emotional and sexual connections to the men she knows and several she will never meet, she confronts evil, perversity, and her own passions.
My Thoughts: I really got sucked into this story. A bit of history on me, I used to work for a 900# company way back in the early 90s…I wasn’t a phone operator, I was in the background building the program and dealing with the long distance carriers and the FCC. The phone sex operators in this story were using the phone as a means of therapy, rather than the way the 900 numbers were used in the 90s.
The story was riveting. Poor Julia went through a breakdown while in college. The only child of a rather renowned psychiatrist. It was through her father that she met her husband, Paul, her father’s protégé. Paul was drawn to her, but not for the reasons one would imagine. Paul has been more of a live in Dr. to Julia rather than a husband and Julia has allowed it. While researching her book for the Butterfield Institute that Julia starts to come out of her shell and really live. The research journey she undertakes opens up a new world for her in a number of different ways and we get to watch her blossom into a completely different person than the one we are introduced to at the beginning of the story. Her transformation made the book very hard to put down.
I liked Rose’s writing style and apparently this book is a prequel to a series she wrote about the Butterfield Institute. I will be checking out those books.
jennifercrowe's review
4.0
I received this book from the publisher for review.
I really enjoyed this book.
Julia grew up with a father who was a therapist so she was always analyzed. When she struck out on her own in college she realized that she didn't really know who she was and that all of the decisions she had made up to that point were made to make her parents happy. She became sexually promiscuous and finally had a mental breakdown and ended up back home.
There, she met Paul at a party at her parent's house. He was a colleague of her father's and her father fully supported her dating and eventually marrying Paul. Paul is a single widowed father. His wife died in a tragic horse riding accident. He constantly treats Julia as though she is a patient instead of his wife. Julia does have a very good relationship with Paul's son Max though.
She is also very close to an old college friend, Jack. She still keeps in touch with him over the phone.
Paul is very conscience of appearances and Julia fits into this world well because she has been a people pleaser all of her life. She puts on a mask to the world when she is at his side at parties and events. At one specific event she runs into Sam Butterfield of the Butterfield institute and he approaches her to write a book with him about a new sex therapy that he is working on at the institute. She agrees, but Paul is completely against her doing this. She keeps everything from him and actually becomes a phone sex therapist behind his back. She begins to realize who the real Julia is and realizes that her marriage is doomed.
This story is so good. There is so much suspense and there's a little twist that I didn't see coming. I really enjoyed it. If you're looking for a suspenseful page turner with some sexy scenes, this is the book for you.
I really enjoyed this book.
Julia grew up with a father who was a therapist so she was always analyzed. When she struck out on her own in college she realized that she didn't really know who she was and that all of the decisions she had made up to that point were made to make her parents happy. She became sexually promiscuous and finally had a mental breakdown and ended up back home.
There, she met Paul at a party at her parent's house. He was a colleague of her father's and her father fully supported her dating and eventually marrying Paul. Paul is a single widowed father. His wife died in a tragic horse riding accident. He constantly treats Julia as though she is a patient instead of his wife. Julia does have a very good relationship with Paul's son Max though.
She is also very close to an old college friend, Jack. She still keeps in touch with him over the phone.
Paul is very conscience of appearances and Julia fits into this world well because she has been a people pleaser all of her life. She puts on a mask to the world when she is at his side at parties and events. At one specific event she runs into Sam Butterfield of the Butterfield institute and he approaches her to write a book with him about a new sex therapy that he is working on at the institute. She agrees, but Paul is completely against her doing this. She keeps everything from him and actually becomes a phone sex therapist behind his back. She begins to realize who the real Julia is and realizes that her marriage is doomed.
This story is so good. There is so much suspense and there's a little twist that I didn't see coming. I really enjoyed it. If you're looking for a suspenseful page turner with some sexy scenes, this is the book for you.