Lip Service (edition 2000)

M. J. Rose’s Lip Service is the thinking woman’s erotica. This isn’t raunchy nonsense pinned together with a few weak plot points and vapid characters — a limp excuse for pornography masquerading as literature. No. I’ll be the first to admit I know little about this genre, but Lip Service worked for me as a mild thriller with some naughtiness.

Julia is interesting. We learn she had some sort of breakdown in college, an event that led to her “romance” with Paul . . . which is really no romance at all. A widower, Paul has a young son whom Julia adores, and the stability he provides is exactly what she needs at a shadowy point in her life. She’s looking for a rock, someone to keep her safe, and she finds it in her new husband: a man who works at keeping her quiet and calm.

That works for Julia . . . for a while. But when she’s introduced to phone sex therapy, she realizes how dull and colorless her life and marriage have become. Devoid of any emotional or physical intimacy with Paul, Julia’s mind is left to wander — and that’s where Sam steps in. As Julia learns more about the Butterfield Institute’s work, she’s a little scared at how invested she becomes in the process. Maybe too invested.

This book surprised me — in a good way. As I mentioned, it has plenty of steamy scenes for romance lovers, but at its core is Julia’s transformation. I really felt for her and hoped she wouldn’t stumble down a bad road, especially when she seems poised to break free of the past.

Originally published more than a decade ago and now reissued, Lip Service can feel a bit outdated at times -- just in terms of the technology mentions -- but it didn’t really bother me. No doubt bolstered by the success of those-grey-books-which-shall-not-be-named, M.J. Rose’s novel should find a ready audience. And it’s deserving of one. ( )

http://www.cozylittlebookjournal.com/2012/09/lip-service-by-mj-rose.html

M.J. Rose's Lip Service was first published in 1998 and has been recently republished by Atria. Because women's erotic fiction has become so popular and mainstream lately (*ahem* thank-you, Fifty Shades of Grey) it was hard not to go into this book with expectations and comparisons in mind. I expected to dive right into lots of kinky sex with a thin plot but that's not exactly what this book is. First of all, the "kinky sex" is not so much centre stage as it is wrapped in layers and layers of separation. The main character is only having the "kinky sex" over the phone. With strangers. As a phone sex operator. Actually, no, a phone sex therapist. So as the book begins, she's hardly getting tied up and spanked. But even through all those layers of separation, working out sexual fantasies over the phone proves to be very challenging for Julia Sterling's sense of self. You could say it causes her to pull back her own layers (hey, symbolism!).

I was very impressed with this book. It's erotic and sensual in places but it doesn't sacrifice plot or character development. Julia Sterling is a real person who has real reactions. She certainly doesn't react or behave the way I would in similar situations (then again, maybe I couldn't picture myself being in some of these situations) but I believe her as a character and I found myself invested in her self-discovery.

Lip Service is certainly much more than heaving bosoms and "oh mys," that's for sure.

For more reviews, please visit my blog, CozyLittleBookJournal.

Disclaimer: I received a digital galley of this book free from the publisher from NetGalley. I was not obliged to write a favourable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own. ( )

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 Sterling is in a sex less marriage. On the surface she seems to have everything, a good life, a wonderful step son, plenty money. Her hiusbands just shows no interest in her. She goes to work for Sam at the Butterfield Institute where she delves into the world of phone sex therapy. This in turn unleashes her own sexual feelings that have been hidden for some time.

As always with novels by M J Rose they are very racy and very close to the knuckle, so if you are easily offended then they are not the books for you. The book was very easy to read and although I had read it before it held my interest a second time around. A very enjoyable read and her books stay in my permament library. ( )