RELEASE DAY REVIEW: Love Another Day (Masters and Mercenaries #14)

Love Another Day (Masters and Mercenaries #14), by Lexi Blake
Publish Date: August 22, 2017
Publisher: DLZ Entertainment
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author and InkslingerPR
Genre: adult crime/suspense romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS

(Synopsis) A man born to protect 

After a major loss, Brody Carter found a home with the London office of McKay-Taggart. A former soldier, he believes his job is to take the bullets and follow orders. He’s happy to take on the job of protecting Dr. Stephanie Gibson while the team uses her clinic in Sierra Leone to bring down an international criminal. What he never expected was that the young doctor would prove to be the woman of his dreams. She’s beautiful, smart, and reckless. Over and over he watches her risk her life to save others. One night of pure passion leads him to realize that he can’t risk his heart again. When the mission ends, Brody walks away, unwilling to lose another person he loves.

A woman driven to heal

Stephanie’s tragic past taught her to live for today. Everything she’s done in the last fifteen years has been to make up for her mistakes. Offering medical care in war-torn regions gives her the purpose she needs to carry on. When she meets her gorgeous Aussie protector, she knows she’s in too deep, but nothing can stop her from falling head over heels in love. But after one amazing night together, Brody walks away and never looks back. Stephanie is left behind…but not alone.

A secret that will change both their lives

A year later, Stephanie runs afoul of an evil mercenary who vows to kill her for failing to save his son. She runs to the only people she trusts, Liam and Avery O’Donnell. She hasn’t come alone and her secret will bring her former lover across the world to protect her. From Liberia to Dallas to Australia’s outback, Brody will do whatever it takes to protect Stephanie from the man who wants to kill her, but it might be her own personal demons that could destroy them both.

I was really looking forward to reading Love Another Day, because Brody has always tripped my trigger. Steph was a bit tiresome at times, but on the whole, this was a fantastic addition to this dangerously sexy series.

At the beginning of the book, I was totally on Team Steph. Brody did what she asked and gave her one amazing night together. But, when she became pregnant and tried calling and emailing and texting him, Brody never responded. It wasn't that he didn't get her messages - he did. He just chose to ignore them for... reasons. But, he never stopped thinking about her. 

So, when word gets to him that Steph is in danger and has asked McKay-Taggert for help protecting her, he immediately leaves London and comes to Texas to take on the task personally. And, of course, he discovers a surprise in the form of his infant son Nate when he arrives. 

I love how, in the M&M series, Lexi Blake always finds a way to weave in levity into the constant dangerous situations and the seriously heavy sexual tension. The grief that Adam, Ian and the rest of the team give Brody over Steph's new "companion" is absolutely hilarious and perfectly timed. And Ian's unique way of dealing with both his employees and his enemies is always good for a smile and a laugh. And all of that is much needed. Because outside of those moments, it is literally one dangerous or lusty moment after another. 

Although Brody wasn't my favorite person in the beginning, the way he was with his son and the way he constantly tried to make up for his mistakes with Steph very quickly won me to his side. But, it's like, the more awesome Brody because, the more irritating Steph got. Because of a tragic event in her past, she's always felt this overwhelming need to atone, but it's never enough. She has a seriously huge martyr complex, and now that she has a son and a man who loves her, that made me ridiculously angry. And not just me. 

Brody and Steph have this great connection. I felt like Love Another Day brought us back to the series' BDSM roots. There was a lot more of that type of exploration and play in here that seems to have been missing from recent books. And Brody was a great master. But, despite that, Brody still gets angry with Steph when all she wants to do is sacrifice herself in some noble way. It's got to be exhausting for him to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't do something stupid. It's not good for trust-building in a new relationship, for sure. So, while the sex is phenomenal, everything else is constantly up in the air.

The new recruits that Ian has brought on board will surely give us plenty of new fodder for the M&M series. After all - there are 26 Bond movies, so there are lots more titles out there to choose from.