You Only Love Twice (Masters and Mercenaries Book 8)

You Only Love Twice (Masters and Mercenaries #8) by Lexi BlakePhoebe Graham is a woman with a secret she is in deep cover infiltrating the enemy observing their everyday lives watching for an opportunity to take out the man she holds responsible for her husband’s death. Jesse Murdoch is part of the McKay-Taggart Security team. He is gorgeous and sweet and he makes Phoebe want to trust him. Still living in the past mourning her dead husband, she is consumed with guilt and cannot move on with her life. Could Jesse make her see that she deserves a second chance at love?Jesse Murdoch is a man without a home or family. He has never had brothers to count on and to have his back. When jihadists capture him, Jesse was sure his days were numbered. Forced to watch his friends and the woman he loved to be tortured and killed he loses his mind. Finally rescued, he comes home to suspicious as to why his captives spared his life, making him the sole survivor of his unit. Jesse has the same question. He struggles with PTSD until he starts life as a civilian working at Mckay-Taggart they take him in and treat him like one of their own. He finally has a place to call home and people he is beginning to consider his family. When he starts spending time with Phoebe, the stunningly beautiful accountant, she makes him feel like he could be more than the broken man who failed his unit.<b>“Ten’s words went straight to his gut. If he could make her smile, make her happy shouldn’t he fight for the right to do so? Even if it meant fighting her?”</b>Once again, Lexi Blake knocks it out of the park with this next installment in the Masters and Mercenaries series. She continuously manages to pull me into the book right from the first page, I am happily dragged back into the McKay-Taggart world where the men are gorgeous and insanely overprotective, and the woman is strong and feisty. These Dom’s all manage to make me weak in the knees every time I read a new installment. Master in training Jesse is no different, his vulnerability touches my soul, and his inner strength that he doesn’t even realize he has make me love him even more. It was a privilege to read about his transformation from victim to hero.<b>”I think what I’ve figured out is that we don’t have a limited amount of love. It doesn’t get all used up and then there’s nothing left. We choose. We choose who we love and how we love, and there is nothing between two consenting adults that brings them connection and pleasure and joy that’s wrong.”</b>Jesse and Phoebe’s story was beautiful and heartwarming. Jesse loved her unconditionally from the beginning even when he found out she had been lying to him. Even without ever kissing her or touching her, he fell in love with her soul. He tries to be mean and toss her aside but he can’t. She’s already a part of him and he refuses to let her go. Phoebe wants Jesse but feels like she is cheating on her dead husband consumed with guilt over her part in his death. She can’t seem to forgive herself. Phoebe and Jesse have great chemistry sexually they are totally steaming. However, I loved how they had some deep conversations as well, hashing out their feelings and what the next step for them would be. When Jesse brings out his dirty talking Dom side watch out, panties will melt. As the book progressed, I felt like we were following Jesse and Phoebe on their journey of self-discovery. They couldn’t love each other until they were able to forgive themselves for their past mistakes.<b>”The key he discovered was simply overwhelming her with what she needed so desperately-love and affection. And no small amount of dominance.”</b>As always, Lexi gives us time with our favorite McKay-Taggart operatives, like Liam, Alex, Jake, and Adam. As well as some new guys Tag and Sean’s half-brothers Case and Theo and a sassy new female operative Erin she was a trip. I cannot forget Ian Taggart; the big man does his best to stop his employee’s from creating drama even though we know he loves it. The whole book was full of tender loving moments as well as crazy hot sex at our much-loved BDSM club Sanctum. I could not put the book down for a second. Way to go Lexi great job building fascinating story and strong characters.<b> “Tag smiled and went back to unpacking the food. “This is really the greatest thing that ever happened to me. Well, besides the whole wife-coming-back –from-the-dead and having a baby and s***, but other than that, getting to punch Ten at random is really the best”</b>The set up for Tennessee Smith’s story in Master No is great I love his relationship with Tag and can’t wait to read more. As always I highly recommend this series, the books need to be read in order so you can understand where the story is going as all of the plots intertwine as they go along, and flow.<b> “Don’t think about it. Just do it. There are no guarantees in life except that if you waste it, you’ll regret it. Take it all—the good, the bad, the risky.”<b/>

While I have adored Jesse's PTSD self since his introduction to the series, I was quite uncertain as to his character's ability to carry a whole novel. Jesse is the sweet, slightly off-center guy who everyone likes, but no one really counts on. He has some serious PTSD issues which manifest at inconvenient times. Well, I was wrong. Who knew there was so much depth to Jesse?Very Brief Synopsis - This is going to be very brief indeed. There is really no way to do a synopsis without giving away a ton of spoilers, and I absolutely refuse to deprive anyone of the joy of discovery You Only Live Twice brings to the reader. Suffice it to say - Phoebe is more than she appears to be, Tenn and company are back en force, Ian is hilariously Ianesque, and Jesse is deeper than the Mariana Trench.What worked - Gawd, every little thing. I don't think there was one misstep in the whole book. I really loved that the memory of Phoebe's late husband was honored. I hate when a widow or widower in a book discovers some deep, dark secret about their deceased spouse, thereby negating the relationship. Phoebe still has deep feelings for her lost husband, and the issue was addressed so gracefully...Beautifully done.Random thoughts - The baby Tags, or "even Littler Tag(s)" and "minor Tags", as Erin calls them, have good cameos. Cannot wait for Erin and Theo's story. We learn an awful, awful lot about Tenn and why he is what he is. The M&M guys and girls have a varying level of face time, except Simon who is a larger part of the story. Loved Ian telling Phoebe how to make Jesse feel better about her deception. Kai is an interesting guy.The humor - OMG, the humor...I happily highlighted my way through the book. Ian is on FIRE, and Tenn is right behind him in the funny.I am skipping What Didn't Work as Well, because I got nothin'.You Only Love Twice is a story about love, family, redemption and perseverance. Watching Jesse struggle to forgive himself for having to compensate for his PTSD was so emotional. His shame, his feelings of low self-worth, his questioning of how to be a competent, contributing member of the team, his sheer strength of character - all of it was conveyed beautifully, with sensitivity and realism.Every time I start a new Lexi Blake novel, I do this little speech in my head that goes something like, 'Now, remember, you can't compare this to the other books in the series. Even if the level of humor and hawtness is not quite up to her usual standards, it will still be very good." Yeah, I'm not doing that anymore. Every book has been better than the last. Okay, maybe that isn't the right phrasing. Each book stands on its own as part of a collection of outstandingly entertaining fiction. Yes. That is the right way to put it.Bottom line - Masters and Mercenaries is one of the best series currently available. If you haven't read the series, do yourself a favor and start with The Dom Who Loved Me, and work your way through the books. If you are caught up, run, don't walk to your computer and one-click this immediately. Highly, highly recommend You Only Love Twice, as well as the rest of the Masters and Mercenaries series.

This book shows that love can blossom again if you've lost someone you love once. But you need to let it happen. I don't want to give spoilers on the book (that is so well written that I shed a tear or two and laughed out loud more than I should), but it's a definitely a Must Read.Lots of action, drama, a complete history with a HEA.

Keep them coming. I have read this entire series and I think they just keep getting better and better. The spy / mystery / thrillers could stand alone but add in the terrific, hot sex and the book is combustible. And I am so happy for Jesse! The characters are so vivid and the details of the plot lines so real that I think Ms Blake is actually a spy - perhaps working at a BDSM club for a cover. Ahhh! What a life!

Lexi Blake never fails to surprise me as every book is a step in another direction. I love these fantasy men and women, Ian Taggart's family. This was such a great read and Lexi added so many other little bonuses - with vignettes featuring Liam, and Simon, and Charlotte and Ian. Every time another M & M comes out I read it quickly because I am greedy. Then I re-read it, then I re-read all the others.Jesse's story is so poignant - his situation is complex and fraught - and Phoebe doesn't make it easy in the beginning. (He's certainly no Big Tag, but we already have one of those - no room for any more... although, Case may rival him.) Jesse finally comes to a place of acceptance and peace and healing, taking Phoebe with him.These characters are all so different, their women are different, their situations are different, but the overarching strength is in their feelings for each other. This is a great read and I can't wait for the next instalment - and to see if Charlotte gets her wish from Book 5.

hmmm, the anticipation leading up to this story made the wait worth it. Jesse and Phoebe are a spectacular contradiction but boy do they work when they just let it happen or when Jesse takes charge and believes in himself.Jesse and Phoebe are both great characters who find a second chance with each other as long as they both decide to live.So I am seriously heading straight to Ten's story next I am reading through this series loving each and every story and all the while wondering if Ten was ever going to get his own story and bring forth the Dom inside this is just so exciting.

I so love this series ... Can't wait for # 9I envy those of you who haven't read it yet,and will have 8 books in a row ...