Live, Love, Spy, Masters and Mercenaries: New Recruits, Book 2

Live, Love, Spy is the second book in the Masters and Mercenaries: New Recruits by Lexi Blake. I absolutely loved this book. The cast of characters in this series are a motley crew of personalities that will have you laughing over and over. But at the same time, the author weaves an intriguing romantic suspense story with all the feels: the anxiety of a new relationship and the emotions of finally coming home. There is a deep family connection between these characters and a lot of love in this family which is part blood relations and part found family. There was a lot of advice and support and I want to be a part of that large whacky family. The characters managed to thwart kidnappers, complete missions, and find time to play at their BDSM Club. This contemporary romantic comedy/suspense story touches on the themes of found family, first love, friends to lovers, an alpha hero protector, and BDSM. I cannot wait for the next book in the series. I’m definitely hooked. This is a must read book if you enjoy this genre and these tropes. I am voluntarily leaving this honest review after reading an advanced complementary copy of this novel thanks to Valentine PR and DLZ Entertainment, LLC.

First I love the Taggarts- they make me laugh, no exceptions. This book had me chuckling throughout. The romance was good, although the relationship between TJ and Louisa felt a bit too much like physical only. This is a friends to lovers romance where TJ didn’t feel like he deserved Louisa but she is part of an operation to save him which made him look at her in a different light. I thought the actual underlying story about finding out who the bad guy is (something that is a thread across possibly this series) was fun and interesting. I just would have liked a little more character building for this awesome couple.

Louisa/Lou was a child genius. Her best friend is a little crazy. And she’s in love with T.J/Theodore Taggart but he thinks she should be doing spectacular things. Lou keeps professing her feelings and T.J. keeps rejecting her. T.J. plans to go to the army and doesn’t think Lou should wait for him, even though he loves her. T.J. doesn’t think he’s good enough for her. Lou is all grown up and is an analyst with the Agency but her cover is developing new gadgets. She is on a team with her bestie Kala, and other Taggart kids. They figure out T.J. has been kidnapped and it’s Lou who goes in after him. Once T.J sees who’s rescuing him, he finally realizes he can’t live without Lou. The only problem….Lou has decided she’s done waiting on T.J and plans to start dating. But first they have to find out why T.J was taken and by whom. T.J will have to do a lot of groveling to get Lou to give him a chance? Great story. BDSM. Sex. Humorous. I had just a little problem with Lou….I wasn’t fond of her. I know I’m probably the only one but she just got on my nerves. It felt like she was constantly jerking T.J around. I know he kept pushing her away but he finally realized he was being ridiculous and manned up. I loved T.J he was sweet and adorable. I loved how they tortured Big Tag.

When you find an author whose books make you laugh, cry, and feel like you're among a group of people that you absolutely love, well, you've found your people, and you hold onto them with both hands. Author Lexi Blake is my people, and I absolutely adore her and her books, filled as they always are with wit, humor, sass, sarcasm, adrenaline-pumping suspense, family, and love. Always love. LIVE, LOVE, SPY, the second book in Lexi's Masters & Mercenaries: New Recruits series, is Louisa Ward's and TJ Taggart's story, and I don't think that I could have loved it more. Lou finally gets to show that she is so much more than the brainy one, the sensible one, the one that you can depend on to sit behind the computer and get things done. To show TJ that she's more than his friend Lou, that she is a strong woman, capable of so much more than he knew, the woman that has been there all along, waiting for him to wake the heck up. I mean, the Taggart girls are her besties, so what else would we expect? Strong women and the men that love them are a given in Lexi's books, and this new series is extra special, because we're on to the next generation, the kids that we've watched grow up now coming into their own and taking on the world the way that their parents did before them (and still do!). They are the next wave, and are doing a bang-up job showing the spy world what they're bringing to the table. Ian 'Big Tag' Taggart continues to make me laugh out loud, and seeing him getting served by the younger set some of what he doled out their whole lives is hilarious. Many of the other OG M&M gang make their appearances, doing their best to support the kids, and still show that they're the bad*sses they've always been, lending the air of nostalgia that I so enjoy in this series. LIVE, LOVE, SPY is an immediate favorite for me, and one that Lexi's fans should not miss (Note: While I do believe that these books can be read as standalones, having read the prior books helps everything make more sense. 😊). I can't wait to see what's next for this crew, but in the meantime, make sure that this one is high atop your TBR, and happy reading! ❤️

Live, Love, Spy is book 2 in the Masters and Mercenaries: New Recruits by Lexi Blake and awesome continuing saga… Up next is TJ Taggart and Louisa Ward who have known each other since middle school. Life takes them down different paths…he as a soldier and she working for the CIA..but when TJ is kidnapped he thinks about all the wasted time not being with Louisa. Little does he know that the CIA is coming and leading the group is none other than the woman of his dreams…Louisa. What happens next is full of twists, mystery, turns, sorting feelings long buried, banter, humor, chemistry and more will keep you reading til the last page! Can’t wait for the next book in this series! I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book from the Valentine PR. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved everything about this book! We got a glimpse of TJ and Lou in book one of the New Recruits series…or as I like to call them, M&M, the Next Generation. While all the cameos of the OG group, aka, the parents, these young men and women are feisty and fun to get to know. Lou and TJ are best friends but she’s always wanted more, while he kept her at arms length. We learn why, and let’s just say, boys are dumb sometimes, lol. Their journey is a slow burn, but that’s what makes it more fun. Of course there’s intrigue and danger, so expect some action packed scenes. We see not only this next generation of M&M offspring but some of the OG mercenaries themselves. Ian is still Ian, thank goodness! Daughter Kala is his younger female counterpart and bestie of Lou. I loved their relationship so much! TJ reminds me of his dad Theo, but mom Erin has one of my favorite scenes in the book…with TJ and Lou. And the epilogue?! Golden…and I cried! I know whose story is next and it’s going to be an interesting read. For now, though, I’m still in love with Lou and TJ.

This is the second book in the Masters and Mercenaries: New Recruits series and Ms. Blake has outdone herself with the powerful messages running throughout the pages. Lou was the brainiac who went through school with high expectations of her and her capabilities. From a young age, she had a crush on TJ Taggert, her best friend, who along with his family members made her school years bearable. TJ was no scholar and knew that Lou was going places which meant that he pushed her away to follow her path because he never felt deserving of her. However, fifteen years later, when TJ is taken, Lou is hitting the ground running to save him and show him a new and improved version of herself. What happens when TJ finally realizes that Lou is the right woman for him? Lexi Blake is one of my go-to authors because her writing style is fluid mixing emotions with heart effortlessly. There is so much that one can relate to in this storyline, especially the idea that a person’s worth is not established by another’s belief as to what he/she should be. Overall, this is one inspired drama filled read with wit, humor, love, twists, steam and you will not be able to remain in your seat wondering what will be coming next with this family of spies…I highly recommend this book and the others related to this series, the old and new.