Unconditional: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella Paperback – January 28, 2014

Loved the story highly recommend reading the who series, the story shows struggles, happiness lots of emotions, how live is in realality. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't.

Love this book. You will fall.in love with the characters in this book. I cried and then I was cheering for them.A must read.

I don't usually give novellas 5 stars. It can be hard to show character growth within the confines of the medium. Lexi Blake has no problem with that in Unconditional. Both Keith and Ashley show a lot of personal growth within the pages of this awesome little novella.Very Brief Synopsis - We met Keith and Ashley in Sanctum, another novella in the Masters and Mercenaries series. Ashley comes to work at Sanctum, the BDSM club owned and operated by various characters we've met in the first 6 novels, when they aren't working for McKay and Taggert Security. Ian Taggert (aka Mephistopheles in Leather) needs a sub to see if Keith is worthy of Master status at Sanctum, and maneuvers Ashley into accepting the task. Ashley and Keith meet under carefully contracted terms, but soon, their attraction for each other grows. Keith has some secrets he is unwilling to share, but is very clear he is far from husband material. Ashley has some issues of her own, which come to light when a man is caught stalking her.What worked - Oh good grief, everything worked here. I LOVED this novella. Keith is so alpha, so in control. Ryan(from Sanctum and Ashley's brother-in-law) calls him compartmentalized, and it is an accurate description. Keith sees Ashley at the club. Period. never mind that he calls her to ask about her classes, or what she had for lunch, or to see how her day is going. In Keith's mind, Ashley belongs in the Sanctum compartment. When he finds out Ashley is being harassed by her baby's grandparents, he is willing to help her, but not provide comfort outside of the club. He has big, big, BIG ghosts haunting him from his past, and is so brittle with his pain...I expected him to shatter with it. And the end, which I will not spoil for anyone, made me cry.Ashley is a single working mom who is also going to school. She is accommodating, and doesn't really stand up for herself. As she becomes Keith's sub, she gains confidence in herself, and starts to speak out, not only in the scenes between her and Keith, but to others, as well. She is devoted to her baby, but wants to have a life for herself, too.As in all of the books in this series, the BDSM parts are handled beautifully. Ms. Blake hints that Sanctum is one of a kind, and that in the real world, a good Dom is much harder to find. Within the confines of Sanctum, the subs really hold all the power, and thrive under the attention from their Doms. Keith teaches Ashley to appreciate herself and to know her own worth. I could feel how much they cared for each other from the beginning.Ian is in rare form, even for Ian. Oh, the funny!!! I think I highlighted every scene he was in. We also had time with Serena and Avery and Charlotte, Jill, Ashley's sister, and Ryan, Jesse, Simon, Damon, Adam...Good, good times.What didn't work - Nothing.Bottom line - This is one freaking terrific series. If you haven't read any of the previous titles, you could start with this one, but do yourself a favor and start at the beginning. Yes, this series is BDSM-centric. The beauty of Ms. Blake's work is how seamlessly she weaves BDSM into the story, and how the psychology of each character explores why they need it without making the whole story revolve around sex and submission/dominance. Yes, there is a lot of sex. Yes, most of the sex is BDSM-related. But there is a ton of other stuff going on as well. These stories are so engaging and engrossing, and then yay! there is hawt as fire sex, too!!! Ms. Blake provides the trifecta of romance, with strong elements of romance, solid plot and wicked, delicious, nasty sex. Loved Unconditional, and can't wait for the next installments to this series.

Lexi Blake is a master of erotic romance! eek! 😍. This was a story I didn't know could exist, but damn happy it did! I had forgotten about Keith's initial involvement in Jill and Ryan's story until he started to talk about him taking over as Jillian's Dom when Ryan's life went south. In Sanctum..So when Ashley knew it was Keith to bring her to submission I knew this was it for him and her. I didn't expect him being afraid of the baby issue, but it fit him and his story well. I'm glad Lexi didn't give him a huge back story, sometimes a little goes a long way. If you as a reader have not read all the "Masters and Mercenaries series, you will not miss the back story to the characters that are in this story; that being said you really should they are all great stories and you are depriving yourself of all these characters awesome stories!! I love Ian's sense of humor, I can almost hear his wise ass comments as if I'm in the room with him. Adam is there and I get a kick at how he's such a pain in Ian's ass but everyone, including Keith seem to dig that about him. I loved hearing from Jesse (I need a story of my own) Murdoch,, (please Lexi soon!). I also loved that she brought back Avery, Serena, Jill, Ryan, Charlotte, Damon, Liam, Simon, Derek and a hint of the someone Simon is "pinning" after - duh - Chelsea. (I know I'm right)! 😊I can't wait to read Damon and Piper's story in Dungeon Royale, and then Derek and Karina's in Dungeon Games. OMG I really need to win the power ball one day so I can NEVER deprive myself of ANY book from my favourite "classic" writers ... Blake, Black, Day, Burton, Leighton, Banks, James, Dane, Hart, and adding (and there are more than I will list right here) Proubts, Kery, Wilder, Kingston, Reynard, Leigh, Cunning, Walker, Christina Lauren, Jones, Kenner, Alden, Stephens, and I could literally add more. I'd be happy to share with anyone my fav's. If you check on these authors you'll probably see a review from me, and if not I try to get back to my Goodreads to give you my star rating there too! I can count on one hand how many books I have had to give less than 5 stars, these folks do not disappoint me whatsoever - and if you like one you should like them all. They have never made me not want to spend more $$ on their books and some I have bought as paperback cause I lov'em soooo much! So here is my star rating for all to see for Lexi Blake - for any book I have of hers and will have in the future... 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 x a million! Yeah, I mean that! Get off your ass and buy this one at least! You'll laugh, and cry and love the story. I really mean it, I laugh out loud and cry out loud when I read these books, this one especially cause it touched my heart on such a basic level. BUY IT..!! 😄

Ian Taggert aka Big Tag to this friends and employees has decided it is time to kill three birds with on contract.With the help of his wife and sub he persuaded Ashley, an employee at Sanctum, to sign a contract to be a sub for a month.Ashley is a quiet woman working there while she studies at college and takes care of her baby girl. She has agreed to learn about the lifestyle by being a sub for a Dom who is trying out for the club.Keith is the Dom in question, he works hard and already knows Ashley as he is friends with her brother-in-law. Keith has a lot of baggage in his past and doesn't want a commitment with any woman. He however thinks that the contract will allow him to get Ashley out of his system.We follow their story with both of them dealing with their past and both finding out how much they want to be together.Loved this story.

This is one of 3 novellas, along with Sanctum and Dungeon Games, which feature side line characters form the Masters and Mercenaries series. This time it's Ashley and Keith. As I said in my review of Sanctum, I wonder if Ian is matchmaking secretly, "in the guise of being a complete dick" he can manipulate people, last time and ex sub by fluke turning up for a bar manger interview, this time the sub's sister has no dom and guess what, there's a dom in the beginners class that needs a sub.Ashley is pretty much an open book, has a child whose father abandoned as soon as he finds out she's pregnant, she now waitresses at Sanctum and is at colleague. Keith however is a bit more mysterious. He's closed off, doesn't have relationships, he doesn't think he's good enough for anyone. The issue of Ashley having a baby is especially a problem for him, the reason for which we discover later.This is an ok short story but I question the need for it and the other novellas as they do not add to the running storyline through the series.

Another great read from Lexi and in our favourite playground. Keith was a real contradiction in so many ways but a heart still beat under all that armour. Lived Ashley and her interaction with Katrina and the girls. Well written and great escapism.

I had a hard time actually liking Keith, the ml mostly because of his cold character. He seemed too calculating and hard edged for a Dom and most especially for a sub like Ashley.Please bear with the storyline, it's well worth it in the end.Well written, excellent characterisation and a lovely storyline.Hot sex, a cameo appearance by old MT friends and plenty of alpha dominance.

This could be a stand alone novel but I think that it is best read when the characters from the earlier books are known. It is the story of Keith and Ashley but it contains the additional element of having a child involved. There is a lot of anguish as Keith has to make serious decisions concerning the child and Ashley is emotionally pulled in several directions as a result of his decisions. This is a superb book that I would heartily recommend.