No Strings Attached

The Escort #1

by Kristen Strassel

Leah Godfrey has almost everything she could ask for —

She’s got an interior design business with an A-list clientele, a weekly spot on a national morning TV show, and a great daughter — but she doesn’t have a date for her twentieth high school reunion. It wouldn’t be a big deal, but her ex-husband was her high school sweetheart, and now he’s married to the slut Leah caught him with in bed. She won’t let the biggest failure of her life overshadow her success.

When her best friend suggests she hire a date, Leah thinks the idea is scandalous. But for one weekend, she wants to forget her mistakes and pretend she has everything her ex took away from her.

Jagger Holiday makes women’s fantasies come true —

But working as a male escort leaves him feeling empty. He turns to photography to fill the void. When Jagger gets a call from a lonely single mom who needs the same thing he does, he wants more. He wants her.

Leah and Jagger have no problem convincing everyone at the reunion they’re together. She should’ve known better than to think there’d be no strings attached.

After all, he’s a professional.

Intended for adult audiences only.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Erotica, Contemporary

270 pages, ebook

First published August 24, 2015

About the author

Kristen Strassel is far cooler than she’ll make herself sound in this bio. She enjoys spending time with the voices in her head—nudging the characters toward those bad decisions and a happily ever after. When she’s not writing, she’s often still in the land of make-believe—doing makeup for film and television. And when she’s not doing any of that, she enjoys making her house look like a Pinterest board, watching football, and road trips to the middle of nowhere.

Connect with Kristen!
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Reviews

[Candice Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kristen Strassel writes REAL people. The main character in this book, Leah, is the divorced single mother of a teen. She's a woman in her thirties--mid to upper if I'm not mistaken. And this woman doesn't just have curves, she's got a REAL body (BECAUSE SHIT HAPPENS WHEN YOU BIRTH A HUMAN). I lovedddd that. I loved how she was a total PARENT too. The main character struggled with technology and modern references and didn't always know how to connect with her teenage daughter. That's real life. That's how A LOT of parent-child relationships go. I appreciated this book for that.

The romance between Leah and Jagger was terribly sweet. Kristen nails love on the page the way so many authors can't seem to. IT IS HARDER THAN YOU'D THINK. To make these two characters seem real, to give them a love story that transcends "The End" and stays with you well past the point of completion.

Can't wait for y'all to read this one. CAN'T. WAIT.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always intrigued by books that have escorts as a main character. It's basically built in angst. I found this to be a bit different from other escort books I've read. Given the male character's profession, the angst wasn't too high in this story and despite some of the problems/character insecurities, it was a surprisingly easy read. Jagger is a photographer who has become an escort to make ends meet. Leah is a single mother in her thirties with some self esteem issues. When her best friend insists on dragging her to their high school reunion she panics. She doesn't want to show up there alone because she'll run into her cheating ex-husband and his new wife. She lets herself be talked into hiring an escort. Jagger and Leah pretty quickly realize there is more to their relationship than just a simple business transaction. Leah, firmly rooted in reality, tells Jagger that there can be no future for them, but does her determination to stay away from him stick?

There was a lot to like about this story. I very much enjoyed both Jagger and Leah. With Jagger's help Leah finds confidence and herself as the story progresses. I enjoyed her daughter and her mother cracked me up, not sure I'm in love with her best friend. Though Jagger retains his job as an escort the whole story the scenes of him with other women are kept mild and it is made clear how disgusted he is by his job and the corner he feels he has painted himself into. The scene where he photographs Leah was possibly my favorite part (maybe tied by Leah's awesome newly found backbone making itself known at the Christmas party. While it ends HFN we are left with a lot of unanswered questions. Will Leah and Jagger be able to make something work long term? Can Leah deal with his profession? Will Jagger stop being an escort and devote himself to his photography full time? Will news of his job spread and how will Jagger and Leah deal with the fallout? I'm looking forward to answers to these questions in book two which I hope will be out soon!

[CeCe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am in a mood for an escort book so I picked this one up. Sounded so good, but it failed for me.

The writing style is not for me. Too much detail about everything. I don't care that the heroine picked her favorite bar to meet the hero because it "made the best sangria in the DC metro area." (Loc 9%) Then there are details about people that I felt were not even relevant to the story. Awkward verbiage and other unbelievable things made me unable to believe that the romance between the hero and heroine would work.

I also did not care for the BFF Kari. Why are the BFFs always slutty?!?!?

This may work for you, but did not work for me. These are my opinions.

[Red Cheeks Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

No Strings Attached is the first book in Kristen Strassel’s new series, The Escort. I must admit, I was a bit nervous going in to this one, but I liked the idea even if the notion of him being an escort – and the infidelity that implies – made me uneasy. The first third of the book pleasantly surprised me, so I settled in and soldiered on.

“It was time for me to start loving me.”

Leah Godfrey is a thirty-eight-year-old single mom of a seventeen-year-old daughter, Raven. Divorced from her high school sweetheart after she caught him in their bed with her arch nemesis from high school, she’s a woman on a mission to re-invent herself, to start fresh, and the best way she thinks she can do that is by starting to care for herself. An interior designer to A-list clientele and a morning TV personality, Leah is well accustomed to creating beauty for others, but she’s lost as to how to turn that magic on herself.

“I was getting too old for this shit.”

Jagger Holiday. Gorgeous. Sex god. Escort. But there is more to this man, a side that he allows very few to see, and certainly not his clients. But then along came Leah, and she turned out to be somewhat of a game changer for him. He has his reasons for being an escort, and while it is definitely making him tons of cash, it’s not his passion, it’s not his calling and it’s not something he really even wants to do any longer. It is, however, something he feels that he has to do in order to earn the seed money for his dream.

“For the first time in a long time, I needed something more. Something I could call my own and be proud of.”

Leah needs a date for her high school reunion. No way can she go back there without one. Her best friend treats her to a date with an escort. Leah chooses Jagger, and their first date is scheduled. The attraction they feel is for each other is very real, and for the first time ever, Jagger finds himself crossing all kinds of boundaries with a client. For Leah, Jagger brings out a side of her that she didn’t know even existed, and when she steps out of her comfort zone with him, she finds that she really likes it.

“I think this describes us perfectly. Sweet, messy, and totally inappropriate.”

They head up to the reunion, and just as Leah expected, the run-in with her ex-husband is awful. He’s cruel, he’s mean and he takes great pleasure in humiliating her in front of everyone. The home-wrecking new wife, Leah’s nemesis from high school, and her posse of evil bitches, are right there along for the ride. Leah runs off from this confrontation without a word and completely devastated by his hurtful comments. Jagger swoops in whisking Leah back to the room for a seriously sexy photo shoot that leaves him weak in the knees.

“She was a work of art, and she took my fucking breath away.”

The weekend comes to an end, and knowing that a relationship with him won’t work when he’s based in Miami and she’s in DC not to mention the whole escort thing, Leah ends it. They both leave broken hearted. But it’s not long before she gives in and calls him. They plan another meet up for after the holidays because Jagger is booked through the escort agency through Christmas. But, unbeknownst to them, someone truly nasty has figured out their secret. While home for Christmas, Leah’s ex husband insists she and her family, including their daughter, come a holiday party at to his house – their former home together – to see his mom. The real purpose for his invitation is made evident when the new wife’s best friend shows up shortly after Leah arrives with none other than Jagger in tow.

“No, we weren’t perfect. But we were honest and real…”

I liked the premise of this book, but I think I was expecting it to go in a different direction. It’s my first venture into a plot featuring a male escort. Through the first third of the book, I was enjoying their banter, their attraction and how sexy they were together. The storyline advancement was a bit slow, and the author seemed to focus a bit more on describing the minute details around the couple than she did the couple themselves, their budding relationship or the storyline itself. These two were surrounded by a whole lot of drama but, unfortunately, that portion of the plot didn’t get nearly enough attention, development or resolution for this story to have worked for me. I know all about Leah and her best friend, Kari’s, love of sangria, but the humiliating confrontation at the reunion with her ex barely garnered a few paragraphs. It was the same with the awful scene at the ex’s Christmas party, where she was deliberately set up by him, his wife and her friends for the sole purpose of humiliating her in front of her family, most of the town and their daughter. But nothing came of it. She blurted out a semi-dramatic one-line response, turned on her heel and left. Huh? I wanted more of a confrontation with her ass of an ex; instead Leah came off as a totally weak, cowering doormat.

What bothered me most, however, was that I was fully unprepared for the very, very sketchy, barely there happy-for-now ending. And by happy for now, I mean right now, as in that very moment, because who knows where they’ll be the next day, let alone two hours from then. After the party scene, the story continued to drag on, but then very abruptly and suddenly ended on that HFN note. Now, my kindle told me I was coming to the end, but there was ample time to tie it up with a slightly more fleshed out ending. I was taken totally by surprise that the story ended, and I was left holding my Kindle thinking “wait a minute, what just happened here?” To say I was disappointed in the ending is putting it mildly.

For a story to work for me, I greatly prefer a HEA, but I’ll take a fleshed-out HFN. I can handle a HFN when it is more developed and defined. This HFN, though… well I was left mostly assuming they were going to move forward in pursuit of a relationship. That just doesn’t work for me personally. Couple that with the way that Leah just took all that verbal abuse from her ex with little to no response, while she was the one wronged by him and claims to be re-inventing herself as a strong, confident, successful woman? I just didn’t believe it, I didn’t believe, or really like, Leah, and it just didn’t wring true. Sadly, No Strings Attached just didn’t work for me.

The writing was good, it was well proofed and edited, and the author was very descriptive in the background details. If she’d have given that same attention to the storyline and the character development, I’d probably have a very different opinion of this book. But for me, this was a so-so read that ultimately left me a bit frustrated and disappointed. Not an epic fail or a DNF, just not quite sated or happy. 3 Smooches from me.

~ Danielle Palumbo

[Deanie Nelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Divorced interior designer Leah doesn't want to go to her 20th high school reunion, but her best friend is organizing it, so she can't say no. To keep her from facing her cheating ex alone, her friend suggests that Leah hire an escort. Enter sexy younger man Jagger Holiday. A former model and struggling artist, Jagger pays his bills making women's fantasies come true. But there's something different about his relationship with Leah -- they're kindred spirits, and sparks are flying. But can this single mom make a relationship with a male escort work long-term?

While the ideas behind this book are so ridiculous it might also qualify as a fantasy, it's a well-written, fun book. Sexy Jagger helps Leah get her self-confidence back after it had been crushed by her cheating ex-husband, and artistic Leah gives Jagger more confidence in his work as a photographer. The chemistry between the two is smoking, and the family dynamics add depth to the book. It's a quick, fun read.

[Janett The Pleasure of Reading Today · Rating 5 out of 5]

First thing that got my attention is that this is a book about two mature adults who's lives are successful, but they're not perfect. They're both still missing something to complete them, to make them whole.

When it comes to Leah, I loved how real she was, specially with her teenager and the struggles that come with dealing with a child her age. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking at times, but look back and remember those times in your life and I imagine that's the way my parents felt at one point or another. This woman inspired respect, after getting over a nasty relationship with a self absorb jerk, she built her life from nothing and became successful. And although she enjoys her professional success, her personal life is lacking, that's the reason why she decides to take an unconventional path when it comes to bringing a partner to her high school reunion.

Jagger is successful at what he does, but he has bigger dreams and needs the money to help make his dreams come true. He's a sweet and honorable man who is just doing what he can in order to keep moving forward.

Once Leah and Jagger meet their chemistry is electrifying, they understand each other, they complement each other. They also add a very healthy splash of sexiness to the storyline.

I love the writing style of the author and the flow of the story. Not only are the two main characters well developed, but you will love and definitely hate some of the secondary characters.

This one was one book that I devoured in one sitting.

This is a book with two characters in a journey of self discovery and self fulfillment, a book well worth the reading.

[JL Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Arc was given for honest review***

Sweet, funny, and sexy! No Strings Attached (The Escort 1) was a great read. Leah Godfrey is amazing! After her husband cheats on her she completely turns her life around. She moves her and her daughter far away from their tiny little home town, she starts her own business and turns it into a success.

Just around the corner is her twentieth high school reunion and she refuses to go because the cheating ex will be there right along with the whore he cheated with, but her bestie recommends her hiring a date to escort her to their reunion.

Jagger Holiday not only has a sexy name, but everything about Jagger is sexy, and when Leah meets him it's not just his looks that draws her in. He's sexy, smart, and is willing to help her out and go to the reunion with her and play the dutiful boyfriend. He's good, but he's paid to be, right?

The two hit it off from the start and it's all supposed to be a job for Jagger and a way for Leah to show everyone that she is successful in all aspects of her life, but the two are so attracted to each other that when it's all over they still can't seem to stay away from one another. Other than the fact that they live in different states, the fact that Jagger is a male escort, they at least know they want to be with each other. I can't wait for book two to see where Jagger and Leah end up.

[FMR Book Grind · Rating 4 out of 5]

AMY C'S REVIEW
4 STARS

Adorable, lighthearted and just fun to read. This book was so much story on a small scale which was great. If offered me all of the delicious sexy swoon worthiness, packaged in an easy to read book. The story line was genuine and carefree which made reading this book so much fun. It was exactly what I needed!!

Leah & Jagger were completely different in all ways that showed up on paper except that they just got each other. They had shared interests and common ground which made one weekend that was supposed to make Leah's life more bare able, turn into lust at first site. She wanted the fantasy and he wanted a little normalcy and when they got together hot and sexy conspired leaving them both completely satisfied!

This book was an easy read and offered little angst which made me super excited to finish. The story was great and had continuous flow which made character development and sequence fantastic. I recommend is book for its ease and comfortability splashed with a side of sexy.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 SMOOCHES!

I read and reviewed this book on behalf of RED CHEEKS READS.

Review: http://redcheeksreads.com/no-strings-...

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[crashqueen73]

Too Mills and Boon- ish for my liking.

And the cover?

Ugh.

[Kristiej · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one a while ago but just getting around to adding it now - have to make that goal I set. I think I already have but I just haven't been adding the books. The plan was to review every one I read but that has proven impossible. So all I can add are my rather nebulous thoughts since I've read so many books since this one and the next two in the series.

For some odd reason I have a liking for stories where the hero is in the "adult entertainment" business so when I saw this one a book that fits into this category I was sold. And I liked it quite a bit.

Who hasn't fantasized about showing up at a reunion or some other event where you see people from your past with a Very Good Looking guy on your arm? This is the theme of this book. Our heroine Leah has something to prove when she attends her reunion so she hires professional escort Jagger Holiday. They hit things off on an even deeper level.

Though it would seem to be on the outside that Jagger has it all, being a gigolo is actually a lonely and soul sucking way to make a living. Jagger also loves photography but doesn't feel he can make a living at it. But when he begins to confide in Leah, his life slowly starts to change and a real love story begins between these two.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a copy of this book free through BookBub. I had not read this author previously. I realize it came out in 2015 so I’m a little behind.

I liked the heroine in this story. She seemed like a cool chic that I’d probably like to party with. There was some good humor though out too. That being said, the escort storyline made me feel kind of icky especially toward the end of the book when, after presumably falling for the heroine, the hero goes and “services” a much older woman while her elderly, on his death bed husband watched. Honestly, it grossed me out a little. If I were Leah there would be no way I’d ever accept my significant other having a profession where he sleeps with multiple different people a week and didn’t immediately give up said profession when we both agreed to be exclusive to each other. I also thought the chapter where the high school mean girl ambushed the heroine with the hero was REALLY farfetched.

There are two more books in this series and I’m not invested enough to see where the story goes.

[Melanie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

...except the heartstrings

Fans of modern Cinderella stories like Pretty Woman are going to love this book. Kristen Strassel's smooth and easy prose lulls you into the coolest twist ever on the servant-turns-princess trope, with a heavy dose of seduction and erotica to go with. In Strassel's version, the guy is the despised one - a professional escort to whom women pay big bucks to objectify in their personal fantasies, and then discard him. Leah, divorced, single mom, interior designer par excellence, chooses handsome Jagger from the escort line-up to go with her to her high-school reunion. Her small-minded ex, his slutty second wife, and her vindictive sister are nastier then ugly stepsisters, and try to make the reunion as humiliating as possible, while Jagger turns out to be the perceptive, generous lover and loyal friend that her ex never was. But, wait - ESCORT?? How's THAT gonna work? You might be surprised, but you'll absolutely be captivated by this modern fairy-tale.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

What a great book. It was at turns poignant, funny and sweet. I really liked how Jagger and Leahy worked so hard to respect each other's boundaries and life choices, even the ones they didn't agree with. The book was well written with no errors that I saw. The characters were engaging and interesting and the plot was not surprising, but moved well. The pacing was on point and if I didn't want to read the next book, this one ends at a good place. But I do want to read the next book to see what challenges they will face and how they overcome the obstacles set up in this book.

[Kelly Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an Unexpected Treat!!!

I went into this book completely blind. I'd never heard of the author or read any of her other books, but this book was on sale for free so I figured why not?! I'm so glad I took that chance!

It is FANTASTIC! Jagger is a sexy, long haired escort that Leah hires to take to her highschool reunion. Little does she know, that they would both step away from the weekend wanting so much more!!

This book was funny, sexy, sweet, and swoon worthy all rolled into one beautiful story. This is just the beginning of Jagger and Leah, and I can't wait to find out what happens next!!

[Tesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sexy drama

Loved this book. Had it in my library for a while and finally got to it. If I knew it was that good, I'd have jumped on it ages ago. Well thought out story lots of drama, but I really enjoyed the building relationship because they clicked not by sexual attraction but mutual interest. Could have done with out the bitchy play going on but then that's life. We all know someone or a few people so catty you d want to smack in the face with a shovel. Of course, you'd never do out but like to. Lol great book. Have to go buy the next one.

[Mae Hanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story right up to the end. I know it's the 1st in a series, but I've never been one for HFN endings, and this isn't even a happy for now ending, it's more of a happy in the moment ending.

I'm not sure I liked the characters enough to get pasted the editorial issues (i.e. "I lifted my tie [used as a blindfold] away from her eyes" and then 2 paragraphs later "the blindfold fell away") and continue with their story in book two.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a story that grabbed me from the start and after I got into it I didn’t want to let it go!! Leah’s life has very little to commend to it, especially with her high school bully “friends” to always stick it to her. Jagger had his own challenges - mostly due to his job. But, no more spoilers! Well worth the time to read.

[Kl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had serious editing problems. Even with that I gave it 5 stars. The characters were likable, you wanted them to win. Even though the villains were not really that instrumental, or even describe all that much, in this book you hated them.

[Carol Tietsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, Leah is a nuturer, always helping others, mostly at her expense. Her ex-husband is an appendage, and never passes up a chance to rub her nose in something and his new wife and her friend are the same.

[Lucille Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Strings Attached(The Escort Book 1)

I really did enjoy this book and I didn't want to put it down once I got started .It was very well written and it ended well. I can't wait to read the next one . Good job Kristen 😀

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a great book to read

[Randy Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never dream to meet this way

Story is good. Both characters are developed and have lives. Bringing them together this way is great. Jagger brings out a new her and she is great.

[Billie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, warning, this is book 1 of 3...no HEA until book 3.

[donnamauldin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

This book is about the same as a lot of other books about escorts. You could figure out what was going to happen next. But still a good read.

[Mandi Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as it’s getting good, it ends. There is no resolution. Just ends. Uh I hate that. But it was a great story and I will be buying the series to find out what happens.

[Wanda E. Beckworth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do not like books that do not end.

I hate to have to keep buying books to get the ending of the story. They should have a warning before you start . Not worth reading.

[Amber Myers]

I really liked it, but I HATE when the story continues in a different book. So that’s the only reason I give this three stars instead of four or five.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly i really enjoyed this.

[Tammy Higgs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantasy come true

Great book that every woman has thought about at least one time or more. We all fantasize and that is where our hearts want to be.