No Reservations

Special Ops: Tribute #1

by Kate Aster

Bridget Needham knows first-hand how a Special Ops man can shatter a girl’s heart. She’s still kicking herself over the one that got away… after watching him get down on one knee and propose to someone else. After giving up her career to re-open her aunt’s struggling bed-and-breakfast inn, the last thing she needs is a sexy-as-sin SEAL showing up on her doorstep—especially when the secrets of her past still threaten to keep her from holding onto love. Besides, this guy might have a Greek god bod and an impressively large power drill, but he also has a girlfriend two thousand miles away. Former Navy SEAL Maddox Kerry hadn’t intentionally landed himself in Annapolis during Commissioning Week—the one week when it’s next-to-impossible to find a place to stay. So it’s mission-critical that he convince an adorably awkward innkeeper whose bed-and-breakfast is closed for renovations to let him stay. And hey, if he finds himself hoping for a little more than the customary turn-down service, who can blame him? Yet every time the chemistry sparks between them, she runs for cover. Any other guy would shrug his shoulders and move on. But he can’t walk away when he senses the pain behind her prim exterior. Because Maddox Kerry isn’t any other guy.

Genres: Romance, Military Fiction, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Amazon, Fiction, Ebooks

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 10, 2016

About the author

When Kate Aster was in fifth grade, she wrote her debut novel on a spiral-bound notebook–a science fiction which ended with the tragic destruction of all humanity.

Fortunately, she’s gotten a lot more upbeat.

Now preferring romantic settings and blissfully happy endings, Kate just released her eighth book available on Amazon.

Kate is an avid snorkeler, “beach read” fanatic, and margarita connoisseur. She is so grateful for the support and positive reviews from her readers. Thank you!

If you’d like to be notified when Kate’s next book is available, please fill out the contact form on her website to be added to her mailing list. Thanks so much for your interest!

Reviews

[Emmyreads444 · Rating 4 out of 5]

No because Kate Aster has me in a chokehold.

[Karen Lovvorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former SEAL and an ex attorney.

What they find in each other is unstoppable. Could it be love or just lust? Either way, it’s explosive. They didn’t realize what life could be.

[Joan]

I'm more than a little confused by this book.
I downloaded this under the title 'No Reservations (Special Ops: Homefront Book 5) But it appears to be the first book in a series, which made more sense considering that there were several fairly major plot points that seemed to be totally forgotten in this story!

Where was the 'conclusion'? Where did all those loose ends go ... or are they still trailing around, forever lost and with no hope of resolution??

This is, too all intents and purposes, one of those dreaded CLIFFHANGER stories!! I wouldn't have minded the mystery with the safety-deposit box or the key or the letter had they not been about the MAIN CHARACTER!!!

And can you REALLY just go into a bank and get a box without proper proof? I collected a bank box from my local bank. The stuff I had to do to prove I had the ownership of it !! The locked doors, the security... but it seemed like Bridget just swanned in, and was accepted! And how the hell did her parents get hold of the box if they weren't beneficiaries of the estate? And if they were, how could Bridget get it?

I am annoyed about this novel. I won't bother reading any more in the series because I have a sneaky feeling each book will have its own 'cliffhanger' in an effort to keep me reading the next, and the next and the next.

Nope. I'm done. Shame really, because I quite liked the writing.

CBA rating right now.

[Andria Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Charliegirl1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unresolved issues

I like Kate Aster, I've read and enjoyed every one of her military romances. I liked this one, as well, for the most part. It had a sweet, hot ex-Navy hero and a strong but vulnerable heroine. Love blooms and the guy gets the girl for a nice happily-ever-after. However, there are issues with her off-stage parents and her late aunt, including a mysterious, hidden envelope, that are never resolved. Unless the next book in this series is a sequel, which is not mentioned or even hinted at, I see no point in introducing drama just for the sake of drama but not resolving it by the end of the book. For that reason I decreased the number of stars.

[Monica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sweet book but huge issue! UNFORTUNATELY, the mystery part remained unsolved and that was extremely disappointing. This author made way to much out of the mystery, and then leaving it wide open just did not set well with this reader.  It isn't even clear whether future books will explain the mystery. 

Such potential, but this author blew with a cliffhanger. As a result, I could not give this book a better rating.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on iBooks today (3/18/2020)! 🎁

[Isabel Jolie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this heart-warming read. Kate Aster is a new to me author, and after reading No Reservations, I continued on and read the entire Special Ops Tribute series. This is military romance at its best - realism, sizzle, and heart.

There is a letter...and she doesn't (gasp) read it. But, there's an extra prologue available for free that wraps up that little question mark. And honestly, I didn't even care that we didn't know what was in the letter, because for me, the story was all about Bridget and Maddox. And really, the men in this series...oh my. All highly worthy book boyfriends.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just what I needed a light romance with little angst. Really enjoyed it and interesting crossover with characters appearing from Special Ops: Homefront series.

[Brenda Hook · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new favorite.

I just found a new Author. This book is amazing beautiful love story. I really enjoyed reading this book. Please read .

[Meryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read.

If you are looking for a sweet, loving story, this book is for you. I liked how the characters met, their support and growth together was so heartwarming.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Unicorn! Sweet, Sexy and Emotionally Healthy!

This book just seems so healthy! They help each other. They struggle with issues but don't really do a ton of inflicting those issues on each other. I read it in one sitting so it's not boring.

Look, I almost never review books without an ARC, and I typically struggle to get them reviewed. Just read the damn book.

[avery · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 starts- I found the the plot and characters kinda flat. There wasn't much characterisation and the two main characters just had traumatic backstories. The second half of the book got confusing with a bunch of randomly added conflict. There also wasnt a very satisfying ending since the conflict wasn't resolved at the end of the book. I forced myself to finish the book. I feel like its going to put me in a bookslump.

[AnnE · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love Kate Aster's Homefront series you'll absolutely love her new Special Ops:Tribute series! I was really thrilled to return to Annapolis for another one of Kate's stories. In No Reservations Bridget and Maddox are both starting a new chapter in their lives. Maddox has decided to leave the Seals. Bridget has given up her career as a lawyer to renovate and open a B&B that was left to her by her aunt. The two of them meet when Maddox shows up one stormy night looking for a place to stay. The relationship that develops between Bridget and Maddox is truly precious.
Once again Kate Aster has written a wonderful story! In this story there are characters from previous books, there are new very interesting new charachters, and there's also a family mystery! Kate Aster is a very talented author who has a gift when it comes to character development and unique stories. Each one of her books is entertaining and a great read. If you haven't tried her series I encourage you to start reading them. You'll love them all!

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

If your looking to solve the mystery this book poses you’ll be disappointed. But if your looking for a meet-cute romance go for it.

There was a mystery posed and then never answered that is the worst offence a book can commit. Cute couple be damned, answers were needed and I don’t care if they’re supposed to come later dow the line in other books, this was a specifically Maddox/Bridget thing and for it to be left unsolved for another book is ridiculous and stupid.
Not to mention he confronted his past and she was too coward to do the same saying she can just ignore it to focus on the future (but that’s just my opinion). Basically she acted like ignoring would meant it WOULDN’T bite her in the arse later down the line *eyeroll*

[SynergyQuest · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book

This is now my second Kate Aster book and it too has been an absolute pleasure. Beyond the great characters, budding romance and steamy sexy time, she nails Annapolis. As one who lives in Maryland and and is in Annapolis 5-days a week I can attest that she got all the details spot on. I even think I know of the ice cream shop near Parole.

My only disappointment is that all Ms. Aster's titles aren't part of Kindle Unlimited.

If you love good, relatable characters who share a genuine affection for and commitment to each other, look no further. You've found the mother load in this one. Well done!

[Laywah Ang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Home run..Slam dunk!

A sweet , sexy and deeply moving love story that manages to be funny, whimsical as well as inspiring. Bridget the former lawyer and Maddox the newly ex-Seal 's journey from their respective pasts to a new future together! And I love it when old characters from other books show up and how everyone is connected. This book has that in spades as well as fascinating glimpses of new ones.

[Luz De · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring!

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty quick read for me! And it's currently free on Amazon, which I recommend you picking it up!

This book is about Bridgett, formally a attorney and now owner of her aunt's B&B, and Maddox, form Navy SEAL and soon to be ice cream shop owner. I honestly laughed out loud when the author dropped that he was looking for a place to start an ice cream shop lol But you find out why, and when you do it makes your heart melt!

Maddox comes across Bridgett's closed B&B and with his good looks and his "tools" (not the one you're thinking about (; ) he convinces her to let him stay and help out the with renovations she can't do on her own.

From the start they had chemistry, both realized they were attracted to one another, but they didn't let that be the center of their friendship. Over the next few days they beginning to open up and share some really hard things with one another.

I think he falls for her much sooner than she does for him and I love it. And I think I loved that they had adult conversations about issues, they didn't tip toe around ex's or whatever, they talked about it at face value.

There wasn't really any hiccups between the two of them, which I loved, but there were outside issues that made the story not feel flat. If that makes sense. There is some spice, but I'd say it was like a 2 out of 5 fire scale.

One thing about formatting was the author put texts in quotes like it was a face to face conversation, so I got confused and had to reread to figure out what the dialog was.

Overall, I think this story was great. I want to look into the series since I did enjoy this one so much. Again, it's free on Amazon as of 4/14/23 and I think you should grab it!

(If you do read my reviews or have read a few, let me know how you liked this one! I felt like I did it a bit different and I like it, but unsure if it flowed nicely. I normally don't add much about the story itself, but I felt like it was fitting in the moment of typing!)

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It is first in the series and can be read as a standalone. That being said, i believe it is a spin-off of other series so there are characters from previous books introduced here that I was not familiar with having not read the other books. I did not feel like I missed anything that would have made this story better by not reading those first. This is Maddox and Bridget’s story.

Bridget has given up her career as a lawyer to become am Inn Keeper. Her aunt passed away and left her the dilapidated Inn. She always felt drawn to it for some reason and decided to make a go of it despite her parents protests. Now she is slightly in over her head and fearful of failure.

Maddox is a former Navy SEAL and starting life as civilian by opening a business with some of his former team. They are all still active duty, but this is the dream of his captain’s widowed sister and he is determined to help make this a reality for her. He is in town during the busiest time of year for Annapolis and happens upon Bridget’s Inn looking for a place to stay

Immediately these two people were attracted to each other. Misunderstandings kept them from pursuing anything other than friendship, but once they cleared the air there was no stopping their connection. Maddox and Bridget both had some major things to work through and they managed to be there for each other through all of it. No spoilers here, but there was family drama, mystery, passion, great sexy time and a wonderful storyline.

My only complaint was there were many things left open and unresolved. The author finally resolved them in a novella that is the 2.5 book in the series. This could have been in the epilogue of this book, but it was offered for free so I can’t complain too much because I got the closure I needed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Tracey Cramer-Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked a lot of things about this story, but the prologue wasn’t one of them. Because I read the book description eons before I started reading, I first thought the book was a second chance romance for the couple in the prologue (Bridget and her ex/first love). I was confused when chapter one featured a different man than the prologue. It would have been better to just work the event into the main body of the story IMHO.

Maddox left the SEALS because he didn’t want to put his future loved ones through the hell he watched his friend’s sister go through (and by extension, realizing what his mother must have gone through when his SEAL father was killed in action). It was a refreshing change and an interesting decision; one I would think more likely for a man to make when he *does* fall in love (not when love is just a vague concept lol). However, I wanted more change in Maddox especially as related to his father’s death (there’s one quickie scene of him visiting his grave). I didn’t dislike Maddox, but I wanted him to have a flaw, anything to make him not so perfect, or just… deeper. Bridget was just… OK. And the issues with her parents were never delved into, a big missed opportunity to add layers to Bridget as a character.

It was also missing conflict between the H/H. No black moment or those doubts about their feelings and whether they’d ‘make it.’ But my biggest pet peeve is the ‘red herring’ discovery of an envelope hidden behind the wallpaper. If you’re going to bring something like that into a story, it needs to have an impact on the events/characters (and not in book 3 or whatever down the road).

[Doris Mahala · Rating 5 out of 5]

TRIBUTE

Kate Asher is one of the best people to give our military a positive light!
I had no clue what was coming around the "corner"!
I was worried that if he (Maddox) did not get on with his journey he just may miss the " boat"!
THE ENVELOPE has me worried!
I will need to get the rest of this series to just hang onto my seat with the hope that there won't be back lash of trepidation loaded with a bunch of dung flying everywhere!

Thank you Kate for showing the rest of our part of the military life and what we go through while our loved ones that are on the front lines!
I am a mother of an Army supply sergeant who was medically retired.
I have a story to tell from a mother's side while in the "trenches" in the background while your loved one serves his country and keeping all safe.
Unfortunately there are people who don't care about our veterans nor do they care about the rights we are losing everyday because of politics and politicians!
THANK YOU again.
Please tell those who you know and love that there are people out here who say "thank you" for your service.

[Judi Easley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great couple to start a series with...

Bridget dreams of running her B&B left to her by her late aunt. Maddox has just gotten out of the SEALs and is scouting for a location for an ice-cream business. His timing is bad as he's caught in the rain at night on commencement week in Annapolis. Not seeing the closed sign, he walks into Bridget's B&B. She greets him with a raised rolling pin and a scream. She's been renovating and isn't open for business yet. The fact that the door was locked but the doorknob broke off in Maddox's hand doesn't help calm Bridget any as she faces this large male invading her inn.
As Bridget and Maddox get to know each other and continue the renovations, their relationship grows to trust and romance. Ms. Aster does a wonderful job of creating their world and rounding it out with peripheral characters as well as adding authentic military touches. Being both a veteran and a former Navy wife, I appreciate the depth of the military aspect in the story. For me, it really was special. I highly recommend this book to others with a similar background.
Recommended.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes a blurb is mundane, but the blurb for NO RESERVATIONS hooked me in, just as I was needing something new to read. And I didn't want a 400 page book. This book was the perfect fit for my mood! It's not a rom-com, but it had me smiling and laughing several times! I loved how Maddox met Bridget, and the unease that she felt at that meeting! But for the sake of the rest of the story, I was so glad Maddox worked his charm within a matter of minutes! This book is NOT a cliffhanger, but I was left with wanting answers! So glad that when I got to the end, I found that the answers had been provided. Here on Goodreads, this book is listed as #1 in a series, but when I looked to Amazon, I see that it's book #5 in a series of 8. Upon further investigation I saw that I had already purchased the first 4, so I purchased the last 3! More great reading in my future! Awesome series!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

she was a lawyer but quit to run a B&B she got when her aunt died
he was a SEAL but quit
he was going to open a ice cream shop with his friends widow, some other friends chipped in

he came to the b&b before it opened . he helped her with repairs. she went him looking for a shop to rent for the ice cream shop

they liked each other but she thought he had a girlfriend. he explained he thought of his friends widow as his sister

they went to bed

she found a envelope in the wall from her aunt, but didnt open it. she told him to throw it away which he did but he later dug it out and didnt tell her

she found out there was $250,000 due, she didnt have enough money so he put it in so they are partners

he asked her to marry him and she said yes

the only reason i didnt rate this higher is i dont know what book they open the envelope....

[Julia M · Rating 4 out of 5]

a true HEA

Bridget thought her heart was broken when her ex boyfriend married someone else. Partly in an effort to move on she quit her job as a lawyer and began to renovate the bed and breakfast left to her by her aunt . Maddox had resigned from the Seals as he wanted to be present in the lives of any future spouse and children not that there were either on the horizon. He was currently scouting for a suitable premises to open an ice cream parlour with a group of friends. He met Bridget when in desperate need of somewhere to stay before she was actually open for business and talked her into letting him be her first guest in response to his comment “ I have tools!” Another great book in this series.

[Whispers From · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Bridget was a lawyer until her aunt leaves her an inn. Bridget has wanted to run the inn since she first went there in college. Maddox was a Navy SEAL until he decides to retire. He and some friends want to open a ice cream shop and he’s in town to find the perfect location. Even though Bridget hasn’t opened the inn yet, she agrees to let Maddox stay for awhile. Bridget is attracted to him but he has a girlfriend, so she thinks. But when she finds out her aunt had another loan out on the house, will her dreams go down the drain?

Fairly good. There is sex and a big secret that doesn’t get revealed in this book. Misunderstandings.

[Paige Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many great things in this book, a retired Navy Seal, a woman opening a bed and breakfast, parental issues, and a HEA (but there's a novella sequel which is FANTASTIC)! Bridget is renovating the bed and breakfast left to her by her aunt. Maddox stumbles through her door and offers to pay full price, plus he'll fix all the things she can't seem to finish. He's in town to scout out a place to open an ice cream shop, the dream of his SEAL buddy's wife. Includes Blue Angel fly overs, some impressive descriptions of abs, a lot of relationship resolutions and a twist or two. Standalone, but part of a series. I'm dying to read about Leia and Aiden...

[Sarah Noll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will read again

I liked this book. It’s a great curl up by the fire/heater and enjoy the sweetness of the story. I did have some hesitation when it ended without reference to the envelope... the the authors note tells to look for it later.

It had a somewhat expected progression but I expect that from this author and this type of book and I loved getting a glimpse of the Shay’s.

I did 4 stars because I thought the main female was giving up rather easily on something’s, including how her parents lied to her and the info about the loan. I hope there is resolution to that wi5 the reappearance of the envelope.

[Joyce McClure · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the concept, and the heartiness of both the hero and the heroine. Also that the book wasn't overwhelmed with smut, but there was a slow build to the romance. Agree with another reviewer that the unresolved mystery envelope ought to have been addressed in this book. It just feels unfinished, and like a cop out at the end to not have that sorted. Understand from the author's note at the end that it will be addressed in a later book, but sorry, that seems as if she didn't really have a good plan for whatever that piece was to entail, and left it too late to weave into the story line for a solid finish.
Seems like the ice cream shop is the foundation for a follow up in the series.