Five Hearts from Shannon of The Romance Studio: Once again the doors open to the exclusive Club Shadowlands where domination and submission where domination and submission are the ultimate pleasure.
It is hard to believe that consummate storyteller Cherise Sinclair burst on the romance industry scene a little over a year ago with her first story, Club Shadowlands and now with six books credited to her name there just seems no end in sight to this amazingly talented writer. Fans of Ms. Sinclair know they are going to be captivated by a story that shines with brilliance, cleverness, a depth of personality, emotion and finally passion and this book is no exception. Lean on Me is filled with a command prose, realistic and vivid details and absolutely extraordinary characters that combined all add up to a compelling, emotionally intense and engaging story.
By using vividly descriptive details Ms. Sinclair seems to paint each scene brightly, making the reader feel as if they are sitting directly in front of the action, like a voyeur experiencing the intensely sensual surrender of the heroine. Cullen and Andrea are well-defined, complex, bold, demanding and intriguing characters with demons each must face in order to have a relationship. By setting a nice pace and using flashbacks, Ms. Sinclair takes the time to let readers become acquainted with the characters for a deeper realistic and believable connection. The play between Cullen and Andrea, the psychological aspects of their relationship, their actions and attitude make this a story for the reader to savor and enjoy. Readers will delight in Andrea's journey to submission. The appearance of Andrea's family throughout the story works wonderfully to enhance not only her characters but the plot also. Readers of this series will delight in the return of past characters interwoven within the storyline and interacting with the hero and heroine on portraying a bond of friendship. The BDSM scenes vary greatly and work well to evolve the Master Cullen and Andrea's relationship between master and submissive as well as lovers. The sex scenes are smoking hot, well done and powerfully emotional.
Ms. Sinclair creates magic with another deliciously hot story that pushes the boundaries and offers up some steamy pleasures!
Five Stars from Book Junkie: From beginning to end a sinfully delicious story of one woman's struggle to trust who she is inside and accept herself as well as the love of the man that she loves with all her heart. A mix of sweet poetry as Cherise Sinclair heightens your senses and brings you into the world of The Shadlowlands as a kind of voyeur, only to happy to watch as a spectator the lives of Andrea and Master Cullen intertwine and become one. The stunning and sexy imagery of the world of BDSM, the erotic submission, the intensity of experience, the drama and passion of this story explodes from the pages...... leaving them breathless and longing for more
Five Cups from CoffeeTime Romance. Anya says: Lean On Me is wonderfully clever and a great installment of the Masters of Shadowlands series. This is a unique behind the scenes look at a BDSM club. Cullen and Andrea have a great connection and it moves easily from the work relationship to the completely hot sexual one. The beach scene is one of my favorites. The backgrounds of the lead characters are integral to the story and are smoothly blended. The dialogue works well and the supporting characters are essential to the story but do not take over. Along with the excellent sub-plots is more hot sex, mostly of the BDSM kind, but done in a very loving manner. Andrea is a little too independent, especially with the large family, but it is somewhat understandable. Congratulations to Ms Sinclair for an excellent addition to this series.
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RECOMMENDED READ and Five Kisses from Two Lips Reviews. Lila says: Andrea Eriksson is looking for something different. She doesn’t want a man who says he is a Dom; she wants a man who IS a Dom. One that will make her submit without thinking twice. After exploring some of the local clubs, she just isn’t happy and isn’t finding what she needs. Leave it to her cousin to have her in mind when he calls in a favor from the trainer of the submissives at Club Shadowlands. Now, all Andrea has to do is prove she has what it takes to stay in the elite club. It's her best chance to find a Dom who will set her blood racing.
Cullen is pissed. He hates owing anybody anything. When Antonio called to collect on a favor, training Andrea is the last thing he would have expected to be asked for. After meeting her, Cullen sees he has some serious work cut out for him. She is quick to react to people touching her - and not in a good way - in an ‘I’ll put you on the floor' way. He can sense though that there is something special under her tough exterior and he is just the Dom to bring out the sub in her. The problem is, he never takes on his own sub for long. So when Cullen starts feeling possessive of her after a few short meetings, he knows he is in trouble.
Andrea has an upsetting history of people letting her down. This has made her extremely independent, and her trust in people is rare. Her past is sketchy as well. She comes from a hard, rough childhood and had a run-in with the law, so trusting Cullen is going to be an issue. When things go terribly wrong at Club Shadowlands and she is implicated in a crime she didn’t commit, will she ask for the help she needs from Cullen? Or will she walk away from what could be the greatest thing she has ever known?
Cherise Sinclair is my go to woman for BDSM. Lean on Me didn’t let me down, just like I knew it wouldn’t. I have read everything Ms. Sinclair has published and have never been disappointed. While this is a BDSM book, it’s never over the top or too light. There's always just enough, and what I enjoy most is the explanation and the detail that Ms. Sinclair goes into with her characters. The reader is brought into the lives of these people and I have always felt her stories could come to life at any club around.
Lean on Me is number four in the Masters of The Shadowlands series but is a complete stand alone. You will meet the other characters of previous novels, and if you haven’t read them, I promise that after reading Lean on me, you will want to read the prior books as well. Cullen has deserved his own story since the beginning, and I’m so glad he finally got it. I also love to revisit all the other couples of the Shadowlands. I will leave it to the reader to discover if Cullen is Dom enough to keep Andrea. Trust me when I tell you, you won’t want to miss Lean on Me.
Five Nymphs and a RECOMMENDED READ from Literary Nymphs Reviews. Amazon Nymph says: Ms. Sinclair has outdone herself with this installment of the Masters of the Shadowlands series. Once I started reading it, I could not put Lean On Me down. The author puts you right into the story and you feel like you are right there as Master Cullen and Andrea find their way with each other. The author did a beautiful job of letting you know what was going on and Andrea’s reactions to Master Cullen. Andrea has a background that makes her wary of men and how people react to her. She has never learned to ask for help and this drives Master Cullen crazy. The chemistry between to two is explosive so keep lots of ice on hand.
Four and ½ Hearts from Love Romances and More: Dawn says: LEAN ON ME is a powerful story, one that me feeling the gauntlet of emotions-from laughter to tears to smiles of pleasure. Ms. Sinclair delivers some emotional stories that will leave you breathless. I have to admit, I am a bit biased as I love this series with a passion. With strong, unforgettable characters that fairly step off the pages to emotional rich stories that have you flipping the pages for more, each story is a well played violin that resonates with the reader. This is one author who weaves a spell around her readers from beginning to end. Ms. Sinclair’s stories are rare gems that continue to haunt the reader even as the last page is read.
In LEAN ON ME, you have a very strong heroine determined to be independent even as she craves the dominant touch of a Master. Andrea is a woman the reader can resonate with and I felt for her as she tried to let go of the walls around her to allow Master Cullen inside, to show her how to finally accept the submissive part of herself completely. Cullen is one of my favorite characters out of all the Masters at Shadowlands. Strong, determined and he makes me shiver in anticipation when he steps upon the pages of any Shadowlands book. He has a hard and fast rule-Never be involved with a trainee….well until Andrea came into the picture and he ends up falling for the fiercely independent yet vulnerable woman. Can these two find a way to bridge their differences before one ends up walking away? These two are the perfect pair together. Andrea isn’t a woman Cullen can walk all over or one to have to look up to a Master. She was the perfect foil to Cullen’s alpha maleness as she can look him in the eye yet cuddle in his arms afterwards. Add in some familiar and beloved characters from the past three books (Club Shadowlands, Dark Citadel & Breaking Free) plus a few new ones as well, Ms. Sinclair does a wonderful job keeping the story moving fast and smoothly.
In each of Ms. Sinclair’s stories, the reader is taken on a sensual journey that hits not just the imagination but also the heart. This is an author who delivers emotions amid the pages as well as some scorching hot sex as well. I do have to mention there are scenes that may not appeal to everyone in LEAN ON ME that include, D/s, bondage, anal play and more. If you enjoy a highly emotional yet seductive story, then I highly recommend the entire Masters of the Shadowlands Series. I just hope Ms. Sinclair has more stories set in this wonderful club coming in the future. Run-don’t walk- to grab this entire series to enjoy. You won’t be disappointed. Just a word of warning-make sure to keep a bucket of ice nearby or your significant other to cool you off, it does get really steamy amid the pages of LEAN ON ME.
Five Stars and TOP PICK! from Night Owl Reviews. Terri says: This is the fourth book in Ms Sinclair’s Master of the Shadowlands series. While you don’t have to read the previous books to thoroughly enjoy this one, they’re so good you really ought to read them. The characters from the previous books do make appearances in this book which allows the readers of this series to catch up with them which is always nice.
Master Cullen was introduced in the first book and has been a predominate character in the next three. He’s a much loved character who comes into his own in this story. His family is talked about as is his background making him as real as the guy next door.
Andrea is a very complex character. Her wants and desires do not always match her looks and actions. She has a lot to learn about the new lifestyle that she’s entering as well as herself. Her father has drilled independence into her but there is such as thing as being too independent. If she doesn’t at least attempt to change her ways, she’s going to loose her chance at happiness.
I don’t know how Ms Sinclair does it but it seems that each book she writes is better than the last, yet all are wonderful. She puts life into her characters and draws you into their world effortlessly and ties you into their emotions seamlessly. You don’t dare put down the book for fear that you might miss something. Then, when the story is over, you can’t wait until the next one is published. Thankfully, Ms Sinclair has introduced some new Doms into the Shadowlands Club so we have some more opportunities to visit it.
Natalie S. from Romance Junkies Reviews gives Lean on Me a Blue Ribbon Rating of 4.5: LEAN ON ME is more than just a story. It is almost realistic enough that I felt I could see and touch and hear the sighs of both characters in this novel. Andrea was tough, and she had to be because of the life she grew up surrounded by. She learned early on that to appear weak could mean a rap or worse, and so her submissiveness was almost hidden from the naked eye. But not to Master Cullen. Master Cullen knows exactly what this wondrous but tough woman needs, and he is more than willing to let her experience his brand of submission first hand. Now, if only he can get her to admit she feels the same.
Cherise Sinclair’s writing style and ability to tell one heck of a story shine on every single page of LEAN ON ME. Trust is the name of the game in this thought provoking novel and I was captured by the images and the emotions and the complete love felt by both characters. I couldn’t have asked for more, and that’s the truth.
LEAN ON ME is book four of Cherise Sinclair’s SHADOWLANDS series and as such, I recommend reading in order, just to get the back stories. If this isn’t an option, no worries – LEAN ON ME is fully capable of standing on its own.
Fern from Whipped Cream Reviews gives Lean on Me Four and ½ Cherries and says: Cherise Sinclair’s Masters of the Shadowlands series is a personal favorite of mine. There is so much heat, sexual tension, and emotion that you can’t help but long for more. That was why I was thrilled to get the opportunity to review the newest installment, Lean On Me. In this, we get Master Cullen’s story, and allow me to say, it doesn’t disappoint.
From the start, I knew that Andrea would be the perfect foil to bring Master Cullen to his knees. She’s spunky, she’s smart, and she’s got a lot of baggage. As someone searching for a sub to care for, Cullen needed someone who would require special attention and notice to get under his skin. Their relationship at the start is rocky, hindered by their reluctance to confess to an attraction. However, when the gloves come off, the sparks most definitely fly.
He’s the kind of man who won’t settle for less than total surrender, while she is a woman who wants to give control over to a man she can trust so badly she can taste it – but doesn’t dare allow herself to. The back stories of the two come together beautifully, and the delivery is spot on.
There are other perks presented for Shadowland enthusiasts, as you get snippets from Nolan and Beth, Dan and Kari, and Z and Jessica. It’s a worthy reunion that provides very welcome surprises. That’s not to say that in true Sinclair fashion that you don’t get some heavy emotional moments that wring out your heart, as Cullen and Andrea have demons to battle. Rather, you get a mixture of everything, and it makes for a very enjoyable story that ends long before you want it to.
A definite must read for BDSM/Sinclair fans, as well as those who love this series. Master Cullen was wonderful to get to know and Andrea is a heroine I won’t soon forget. Be sure to put Lean On Me on your TBR list. This is one story in an amazing series that you don’t want to miss.