Michael and Ellie start scening at the club. They knew each other in high school. When Michael went off to college, they lost touch. Ellie had a bad relationship then also went off to college where her one relationship there did not work out. Ellie has a rule not to do more than scene with a Dom at the club. She has no outside relationships with Doms. While she was scening with Andrew, she started to talk with his friends. When she and Michael did a club contract, she got more involved. Eventually she tells the ladies what happened and receives the acceptance and affirmations she should have gotten years ago. The ladies do not tell the men Ellie's secrets. When Michael finds out, can he accept Ellie? Will this break their relationship?

Wow! What a book! This is probably the most emotionally tough book in the series. A lot of truths come out. Not just personal ones but societal ones. There is a lot of soul searching done by the men. I liked that the ladies shared with Ellie their experiences. It was eye-opening. This story made me question my thoughts and actions. I also started thinking of when things like this happened to me. I liked the acceptance the ladies gave Ellie. No one questioned her about it, putting the blame on her. When Michael finds out, he is lost. He does not know what to do and starts blaming himself. I love Olivia and how she brings it all together. She does not mess around.

While all this is going on, Patrick and Michael decide to open a second club that will be more high end. So the plans are being made for a sister club to Stronghold and everyone is involved.

I am loving this series. I look forward to the next book. ( )

REVIEW: The heavy sadomasochism scenes were so well written it almost makes you cringe. It was obvious that Ellie thrived on that experience. It allowed Ellie to forget her troubles and doubts. Michael was her protector from that past. When he appears at her BDSM club Stonghold, it threatens her carefully built shell. Even though he doesn’t know the full story, he cautiously tries to strip away her walls. The implosion is a growth experience for all of them, as it deals with rape, guilt and blame. This story is explicit and covers many touchy subjects. It is a stand-alone book but refers to several back stories in the previous five books. It becomes a bit confusing with an overwhelming number of characters. I received an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

DESCRIPTION, NOT REVIEW: Ever since Michael Waverly joined Stronghold and recognized Ellie Sanders he's wanted to scene with her, but over time it's turned into something more than that and he knows a scene just won't satisfy him. Unfortunately, she's been avoiding him and she has a reputation for never doing more than just a scene. For the first time, her defenses seem to be down and she's willing to give him a chance. But while she's willing to sign a club contract with him, will she ever be willing to open her heart?

Ellie is so full of secrets sometimes she feels like that's all she's made of - all the things she doesn't want other people to know about her. The person she's most afraid of revealing all of her secrets to are Michael - her one-time protector and crush in high school, now grown into a devastatingly attractive sadist at Stronghold. She wants to play with him. More than that, she wants to know if maybe she has a chance for a normal relationship with him... the first man in a long time that she's both trusted and been attracted to. Unfortunately for Ellie, normal has always been out of her reach. The most important secret of all is the one she's keeping from everyone, especially Michael, because there's no way he'd ever want her if he knew the truth behind her damage.

But communication is everything in BDSM and Michael's determined to strip back all of Ellie's defenses and claim her as his own... with a determined Dom like that, what chance does a scared subbie have of keeping her secrets?

This book contains BDSM, sadism, masochism, whipping, sensory play, bondage, and all sorts of kinky fun with a guaranteed HEA. ( )