Lean on Me

Lean on Me is the fourth book in Cherise Sinclair’s Masters of the Shadowlands erotic romance series. Andrea knows she’s a submissive, but the so-called Doms at the Tampa BDSM club she’s been going to don’t do anything for her. She wants someone with the experience to fully command her body. When her best friend, Antonio, calls in a favor with a Dom at the exclusive Club Shadowlands to take her on as a trainee, Andrea jumps at the chance. As a maid at her day job, it’s a place where she’d otherwise never be able to afford the membership fees, so she’s willing to do whatever she must to be there. However, she quickly discovers that the independence drilled into her by her father since she was only a child, along with a past show more experience of sexual assault which makes her lash out at any man who approaches her too fast, are both problematic in a place like the Shadowlands where she’s expected to submit to any Master who commands her. The one man who begins to earn her trust, though, is Master Cullen who oversees all the submissive trainees, but when she discovers that he’s not the type to settle down with just one sub, Andrea fears her dreams of belonging only to him might never come true. For his part, Master Cullen is annoyed that Antonio called in his favor to get Andrea admitted to the trainee program. Most of the submissive trainees have been at the club for a while and know the ropes, but Andrea is an unknown quantity. Still, she seems willing enough to learn, and soon Cullen finds himself enjoying his time with his Amazon and realizes it’s becoming increasingly difficult to separate his role as trainer from that of her actual Master. Once the lines have been blurred, they both discover there’s no going back, but when Andrea keeps refusing to ask her Dom for help, over and over again, Cullen may just decide that he’s had enough.

Andrea’s mother died when she was young and she was raised by an ex-military father who believed that a person couldn’t count on anyone but themselves. As such, he instilled a deep-rooted sense of independence in Andrea that makes it especially hard to allow herself to lean on anyone else even when she genuinely needs help. Despite that she knows deep down that she’s a submissive and desperately wants to find a Dom to love and care for her, so when her friend, Antonio, gets her into the trainee program at the Shadowlands, she couldn’t be happier. When she meets Master Cullen who’s in charge of the trainees, at first, he’s something of an irritation, but at the same time, he excites her body in a way no other Dom has before. After getting to know a few of the other Doms, though, Andrea quickly finds that Master Cullen is really the only one she truly wants. But when Antonio tells her that Cullen never gets involved with any sub at the club, much less a trainee, it seems her hopes of being his may be dashed until she’s finally able to let him know just how she really feels. After that, she’s living out her submissive dreams with the perfect Dom until her independent streak gets in the way of a great thing. As someone who’s rather independent myself and has trouble asking for help, I felt I really understood where Andrea was coming from. She maybe takes it a little further than I would, but given her past and the way she as brought up, it made perfect sense. When she was finally able to overcome her fears and make herself fully vulnerable to Cullen, genuinely asking for his help, it was a really poignant moment that left me with all the feels.

Master Cullen has been on my radar since I met him in the first book of the series. He’s always been the affable bartender at the Shadowlands who everybody loves, but in his day job, he’s an arson investigator. He got into that line of work when his fiancee was killed in a fire, and he’s also still grieving the passing of his mother, who didn’t ask for help soon enough to keep her cancer from spreading. Ever since losing his fiancee, he’s decided to simply play the field and avoid any entanglements that could lead to love. Being in charge of the submissive trainees at the club works just fine for him until his friend calls in a favor to get Andrea admitted. On her first night there, Cullen is a bit annoyed with her, but aside from her hitting Doms who are too quick to touch her, a problem that he promptly gets to the root of, she’s generally a quick study. As an extremely tall and muscular man, Cullen is always afraid he’s going to accidentally hurt some of the tiny subs, so he finds Andrea’s tall, full-figured body very appealing. Soon he’s having far too much fun pleasuring her over and over again, and feeling territorial every time another Dom touches her, but his sub is having a hard time asking for help and using her safe words when she needs to. After one breakthrough, he finally decides she’s his, but when the problem still persists even after she’s promised to try harder, Cullen doesn’t think he can be with her anymore. I’ve loved Master Cullen ever since he first appeared in the series, so I’d been looking forward to his book. It definitely didn’t disappoint. He’s just as delectable as all the other Doms in the series so far, and will certainly go down as one of my favorites. His characterization perhaps could have gone a little deeper, but it wasn’t a deal-breaker. Just like all the other Masters, he’s very patient with his sub and the perfect Dom to help her overcome her fears.

As a part of a long-running series, Lean on Me features a number of supporting characters who have their own books in the series. All the past Masters and their subs make appearances, including Master Z & Jessica (Club Shadowlands), Master Dan and Kari (Dark Citadel), and Master Nolan and Beth (Breaking Free). All the Masters interact with Andrea on some level, while their subs befriend her, and they all engage in a fun after-hours party. Master Raoul is in a few scenes. He’ll become the hero of the sixth book, To Command and Collar. Sally, a rather bratty submissive who’s been having a little trouble finding a Dom to call her own and who also becomes a friend to Andrea, will finally get her HEA in the eighth book, If Only. There are a number of other characters mentioned who get their own books, but they didn’t have any real dialogue. I think the supporting character who stood out to me the most, though, is Master Marcus. I can’t recall if he’s appeared before or not, but I really liked how his personality showed through in this book, so I’m very much looking forward to seeing more of him in the next book, Make Me, Sir.

Overall, Lean on Me was yet another awesome book in the Masters of the Shadowlands series. Andrea was a great heroine who really stood out to me as someone I could relate to. I enjoyed her Latina culture and how family is so important to her. Cullen feels the same and fits in with her family quite well. I think that Andrea’s issues were handled in a realistic way and I loved the creative solution the author came up with to get her to finally fully submit to her Dom. Master Cullen is a dreamboat who takes his time, feeling out Andrea’s problems and working patiently to help her overcome them. I like how he’s certainly not immune to her and how she gets under his skin until he can’t bear to let anyone else touch her anymore. I also like that when another jealous sub accuses her of something bad, he immediately steps in to defend and protect her. The two of them made an excellent couple who really set the pages on fire with their ultra-steamy, creative sex play. Ms. Sinclair is masterful at using these scenes to reveal things about her characters and propel the plot forward which makes for compelling reading. By the end, I had no doubt that Cullen and Andrea were perfect for one another, which made this another exceptional read in this series that has definitely left me begging for more.

Note: This book contains explicit language and sexual situations, including BDSM elements, voyeurism/exhibitionism, sex toys, and anal sex, all of which could be objectionable to sensitive readers. show less

Andrea Eriksson can't seem to find a Dom she finds worth submitting to, so in a last ditch effort, her friend calls in a favor with Cullen O'Keefe and secures her a spot as Club Shadowlands' newest trainee.

Master Cullen is less than enthused at having a trainee forced upon him, but agrees to let her into his program. From the beginning he sees that she'll be a challenge. She's sassy, tough and quick to throw a punch. As he puts her to the test, he sees glimpses of a willing submissive beneath the tough girl exterior, which just intrigues him further. As the trainer, Cullen has his own set of rules – never to get involved with his trainees but prepare them for a Dom well suited to each individual one. Her eager responsiveness to him show more alone makes her harder to resist.

The interest is mutual until she finds out that he's a cop. He's actually an arson investigator, but sees his job on the right side of the law as an obstacle, considering her brief stint on the wrong side of it many years ago. She fears he may find out about her past. To add to a criminal record, and familial ties to criminals, she's also from the poor side of town. Naturally she'd see herself as beneath him. When a jealous trainee accuses her of stealing money, the other Doms do some digging, unearth her criminal history and judge and try her on the spot. The only person who believes her is Cullen. Maybe it's too little too late and his chance to see what they might have together is long gone.

"Hearts mend, but lost chances are gone forever."

Thank goodness for smart grandmothers!

Andrea was a great character. She's had a tough life, but she has endured. She's also fiercely loyal to the people she cares about, even her own family that is partially to blame for her messed up life. I admired her courage to go after what she wanted, namely Master Cullen. I got quite a few chuckles out of her smart mouth. Hearing her call him names to get a rise out of him was kind of cute.

I've loved Cullen since the beginning of the series. He's funny, easy going, laid back, and loves teasing his friends and their subs. Seeing him become a one woman man was what I'd been looking forward to for a while. I did get a little annoyed with her towards the end because of her incredible stubbornness. I couldn't believe she was so blind to the fact that he wanted, needed her to ask for a little help now and then, and what doing so would mean to him. The poor guy had to keep chasing after her. I'm glad he concocted a little payback hoping she'd finally get it. The ending was sweet, along with the little sign with her added words. show less

BDSM is so tricky to write about. This is the third book by Cherise Sinclair that I've read, and she really does write well. There are parts that still don't speak to me, but she makes a really odd situation hot and believable for the people in it. I liked Cullen, the club trainer, and Andrea the latina sub who is more dominatrix than sub, fighting to find herself a proper dom. I liked how she kept wearing leather pants and boots, and coming across as tougher than most of the inexperienced Doms. Even though I found some of the situations contrived, I still enjoyed it and count this as a keeper.

[b:Lean on Me|22411022|Lean on Me (Masters of the Shadowlands, #4)|Cherise Sinclair|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1420512679l/22411022._SX50_.jpg|8080642] by [a:Cherise Sinclair|2882485|Cherise Sinclair|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1432767804p2/2882485.jpg]
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Erotica, Romance
4.75 Stars

Well, I may change my favorite in this series so far.
I really loved this one.

Andrea and Cullen were fantastic characters. Their interactions with each other was off the charts fantastic. I easily felt the connection to both of them and absolutely adored Andrea. She is just so 'normally neurotic'. She sees herself as independent. But she is really obsessed. Her refusal to ask for show more help no matter what goes to the point of self harm.

Cullen is hot and sexy and completely smitten. But he sees how dangerous her refusal to ever show what she considers weakness can be.

All of this leads to a very hot and steamy romance. This one burned up the pages. I laughed out loud many times. Other times I swear my toes curled for the steamy adult scenes.

There isn't much of any suspense as far as crime. The action is mostly between Cullen and Andrea. But, honestly I did not miss it. Cullen and Andrea's story didn't need it. They created their own action suspense. And lord have mercy did they have Action! I don't think there was any room for anything else but them. They were just that fantastic of a couple!

Definitely recommend this to lovers of Erotic Romance! show less

Roll me over and fuck me again!! Follow the rules of Shadowlands. Do as you are told or else endure delightful shockers, kittens! Move over Zachary! Master C is here to rule the roost or should I emphasize Cullen’s ability to stimulate pain with every caress of divine pleasure. All through the bartending /Dom activities Cullen comes across as a tender heart veiled behind a rigid persona. Andrea wants a hardcore Dom and desires it real bad. Rough around the edges due to her street endurance credo, Andrea comes in her own catering to Cullen’s commands. Provide Cullen a black robe, few velvet ropes and gaze at the whiz spank steep ecstasy on his apprentice. And that sly grin plastered on his face when he sees Andrea stripping down to show more the last leather boots is purely breathtaking.

I greatly fear that my soaring infatuation to Shadowlands elite may cultivate wicked fetishes. Ms. Sinclair when will you bring fresh sexual prowess of Joey, Cody and Adrienne? I anticipate it to be rather promptly. Hurry Cherise! Hurry! show less

LEAN ON ME is probably one of the most anticipated additions to the Masters of Shadowlands series. We'd all been looking forward to the yummy Master Cullen's book, so I was jumping for joy when I finally purchased a copy. I gobbled it up and didn't—couldn't—place it down until I'd finished the last page.

I'm sure you're all wondering (but maybe not), did this book live up to my highest expectation? You bet your kinky ass it did! Master Cullen is an unforgettable man that oozes humor and sex appeal. It's no wonder all the little trainees want a nibble. He's the Shadowland's bartender and trainer; he's in the middle of most everything. He knows all the ladies and knows what they want, too. Basically, he's the perfect Master to train show more Andrea.

I'm abundantly satisfied with the outcome of Master C and Andrea's relationship. Andrea is the definition of a bratty sub, and for some reason, Master C is liking it. Andrea has never been able to give up full control with a dom, but with Master C, she could give it all if she isn't careful...

Ms. Sinclair has the magical ability to suck a reader in as soon as they open a book. Her stories are truly addictive, she never writes what she's expected of her. I want to be a character in her books!

I fangirled so hard for this book. If you haven't tried your luck with the Masters of the Shadowlands, I'd suggest you'd start the series just to read about the delicious Master Cullen.

Read the full review @ No Book Left Behind show less

I enjoyed reading this story. If you are looking for strong emotions (there is no way to read this story with out experiencing the emotions)this is a great way to do it. Andrea has taken care of herself and her father since she was 9. Growing up she has learned not to depend on anyone. Learning to give complete trust and submission is really hard for her. Cullen is a dom who has lived for so long closed off to emotions and finds that Andrea is just what he needs to become whole again. This trainee and trainer are perfect for each other.