Master of the Mountain by Cherise Sinclair

Master of the Mountain by Cherise Sinclair

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It has been a couple of years since I last read Master of the Mountain and upon rereading it, I recalled why I became such a fan of Sinclair’s work. As this was among the very first of the author’s books I read (and I actually looked up my purchase history on Amazon to confirm this), I remember being so taken by the fact that her heroines weren’t the perfect model thin women that society shoves down our throats as being the ideal. And no, just because I’m a plus-sized gal does not make me a skinny-girl hater. Fortunately I was in my early twenties when I came to terms with that fact that my bone structure would never allow me to wear single-digit apparel, not even in shoes. Because of this, reading books in which the woman has curves and gets her man because of those curves has helped immensely over the years in accepting myself as I am. Seeing Sinclair take that theme and apply it to the BDSM lifestyle made this a fascinating read for me, even now three years later – oh yes, I purchased and first read this book on September 1, 2012.

Master of the Mountain isn’t just an erotic romance involving the BDSM lifestyle. It’s also a look at relationships and knowing yourself well enough to know what you want and don’t want in a partner. In the beginning of the book, Rebecca is NOT having a good time with her boyfriend Matt. It is a seriously cringe-worthy scene that is made worse when he suggests that she join him on an upcoming swingers’ weekend. Talk about adding insult to injury – it would have been laughable had it not so very obviously fed into Rebecca’s insecurities. Rebecca’s relationship with Matt seems quite one-sided and probably familiar to many women; not the specifics, but the fact that women (and men too I’m sure) will put far more into a relationship than they’re getting out of it just so that they can be with the partner they’ve been led to believe they should be with, whether it be by family or societal standards. While Matt might look good on paper and be compatible in many of their regular activities, the fact that he even suggested that Rebecca give swinging a try showed how little he really knew of her. Yes I may have been projecting a bit onto Rebecca, but Matt is not unaware of her self-esteem issues and for him to think she’d be comfortable with other men was mind boggling – even more so when they get to the lodge and Rebecca sees that every other woman there is thin and built – her physical opposite. So with the stage properly set, it’s not the least bit surprising that she’s skeptical when Logan expresses his interest in her. Logan being a dom is vital to his success in getting past Rebecca’s barriers because his authoritative nature is the only thing that keeps her mind at bay and her body responding.

If you’ve ever read any of Sinclair’s books, you know she writes great sex scenes. The chemistry between Rebecca and Logan is both intense and calming. Despite her hesitancy, Rebecca finds that she trusts Logan when she has no reason to other than that he makes her feel safe. While we don’t realize it at the time, his brother points out later in the book just how much Logan must have trusted Rebecca as well. That they only spent four days together seems irrelevant as Sinclair managed to avoid the insta-love feeling that often accompanies such quick developing relationships, perhaps because there was a harsh parting of ways rather than professions of love. Even though Rebecca left the lodge in an emotional upheaval from Logan’s rejection, she left knowing what she didn’t want in a relationship – Matt and his swinger ways – and what she might need in a future relationship to be happy and fulfilled. I loved that Rebecca had a friend she could go to for help in finding out whether it was the D/s or Logan himself that did it for her. Even better was the scene in which Rebecca gets the answers to her questions about D/s, Logan, and her own desirability. I so loved rereading Master of the Mountain again and cannot wait to revisit Master of the Abyss.

I reviewed my personal copy of this book.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the #WhipIt: Master of the Mountain blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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