Review ~ Master of the Mountain ~ Cherise Sinclair

Master of the Mountain by Cherise Sinclair
Mountain Masters and Dark Haven #1
Release Date: August 8, 2014
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance, D/s
Source: Gift
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #COYER
Goodreads

Synopsis
When Rebecca's lover talks her into a mountain lodge vacation with his swing club, she soon learns she's not cut out for playing musical beds. But with her boyfriend "entertaining" in their cabin, she has nowhere to sleep. Logan, the lodge owner, finds her freezing on the porch. After hauling her inside, he warms her in his own bed, and there the experienced Dominant discovers that Rebecca might not be a swinger...but she is definitely a submissive.

Rebecca knows that no one can love her plump, scarred body. But, to her surprise, Logan disagrees and is quite happy to show her just how much he enjoys her curves. Under his skilled hands, Rebecca loses not only her inhibitions, but also her heart.

Damaged from the war, Logan considers himself too dangerous to be around the enticing little sub. He sends her away for her own safety, not realizing she thinks she's been rejected because of her size. When Logan's mountains echo with her voice long after she's gone, he knows she's left behind part of herself--and taken his heart. But when he arrives in the city to reclaim her, Rebecca's phone has been disconnected and her apartment is empty...

Rebecca finds herself at a lodge in the mountains with her lover, Matt. He talked her into accompanying him on this getaway - introducing her to his swinging lifestyle - because both he and she realize there's something missing in their sex life. While Matt's lifestyle isn't the "thing" Rebecca is looking for, she definitely finds that "thing" and then some on this retreat.

Logan is a veteran and he suffers excruciating nightmares from his experiences. Therefore, he spends his time running the lodge with his brother - not daring to attempt a relationship with anyone much less a woman. But Rebecca intrigues him. He can't figure out why she came on the swinging retreat and the more he gets to know her the more he starts rethinking his ban on commitment.

This is the second book from Sinclair I've read and I admit to enjoying this one even more than the first. I related to Rebecca on a deeper level - her self-image issues and the hurt left by cutting remarks from those who are supposed to love you. Seeing her blossom not only under Logan's care, but also out in nature as it kindled and rekindled her artist's heart, was inspiring and heartwarming. Watching Logan's carefully constructed walls crumble was rather fun, too. Rebecca brought out the nurturing part of his personality. Yes, a Dominant can be - is probably always - nurturing. He was such a compassionate and gentle man. I fell for him right along with Rebecca.

The thing was, both Logan and Rebecca had built fortresses around themselves. They both had fears about being hurt or hurting someone. So it was a beautiful thing to witness these two souls - who were perfect for each other - come together, overcome those fears, heal the hurts, learn more about themselves, and find true happiness.

I'm eager to continue this series!