The Top of Her Game

by Emma Holly

'Rule yourself, and you rule the world,' Julia Mueller's mother told her. That was some years before her daughter grew up to become a businesswoman so independent and successful that men found her too intimidating to love. Now Julia – formidably tall and flawlessly groomed – is looking for a man who won't be tamed too easily. When she encounters Zach, an unreconstructed hunk who runs a dude ranch in Montana, she thinks she might have found him. The closest Julia's ever been to a horse is looking at mounted police in Central Park but now, on a brainstorming business get-together with her colleagues, she’s happy to swap the boardroom for the stables.

He may be a hick and a ham-handed lover, but Zach's full of surprises – and that goes a long way in Julia's world. Where she thinks he's tough, he's gentle, and when she's confident she's got this particular cowboy broken in, he turns the tables on her. In an environment of snow-capped mountains and hearty breakfasts, has the steely Ms Mueller locked horns with an animal too wild even for her?

Genres: Erotica, Romance, Erotic Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, BDSM, Westerns

247 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

I'm a USA Today bestselling author who LOVES the hot stuff, both to read and to write. My favorite obsessions are all things coffee, almost everything on HGTV, and dreaming up new stories.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Now this is just me, but I would like a little romantic connection between the H/H. This book just seemed like the heroine was having relations with anyone and everyone. It was like a chorus line. Next, please.....

Just not for me.

[Annika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very erotic book as expected from Emma Holly combined with a storyline. The story is about Julia Muellers struggles with beeing a dominatrix and her (imagined) inability to feel love, maybe beeing some kind of freak because she likes the power trip. And that's already my main criticism with this book, I didn't really get her problem respecively it was not presented very persuasively. Her mental struggles where not in harmony with her actions. Mixed into it is her "childhood trauma" of seeing her mother whipping her lover/stepfather with a leather belt which is presented as key scene to Julias charakter/problems.
Then I have another quibble - it has no main effect on the story but could have been so easily verified. Heidelberg, her Swiss mothers hometown, is situated in Germany not in Switzerland!
Then I had a personal issue with the hero (all in all a very nice guy) - I can't stand mustaches. Usually I'm able to picture all characters in my head as I wish even if they are described differently. I just change hair colors of whatever. This works well for me provided that the author does not mention certain aspects I change for myself repeateldy. This certain mustache is mentioned quite a lot and it bothered me :-)
so for all who stumbled into Emma Holly novels like me - be aware that the erotic scenes are about, I'd say light, BDSM, domination and submission in sexual relationships.

[Cindy (BKind2Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was okay if you're looking for a steamy book as an escape from the everyday. Julia goes with a few of the execs in her company on a retreat with the intent to find the corporate rat for her boss. She also has an ulterior motive - she wants out of the company. She's immediately intrigued by Zach who runs the Montana retreat near the scenic mountains of Glacier National Park. Along the way, just about everyone hooks up one way or the other - and believe me, there's always another way with Emma Holly. She's always got a touch of kink - so be warned and don't delve here if you're easily put off by this. Me - it's fantasy. Fun to read, but so not my life. There's a bit of a plot and a nice HEA if that's important to you.

[veloci.reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Top of her Game is another great contemporary erotic romance from Emma Holly. Her complex characters and inventive sex scenes are present here. There is some dominance and submission in this one but nothing too weird. I know I say this in every Holly review but I wish she would abandon writing paranormals and go back to contemporaries like this.

[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just a tad too much for my personal taste. Not enough romance for me.

[Ann Lister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cowboys and hot sex - what's not to like about that?? Great read!

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sex fiend meets a dominatrix, what could possibly happen? When 5 people are stuck together on a retreat in the middle of a blizzard, I'm sure anything can happen. Oh and can't forget to toss in a handsome sex fiend and a beautiful dominatrix.... what could possibly happen in one short weekend?

There is a lot of erotica and BDSM moments happening here, plus a few characters discovering their inner selves that they never got to fully explore until Julia helps them open up to their potential. I feel like Julia's emotions and actions doesn't have that genuine feel to it and she often seems so icy and cold. Plus her childhood "trauma" of seeing her mother whip the general kind of shaped her a bit differently.

Zach on the other hand just sounds too good to be true. I don't find it that charming that he can't keep his pants zipped around pretty much all women in the area. Just because he is Mr Nice Guy doesn't mean he has much depth to him.

I actually grew to like Marty a tad, his maternal side kind of endeared me to him than Julia. Not sure how I feel on Ben, just that his "quest" so save Julia from her "ways" seem a little too high and mighty for my tastes.

If you do read this book, be prepared for a lot of sex, sexual encounters with different and multiple partners, some BDSM (fairly mild) and a number of steamy moments.

[Jacqueline Francis · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Not much of a plot at all.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a re-read for me, and it's held up well after a number of years on my shelf. Dom Julia is a city slicker stuck in Montana at a snowed-in business retreat. She's on a mission to find out who's engaging in corporate espionage at her Wall Street firm, but it's also an opportunity to explore her desires with some of her co-workers.

What Julia doesn't count on is rugged cowboy Zach, who's intrigued by the "take charge" lady. But can a down-home boy like Zach offer anything (besides an amazing body) to a sophisticated woman used to so much variety in her sex life?

I enjoyed this partly because there seems to be a glut of Mdom romance on the market right now, and it's nice to have a little Fdom for a change. In addition, Holly is one of my favorite authors for combining romance and hot erotica in a story that leaves the reader satisfied. She's always on the short list of authors I recommend to readers who picked up that book and think it's the final word on BDSM romance.

[Alina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read many Emma Holly books, mainly her historical erotic romances and some of the Demon series. This, however, IS the second contemporary book I read by Emma Holly, and I have to say that overall I did NOT like either of them.

Here is what bothers me: Indiscriminate promiscuity by the main characters who ultimately fall in love with each other. And I don't mean outside of the book or in their past. They both sleep with other people in the book and I have to watch it happen!!! I have to say that it was almost a wallbanger because of that. Julia sleeps with 4! men during the course of this book. She falls in love with Zach, possibly likes Marty a little, but only as you would a clown, has misgivings about Ben, and despises her boss. Why would someone do that? In the course of 1 weekend?

[Aglaea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Julia is one hot amazon of a woman, there is no denying that. What I think is a fundamental problem to an extent that I cannot take this "Domme" seriously, is the lack of respect for basic rules in BDSM. Safe words are scratched, since "my sub should trust me to know what is good for him/her." This is bad.

It also seems like the characters can't do anything up in the cabin apart from have sex with one another, in different constellations, and around the clock. Wouldn't it be more interesting to take a break from time to time to let anticipation build? Guess sex is what one has to resort to, when snowed in in a mountain cabin.

There are fun moments, but the safe-word dilemma scratches a star. Unfortunately the steamingly hot cowboy can't save the situation, no matter how weak-in-my-knees charming he is.

[Bookfanatic · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like erotic romances, but there has to be some semblance of a story to shore up the marathon sex fests. There's no story here. The heroine has sex for no reason, sometimes with a different man within almost one hour of having sex with another man. The sex is boring and nothing I would describe as hot. You really have to suspend disbelief when you read the story. A corporate team building event is not going to be anything like what's described in the story. The heroine is very unlikable. She was becoming a Mary Sue at one point, but there were some vulnerabilities shown at the very end of the story. The cover model looks nothing like the hero whose mustache is mentioned only like about ten times in the book.

[Erinaceina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suspect that your opinion of this book will be vastly influenced by the contrast between your expectations and what you get. This isn't erotic romance, although it has a HEA. Despite my label, it isn't even particularly romantic erotica, in the most part. There's a lot of pretty gratuitous bed-hopping. if you go in knowing this is what you're going to get, and wanting it, you'll probably like this book. I wanted something more along the lines of Emma Holly's erotic romances, and would have preferred a greater connection between the ostensible hero and heroine - and much less of a medley of different partners.

[Disneygal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard for me to say that I didn't love an Emma Holly book, but I sure didn't love this one. Why? Difficult to say... just something about the characters and the overall storyline that seemed empty. Not up to what I think of as EH's standard. I wasn't aroused by the "erotic" scenes. I didn't feel empathy or sympathy for either the Hero or Heroine.

In fact, when the book was over, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to think or feel.

And that's likely the problem.

[Nyss · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was on Chapter 2 already when I noticed that the cover says that the book is an erotic romance. That explains why every other page, the author would describe sex. And this is a book about S&M. I hate this book. It doesn't even have a story. But well, a book describing itself as an erotic romance couldn't have a good story. Eeew reading this book was like watching porn. A bad porno movie at that.

[Robert Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

+++Julia Mueller is a lady who runs he bosses investment company with a whip. Literally. Having decided to break off her relationship with her boss and perhaps alter her own lifestyle, he sends her to a Montana dude ranch with his three account managers; Ben, Marty & Carolyn. There she meets the owner of the ranch & his dog & his horses. Zach is pure ranch, complete with drawl and his nickname is "Sev".

[CraftyBirdies · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my absolute favorite erotica book. It could be because I have a cowboy fetish, but it's wonderful. The main woman is strong, normal-sized, and smart. It's great to read about women who should be idolized in the sex world!

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue to be a big fan of Emma Holly. This book was very sexy and a lot of fun to read! The BDSM aspects of the book were written tastefully and realistically. The various characters and their relationships were interesting and dynamic.

[Serena · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.

While this book did have a few redeeming qualities, due to a lack of editorial contribution I would not recommend.

[Kat Krist]

emma holly is great at writing fantasy hotness. pick up any book of hers and you will not be sorry

[Kathy Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erotic romance on a cattle ranch in Montana.

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms. Holly writes great sensual stories. This one was good one about a woman who's made it in her career, but not so much in her personal life. I enjoyed it, despite the cowboy...

[Suzie Quint · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn't the dominatrix side of the heroine that turned me off, it was that she would have sex with any and everyone, whether she liked them or not. Just doesn't do it for me.

[~ Lei ~ Reading Is An Adventure ~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the sexual firsts tales over the fireplace.

[H.A. Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and VERY hot. 1000 Shades of Better then those other books.

[Barb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did finish this one, barely, but I probably should have DNF'd it. There wasn't even one character that I liked in the story!

[Lisa ~ Books Are My Drugs ~]

Not my cup of tea. I would have liked it better had Julia not taken a turn with everyone at the business retreat.

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written and sexy.