Servicing the Target

Masters of the Shadowlands #9

by Cherise Sinclair

A discharged Army Ranger, Ben considers his job as a BDSM club security guard to be an excellent hobby. He’s never been tempted to join in. But everything changes when the notorious Mistress Anne inadvertently reveals the caring heart concealed beneath her Domme armor.

Now, he’s set his sights on the beautiful Shadowlands Mistress. Maybe he’d considered himself vanilla, but she can put her stiletto on his chest any day, any time. He’ll trust her delicate hands to hold his heart. And if she wants to whip his ass on the way to an outstanding climax, he’s just fine with that too.

Sure, he knows she likes “pretty boy” slaves. And he’s older. Craggy and rough. And six-five. Minor hindrances. The mission is a go..

Genres: BDSM, Romance, Erotica, Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance, Military Fiction

319 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 28, 2015

About the author

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, she’s renowned for writing heart-wrenching romances with laugh-out-loud dialogue, alpha males, and absolutely sizzling sex.

I met my dearheart when vacationing in the Caribbean. Now I won’t say it was love at first sight. Actually since he stood over me, enjoying the view down my swimsuit top, I might have been a tad peeved—as well as attracted. But although we were together less than two days and lived on opposite sides of the country, love can’t be corralled by time or space.

We’ve now been married for many, many years. (And he still looks down my swimsuit tops.)

Nowadays, I live in the west with this obnoxious, beloved husband and a seventy-pound lap-puppy. I’m a gardener, and I love nurturing small plants until they’re big and healthy and productive…and ripping defenseless weeds out by the roots when I’m angry. I enjoy thunderstorms, collecting eggs from the chickens, and visiting the local brewery for the darkest, maltiest beer on tap. My favorite way to spend an evening is curled up on a couch next to the master of my heart, watching the fire, reading, and…well…if you’re reading my books, you obviously know what else happens in front of fires.

Search out Cherise in the following places:

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Reviews

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.75 cheese 'n sap stars. Interview posted July 31, 2015



Alter ego: Let's introduce the heroine.

Baba: Oh, she is one of those. *makes frowny face*

Alter ego: Huh? What do you mean?

Baba: The kind of heroine who says...I don't do emotion. I don't do 'love' relationships. Well. I don't want to stereotype but it's a reaction readers would expect from a tough guy, not a woman. Come to think of it, Anne is such a tough chick. She can bring down any hardass guy with her own hands or a cute firearm. She can kick some serious ass, you know?

Alter ego: Ohhhhhh, her self-confidence must be HUGE.

Baba: Not a bit of it! Funny thing is, she didn't have a bad childhood at all and she's got really great brothers. However, the crux of the matter is that her daddy has her deprived of praise. Her brothers have been basking in their father's approval for fucking years, but she's still yearning for daddy's commendation and she's already 35 (I'd cut my losses if I had been in her shoes. Pining for daddy's laudatory speech? I don't think so). It hurts her so bad, but you know how it goes. Instead of talking about it, she's swallowing down her disappointment and pain. It's common in Romancelandia. Do not talk about personal issues ---> speech is silver, silence is golden. Makes for an allegedly "good" storyline. Tortured heroine who clamps down on anything too personal. Plus, her father was career military. She had to move a lot and she had learned that friends were transient. So, you see, her creed is "Don't get attached." Makes me wonder how many of the estimated 15 million Americans who are former or current army brats, need psychological help to deal with their issues. But, of course, Anne is such a strong chick that she doesn't need help.

Alter ego: You're bitching, that's not nice. *sniffs*

Baba: Hey, I'm gaining momentum here. Don't interfere...bitch. I was so incredibly miffed that, once again, I know, I know…fuck, I know, ok? *insert 43%* But BDSM is the perfect justification to pry everything out of the poor "vanilla subbie" when he's floating through subspace. Where the fuck was his consent that she'd be allowed to have to worm all those personal thoughts out of his nose? Does it feel good to play shrink? Ok, let me retrace first coz I need to do some explaining. Ben was in bad shape. He lost his longterm spotter who died in the war zone. So. Ben is mourning and besides himself. Before that actually happened, he asked Mistress Anne to do a scene with him. Of course, since she doesn't do emotion and she doesn't want to get too attached to Ben, she not so apologetically declines. Everything clear so far? Well, and then she's spotting him at Shadowlands in that poor state of mind. Once she knows he lost a good friend, she's eager to do that scene with him because she firmly believes that she can help him. Although he doesn't want to do that scene, SHE insists.

Alter ego: Are you delusional, Baba? It goes without saying that she had to insist. Remember, it's fiction. Hello? A story needed to be told. I mean--

Baba: Do not interrupt me, understood? She's not only going to help him get over his deep and devastating grief, she will kill two birds with one stone because she's so nosy and wants to know what it is that feels so off about Ben. Poor Ben. Poor Dick. That mean, mean dick wasn't standing at attention, so it needed a good (finger) flogging.

Alter ego: Why, Baba, you're rambling…

Baba: So what? I can ramble as much as I want to. I don't need your consent. Back off, will you?

"Such a bad cock, not jumping right up for its Mistress." Her disapproval made him hang his head. Want to apologize.




Anyhoo...

Alter ego: *raises an admonishing finger* Baba, you're just jealous at her astonishing skillz as an experienced Mistress AND AMATEUR PSYCHOLOGIST (a few minutes on the phone with Master Z did the trick). No harm, no foul, right?

Baba: *Baba looks indignantly at alter ego* Shut up! I'm not jealous at all. You'd better wait till I'm done. So you see…

But it was okay to be alive. Anne had forced him to acknowledge that. She'd also taken on his remorse at leaving the service and helped him see that he'd done the right thing.

Excuse me while I have a little ruminating moment here. That statement being ridiculous doesn't even begin to cover it. One might lecture me that I don't understand the powers of BDSM in general and subspace in particular. Duh. I don't need to understand the powers of BDSM, thank you very much. I use my brain and form my opinion. Ben left the service five years ago, was in therapy (Master Z being his shrink), and then, wham, Mistress Anne makes him see the light of reason and forgiveness or whatever within…hmmm…an hour? A couple hours? Yes! Let's shed off all the guilt because Ben deserves to be alive (I don't question his right to be guilt-free and alive, BTW). Holy cow. I need a magical BDSM scene stat. I'm in, I'm in! Take me, take me! Gag me, cuff me, butt-plug me. Or, whatever. Every little worry of mine will be resolved and I will be redeemed. Er…I'd rather not. Thank you very much.

Alter ego: Are you done now? I need to take a piss. Wouldn't want to soil my pants, you know?

Baba: You're wearing pants? Where's your skirt? Oops. I'm stereotyping again. I should know better. After all, I do love my jeans. Sorry. I'm sure my mom has still a passport damn autocorrect (I'm dead serious, BTW, the autocorrect, I mean)…er…pisspot stowed away in her attic. Should I fetch it for you? Apologies for going off on a tangent. Nope, I'm not done yet. Check this out:

"Shhh." She held him just as firmly, heart against heart. She would hold him forever if that were what he needed.

Really? Remember, she doesn't do 'love' relationships. She doesn't do emotion for Pete's sake but she's ready to hold him forever when he lost his friend. This woman is inconsistent. Make up your mind already, will you? Seriously, her hot and cold behavior got on my nerves.

"I don't have typical man/woman relationships, Ben. You could call that a hard limit with me. I have slaves. I care for them--love them even--but never in a man-woman-love kind of way."
He nodded.

*Baba nods* When I read "You could call that a hard limit with me" I've had a good laugh. You know what, Anne? Put your daddy issues aside and get.The.Fuck.Over.It.Already. Or, better yet, start therapy as soon as possible.

This is one of my faves:

Engorged again, his erection burned and throbbed--and wanted sex like a motherfucker.


Baba: *bites nails nervously* Why does this make me think of the Everglades and a huge monster clawing at my feet, dragging me down in the smelly water?

Alter ego: Cut the crap, Baba.

Baba: Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Alter ego: Since you're still here, I assume you did escape the scary Everglades monster. Anything else you'd care to share?

Baba: Since you're asking so nicely…I actually hit my head at a massive wall. A wall of--

Alter ego: Is that the reason why you're coming off slightly crazy? Did anyone examine your head yet?

Baba: *sniffs indignantly* No answer is an answer, right? Whatever. With your leave…*curtsey*...I wanted to say that I hit a wall of cheese and sap. And, as you know, I despise holey Swiss cheese as much as I despise cheesy story lines and/or cheesy writing. It's too bad that I don't exactly remember where the sap started but I'd say around the 45% mark…or 50% mark? Never mind. Anyhoo, I'm just sorry that I can't quote the entire damn second half because it was that cheesy and sappy and made my teeth hurt. I couldn't stop rolling my eyes. Oh, and all the melodrama GALORE! *shudder* Once I was stuck with Anne's inner monologue, I thought I might freak out. It was almost unbearable. All the inner ramblings about being pregnant (YES! I was right but it was sooooo ridiculously obvious that she'd end up preggers). The talk about not being good enough blah blah blah and don't get me started on the usual miscommunication or complete lack of communication and all the ludicrous growling (even Anne knows how to growl).

As she approached the bar, her emotions were an unsettled stew of misery rather than frothy anticipation.

Seriously. NO COMMENT.

His spirits felt as if they were trailing behind him on the ground.

Then he mentally took out his K-bar and sliced through the hold she had on him. His life. His heart.

As he walked out of the Shadowlands, his chest hurt so badly he looked down at his shirt, half expecting to see it covered in blood.

See what I mean?

By the way…curtsey to a couple who can fight for their lives while at the same time have a casual talk about forgiveness. I.Mean.Come.On. *cue massive eye roll*

What I found shocking was this statement:

"She told me she didn't need the hard-core shit any longer. I think, maybe, she was working out her anger toward men. And everyone says her slaves were masochists--and more than willing."

If that's true then being angry at the male species is obviously a justification for "playing" Mistress and punishing her slaves. *fail*

I also despised The Glorious Waterworks. Good grief. So many characters in this story were crying--it was just too much. If you must know, I'm a terribly bad swimmer. I actually hate swimming and waterworks are pushing my limits. A gathering of tears can create a little sea and my swimming skills are not good enough to survive any kind of lengthy and very wet interlude.

And then there was this secondary character who pushed me to the edge, who made me clench my teeth and roll my eyes ad nauseam. I just wish I had never met her. It's Jessica.

He had to clear his throat before he could speak. "There's a week yet to go."
She sniffed. "That's according to the male doctor who doesn't have any children. Because he doesn't have any girl parts. My midwife, who I talked to today, has cleared me for sex since I'm no longer spotting."

(…)

Calling the obstetrician and pining him down took more time. But, when Zachary told him that Jessica was no longer spotting and that the midwife had okayed intercourse, the doctor gave his go-ahead as well.
"Excellent. Thank you." As Zachary turned the phone off, he had to reach down and adjust his straining cock.

(…)

"Jessica."
Her eyes popped open.
"I called the doctor. He--"
"He can go to hell." Her face was turning the clear red of an infuriated blonde.
"Kitten, the doctor said--"
"I don't give a damn. I don't give a damn about anything you say either, you--you asshole Dom." She picked up the dildo and threw it violently. At him.
The toy stung his palm as he caught it.
"Now shove it up your ass," she hissed like the kitten he called her.

Baba: I'd rather smack her head, so she'd shut up. Just.For.Once. Maybe she could ask a normal question and let people talk before she acts like an indignant twat.

(…)


She'd tried to push him into having sex--and she knew full well he didn't want to. Might never want to again. Who would, after all? Tears filled her eyes. She was such a cow and--

See? Totally not my words. She said so herself. She's a cow and I couldn't agree more. A cow who doesn't talk even though they had an agreement. Stupid assumptions once again. I.Can't.Even. Facepalm alert.


(…)

She closed her eyes for a second as humiliation swept through her. He'd tried to tell her, and she'd yelled and thrown things. Marvelously mature, girl.

(…)

This was intolerable. The tears started again as her defenses fell. "I--I know you don't want me anymore, and I felt--"

Baba: Of course she KNOWS that Z doesn't want her anymore. *sarcasm* I mean why the fuck should she even ask such a trite question? Why should she give him the benefit of the doubt?

"Did we have an agreement that you would tell me when you were feeling insecure?"
"Yes," she whispered. "But you were pulling away." Her anger flared back to life. "You weren't even holding me at night."
"True. I wasn't." He actually chuckled. "Jessica, I've needed you so badly that I feared I'd take you in my sleep."

Z orders Jessica to flog him because he allegedly failed as her Master.

By the time she'd struck him another three times, she was crying.

Baba: See? More waterworks.

(…)

She turned into him, burying her face against his shoulder, crying so violently she almost couldn't breathe. She'd hit him; hurt him.

OMFG…kill me now.

(…)

But when he finger combed her hair out of her wet face, she saw the horrible red welts running up his forearm and started to cry again.

*cue massive eye roll*

(…)

Now comes a good one. A cringing clit nub. Incredible what I can learn on GR.

In the center was her clit.
The exquisitely sensitive nub felt as if it was cringing--yet was engorged with blood, throbbing and anticipating the pain.

I tell you, it was A-mazing. Not.

Alter ego: OMG…now I'm crying. This is so heart-wrenching. *sniffs* *sniffs more* I can't stop crying. OMGOMGOMGOMG. I blame you, Baba.

Baba: What.The.Hell. *looks flabbergasted*

Alter ego: *wipes tears off her cheeks* *writes on grocery list to buy several boxes of kleenex because she just wasted the last tissue*

Baba: I can't get that picture out of my head…keep in mind, I'm just joking. So. Jessica just got rid of her afterbirth, yelling at the top of her lungs "Now that the baby has safely arrived we can resume our marital duties. Nail me to the bed frame, Master Z, and push a huge-ass plug in my hole, worship my nether regions and fuck me senseless! OMG, I need it! Now." And then she starts bawling her eyes out.

Damn. My alter ego just wasted the last tissue. OMGOMGOMG…what should we do now? *scurries around in a panic* Hmm…maybe use paper for domestic use?

BTW, since Jessica is in need of BDSM play and a good fuck a few weeks after giving birth to her first child, I'd suggest they buy a dog who will gladly feed their baby.

*Baba pets doggie*



Alter ego: *eyes have a shimmery glow* *sniffs* You're just being mean. Mean, mean Baba.

Baba: Nope, I'm not being mean. Do you have a problem with my being honest? Want to guess what my reaction was after I had the misfortune of being chained to my couch (I inflicted BDSM play on my little self…NOT) while witnessing that cheesy and sappy let's-have-a-talk-and-then-let-me-restrain-you-and-nail-you-into-the-mattress-so-you-won't-ever-doubt-me-again conversex (I'm making up English words = conversation + sex)? OMGamIevergladthatIneverreadtheirstory Club Shadowlands

Alter ego: This did sound so terribly negative. Was there anything you actually liked about this book? I mean anything at all?

Baba: Sure, I liked a few aspects of Servicing the Target. By all means, a two-star rating means I didn't like the book but it wasn't a total clusterfuck either. Some parts just pissed the heck out of me, is all. I actually liked Ben (except when he stupidly fucked up). I also liked the dog. His name is Bronx, by the way, and he's a golden retriever. Another aspect I liked was the fact that Ben did not end up as a slave. He'll submit to Anne in the bedroom but otherwise he won't have to kneel at her feet. He'll be in charge of his life. Also, I thought it was a nice touch that not the entire story took place at club Shadowlands. I remember those early books I read in the series were so focused on the action at the club which is actually boring. I need some scenery change, you know? After all, variety is the spice of life.

Alter ego: Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?

Baba: Do you know what's so positive about writing reviews? Even though a book might really annoy you, the end result of a review can have the power of putting a goofy smile on your face (even without the powerful BDSM instruments, that is) because you enjoyed the heck out of writing it. There are "made me feel good" romance books and then there are "made me feel good" reviews. This was such an opportunity for me. And, in case you enjoyed reading it, then all the better. Fact is, I had much more fun writing that review than reading the book.

So.

Reviews for the win! Right? *high fives* :P


Rating clarification
2.5 stars for the first half
1 star for the incredibly cheesy, sappy and OTT melodramatic second half


P.S. Apologies for the extensive interview. The jury is still out who's to blame. Baba or alter ego. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe...





Character count
There remain 1,727 characters out of the 20,000 (before adding the character count thingie). I did good, didn't I?

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

I'm going to hurt you, Ben- because this is what I told you I'd do. And because this is what you obviously want me to do."

I'm not typically a fan of Domme heroines, but when it's Cherise Sinclair writing it, it'd be a sin for me not to at least attempt it. Well imagine my shock that I can now say that this may have easily been my favorite Shadowlands book yet. Of course it figures that it would be this author that will not only make fall in love with the story and the characters but also appreciate a strong Domme. If you're on the fence about reading it, you need to jump off the damn fence and READ IT...or else deVries will come and spank you. Trust me when I tell you that you will to be left disappointed.

Before last night, he'd hoped that if he had a taste of her, got a little closer, his curiosity would be satisfied. Instead, like the first shot of fine whiskey, she'd teased his appetite.
Now he'd set his sights on the woman.
And- as his team in the Rangers had witnessed- he never missed.

I think my hesitancy in reading about a submissive hero was that eventually he'd be too submissive for me. You know what I'm saying here? Like he'd lose some of his alpha, and if there's one thing I need in my heroes is that absolute alpha vibe. Well, my friends, Ben is ALL alpha. If you don't fall whips over stilettos for this man from the first few chapters, we're not reading the same book. Ben has always been the man in the background of this series. The gentle giant that guards the doors of Shadowlands and absolutely vanilla, he's always been a bit unassuming but you just knew there's something intense brewing underneath the service. So of course it would take Mistress Anne to bring it to the surface and make him face his true desires.

This was not a man to be underestimated. Give him an inch and he'd take the entire country.

Ben struggles with his desire for Mistress Anne because while it's clear he has more...submissive desires in bed, that's also where it ends. Anne likes the pretty boys and he's definitely a few years and a few scars away from that, but he'll gladly submit to her sharp stilettos and whip. But the ultimate deal breaker may be that Anne wants a slave and Ben doesn't see himself submitting his control so fully.

He'd joined the U.S. Army to protect his country and moved into the Rangers to do an even better job. Anne might be the Dominant, but this soldier operated under his own priorities.

I loved the power play between these two. Ben, while being submissive, never loses his intensity. Being a former Ranger this is a man that protects those he loves with a single minded intensity, and it's hard for him to turn that off long enough for Anne to take the reins. While on the outside they seem to be the unlikeliest match, together they make a perfect kind of sense. Their chemistry together is absolutely mind-blowing.

As far as Anne goes, well it doesn't get more kick-ass than her. A fugitive recovery agent by day, this is a woman that knows how to throw a punch to fall a man twice her size. This is not only a woman that makes men shrivel in fear in the dungeon, she certainly handles her own outside of it. What I really loved about her is the vulnerability that was so evident about her. I think that's what truly made her as endearing as she was. And the fact that Ben saw it and did everything to try and shelter her made me fall for him even more.

She reminded him of a glass knife. Unbelievably sharp, yet frighteningly vulnerable to being shattered. And she brought out every protective instinct he had.

Anne is tough, but beneath the leather and heels is a gentle soul of a woman that didn't have an easy childhood growing up as an army brat and being constantly undermined by her military father. Being the only girl in the family doesn't make it easier. But that doesn't stop her from going after what she wants and leading a team of other agents in her job all while being constantly harassed by her misogynistic asshole of a cousin. She's always having to prove herself, but she lets it roll off her back. I loved how protective she was of Ben too. I was worried that their relationship dynamic may come off as slightly emasculating, but it was never that. It was always this perfect power balance between them and man did I enjoy that.

Sheena’s face paled, but she still…stupidly…tried to speak.
“Listen, you—”
“Maybe your wimpy friends put up with you touching and hanging on their men, but I don’t. Hands off.” She twisted to put her hand on Ben’s stomach in her own claiming gesture. Why be subtle? “Mine.”

Cherise Sinclair always manages to write an incredible romance that's laced with an erotic touch of BDSM and this book was no exception. I loved every single page of it and never wanted it to end. What I really appreciate about these books is that they're so much more than sex or BDSM. At the heart of it, it's a touching and emotional love story about two people that are imperfectly perfect and yet perfect together. Having read this author's entire backlist, I can say that without a second thought and mean every word. No one writes an erotic BDSM romance quite like her.

As always all the favorite characters from the previous books make an appearance and even get a POV in this one. I loved getting a little more Z and Jessica, and of course Raoul and Kim was great as well. It felt like the added perk on top of what was already a fantastic story. If you've enjoyed the previous books in the series, it's pretty much a safe bet that you will love this one. And if you haven't yet discovered this incredible author yet? I'm really not sure what you're doing with your life.

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

For more reviews visit

[Mysza · Rating 4 out of 5]

**** 4,5 stars ****

"Are you going to lie there and take what I do to you?"
"I’m all yours, Mistress."

I hardly read erotica anymore and when I do, I expect it to be excellent. And thank god, it was. This is first time for me reading this author, but if I ever wish to read some BDSM, I will definitely check other books in this series. I also have never read a BDSM book were the main dominant was a SHE, so I was a little hesitant in the beginning, but damn, what a terrific dominatrix she was.

Yes, Mistress Anne was a tough cookie. She comes as a strong and confident but you know that deep down under leather costumes and high heels, there is vulnerable and gentle woman. Now Ben as a submissive... don't be mistaken, Ben was not crying, weak boy, oh no, he was all alpha, badass protector. And this is what I liked the most, that he was very very manly and strong but would kneel in front of Mistress Anne without a blink just because it gave him and her so much satisfaction. It was perfectly balanced, the power play between them was excellent and never made you feel like one of them was weak.

They were so so hot together, I was a little scared that their interactions might not be sexy, because of the man being submissive, but as it appeared, unnecessarily. Sex scenes were very well done and totally spot-on. I have never felt like something was forced. I loved their D/S relationship and how it developed and how at some point love took place. This book was so much more than erotica/BDSM story, it was true love story, about two people who would seem in the beginning not for each other, but so so good together.

Overall, a good love story with a healthy amount of well written sex scenes. Recommended for those who like erotica, strong heroines and alpha heroes.



ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Guest reviewer at

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 “Blissful.” stars

“I do love this body you’ve given me to play with,” she murmured. “Are you ready for me to start?”

Mistress Anne and Benjamin are as different as night and day. She is the Domme of the Shadowlands, and known for her enjoyment in turning her males into gelatin and feared for her sadistic tendancies. A bounty hunter by day and a Mistress by night, life should be perfect.... right?!?



Benjamin is a discharged Army Ranger who is as vanilla as they come, he keeps busy between between being one of Shadowland's security and his photography.



He was never interested in the club until the day the evil Mistress showed the heart she hides beneath her tough demeanor. He is nothing like her usual type but apparently the "take-no-prisoners, never-back-down, bossy woman", turns him on something fierce. Mistress Anne has been off her game lately and has no time or desire to take on a brand new to the life-style demon sub who is fiercely determined to be nothing but sweet to her. His desire to give her what she needs has him exploring in ways he's never imagined, but if that is what it takes then he's willing to give it to her...

“He’s always insisted he was vanilla. Did he indicate he wanted a scene?”

“In an I’m-too-macho-to-ask-for-what-I-want way, yes. Most definitely.”

Finding a balance between the bedroom and their day-to-day life is a constant battle, both navigating in waters that they've never experienced before. Laying down some ground rules is a good place to start:

“A BB-gun denotes a casual first date.

A .22 revolver for the first night of sex.

A .38 semi-automatic for reaching the non-serious, exclusive stage.”

“An M24 SWS ‘sniper weapon’ for locking on to someone—getting engaged.

And maybe a Carl Gustav for doing the deed—getting married.”

Could they put aside their own need for control and let each other in, or will it always be a separation of heart and body and mind.

Servicing the Target has been a book that I have been anxiously waiting for, I mean come on it's Mistress Anne. She has been a staple of the Shadowlands from the very first book; we were taught to both respect and fear her. So you can just imagine all the thoughts I had running through my head prior to reading this book, and I have to say not one of my thoughts ever came to life. Did that make me sad, No it didn't because we were exposed to another side of the Mistress that we were never privy too in prior books. Everyone changes, our tastes, our desires and it's not any different with lead characters in our books. We got to take them as they are and just it sit back and enjoy the ride.

With Anne it honestly felt like learning something new about a friend you've known for years. Anne and Benjamin each brought something to the table, the play time and sex was HOT and their miscommunication frustrating. Benjamin was the perfect fit for Anne, he accepted her for who she is, letting her be the woman she is and trusting in her with all of him. Anne has some deep rooted issues that she had to work through, and it took Ben to break through.

Shadowlands has been a home for me and all it's inhabitants I have a special connection too. I am more than happy with the direction of the series and I can't wait for what Ms. Sinclair has in store for us next.

[Ⓐlleskelle - That ranting lady ッ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


If there is one author that never fails to mark me, it’s Cherise Sinclair. I have apprehensions, preconceived ideas even. (Don’t shoot me, I’m just human!)
I couldn’t think I would enjoy a BDSM story with a Domme as the heroine but as it turned out, I was WRONG.

Why? Because I read romance and erotica as an escape and I need my reads to make me feel GOOD. I need something more than just the discovery of a story and characters. I need to be able to identify myself at least a little to the lead female. Most of the BDSM reads I’ve had so far were always featuring a Master and his submissive. And as much I enjoy a strong willed heroine, I wasn’t sure I would enjoy a Dominatrix and a submissive man.

No matter how much she guarded her tender heart, eventually, she’d let him in.

I was wrong and for that I have to thank Cherise Sinclair. I think the main reason as to why this set up worked for me is that the hero, Ben, although submissive in the bedroom, was über alpha male the rest of the time. A strange and unusual mix that really made Servicing the Target one of my favorite Masters of the Shadowlands so far.

Submissive. The word sucked, but the feeling of restraining himself and letting her enjoy him was satisfying as hell. He could break her in half within a heartbeat, but the instincts at play said to give her whatever she pleased.

Anne Desmarais, is a well respected Mistress at Club Shadowlands and a fugitive recovery agent by day. Growing up in an all testosterone environment, she knows how to stand for herself and doesn’t need a man to be happy. Or so she thinks.
Lately she has been less and less interested in playing with her boys at the Club, less taking on a new slave after her break-up with Joey.

She was a take-no-prisoners, never back down, bossy woman. And fuck, he got off on that.

Ben is the Shadowlands’ club security man. If you read book 1 in this series, you’ll remember him from Master Z and Jessica’ story.
Ben Haugen is a former US Army ranger sniper with mild PTSD issues. He’s working part-time a security guard at the Club and is a renown photographer on his free time.

I really loved Ben! At first appearing aloof and remote, this book unmasked a true smartass and gentle guy hiding in a monster and intimidating wall of muscles.

He was demon submissive, fiercely determined to be sweet.

Ben was a walking contradiction and it took me some time to figure him out, but as it turned out, his hesitancies and questions about his own sexuality matched Mistress Anne’s own internal questions. They both needed a change in their life and will eventually find solace in each other.

Once more Cherise Sinclair gave us the gift of multi layered characters, with complex back stories and emotions.

This man was not a man to be underestimated. Give him an inch and he’d take the entire country.

I loved the power-play exchange between them. Ben stomping his big feet in the D/s play was really funny and endearing to observe. The way this wall of a man was willing to submit to Mistress Anne was touching and captivating. Their growing “relationship” will demand adjustments from both parts

As usual, the sex scenes were scorching hot and I’ve found myself absolutely enthralled by the heroes connection and demonstration of trust and love.

She was screwing with his mind as easily as she’d tormented his body. Sadist.

Servicing the Target, book 10 in the Club Shadowlands series, was not only a brilliantly written Bdsm erotica novel, but a charming and endearing love story as well. You’ll get to get glimpses of all the couples you loved in the previous books, the friends and family connections and some new faces I hope will get their books soon.

My Mistress reigns in the bedroom, and that’s just the way I want it.

(Arc offered in exchange for an honest review)

More reviews and book talk at :

[Sophia Triad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpectedly I loved it.

[Eda** · Rating 4 out of 5]

** 4 “my tiger” STARS **

“Are you going to lie there and take what I do to you?”

“I’m all yours, Mistress.”

The Queen of BDSM Romance, our Cherise Sinclair, did it again.

Simply beautiful... Not being a big fan of Dominatrix/submissive couples, I was worried I might not enjoy this one much...but I unexpectedly LOVED it!

RECOMMENDED!

“Mistress, if pain pleases you, I’m willing to give it a try.”
~ BEN

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

Finally the long awaited femdom book comes from Ms. Sinclair and it's a doozy. A fan of Ms. Sinclair, her gateway to BDSM books consistently tickle my fancy. Her dominants are dreamy. In this one, Mistress Anne takes the lead and she's a strict domme. Used to submissive boy toys who follow formal protocol, she tries something different when former army ranger Ben asks to submit.

This book pulls me completely in and moves me. I physically hurt for Anne. Anne is a complex woman who needs to control her entire environment. When her past as a military brat is revealed, it explains so much about her kink as well as her need to have everything orderly. The blatant disrespect she receives from her uncles, cousin and father are astounding. I'm angry for her and impressed how she keeps the peace. Her self-control is impressive as she responds to hurtful insults time after time.

There are several times in this story when my heart breaks for a little girl who is treated shabbily by her parents. It's interesting to note how clueless her parents were and how much she had to keep her feelings locked up and isolated from everyone. This protective armor is what keeps her going. In some ways, Anne is an ice maiden with an iron fist. She doles out pain in a way that is cathartic because it releases her own disappointments and pain.

The BDSM in this story is interesting because it really explores from a dominant perspective. The reader learns what goes on in the mind of a domme as well as how she came to BDSM. Surprisingly, Anne starts out as a man-hater who uses sadistic impact play on male slaves as whipping boys for the asshole males in her life. One would think this would make her a bad domme with issues. Instead, she's quite level headed about it and as she's come to accept the jerks in both her professional and family life, her need to dole out harsh punishment decreases.

The distinction in this story between a sexual submissive and a slave is well done. Whilst some may argue against the definitions, I say, forget the semantics and focus on the actions and intent. It's a lovely compare and contrast between the two. It's nice to see a Domme who owns her issues and doesn't take it out on others. It's also lovely to see a Domme who is caring enough to help her previous slaves. The differences between Joey her previous slave from Ben, her new slave are abundantly clear. Witnessing Ben who is previously exhibited no kinky leanings change into a strong submissive is a pleasure. Ms. Sinclair does an excellent job of showing casing an alpha male who enjoy sexual submission. The way Ben and Anne balance each other and grow together is something many seek. To see how there are mistakes along the way and yet still, two people who started out with different expectations can negotiate to a new level is what makes this book so good. It shows that perfection is not required. People can be flawed, make bad assumptions and still, with the willingness to try, there is a way to see eye to eye. Ms. Sinclair weaves a lovely tale from beginning to end.

For those expecting a dark cruel sadistic time, this is not going to be it. Ms. Sinclair does neither cruel nor dark in her books. Her trademarks loving, trusting and communication are all in full evidence here and it's fabulous to see. Highly recommended for femdom lovers and as a BDSM Gateway book.

*provided by BDSM Book Reviews

[Penny Well Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it.

Originally, I though I wouldn't like this book due to the woman being the Dominant part, instead of the other way around, which is usually my preference. I though that I would loose interest. However, as I read I was able to enjoy the story much more than I though thanks to being able to connect to the characters though their vulnerabilities and moments of intimacy. Cerise Sinclair did once more a good job, giving us a story with a nice romance and relatable and likable characters.

Once again, I appreciated the characters belonging to a group of friends, of them having people to count on. Ones life needs to have other relationships besides romantic ones to be whole and healthy.

I will continue devouring every single book that comes out from this series.
I am addicted.


Club Shadowlands (Masters of the Shadowlands #1) - 2.5 stars
If Only (Masters of the Shadowlands #8) - 4 stars

[Shanny · Rating 5 out of 5]

SOOOOOO good!!!!!!!!!!

Once again, Cherise Sinclair has written a wonderful story. I really enjoy the Shadowlands series. Love the characters and getting to see glimpses of past couples from the series.
She has an excellent way of explaining the BDSM lifestyle to anyone who doesn't truly understand how it works.
Her male characters whether they are doms or submissives have so much character and warmth. They are strong, sensitive, protective and caring.
And her female characters are strong , vulnerable and smart.
Masters of the Shadowlands series by Cherise Sinclair is by far the best BDSM series!!

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben must read. A lot. Did the man have to keep getting more attractive?

Anne is a sadistic Domme at the Shadowlands and Ben is the, seemingly, vanilla guard dog. For years Ben has watched Mistress Anne come and go from the club and longed after her. Finally working up the courage he approaches her about becoming her submissive. But Anne needs a slave and Ben isn't sure he's up for the challenge.



Masters of the Shadowlands will forever be one of my favorite series. Somehow these books just keep getting better and the characters are all so great. I loved how we got to catch up on some of the past characters throughout this book and got little glimpses of them.

It surprised me how much I liked Anne but she was a really great person, both in and out of the dungeon. She was a bad ass bounty hunter, helped at a battered women's shelter, and liked watching her niece and nephew. I wasn't sure how much I would like her since in the earlier books she came off kind of cold and unfeeling. She had a rough childhood, growing up with a father who never made her feel as adequate as her brothers, and it still affects her today. She tries to show that she can be just as tough as the men in her life but because of it she doesn't let herself get too close to people.

We didn't know too much about Ben before this book, and only got glimpses of him but he was so sexy. Ben is a retired Army Ranger, photographer, dog lover, and brand new subbie. I loved seeing him so protective over Anne one second and then kneeling for her the next. The fact that he was willing to submit for her just because he liked her so much made him a really strong character. He was loyal to everyone he cared about and watched over everyone he crossed paths with at the Shadowlands and the protectiveness was just super hot.


Anne and Ben were hot, hot, hot together! I wasn't too sure how I would feel about a Domme heroine but the scenes were just as sexy, if not sexier, as in the other books. We got to see the characters both come to terms with how they really feel and what they really needed in a relationship. I loved seeing them grow into the wonderful characters they were by the end. Cherise Sinclair did not disappoint with this compelling, sexy, and fun story.

[Floripiquita · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 Esta nueva entrega de Maestros de Shadowlands es otro ejemplo más del buen hacer de Cherise Sinclair como autora erotica centrada en BDSM. A diferencia de lo que ocurre en libros anteriores de esta serie, la relación de sumisión no es entre un Dom y una sumisa, sino entre una Ama y un sumiso, entre dos personajes que ya aparecen en libros anteriores y cuya relación se nos antojaba del todo improbable, hasta ahora. Me ha parecido muy interesante la dinámica que se crea entre ellos, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta que el protagonista masculino está construido como un panzer y tiene más experiencia en combate que Chuck Norris.

[Aly is so frigging bored · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so happy that I got over my dislike of Femdoms, or that I at least tried this book. Ben and Anne are really great and I loved catchig up with some of the others.

[Sofia Lazaridou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even if I didn't like the story I think I would have given this book a 5 star rating because we see how Kim and Raoul's relationship is going through Kim's point of view. They are my favorite couple in the series and I love them so much! They have made so much progress! (Not that the other couple's haven't). I hope we will see them more. To be fair, I love all the couples in the series, but Kim and Raoul have a special place in my heart. Master Z and Jessica are finally parents! The birth is funny in some parts. My favorite part was the first time the parents got to hold their baby. Jessica didn't want to know the sex of of the baby until the birth, so I won't say anything.

I wanted to read mistress Anne's story for a while now and I was really excited about her story. She might have changed since the first time I met her, but she is still awesome. She is one of the most kick-ass ladies I had the pleasure reading about. The changes she goes through the story aren't unpleasant or unjustified. She becomes softer, but I still wouldn't turn my back on her, if I were her enemy. The changes are happening due to the type of relationship she truly wants and has with Ben.

Speaking of her relationship with Ben, when I first found out that Ben is a vanilla guy, I was curious about how things were going to work out between him and mistress Anne. I had recently read a book with a similar theme of the relationship between the characters and I wasn't completely satisfied with the result, so I wanted to read how Cherise Sinclair, an author who is the first person I recommend when it comes to BDSM book, would make things workout, while staying true to her characters. Without spoiling how things worked out fir these two, I will say that I liked how their nature was (she is a sadist domme and he is not a slave/mostly vanilla) and what they felt for each other. Things weren't quickly and easily solved.

About the first 1/3 of the book felt like it was dragging (or maybe I felt this way because Ben and mistress Anne weren't together) and the last ten chapters felt like they flew by. I hope Cherise Sinclair will publish another book in the series and it will be about Azuri. While I was reading the book, I realized how much the Shadowlands family has grown. And I don't mean the babies. I mean that first we had 6 masters and as the books were processing more characters were added. That's the case with the sixth book considering that it opened the door to w whole new world.
I am glad the series continued, but I still feel a little nostalgic about the old times. I wish we got more time with the subs from the first six books. I am demanding a novella with all of them (I won't demand separate novellas because I know that the author is not a robot, but a human being with a family and other books to publish).

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s no better place to be than back at the Shadowlands. SERVICING THE TARGET is a book that I’ve been looking forward to since Mistress Anne stepped into one of the scenes in the previous books. She carries so much power and femininity that you can’t help but feel drawn to her. I was very much looking forward to see how Sinclair would portray her since she is a Domme who also enjoys administering pain.

The hero, Ben Heugan, however is someone we don’t know too much about. Ben is the Shadowlands guard dog. While he has the confidence of Master Z, Anne is a little more wary of him. For one, she is attracted to him but Ben has no interest in kink.

Or so she thinks.

He has called himself “vanilla” but when they share one scene together, it’s clear that Ben does like a little something extra with his sex.

What was different about this book was while I thought Sinclair would write a typical Domme story, she did something interesting with Anne. She showcased both her hardcore, badass side OUTSIDE of the Shadowlands and in particular, with her day job and displayed a much “softer” side to her Domme in the actual sex scenes. This was interesting because we don’t really see the characters outside of the Shadowlands too often any more. And also, I quite liked the juxtaposition that Sinclair created with Anne’s character. It was a nice surprise, something different that set her apart from the other Domme stories I’ve read. And what’s even more unique is that as Anne develops feelings for her subs, she no longer feels the need to hurt them. Once she cares about them, the aggression fades.

In addition to a great romance, Sinclair also gives her loyal readers some updates on previous characters. This time we get to see some beautiful life moments for Master Z and Jessica. It’s all very beautiful and inspiring, which goes to show you just how talent Sinclair is as a writer. She’s capable of writing intense BDSM but she can write really touching, intimate moments as well. I think that’s why this series has done so well. Within these ten books in the series, a lot of these characters have grown and continue to grow with each book.

With each book in the The Masters of the Shadowlands series, Sinclair brings better passion and romance. It’s definitely one of my all-time favorites in the genre.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Ben, Z's/the Shadowlands' "guard dog", notices Mistress Anne entering the club looking a bit worse for wear, he can't resist telling her how he feels about her dangerous job. She quickly lets him know, "... when I want your opinion about my occupation, [Benjamin,] I'll beat it out of you." His physical reaction to her comment was quite surprising. No matter, he's vanilla, she's not and she wouldn't dare mess with Z's employee.

Later that evening, Z insists Ben take Anne home after she'd underestimated the affects of mixing pain medication and alcohol. It was at a bachelorette party for one of the Shadowkittens where he'd first seen the Mistress without her armor - "... everything that was her had sizzled into him and stopped his heart." And, while he's fully aware that she's a sadist Domme with a rep for taking on only pretty boy masochist slaves, he's drawn to her beauty and strength.

Now he'd set his sights on the woman. And - as his team in the Rangers had witnessed - he never missed.

Anne is intrigued by this strong man who says he's vanilla, yet responds so beautifully to her commands. A one-hour scene with her is the start of what catches everyone by surprise. Z and the other Doms take notice of the incredible chemistry between them, however they all feel that the relationship cannot work because Ben doesn't crave the pain that Anne gives and Anne never takes a lover, only slaves.

He'd be hers; damned if he wouldn't. She had no clue how determined a Ranger could be to complete a mission successfully.

While these two as a couple was quite unexpected, they are an absolute perfect match. Ben is such a sweetheart and Anne's true personality really shines in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the different stages of their relationship - each step necessary for them to discover what they truly wanted. As with all previous books in the series, miscommunications happen, but they are always resolved.

Aside from Ben and Anne's story, Cherise gifted us with a bunch of other great side character stories:
❤ Jessica are very pregnant The birthing scene was an absolute hoot! I was cracking up. Jessica was laying into Z so badly ...

"Damn you, you have children. Why'd you want more?"
"Jessica, you wanted children."
"You're so fucking wrong. I never -"
"Breathe, little one."
"You breathe, you dickhead. How could you do this to me? You told me you weren't a sadist, you fucking liar."

Seeing her in such pain was terribly difficult for the steely Dom to handle, but they made it through and welcomed Lil Miss Sophia Grayson into the world. Happy Birthday, Sophia!

Side note: Simon, from Mountain Masters/Dark Haven (Simon Says: Mine: A novella and others), makes a hidden appearance when he added a security system to Z & Jessica's home.

❤ Happy 35th Birthday, Anne! The women of the Shadowlands, all the kittens and Olivia, the other resident Domme, threw Anne a surprise birthday party. It helped Anne fully realize the true friendships she's built. Being a military brat, she's kept herself closed off. These women have slowly, but surely crept their way into her heart.
❤ Uzuri is sure to be featured in book #11 Z has allowed Uzuri to make her past a hard limit, so no one is entirely sure what she's experienced in the past. What they do know is that her time for secrecy is almost up and she'll soon be encouraged to face her past - but not alone, I'm sure. Everyone will be there for her, as they were in this book, when she needed help moving into a new home. This was another great 'everyone is all together' scene.

Furthermore, the intruder scene at Anne's home forces Uzuri to accept her need for self-defense lessons. The other ladies have been training with Anne and now it's time she stop cowering and start empowering.

I always enjoy it when Cherise shows her character's lives outside of the club. This book had quite a few. I just cannot get enough of this series. I always look forward to spending quality time with Cherise's Shadowlands gang.

Ready and impatiently waiting for more!



---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pre-release date blog stalking discoveries:
Blurb and sneak peek provided at the end of Master of Freedom: A Mountain Masters Novella

As of 14 Apr, per Cherise's newsletter:
I’m deep into writing Servicing the Target, the next book in the Masters of the Shadowlands series. Honestly, I’ve been postponing writing a book about Mistress Anne because of those pretty boys who follow her around. So not my thing.

But then Ben—yes, I mean Ben the over-sized, rough-looking Shadowlands security guard—told me he was going to make his move.

I had a fit. “Oh, please. Seriously, Ben? Are you out of your friggin’ mind?” I told him he was vanilla. That she likes younger men. Gorgeous slim ones.

He didn’t listen. And when an ex-Army Ranger sets his sights on a target…everyone had best step out of the way.

As of 12 Feb, per Cherise's blog:
Ben–the security guard–says he’s interested in spending time with Mistress Anne. (Seriously?) I told him he’s out of his mind. But he’s stubborn.

And then Master Z informed me that it’s time for Jessica to have that baby of theirs. A woman in labor versus the Master of Masters. Hmmm.

[Shayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cherise Sinclair is back with her addictive, masterful, and beautiful writing in the latest addition to the Masters of the Shadowlands series, SERVICING THE TARGET. I wanted to devour and yet savor this book. I wanted to stay up all night and finish, but I didn't want it to end. Such conflicting emotions and I didn't even start. Once I began, I knew I had to take this slow. The depth of emotion that Sinclair puts in her books and in her characters blow me away. It overwhelms, it consumes, it dominates my mind. I'm completely in love with each and every character that comes into the mix and I can't wait to dive into their lives and completely forget about my troubles.

The bulk of the BDSM books I read consist of a male who is the Dom and a female who is the submissive. Every once in a while it is nice to switch up that dynamic, so I was thrilled to read Mistress Anne and Ben's story. It's different, refreshing, and completely sexy. I've wondered about Ben for a while now. What is his deal? What makes him tick? What is his story? I adored his character since the beginning and I'm so ecstatic that Sinclair is giving him AND Mistress Anne their happily ever after.

Sinclair's writing is a thing of perfection. SERVICING THE TARGET is just another example of that.



*Gifted copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

[Beanbag Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm giving this one four stars even though I was annoyed by the female lead a number of times. I found her to be whiney and lacking the things I've always liked about the doms in this series.

There were some great scenes, some hot scenes and even some very poignant scenes. When Anne helped Ben through his grief it actually made me cry. And love him more, of course.

There were also far too many scenes with Jessica. She is the most annoying character in almost any series I've ever read, IMO. And she has plot lines in several books that would have been much better without her. I've never read the first book of the series because I read reviews where others couldn't stand her. So I started on book 2. I've never felt the least bit compelled to go back and pick that one up because she is so unlikable throughout the series and I feel no real chemistry between her and Z.

But it was nice to see a little bit of other characters and how their HEAs are progressing.

While Anne got on my nerves with her self-obsession and lack of focus on Ben, I did have some sympathy for her. I just don't understand why she had no intuition about her sub when that's what the doms are known for. It's what makes them successful doms in this series, right? So I didn't feel the conflict here. I thought it was selfishness and that contradicted what I love about many of the other relationships and how they formed. It ended up feeling contrived and drawn out.

Ben, on the other hand, was wonderful. I was having a little bit of a hard time picturing him because I already had kind of a picture in my head. The way they made him seem in other books was nothing like he was described here, IMO. Here he's described as deadly and hard looking, but he's always been described as "ugly". By other people, so it wasn't just what he thought of himself. Here he seems to be roughed up but good-looking underneath that. A little retcon perhaps? Doesn't matter, he's a dreamboat anyway.

So there were a lot of good things after I finally started to connect with it about 50% in. It took a while, but it finally gelled for me and earned four stars. :)

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Servicing the Target (Masters of the Shadowlands #10)!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Expected publication: July 28th 2015!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



With Mistress Anne & Ben!!!!!!!!!


MISTRESS ANNE AND BEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I NEED!

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cherise certainly has a way with words. Her writing style paints a great picture and her characters are well developed.

I'm all for females Dominants but had a hard time reconciling Anne's actions. Especially the fact, that her need to hurt men steamed from childhood issues. And likewise, once she overcame those issues her sadistic streak subsided.
To quote Anne - "But yes, as my anger at men died, so did my enjoyment of hurting them."

I was told this story can be read as a standalone, but a lot of characters from pervious books pop in, so I feel it would be beneficial to have at least read the first few stories in the series. Especially as Jessica and Master Z, who I met in book 1, play a significant part in the story.

[Star22 · Rating 2 out of 5]

My issue with this book was that it was femdom written by someone who clearly doesn't like femdom. She couldn't bring herself to keep Anne as she was, she had to soften her. I have loved all of Cherise Sinclair's other books. But this one just didn't work for me because as someone who likes reading femdom as much as maledom, it was clear the author's heart wasn't really in it. With all her maledom characters, their kinks stayed the same, their need to dominate stayed the same, and they found the person that was their right match. But with Anne, she had to lose kinks and become less dominant and more vanilla before she could get her happy ending.

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite honestly, I wasn't too keen on reading about a Domme...not really my thing. I should have known though, that Cherise Sinclair wouldn't let us down! This was a beautiful story...I loved Ben and Anne together. Definitely one of my favourites of the series.

5 stars

[Steelwhisper · Rating 1 out of 5]

Give me a few days to write a review. It won't be a happy one.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure: this was my first time reading a BDSM book with a Domme as a central character.

I'm all for intelligent, empowered woman that kick ass and make no apologies for it, so Anne, the ex-Marine, ex-cop, current skip tracer strategist, instantly seemed like someone worth reading about. Add in Ben, a combat veteran, world-renowned nature photographer, and part-time security guard, and this book had all the makings for becoming my favourite couple in Cherise Sinclair's Shadowlands series.

It turns out that as much as I enjoyed the characters individually, their Master/slave dynamic in the first two-thirds of the novel didn't work for me at all. And I realize that was sort of the point; Sinclair purposely combined the lives of two characters whose wants and needs weren't well-suited (at least as they were originally presented to the reader) in order to up the tension and, I think, give her space to explore the negotiations that relationships with this sort of power dynamic can go through over time. It's smart, and real, and definitely makes for a novel that isn't your run-of-the-mill BDSM. However, I found that these differences didn't make for the best reading experience for me, personally.

I was uncomfortable with how much each character was giving up, doing without, or straight up denying about themselves, in order to fit in with their partner. The final straw was when Ben blatantly lied about having PTSD-related flashbacks in order to manipulate Anne into giving him what he wanted at the time. Now, Sinclair didn't glorify this action (Anne discovered the lie later and presumably the characters dealt with it) but just the fact that Ben felt pushed to that extreme made me think that he and Anne were just too opposite to ever work.

Of course, this is Cherise frickin' Sinclair we're talking about! She's an extremely talented writer and so was able to anticipate all of the things that chafed me about Anne and Ben's relationship. Bit by bit she began to address the aspects of the relationship that were creating the tension, changing both characters incrementally so that by the end of the novel they fit more naturally together. And, because they seemed to fit more naturally together, I was pleased and satisfied with the HEA we were given (though not pleased with the fact that each character had to change so drastically to be together - I'm contrary like that).

So, in the end, Servicing the Target didn't come anywhere near to becoming my favourite in the series - that honour still belongs to To Command and Collar - but it was certainly a unique reading experience.

[Cécile Smits · Rating 5 out of 5]

When i first read Mistress Anne and Ben’s story,i was worried how they could ever be together.
But i should’ve known that Cherise knew what she was doing.
Re-reading their story,i still love how she convinced these two they were meant to be.
With Anne being a sadist that only took on slaves,Ben seemed like the impossible choice.
He may be the guard dog at Shadowlands,checking who was allowed in,and who wasn’t,he always seemed to be a vanilla kind of guy.
But with Gabi and Sally’s bachelorette party,i saw another man…..one that had his eye on Anne.
She’d cut her latest slave Joey loose and seemed a little lost.
Ben was determined to be the one to get her back where she belonged,and started planning as any good (ex) army ranger would do.
Convincing Anne to take a chance with him was easier than he thought,convincing the Shadowlands Masters proved more difficult.
The hurdles these two had to take to get where they needed to be were high.
Miscommunication got in the way,her family and their bail bond company,meddling Masters.
It was almost enough to make a future together seem impossible…..almost.
Because once they got the miscommunication out of the way,where Anne admitted she didn’t need a slave to be happy,and Ben admitted he wasn’t slave material,but still into her kind of kink,they were as solid as a house.
Galen offering her job was another very good thing to come out of the problems with her family’s business.
And she was more than happy to let her uncles deal with the mess they,and her cousin,created!

As with the other stories in this series,i still enjoyed this one as much as i did the other times i’ve read it,and i’m glad i got back to reading them all again.

[Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. It would probably not require the rounding if it wasn’t $5.99 but “free” on KU…

I read one long scathing review (not all of it but enuf) that I was worried this would be cheesy, not intense and emotional enough. And it WAS cheesy. But the characters weren’t abrasive (Anne, in particular) like the reviewer made them out to be.

So…I was pleasantly surprised, given lowered expectations.

Ben is a likable character. He is who he is. He might be OK handing over the reins in the bedroom and even trying things he doesn’t like bc his woman wants it from him - that to be is just a man wanting to please his woman. Ultimately that’s all this is. And if he’s adventurous enough to try some more “extreme” things like getting beat on with paddles and whips and getting stuffed with toys and cages, well, more power to him. His body is open to this sort of torture and pleasure. Not everyone is.

But the fact that he can’t take it out of the bedroom, no matter how he tries to please her bc he loves her — that’s real too. People can’t be happy long term contorting themselves to be someone they’re not. And if the author went there, made him change, I would have disliked his character.

Instead, Anne changed. She’d already been changing. BDSM and the sadistic part were outlets for her. She wasn’t necessarily wired that way from birth. The dominant side, sure, but it’s it’s a much lighter version of “Domme.” Heck you could just call her a bossy, kinky woman in the bedroom.

Maybe some readers who are hardcore into BDSM would find her type as a cop-out, but I think as with everything, there’s a spectrum, and shades of gray (no pun in tended). And it’s not necessarily a fixed state of being.

So I appreciated the “lightness” of this book vs the more extreme BDSM books I’ve recently read.

And while it wasn’t TOO deep or intense or deeply passionate, it had enough relationship development that I did feel a tiny pang toward the end when there was a misunderstanding.

And I like that Ben stayed true to character throughout - terse, direct, no BS. He’s the type of man that, if you hurt him, the walls come up hard and fast. Because he would be very very hurt. And he’ll hit back (emotionally) but shutting you out. That’s why a wise woman, one who deserves him, would never do that to him, or if they stupidly did, then they would find a way to make it right.

The misunderstanding didn’t drag on. They both did the adult thing (after she ran away for a while).

Would I read more of this author or series? Not if the books are $5.99 a pop!

[Deb M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cherise Sinclair's Club Shadowlands series has always been on my top ten list. Each book in the series surpasses the last with multi-layered characters and intriguing plots, steamy sex and accurately portrayed BDSM. But when I discovered Servicing The Target was about Mistress Anne and Ben I was skeptical. Mistress Anne never interested me much. From the little we saw of her in previous books she was a hard ass, scary Domme who preferred pretty boy slaves. No thanks. Ben, other than making the occasional guest appearance manning the desk at the club, hadn't garnered my interest either.

Ms. Sinclair, a thousand apologies for my cynicism. I should be soundly flogged by a sadist. I'm sure many of you will say That's no punishment! but I'm not a masochist so yeah, it is. This book yanked me in fast and held on tight beginning with the first scene. Anne's job as a skip tracer has left her battered and bruised, her "skip" having taken out his aggression on her body. Although she's in pain, Anne still shows up for her gig as dungeon monitor at Shadowlands. However, pain meds and alcohol render her unable to drive at the end of the evening so Z sends Ben to escort her home. Whoo boy, this opening is riddled with sexual tension and showed a Ben I never imagined. It also sets in motion a relationship of seemingly opposites and things take off like a rocket.

I loved everything about Ben. Ms. Sinclair skillfully reveals him, layer by layer, as the story progresses. Each new discovery about this multifaceted man had me loving him more. He is quite accomplished to say the least. I won't give away any details. It's more fun that you discover them for yourself. His attraction to Anne is all encompassing. He respects and admires her for the talented Domme she is, marvels at her strength and courage in her chosen profession, and is willing to take a chance that, with her, he might possibly be more than vanilla.

Anne has been Mistress to many a pretty boy slave. She loves the respect and control they adoringly hand over to her but has never wanted anything more. Now that she's turned 35 she begins to reevaluate her priorities. She finds herself envying Jessica's role as a new mother. As a matter of fact, many of the Shadowlands Masters and subs have taken their relationships to the next level. What satisfied Anne in the past no longer has any meaning. So when vanilla Ben offers himself to her as a sub she's curious. He is the antithesis of her usual type. He's huge; six five, bulked up and scarred. And has no experience with kink. But what the hell, right? Anne figures she will give him a taste of what she dishes out as a Domme and that will be the end of it. What she discovers not only surprises her, it begins eroding her defenses. She learns her past as a Marine, a cop, and now a skip tracer, meshes well with Ben's and he has enormous respect for her experience. They have quite a lot in common, not the least of which is a scorching chemistry.

Servicing The Target is sexy, emotionally charged, suspenseful, and best of all, real. The BDSM dynamic between Anne and Ben is hot as hell but no more than what is believable for this couple. Thank you, Ms. Sinclair, for another wonderful addition to the Club Shadowlands series.

[Jill Myles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cherise Sinclair is an auto-buy for me. What can I say? I love the particular kinda crack she deals. I really love the Shadowlands books and have devoured all of them ASAP, to the point that I pretty much put aside my own writing and curled up in bed with this book until I could read no longer.

(Then I napped, but whatever!)

I wasn't too sure about Mistress Anne's book. I feel like it's really hard to write a book where there's a female dominant and still make the hero alpha and sexy. Cherise must have taken a cue from the Joey Hill Skool of Sexy Heroes because damn, son, Ben is fiiiiiine. He's described as ugly and big and brutish BUT COME ON, HE IS ROMANCE HERO UGLY, WHICH MEANS WE WOULD TOTALLY BONE HIM IN A SECOND AMIRITE? Anyhow, Ben isn't into BDSM (he thinks) and Anne isn't into men who don't really lick her feet (she thinks) and there's a lot of visiting of other couples in other books, which I love.

And I might be rereading Beth's book tonight. DON'T JUDGE ME.

Anyhow. TL;DR read this one for fuzzy feel-good times. Oh, and if you are not into hardcore kinkery (like the puppy play and fisting that was in some of the other books -- SPOILER) don't be afraid! Just butt plugs!

(I...can't believe I have ever used the sentence 'Just butt plugs' before.)

SO yes. Buy. Read. Go glom backlist.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really worried about this one and have put off reading it for a long time now, but glad that I finally bit the bullet!

I am not a fan of female doms as I like reading about alpha males but Cherise took great care in writing this and somehow I enjoyed it, even the sex scenes where Anne was definitely the dominant. Although Ben is a sexual submissive and agrees to become Anne's slave he still somehow comes across as an alpha male. They have their ups and downs but they eventually manage to compromise and meld their lives together in a way that satisfies them both so that they can be together.....Loved the ending even though it was a bit sappy :)

Well done Ms Sinclair, I should have known I could trust you :)

[Ivy Deluca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review posted on http://afterdarkbooklovers.com/2015/0...

The Bottom Line
Quite possibly my favorite Shadowlands ever. I love Ben and Anne's a great heroine. Highly recommended if you're into Dommes with a heart and alphas who are submissive in the bedroom.