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The Dungeon Fantasy Club #1
Her Highland Master
Zoey Mills's life is in shambles. She’s been accused of leaking her upper crust Hollywood clients’ data to an online magazine for a large payday. After a wine and chocolate-filled evening of drowning her sorrows, she determines that her best course of action is to leave her home in sunny Los Angeles for a week-long vacation in the Scottish Highlands. It’s the only way she can escape from the fact that her image is being splashed across the nightly news – and it might actually give her a chance to consider what her next move should be, now that her Great Master Life Plan has disintegrated into dust.
Unfortunately, she's only just landed and is navigating the tiny roads in her rental car when a freak early autumn snow storm hits. Zoey finds herself stranded and winds up on the doorstep of Mullardoch Manor; home of the sexy Scotsman, Declan McDougal, who is her every dark fantasy brought to life.
Declan is one of the founding members of The Dungeon Fantasy Club. As a billionaire businessman and a Dom, he prefers to keep his sexual preferences and tastes away from the boardroom. He’s also become bored, not just with the club, but also with his life. None of the subs he meets can hold his interest for more than a night and it's been that way for a long time. He just never wants more than a brief encounter. At least, not since his ex-fiancée cheated on him with another Dom and ran away. However, that all changes when Zoey barrels into his home uninvited and upends his luxurious but stale existence.
When Zoey finds herself without a place to stay, Declan makes her a tantalizing but scandalous offer: Stay in his home for the week, free of charge, and spend each night warming his bed. Or any other time of the day, for that matter. Deciding she doesn't have much to lose and possibly everything to gain, Zoey accepts.
With Zoey’s every sweet subsequent cry of ecstasy, Declan uncovers a sub who warms not only his bed, but slowly thaws his frozen, scarred heart. And as Zoey explores her deepest fantasies, even as he spanks her bare bottom for disobeying his rules, she finds herself wanting more than just a week of unmitigated pleasure with the Dom.
Things seem to be progressing perfectly, both in bed and out, when Zoey’s past catches up with her. When he feels betrayed once more, and fears the woman he has grown to care for is not who she says she is, will Declan still be willing to risk his heart to become Her Highland Master?
Unfortunately, she's only just landed and is navigating the tiny roads in her rental car when a freak early autumn snow storm hits. Zoey finds herself stranded and winds up on the doorstep of Mullardoch Manor; home of the sexy Scotsman, Declan McDougal, who is her every dark fantasy brought to life.
Declan is one of the founding members of The Dungeon Fantasy Club. As a billionaire businessman and a Dom, he prefers to keep his sexual preferences and tastes away from the boardroom. He’s also become bored, not just with the club, but also with his life. None of the subs he meets can hold his interest for more than a night and it's been that way for a long time. He just never wants more than a brief encounter. At least, not since his ex-fiancée cheated on him with another Dom and ran away. However, that all changes when Zoey barrels into his home uninvited and upends his luxurious but stale existence.
When Zoey finds herself without a place to stay, Declan makes her a tantalizing but scandalous offer: Stay in his home for the week, free of charge, and spend each night warming his bed. Or any other time of the day, for that matter. Deciding she doesn't have much to lose and possibly everything to gain, Zoey accepts.
With Zoey’s every sweet subsequent cry of ecstasy, Declan uncovers a sub who warms not only his bed, but slowly thaws his frozen, scarred heart. And as Zoey explores her deepest fantasies, even as he spanks her bare bottom for disobeying his rules, she finds herself wanting more than just a week of unmitigated pleasure with the Dom.
Things seem to be progressing perfectly, both in bed and out, when Zoey’s past catches up with her. When he feels betrayed once more, and fears the woman he has grown to care for is not who she says she is, will Declan still be willing to risk his heart to become Her Highland Master?
202 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 14, 2016
414 people are currently reading
511 people want to read
About the author
Anya Summers
93 books1,308 followersBorn in St. Louis, Missouri, Anya grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Anya never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with a M.A. in History.
Anya is a Bestselling and Award-Winning Author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance under the name, Maggie Mae Gallagher. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the midwest with her two furry felines.
Anya is a Bestselling and Award-Winning Author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance under the name, Maggie Mae Gallagher. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the midwest with her two furry felines.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
July 7, 2020
As with some of Anya Summers's other books, this one has me conflicted. I don't expect a romance novel to necessarily be an accurate description of BDSM, but this one has places where it goes so far away from reality it's creepy. As another reviewer said, the line "every sub who enters the club without a Master is agreeing to have sex with every dom who orders her to" is contrary to everything I've read about "safe, sane, CONSENSUAL" BDSM. Also, the part where Declan lets two sentences from a friend cause him to kick Zoey out of his life (without asking her for an explanation) is terrible. He's an asshole, and she can totally do better.
I do like how she stands up for herself against her former bosses, who fire her without hearing her side of the story, and then expect her to come back to work like nothing has happened when they realize she didn't do anything wrong.
Technically, the book is well written, and the scenes are hot, but the issues with story line prevent me from giving this book a better review. If Summers had done more research in BDSM prior to writing the book, it could have been a whole lot better.
I do like how she stands up for herself against her former bosses, who fire her without hearing her side of the story, and then expect her to come back to work like nothing has happened when they realize she didn't do anything wrong.
Technically, the book is well written, and the scenes are hot, but the issues with story line prevent me from giving this book a better review. If Summers had done more research in BDSM prior to writing the book, it could have been a whole lot better.
October 5, 2018
I'll be honest I DNF'd this after only a few chapters. However the reasons why were very pertinent (IMO) and so I do feel inclined to share them.
The actual technical writing, pace, description and dialogue in general were fine (though as a Brit the Scots 'accent' was a little cringe-worthy at times). However it was the complete suspension of disbelief OR accepting a heroine who was quite simply TSTL that turned me off.
So said heroine gets lost in the highlands in a snowstorm. She crashes into a ditch and seeks refuge at a manor house she had spotted (I'm fine with this so far). After collapsing due to being so cold the 'hero' of the book strips both of them down to their birthday suits and cuddles up to her in a bed 'to stave of hypothermia'.
THIS was where my 'OMG really?' radar was triggered. Um - could you not have left your underwear (and more importantly hers - she is a total stranger) on? The sharing body heat would still have worked. And he was turned on by her unconscious body - hello! Pervert warning, pervert warning!!!
Now me if I woke up starkers in a strangers bed I would not be all gooey eyed and thankful he'd 'saved my life', I'd be thinking 'rape' and looking for the nearest object to use as a weapon. Oh but his EYES are so kind she was instantly in lust with him.
THEN he goes to find something for her to wear, returning with a robe for her. He is still STARK BOLLOCK NAKED and insists she go to him to be dressed in said robe. Her response? No, not 'F off you freaking weirdo' ( which I'm sure would be the normal response in the situation) oh no, our heroine thinks 'Why, not? He's already seen what I've got to offer.'
Well at that point I was out. Apervert 'hero' who saw an unconscious girl and wanted to bone her and an idiot heroine who was fine with waking up and finding herself totally naked in a strangers bed. Perhaps this sounds like a book you'd love to read, it was just too far fetched for me. I have heard that her books get better, so I might give number 3 or 4 a try but this one? Nah.
The actual technical writing, pace, description and dialogue in general were fine (though as a Brit the Scots 'accent' was a little cringe-worthy at times). However it was the complete suspension of disbelief OR accepting a heroine who was quite simply TSTL that turned me off.
So said heroine gets lost in the highlands in a snowstorm. She crashes into a ditch and seeks refuge at a manor house she had spotted (I'm fine with this so far). After collapsing due to being so cold the 'hero' of the book strips both of them down to their birthday suits and cuddles up to her in a bed 'to stave of hypothermia'.
THIS was where my 'OMG really?' radar was triggered. Um - could you not have left your underwear (and more importantly hers - she is a total stranger) on? The sharing body heat would still have worked. And he was turned on by her unconscious body - hello! Pervert warning, pervert warning!!!
Now me if I woke up starkers in a strangers bed I would not be all gooey eyed and thankful he'd 'saved my life', I'd be thinking 'rape' and looking for the nearest object to use as a weapon. Oh but his EYES are so kind she was instantly in lust with him.
THEN he goes to find something for her to wear, returning with a robe for her. He is still STARK BOLLOCK NAKED and insists she go to him to be dressed in said robe. Her response? No, not 'F off you freaking weirdo' ( which I'm sure would be the normal response in the situation) oh no, our heroine thinks 'Why, not? He's already seen what I've got to offer.'
Well at that point I was out. A
May 18, 2016
I received an eARC, from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
'Her Highland Master' by Anya Summers is book one in the "The Dungeon Fantasy Club" series. This is a easy read and about 135 pages. So this can easly be read in one sitting I think. This was a really hot story that had some trust issue after Declan McDougal sub had up and left him for another Dom and then they both got killed in a car accident. Declan decided to ask/have Zoey be his sub since she has accidentally landed on his door step and won't be able to leave do to the weather.
Great starter book for this series!
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May 14, 2016
ARC received for review
3.5 stars
A wrong turn ends with insta-lust, insta-sub and a menage. Lots of hot bedroom and dungeon scenes. Declan was a very yummy Dom with an accent, and so was his butler. The story seemed secondary to the sex. But it was a good start to a series.
3.5 stars
A wrong turn ends with insta-lust, insta-sub and a menage. Lots of hot bedroom and dungeon scenes. Declan was a very yummy Dom with an accent, and so was his butler. The story seemed secondary to the sex. But it was a good start to a series.
September 21, 2018
If you’re looking for something realistic, I’d recommend looking for a different book. This asked me to suspend my disbelief too far and for too long. I wanted to love this book. I really tried. By the end I was hard pressed to even like it very much. There were parts of this that touched off every red flag I have. Those would be the parts where “consensual” was more a suggestion than a fact and the plot started to look a little rape-y. I particularly loathe the statement ‘every sub who enters the club without a Master is agreeing to have sex with every dom who orders her to’. WTF? Nope. Not happening. Informed consent isn’t really found anywhere in the pages of this story. The encounter scenes are very hot, but I had a difficult time getting past the fact that this book threw one of the three basic tenets of the Lifestyle right out the window. Safe? Sane? Consensual? Well… maybe it didn’t really keep any of them. I’ve heard the series gets better by book three, so I’ll keep going for now.
August 2, 2019
Repetitive, cheesy dialogue. Annoying, superficial characters I couldn’t give a hoot about. Cringeworthy story progression . It takes place in modern day Scotland. That’s about the only thing it’s got going for it. Now I know why this was offered free on Kindle.
October 31, 2018
This story...
Overall 5 out of 5 stars
Performance 5 out of 5 stars
Story 4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed: 10-31-18
... makes me want to take a wrong turn on my next holiday 😉
Sometimes you read your first book from an author and you wish you hadn’t and sometimes you finish a book and ask yourself ‘Why didn’t I pick this author before?’ This book is most certainly one of the last category.
I liked the story, I liked the interaction between the characters and the sex was hot. The ending felt a little rushed to me, not badly but it could have been made more interesting.
There is one thing that bothers me in the writing.at some point the lyrical description gets a bit over board. For example: Zoey smells like vanilla and peaches and two sentences later she’s smelling like rain on a summers day. It’s not a big issue and it doesn’t keep me from a high rating, but still...
Of course- since I’ve enjoyed this story in audio - there’s the performance. Although I enjoy dual reading, Mister Plug did an excellent job IMO. His voice is very pleasant and his interpretation of Declan McDougal is very sexy.
Both the author and the narrator have landed firmly on my favorite list.
review also on Audible
Overall 5 out of 5 stars
Performance 5 out of 5 stars
Story 4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed: 10-31-18
... makes me want to take a wrong turn on my next holiday 😉
Sometimes you read your first book from an author and you wish you hadn’t and sometimes you finish a book and ask yourself ‘Why didn’t I pick this author before?’ This book is most certainly one of the last category.
I liked the story, I liked the interaction between the characters and the sex was hot. The ending felt a little rushed to me, not badly but it could have been made more interesting.
There is one thing that bothers me in the writing.at some point the lyrical description gets a bit over board. For example: Zoey smells like vanilla and peaches and two sentences later she’s smelling like rain on a summers day. It’s not a big issue and it doesn’t keep me from a high rating, but still...
Of course- since I’ve enjoyed this story in audio - there’s the performance. Although I enjoy dual reading, Mister Plug did an excellent job IMO. His voice is very pleasant and his interpretation of Declan McDougal is very sexy.
Both the author and the narrator have landed firmly on my favorite list.
review also on Audible
October 3, 2018
Story started out great, she got in trouble in LA fled to Scotland for a break, got lost and ended up at Declan's house. Gets pulled into BDSM with Declan and Jared so far so good. Now 3/4 the way through the book, she walks in Declan's office, and she verbally attacked by Declan's friend who is an actor - without even giving Zoey a chance to explain what happened, Declan kicks her out of his house, and to make it worse gives her an envelope of money. Well she throws the money at him on her way out the door, catches a ride with the tow truck driver, catches the train to Edinburgh (while on the train her old boss calls and apologizes and says come back to work - we found out you were set up - she tosses some attitude and says my lawyer will call you) and as she is walking to the airport the police pick her up - take her to a hotel and deliver her back to Declan. Well here is where the story just drops. He says "I'm sorry I love you" and she melts and forgives him - really???? The epilogue is a wedding announcement. Now What happened with the lawyer/old boss? what happened to the man who set her up? The who reason she was in Scotland is just left hanging...... The author did great at setting up and telling the story then rushes to close it out and leaves the readers hanging....lost a good review .....
November 30, 2016
I think if this story had just stuck to what it was - a smutty romp - I would have liked it. But the attempts at telling a real story just made me mad. This was romanticized BDSM at its worst. Her first introduction to his world? Public humiliation. Agreed upon limits? What for? She was up for anything. Physical repercussions? Not very romantic. Mental repercussions? Oh no, she's in love with him. Then he finds out about her 'secret' and spurns her, treating her like a prostitute. But it was just a misunderstanding. The only thing good I have to say about this book is that all the sentences were grammatically correct.
December 7, 2016
This book didn't make sense. The sex was OK, but really.... Wreck your car in the Highlands right in front of a Dominance Club? I actually dumped this book from my Amazon book list, and I rarely toss away books I have paid for.
July 12, 2016
The author graciously gave me a free copy after I missed the NetGalley window.
I like this story at first. A great deal of it felt a tad unrealistic at times, but I went with it. It was instant attraction and love.
The sexy times were sexy, but I just didn't feel like they jelled together. Declan was arrogant and at times I had a hard time liking him. I always felt like he thought he was better then her.
I didn't like the ending. He just apologized and she said fine and bam it was just like nothing happened. I mean she didn't even make him work for it. Her ultimate cave in is what ruined the book for me.
I like this story at first. A great deal of it felt a tad unrealistic at times, but I went with it. It was instant attraction and love.
The sexy times were sexy, but I just didn't feel like they jelled together. Declan was arrogant and at times I had a hard time liking him. I always felt like he thought he was better then her.
I didn't like the ending. He just apologized and she said fine and bam it was just like nothing happened. I mean she didn't even make him work for it. Her ultimate cave in is what ruined the book for me.
October 23, 2018
4/5 - This was a great erotic romance with really good BDSM scenes.
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Zoey crashes her car in a snowstorm in the Scottish Highlands. She finds a manor that just happens to house a BDSM club in the basement unbeknown to her. Declan is the owner and Master of the mansion and club. Jared his best friend and super hot Butler is also part of the cast.
Declan allows Zoey to stay for the week for “free” but he has another form of payment he wants from her * smirky smirk * Zoey stays because the B&B gave her reservation away and frankly needs a place to stay in a foreign country. She left America because she was fired and set up to take the fall for a security breach at her work.
Declan and Zoey fall for each other over the course of a week BUT someone from Zoey’s past shows up and exposed her troubles back home....
This book has A LOT OF SEX. Kinky, hardcore sex. M/M/F sex. Spanking (hand and paddle), anal sex, ménage, clamps, oral, vaginal, bondage, and voyeurism. I will say Zoey is vanilla coming into a kink world and even though she had a choice and gave consent it kinda felt like if she would have said no to the sex she would be on her own in a snowstorm. Maybe that’s my bias?
The only thing that bummed me out to this otherwise perfect little story was the way Declan handled the info about Zoey’s past and what he did to reconcile. Basically he was a dick and then thought rose petals and a nice hotel room was enough to smooth over calling her a liar and not allowing her to explain anything.
And the damn epilogue! A month passed and really? Yeah I get this is a standard erotic romance where HEA reigns supreme but for reals?!!!
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-
-
Zoey crashes her car in a snowstorm in the Scottish Highlands. She finds a manor that just happens to house a BDSM club in the basement unbeknown to her. Declan is the owner and Master of the mansion and club. Jared his best friend and super hot Butler is also part of the cast.
Declan allows Zoey to stay for the week for “free” but he has another form of payment he wants from her * smirky smirk * Zoey stays because the B&B gave her reservation away and frankly needs a place to stay in a foreign country. She left America because she was fired and set up to take the fall for a security breach at her work.
Declan and Zoey fall for each other over the course of a week BUT someone from Zoey’s past shows up and exposed her troubles back home....
This book has A LOT OF SEX. Kinky, hardcore sex. M/M/F sex. Spanking (hand and paddle), anal sex, ménage, clamps, oral, vaginal, bondage, and voyeurism. I will say Zoey is vanilla coming into a kink world and even though she had a choice and gave consent it kinda felt like if she would have said no to the sex she would be on her own in a snowstorm. Maybe that’s my bias?
The only thing that bummed me out to this otherwise perfect little story was the way Declan handled the info about Zoey’s past and what he did to reconcile. Basically he was a dick and then thought rose petals and a nice hotel room was enough to smooth over calling her a liar and not allowing her to explain anything.
And the damn epilogue! A month passed and really? Yeah I get this is a standard erotic romance where HEA reigns supreme but for reals?!!!
November 2, 2018
After a reminder from a friend of mine that i had this one on my shelf,i decided to take it out and read it at last.
I did have the iTunes edition, https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/M...
And i did have to wonder why i left it there for so long.
It was a delightful story,one i enjoyed once i got used to the style of writing the author used.....
Zoey felt lost after being wrongfully accused and fired. So,to get things in perspective,she decides on a journey to the country she always wanted to see,Scotland.
Once there,things go horribly wrong when she takes a wrong turn in a storm and ends up in a ditch. Luckily,she sees a manor nearby and finds shelter there before she freezes to death. The owner,Declan,is intrigued by her and wants to explore their mutual attraction. He happens to have a BDSM club downstairs,one where he and other clubmembers (who,as true scottish people,dó travel in bad weather)enjoy the lifestyle. His past makes him reluctant to explore his feelings and a misunderstanding drives them apart,breaking her heart......
I did have the iTunes edition, https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/M...
And i did have to wonder why i left it there for so long.
It was a delightful story,one i enjoyed once i got used to the style of writing the author used.....
Zoey felt lost after being wrongfully accused and fired. So,to get things in perspective,she decides on a journey to the country she always wanted to see,Scotland.
Once there,things go horribly wrong when she takes a wrong turn in a storm and ends up in a ditch. Luckily,she sees a manor nearby and finds shelter there before she freezes to death. The owner,Declan,is intrigued by her and wants to explore their mutual attraction. He happens to have a BDSM club downstairs,one where he and other clubmembers (who,as true scottish people,dó travel in bad weather)enjoy the lifestyle. His past makes him reluctant to explore his feelings and a misunderstanding drives them apart,breaking her heart......
December 12, 2019
Her Highland Master started out well enough and then it progressed way too quickly and intensely for my liking. The story in between all the bdsm was decent, but to fall in love that completely and that quickly was distracting to me. The writing was good, but I didn't love the story. This was my first time reading anything by Anya Summers so maybe I'll find a something else by her more to my liking.
March 18, 2024
Her Highland Master
rating: ★ ★ ★ ★/5
spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
💌 — speechless tbh. the sex in this story is incredible, the use of the threesome?? CRAZY. I’ve never read a book with threesome and i will be reading more.
tropes — billionaire, BDSM, threesome
rating: ★ ★ ★ ★/5
spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
💌 — speechless tbh. the sex in this story is incredible, the use of the threesome?? CRAZY. I’ve never read a book with threesome and i will be reading more.
tropes — billionaire, BDSM, threesome
March 29, 2019
Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
So this was an interesting premise...but there was something missing. I'm not sure if it's because the relationship went from 0 to 60 in about 3 hours or if I didn't have enough backstory to connect, but I had a hard time. Don't get me wrong, the love scenes were super hot, but it felt like this would not have happened in a real BDSM club. I don't know...maybe that's just me. Also, it bordered on insta-love and that's hard to do really well.
So this was an interesting premise...but there was something missing. I'm not sure if it's because the relationship went from 0 to 60 in about 3 hours or if I didn't have enough backstory to connect, but I had a hard time. Don't get me wrong, the love scenes were super hot, but it felt like this would not have happened in a real BDSM club. I don't know...maybe that's just me. Also, it bordered on insta-love and that's hard to do really well.
July 16, 2016
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.
I saw the title of this book and requested it on NetGalley. So I had no idea if this was going to be a crazy steamy historical romance or a crazy steamy contemporary romance. To be honest, I wouldn't have been disappointed no matter what it ended up being but in this case, it was a really super crazy hot contemporary romance!
I liked Zoey's story. I was worried that I would have to read through the entire story of how Zoey lost her Hollywood PR job. I'm happy to report that I didn't have to do so. It started right off with Zoey doing her best to sort of reboot her life. I loved that she went to Scotland to sort of hide AND to figure out what to do next. I felt like that was really relatable and that it was a REALLY great idea. The only thing I didn't like was towards the end of the book when Zoey is re-accused of what she did back in Hollywood, she didn't deny it. In fact, she says "Yes" when asked if she did it even though the frigging answer was NO, she didn't do anything wrong!!!!!! Why would she say yes?! I was so pissed at her and it sort of spoiled my attitude towards her.
Declan was pretty cool. As expected, he was tall, dark, and handsome. Since he was Scottish, OF COURSE I pictured Gerard Butler! I liked that Declan was so sure of himself and all that good stuff. But it wasn't surprising because Declan is a Dom and he's exactly what you want and expect in a Dom. So I won't say any more about that. Either way, he was sweet and kind throughout the book, which was why his attitude change at the end was so unexpected. I can absolutely see how the author had gotten him there but I was still surprised and I don't mean that in a good way.
This is an erotic romance so the Sexy Time was ridiculously hot and plentiful. There's some voyeurism, M/F/M, spanking, and all the usual suspects when it comes to a BDSM-themed erotic romance. I thought the romance between Zoey and Declan was a little speedy but the book is less than 200 pages so I suppose it had to happen pretty quick. I didn't notice it at the time but I was definitely left wishing there were more. And THAT I mean in a good way!
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would absolutely read this author again. It looks like this book is Book 1 in a series so I'm excited to see what happens next! It seems to be like the story could move on to the next couple as this story had a concrete ending. I thought the characters were interesting and sexy and fun. There were plenty of laughs, maybe a little mystery, and there's a chance that I got a little misty-eyed in one of the scenes in the book. I would recommend this book to fans of erotic romance who want to travel outside of the US!
I saw the title of this book and requested it on NetGalley. So I had no idea if this was going to be a crazy steamy historical romance or a crazy steamy contemporary romance. To be honest, I wouldn't have been disappointed no matter what it ended up being but in this case, it was a really super crazy hot contemporary romance!
I liked Zoey's story. I was worried that I would have to read through the entire story of how Zoey lost her Hollywood PR job. I'm happy to report that I didn't have to do so. It started right off with Zoey doing her best to sort of reboot her life. I loved that she went to Scotland to sort of hide AND to figure out what to do next. I felt like that was really relatable and that it was a REALLY great idea. The only thing I didn't like was towards the end of the book when Zoey is re-accused of what she did back in Hollywood, she didn't deny it. In fact, she says "Yes" when asked if she did it even though the frigging answer was NO, she didn't do anything wrong!!!!!! Why would she say yes?! I was so pissed at her and it sort of spoiled my attitude towards her.
Declan was pretty cool. As expected, he was tall, dark, and handsome. Since he was Scottish, OF COURSE I pictured Gerard Butler! I liked that Declan was so sure of himself and all that good stuff. But it wasn't surprising because Declan is a Dom and he's exactly what you want and expect in a Dom. So I won't say any more about that. Either way, he was sweet and kind throughout the book, which was why his attitude change at the end was so unexpected. I can absolutely see how the author had gotten him there but I was still surprised and I don't mean that in a good way.
This is an erotic romance so the Sexy Time was ridiculously hot and plentiful. There's some voyeurism, M/F/M, spanking, and all the usual suspects when it comes to a BDSM-themed erotic romance. I thought the romance between Zoey and Declan was a little speedy but the book is less than 200 pages so I suppose it had to happen pretty quick. I didn't notice it at the time but I was definitely left wishing there were more. And THAT I mean in a good way!
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would absolutely read this author again. It looks like this book is Book 1 in a series so I'm excited to see what happens next! It seems to be like the story could move on to the next couple as this story had a concrete ending. I thought the characters were interesting and sexy and fun. There were plenty of laughs, maybe a little mystery, and there's a chance that I got a little misty-eyed in one of the scenes in the book. I would recommend this book to fans of erotic romance who want to travel outside of the US!
May 11, 2016
On the surface this should be a "me" story - woman on vacation in Scotland gets caught in a snowstorm and puts her car into a ditch. She finds herself in front of a fancy manor, complete with two crazy hot Scottish dudes and a dungeon in the basement. She's stuck there for a week - how ever shall she pass the time?
Bwahaha.
The good:
- The sex is hot, with bondage and a threesome.
- Zoey's phone call with her old boss goes just the way I wanted it too.
The not-so-good:
- Instalust, insta-sub.
- Characterization is flat and at times troubling. Here's how we find out what happened to Declan's ex-girlfriend:
O.o That's some justice.
- The plot is an afterthought and is crammed between sex scenes. The hero turns on a dime and makes quick decisions that feel unearned.
- Details drove me mad. Declan does the right thing by getting the chilled Zoey out of her wet clothes, all "I know what to do when someone has hypothermia". Then he gives her tea that's half whisky, the exact wrong thing to do. Booze makes you feel warmer but actually lowers your body temperature - this is why drunk people in the cold meet bad ends. GRAH.
- Also, what kind of guy would take that opportunity to strip off all his clothes, too? Sure, being close will help warm her up, but I think most guys would have the common sense to keep their boxers on, at least.
- More details - a road can be slushy or covered with six inches of snow, but not both.
- Even more details - Zoey is some kind of agent for big time Hollywood people but a week-long holiday drains her bank account? And what kind of sane person drains their bank account when they think they'll be unemployed for the foreseeable future? Especially when that use of money adds stress to said vacation?
The writing is okay and the sex is hot, but the lack of characterization and whiplash plot make this a less enjoyable read.
Thanks to Blushing Books and NetGalley for providing a review copy.
Bwahaha.
The good:
- The sex is hot, with bondage and a threesome.
- Zoey's phone call with her old boss goes just the way I wanted it too.
The not-so-good:
- Instalust, insta-sub.
- Characterization is flat and at times troubling. Here's how we find out what happened to Declan's ex-girlfriend:
"He had loved Jenna. He'd actually picked out a ring. She'd fit in with his lifestyle perfectly and had been his little sub, until she ran off with another Dom from the Club. They both died in a car crash a week later."
O.o That's some justice.
- The plot is an afterthought and is crammed between sex scenes. The hero turns on a dime and makes quick decisions that feel unearned.
- Details drove me mad. Declan does the right thing by getting the chilled Zoey out of her wet clothes, all "I know what to do when someone has hypothermia". Then he gives her tea that's half whisky, the exact wrong thing to do. Booze makes you feel warmer but actually lowers your body temperature - this is why drunk people in the cold meet bad ends. GRAH.
- Also, what kind of guy would take that opportunity to strip off all his clothes, too? Sure, being close will help warm her up, but I think most guys would have the common sense to keep their boxers on, at least.
- More details - a road can be slushy or covered with six inches of snow, but not both.
- Even more details - Zoey is some kind of agent for big time Hollywood people but a week-long holiday drains her bank account? And what kind of sane person drains their bank account when they think they'll be unemployed for the foreseeable future? Especially when that use of money adds stress to said vacation?
The writing is okay and the sex is hot, but the lack of characterization and whiplash plot make this a less enjoyable read.
Thanks to Blushing Books and NetGalley for providing a review copy.
July 13, 2016
What is a girl to do when her career and reputation are heading to hell in a hand basket? Take a trip to the Scottish countryside. In October too. This is exactly what Zoey Mills does and on her way to the B&B she had booked to deal with her tattered reputation, she instead finds herself at the door of Mullardoch Manor after fish tailing into a ditch in the middle of a snow storm. It's here that she meets Declan McDougal. Unbeknowst to either of them, their lives are going to change in ways that neither of them expected. I loved this first installment of this series. The chemistry between Declan and Zoey was scorching. Let add his best friend Jared to the mix and I found myself fanning over the hotness of these two gorgeous men and this very lucky girl.
Reviewed on behalf of Once upon a Alpha.
Reviewed on behalf of Once upon a Alpha.
August 3, 2024
De schrijfstijl was best oke, het idee was wel leuk, maar soms de inhoud van de zinnen niet. Dan bedoel ik niet grammaticaal ofzo, want nogmaals, ze schrijft best oke, maar gewoon daadwerkelijk de inhoud van haar verhaal. Heel veel plotholes ook.
Ook voelde het begin van het boek een beetje als een Aliexpress versie van Club Shadowlands. Een beetje alsof je Club Shadowlands de prachtige sparkly flowy Elsa jurk is die je hebt besteld, maar dan een 10 cm poppenversie krijgt voor je Barbie.
Het voelde ook meer als 'bedroom fantasies' dan 'bedroom waarheden'. Natuurlijk is het allebei goed voor een verhaal, maar laat het eerste het laatste niet ondersneeuwen.
Ook het meest diepe wat je over de hoofdpersoon leert is dat haar insides cheerleaders zijn.
Ook voelde het begin van het boek een beetje als een Aliexpress versie van Club Shadowlands. Een beetje alsof je Club Shadowlands de prachtige sparkly flowy Elsa jurk is die je hebt besteld, maar dan een 10 cm poppenversie krijgt voor je Barbie.
Het voelde ook meer als 'bedroom fantasies' dan 'bedroom waarheden'. Natuurlijk is het allebei goed voor een verhaal, maar laat het eerste het laatste niet ondersneeuwen.
Ook het meest diepe wat je over de hoofdpersoon leert is dat haar insides cheerleaders zijn.
April 26, 2016
This fast paced love story of Zoey and Declan caught my attention and kept me reading from start to finish. These two characters are trying to overcome trust issues and start not so much as a relationship but more as a strong attraction. As they enjoy each others company things change and catch them off guard. I enjoyed watching Zoey explore and embrace the BDSM lifestyle as Declan began opening his heart after a past betrayal. Overall I loved this book and recommend reading and enjoying Zoey and Declan's love story in this first book of The Dungeon Fantasy Club Series. I can't wait to see what comes next!
dnf
June 9, 2018The dialogue doesn't feel very Scottish. there is a ridiculous amount of lass calling that it feels forced. many of her responses are short with yeses.
The scene where she goes down to wander the dungeon level seemed confusing and I thought somehow she was in some behind the scenes area since she was wandering in her bathrobe which seemed really strange.
The scene where she goes down to wander the dungeon level seemed confusing and I thought somehow she was in some behind the scenes area since she was wandering in her bathrobe which seemed really strange.
February 4, 2018
An erotic romance, very light on the romance and plot. Main protagonist, Mia, stumbles into a Scottish estate that is actually (happens to be) a BDSM lifestyle club. Ends with the lamest HEA I ever read. Awarding two stars for hot men and juicy MMF love play.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2023
This is a typical BDSM type of story. I have read Anya Summers in the past, but this story is not like the paranormal series I read. Although it is well written, I much prefer her paranormal tales.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 23, 2016
Good start to this series. Some parts that were unrealistic and Zoey forgave him too fast but I still liked the story.
I want Jared to find his match.
I want Jared to find his match.
August 31, 2016
Sex, sex, sex and more sex with a bit of story thrown in so they can get dressed before the next sex scene.
Happy, fluffy, sex romp with an inevitable HEA.
Happy, fluffy, sex romp with an inevitable HEA.
January 8, 2021
I probably would have liked this ten years ago, today it's just plain boring. DNF
July 18, 2018
This was my first book by Anya Summers and it was well written and held my attention. I found the plot to be something out of the ordinary and a lot of fun. The characters were fun and engaging and it came with a nice HEA in the end.
I /loved/ the idea that the butler and Declan were best buddies who topped together and shared women on occasion as well as the general openness of the kink world she describes. The idea that this guy just has a 24-7 kink club in his basement isn't very believable but it's a LOT of fun to imagine and sometimes suspension of belief is required for these kind of books.
Zoey comes across as really believable in the beginning and you really feel bad for what she's going through. I did find a few things problematic (which I'll describe in a second) but I am honestly confused by the harsh 1 and 2 star reviews that I saw. The book has a LOT right and I really did enjoy the read so I can't imagine what set people off so badly unless they just aren't into kinky reads. In which case... well it was clearly spelled out for them so I dunno.
Some plot spoilers below.
Where I had a problem was with a few things. First Declan is so traumatized by what his ex did that he can never trust another woman. Yet he immediately falls for this woman in like 10 minutes. Their relationship moves extremely fast and he's ready to keep her after a few days--but then he finds out something bad about her and throws her out of the house without even giving her a chance to explain. Then he's talked out of it and runs off to find her after ten minutes. The back and forth there was giving me whiplash.
I was so angry at him at that point that I didn't want her to ever forgive him. (Though she does and it's HEA time.) Earlier in the book I was so mad at /her/ I wanted him to do MUCH more than he did. This is like blackbeard's wife, the second he leaves she just has to go and snoop. Well, that's just rude and it didn't really come off like she was doing it on purpose to be a brat and get punished. It came off like she had no manners.
As far as the D/s it was fine but I felt like there was a lot more emphasis on sex than D/s, especially for what was supposed to be punishments. This is the first book of a series though so I'm interested in what happens further in.
I /loved/ the idea that the butler and Declan were best buddies who topped together and shared women on occasion as well as the general openness of the kink world she describes. The idea that this guy just has a 24-7 kink club in his basement isn't very believable but it's a LOT of fun to imagine and sometimes suspension of belief is required for these kind of books.
Zoey comes across as really believable in the beginning and you really feel bad for what she's going through. I did find a few things problematic (which I'll describe in a second) but I am honestly confused by the harsh 1 and 2 star reviews that I saw. The book has a LOT right and I really did enjoy the read so I can't imagine what set people off so badly unless they just aren't into kinky reads. In which case... well it was clearly spelled out for them so I dunno.
Some plot spoilers below.
Where I had a problem was with a few things. First Declan is so traumatized by what his ex did that he can never trust another woman. Yet he immediately falls for this woman in like 10 minutes. Their relationship moves extremely fast and he's ready to keep her after a few days--but then he finds out something bad about her and throws her out of the house without even giving her a chance to explain. Then he's talked out of it and runs off to find her after ten minutes. The back and forth there was giving me whiplash.
I was so angry at him at that point that I didn't want her to ever forgive him. (Though she does and it's HEA time.) Earlier in the book I was so mad at /her/ I wanted him to do MUCH more than he did. This is like blackbeard's wife, the second he leaves she just has to go and snoop. Well, that's just rude and it didn't really come off like she was doing it on purpose to be a brat and get punished. It came off like she had no manners.
As far as the D/s it was fine but I felt like there was a lot more emphasis on sex than D/s, especially for what was supposed to be punishments. This is the first book of a series though so I'm interested in what happens further in.
March 26, 2018
Her Highland Master By: Anya SummersWhen You've Got Nothing Left To Lose... Go To Scotland & Find Everything!
When she's betrayed at work she figures she's got nothing left to lose so she embarks on her dream vacation to Scotland... Lost on a Highland road, she finds the Dom she didn't know she needed & the love of a lifetime at the secluded manor with a Dungeon... Dunn, Dunn, Dunn, Dunn!!! Will she embrace the lifestyle & let herself live unfettered by society?! Does he let past Demons go & claim his American Subbie?! Will her past cross over to Scotland & ruin Everything?! Does he catch his lass or lose her Forever?! Embark on this Scottish journey with "Her Highland Master" & find out.
I was gifted an ARC of Anya Summers' "Her Highland Master" via Booksprout; I enjoyed reading her book & gladly recommend it to others based upon its own merits. I'll also look forward to finding more work from this author as she may provide me another wonderful Reading Rabbit hole for hours of reading!! All opinions expressed within this review are uniquely my own & freely given.
Until next time... Happy Reading!
November 12, 2017
Wow! What an awesome read! What else could a girl ask for but a drop-dead gorgeous Scotch alpha male? Well, two of them I guess. This is the first from Ms. Summers that I have had the utmost pleasure of reading, and I can certainly attest that I not only love her style, but her characters as well. I definitely hope it won't be the last of her work that I will read. She has managed to capture my attention with the first page, and maintained my interest throughout, right up to the last word. When life throws her the equivalent of a fireball, falsely accused of releasing delicate information regarding high profile clients for money, being investigated, and fired from the job she loves, down and out Zoey, with the encouragement of her sister and best friend, leaves sunny California and heads to Scotland, only to find herself in the middle of an unpredictable snow blizzard, and in the ditch on a road in the middle of nowhere. The last thing Jared expected to find when he went to answer the door in the middle of the snowstorm, was a half-frozen woman, dripping on the rug, already inside. Now, how was he supposed to explain this to his best friend and boss. But when Declan spots the lass on the floor in the entryway, he knows that he was to get her warmed up as soon as possible before hypothermia sets in. One look at the petite woman and deep down in his gut, he knows life will no longer be the same. When his Dom instincts kick in, all he wants to do is protect the woman now in his arms. Will he get the chance to taste her the way he wants to? Introduce her to his way of life? Or will she fly the coup as soon as she discovers just what goes on in the dungeon?
Awesome read you won't want to miss. Looking forward to more from this author.
Awesome read you won't want to miss. Looking forward to more from this author.
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