The Sassy Submissive

Stronghold Doms #1

by Golden Angel, Roberto Scarlato (Narrator)

A previous cover edition for this ASIN can be found here

Adam Rawn wasn't looking for a sub when he went to the new club Chained with his friend Rick Winter. Not exactly anyway. But he wasn't adverse to it. Instead what he found was a Domme with an air of mystery about her. Mistress Angela has described herself as being new to the scene but quite sure that she was a Domme; Master Adam can't shake the feeling that maybe there are some hidden desires that Mistress Angela is unaware of - after all, he's never been attracted to a Domme before.

Angel Jones has been interested in BDSM for a while and although she's finally ready to explore her fantasies she feels she has to do so on her own. Her closest friends in town are guys who would never understand and her best friend Leigh already has a boyfriend - a rather territorial one. Nervous about going to a BDSM club, afraid that she might be putting herself in a bad situation as an unattached submissive who's completely new to the scene, Angel decides that the safest way to explore being in public is as a Domme. That way she can get used to the club scene, keeping herself in a position of power until she feels comfortable enough to know what she's doing. Although she eventually wants to join Stronghold, the club closest to her home and with the best reputation, she makes her debut into the BDSM scene at Chained, a new club that's far enough away she feels safe enough to lie about her preferences and present herself as Mistress Angela until she's done some exploring.
She just happens to do so on a night when Adam and his friends are visiting Rick at Chained.

When Angel finally feels comfortable enough to make her way to Stronghold as a submissive and Master Adam recognizes the "Domme" that he's been obsessing over and realizes the lies that she's told, the results are explosive.

This book (approximately 146,000 words) contains spanking, anal play & sex, oral sex, bondage, BDSM, and some fun toys.

Stronghold is the beginning of a spin-off series from G. Angel's "Venus Rising Quartet." It is not necessary to read the Quartet in order to enjoy Stronghold.  Planned future books for the series center around Rick, Patrick & Lexie, Jared, Michael, Andrew, Olivia and Leigh (not necessarily in that order) as well as some novellas to re-visit some favorite characters / get the stories of some of the other smaller characters.

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

16 pages, Audible Audio

First published October 24, 2013

About the author

Golden Angel is a USA Today best-selling author of heart and bottom warming romance.

She is happily married, old enough to know better but still too young to care, and a big fan of happily-ever-afters, strong heroes and heroines, and sizzling chemistry.

When not in front of her computer writing, she can be found sewing her next project, hanging out with friends, or wandering the grounds of the Maryland Renaissance Festival.

Newsletter with free books - https://subscribepage.io/goldenangelr...

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Website: http://www.goldenangelromance.com

Reviews

[Camila (previously the opinionated Catruler) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's get the controlling, suited up elephant in the room out of the way: Adam is based off the author's husband.



Now, it's not that I don't love Adam. He's actually one of my favorites. They're all my favorite, don't tell them. He's in the Justin area of the Dom charaterization spectrum—not so much into punishment as much as discipline. He doesn't want a 24/7 slave but he does like to control everything in his life, including everyone around him. He doesn't like surprises, messes or anything that could possibly go off his carefully planned life...



In comes Angel (name sound familiar?), not really bratty, just all over the place in the best way possible. She doesn't have nor want a 9 to 5 job, lives with 3 guys, curses worse than a sailor when she's playing video games and, when she gets angry, no man or explanation can stop her. All of this Adam could get past, except for one little fact: Angel first introduces herself as Mistress Angela.

One small, justified and quickly explained lie, but enough to have Adam running for the hills as fast as he can. Why, you ask. (And this is the part I commend the author Golden Angel on working through if it alines with her own reality.) Adam has Mommy-Left-Us Trust Issues.



Any woman who is willing to take on a man with Mommy Issues of any sort should be fucking commended. I don't care how great the guy is, Mommy will always appear.

Physically, mentally, emotionally, out of a dusty old box in the back of the closet or from under the sheets, Mommy will always appear.

When you think everything has been solved and nothing could break you, MOMMY WILL ALWAYS APPEAR.

I am not a psychoanalyst so I can't explain it. I just know, there's nothing worse than Mommy Issues.



It's a little anticlimatic to say this after that completely legit rant that WAS TOTALLY ABOUT THE BOOK AND NOT MY OWN ISSUES, but the book was amazing. Golden Angel continues to get better. I'm holding that last star because I know this is a long road and we haven't yet peaked. My money is on Patrick and Lexie, perhaps Jared and Leigh. It'll probably be a complete surprise and I won't know what hit me.

Whatever this author comes up with, I'm there for it.

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

2nd time read: 4.5*
This is the 1st book in the Stronghold Doms series, connected to the Venus Rising series. You don't need to read that series to enjoy this book, but if you don't you'll miss some really great stories.

Anyway, the book's main characters are Angel and Adam. They meet in a BDSM club, but the fun part isn't where they meet, but how. She's pretending she's a Domme and he can't understand why he's so attracted to her, since he has no hidden desires to submit. From this point on she keeps him off balance with her bouncy personality, her frankness and her living arrangements(trust me, you'l laugh like crazy).

Angel is an unconventional person: she lives with 3 guys, one of her best friends is a guy, she doesn't want to have a 9 to 5 job, and most off all she scarily sincere. Adam doesn't know how to deal with that at first and seeing such a confident guy out of watter is hilarious. They find lots of common ground, though at first, they seem so mismatched.

The condoms thing is still not talked about, but the book was edited since I last read it in 2014. I loved rereading their story and I can't wait to catch up with this series.

1st time read: 3.5*
-0.5* for the editing, it drives me a bit crazy
-1* they never talked about condoms or contraception methods or, you know, if they got tested for STDs! I don't have this problem in UFs and PNRs since there the characters are either dead, need fateful females or their cycles happen who knows in how much time and their immune systems destroy everything; in HR it depends and I mostly turn a blind eye, even though I want to throw a party every time they talk about it... But in contemps it's unacceptable!

[Cécile Smits · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first story i’ve read by Golden Angel and i have to say it makes me want to read more. Because the people i met,the group of friends that are members of Stronghold,are really great!
I loved Angel and how she kept Adam off balance from the moment they met. Wanting to explore the BDSM lifestyle,she decides to go to a new club that’s far enough from home. And,as she has to do this alone,she goes dressed as a Domme. Adam and a few friends want to see the club that just opened and when he sees Angel,he’s the only one that has doubts about her being a Domme. When she comes to Stronghold as a sub,he’s angry at first,but when he gets to know her better......They were just so good together,i love them!

[Peppa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dnfed after 45%.

I Love this author I really do! But I coudnt get into this book at all …the characters were off to me, especially Adam he was to me from the first encounter a red flag and I just couldn’t. And the pacing felt so unbelievably slow and I’m really sorry to say it but it was just boring.

[Shane Starrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet, ‘sassy’ story of one woman’s voyage to discover her submissive self…

So many stories about BDSM, especially where the submissive is new to the lifestyle, start with the conceit that the experienced SuperDom ™ must guide them toward the discovery of their ‘true desires.’ Often this is because he has an innate sense of what they truly want in all things, and the submissive simply required their strong, guiding hand to lead them to the sexual watering hole of their deepest needs.

So it can be incredibly refreshing to find that book where there really isn’t a SuperDom ™, or a meek, confused, inane submissive who barely knows what he/she needs to tap into their sexuality, much less have any agency in it. That was what I loved and found r so enjoyable about The Sassy Submissive.

Angel knows what she wants. Hell, she’s got an actual GD plan to get to it. And it isn’t some half-assed idea; she’s really thought this through. She runs into Adam, and of course—as the old saying goes—the best laid plans of mice and men…

I freely admit I have a real weakness for strong, intelligent women. A writer who understands that a submissive can be type A AND also want to give up a certain amount of control at times (bedroom or outside of it, sexual or no), always grabs my attention and reels me in. That is definitely what happened as I read this book. Angel is no shirking violet. She HAS a ton of agency in her sexuality and will handle discovering aspects of it that intrigue her on HER terms only. In finding Adam, she discovers not a mega-millionaire bad boy ultra-Dom, but a real human being with foibles of her own, but who is willing to be a partner with her on her journey to decide if being a submissive IS truly what she’s been looking for.

These are real people. Not caricatures. Not cardboard cut-outs. Their mistakes, their frustrations, their desires, their jealousies, and their humanity shine through on every page. The situations they deal with ring with authenticity that suggests more biographical experience than pure fiction. Whether that is true or not I have no idea, but if not, it simply points out how skilled this author is in addressing the subject matter in this story.

There are a few places where the writing style is a little stilted: repetitive use of the same word in a paragraph, or repeating of the same information very close together, that may have been stylistic choice which when they happen sometimes pull you out of the narrative for a moment. However, this is a minor quibble, and in no way detracts from the greater impact of the story overall.
If you want to read a story that will really give you some insight what it can be like for a submissive beginning their journey to find themselves in the world of BDSM, you could do no better than the Sassy Submissive.

And who knows what you may discover about yourself along the way.

[Louise H's Book Thoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Adam and Angel's story, it's a long read but this allowed us to have plenty of story to go with the amazingly steamy BDSM scenes. I loved the dynamic between the couple, even when their own insecurities and issues started to claw away at them, they didn't allow this to build up into silly misunderstandings based on not talking. Their connection was undeniable and I totally believed in their chemistry. Despite their initial strong attraction, their relationship never felt rushed and we didn't get ridiculous declarations of love within a few days of them meeting.

Angel made me smile with so many of her comments, especially during negotiations for and then during scenes. I frequently wanted to high five her, she often responded with exactly the thoughts that were running through my brain. It made my day that here was a submissive who was going to disagree when she felt the need.

I also liked how the big moody alpha Dom had an insecure streak and acknowledged that he wasn't 'Mr Perfect and Always Right'. Nothing annoys me more than characters that are too perfect or too overbearing, so it was easy to adore both Adam and Angel.

The book also does a lot of world building for the Stronghold club and it's members. I think this is part of why this was a long story, we were getting to know Adam and Angel's friends just as much as we got to know this pair. Not only do I now want to read the rest of the series and the ones this is a spin-off from, I also own the next two books and will be reading them asap.

[Janie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I enjoyed it but it was very slow starting. At the 25% mark, the MC's had only spoken a few words to each other, and (what felt like) a cast of thousands had been introduced (? from other series maybe?). There was also long internal monologues, sometimes in the middle of conversations, and even during sexy times. I found this very frustrating, and I ended up having to skip paragraphs or even whole pages to keep up with the conversation and/or action.
Apart from that, I'm still giving it 3.5 stars because I liked the MC's, enjoyed the story and found it quite hot. Probably would have been 5 stars if there wasn't so much unnecessary internal chatter.

[Carol Delmornay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book in a Bookfunnel giveaway – and I’m glad I did.

In Sassy Submissive we learn of a BDSM club called Stronghold – owned by Dom/Master Patrick and frequented by his many Dom (and Domme) friends whom we meet, but this story focuses on Angel, and Dom Adam. Intrigued with the idea of BDSM, Angel decides to travel away from her local area – and dress as a Domme – in order to experience the atmosphere of a club to see what she can expect, before she attends her local club, Stonghold.

Her decision to go dressed, with an attitude to match, as a Domme, was to protect herself – dressing as a submissive – which is her true nature (and even though she only submits in the bedroom, she is still classed as a ‘submissive’) – Angel thinks she would be ‘easy prey’. While at this club – Chained - Angel meets four Doms – Adam being one of them. But when she decides to attend her local club – Stronghold – as her true self - a submissive – Adam doesn’t take kindly to being lied to. Add in the fact that Angel is also a theatrical actress, Adam is angry and suspicious of her, and becomes an ass when it comes to Angel’s introduction scene inside the club as a result.

I have read some of the 1 and 2 star reviews left for this book – AFTER I finished reading it – I don’t like my perception being tainted with anything I may read. One thing kept coming up, over and over, about the interaction between Adam and Angel seeming ‘teenager-ish’, and that Adam should have just ‘got over Angel lying to him’. I’d like to make something clear - lying to a Dom/Domme is a definite no-no, and can get you into a real big trouble (at least, that has been MY experience!).

Everyone seems to have pre-conceived ideas (those who ‘think’ they know what it should be like) of HOW a Dom/Domme should act, and WHAT a Dom/Domme should, or should not be doing to his/her submissive/slave. EVERY Dom/Domme is different, and not every Dom/Domme is into sadism, or extreme BDSM practises.

I liked the fact Adam was pissed off with being lied to – and that it took him some time to get over it, and his suspicion of Angel perhaps ‘acting’. I also liked the interaction between the many different personalities of the Doms/Dommes we are introduced to throughout the book. I liked the fact there was an actual story behind it all and it focused on one D/s couple.

After reading it, I have now gone on to purchase every book in this 8-book series, plus a couple more that can fill in the gaps between some of the books. Each can be read as a standalone with a HAE, but to really appreciate the stories behind each of the Doms/Domme you are introduced to in Sassy Submissive, I highly suggest the whole series be read.

In my opinion, this book is deserving of the 5 stars I have given it (even with the editing issues present throughout). I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it – writing about BDSM, or writing erotica in general, doesn’t mean every page in the whole book should be filled with ‘scenes’ or steamy sex – and I think, being an erotic author myself, that I can comfortably say that.

[Rhonda Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, this book will captivate your imagination, keep your system revved and make you wonder why you hadn't thought of this. Golden Angel has given us a storyline that is relatable to those wanting to venture into BDSM and what they might find there. The characters she has given a home to are drool worthy, with personalities that will make you literally want them for your own circle of friends. This is a book of discovery with characters that are continually growing into themselves add the excitement of BDSM and you have the perfect romance. What a wonderful beginning to what looks to be a terrific series.

[Lisette Kristensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Golden Angel put together a fun and intriguing story. At first, I was overwhelmed with all the characters coming at me so fast. It took me sometime to get into her fun pace. I adored Angel (female mc) and her relationships. Ms. Angel did a great job in writing about the BDSM club scene and created great secondary characters and their dynamics. My only dislike was with Adam, the male MC. Not from a writing point of view, he just didn't do it for me. But Angel is happy with him, for now, that is all that matters.

If you like bdsm reads that are fun and not dreary dark, this is for you.

Note* It has romance, good hot sex and fun bdsm scenes

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

slow ride

I loved the last chapter. I did enjoy the characters and the premise of the story. I didn't care for the teenage feel of the mental indecisions of them. It dragged the pace of story. I also never needed so many characters. I was confused at times trying to keep it all straight. I did like it, I didn't love it

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/10/2020)! 🎁

[kc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love to read about a couple who communicates well with no third act breakup!

[Laz the Sailor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strong 3-stars, with a caveat. This is listed as #1 in a series, but it spends 50% of the time interacting with characters from at least one previous series. https://www.goodreads.com/series/2307...

That said, the character clash was very well done, and only slightly over the top. The sexy scenes were very hot, and I liked the setup. However, the characters targeted for the next books in this series are less appealing, so I may pass on those and read the other series first.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was exhausting. It had a lot of potential, but it was too long without enough substance to it. It was repetitive and there were so many contradictions. It took me nearly a week to finish this book, and romance books never take me that long.
This is the second book by this author that hasn’t worked for me, so I think I’m done trying. It’s a shame because I am interested in the other characters, but I don’t have the patience for more books that are mostly word count filler.

[Mick Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed reading this book, it is the first from this author. The story covers a young woman who believes she is submissive, but is afraid to visit the local BDSM club so she goes to another out of town. But goes dressed as a Dom hoping to get a feeling of what the scene is like. But she is seen through by a Dom, fate would have them meet in the club she lives near, and the sparks fly.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect, such a nice book. It had some issues with being very stereotypical and I found myself in the beginning not liking much of how the female character taught. But who am I to judge when I threw my feminism out the window to read this and I freaking enjoyed it so much. Thank you Vera for recommending! Will be continuing this series without shame :D

[Saucypotatosalad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marking these as the individual books they are so I can get that book goal count accurate

[Suze Prescot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!

I absolutely loved this story. I have read a number of this author's works, including The Venus Quartet which features prominent characters from this novel. Angel is looking to find out more about being a submissive, but to protect herself, attends a club as a Domme. There she meets Adam, a Dom, for whom she has an immediate and visceral attraction, and finds it ironic that she should do so when playing the wrong part. How they get past that and a few other hitches make up the steamy but loving body of this wonderful tale.

[JD (on semi-hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first in Ms. Angel's series featuring an interlocking set of friends who all patronize the same BDSM club. Here, we get Adam and Angel (given the latter's name, I can only assume that this is the author's alter ego, which might make this book TMI). The two get off to a rocky start when Angel leads Adam to believe that she is a Domme, even though she's actually a sub. The rest of the story details their growing BDSM relationship complicated by his struggles to trust her and the differences in their personalities.

I'm just going to come right out and say that this was nearly impossible to read. Written when the author was just starting out, the prose is clearly that of a novice. The sentences are very repetitious (we get the exact same information often only a couple of lines apart); there are alternately too many internal monologues and too many characters whose indistinct voices drown each other out; and the MC spends a lot of time apart (because of the number of said characters). While these stylistic problems will improve in the subsequent books (I've read a couple of the later ones), all will remain. I particularly found the "it takes a village" approach to the MC's relationship annoying after a while. Yes, it's always nice to see a committed group of friends, but, quite frankly, they all acted -- and sounded -- like they were passing notes in high school and they unnecessarily lengthened an already too-long book.

This is too bad because in Angel, Ms. Angel has created an unusual submissive whose lack of stereotypical behavior makes her all the more welcome. A submissive only in the bedroom, Angel teaches self-defense classes to women; lives (platonically) with a houseful of guys; and prefers playing video games to more typical "feminine" pursuits. Given how "girly" most submissives are portrayed in this genre, I found her a welcome relief. So, it's really too bad that the prose didn't maintain my interest.

Side Note: Loved The Rivals reference!

2 stars. This is consensual; the kink scenes are well-described; since I'm not one for the 6'4" billionaire special-ops shifter dom, I appreciated the realistic characters; and the H and h have complex backstories (though I view any guy who demonizes his mother and doesn't blame his father for equally problematic behavior with suspicion and while I get that Adam was upset about her initial lie, it's not as though she misled him during an actual scene).

Note: I deliberately avoid using phrases like "a true dom" or "a true submissive:" If anyone in the BDSM community says these words, then run for the hills; there isn't a bigger red flag than this. As long as the play is consensual, legal, and mutually gratifying, and abides by basic safety precautions, there is not one "true" way to do anything. This lifestyle is designed to be flexible and is not one-size-fits-all. If you think it is, I strongly suggest researching the origins of BDSM. Hint: They aren't what you think they are.

[J.R. James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my sort of relatively gentle and romantic Dom/sub encounter where the sometimes testy and slightly jaded, but ultimately good and caring Dominant, introduces a first-time submissive to the lifestyle she has been curious about. Though the plot is a little predictable, it is well-told and populated with likeable characters that come to life seen through Angel and Adam’s interactions with each other, and their group of friends at ‘Stronghold’, the local bdsm club.
The only thing spoiling the story is rather too many typos and editing oversights, which if corrected would have earned this otherwise enjoyable read an extra star.

[Coral · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing wasn’t terrible, but sweet baby Jesus it was too long. Seriously like 200 pages could have been taken out and it would have been better. There’s a huge cast but not much plot so we get a lot of filler to set up for subsequent books.
And goddamn I don’t mind Mary Sues, especially in romance, but could it BE more obvious the heroine is supposed to be the author. I haven’t read a Mary Sue this extreme since The Name of the Wind.

[Corinne Kapsner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this book on audio! OMG! Golden Angel brings her A game with this story! Adam and Angel are a perfect match even though they don't seem like it at first. I love how dominant Adam is and how he appreciates that she will go toe to toe with him.

Golden brings a cast of characters that is fun and intriguing! She gives you just enough details of the secondary characters to peak your interest but doesn't distract from the main story! Brava to Golden! I can't wait to listen to the next one!

[Paula D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adam and Angels story well both are doms yikes right so how is this gonna work out. Well Angel might be a Dom for now but Adam has her intrigued to explore more. Adams life he likes full on control no surprises cause of his mom issues. Can both these controlling people actually need each other? Definitely hot and sexy lots of bdsm and more. I’m loving this series and want to know more about each friend. 5/5 stars

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love those Stronghold couples

I am addicted to the atmosphere created by the author in the world of Stronghold. I have read the series including its predecessors several times. I did find a few typos but was able to get by them easily. If you are a fan of the BDSM genre you have to get this series. Golden Angel does an excellent job. On to read Taming the Tease again.

[Metalkarin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t wait to read the rest!

I think this was my first read by Golden Angel and I’ve already ordered book 2 and 3.

This is the kind of story I love and it got all the ingredients for and entertaining series: BDSM club, normal people I could consider friends, sassy subs and dominants that adore them.

[Lynn Stifle · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting and fascinating story. I loved Angel and Adam’s characters and their personalities and qualities they each brought to the story. The secondary characters were a great addition as well. A fantastic read from start to finish and one I highly recommend.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this for free on my kindle at some point. Then the audio became available at Everand and I listened to the audio more than I read the kindle book, though I went back and forth a bit.

The Good:
The book is mostly sex-positive and at least plausibly realistic for a romance novel. These characters are regular people who happen to like particular sexual interactions, not trauma victims working through horrendous pasts.

The female MC was great and I appreciated her honesty and spirit. She was fun to read.

The neutral:
I didn't really connect with the male MC. Throughout the book, he never felt fully fleshed out. He wasn't bad, just sort of blase.

The writing was fine enough. Nothing to write home about or linger over, but nothing so objectionable as to be jarring.

The bad:
The first part of the book dragged. The initial premise that the female MC pretends to be a Domme but isn't really warranted much shorter shrift than it got. That plotline dragged and took a long time to resolve.

I'd read another book by this author.

[Carole-Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts off a bit weird where Angel (pretending to be Mistress Angela) comes across Adam and his mates - who reasonably peg her as 'not quite right'

Then Angel moves home and presents herself as a sub at Stronghold where - guess what? Adam is a resident Dom.

And we go on from there. Not a bad read. Not necessarily outstanding, but a good story, eventually.

[Nadine Bookaholic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angel has decided that she wants to give BDSM a try after reading about it for years and fanasizing about it, only she doesn't feel comfortable enough to go into a club as a submissive until she feels it out first. This means she travels to a club far enough from her home that she feels comfortable enough she won't see anyone from Stronghold, the club she plans on joining, and she can go in as a Domme to scope things out.

Well you know that never works out and that's where Master Adam is hanging out with his friends, they met there because Master Rick lives further away and this was a good place for them to meet and also to check out the new club.

There was an instant connection between Angel and Adam but since she was a Mistress he didn't understand his attraction to her, that was until he sees her again at Stronghold. Sassy is a good way to describe Angel, I loved her boldness and when she tried to top from the bottom...well lets just say I laughed out loud at a few points in the book.

I would recommend this book to those that enjoy STEAMY Contemporary Romances or BDSM Romances.

Happy Reading!!!