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4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
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Erica Popoca
2.0 out of 5 stars A disappointingly stereotypical protagonist
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2020
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I really want to like this book. I love Cherise Sinclair and her books, this series being my favorite, but this book was a disappointment. The plot and characters were all interesting, but the protagonist of this book was a walking stereotype and as a Latinx woman, I genuinely was bothered by the way we were being depicted.

*Spoilers ahead*

For one, the way she speaks is very inaccurate to the way actual Hispanic-American people speak. Saying or thinking the word "Dios" every other sentence is super inaccurate. Even those who are not American very rarely throw those kind of words in randomly into every sentence unless we're highly emotional at any given moment. Do non-Spanish speakers say "God" every sentence? Spanish is no different.

Second, the fact that the one Latina written into this series so far, and she has a criminal background and family. All of the subs up until this point are respectable women with relatively normal backgrounds (with the exception of Beth, but even then she wasn't at fault for what had happened to her), and they are all white. The one POC sub in the series is a criminal from essentially the slums of Florida, and her profession is a cleaning service. Also, the description of her family's home with all the children and the statues of saints is so stereotypical I was shocked. Is it really that impossible to come up with a different profession for her or describe her family the way you would any other family? Very unoriginal and offensive in all honesty.

Also, the fact that she is called "Hispanic" without specifying where shes from is honestly annoying too. Actual Latinx people are usually very prideful of where we are from and to just call her Hispanic instead of giving her an actual nationality was irresponsible and generalizing a whole community inaccurately. From the slang she used, I assumed she was either Puerto Rican or Cuban, but it still would have been nice to hear that. This might be nit-picky, but I believe it would have made a difference.

Overall, I think Andrea is just written like a big stereotype for Latinx people and I just think its not right to depict the one Latina you have in your story as a poor, violent girl with a criminal past who grew up to own a cleaning service. I guess I can kinda see where you were going with it, but it was all truly unnecessary.

Again, I loved the plot of the story and the romance between her and Cullen, but I could have done without her calling him "Señor" or saying "Dios mío" every five seconds.

Btw, "idioto" isn't a word. A mistake, I'm sure, but could have easily been researched or just Google translated.
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Lovingbooks1
5.0 out of 5 stars We all need a helping hand
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2016
Verified Purchase
Andrea is independent and stubborn and no Dom has been able to give he what she needs. Then she gets a chance to enter The Shadowlands trainee program. Master Cullen is the master of the trainees and is not interested in relationship but what happens when Andrea enters the scene?

The story is absolutely soul wrecking and I loved every second of it. I've read it before and I probably can read it a hundred more times and enjoy it just as much. And if you are familiar with this series I strongly recommend adding audio because the voice will melt your brains and panties:-)

The writing style is perfect in my opinion, easygoing, fun and also serious. There are no unnecessary description only what's essential to the story. The characters are well described and I feel like I know them.

Andrea and her stubbornly refusing to ask for help is so heartbreaking because I can picture her as a little girl depending on her self and feeling rejected. Cullen's way of helping her get over it is sneaky but perfect. The ending is great.
I laughed , cried and got excited.

If you never have read BDSM this is as close to reality you get so this series is a good place to start. Always when I read a book I have a open mind and try not to judge because it's fiction even if it's close to reality.
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Mel M
5.0 out of 5 stars Independent Sub
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2018
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Andrea wants...no neec to submit but only to a strong Dom. All of her previous Dom experiences have been miserable failures. Shadowland may be her last hope. Mast Cullen, tainee coordinator, is less than pleased at having to take on Andrea as trainee. The prickly little sub is quick to retaliate whenever anyone touches her by surprise. Not acceptable. Cullen's rule is that he does not get involved with trainees...until Andrea that is. This beautiful, feisty woman calls to him. Vowing to be the best sub training that Shadowlands has ever had, Andrea allows herself to be pushed beyond boundaries and refuses to ask for help or admit vulnerability. It's up to Cullen to get her past that. A false accusation ends up sending Andrea running for the hills instead of calling Cullen. Once again she refuses to rely on anyone. Once the debacle is straightened out Cullen feels they may be on the right path but again she disappoints him. He finally calls it quits because he can't do his job as a Dom if she won't let him. Finally realizing she's only hurting herself, she acknowledges her need for him and take steps to get him to take her back. What she doesn't know is that he has taken similar steps to ensure that she is his.
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seraphcelene
4.0 out of 5 stars The Shadowlands favorite Master bartender finally gets a book!
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2014
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Cullen is a big, shaggy hero with a heart o' gold and a need to dominate. This was a great read. Cullen has been a favorite for me since book one. Easy going, laid back, and just loads of fun. How he ends up with a recalcitrant sub who isn't sure if she really wants to submit is the icing on the cake for a great character ripe for the challenge.

Andrea is a fun character. Hot, Latina, and tough. She's a great segue from the naturally submissive characters in the first three books. Although, Jessica, Kari, and Beth were reticent in their own ways, Andrea is a full on brickhouse ready to punch any unsuspecting Dom in the teeth. She's such an interesting and contradictory personality. She likes her independence, she craves it, but at the same time she craves that relationship in which she can give herself over to the complete care of another. It's a challenge for her. I really liked that Sinclair rode the balance between what Andrea wanted and needed so very well. I also like that she made Cullen such an interesting and fleshed out character, as well. As the series has evolved, Sinclair has been adding in more and more plot. Lean on Me is an excellent example of that trend. It's also another excellent example of the diversity of personality and preferences in BDSM. I didn't know much about the lifestyle or the genre prior to this series but I've been doing some side research and it seems like Sinclair has a pretty good bead on the culture.
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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars BDSM romance
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 28, 2021
Verified Purchase
No plot spoilers
No grammatical or editorial errors that I can recall.
There is copious amounts of kinky sex and some swearing.
As ever Cherise Sinclair builds a world where you don't have to work at to believe in. The characterisation is good, the plotline a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. Shadowlands is no light touch D/s romance, it's the grittier side of BDSM where punishment is swiftly carried out when the sub is even slightly naughty. I have come to realise that the D/s scene isn't for me, too much protocol and irritating rules. The main issue I have with the Shadowlands series is the almost total lack of a limit list. The Dom expects the sub to do whatever they want and the sub gets little to no say in the matter whatsoever except for the often given warning that they can safeword out and the sub can go home if they don't like the activity demanded from them.
Anyhooose, I have the whole series and am in the middle of a re-read, so obviously I would recommend the book.
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Kay Davis
5.0 out of 5 stars Another fantastic Shadowlands story.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 29, 2014
Verified Purchase
What can I say...... Cherise Sinclair does it again!
Often with a series where each book focuses on an individual character you find each book looses that spark, that little bit extra that the first book contained. This is certainly not the case with any series by Cherise Sinclair.
I've loved the Shadowlands so much I've gladly bought one book after another with growing confidence that I certainly won't be disappointed. This is Cullen and Andreas story. Cullen is disturbed by his growing protectiveness over Andrea, not wanting her to be with other Doms. This is a surprise to Cullen as hes never felt the need to be with one person only. Andrea has been so fiercely independent for so long she doesn't know how to ask for help from others. Together they learn to accept this side of themselves and find a way forward in a relationship together. Add in the usual twists and turns and you have another beautiful Shadowlands story.
When I bought the first Shadowlands story I hadn't intended to continue through the series. Now I cannot wait to read the next instalment.

If your not sure about my review or any of this series then I just simply ask you to give it a chance, you won't be disappointed!
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant entertainment
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2018
Verified Purchase
The story as always was awesome compelling and oh so very hot!!! There are so many scorching Doms roaming around in this book Im surprised that my kindle didnt melt!!
I love Cullen and Andreas story - she has had such a tough time but still gets up and gets on with life and Cullen was overdue finding some one who he wanted for himself.
Cullen has been one of my favourite characters since book one and it is wonderful to see him finally breaking down his own barriers as well as Andreas, often in unusual and creative ways!!! I love it!!
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Jeann1ec
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 1, 2016
Verified Purchase
Enjoyable
Likes: the two main characters. I enjoy how the played off each other. In the other books of the series I felt the Subs character had been enveloped by the Dom. They got lost.... in this book i seen the lesson that Cullen gave Andrea. We didn't lose her.

Dislikes: Dan and Z got it so wrong, however there was no apology by then directly to Andrea. Had this been two subs then very much a different story. It took away the 5th star....
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Sally
5.0 out of 5 stars Lean on Me (Masters of the Shadowlands Series) by Cherise Sinclair
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 22, 2018
Verified Purchase
I absolutely blooming loved it. It was very well written with a great story. I loved how Andrea and Master Cullan made a good match and she eventually let him take care of her, and she asked for his help which wasn't easy for Her. I have already downloaded the next two in this series. So forgive me but I got a great book to read. I would totally recommend it to everyone.
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