I really enjoyed reading Master Cole it was a super read and if like me you like a good BDSM romance you will want to give Cole and Janie's book a go it was well written and a really good romance while it could feel a little slow at times it is still well worth reading

I am giving this book a 2.25 star rating. This is the story of Janie and Cole. Janie wants to learn more about the BSDM lifestyle. She is frustrated that he refuses to talk to her concerning that lifestyle. However, Cole does not want her to get mixed up the wrong Dom so he decides to teach her himself. He wants no emotions to get in the way, not knowing that Janie has been in love with him for years.

This is a typical story. There was nothing spectacular about it. It was pretty predictable. Janie basically blackmails him into teaching her. Cole still sees her as the teenage girl he grew up with. If he did not teach her then she would find someone who would. Cole does not want to get emotionally involved, but guess what? He does. He realizes that he has been in love with her since she was sixteen. He was battling himself. He thinks that Janie was "too sweet and too young for him. He would protect her, even from himself".

You can see some chemistry developing in the story but not enough to keep me hooked in the plot. I wish the author would have developed their relationship beyond the D/s aspect. The characters really did not get to know each other intimately enough outside of sex. They wanted to be open with each other, but they were both holding secrets.

As stated before, it was a typical story. It was a quick read. There was not much angst going on to keep my attention. It got boring for me around 90% of it, especially when it came to Janie's last journal entry. I felt towards the end the author was rushing the story line and creating ridiculous angst to try to keep it going. I thought this book would have been better as a happily ever for now than a happily ever after. Janie wanted Cole's love, emotions, and a power exchange. That would take time and I did not think the author did not put the time to develop the growth in that type of relationship. This was a 3 star until the end and it was just too rushed for me. I would recommend for a quick read only. The substance of the book left me lacking.

*I received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review. All reviews are my own opinions.*

This is the first book by Marie Tuhart that I have read, and it will not be the last. I was so impressed with this story. It completely absorbed me and I read it in 2 sittings(only because it was so late when I started reading it).
Janie is intererested in BDSM and attends her first club, Whips. There she is hoping to gain some insight and possibly experience. That hope is dwindled when Cole, her friend barges in,scoops her up and takes her back to their house. Cole is a big brother type figure and promised his father and Janie's father he would protect her.Now after their deaths, he intends to keep that promise even if it means he himself will have to take her under his wing and teach her as his submissive. What happens when their feelings become blurred? Cole has demons that are holding him back from commitment and that might sever his relationship with Janie forever.
MASTER COLE is a fun read and a great escape from every day life. Master Cole is hot!!!

Friends to more in the blink of an eye! The friendship and familiarity of the main characters makes this a more personal feeling book than you might often get right off the bat. I loved their connection, and I felt for each of them as they felt their way through where this was all going to lead for them. It's a pretty mild read in the world of BDSM, but the close-knit relationship made it special.

Janie Murphy has been curious about the BDSM lifestyle for years now, ever since she got a glimpse of her life-long friend Cole's masterful playroom! She's living back in town now and just so happens to be staying with Cole, and she's determined she's going to get him to open his eyes to the woman in front of him even if she has to play with someone else to prove her point!

Cole Daniels is furious when he has to go and drag Janie out of a BDSM club. Yes, she's a grown woman and can make her own choices, but he's not going to let any other man touch her! He won't admit his feelings about her, but he makes a deal to teach her the things she wants to know in a loving way. Something happened in his past that made him close off a part of his heart, and even now when things are so good with Janie, he can't release his feelings and give her the love that she wants. It breaks her heart, but she's willing to walk away if she has to!

ARC received for review

Slow start, Janie needs to grow up a little more, and Cole was a jerk for most of it. He did a good job of training her, but was such a douche about other things.

Setting aside the lame character motivations, lackluster plot, and character disconnect, and agonizing cop outs, there were very steamy sex scenes that fit the bill close enough. I also believe the balance of erotism and romantic nuance was done well. Sometimes erotic fiction novels tend to be nothing more than smut interspersed with characters saying a few words to one another with clothes on- between banging every chapter until someone gets pregnant or pulls a charlie-horse on the way to a lazy HEA. Thankfully, there was more development than that in Master Cole, despite the apparent difficulties I had full on embracing the novel.

A friends to lovers story with a kinky side. Marie Tuhart has certainly written a hot romance with a plot. Janie and Cole were friends but drifted apart. Then a few years later they meet again and sparks fly. Enjoyable story with some heat.

This is the first book that I have read by Marie.. Most of the time, I thought Cole was a jerk and didn’t give Janie a fair chance. Then again, to me, I think that Janie could have acted a little more mature if that was the way that she wanted to be treated. I thought the first half of the book moved slow, but it picked up towards the end and then the characters started to seem more developed and fit together better.

I will try more books from Marie in the future.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

This was my first time reading anything by this author - I am happy to say that I was not disappointed. The story was well written and engaging right from the start. It was also rather refreshing that the author seemed to know what she was talking about when it came to the BDSM lifestyle. All too often, authors try writing books about the lifestyle and merely write about what they think it is or how they would imagine it to be in their fantasies.
It was a quick read, and kept me hooked throughout.
Would definitely recommend Master Cole to anyone who hasn't read it yet. I am definitely going to check out another of this author's books. Hopefully they are all as good.

As the story starts, Cole is pushing through people at a BDSM sex club to rescue Janie. He's known her for years and she shouldn't be here-it reminds him too much of his late sister. When he finds her, she's strapped to a spanking bench by a incompetent Dom ready to inflict real harm with a paddle! Scared of what this Dom could've done to her, Cole gets him kicked out of the club, and takes Janie back to their shared home.

Both of their father's were best friends and involved in the BDSM lifestyle. Janie's father was Cole's mentor once he wanted to learn the finer points of being a Dominant. After both fathers passed, it was up to Cole to protect Janie. He's always been attracted to her. He also considers her to be very innocent and sheltered. She definitely needs protecting-even from him.

When Janie first saw the playroom in Cole's house so many years ago, she was curious. Once in college, she did a lot of investigating BDSM along with her best friend, Alicia. After Cole dragged Janie from the sex club, she demands he train her or she will find someone who will. Knowing there is no way he will let her train with someone possibly unsafe, he relents. They sign a contract of limits, safe words, and expectations-the biggest being no emotional entanglements.

Well you can guess where this friends to lovers trope goes from there! Janie had feelings going in, Cole did too, but he lied to himself about what they were. There was a lot of background information given, and I felt it kind of made the story drag somewhat. I was looking for a little bit more interaction between them as Cole was going extremely slow with Janie's training. The lessons were strictly entry level BDSM, so if you are unsure about this type of book, feel free to jump into this one.

Although I'm really not into BDSM, mostly I can enjoy a read about it. And the reviews so far for Master Cole were really good, so I started in a good mood with this book.

But I'm sorry to say that I didn't like this one at all. Janie is a woman who is curious about the BDSM lifestyle and she wants her lifelong friend (and high school crush) Cole to teach her. Several years ago she ran into him and his girlfriend in his playroom, so she knows he is into this scene.

Cole however keeps her at bay, because he feels responsible for the death of his sister due to bad experiences with a dom. When Janie pressures him into being her teacher, he vows he will teach her, but he will not get involved with her. Janie, on the other hand, keeps a lot of her personal life from Cole, because she is afraid he will not approve.

Both characters were a bit shallow. The struggles they seem to have, didn't make much sense to me and I couldn't relate to the characters. So I think that is the main reason, this book dragged on in my opinion. So, sorry to say that I rate this one only two out of five stars. Given the number of high praise reviews, I think you have a fify-fifty percent of really liking the book, or really don't. So, if you like to gamble: please do.

With a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

3 Stars, overall okay story BDSM contemporary romance (erotica novel) but struggled to feel any chemistry or authenticity between the two main characters. The story felt a little choppy, overall good story line.

Felt lukewarm about Cole and Janie's individual characters, with little to no character development.

I received a copy from NetGalley; this is my honest review. #MasterCole #NetGalley.
I found this story to have a simple premise. That is a good foundation. It is always good to have a solid anchor to build from. The author detailed the characters and their interaction kept the plot moving along. I found Janie to be believable. I liked her strength and her weaknesses were the basis of part of the conflict in the relationship. I found Cole to be less credible. I didn't care for his overprotective portrayal. He seemed to lack depth in my opinioin. He was written with a ghost in his past and that and his insecurity seemed less alpha. I am not saying the book wasn't enjoyable, I am saying there were elements that needed to be improved. I thought his dialogue was not befitting his character. His dialogue felt artificial in the first third. It improved as his confidence and acceptance of his situation changed. The resolution of the conflict at the end seemed to be too contrived. It was an issue and then it was all solved. I would have liked it fleshed out and given some depth. Overall, I would say it was enjoyable.

I enjoyed this book that takes a relative informative exploration of BDSM relationship focusing on the BD and D/s aspects. It also deals with consent, informed consent, and abuse nicely contrasted with a relationship of one of Janie's clients. The H&h were both very likable and both very caring towards each other. Lots of steam scenes. The pace of the story was a little slow at times, but does pick up again. The story was well written and well developed. Overall, a good story. * I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

The author dives right in to the action from page one in this novel. Master Cole is a quick steamy read, perfect for the erotic reader with little time. The scenes are explicit, made hotter by the evident connection and emotion between the leads. Cole is a thoughtful, experienced Dom who truly puts Janie first. In the beginning, it is easy to be frustrated with is seemingly highhandedness. He definitely redeems himself, however. The BDSM is also written well and is not the typical “whips and bondage” BDSM that seems to be saturating the genre. Not only is it educated, it is portrayed in a realistic and positive light.

Tuhart is a talented writer with an easy style, creating an enjoyable story from the age old friends-to-lovers tropes. Master Cole is and erotic BDSM novel you don’t want to miss.

This is a BDSM book that is about Cole a Dom and Janie a novice who wants to learn about the lifestyle. Cole grudgingly agrees to train her but he tells, her from the beginning that he can't and will not love her. You see some hott scenes and some very good beginnning BDSM scenes. It was a cute short sexy story

Sizzling, sexy, hot. Good storyline, with an insight into bdsm, with a happy ever after.
Sure enjoyed this read.

The romance "Master Cole" delivers a very tight and believable romance. The ending is slightly over wrought but it still satisfies. I really liked the intense but safe description of BDSM

I received a copy from NetGalley; this is my honest review. #MasterCole #NetGalley
-BE AWARE: the story skims around gang rape, sado-masochism, and family violence on top of BDSM.
-Loved the way Janie and Cole are totally domesticated around each other, like a real couple, but are not. They have a schedule to play, but also for making meals and the rest.
-Loved the way Cole, even if he's the perfect Dom, doesn't mind taking care of Janie like she's a China vase. Also the way he introduced the ways to BDSM to Janie - one step at a time.
-The story is believable and is unrolling at the perfect pace. It also gives you a glimpse to a good club and a bad club. Make your research before choosing!
-Like the other book I read from Marie Tuhart, the editing was done by professionals and it shows.
-I learned something: I knew that BDSM goes for Bondage & Discipline, Sadism & Masochism. But B&D is not the same as S&M. You might be into all of them but could only like one or the other. Both are a Dom/Sub relationship.

Master Cole is the first novel I've read by Marie Tuhart, and I happy to report that she writes well, which has become a delight to find in BDSM romance ever since the poorly written 50 Shades series hit the shelves, and I found this an enjoyable, quick, and sexy read. It gets 4 stars from this reader.

We first meet Cole Daniels as he shoves his way through the crowd at Whips, a BDSM sex club. He's there to rescue Janie, someone he's known for years and who reminds him of his sister. She's strapped down to a spanking bench, too tightly restrained, and the incompetent, wannabe Dom behind her is just about to paddle her. When Cole sees fear in her eyes, he gets the Dom wannabe kicked out of the club, gets Janie out of there, and takes her to his home, which she'd shared ever since returning home from college 7 years earlier.

We soon learn that both of their fathers were close friends, were both into the lifestyle, and that Janie's father was Cole's mentor when he expressed an interest in BDSM. When Janie's father died, he charged his best friend, Cole's father, with looking after her. When Cole's father died, he asked Cole to take over as her ward and protector. He's been attracted to her all along, but also considers her to be very naive and very much like his younger sister, Sally, who we learn more about later in the novel.

When a curious, 19-year-old Janie thought she was alone in the house, she walked into Cole's unlocked playroom, only to find that it was occupied by Cole and his girlfriend at the time, Natalie, and Janie was both intrigued and turned on by what she witnessed. Once she left for college, she read everything she could about the lifestyle. Her friend and roommate, Alicia, was equally curious, and the two soon became best friends and talked openly with one another.

The night Cole found Janie at Whips, there was little he could do to stop her, but he knew the risks she faced of being getting hurt and injured by a sadistic, and poorly trained Dom. At age 26, she's an adult and there's nothing he can do to stop her, but he realizes that the only way he can keep her safe as she explores her own sexuality is to become her Dom/mentor and train her in BDSM practices himself. Keeping things safe, sane and consensual, he makes sure she sets limits, knows about safe words, signs a contract, and then her lessons begin--and Cole is moving way too slow for Janie, and he's already informed her up front that emotions will not be involved in her training. Ha!

What follows is, in this reader's opinion, a rather mild introduction for the uninitiated into BDSM, and yes, there are graphic sex scenes, and yes, they're hot, but none of them delve into the darker aspects of the lifestyle. As Janie's lessons slowly continue, Cole struggles hard to keep his distance physically and emotionally, while Janie is and has been in love with him all along, and wants more from him sexually and emotionally.

While I found the pacing of the novel rather slow, and while I would have preferred more drama and more internal and external conflict and action, I did like the way the author took her time in fleshing out (no pun intended) the makeup of these two characters, their feelings, what drew them into the BDSM lifestyle, and what drew them to each other. It was, in essence, a sexier, kinkier twist on the traditional friends-to-lovers trope, and if you're curious about BDSM and want to read more about it, this novel is a good place to start.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.