Unlike most of us, having men fall to their knees and do as they are told is never a problem for secretary and disciplinarian, Julia Mueller. Take her married boss, Durbin for instance, (she certainly does), he can’t do enough for her. Easy peasy. Perhaps too much so. Where’s the challenge in that?

Despite ruling her boss with a wooden cane and an iron grip, Julia is becoming bored with their relationship. When Durbin announces his company DMI has a traitor, and she and some colleagues are being sent away for a weekend as a company strategy to sniff out the snitch, it is almost a welcomed break. Almost.

Although unhappy babysitting three squabbling portfolio managers, Julia is even more horrified to hear their retreat is a woody ranch in Montana, in the middle of nowhere. What with the threat of heavy snow and Zach Taylor, a drawling American cowboy, things couldn’t get much worse for Julia. Fortunately, she discovers Zach and her colleagues, Ben, Carolyn and Marty, are not as tame or straight-laced as she first thought. Like the horses on the ranch, it’s all about training but just who’s training who?

Once again I am impressed with Emma Holly’s superb writing. Romance, dominance, submission and a plethora of mixed emotions enhance Holly’s Top of His Game well-written, juicy prose no end. I took great delight in hearing the characters stories of their ‘sexual firsts’, which is a jolly good way of throwing in saucy snippets whilst delving into their backgrounds and really getting a feel for them. I’m not normally a cowboy enthusiast, but if I could find one like Zach, I think I could be persuaded and broken in.

The Top of her Game by Emma Holly
(Black Lace; May, 2007; ISBN: 0352341165)
Available at: Amazon.com / Amazon UK