Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Golden

by Joely Sue Burkhart (Goodreads Author)

3.62 of 5 stars 3.62 · rating details · 39 ratings · 18 reviews

Bred for him...and for his bed.

Golden-eyed Jin has spent her life preparing to be the Emperor's consort. She knows her destiny is to serve the Emperor by indulging the dark desire that he has buried deep inside his heart--the desire to give pain.

Only she can take the pain he yearns to give, and transform it into the most unimaginable pleasure. But to enjoy all the Emperor...more

ebook, 72 pages

Published August 29th 2011 by Carina Press

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 111)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Dec 14, 2012 Laura Ashlee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, romance

This wasn’t exactly what I expected. I mean, the synopsis is okay. It’s not really that. It doesn’t explain the situation exactly, but when does a synopsis do that? I did expect it to be longer. I thought it would be a full-length novel. It was still pretty good.

Jin was trained to be a mate to the Emperor. She was trained to find pleasure in pain. She was trained to defend herself against the assassins she would surely face as his favorite. She was trained to understand politics and the way of c...more

like · see review

Apr 03, 2012 Amyra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

Nata per lui…e per il suo letto.

Jin, la ragazza dagli occhi dorati, ha speso la sua vita per prepararsi a diventare la consorte dell’Imperatore. Sa che il suo destino è servire il suo signore in quelli che sono i suoi desideri più nascosti, in particolare quelli legati al dolore sensuale. Solo lei saprà liberarlo da quello che l’Imperatore considera un desiderio vergognoso e trasformarlo in sublime piacere. Ma per conquistarlo, Jin dovrà prima sopravvivere agli assassini che tenteranno di tenerl...more

like · see review

Jan 29, 2012 Rose rated it 5 of 5 stars

I reviewed this book for TwoLips Reviews, LLC:

Jin has spent her life preparing to become the Emperor’s consort. Golden eyed and ambitious, her destiny is to surrender to his dark desires, buried deep within his heart—the desire to give pain to a pliant and accepting partner.

Only Jin can take the pain and turn it into unimaginable pleasure. But to enjoy what the Emperor can give her, she has to survive the schemes and intrigue within his court. And the assassination attempts by those she would r...more I reviewed this book for TwoLips Reviews, LLC:

Jin has spent her life preparing to become the Emperor’s consort. Golden eyed and ambitious, her destiny is to surrender to his dark desires, buried deep within his heart—the desire to give pain to a pliant and accepting partner.

Only Jin can take the pain and turn it into unimaginable pleasure. But to enjoy what the Emperor can give her, she has to survive the schemes and intrigue within his court. And the assassination attempts by those she would replace.

Seducing the Emperor is a risk…but it’s the risk she has to take to fulfill her destiny.

Golden by Joely Sue Burkhart is a fun, fast, and suspenseful BDSM historical set in ancient China during the reign of an unnamed Emperor. The story is mostly told in first person from the perspective of the heroine, Jin, a young woman bred and trained to become his consort. The pace is fast, the dialogue is sharp, and there are twists and turns in the plot that I didn’t see coming. The romance is somewhat low key in regards to both BDSM taking place and the suspenseful subplot.

Jin is an interesting heroine; from the age of eight, she’s been trained to understand, accept, and desire BDSM. She was literally bred and trained to become the consort of the reigning Emperor, a man surrounded by luxury and attentive servants, who has a volatile temper. Jin’s loved him since childhood, even though she’s only recently met him. Given to him as a potential consort, the Emperor instead gives Jin to his oldest son, Ping, as a wife. Ping doesn’t really want her as a wife and soon puts her aside in favor of his concubine, a laundry maid.

Jin has her own plans and becoming the wife of the future named heir is not what she wanted—she knows her destiny and has plans to ensure its success. I really liked what Ms. Burkhart did with Jin; she’s ambitious, determined. and stealthy, but at no time comes off as being wrong or selfish – she really wants to please the Emperor and give this man, who can have anything he desires, the one thing he doesn’t have, unconditional love and acceptance. Even though she plans to usurp the current Empress, Jin’s reasons are justifiable once we meet the Empress, an easy woman to dislike.

The Emperor is an equally interesting character; a warlord whose successful campaigns have made him the ruler of all China, he’s stuck with a political marriage to a woman he doesn’t love and who may have poisoned his beloved first wife to take her place. While he desires Jin for himself, he weighed the needs of his people and gave her to his son instead. He didn’t realize she had plans of her own or that she had been bred to give him the one thing he’s missing in his palace—a woman he can slack his dark desires with and who can alleviate his anger.

The scenes between Jin and the Emperor are hot; he’s determined to obey propriety but soon realizes he can’t deny his desires. They are perfect for each other, but their path to being together has several obstacles which must be overcome; the least of which is the current Empress, a conniving and dangerously politically strong woman. She can’t be sent away; her elimination must leave both Jin and the Emperor without blame.

The secondary characters in this short story are very well done; especially Jin’s personal servant, who turns out to be much more than just a maid and cook. Ping, the Emperor’s named heir, at first appears like a spoiled young man but he too is more than what he appears to be. The Empress is exactly what she seems and there are really no surprises when she makes a couple of attempts to kill Jin, who she rightly sees as a threat to her position.

The end of the story is filled with action and intrigue as Jin’s position as the Emperor’s new and favorite consort is made clear. When two attempts are made on Jin’s life, will the Emperor step in and finally end the schemes taking place in his court? You’ll have to read Golden to find out. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Burkhart’s work in the future.

(less)

like · see review

Sep 21, 2011 Among The Muses rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, bdsm, novella, review-request, s-m, very-quick-read

Reviewed @ The Forbidden Bookshelf

Listed as an erotic novella, this is geared more towards the BDSM crowd, more specifically S & M fans, who enjoy a great emotional exploration of one woman's desire to feel the sweet pleasure of pain that only one man -- or Emperor -- can provide.

Lady Jin has been trained to become a masochist for the shear reason to please one -- and only one -- other: The Emperor. She loved him before she met him, but he had forsaken his deepest desires to be the Emperor,...more Reviewed @ The Forbidden Bookshelf

Listed as an erotic novella, this is geared more towards the BDSM crowd, more specifically S & M fans, who enjoy a great emotional exploration of one woman's desire to feel the sweet pleasure of pain that only one man -- or Emperor -- can provide.

Lady Jin has been trained to become a masochist for the shear reason to please one -- and only one -- other: The Emperor. She loved him before she met him, but he had forsaken his deepest desires to be the Emperor, The Sun of Heaven, not the man who derived pleasure from inflicting pain. However, the golden-eyed beauty has tempted him like no other. And soon everyone in the palace knows it.

Jin finds herself in quite the position. She has become the target of assassination due to her new position in the eyes of the beloved Emperor. But what the assassins don't know is that Jin's beauty is only rivaled by that of her intelligence and her knowledge of defense. And Jin is determined to see her own plot unfold.

Seduction, passion, pain/pleasure, and machinations bring Golden to life! The uniqueness of characters and setting bring an air of freshness and unconventionality to the story of one woman who will give her entire being to the one man who can painfully fulfill her sexual desires and aspiration for her future. The Emperor alone can make Jin soar, and Jin alone can free the repressed desires of an Emperor who craves to be the man he is with the one person who can accept for who he is: Jin.

As a reader who normally shies away from stories written in the first person, I appreciated Joely writing the story from Jin's perspective. She was bred for him. The trials she endures are for him. She is meant to free the man within the Emperor. It only seems natural that we see the majority of insight through her eyes. But, that's not to mean that I didn't get a true sense of the Emperor's feelings -- wrote in third person.

I honestly couldn't find one thing I disliked about the characters or the storyline!! Full of unique passion, with each crack of a cane, two souls found acceptance and understanding between one another when everyone else saw horror and abuse.

In many novellas, I can be left wanting more; however, this was not the case with Golden. The ending nicely concluded the plot and establishment of the future of the characters. Never was there a dull or slow moment. There's enough action to propel the plot at a nice pace, and enough passion that it becomes palpable.

For anyone who has not read a Joely Sue Burkhart book, I highly recommend that you do! She knows how to create sensual and heartfelt moments that truly captivate.

Golden is a Top Forbidden Favorite for me! Thank you Joely, for creating stories that are unforgettable! :)(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 23, 2011 Colette rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotica, historical-romance, netgalleyarcs, favorite-authors, bdsm

I stumbled across this gem of a book at Netgalley, and to be honest, I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into. I was expecting something a little different, but I must say this book didn't disappoint me.

Golden is one of those rare novellas that is powerful from start to finish and leaves you thinking about it long after you've finished reading it. This is not for the faint of heart. It's about BDSM and one women's goal to capture the attention of the Emperor. This book is all about seduction...more

like · see review

Aug 18, 2011 Gigi staub rated it 4 of 5 stars

Let me start out by saying this book gives me the feel of a sweeping miniseries, there is love, intrigue, political machinations and BDSM thrown in for good measure. Ms. Burkhart has set this story in China of the past, which I found very interesting and intrigued because I have seen it rarely done. She sets the mood for this book with details and rich descriptions; I particularly like her use of the Tang Dynasty poem: “A Song of Unending Sorrow”. It is the story of Jin with the beautiful and un...more

like · see review

Aug 09, 2011 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

***This book was provided to me from Carina Press via NetGalley***

Jin grew up as somewhat of an outcast during the Tang Dynasty. As most Asian beauties possess the beautiful almond shaped dark eyes, Jin’s are the color of honey. Immediately she is discovered by a member of the Emperor’s army and trained to be a consort to the Emperor when he calls for her. Jin acquires the “sexual” knowledge to have to “please” the Emperor and his wicked desires that involve BDSM. She becomes so accustomed to th...more ***This book was provided to me from Carina Press via NetGalley***

Jin grew up as somewhat of an outcast during the Tang Dynasty. As most Asian beauties possess the beautiful almond shaped dark eyes, Jin’s are the color of honey. Immediately she is discovered by a member of the Emperor’s army and trained to be a consort to the Emperor when he calls for her. Jin acquires the “sexual” knowledge to have to “please” the Emperor and his wicked desires that involve BDSM. She becomes so accustomed to the practice of experiencing pleasure through pain, that she craves it and cannot take her own pleasure without it.

The Emperor meets Jin and is immediately taken with her. He betroths her to his eldest song, and Crown Prince, Ping and they are married shortly thereafter. Ping is a typical young man who takes his pleasure with many women in addition to his young wife. After only calling for her three times in their marriage, their sexual relationship becomes non-existent. Jin is not bothered by this as her sole purpose in coming to the Emperor’s palace was to please the Emperor and when her young husband’s attention diverts elsewhere, she’s only too happy to go after the man she truly desires.

This was a pretty good read. I find it difficult to rate it properly because my emotions towards it were so mixed.

I adored the setting and story background. In fact, this is probably the first book I’ve read that took place in China. I found the imagery to be very mysterious and exotic which made the reading very enjoyable.

The genre of this novella was listed as erotica. I wouldn’t go as far as to the say that. I’ve read many historicals that were WAY more erotic than this and the heat level, in my opinion, just wasn’t all that hot. Could’ve used more in that department.

The whole BDSM thing is tough for me. It’s really not my thing and typically I don’t enjoy books that involve that, but, it worked for this story. The explanations and descriptions were done carefully according to the time setting of the story.

Overall, I give this three out of five stars. Pretty good!
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 27, 2011 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-netgalley, ebooks-i-own, x-read-in-2011

This was a pretty short story and a quick read -
It was pretty good - Basically it's all you read in the blurbs, about Jin being born with golden eyes, meaning she is meant to serve the Emperor. But the Emperor has a certain way he prefers his pleasure.. with pain... And she learns from an early age, that the pain he inflects on her, is nothing more then pleasure for the both of them.

And yet, there are obstacles - when Jin came to the Palace to serve, the Emperor handed her over to his first so...more

like · see review

Sep 05, 2011 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: novella, smut, read-in-2011

Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2011/09/02/...

I’ve been a fan of Burkhart since I picked up Dear Sir, I’m Yours last year. Burkhart has a great way of combining just the perfect amount of BDSM kink in with her romance. When I saw the blurb for Golden, I was a little hesitant about the historical aspect, but was pleasantly surprised that I liked this one better than other historical erotica.

Jin is the first wife of the Emperor’s oldest son, but she wants nothing to do wit...more Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2011/09/02/...

I’ve been a fan of Burkhart since I picked up Dear Sir, I’m Yours last year. Burkhart has a great way of combining just the perfect amount of BDSM kink in with her romance. When I saw the blurb for Golden, I was a little hesitant about the historical aspect, but was pleasantly surprised that I liked this one better than other historical erotica.

Jin is the first wife of the Emperor’s oldest son, but she wants nothing to do with the son. She wants the Emperor himself, as she was raised to be the one to meet his more nefarious needs. But life in the palace is rough as a consort to the Emperor, and although Jin has been trained in more than just the art of pain, she will have to use everything she learned just to survive.

At first, this book had a very fantasy like feel to it. I have never been a big fan of non-regency historical books, I don’t know why, but they never seem to hold my attention for long. But Burkhart opened my eyes to a new era of history that I think I could really enjoy reading more about. The writing is all done from the first person POV of Jin, and although she is young, I liked the one sided perspective.

This book is fairly short (only about 70 pages), but packs quite a punch. I was a little put off at first of the thought of Jin and her father-in-law’s relationship. But it was obvious early on that neither Jin nor the Emperor felt like they had a father-daughter type relationship. I was quickly able to get over that once it became perfectly clear that the Emperor had as strong of feelings for Jin as she did for him.

The sexy moments were – in true Burkhart fashion – very sexy and firmly set in the BDSM world. Both Jin and the Emperor are into pain, and like Burkhart’s Hurt Me So Good, the pain is depicted in a way that is neither graphic or off-putting. While I wasn’t expecting any kind of tenderness from the Emperor, I was happy to see that he didn’t shy away from being tender.

I was also intrigued by the backstabbing and side plots in the book with the Empress and son. The assassination plots and attempts, Jin’s need to stay one-step ahead of everyone and the secrets were another aspect of the historical time frame I found really interesting. Ms. Burkhart if you read this, please write more stories like this! Loved that, very unique and something I’ve never read before!

However, despite all the great things about this novella, there were a few things that didn’t sit well with me. Namely the way the Emperor had Jin watch the way he interacted with the Empress. It was uncomfortable for me to read, and although I got the message, I could have done without the whole scene. *shudder* Also, the way that Jin’s husband handled finding out about them seemed a little ridiculous, especially after watching a scene play out between Jin and his father. I refuse to believe he was THAT stupid…

All in all I like Burkhart’s newest novella. Golden was a sexy short novella featuring a different historical period than we normally see, and different aspects of BDSM that are not always readily explored.

I give Golden a C+(less)

like · see review

Aug 26, 2011 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bondage-or-kink, adultery-or-infidelity, polygamy, family-issues, politics, 2011-read, no-hea, steam-level-hot, historical, concubine, hero-gets-heroine-pregnant-early-on, netgalley, arc-review-held

This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.

Expected Release Date: August 29, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Carina Press
Author’s Website: http://joelysueburkhart.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Hot

As a child, Jin was reviled for her strange golden eyes, until one day, a military general saw her, and proclaimed that she was destined for the Emperor. Trained in the erotic arts, and having lear...more

like · see review

Aug 13, 2011 Rebecca Rogers rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, erotica, for-review, historical, historical-romance, romance

**ARC Courtesy of Netgalley

Jin has had her golden eyes on the Emperor since before she met him. Instead of working her way through his concubines to reach him, she was given his son in marriage. The Emperor’s son, however, wants nothing to do with her, so it’s up to Jin to fulfill her one wish—be with the Emperor. When the Emperor reveals he secretly likes to inflict pain, Jin doesn’t hesitate to let him know that’s exactly what she’s wanted.

There is a lot of kinkiness/bondage/submission going...more

like · see review

Nov 02, 2011 Susi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, 2011-09, historical, bdsm, erotica, erotic, romance

I was prepared to be thrown into a story like non I read by Burkhart before and that is exactly what Golden did to me. It surprised me- in a very good way. The setting and feel of this one are something special. An enthralling oriental world of intrigues and deception all wrapped around a foreign romance that enthralled me and didn't let me go till I read the last word.

We meet the golden eyed Jin- a young woman at the court of the Emperor. Her goal is too woo the Emperor into her bed because she...more I was prepared to be thrown into a story like non I read by Burkhart before and that is exactly what Golden did to me. It surprised me- in a very good way. The setting and feel of this one are something special. An enthralling oriental world of intrigues and deception all wrapped around a foreign romance that enthralled me and didn't let me go till I read the last word.

We meet the golden eyed Jin- a young woman at the court of the Emperor. Her goal is too woo the Emperor into her bed because she is sure that it is her destiny to give him the release of his darker urges. She believes only she can give him what he truly wants. Her "love" for the Emperor seems foreign and perhaps even a bit missguided at first.For me, it felt more like an obsession based on things she thought to knew about him- a bit like "pop star" worshiping. When the story progresses we see where her love comes from and how it seems to grow with every interaction between our pair. Jin is a strong woman, not only because of her preference of bearing the pain her Emperor has to give her. She has a cunning mind and a set plan to reach her goals. But she is not stubborn- she knows how to improvise. She is really smart and not as submissive as you would think her to be.

The Emperor stays a mystery through the whole book. we get little glimpse of his character here and there but he always stays the figure she create in her imagination. His motives stay hidden till the end of the story. This actually increased the mystery and allure of his character.

Surprisingly the sex scenes in Golden worked for me. Usually I prefer the emotional ones where you know what both characters want. I always thought that the emotional aspect makes the sex really sexy for me but it seems this is also true for a one sided story. For the most time I thought that the Emperor didn't really care for Jin and still oh my the scenes between the sheets were hot. Well I should say that those are really dark and not shy of BDSM action. I loved it!

The plot itself was enthralling- the workings and intrigues of the court drew me in and I sat on the edge of seat begging for the good outcome. I loved how Burkhart penned all the different factions and their goals without leaving me confused or out of the loop. For those who know me I usually don't care much for historicals because the court aspect and the low regard towards woman puts me off. Well it worked in this one.

All in all Golden is more than I hoped for. It was a really fast read but still delivers everything that makes a story worthwhile- a unique setting and plot, a romance that will pick your curiosity and just the right amount of sexy times to give it the needed spice. A highly recommended read- take a chance and try something new.(less)

like · see review

Sep 10, 2011 Anne Dirty Girls' Good Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, romance, bdsm, short

I have a hard time rating a book like this, because I think it's really well written, but the bdsm content was more intense than I like.

For me (view spoiler) I know that's not the case for everyone, and someone who enjoys the harder core pain stuff would probably really enjoy this story. So, due to content the story was a 2 for me, but I'd give it a...more

like · see review

Jul 25, 2011 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars....
Book: Golden by Joely Sue Burkhart
Published by: Carina Press on 8/29/11
Received from: Netgalley

Jin has trained for years to fulfill her destiny as the Emperor’s consort. The Emperor has deprived himself of his true desire to cause pain to pleasure himself, until Jin comes along and tempts his will. Passion and desire will cause conflict within the court and may end deadly. This was a story about submission and packed with emotion. I enjoyed the ride and look forward to reading more...more

like · see review

Jan 01, 2012 J.L. Hilton rated it 3 of 5 stars

Burkhart is a good writer, but I gave this only 3 stars because the BDSM powerful man/beaten woman pairing wasn't my cup of tea. I don't derive enjoyment from sexual violence. This story portrayed it as something that gave fulfillment to both the Emperor and the concubine, and as something she wanted to do -- I won't say "chose" to do, because if I remember correctly, she was "trained" from a young age to believe this was her destiny, and that idea doesn't sit well with me.

like · see review

Aug 17, 2011 Nimue rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotica, fantasy, bdsm, romance, 2011

Golden is novella long story which picked my interest on NetGalley. This story was a bit confusing in the beginning, as non of the characters is introduced. So you have to figure out who is who and in which relations to each other they are. Otherwise I got drawn into the book immediately. It is written slightly mysterious and you know that you don't know everything yet. The more you read the more clear motivations become but there are still plenty of surprises. The main character Jin is unfulfil...more

like · see review

Jul 02, 2012 Noelle Pierce rated it 4 of 5 stars

After reading and loving the Connaugher (sp?) series by Joely Sue Burkhart, I knew to expect a well-written book. However, I didn't anticipate enjoying the historical aspect as much (given my proclivity to Regency England...and this isn't Regency. Or England.). I was wrong. This book held me enthralled from the second I started reading until I finished a few hours later. The author brings historical China to life for a thoroughly enjoyable read.

like · see review

Sep 12, 2011 Natasha A. rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Review to come

like · see review

Mar 18, 2013 Amber marked it as to-read

Feb 28, 2013 Danu the GODS of Writing added it · review of another edition

Feb 21, 2013 Sasha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-romances, favorites

Feb 11, 2013 Gina (bibliobuff) marked it as want

Feb 05, 2013 Kylex Anderson marked it as to-read

Jan 15, 2013 Katria marked it as to-read

Jan 13, 2013 Suzi marked it as to-read

Jan 11, 2013 Darcy added it

Shelves: wishlist

Jan 02, 2013 Debs Krulder rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dec 26, 2012 Karen marked it as to-read

Dec 23, 2012 Nethwench marked it as to-read

Dec 01, 2012 Chayno marked it as to-read

« previous 1 2 3 4 next »

Erotica > Bdsm

7 users

Romance > Historical Romance

6 users

Adult Fiction > Erotica

5 users

Romance > Erotic Romance

2 users

See top shelves...

About Joely Sue Burkhart

Author for Samhain Publishing and Carina Press.

More about Joely Sue Burkhart...

Books by Joely Sue Burkhart

The Rose of Shanhasson (Blood and Shadows, #1)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Golden

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Golden
avg rating	preview: Golden Goodreads rating: 3.62 (39 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12036250-golden?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311366806l/12036250.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12036250-golden?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Golden by Joely Sue Burkhart[/url]

Golden

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (1)

Genres

About Joely Sue Burkhart

Books by Joely Sue Burkhart

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Golden

Golden

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (1)

Genres

About Joely Sue Burkhart

Books by Joely Sue Burkhart

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Golden

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (1)