When Grumpy met Grumpy...

And they hated each other. Yet, they married for a year. Killian is grumpy and just plain mean to Sylvie. Sylvie is also grumpy, a New Yorker, while Killian is a Scot. He's notorious for his swingers parties. But he needs to clean up his dirty image and Sylvie is offered an outrageous fortune to marry him for a year. Some spice, swinging, then, Mine.

Sylvie is an independent spitfire and Killian is a grumpy recluse. She needs a change, he needs to please his family, so naturally they had to get married! It was definitely a wild ride as they navigated their situation. This is an interesting new world from Ms. Cate, and I’m intrigued to see where it goes.

It’s hard to believe this was my very first read by Sara Cate. Her books have been on my TBR forever, and now that I’ve read this one I’ll be busy devouring her backlist!

Keep Me was such a good read!! I blew through this book in less than a day - I didn’t even realize how quickly it was going because I was so engrossed in the story!

A grumpy reclusive Scottish billionaire finds himself in an arranged marriage set up with a grumpy American who has a chip on her shoulder?!? It’s not often you get a broody grumpy MMC paired with a cranky and sassy FMC, yet Sara totally nailed this duo! The total disdain Killian and Sylvie have for each other and the pure angst that hatred created was so incredible! Oh! And did I mention Killian wears a kilt and gives her a gaelic pet name?!

Seriously, this book made me want to hop on a plane and head to Scotland immediately! The tension between these two characters as they try their best to not hate each other too much for the one year they must remain married as they grump and brood around in Killian’s Scottish Manor had me squealing with delight! So much banter and sass created such a fun angst chemistry between Killian and Sylvie!

5 ⭐️ | 3 🌶️

Killian Barclay was one of the grumpiest MMCs I’ve ever read, but when his switch flipped, It FLIPPED and he was so gone. I loved this couple so much.

🩷 Age Gap
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Marriage of convenience
🩷 All the Scottish goodness (& adorable Gaelic pet name)
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Grumpy X Grumpy
🩷 Billionaire
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Enemies to lovers
🩷 Forced proximity
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 “My wife” “Mine”

🌶️ (partner swapping, Dom, Seggs parties, v0yeurism, br33ding k!nk)

These two were SO MEAN to each other at the beginning and then they had me crying by the 3rd act 😂. This was more emotional than I was expecting from a Sara Cate book and I am not mad at it at all!

Both Killian and Sylvie had trauma to work through and they helped each other through it which was such a joy to read, especially after their tumultuous start.

The enemies to lovers created some STEAMY spice though let me tell ya. And when Sylvie got possessive over Killian?? Yes ma’am I was such a fan.

This story truly had it all and I’m so excited to see where this series goes next 😍.

🖤 Thank you so much to Hambright pr, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Sara Cate for the arc of Keep Me in exchange for my honest review!

Keep Me by @saracatebooks

Thank you so much to Sara Cate, @netgalley, @dreamscape_media and @sourcebookscasa for the opportunity to read the ARC and listen to the ALC.

Well I gobbled this up in one sitting and loved every minute of it. I had just come off of dnfing a book and this was just what I needed! A quick, wickedly delicious and sexy book full of witty banter, steamy moments and past trauma.

If you love:
👩🏻Headstrong FMC
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Broody Scottish MMC
💵Millionaire Romance
💙He Falls Hard
💍Marriage of Convenience
⛓️Taboo
💚Jealous MMC

The audio was so much fun! I loved the male narrator’s voice! He was perfect for the role 🔥

#keepme #saracate #saracatebooks #smut #smutbooks #taboo #scottish #millionaire #millionaireromance #marraigeofconvenience #arc #review #bookreview #bookreviewer #netgalley #audiobook

Having only read one other Sara Cate book, I went in thinking this would be a super spicy Scottish smutty read. And while it ~was~ spicy, it didn’t hold up to that of the SPC. And that’s fine! I was just surprised.

I also thought the description was a little misleading—the swinger-aspect didn’t quite feel accurate, but I digress. ALSO I was NOT down for the frequent use of the word “cow,” which is what the MMC called his “wife” for most of the beginning of the book.😡

Spice was like 3-3.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️

(Thank you, Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

I’m a sucker for reclusive Scottish billionaires!

“Keep Me” follows Sylvie Devereaux, the daughter of famous yet neglectful parents, after she sneaks into Barclay Manor during a trip to Scotland. She doesn’t anticipate facing off against Killian Barclay—the brutish, maddening Highlander who lives there—much less enter a marriage of convenience with him. But his family makes an offer she can’t refuse—move to Scotland and marry Killian to improve his playboy reputation, and after one year, she’ll walk away with ten million dollars. But as she grows closer to Killian, their ruse becomes anything but.

This was the first book I have read by Sara Cate and it most definitely will not be the last! I nearly devoured “Keep Me” in one sitting and only made myself put it down to savor it.

Killian and Sylvie’s grumpy x grumpy, enemies to lovers romance made my heart melt! The two could not stand each other at the start, but their marriage makes it impossible to avoid one another for long. I adored watching them learn to open up as they unwillingly fell in love! Their verbal sparring matches were endlessly entertaining, the pacing of their relationship was deliciously slow, and both characters were very well-rounded.

It is worth mentioning that the taboo elements are very minimal in this one, so it is perfect for those looking to explore this subgenre.

“Keep Me” is the perfect book to kick off the Sinful Manor series. I cannot wait for each Barclay sibling to get their own story!

Kilt wearing, moody, broody Scot?? Shut up and take my money!
This is a slow burn, enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience trope. It’s also full of angst.
Killian is a billionaire grumpy Scot who hates the world. Sylvie grew up rich and is spoiled but is now penniless so when asked to marry Killian to help his reputation she jumps at the chance.
I’m just going to say it. Sylvie and Killian aren’t the most likable people but they have great chemistry and their bickering and pet names for each other are great lol. And the angst is reeeeaaaallllll!!!

This book had me at reclusive Scottish billionaire! I read the ebook, but I can’t wait to hear this story in audio! Keep Me was lighter than this author’s typical books, but it was fun to read. I enjoyed it a lot!

Sylvie and Killian enter a marriage of convenience so he can keep his family manor and she can financially support herself after her selfish family disowned her. They are both lost souls when they first connect. Their meet cute felt a lot more like a meet ugly. These two do not click at all because they are so similar (and cause Sylvie broke into Killian’s house). They are both emotionally struggling, quick tempered, and neither is happy to be married to the other.

Sylvie and Killian are explosive together from their fights to their physical chemistry. One they transform from enemies to lovers, they become the others biggest support and cheerleader. They truly want the best for the other and that is so endearing.

Killian’s k1nky swinger friends all seemed like a lot of fun besides a certain someone who liked to stir up drama. I’d describe this book as k1nk adjacent. It is mentioned in the story, but not really explored deeply like the author’s SPC series. However, the book has some fantastic spice and I loved the impact scene.

I’m looking forward to seeing if the author continues to write about Killian’s family. I’d love to read about his sister!

Sara Cate’s first full traditional publishing release, Keep Me, brings a fresh take on the marriage of convenience trope, blending elements of forced proximity, dislike-to-lovers, and emotional growth. While I’m a huge fan of her Salacious Players Club series, known for its bold, sexy storytelling and respectful depiction of kink, this book felt notably tamer and, in some ways, a bit messy by comparison.

The story follows Killian and Sylvie, two characters who are abrasive and rude to each other at the outset. Their marriage is purely transactional, with both benefiting financially, but their relationship evolves as they’re forced to live together in Killian’s sprawling manor. What starts as a volatile connection full of yelling and insults slowly softens into a more tender, supportive dynamic. The exploration of their pasts adds depth and made me empathize with Killian, even when he was an alpha-hole who crossed the line into rude AF territory. That said, if overbearing MMCs aren’t your thing, this might not be the book for you.

Sylvie, on the other hand, had an inconsistent arc. She started off as a brash and unbearable character, but her personality shift midway through the book felt abrupt, almost as if she wasn’t the same person we’d initially met. While she retained her fiery nature, the sudden transformation into someone more likable left me feeling disconnected from her character development.

The spice in Keep Me was enjoyable, but far less prominent than I expected from Sara Cate. The kinks felt more like an afterthought than integral to the story, lacking the thoughtful exploration I’ve come to expect from her writing. Additionally, the pacing felt uneven, with some sections dragging while others seemed rushed—particularly Killian’s backstory, which needed more depth.

Despite its flaws, Keep Me does have its highlights. The tender moments between Killian and Sylvie were genuinely heartwarming, and their emotional connection was a welcome counterbalance to their fiery beginnings.

While Keep Me didn’t quite meet the high bar set by Sara Cate’s previous works, it was still a fun read. For fans of marriage-of-convenience stories and alpha-hole MMCs, this might hit the mark, but for me, it fell a bit short of the layered, smutty excellence I’ve come to love from her. That said, I’m excited to see what she writes next as she continues to grow in this new traditional publishing space.

Okay I LOVED this!!! This has to be one of my favorite SC books. I genuinely couldn’t put it down. I “one more chapter”ed myself to midnight

You know it’s a good enemies to lovers when you have a few moments where you think “maybe *i* hate him too” and then you end up changing your tune 😂

I love love loved both Sylvie and Killian. They were both so grumpy and headstrong and I loved that even as they grew they were still them. Sylvie is fiery, not afraid to speak her mind, and deeply protective of her man (whether she likes him or not). Killian challenges Sylvie and gives her space to grow and discover who she is all while razzing her and pissing her off (have I mentioned how much I love them????)

I also am obsessed with how this dual POV was done! I haven’t ever read a book written like this and I think it’s such a good way to do dual POV without just switching every chapter.

Of course, to no one’s surprise, Sara Cate gives us the most delicious spice 🥵

There really wasn’t anything I didn’t loved about this. I am SO excited to see where this series goes and what the Barclay Manor has in store for this siblings

Thank you Sara Cate for the ARC copy of this one!!!

Keep Me by Sara Cate is the first book in a new series by this author. It follows Killian, a reclusive Scot who just wants to be left alone in his ancestral home and Sylvie, the daughter of some well known artists. These two have the worlds collide after Sylvie sneaks into Killian’s home to check out a family heirloom. Hijinks ensue and they find themselves in a marriage of convenience. Will they be able to survive each other?

I’m not going to lie. This one took me a bit to get on board with the story. It kind of has an unrealistic start that I just could not fully feel invested in. But eventually, I just took the story as it was and ended up having such a fun time. These characters absolutely hate each other when they are forced to get married. I did not see a way for this to turn into a romance for a good chunk of the beginning. This is what I want when I say I want enemies to lovers.

I do wish there would have been more time spent setting up the relationship dynamic. This book feels a little on the shorter side and I think that slightly hindered my enjoyment of the overall romance. But I still had a great time. Like all of the other books I have read by this author, this book is about breaking down walls and building trust. I found Killian’s character to be especially well done because you really feel the effects of the trauma he has gone through.

I ended up really enjoying this book. If you can get behind the general premise, I think it’s definitely worth the read. The only thing I wanted was a bit more of the inbetween stage between being enemies and becoming lovers. I can’t wait to see what the rest of this series has in store!

A steamy romance between a Scottish recluse and a lost American. Sylvie has no money and has been cut off from her parents. She agrees to marry a Scottish recluse whose family feels he needs rehabilitation. The story was charming. This book has pretty steamy sex scenes. The use of profanity was off-putting.

Felt like this one was trying to hard to be spicy without evenly mixing the spice into the story's batter. The characters never really gelled for me - Killian had a good backstory, but I can't see the relationship with Sylvie lasting more than as a rebound/recovery romance.

A steamy enemies to lovers, dual POV, forced proximity, marriage of convenience romance set in Scotland that sees a broke American aspiring writer making a deal with an agoraphobic reclusive grumpy Scotsman's family in order for them to trick him out of the family estate.

Good on audio narrated by Kelli Tager and Will Watt, this book has great panic attack and grief rep and also includes graphic consensual sex (ie light BDSM). My first by Sara Cate, I enjoyed it more than I was expecting and liked the Scottish setting, the male narrator's accent and the mental health and therapy rep.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Killian and Sylvie are an unlikely pairing from the beginning. Neither character begins as very likeable, but when they are forced into a marriage of convenience for one year, they begin to warm up to one another. They embody a number of popular tropes, including grumpy--grumpy, forced proximity, enemies to lovers. Naturally, sparks fly, and when they finally do, things get pretty steamy!

Sylvie and Killian!!!! Oh my gosh I loved them so much. They were so wonderfully grumpy and just such fun characters overall. The twist on a marriage of convenience was great and a nice unique twist. Beyond that, I think Sara managed to capture Killian’s struggles very well! It was so nice to read a book that I felt like had such well-rounded characters and conflicts. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the third act break-up initially, but as the story began to wrap up, I came around and was able to see why it needed to happen how it did. The narrators for the audio were literal perfection. I just loved them and how they so beautifully portrayed Sylvie and Killian. I am looking forward to the next book. I think this one was some of Sara’s best writing and I can’t wait to see how she keeps growing with this series.

This book was totally unexpected and I loved it so much! Killian and Sylvie’s story is a light read and jam packed with so much banter.

💚Marriage of convenience
💚Forced proximity
💚Grumpy x grumpy
💚Enemies to lovers

Killian and Sylvie have a less than stellar meet cute. Sylvie is breaking into Killian’s house to look at an old typewriter and naturally, Killian does not have the best reaction.

But when Killian finds himself needing a wife, Sylvie is the choice he makes. But Killian’s sister gives Sylvie a very specific contract that she must follow during this marriage. A contract that will hurt Killian in the end greatly.

These two are the epitome of a true enemies to lovers book! They both loathe each other for so much of this book it made me wonder how they were possibly going to get a happy ending. But when they do, you just know that they are meant to be!

I loved the lightheartedness to this book - something that I was not expecting. Add in the k!nky swingers situation that his friend group has going on and you are in for a good time!

I have to say, I think this is my favorite Sara book. It had me almost in tears, and I loved every second. The passion and lead up to these two is unmatched, and I love both characters.

One minute Sylvie Devereaux is breaking into a ancestral manor to take a photo of a typewriter, and the next, she finds herself being offered 10 million dollars to marry a grumpy Scottish man she’s met only once.

✨Killian is really not my type—beefy, broody, and vulgar in every way. So why am I so attracted to him all of a sudden?✨

Sylvie and Killian were so alike and stubborn. It was pretty hilarious reading their interactions. Though I did dislike Killian over his name calling, I liked him over time and loved seeing him go soft for Sylvie.

✨ Killian just needs a soft place to land. A person who supports him for him. All the bad parts with the good. Someone who gives him room to be himself. Hell, maybe that’s just what I need.✨

This book was a angsty slow burn and I was super surprised with that. But I really enjoyed it and every spicy scene was so good. 🔥🔥

✨ “Let me see it again, darling. You come so pretty.”✨

Tropes-
Age Gap (25/38)
Forced Proximity
Marriage of Convenience
Enemies to Lovers
Grumpy/Grumpy

Thank you Sara Cate for the ARC! 🖤