"I'm your husband. I wont let you go. I will always be by your side. I will always care about you, you understand?"
"You're not really-"
"Don't you say that to me again, Sylvie Barclay. I don't care about some stupid f- contract. I love you.. With my whole f- chest, I love you. So don't give me any of that s- about not being your real husband, because I'm right here."

Nothing makes me happier than reading a Sara cate romance - because you know you're getting spice, angst, and just characters that have a unique connection. And this book is no different! ALSO its a grumpy x grumpy pairing which I just adored. Sylvie's family/ ex/. friend are all the worst and I just loved how she found solace (if not begrudgingly) with the grumpy and reclusive Killian. I was desperate to find out more of Killian's backstory (the sad and the spicy) and once I did I just enjoyed his character and growth so much more!

"In truth, I did fall recklessly in love with him. The hate I once felt never went away - it just changed. The passion is a different color now."

💜Marriage of Convenience
💚Enemies to Lovers
💙Grumpy x Grumpy
💚Forced Proximity
💜International: Primarily set in Scotland

Final Rating: 3.75⭐, 3.75🌶️- This wasn't my favorite SC romance - maybe because it was straight to traditional publishing? I'm not sure, but the storyline and flow was off for me, and I didn't get as H&B over the spicy scenes as I normally do. The pacing for the love/ connection between Killian and Sylvie threw me off at times. Like there was a rather quick jump from hostile aggression to spice to warm and fuzzies. And while I recognized the purpose of the third act break-up, I just was discouraged over it. I wanted how Killian found out about the contract to be different. However, while this isn't my fave book by Sara, I'm still a STAN of her writing and you'll find me giddy for the next book in this series aw well as any other book she gifts us with publishing!

"My woman. My Wife. My Darling."

Brief Plot: Killian and Sylvie have a meet-cute, but more of a hate-bad, when S breaks into K's home to see a typewriter. A few days later, K's sister approaches S with an offer for a fake marriage for a wholeeeee lotta money, but at the downfall of her soon to be hubs. But because of the whole hate-bad meeting, she has no problem with stabbing Killian, the reclusive Scot. Or...will she start feeling bad when they start to grow closer, and spicer 😉 (I mean it is a Sara Cate romance!)

Thank you Sara Cate, Hambright PR & NetGalley for eARC's of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Wow. Wow. Wow.

So much different than what I was expecting from Mrs. Sara Cate but oh my gosh so good.

I absolutely loved this book. The hate to love. The tension. The banter. The constant digs at each other 😆 I love love loved Sylvie and Killian. The way their relationship ship progressed of so slowly but still making tiny moves towards each other. The fire and passion behind their fights and interactions were delicious. The heat once they finally came together was insane.

The emotional aspect of this one caught me off guard. I think this is the first time a SC book has left me a blubbering mess. I really really enjoyed the way they both handled and dealt with their issues. Killian seeking help so he could be at his best for Sylvie was so so endearing. I really love that man and how much effort he put into himself so he could be the man he felt Sylvie deserved.

Such an amazing book! Definitely a new SC fav!

4.5⭐️

**arc review via the author & NetGalley🫶🏼**

actually loved this one! i was a bit skeptical at first because these two characters were just not good people at the beginning lol but what does that say about me that i kind of loved that? some morally questionable, stubborn MC's pitted against each other and it made for such a refreshing setting for this book!

i really loved that this book felt like it's own new story but still held aspects of the typical Sara Cate kinky world that we've all come to love without it being just a copy and paste of her other stuff! i loved how different this one felt from what I've read from SC before.

the progression of the story and the character's relationship felt perfect. nothing felt rushed or off timing-wise. getting to see these two terrible people start to become good both for themselves and each other was actually so sweet 🥹

the 3rd act hurt me a bit (Sara how dare you) but also felt right for this story! it was a good mix of story to smut to emotion!!

overall i really loved this one! it was such an unexpected story that i feel was super well done.

Sylvie Devereaux sneaks into a home in the Scottish countryside to see a famous heirloom and is met with the infuriating owner of the home, Killian. Weeks late, Killian's family approaches Sylvie with an offer she can't refuse: a marriage of convenience to improve Killian's reputation in exchange for a LOT of money, like a life-changing amount of money. Of course Sylvie agrees, but things are not smooth sailing, However, the two become closer and Sylvie has a decision to make: should she stay with Killian or take the money and run?

I could not get into this book. It has the trappings of things I love: marriage of convenience, Scottish hotties, enimies-to-lovers, etc; but I found Sylvie absolutely abhorrent and immature, and Killian wasn't much better. I DNF pretty early on. My library has already purchased a copy, and I'm sure it will circulate well, but I would recommend other books by Sara Cate before this one.

I would give this a 3.5-3.75! I truly do always love Sara's writing, but I really could not get myself to care about these characters. Trust me, I TRIED MY BESTEST. This didn't really have me captivated from cover to cover, but it was still a fun time.

Enemies to lovers set in the Scottish countryside is the perfect set up to another awesome Sara Cate book. I love when a character has a lot of growth that needs to happen before they can really learn to love and let me tell you both of the MC’s have a lot of growing to do. The plot is beautifully written, and I felt like I was in the story with Sylvie and Killian as they learned to live together, then eventually how to share their lives together. Sara Cate is a wonderful story teller, and I hope that this book turns into an entire new series from her.

This is an incredible love story in between very spicy spice 👀. I love Killian and his struggles and how I felt it right down to the bottom of my heart. I love the nicknames and the banter and just the slow and stead way they found each other and let the other in. There is heartbreak and healing and finding your home. Such a great story. I noticed that this says book one of the sinful manor so I'm kind of excited to see where the brothers Declan and Lachlan take the story.

I am a sucker for a Scotsman and boy did Sara Cate deliver on this book boyfriend!

Sylvie and Killian's story was an emotional rollercoaster and I enjoyed every minute. Watching the two of them grow and work through their traumas throughout this story was beautiful. The story wasn't what I expected going into Sara Cate book but it was epic nonetheless.

For anyone who likes enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience and forced proximity with a Scottish MMC and plenty of tension and spice...pick this book up immediately!

Another Sara Cate book that i absolutely loved!!

You can’t help but fall in love with Sylvia and Killian straightaway. The hate fuelled banter where you can feel the tension grow and edging for it to become something more.

The character development with both the main characters is a huge part of this book. Two strangers that had been left to fend for themselves, trying to get through a year and go back to how things were.

And is it even a Sara Cate book if it doesn’t mention smex clubs?

The spice, the characters, the story, everything you need for a book you can’t put down.

I’m really hoping this will continue with one of the other Barclay brothers.

This was the marriage-of-convenience romance of my dreams! Plus it's set in Scotland....I mean, what more could you possibly want in a romance? Run (don't walk) to this one on pub day!

So, wow...I was not expecting that much spice. This was my first book by this author. I felt like it was twist of Beauty and the Beast and 50 shades to a point. Sylvie was a twit. The author did a good job at making me completely dislike her. And Killian....the words he called Sylvie drove me crazy. Yes, they butted heads all of the time but if you loved her, you would find kinder words, especially since you know she doesn't fee worthy of love. She asks in the end for him to stop calling her "cow and wench" and he refused. Ugh..

I do appreciate the storyline of anxiety and how they dealt with it.

First of all, I am a huge Sara Cate fan and have read almost all of her entire collection. I don’t know what it is about this one, but it just pulled on my heartstrings emotionally, it was so beautiful. Our FMC breaking into a castle owned by a burly, grumpy, tall Scotsman, stands up to him and then is visited by his sister when she gets back to America and offered to be paid a large sum of money to marry her grumpy brother. The trope is not grumpy x sunshine this time, it’s grumpy x grumpy. But as time goes on, you, see why Killian is the way he is, and his character development is such a beautiful journey to watch him go through. I have not cried reading a book and probably two years, but this one did it for me with these two beautiful characters and their journeys. Trust Sara because this one is a must-read!

It is so hard for me to rate this book because I absolutely adore Sara Cate. Her Salacious Players Club series is one of my favorite series of all time, and it means so much to me. This book was not it. I was excited about the Scottish setting and the kinky vibes, but those two factors didn't really play a huge role in the overall story.

Both of the main characters, Sylvie and Killian, were insufferable. I couldn't get past the fact that he repeatedly called her a 'fat, ugly cow'. If someone talked to me that way, they would be out of my life immediately. He continued to insult her, and they ignored each other for much of the book.

I enjoyed the last part of the book because they showed character growth, but the growth happened when they were apart from each other. I think that they worked on themselves before being able to be together, and I appreciated that part of their characters.

Most of the side characters were equally unlikeable. I didn't like the people who came to Killian's parties, and Sylvie's parents were also terrible.

Overall, this didn't feel like a Sara Cate book. It was really disappointing.

Thanks to Hambright PR and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley & SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for approving me for Sara Cate’s newest book! Sara Cate is often on my radar and immediately had me interested with the idea of a grumpy Scottish billionaire.

Let me start off by saying I really enjoyed this book! I am pretty sure it is my favourite Sara Cate read thus far! I feel like the author was really able to show their ability to develop multifaceted, complex characters in this book through its two main characters. I really enjoyed it as I often found this isn’t done well, but Sara Cate did it really well and by the end you really felt like both characters had grown since the beginning.

This book is MESSY! Both main lead characters are interesting because they are both quite messy, rich & emotionally immature people! At the beginning I was waiting to see if I rooted for them and what their development would look like (if any) and I was pleasantly surprised! This book touched on some interesting themes and did it well. This is the second book I’ve read this year where the fmc has walked in on her best friend and boyfriend fucking, but I really appreciate the coffee being thrown at them. It was unexpected and I definitely gasped/laughed out loud.

One thing I wasn’t too fond of was the time jumps, sometimes it felt too early to time jump like I’d rather have the thoughts of an event that just happened rather then the character reflecting on it a month or a few weeks later. But this often happened. I also couldn’t completely get over the initial name calling in the beginning, sometimes it felt too harsh but that is also more a personal preference for me!

I enjoyed the spice in this one but I feel like the story was about more than the intimacy between the two main characters and I really enjoyed that. Overall I highly recommend this one for those wanting a nasty, complex Scottish billionaire in their life: Killian may be the one for you.

I loved Killian and Sylvie so much!! This was a grumpy sunshine book that really grabbed me. I LOVED their first meeting scene.

This book was so good!

I started reading it and I just could not put it down. I am a huge fan of this author and love everything she puts out, and I really enjoyed getting something outside of the world she has been in with her most recent books. The characters were intriguing and I loved the dynamic between the two of them.

Killian was the definition of a grumpy hero. The banter between Killian and Sylvie cracked me up throughout the book and I loved seeing how the relationship between the two of them developed and became what it was. I loved that even though when things started changing between them, that banter that I fell in love with was still there between them.

I rooted for both characters, wanting nothing but the best for them as I read. I found myself angry, laughing, crying—I just experienced every emotion one could have as they were reading a book.

If you haven't read this book or you're new to the author, I recommend this. It was definitely a favorite this year.

This is my first Sara Cate, but it won't be my last! I loved the set-up of the story and seeing Killian and Sylvie grow together. I appreciated how the characters approached their anxiety in final section of the book and that it wasn't a love solves all approach.

Tropes:
- Marriage of convenience
- Age gap
- Forced proximity
- Grumpy Scot
-Hate to love

How does one meet their own Killian?
Asking for a friend 👀
He falls first, helping Sylvie heal from her own relationship issues.
Miscommunication ➡️ third act break up.
But loved how Killian did what he had to do to better himself and Sylvie gave him the space he needed. 🧡 and the HEA ending 🥰 uhhh loved that for them!

4.5🌟

Sara never ceases to have me feeling all the emotions with a book. What an emotional roller coaster! Killian and Sylvies story was so so good! The growth they both went through and how they helped each other get there was so good! I loved the fiery banter they have with each other! And the spice was so so good! I could have read another couple hundred pages of them and been so happy! Highly recommend!

Killian is a Scottish billionaire who loves to enjoy his money, but in the comfort of his own home. He also has some taboo tastes that urge his family to try and get him under control, which leads to them hunting down the woman who broke into his house to take a picture. Yes. That was probably one of the funniest and tense meet-cutes that I have ever read.

Sylvie is a bit of a spoiled rich kid who has been cut off by her family. There is a lot more to her that we discover as we read the book, and I felt so much for her. My heart also broke for Killian when we see the reason why he hasn't left his home in years.

If there is one thing that Sara is good at, it is making characters that heal each other and help carry the other's pain. And not only that, but give each other the space that they need to try and be better. This book was no exception. I mean, you may or may not have happy tears at the end of this one, no joke.