****************SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW**************

I loved Sylvie and Killian's story! This was definitely a different story line than I'm used to from Sara Cate (... SPC fan forever!!!), although the spice was in true Sara Cate fashion (HOT!!). But I truly fell in love with the characters and the ending was the perfect HEA (which I love). Sylvie was a strong FMC, even in the end when Killian told her not to wait for him, she didn't give off the helpless main female character vibes. It truly felt like she was just giving Killian his space to heal. I love how Killian helped Sylvie deal with her toxic parents. His character arc throughout the story was so sweet. I also really enjoyed the dual POV! There were some scenes/convos in this story that alluded to another book/series and I'm all for it... maybe Anna or one of the brother's stories?? Regardless Sara Cate has always been one of my faves and I will be reading anything she writes!!

I always say this about Sara's books, but I genuinely loved this book even more and cannot wait to read this whole series. Every time I get a new Sara Cate book, I know I will love it and possibly even more than the last (which I feel is impossible)! I immediately fell in love with Sylvie and Killian. The grumpy/grumpy, enemies to Lovers trope has to be a new favorite of mine. The way Sylvie stood up for herself was one of my favorite parts. I also loved how Killian not only supported her, but also stood up for her. Seeing both of them battle their own demons and trauma was inspiring. There were so many quotes in this book that resonated with me on a very deep level. I cried a couple of times because of the intensity of these moments and how I have felt the same anger and loneliness at times in my own family/parents. Along with the trauma, the portrayal of grief was fantastically written. On top of the more emotional themes, the spice was amazing as always. It kept me interested. The thing I love most about Sara's writing and her spicy scenes is that they don't fall into the trap of being a copy of lines from other authors or social media. They're unique for every couple, which makes them more memorable and stand out amongst all of the other romance or erotica novels on the market. I truly enjoy every book and this new start with the Barclay family is so exciting. I feel like this series might become my new favorite! Thanks for an amazing read, loveable characters, and intriguing story, Sara!

4.5 stars! Keep Me is a new release from Sara Cate and the start of a new series! It’s marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, grumpy x grumpy, age gap (she’s 25, he’s 37), forced proximity, broody hero, broken MMCs and I ate it up! Honestly this was nothing like I thought it would be from the synopsis, but in the best way. I am trash for broken characters and seeing them find their person, and this book was that, with a grumpy hot Scot to boot.

“Just because I can do it without you doesn’t meant I want to.”

Sylvie’s life is up in the air, she was cut off by her artist parents (who are legit trash and treat her horribly), she kinda wants to write a book but has no inspiration, her phone was broken by a grumpy Scot whose house she walked into (more to come on that), and she just walked into seeing her longtime boyfriend cheating on her with her best friend. So when the grumpy Scot’s sister shows up in NYC with an offer of 10 million dollars if she marries Killian (said grumpy Scot) and remains married for one year…well what does she have to lose.

Killian Barclay has been holed up in his Scottish manor for years and his family wants him to join the real world again, with his aunt even wanting to get the home back from him because of the raunchy parties he’s thrown there over the years. Killian is actually down for the marriage of convenience to Sylvie because he thinks it’ll finally get his family off his back if his reputation is cleaned up by being married. He just doesn’t know the extra part about his family really wanting him to get married because it’s the only way for them to access ownership of the manor, as it can be transferred from Killian if he is married for a year to his wife who will then sign the home over to the family and get paid to leave…

It took me a little bit to get into the story, but once I did, I really enjoyed it and these characters. Seeing how truly broken Killian was and everything he was working through was so sad and I loved how much he and Sylvie were there for one another. Sylvie as well has past trauma to work through with her relationship with her parents, or lack thereof. It was healing seeing these 2 together going through it while also falling in love. I’m a sucker for a marriage of convenience and this one just worked for me. I don’t think the mention of raunchy parties in the past, light BDSM, and his friends were even needed in the story honestly, there was so much to work through already for the couple. Which has nothing to do with the kink, I love how this author writes it (her SPC series is SO good), I just don’t think it added to this story particularly. I just adored Sylvie and Killian together, their grumpy banter and name calling as their love language was so fun. I’m very excited to see where this series goes!

I received an ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own!

CW (provided by author): parental neglect, cheating (not between main characters), alcohol abuse, death, PTSD, and agoraphobia. Elements of kink and BDSM—to include exhibitionism, partner swapping, impact play, and bondage.

around of applause for Sara Cate! i devoured this book. no seriously i did, i finished it in 3 hours! it’s a fabulous start to a new series and i cannot wait for the rest. i mean who wouldn’t want a grumpy dirty mouthed scotsman as your fake husband?! the love and torment can be felt from Killan and Sylvie and those spicy scenes were getting me HOT!🥵

"Keep Me" was such a delightful surprise! It drew me in with curiosity, turned into an obsession with every page, and then—bam!—it hit me right in the feels! 😢✨ Even now that I’ve closed the book, I can’t stop thinking about it! The plot was fantastic, but it was Sylvie and Killian who truly captured my heart! 💖

Sylvie, the seemingly spoiled Manhattan princess with her glamorous parents, had a bratty edge that made her fascinating. Meanwhile, Killian, the brooding Scottish laird living in a stunning manor, added that perfect touch of mystery! 🌌 Both characters are so layered and misunderstood, and peeling back their pasts was such a rewarding experience!

The chemistry between them? Wow! 💥 It practically smacked me in the face! There were moments of spice that were super intense, making the connection feel both inevitable and uncertain at the same time! 🔥💞

I don’t want to give too much away about this enchanting story, but it’s my first read from this author, and I’m already longing for more time with these characters! 🥰 I can’t wait to see what the next book in the series has in store! Count me in for book two! 📚💫

When impulsive and feisty Sylvie Devereaux agrees to marry bad-tempered, reclusive Scottish Killian Barclay in exchange for $10 million, she thinks keeping up her end of the bargain will be easy--stay married to him for one year and walk away a rich woman. But as the two spend more time together, their bickering and arguments soon turn to passion of another kind. As the pair reluctantly starts to fall for one another, Sylvie must decide how much to reveal about the rest of the terms of her contract that Killian is unaware of.

I was a little disappointed with this book. I could excuse the slightly ridiculous setup because I generally love a good forced proximity trope, but I just didn't find the romance believable. I'm not sure why the two main characters fall in love because they don't seem to have much in common or really spend any time together or talk to one another. I don't feel like we see their relationship developing on the page; we're just told that they start to have feelings for each other. So that was a bit disappointing. That being said, the spice in this book was off the charts--the main characters may not talk much, but they have great chemistry that was written really well. I felt like the sex scenes were paced appropriately too and they didn't immediately jump into bed together. So the book was a little disappointing for me, but if you're looking for something steamy and insubstantial, this isn't a bad choice.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Killian and Sylvie are true enemies to lovers. With Killian’s inability to leave his home and Sylvie’s inability to accept love their relationship is volatile to the extreme. Add in Killian’s proclivities to sex parties and alcohol and you have a full melting pot of craziness. And yet they find enjoyment in their forced matrimony. Watching them find themselves and their love for each other was so beautiful. This book brought me to tears and all the emotions in between. I can’t wait to see if the stories continue with the Barclays!

Just Wow! Sara Cate never disappoints!

This is a true enemies to lovers, the amount of angst, banter, and sexual tension in this book is insane.
It keeps you on the edge of your seat and you can’t stop reading it.

This is not your typical Sara Cate book and I loved it!
The plot, the characters, and the spice were perfectly balanced.

Killian is a grump, the definition of an alphahole!
His character development throughout the book was just beautifully executed. This man was so swooning when he stopped fighting his feelings.

Sylvia is a fierce FMC, I fell in love with her instantly.
She fights for what she wants and for who she loves. She made me laugh, gasp, and tear up.

The spice of this book was a show apart, nobody writes spice like Sara Cate! It was steamy and so good! Their chemistry was explosive.

This book was so well written and it has the right amount of emotional parts to make us feel.

Amazing book, I am so honored to have the privilege to read this ARC.

I really enjoyed this story! I loved seeing her find herself and how even from a distance she was unknowingly helping him. I enjoyed seeing how she found herself and what he was willing to do to help her succeed and to encourage her.

Keep Me
By: Sara Cate
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️ .5

🫣 Enemies to Lovers
🛌 Forced Proximity
🫦 Kinky Vibe
💍 Marriage of convenience

Sylvie has always been a tough girl. She hasn’t had the best upbringing so to speak and she has her walls sky high….. She has what her parents call love from them, and her boyfriend and best friend….. Well, she HAD those things. She finds out just how much of a lie things have been and with her parents cutting her off she is down to her last and not sure how she is going to get by.
Until she is approached with a 10 million dollars proposal… If she marries and remains faithful to the Scottish Brute Killian for 12 month she will be given 10 million and fresh start. Killian and Sylvie both stand to gain from this arrangement. Or so Killian thinks. With a reputation for being a wild man, having raunchy parties in the ancestral home of his family they want him out of the house. But this two Alphas butt heads and brings one another to their knees. Is the life you planned worth the money that will send you on your absolute path. Or do you risk and loose it all for love? This book is delicious and you will love to hate both the FMC and MMC

I love Killian so much! He and Sylvie's chemistry was palpable from the moment they met! It was nice to watch their love/hate relationship grow into something beautiful. This book was 🥵🥵 and loved every second of it! Sara Cate has out done herself yet again! ❤️❤️❤️

Keep Me follows the unconventional relationship of Sylvia and Killian. Sylvie grew up, in New York, with famous parents, who always expect the impossible and nothing was ever good enough. Killian, from Scotland, is the oldest of 4, and is a recluse due to past trauma.

What I love about this book:
1. Sylvie and Killian's meet cute.
2. Their banter. Seeing their character development through the book, their little nicknames make sense.
3. Their chemistry. This is a tamed version, in my opinion, of Sara Cate, but you can still feel their angst and lust for each other.

What I was not a fan of:
1. This may sound silly, and it didn't not hinder the story of the book, but I didn't like the different parts of the book. There were 5 parts and each part was a character's POV. I just prefer the every other chapter POV. Again this is just a personal preference.
2. I wanted more of the Aunt's story. His trauma can't be the reason she is an old hag.

Overall, I loved this book and completely recommend. I feel this is a great story to start if you are new to Sara Cate and kink scares you a little. The kink is tamer than what we have seen in her other books, but overall has the same Sara Cate vibe.

Rating: 4.5/5
Spice: 3/5
Tropes: Grumpy x grumpy, enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience

***Received an ARC for an Honest Review***

Loved it! I really loved the story and the characters development. I love a grumpy male character and marriage of convenience. You can never go wrong with that. I very much enjoyed this read.

What a fun one! I didn't know what to expect going into this but I loved the Scottish setting. There was more depth to both characters than I was expecting and I loved it. More like this please!

Hmmm I'm not sure about this one. It was a quick read?

Neither character was all that likeable or interesting and their relationship together was just meh. I also did not like how Killian kept calling Sylvie a cow. The two hate each other and then they love each other without a whole lot of growth or introspection from either of them. And considering that the novel is told in alternating first person sections that's saying a lot or I guess a little.

The spice was also boring and repetitive and after all the trigger warnings for the spicy scenes I guess I was expecting a little bit more.

There is a HEA and there is definitely spice.

I will not be recommending this book.

I love Sara Cates books, and this one was no exception. It was hard to put down, and I practically read it in one sitting. Sara writes stories with a good plot to spice ratio, and the spicy scenes were well written as always. I wasn’t a huge fan of the main characters at first, as Killian was super mean, but I did end up loving them, as I read along.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

I loved this book. I barely put it down. I wasn’t sure at first if I would like the MCs - they both seemed like messy jerks. I loved them both though and all their prickly ways. Scotland is the 3rd MC and all its gloomy misty splendor. This was the fake marriage trope done perfectly. I devoured this and can’t wait for more in this series.

When I tell you I ATE this book up in one sitting. Scottish men? Kilts? Castles?

Girl sign me right up and take my money 💵!

This book got me out of a massive reading slump and back into the real world of life. While this was a slow start kind of book and frankly Killian is SO MEAN, halfway through I couldn't get enough of it and wanted more of them so badly. Both main characters were an acquired taste for me while reading, but you learn to fall in love with them so easily.

Sara writes such broken characters that are so heartbreakingly sad but you can't help but love them, and that's how I felt about both Killian and Sylvie. They both deserved better and despite how torn up I was towards the end, I'm so glad their story ended the way it did. I could not get enough of this book and need Sara to give us more Scottish men!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

Wow! What an incredibly emotional rollercoaster that I was not expecting!! Sara Cate does it again, friends! This book will have you on the edge of your seat, biting your nails just waiting for Sylvie’s plans to blow up in her face.

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Quantity of spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
Quality of spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
*There were 8 spicy scenes in this book*

Sylvie Devereaux (25) is a free spirit and no one really seems to understand her. She first meets the MMC, Killian Barclay (37), while on vacation in Scotland with her boyfriend, Aaron. Sylvie breaks into Killian’s house to obtain a picture of some old typewriter important to Aaron’s family. Aaron is a little bitch and won’t go in with her, so when she gets caught by the manor’s gorgeous owner, she’s all alone. She vows to never return or see the Scotsman again after the horrible encounter.

Unfortunately, when Sylvie returns to the states, she finds out her shit hole bf, Aaron, is cheating on her with her best friend - by walking in on them no less. Needless to say, she’s PISSED!

Killian’s sister, Anna, shows up out of the blue with a proposal. Marry Killian and stay married for 1 year. At the end of it, she has to sign over the rights to his manor house to their aunt and Sylvie will be paid $10 million. She thinks Anna is nuts and laughs her out of the house.. but Sylvie also has no money since her parents cut her off financially 4 months prior. So in a rash decision after an argument with her mother, she accepts the proposal.

This very much starts out as enemies with the two characters doing a lot of name calling and avoiding each other; but they soon realize they have a lot more in common and gravitate towards each other. Without even realizing it, they start caring for and protecting each other.

Killian has severe PTSD from the accident that killed his parents and has anxiety attacks any time he tries to leave his home, so he has not left it in over 6 years. Sylvie has a lot of emotional baggage on her shoulders due to her parent’s inattentiveness and lack of love growing up. The two may just be what each other needs to heal!

Keep Me had my stomach in knots just waiting for the inevitable point when Killian found out about the marriage contract and I cried for a solid 5-6% of this book. Big, fat hysterical tears 😭 it’ll break your heart, but you’re going to love watching these two grow. Another Sara Cate book I will nonstop recommend!

A marriage of convenience with a sexy as sin Scotsman? While living in a Manor in Scotland? And 10 million dollars when you complete 1 year of marriage? I'll take one please! This book was right up my alley with the MoC and enemies to lovers. I always love seeing how the characters fall in love with each other, especially when they end up changing each other for the better. Sylvie and Killian's banter was top tier and they had me laughing throughout. Gosh I really hated Sylvie's parents and friends and I was so happy when she landed herself in this situation with Killian because he ended up loving her so fiercely. Killian's family (minus his miserable aunt) was the opposite and only wanted the best for him, which he absolutely found in Sylvie. Also,the spice was spicing- so, so good.