⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ This book was delightful! It had everything you could want from a Sara Cate novel.

* Killian was a very difficult &grumpy one from the start. You could see he was fighting demons that were getting the best of him. I was extremely curious how his character was going to turn around. It was a pretty smooth transition &he didn’t just change overnight.

* Poor Sylvie. She had every reason to be grumpy at the world. Her so called “best friend” &boyfriend were trash. Her parents were the absolute worst. The way Killian stood up for her made me absolutely melt 🫠.

* The spice was phenomenal! Truly 😘🤌🏼. The stairs 😻😻. Killian &Sylvie’s chemistry was off the charts! There was even some exhibitionism &partner swapping which I wasn’t expecting &also enjoyed.

* I did think the circumstances for how Sylvie was chosen was a bit odd. Very random &less believable. Nevertheless I ate it up 😂.

* I can’t wait to continue the series!

I’d like to thank Sara Cate &Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Themes:
* Grumpy grumpy
* Forced proximity
* Enemies to lovers
* Age gap (11 years)
* Marriage of convenience

Keep Me is Sara Cate’s newest release and it is the first in the Sinful Manor series. This book follows the story of Killian and Sylvie. Sylvie is caught by Killian in his house when she is essentially breaking and entering, lol, and she’s rushed out by him. After losing her crappy boyfriend and having no ties left to her parents Sylvie takes up Killians sister on an offer to marry him. Killian is a recluse, stuck in his Scottish mansion. He is mean and broody, but not always in the best ways. His family attempts to use Sylvie by asking them to marry but their intentions are not so pure.

Let me start with what I liked about this story, so you aren’t completely put off. The story isn’t bad but it is far from Sara Cate’s best. I really enjoyed Killian’s character. He is mean and rough around all the edges but his growth in this story is phenomenal. He really changes and learns who he is and what he wants. His character is what made me want to finish this story. I wanted to see where things ended with his house and family and what he learned, if anything. If you listen to the audio, his accent is also pretty good. I did also enjoy the growth between Killian and Sylvie as a couple. I liked how their relationship developed, from hate, to lust, and ultimately to love. Also, I should mention that this book has the ever dreaded third act breakup, I don’t dislike these but some of you may, so take this as your warning.

However, this is where what I liked about this story ends and what I don’t like about this book begins. Sylvie’s character is AWFUL. She is reckless, bratty, and spoiled. I think her character arc allows her to overcome most of these and I didn’t completely hate her by the end like I did in the beginning but Killian’s growth is significantly better and more complete than hers. Also, Sylvie has a falling out of sorts with her family. This story line essentially closes when she moves to Scotland and then is never talked about again, a bit of a plot hole to me. Speaking of Scotland, the majority of this story takes place in Scotland, but if you aren’t listening to the audio to hear the accent, you would barely know it. Cate had quite the chance to delve into the Scottish countryside and their customs and traditions, she fell a bit short on that. Some mentions of kilts and a few Scottish phrases that are about all you get Scottish wise. Also, the BDSM is almost nonexistent, so if that is a part that is intriguing you to read this story, I would check your expectations.

Keep Me had a lot of potential but it fell a bit short for me. Again, it isn’t Sara Cate’s best work but the story isn’t bad either. It is definitely worth the read and I am interested to see where she takes the rest of the series. My final rating was 3.5 stars but I like to round up.

I really wanted to love this. Sara Cate has one of my favorite voices in the romance genre, and I have loved everything she put out before this, but I feel like this just fell flat. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a nice little kinky novel, but it didn't hook me like her Homewrecker series or the Salacious Club series, either.

I never excepted a story like 'Keep Me' from Sara Cate. To me she is the queen of deliciously forbidden romances like the 'Salacious Players' Club' series. While 'Keep Me' has moments that still have Sara Cate's usual style, there is also something so different about this story and these characters that I found oddly fascinating.

Sylvie Devereaux is a little wild, a little crazy, and a whole lot stubborn and I truly like every facet of her personality. I mean who would think to break into a Scottish castle just to take a peek inside? Sylvie, that's who. But, without that one, crazy moment she wouldn't have encountered the hottest Scottish grouch she's ever met, the castle owner Killian Barclay. Is this the start of a meet-cute romance? Ummm...no. But it is the start of the wildest few months of her life and Lord Grouch has a starring role in her new life, as Sylvie's husband. Yikes! I'm not sure who I should feel sorry for, Killian or Sylvie. Ha! Maybe both.

Now to Killian Barclay. He may be a bitter recluse, but he is also the most seductive Scot I have read about this year. *Sigh* The sparks started from the first awkward moment they met, though.There are some scenes between Killian and Sylvie that are downright hotter than hot! I blame Killian for all of it, that gorgeous jerk.

I absolutely love 'Keep Me'. There was angst, a touch of Sara Cate's forbidden writing style, and character's that share an understanding of true heartbreak. I hope there is another book for these characters in the future.

Killian and Sylvie. not your typical meeting. arranged marriage. forced proximity. enemies to lovers. work through things. something could tear them apart. spice. i laughed and i cried. i wish there was more!

All the yeses for this book....grumpy scotsman, age gap, enemies to lovers, fiery heroine and a marriage of convenience! This felt like quintessential Sara that I fell in love reading. It has spice but so much heart as this broken Scotsman and his sassy new wife fall in love in the most unusual of ways. I loved the setting of this book and felt transported between New York and Scotland. Along the way I wasn't sure I'd love Sylvie but her broken pieces called to me. As the book goes on I see why she and Killian are such a great match for each other. It warmed my soul to see them defend each other in key moments and really be the pillars of strength when neither had support. Sara has a way with showing character growth that feels real and so satisfying. This was no different. I'm in absolute awe of this story and can't wait for more

I am a bit torn with this one. When I first read the blurb for Keep Me, I was excited about the erotic romance aspect. Sara Cate is one of the best erotic romance authors. When it comes to taboo topics, she knows how to push the boundaries without overstepping them. When I saw that Keep Me was going to have a sharing scene, I was all in. I've only read one other sharing scene and I was looking forward to seeing how Cate would approach it. I was disappointed that it wasn't the main characters. If done properly, it could have been amazing. That aside, I just had a hard time connecting with Keep Me. I wasn't the biggest fan of either main character at the beginning. They fully won me over by the end. Killian's emotion growth was fantastic. It took some time for me to get there, but once I did, I couldn't put the book down. It wasn't my favorite of Sara's books, but I'm still looking forward to seeing how she continues the series.

With Sara Cate can you ever go wrong?

This story featured too grumpy main characters who made you both love and hate them. Full of some of my favorite tropes (including only one horse), Keep Me follows the marriage of convenience between Sylvie and Killian. We watch them loathe each other into love and of course that includes some spice.

Check the TW's, but don't be surprised if you find me on a trip to Ireland to see some castles very soon.

4.5 stars – Different from Ms. Cate of late but a great story!
This was a bit of a departure from what Ms. Cate has been publishing of late, it was much lighter in tone, lacking the heavy kink element, and although the main characters had personal issues, I liked the way they were dealt with in the story. Killian’s deep seated trauma and inability to venture beyond his home is very much the basis on which the story is built.
On the surface, Killian and Sylvie seem a very unlikely pair. Their constant bickering, name calling, and screaming matches, makes you wonder how they’ll live to the end of this one year, fake marriage contract, without killing each other. But all that passion that burns at the start, continues to burn throughout their journey together, but in another way. At one of his ‘house parties’ the thought of Sylvie being with any of his friends, brings out his possessiveness, much to his surprise and awakening feelings.
I loved how their relationship developed, how they managed to help each other and bring out the very best of the other, and started to heal the wounds troubling their souls. I liked the ending, that he did the work on himself on one side of the world, while she, on the other side, finally grew up and took responsibility for herself. Her new relationship with Enid, was a very telling indication of how far she had come.
I liked it!

Keep Me (Sinful Manor #1)
By: Sara Cate
Pub Date: OUT NOW!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

Where do I even begin with Sylvie & Killian?! First of all, grumpy FMC + grumpy MMC .. at first I thought how is that gonna work, but let me just say Sara Cate nailed it with these two character’s personalities. I loved Killian and Sylvie so much. Keep Me had me hooked right from the beginning and as it progressed it just hit all the feels. The plot was fantastic. The chemistry between these two was just everything and the spice… well that was just 🥵😮‍💨 I think it made their connection so much more. These two characters have such an intense life story with so many layers that just makes this storyline even better. She does mention in the beginning some possible trigger warnings and agoraphobia being one of them, but Sara handles this topic with such care throughout the book. I don’t want to give too much away, but this is my first Sara Cate book and definitely won’t be my last. I can’t wait for the next book in this series! Also, this was my first Scottish MMC book and I think it’s time to book a trip to Scotland to find a hot man in a kilt!

Favorite Quotes:

“So, no one else loves you. Big deal. But I’m here, mo ghràidh. And I am telling you that I will love you enough to make up for all of them. I will keep you, and you can trust me that no matter what you do, I won’t let you go. Because you’re mine, understand me?”

“We’re all a mess, but the trick is to find someone who thinks your mess is a masterpiece. Your parents might be blind fucking eejits, but I’m not. I know a masterpiece when I see it.”

Thank you @saracatebooks & @hambright_pr ARC. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 All opinions are my own 💙 KEEP ME is OUT NOW…so you better run and get it!

🏷️ #saracate #keepme #hambrightpr #advancedreaderscopy #arcreview #arcreviewer #bookreview #billionaireromance #marriageofconvience #agegapreads #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #bookish #romancebooks #newbook #spicybooks #spicybookstagram #bibliophile #booksbooksbooks #bookrecommendations #bookcommunity #readersofinstagram #reading #booksofinstagram #smut #booklover #bookworm #books

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m down bad for a marriage of convenience and Sara Cate just always does amazing books so I knew I HAD to read this one! Sylvie and Killian’s banter, angst, and emotional development were phenomenal and it was a beautiful read for me!

Sylvie, the daughter of famous artists who’ve completely cut her off financially, recently found herself in Scotland, where she crossed paths with Killian—and let’s just say their first meeting didn’t go well. Later, though, Killian’s sister reaches out with a shocking proposal: marry Killian for a year, and in return, Sylvie will get $10 million. The catch? Staying married will force Killian to give up Barclay Manor, his beloved family home. Intrigued? You’ll have to read to find out what happens next! 💓

Sylvie was a very well developed character. I loved how fierce and headstrong she was. She put up these emotional walls and acted out because she was scared of someone loving her and being hurt. After everything she had been through with her parents, who could blame her? It was so beautiful to watch Killian slowly heal her emotionally! 💕

Killian lived with so much guilt over his parents. He hid himself away in his home and couldn’t leave the house because of his trauma. I loved watching Sylvie be gentle with him and care for him! Also, watching Killian absolutely defend Sylvie in front of her parents was one of the best parts of the book! ❤️

If you enjoy spicy and grumpy banter, read this book! It will have you so emotional by the end!

I feel like this book wasn't something I have read by Sara before but I ended up loving it so much!
It follows Sylvie as she is on holiday in Scotland and sneaks into a house to get a view at a famous heirloom. It is there she runs into this handsome brute highlander who lives in the house. Weeks later back home she's approached by Killian's family with a marriage proposal. She has to move to Scotland and marry Killian to improve his playboy status and after a year she walks away with 10 million dollars. She agrees even though there is more to the plan than Killian knows. He wants to be left alone but seeing his family want the house he lives in he agrees to marry Sylvie to get them off his back. They for sure don't like each other so what can go wrong in one year.
I was a bit skeptical in the beginning I must admit as Killian really is a a-hole in the beginning for no apparent reason, it was something I needed to get used to. But eventually Killian grew on me. Having visited Scotland myself just a few months ago really made me enjoy this book even more. Killian was really a head strong character and like Sylvie often said a complete brute and asshole. He really is struggling and tries to hide it from everyone it's something that takes Sylvie a while to see. But once she does he realises why he acts the way he does. They both had some things to work through and I loved seeing them both help each other and stand up for each other even though their marriage is fake. This is a Sara Cate book but the steamy scenes were less then her other books but I loved it either way.
Thanks to Sara Cate for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I truley enjoyed this book.

A kilt wearing Scotsman and a marriage of convenience to someone who desperately needs money. What can go wrong?

This was such a fun read, so much angst, slow burn, and emotional.

Sara Cate has once again created a must read story! This was an angsty, emotional, and steamy at read. The book is told in dual pov and follows the FMC, Sylvie and the MMC, Killian. These characters had me hooked liked a fish! I luv me a broody man and a sassy FMC. This combo is reading gold and Killian and Sylvie were worth every minute of this read. These two started off rough and but once they softened up to one another, the match was lit! This was dark and steamy with great banter, and delicious spice! I swear there must be magic in Sara’s writing pen because I couldn’t put this one down. She has been solidified as an auto read author for me. I devoured this read!

Themes & Tropes:

💜Marriage of Convenience
💚Grumpy X Grumpy
🤍Kinky Vibes
💜Scottish Broody Billionaire
💚Enemies to Lovers
🤍Marriage of Convenience
💜”My Wife”
💚BDSM Play
🤍Mental Illness Representation

The author identifies several potential triggers. You have been warned. ⚠️

I also listened to the audiobook of this and the narration was great! It was dual narrated by Kelli Tager and Williams Watt. They brought all the emotions of the banter and angsty chemistry off the pages. Overall, luved this read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Sylvie and Killian find themselves in a strange meet cute, essentially Sylvie broke into his house (she claims not as she walked in through an open door) to look at a typewriter that had been some sort of heritage item to her boyfriends family. Obviously less than impressed and a few choice words she leaves expecting this just to be a fun story to share in the future. Instead Killian's sister finds her back home and offers her a deal, marry him for a year and she gets ten million dollars. Easy money, she hates the man so surely a year with him would be simple? Except the grumpy brute has a lot more to him than meets the eye, he's complex and day by day the lines between love and hate become increasing blurred.

Sylvie and Killian seem like they'd be a terrible match, two headstrong individuals that aren't willing to budge on anything but the constant name calling and bickering and tension turns their volatility into some hot and spicy times behind closed doors, or on the stairs or the sofa with an audience.

It wouldn't be Sara without a little dabble into SPC vibes, imagine full 'private' parties in a beautiful Scottish mansion? I could definitely be willing to revisit something like that in the future.

I've seen that this is a first in a new series, I hope it's about the siblings because I need to find out more about Anna, I'm convinced she's a secret dark horse.

Thank you Sara and Sourcebooks for the ARC & ALC.

“I never intended to fall in love with my wife.”

I’m not sure what I was expecting but this was different and I really loved it. A grumpy Scotsman. A spirited American. Two goals. One arrangement.

Sylvie and Killian enter into a marriage of convenience. One year. That’s all they have to last, yet for both, that’s 364 days too long. These two share some of the best hate to love I’ve ever read. Cutthroat banter. Sizzling chemistry. And it’s even better when you watch them slowly morph into something more.

Killian has his issues but so does Sylvie. Watching them both overcome and transform had me in my feelings. It felt like a monumental shift and it was done really well. I definitely cried.

Dual narration by Kelli Tager and Will Watt only elevated my experience. I was hooked from page one and couldn’t get enough. The accents and tone exemplified Killian’s and Sylvia’s distinct personalities and various range of emotions. This was a great listen.

“I need to be inside you, Sylvie. I need to make you my wife.”

“I picture your belly growing big with my child, and it just does something to me. I never thought like that before.”

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

“I just need you, mo ghràidh,”

“Thank you for waiting,”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥🔥

I'm fairly confident Sara Cate can't write a bad book and Keep Me still continues that belief!

As per Sara's previous books, Keep Me is well written, well paced and entirely well thought out.

In a lot of ways, it's fairly different from Sara's previous books. It has plenty of steam but the couple is almost secondary to their issues and their personal struggles throughout a fair amount of the book.

To be entirely honest, I struggled to enjoy and get immersed in the first half of the book. For personal reasons, I wasn't didn't connect with Sylvie and found out hard to find the appeal in the growly rudeness of Killian.

I did push through because I've learned to trust Sara and I am glad I did. Eventually the characters changed, grew and developed in ways that not only made sense but also made then worth knowing and loving. They actually became very compelling examples of self growth, personal fortitude and inner courage. In a pleasant surprise, Sara made them help themselves, save themselves in a way that is inspiring; rather than taking the easy way out of a fairly well used trope.

Congratulations Ms Cate, you win again!

This is a passion filled story of hate to love between Sylvie and Killian. They meet when vacationing New Yorker Sylvie rudely breaks into his Scottish manor to get a glimpse of an heirloom. They have words with each other and she hopes to never see him again. Then his family suggests a marriage of convenience between the two of them to turn around his tarnished image. The marriage is supposed to last one year then Sylvie gets a big payoff. What she doesn't anticipate is their hate turning into real genuine feelings for each other. I liked Sylvie's character, she is a strong sassy woman on the outside but on the inside she is vulnerable and just wants to be accepted and loved. Something she didn't receive much of from her parents. Killian starts off as a hardened brute with an intimidating personality. On the inside he is really just a sad, lonely man who is having a tough time dealing with past trauma. Once they finally see what's on the inside of each other their relationship turns a big corner to real feelings and emotions that turn into true love. Their chemistry is fiery and when strong hate turns to smexy passion, there's no turning back for them. This story is not as spicy as some of Sara's books but I think this story was more focused on the strong emotions it made you feel.

This book was fine. It was hard to get into the start of the book because the FMC was so unlikeable, which was totally understandable as we wanted to see growth over the course of the book. I did like the growth of Sylvie and Killian, both separately and together. They both overcame obstacles to create a real relationship. I also liked that the book and relationship took place over the course of a year, which made their connection seem more substantial.

I know one of the descriptions of the book is BDSM and while there were aspects of that - Sylvie is tied to the bed once and Killian spanks her and has sex with her in front of his friends - I wouldn’t say that’s a real BDSM romance book. I’d call it BDSM light lol.

I don’t think I’ll pick up another book by this author, but it was an interesting read if you like Scottish, marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers tropes. There was a mix of things I enjoyed in the book and a mix of things I didn't like in the book which leaves me with a 3 star score.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tropes: Enemies to lovers | Marriage of inconvenience | Age gap | Angsty | Forced proximity |BDSM | Spicy | Dual POV
Favorite quotes:
"We're all a mess, but the trick is to find someone who thinks your mess is a masterpiece"
"I'm making you mine"
"If you touch my husband again, I'll kill you."
"Light without the sun is eerie, like we are caught between two days. And maybe that's what my life is right now. A mystic dusk. Not quite day and not yet night; just stuck in the middle"
"You're the one being difficult...Mo ghràdh"

Keep Me by Sara Cate is everything I wanted and more. It's the first book of a new series that involves well-loved tropes such as enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience.

The story revolves around Sylvie who finds herself in a situation where she signs a contact to marry the rude Scottish brute Killian for $10 million. The catch is she has to stay married and endure him for a year. I found the witting and the trope choices to be perfectly captivating and entertaining, true to Sara Cate's nature. The characters are dynamic and interesting. I found both Killian and Sylvie to be captivating and engaging. Their banter and different POVs made the pages fly by without noticing how much I was reading in a sitting. As expected, the spice scenes were scorching HOT.

I look forward to seeing more from the characters and the upcoming releases from this series.